I know there are those of you who read this blog who are probably dreading that American Idol is almost here.

You are probably thinking, “Oh no. Heath’s blog is now going to be filled with American Idol posts every week, recounting the auditions and describing the dreadful songs the contestants are singing.”

Calm Down. Seriously. Calm Down.

I have good news for you my del.icio.us reader.

Instead of creating a multitude of posts about the show (like I did last year, and the previous year), I’m going to create a single PAGE for American Idol 2008. That will provide you the ability to CHOOSE to view updates/info on American Idol 2008 only if you really want to.

I have created a link in the right sidebar and if you’re feeling like you need to catch up - click it and you’ll see the latest and greatest.

Don’t thank me.

It’s my gift to you.

Love Heath.

David is a big fan of the fair, especially when it comes to fireworks or anything deep fried (especially those nasty and ridiculously disgusting corn dogs).

I prefer something a bit lighter like a diet pepsi. I could never stomach a deep fried twinkie or a chocolate dipped slab of cheesecake.


We went to the fair this weekend, because David wanted to see the fireworks. I was bored, and I wasn’t feeling well (I had a headache the entire day), but I braved the absolutely insane crowds, the fear-inducing heights of the ski-lift, and my inability to enjoy the Moscow Circus fun-house due to my throbbing and pounding headache.

David splurged for a disgusting and expensive $12 margarita that had absolutely zero tequila, zero sweet/sour, and zero flavour.

It was green/yellow ice. It was like using a Snoopy Sno-Cone machine with a bit of food colouring. (but not to fear, we went to our favourite mexican restaurant for dinner and had a REAL margarita just to spite the fair folks)


But…the highlight of the evening, before we braved the traffic trying to get out of the parking lot and home, was the 5 minute fireworks display at 10pm.

Now I enjoy fireworks, but David is NUTS about them. He wants to be directly beneath them so he can smell the sulfur of the explosion and feel the sting of the cinders as they fall in a sparkling, shimmering shower onto the ground.

I will admit…it was pretty cool :-).

(More pictures from our trip to the fair)

And here’s a video of the fireworks finale on 28 August.

As I start to look at re-branding this blog, I wanted to take a moment to call your attention to what I feel are 16 of the most interesting posts that have flowed from my brain in the last couple of years. You may not find all of them hilarious or funny, as many of my posts tend to be, but you might find them interesting.

Insightful, inspiring, informative. The 3 I’s of blogging. Well, interesting as well, so really the 4 I’s of blogging. My four eyes. You get the point.

So without further or farther adieu or adoo, here I present them for your review:

1. Back before my wordpress migration, I did a 5 post series on the 2006 Out and Equal Workplace Equality Conference. You can start at the beginning when Rachelle and I arrived in Chicago, enjoy our adventures at a disgusting restaurant called Stetson’s, and revel in the magnificence of us meeting Mr. Sulu of the Enterprise.
2. Continuing on the multi-post theme, who could forget the 5 days of Victoria, BC. Not only did I finally get to meet Bobby Apperson, but we once again experience the awe inspiring Butchart Gardens.
3. Next on the list is an informational page about the Randompedia, the Random Encyclopedia. Are you looking for things you’d never find in wikipedia? Look no further/farther.
4. A pivotal point in my life centered around an event in November 2006. NaNoWriMo, the writing competition to complete a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. Well let me tell ya, I didn’t just complete it, I blew it out of the water in 12 days then started on the next one! Here’s the post that started it all. (And the post about my first book published on amazon.com)
5. Ready for something spooky and scary? How about the story behind one of my favourite holidays? Hellaween! (I also shared the true history of Valentine’s Day too, but it’s not one of my favourite holidays because it’s not really a holiday. However, Easter is.)
6. The list wouldn’t be complete without at least one GLBT informational component, and what better than a warning that you should not do business with the gays. Ok, maybe two components - especially a warning about hate crimes.
7. The Hellaween season continued with a quick movie review. Some of you might recall the 8 Films to Die For series, and specifically, the movie Unrest. Yeah - I tried to forget it too. Here’s the review.
8. One of the longest series posts that I’ve done here is the Childhood Journal. After receiving a stack of old notebooks from my parents, I realized there was a goldmine of interesting writings from yours truly back when I was a wee little boy. Here’s the one that kicked it off, which includes a link to the entire series.
9. Ok, so GLBT is a common theme here, and so I should probably fill you all in on what it means to be a Friend of Dorothy.
10. Want to know how to make the world a better place? Try Star Trek.
11. I don’t just care about making the world a better place, I also want to make your lives and relationships better. Who knew that you could learn so much about a relationship from your toothbrush?
12. One of the most popular posts I’ve ever done was about throwing a wine party. It’s really quite easy, and I’ve provided simple instructions on making it a memorable event.
13. Some of you were probably wondering when I’d get to this one, and number 13 is probably appropriate for it. That’s right, it’s my American Idol series.
14. Time for a meme. I’ve done quite a few of these, so I’ll lump some together into #14. What’s on your iPod, iTunes Meme, and What’s On Your Desk.
15. Sometimes it’s important to share your dreams. For some reason I felt compelled to share one of my most bizarre ones with you.
16. Finally, I provided more education, in a post on 8 Quick Tips for Aspiring Amateur Photographers. We don’t just provide entertainment here, we also educate.

So there you have it. 16 posts (actually 22 but in a list of 16) that resonated with me and with my readers (based on a very scientific process that I developed just for this post). Have a great time browsing around, and remember that these are just a sample of what we have to offer here at Digital Heath.

Also remember - safety first!

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - A down-and out skid row floral assistant becomes an overnight sensation when he discovers an exotic plant with a mysterious craving for fresh blood. Soon “Audrey II” grows into a ill-tempered, foul-mouthed, R&B-singing carnivore who offers the assistant fame and fortune in exchange for feeding its growing appetite.

One of the longest-running Off-Broadway shows of all time, this spoof of 1950’s sci-fi movies comes to Runaway Stage Productions (RSP) in Sacramento, California.

With an all-star cast - Tristan Rumery as the awkward and unlikely horticultural hero, Amber Jean Moore as the blond bombshell of an assistant, Bob Baxter as the down-on-his-luck shop owner, and Kevin Caravelho as the hilariously sadistic dentist - Little Shop of Horrors will have your sides sore from laughter and surprise.

“The last time this man-eating musical was produced by RSP as a main-stage Broadway show was in the year 2000, and now it is time for this hilarious show to eat its way into the hearts of RSP audiences again.” - Bob Baxter, Producing Director.

Show Dates: Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. July 6-29 at the 24th Street Theatre in Sacramento.

Tickets: $18 adult, $16 student/seniors/SARTA, $12 children - Group Rates for 10 or more. Purchase tickets online at www.runawaystage.com or call the box office at (916) 207-1226.

Runaway Stage Productions is also looking for actors for the upcoming performances of: Jesus Christ Superstar, Snow White, and The Music Man Jr. Audition information is available at: www.runawaystage.com/auditions.html.

Thanks to Eddie Izzard, we’ve all heard of Woodhenge and Strawhenge, the predecessors to Stonehenge (one of the biggest henges in the world).

But apparently, it’s no longer the only henge we’ve got.

That’s right folks - it’s a porta-potty henge.

Here’s the link to the article.

On May 19, Cabana Gatherings had a fun and festive afternoon concert with Emily Shore and Irina Rivkin. The ladies showed up mid-afternoon on a mild May day to perform for an eager audience in East Sacramento.

After socializing and some snacks and beverages, Emily took the stage and performed a set, showing off her skills on the guitar. After performing for about 25 minutes, Emily relaxed with the guests while Irina entertained us with her amazing vocal talents and her wicked-cool loop station.

Using a small box on the floor, she was able to create, at one point, up to 7 backup singers by looping tracks over and over again and singing along with them. When we’d seen her perform in David several years ago, she didn’t have this snazzy device, and I have to say, it was the highlight of the performance.

Guests were raving about it after she finished performing - technology won the day! But it wasn’t all about technology when Emily brought out her bass guitar. The sound coming from the cool blue guitar was a rumble you could feel deep in your chest. David even turned the bass up a bit so that everyone could feel the vibrations.

Many thanks to Emily and Irina for making the afternoon memorable, and many thanks to everyone who was able to attend and support independent artists.

Visit Cabana Gatherings for additional images and links to the artists home pages.

And don’t miss the upcoming evening concert with Steve Gary and special guest, The Mystic Cowboy.

This is just a short one, but it made me laugh.

ROME - Italian consumer groups want authorities to cancel
Barbra Streisand’s concert in Rome next month because of excessive ticket prices.
…
The ticket prices, which range from just under $200 to more than $1,200, are “absurd and shameful,” the groups said in a statement Monday. [Link]

We saw BS on Ellen some time back (Oct 24). It was a huge deal because the interview was done at Barbra’s someone else’s house (which was discovered after-the-fact), and it was such a rare interview.

Those of you who saw it probably immediately noticed that it’s true, Barbra did sit on the right side instead of the usual left, and I have to tell you…the interview was awful. I mean, love me some Ellen, but it was like she was having to pull teeth to get Barbra to say anything. Ellen is fun, playful, and a pretty darn good interviewer, but this was a struggle. Barbra acted as though she couldn’t have cared less about being there and was just waiting for it to be over after she’d gotten her 15 minutes of publicity. It was very disappointing, because I enjoy her music - especially the live album One Voice.

Anyway - so when I saw this article from Rome, it gave me a fun little chuckle, and part of me really hopes that they do block the concert. I mean, she’s a good singer, but $1200 for a ticket???

* BS image is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License.