Let's Get Brainwashed.

I went to The Library. First thing - they not only carded me, but they asked if I had a second form of ID. I guess my driver's license looked suspicious. So I said no - how many people carry two IDs? He asked about a student ID. I said no - did he see my age? So he let me through. I used my pass to get in free.

There were actual books throughout the bar, on the walls and above the bar. I liked that. I finally found the guys in my class, three of them, and they ordered me a beer. Nothing on tap, so I settled for Heineken. Fuck that shit! Pabst Blue Ribbon!

Immediately they started talking about The Librarians, the girls in the short plaid skirts and fishnet tops and red bras. They were dancing on the bar countertop to "I Love Rock and Roll." Aye, how long has it been since I hung out with straight guys like this? And I know one of them was married - makes no difference, I guess. "I'm old enough to be her lover," one guy said. And the girls! What were they thinking? I felt like I was their brother or father - I wanted to cover them up.

Metalhed started and they were hilarious. They played songs like "Panama" and other 80's hair band cover songs. I detached myself from the whole scene and thought - how weird! I'm in a funny city listening to this cover band, and I'm with these guys from all over the continent! I really wanted to take notes of the whole thing - there was so much happening that was strange but ordinary that I wanted to write down, but it wasn't practical, or even acceptable behavior for the setting. "I thought this was the library. Why is it so noisy in here?" I should have asked.

Then this girl near me, who was bumpin' and grindin' to this rock music rubbed up against me and asked where I was from. I told her, and she said she was from - are you ready for this, UT? - Minnesota! She asked what I was here for - I said training. She then pointed to her teeth and said, Dental? It took a few minutes to figure out that she was here for some kind of dental school training, and I explained that I was here for process improvement training. Then the guys in my group joked that she was my girlfriend. I moved away from her, and she obviously got the hint, because pretty much every guy who stopped near her, she grabbed and tried to talk to or dance with. So funny! She moved to the front and was headbanging to the music.

Then a guy in my group pointed out the guitarist's shirt: "Sorry girls, the drummer is gay." I laughed - whatever. Then the band made jokes about Lance Bass coming in and checking out the lead singer, and then they called up the Librarians to dance while they performed the next song. From that point on, it was the typical guy/girl jokes, with the band members panting over the Librarians, and making jokes about who was gay in the band. I thought, give it a rest. That humor gets stale really quick.

We left after their first break, and were about to go downstairs to another bar when one of the guys in my group made a comment to one of two girls passing by. She seemed offended or something, so another guy in my group asked the other, "Why'd you say that?" The girl then seemed even more offended, and said something. I don't remember what she said exactly, but something to the effect of: "Hey, at least guy 1 noticed me, even though he said something offensive. What's wrong with you, guy #2? You didn't get a load of this hot body? Then you're a homo."

She left, but sent her friend back to say to all of us that we're all homos. My group started flirting with her, and they went downstairs with her to the other bar, and I just left. I had had enough of this. I felt like they were living in the 80s or something. I just felt sick. I don't want to listen to people insult each other by calling the other gay or homo. It bothers me that it's still an insult to someone to say that. I guess I forgot how much of the country still thinks this way. And what can you say to bunch of drunk people who are saying this kind of stuff? Get defensive, and then have them get more agitated and do something really stupid and possibly violence? I just walked away, and in the elevator agreed with the man who said, "What a night."