d u d e r n e t

So there's this band . . .

. . . called Thailand. And get this: They're good. Much better, surely, than anything I'll actually be listening to live in the Bangkok.

ALSO: Rachel's moving to Vegas. Which:

- Is perhaps more glamorous than Bangkok.

- Is actually hotter than Bangkok (though certainly not as humid).

- Shares a "what stays in . . ." mentality with Bangkok.

We'll see which of us lasts longer. You know, without getting killed or something.

'Architecturously gorgeous'

Only four episodes left! What a shame... but I guess there's something to be said for ending something in its prime.

In this week's fresh Clark and Michael, the boys get an office. Mikey gets creative with a Sharpie (below) and then gets a treat!

Also: "How are the petunias coming in this year, Amanda?"

And best of luck, Mike, after that hair-raising trip to the jawctor.

Windows (or 10) on Krung Thep

See that? That's the view from my potential living room.

I've gone back and forth on what to do about finding a place in Bangkok. I've got a month in temporary housing upon my arrival, if I want it. Alternately, I've got the option of flying over for a house-hunting trip before I move.

I'm pondering taking neither. I don't want temporary housing, because I want to have all my stuff the second I set foot on Thai soil. With a hotel, it'd need to remain in storage. I don't want to fly over because, well, that's 32 hours in a plane that I'll never get back.

So I've been spending hours upon hours lately browsing rental listings every single day.

The Bangkok rental market is both overwhelming and confusing. I've never lived in - nor heard of - a place where the price range varies so wildly. I could live in a perfectly suitable, cookie-cutter one-bedroom for about $500 (U.S.). Less, if location within the city wasn't as much of a concern. On the other hand, I could easily drop $3,000 on a penthouse. Usually when the high-end prices go that high, the low-end prices aren't anywhere near that low.

So I'm seriously considering this place. Which isn't cheap, by any means (actually, slightly more expensive than my current place in San Jose), but could very well serve as a tranquil sanctuary overlooking the city. Which I'm guessing I'll need. Oh, and it - and its accompanying furnishings (yes, all that comes with) - is without a doubt the most beautiful apartment I will have ever set foot in.

(Down there, that's the bathroom. Cereal.)

'It's like a hairy elevator'

Oh, Clark and Michael.

If you haven't been watching, now's the time to catch up. Michael Cera and Clark Duke are back in fine form with the fourth installment of their show, and it's a laugh-riot.

If there's someone out there who plays adorably awkward better than one Michael Cera, I've yet to see him.

Bonus: Andy Richter plays "Attorney Jerry Lillard."

Bonus II: It includes, not only the line in the headline of this post, but also Mike's heartwrenchingly hilarious "I didn't know it was against the law to cry."

Bonus III: It features the series' first "fight scene," pictured below.

Plus, you can sit at your desk and watch every single episode. No downloading, no super-fancy software to fire up. Just point away with the ol' browser.

'She skates like a boy. Or a monkey.'

Kathy Griffin: You either love her or hate her.

Much to a certain friend's chagrin, I must admit that I love her. L-O-V-E, love.

But, as A Gay, I suppose I fit Kathy's demographic a little more than, well, not. Anyway, there's been a marathon on the Bravo the last two days, in advance of the new season of My Life on the D-List. While I've been laughing way too hard at Kathy herself (for instance, dressed up in a full-on rat costume, shooting toy guns at her dogs), some of the best lines have come from guest stars.

The quote in the headline is from Olympic darling Johnny Weir (aka TBall's Favorite Queen Olympian), during a lesson in Vegas; and the line below is from Queer Eye's Ted Allen (aka TBall's Favorite Queer-Eye Queer).

"We don't like the gays. They're too unreliable and emotional."

There's nothing like ...

... a redesign a few days after a launch, right?

Anyway, after a little platform switch, here's the much-better-looking (I hope) dudernet. Carry on.

Update: I realized, after looking at this site from The Plant today, it looks much better on a Mac, and in Firefox, than on and in anything else. So, do yourself some favors: Get a Mac and get Firefox. (Or maybe I'll figure out what's going on at some point and fix it.)

Times fun, and not so

With my days numbered stateside, I've been trying to squeeze as much goodness into them as possible.

Which meant going to see The Hold Steady on Wednesday, going to see Arcade Fire this evening, and going to the U.S.-China soccer match tomorrow. Good times abound, and so do the feelings that I'm really going to miss this place.

Things I won't miss, however, are waking up to headlines like this one, linked to from Poynter:

Mercury News plans to cut one-quarter of newsroom positions this summer (Gradethenews.org)

Whether that's true is still a bit murky, as Gradethenews has had its bouts with inaccuracy in the past, but it seems logically sourced. Either way, having these rumors swirling is doing no favors to those at the plant.