Out with the auld, in with the nude

Yech. Well, I somehow made it through the world's longest work day. It was only 8 hours, but felt like a lot more. So I thought I'd wish you and yours a happy new year. I don't think I'm going to do anything except sit at home with some movies or maybe a video game this year. Last year sort of put me off for the whole, "celebrate another year of being alone" thing.
And if I know you in person, expect to see a lot less of me in the coming year as I will be A) saving money for Peru, B) going to the gym a lot more (and hence going to bed much earlier), and 3) attempting (again) to quit smoking. Wish me luck on all endeavors.

Now its time for [my version of] the news.

LA Times has an article on WA state's push to make filmmaking cheaper. [article, reg. req'd.] I contacted the dude who's in charge of the initiative. He seems pretty cool. Told him I'd help volunteer, etc. Also trying to wrangle some cash from a certain corporate institution with which I am affiliated.

Dune gets released on DVD as a special extended edition on Jan. 31st!! ['bout time!] [article]

If you're wondering what that hooker Jayla from ANTM has been up to, look no further. [article]

And finally, an interview with Todd Solondz from FilmThreat. [article]

LA Weekly's full of thieves!

Remember how I said I was gonna do a post about Brokeback and shonen ai / yaoi? Well, because I am a lazy sack of shit, some bonehead over at the LA Weekly beat me to it. Not only that, but then they list off a half dozen or so films that I was planning on including in the canon of queer cinema. That's ok, this will only give me the impetus to write something more in-depth, more intelligent, and, well, sassier. While we're on topic, just thought I'd let you know how the whole queer cinema thing is coming. Here's an XML link so you can feed that in your aggregator to see what I'll be using for reference. I swear I won't be too academic, though! I'm shooting for Friday the 6th for the first official entry.

Now on to my style of news.

An interview w/ Joss Whedon here. Plus, he says that even though he has closure w/ the whole Firefly / Serenity thing, he's not, as EW claims, done with the franchise. [article]

Sherilyn Fenn (Audrey Horne, yippie!!) guests on Gilmore Girls as the mother of the worst plot line in the show's history. [article]

Finally, someone calls out the massive abuses to the English language perpetrated by television. Its nice to know that some people are crazy like me. Does anyone else find it sexy when people avoid ending sentences in prepositions? [article]

David Lynch does an on-line animated series. [article]

And for the business/film/internet minded, a good article on AtomShockwave.

Risa and I went to see The Family Stone last night. When the movie ended and Risa asked me what I thought, my response was, "It was as dumb as shit." It couldn't decide on a tone. It was totally creepy the way the two brothers both went for the sisters. Everything gets all wrapped up nicely and I expected a voice over to say, "That was the Christmas that changed our lives." Whoever directed it should never get his hands on a film again. The story wasn't so bad, it was just so poorly handled. Plus, with all the expository dialogue, you never really got to know the characters. They relied too heavily on the actors playing to type. God, that movie sucked. King Kong was better.

Deuces, y'all. I'm out.

I don't need no cure, sweet [alcohol] hangover

I saw Tennille off this morning, and I'm finally sobering up. Her whirlwind trip included drinking at FuKunWu, La Carta de Oaxaca, The Hi-Life, Hattie's Hat, Denny's, Re-bar, Colleen's sister's house, and Risa's sister's house--oh yeah, and my apartment. Yesterday was dedicated to recovery, and I think that both of us are almost up to speed.

So, I didn't get to tweak that mix and pull out the crappy track, but I am posting it for you today.

You can click here to get it, and it will be available in the sidebar along with the other mix.

Here's the tracklisting:

Sparque - Let's Go Dancing

Kerri Chandler - Bar A Thym

Heiko Laux - The Silent Bass

The O'Jays - I Love Music (Dim's Dacefloor Edit)

Sam Paganini - Into Africa

Plastikman - Panikattack

Andreas Dorau / Justus Kohncke - Durch Die Nacht (Geiger Mix)

Terry Francis / Haris - Moving with Me

Jacob London - Slom Time

James Taylor - Take Me or Break Me

Basement Jaxx - All U Crazies

Adam Beyer / Jesper Dahlbeck - Redemption

Poni Hoax - Budapest (Joakim's Italo Dub)

All right. That's it for now. Enjoy the mix. Please note that the Plastikman track, in addition to being sorely out of place, contains profanity. Those who are faint of heart, take note.

Target audience

I was gonna make a post about shonen ai/yaoi and draw comparisons from it to Brokeback based on the perception that both of their target audiences are women, but I'm feeling lazy.
Tennille's in town from NYC and we've got a weekend of partying ahead of us.
Anyway, maybe I'll include some shonen ai history when I get around to the queer film canon thing.
If your interest is piqued, here's some links:
Why Are Japanese Girls’ Comics full of Boys Bonking?
Queer Japanese Film
Queer Asian Cinema: Shadows in the Shade

Ok. That should get you started. There's also a video called FAKE which is an example of yaoi. Not the greatest animation and the story's a little iffy, but interesting as a cultural artifact, nonetheless.

For today, this is all I've got:
Cool site w/ a free MP3 download.
Swayzak's new album to release in March.
And some pretty cool news--the DJ Kicks Series from Studio K7 is releasing an album of all of the exclusive tracks that are on that series. Carl Craig, Tiga, Kid Loco, Playgroup and more. Bomb, yo.

Lame ass Gilmore Girls spoilers here.

Someone in Ohio thinks the "Ocean Walker" episode of Arrested Development was the best of any sitcom all year. [article]

My little town is trying to get some film production going here by setting up a film fund--we'll see how that pans out. [article]

And that's all I got, y'all. Have a lovely holiday weekend and I PROMISE I'll have that mix up by Tuesday.

Its news to me

"Without a single polemical speech, this laconic film dramatizes homosexuality
as an inherent and immutable identity, rather than some aberrant and elective
'agenda' concocted by conspiratorial 'elites' in Chelsea, the Castro and South
Beach, as anti-gay proselytizers would have it. Ennis and Jack long for a life
together, not for what gay baiters pejoratively label a 'lifestyle.'"
- Frank
Rich on "Brokeback Mountain" in his Dec. 18, 2005 New York Times column

I swear I'll see it soon.

"When I see someone who won't see a physician because they're Jewish, or who
can't sit in a restaurant because there are Asians, or feels threatened by
homosexuals in the workplace, the party line in mental health says, 'This is not
our problem.' If it's not our problem, whose problem is it?"
- California
psychologist Edward Dunbar, who believes pathological bias should be an official
psychiatric diagnosis, as quoted by the Washington Post, Dec. 10, 2005.

For real, when we gonna start treatin' the haters instead of the hated?

Check this shizz! Consensual group sex is cool in Canada! Now I can marry a dude who's a hustler that smokes dope, and we can get it on with tons of other people. I <3>

A Department of Defense bill is slated to hit Congress this week. Word is, it will pass. This bill prevents cities (such as Seattle) who have anti-gay legislation from barring groups (such as the Boy Scouts) who don't allow gays to use city facilities. While I hate to use the term slippery slope, I tend to side with Barney Frank that this will probably make it harder for local governments to enforce laws barring discrimination based on sexual orientation. [article]

Its about time someone took this self-hating closeted dyke to court. She better lose her job. [article]

Did you know that Bush-y is monitoring gay groups as well? I love the conservative agenda--everything different from us is un-patriotic and non-American. Eat. My. Balls. [article] Well, I guess it should come as no surprise since the government tried to turn the enemy gay. [article]

And for today's David Lynch fix--Go out and purchase the new DVD edition of Dead Poet's Society. There's a featurette w/ David talking about deceased sound designer Alan Splet. The two collaborated on many films including Dune and Blue Velvet. If you're a freak of a cineaste, like myself, then you'll know how important sound design is to a film. Alan Splet was one of the best technical craftsman in the field. He died in 1995 of cancer.

And in a reality-meets-Jeremy's-TV-Fantasy-life moment: Could Rory be expelled from Yale for making terrorist threats? You make the call. [article]

And finally, since I still haven't gotten your damn Xmas miX, I would like to direct you first to FourFour for Rich's Gospel house take on the holiday. (Every once in a while I like to hear the gospel house.)

And secondly, here are some tracks that the nice kids at Ghostly are giving out for the holiday.

Cepia - Christmas Time is Here

Outputmessage - Carol of the Bells

Benoit Pioulard - Rays in the Tallow

All right, guess that's it for now!!

Ok, I lied. I don't know if you know about Bleep, but they distribute some great tunes from some great labels (like Warp, Def Jux, and Detroit Underground). Anyway, if you register with them, they'll occasionally throw you a freebie. I just got a mailing from them and I guess they're throwing stuff into everyone's cart after the New Year. Plus, they let you stream entire albums which is pretty amazing.

Canon of Queer Cinema, Introduction

Rich recently posted about Brokeback Mountain--the film that all we 'mos have been talkin' about for over a year. He stated that he thought the halls of queer cinema are dilapadated. He later went on to correct himself by saying that good queer films are few and far between.
For every Brokeback [Mountain] or [Far From] Heaven, there are a couple dozen Tricks, he wrote.
I would just like to posit that good films in general are few and far between. Films like Trick are certainly part of the logical progression of queer film, and their inocuosness should neither be derided nor praised. So, over the next few weeks, probably starting after the New Year, I plan on writing about the films that I believe make up the canon of queer cinema. I'm going to try and analyze the film on its own, contextualize it, and open it up for discussion. So I'd really like to
see your comments, m'kay?
That's why I'm giving you a chance to see the film before I canonize it, ok? Maybe we'll throw a few out. Maybe we'll add a couple.
<#queer>First of all, I think we should define queer politik/aesthetic. From his 1993 book Fear of a Queer Planet, Michael Warner writes, "Every person who comes to a queer self-understanding knows that her stigmatization is connected with gender, the family, notions of individual freedom, the state, public speech, consumption and desire, nature and culture, maturation, reproductive politics, racial and national fantasy, class identity, truth and trust, censorship, intimate life and social display, terror and violence, health care, and deep cultural norms about the bearing of the body." I like that reading. Its broad, yet specific. If you have another to add, or a completely different reading, let me know.
So, for our first film, we're going to see the new-to-DVD 60's American Underground classic, Sins of the Fleshapoids by George and Mike Kuchar. And we might include The Secret of Wendel Samson (which is also on that disc and features a performance by Red Grooms). George and Mike Kuchar were the original underground filmmakers. They made their films cheaply and showed them for whoever would watch them. Sins of the Fleshapoids is often considered, along with The Chelsea Girls (Warhol/Morrissey) and Scorpio Rising (Anger), a seminal work of 60's Underground cinema. Now we, dear readers, are going to see if it is worthy of canonization into the annals (hehe) of queer cinema.
So if you've got a Netflix account, put it in your queue. Otherwise, hit up your local video store and get ready for some discussion.
Oh, and if you want to read up on George and Mike, here's a great article.

(And I swear I'll get that mix to you before Xmas!)

Seattle's own Jacob London

I had planned on having a new mix up for you today, but I've spent a few days w/ it and there's problems aplenty. Mainly, one track is monumentally on the wrong mix, and secondarily, there are some train wrecks that should really be fixed.
So, for now I'm directing you to two mixes from hometown heroes, Jacob London. [web site] Jacob London is actually 2 people, Bob Hanson & Dave Pezzner. They've released records on some of the most respected labels including Classic, and appeared on Mark Farina's Live at Om mix album.
I've had a chance to catch them multiple times, and they've always played a great set. Their vibe walks the border between tech-ish fun and west coast house. Both of these mixes are no different. My favorite release of theirs is called 'Slom Time' and it will appear on the mix I post (shooting for Friday).
So, until I untangle the mess of a mix I made, enjoy Bob and Dave.

It makes no deferens

I awoke this morning with sore thighs, sore arms, and the knowledge that I had a great workout. It started at Rebar. At least three people came up to me to ask why I wasn't dancing. They were all feelin' it. At 12:30, I just wasn't. By 1:00 I was feelin' it too (even though there were quite a few train wrecks.) The track selection was pretty decent. All the usuals were there.

At first, I thought I wouldn't really like the smoking ban, but it turns out, its not so bad. Here's what I like about the smoking ban--talking to boys with whom I would otherwise never talk. It creates this sort of micro-social structure. So I met Sam late last night. He came back to my place. We played Uno.

No, but seriously, here's my thing--I don't hook up with guys very often at all. When I do, I feel huge amounts of guilt. Not at the time, obviously (although sometimes I do channel a little just to last longer), but after the part where I'm all, "Here's a towel. Clean yourself up if you wanna sleep on my couch." (You do realize that's a joke, right?) When I realize that this person who knows me in a way that only like a hundred other people know me (you realize that's a joke, too, right?), probably won't be back in my bed. Its the part that's after that makes me melancholic. So Sam slipped out (ahem) around 4 this morning. I was awake when he left. We didn't kiss goodnight--or good morning--or whatever. I'll probably see him around.

It just feels like I'm waiting. This is how I bide my time until I find that guy--that funny, intelligent, dorky, sappy, erudite, guy.

Best Artist Albums - 2005

So I'm breakin' it up for you. That way people who don't listen to "the dance music" will have better points of reference. Also, and I realize this is a bit of a cop out, the albums on this list did not necessarily have to be released this year--I just had to purchase them this year. I'll try to keep it pretty current, though. Nothing older than 2 years, let's say.
Ok, now that you've got the rules and regulations, let's get to it.

10. The Lucksmiths - Warmer Corners [Matinee Recordings] - This album is chock-full of sweetness. Apparently its their seventh album--go figure! Its the first time I've heard of them. There's some nice organ on a couple tracks and horn arrangements that should shame Sufjan Stevens. Sweet vocals with great lyrics. And they're Australian, did I mention that?

9. Architecture in Helsinki - In Case We Die [Bar None Records] - More Australians . . . hmmmm. I love this album. I love its playfulness and I love Architecture in Helsinki's wild abandon. They play an assortment of instruments, traditional and non. They shout/sing most of their lyrics and they make me feel like I'm a kid. Plus, cute Australian accents.

8. Caribou - The Milk of Human Kindness [Domino] - Well, even though he was forced to change his name from Manitoba to Caribou, Dan Snaith has managed to maintain a keen ear. He has a fondness for builds of epic proportion but enough pop-friendliness to make the album digestable. Snaith marks his shift in genre (krautrock to folk) with interludes that tie the album together. Did I mention this dude's Canadian?

7. Stars - Set Yourself on Fire [Arts & Crafts] - These dudes (and chick) are Canadian, too. I can't believe that this album wasn't played out last year. Maybe now that they're opening for Death Cab, they'll get some cred. I love Torq and Amy. Album highlights, for me, are "Your Ex-Lover is Dead," "Soft Revolution," and "What I'm Trying to Say."
6. The Dead Texan - s/t [Kranky] - So this came out last year, but I bought I guess in March. Its a grogeous album full of Slowdive-esque drone. It is packaged with a DVD of visuals that go along with it--trippy, dude!

5. Ivy - In the Clear [Nettwerk] - Any year an Ivy album is released, you're pretty much guaranteed that it'll break my top five. I love their sound. I love that their music is in my past and its in my present. I love Dominique's vocals and I love it when the boys join in, in falsetto. Production is a little different with this album, but in pretty subtle ways. Some xylophone which I don't think we've heard before. Check out their in-studio at KCRW.

4. Royskopp - The Understanding [Astralwerks] - Loathed by many, loved by a few. Guess I'm in the latter group. I think this album contains some great dance pop on the level of St. Etienne or latter-day Faithless. "What Else is There?" is crystalline and sugary and it feels like it might cruble at any moment. The whole album is great.

3. Isolee - We Are Monster [Playhouse] - Rajko Moller releases a seminal work. Minimal disco--not that neu-disco shit people are hyping (ahem, Madonna), subterrestrial funk. This album bites style after style while still creating an original minimal masterpiece.

2. James Taylor - Carthage Milk [Logistic] - Put this, Isolee and Royksopp on random and you've got yourself a perfect three hours of listening pleasure. James is not your mama's folk singer, he's half of Swayzak and their last set in Seattle was one of the best I have ever been to. What always surprises me about them is how much more bangin' they are in a club setting. This disc doesn't provide any bangers, its much more subdued, but not comatose by any means. Go get it and tell me you don't like it. I dare ya.

1. L'Altra - Different Days [Hefty] - I love this album. I love this band. They play a great set live and the phenomenal programming on the album comes from Joshua Eustis of Telafon Tel Aviv. I have heard heartbreak on an album before, but never with such scope with such attention to the minutiae. I'm posting two songs from this album for until the New Year. Hopefully it will inspire you to go out and get this ablum from this talented duo.
Sleepless Night
So Surprise

Arresting Developments

While I fear keeping anyone abreast of anything, I feel it my duty to relay Arrested D news to my few readers.
First of all, did you catch Monday's show? I did, after King Kong, and I've gotta tell ya that a half hour in front of the box is better than three hours in front of the silver screen. Did you like the "podcasting" joke? Well--there might be more to it. [article]
Hollywood Reporter says that Showtime may buy the show. [article]
The show's still not cancelled and Fox is actually pushing it. Here's what that could mean.

And a reader has added to the Sexy Short Dudes list. The new inductee is Seth Green. Best known (to me) for playing Oz on Buffy. Best known (to normal people) as Dr. Evil's son in the Austin Powers movies. Coming in at a reported 5'4" Seth is the newest Sexy Short Dude. Click on the Flickr badge in the Sidebar to see the collection.

Here's a little piece on "For Your Consideration," the new Christopher Guest film. Apparently Rachael Harris and Parker Posey play actresses who are playing lesbians. Sounds riotous.

Oh, and speaking of Daily Show contributor Rachael Harris, did you guys hear that some kid that worked for The Daily Show killed himself and that's why Monday's show was cancelled? 'Tis the Season. [article]

Um, what else . . . oh yeah, Colin Farrell checked into drug rehab (pussy!) which may cause a delay in the new Todd Haynes movie about Bob Dylan. [article]

Speaking of Mr. Haynes, he's executive producing a feature that will premiere at Sundance this year entitled, "Old Joy." [article]

King-sized boredom

Went to a sneak of King Kong yesterday w/ Matt. Here's what I can say about King Kong.
King Kong is a movie. King Kong is three hours long. King Kong was the best movie I saw yesterday.
Ok, so that's a little harsh, but sort of deserving. Three hours for that? Adrien Brody's nose is, I think, bigger than the ape. There were a couple fun parts, but overall it was way, way too long.

Ok. That's all I've got for today.
Oh, Thursday is the Waterwheel Lounge for my series on Ballard dive-bars. We'll probably meet there around 8, so come if you're so inclined.

7 and counting

Only 7 eps. of Arrested D left. At least law students are petitioning to keep it on the air! (article) And if they don't succeed, maybe these guys will. Even people in Iowa are sad.
In slightly related news, David Cross is directing a Black Keys video. (article)

Remember how I said that Bryan Singer likes to jump on his stars? Well, apparently, some of them have junk so big, the studio might have to digitally make it smaller. I wish I had that problem!! (article)

First Norman Mailer, then Madeleine Albright . . . now Christiane Amanpour? Amy Sherman-Palladino talks Gilmore Girls. (article)


Have you heard about this movie with Jonathan Rhys-Meyers and Scarlett Johansson? It was filmed in England, and its an erotic-thriller. And its Woody Allen? (article)

Why do UK fans of Serenity get extra-special bonus features? What makes them more obsessive than me? (article)

And for you Sarah Jessica Parker fans, here's a nice little piece of PR--er, I mean, an in-depth expose on the lady. And another piece about how she and Matthew don't spend a lot of time together. (article) Speaking of SJP, I'd like to give a shout out to Matt over at chip-chat for taking the time to answer my question, "Which television show has been most influential in the world of fashion?"

Now I'm going to direct you to Rich's take on Brokeback Mountain. As always, his take is insightful, intellectual, and analytical. But, because no thesis works without an antithesis (according to Hegel), I offer this article. As soon as this film opens in our little town, I'll offer a synthesis.

And last, but not least, one final shoutout to Charles over at Kinemapoetics for posting (at my request) an Andrew quote this week.

Hope your Monday is going well!!!

Best Books - 2005

I'm gonna post my "Best" lists on the upcoming Fridays. I'll start today with books.

5. A Feast for Crows - George R.R. Martin
What can I say? I didn't read a lot of books this year--plus, I'm a total nerd. This book might not be his greatest (due to forced publication and splitting the book in half), but Martin is still able to spin a yarn that is endlessly entertaining and imaginative. My biggest hope for the series, however, is that it does, indeed, end. I've been invested in this series since 1999 and I'm just hoping that it winds down soon. If the inclusion of all the new characters in Feast is any indication, there are still at least 5 more books in the series.

4. Kafka on the Shore - Haruki Murakami
Murakami is far and away my favorite contemporary author. His novels are subtle and textured and strange and beautiful. Kafka on the Shore is no different. It is different in its voice. There is a different translator and I tried to put a lot of my misgivings for the novel on that, but its not just that--for the first time, Murakami characters are uniformly expositing their actions. It made for a strange read, but I'll be honest, it took me a long while to get through the book. Still, Murakami's worst is still better than most authors' best.

3. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay - Michael Chabon
It won the Pulitzer in 2001, but it took Keith loaning it to me to read it. Kavalier and Clay is deslightful--and I'm generally someone who uses that word insincerely. The story of cousins who ink a comic book in the 40's that becomes wildly successful is a joy to read. Chabon meticulously reconstructs New York at the brink of World War II and gives his characters a depth that is believable and emotional. Overall, a great read!

2. The Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
Mitchell is the real deal and he proves it in spades in this book. Some critics found it to be to showy. I say fuck that! If you can tell a story, nay, 6 stories each with a unique voice and entrenched in genre fiction each interlocking and spanning over a thousand years, you're a fucking genius. I was intrigued by Mitchell with his debut novel, Ghost Written. His second novel Number9Dream was easily the best thing I read two years ago, and this novel is the penultimate po-mo mashup all the while maintaining a real sense of story. Eat that, Don DeLillo!! (My review at Copacetic.)

1. Mysterious Skin - Scott Heim
It took an Araki film to make me aware of a talented writer. I never thought that would be the case. Heim's novel is scary, sincere, sentimental, and honest. He never panders to the audience and definitely doesn't pull any punches. The story of Brian and Neil is unforgettable in a way that few stories are. The prose is liquid and ethereal while simultaneously concrete. If I had the novel with me, I'd pull a sentence or two to show you what I mean. This book definitely isn't for everyone (my mom would probably physically get ill when reading some passages) but while reading it, I felt like this book was meant especially for me. One helluva debut, Scott!

Now for me-time:

New article up on Seattlest.

This just-ine (bad pun, sorry)

Word.
Justine Bateman is going to do a guest spot on Arrested D, y'all!
I really hate to see that show go! [article]

Self-discipline

Last night I should have been with Bill, Cameron, and Derek watching Nicole become America's Next Top Model (wtf?). Instead, I was at home watching it by myself. Why, you wonder? Well, because I'm fat. That doesn't sound like a good excuse does it?
But really, it is. See, here's the thing. I'm heavier than I have ever been in my whole life. I try to make it to the gym at least three times a week. Four or five if I'm really feeling it. The past three weeks, I have made it to the gym 3 times. On Tuesday, I went to bed at 9. Yes, really, 9pm. Both my alarm and my TV were set at 5:15(ish). I had every intention of going to the gym. My gym bag was pre-packed and I could have done it. Instead, I got up, went into the living room, turned off the TV and re-set my alarm to go off at 7. Seriously. I am fat and lazy.
So yesterday I decided to punish myself by not spending the evening with friends. Plus, I knew that if I did, I wouldn't make it to the gym today.
So I sat at home, lonely, sad, and fat.
The good news is, I did make it to the gym this morning. The bad news is, I had a crappy workout and I'm still fat.
I guess the moral of the story is, if you have plans to hang with me or something and I cancel, its because I'm fat.
Here's a picture to prove it. I'm the short, fat, bald one.




Now in completely unrelated news.
Veronica Mars last night was a little sub-par with the main storyline. It was too, "12 Angry Men" (the ep. title is actually, "1 Angry Veronica" and the trajectory of the trial was too easy to spot. The B storyline was much better, with Keith fingering the tape nabber. And that Deputy Sacks (Brandon Hillock) sure is hot! I'm hoping that Keith can somehow manage to find the finances to hire him on at Mars Investigations. Meg's death and Wallace's reappearance in the last five minutes of the show were pretty lame.
The highlight of the show, however, came in the form of "Edge of the Ocean" [video] by my all-time fave band Ivy. A good chunk of the song was played, and they always make me nostalgic and wistful and romantic.

J. Lo and Sandra Bullock are probably out as Wonder Woman (thank God)!! [article, tons o' pop ups]

Speaking of superheroes, Bryan Singer may use the casting couch--er, spa. Must be tough, getting the likes of Brandon Routh (aka the new Superman). [article]

And holy shit, you guys! Kerri Chandler's in town tomorrow night! Unfortunately, he's playing Trinity, but I need a good reason to go out and dance--this just might be it. If you'll recall, I kind of bagged on his latest NRK track, "Bar A Thym". Well, it turns out that its on Carl Craig's Fabric features it and not only does it work well, its totally a stand out, tone setter. My bad! My ears don't always function properly.

Fashion-y

So, Mike and Janice aren't responding to the few questions I e-mailed so I can write an article on them for Seattlest. That's cool, whatevs. I guess I'll just do one about the new men's clothing store in my 'hood, Blackbird. They carry my new fave line, Trovata. I would describe Trovata as West coast blue-blood. There's great attention to detail, but its really laid back. In fact, the designers at Trovata just won the Council of Fashion Designers of America/Vogue Fashion Fund award (article). Also at Blackbird is Modern Amusement which is a cheaper brand that is sold mainly on the strength of its logo. Luckily, that logo has allowed them to make some interesting pieces.
Anyway, I guess that's it for fashion-y crap today.

I don't know if I mentioned, but my Friday entries for Seattlest are going to be dive bars in Ballard--something with which I am quite familiar.
Up this Friday is the Crown Hill Pub. While I won't call her out, my favorite post-op tranny, Linda shoots pool there on Sundays.
After two months of dive bars, it will be time to repent, and I'll spend the next two months going to Ballard churches on Sunday. That'll be fun!

Uh. What else. Tonight is the finale of ANTM. I'm sure Rich will have a great take on it. Tonight is also the premiere of Project: Runway. Which, if we're lucky, will once again have Parker Posey.

And that's it, y'all!

The triumphant return of the hand clap and cow bell

Is it just me or does every single mix CD released in the past few months feature ultra-percussive hand claps and rhythmically intricate cow bells? When I was in college I wrote a screenplay about the lives of studio hand-clappers and where they are today. Maybe with the copious tracks featuring those sounds, I'll have to rework that old screenplay and add the cow bell.

Anyway, that's just what I was thinking about this morning as I listened to Carl Craig's new Fabric CD. Its quite good.

Here's what else I've been thinking about--and I don't want to sound preachy or anything. I just really feel that, in addition to the fluff, this site (and others) really have the ability to disseminate the stories and experiences of our little marginalized community.
Yesterday, I read Travis' dad's reaction to a letter in which Travis came out. I also listened to Adam's audio blog in which he spoke about how lucky he is that his parents are supportive of him and how he is sympathetic to those whose parents are not. So this is sort of what it got me thinking about:
I was adopted when I was three days old. My entire childhood, I was told how lucky I was because I was wanted. My mom and dad loved me more than anyone else and loved me unconditionally. When I came out to them, which was a strange and years long process--my mother learning some five years before my father--I learned that their love for me was selfish and conditional.
My father told me that he didn't understand my "choice" but that he accepted it. I had to try to take all meaning out of those words just so I could continue to have a relationship with my parents.
They had children not so they could raise good people, but so they could have people to fill the roles of sons. I was very resentful of my parents. I resented their values. I resented their ignorance. In fact, I still do. (It angers me that they have my nieces pray for George Bush.)
What really sucks about that, is coming out was coupled with adolescence. So, naturally, there is a tendency to view my actions as those of rebellion. Yet, when I continue to claim my resentment at nearly 30, there is a dismissive and patronizing tone from my parents.
They still love me. To them it is very clear. To me, love has become not something which is powerful and that engenders wisdom and compassion, rather it has become something that has to be tolerated and not understood.
So I choose to love my way, in the hopes that one day, they regain compassion and with it, wisdom.

Is it seriously December?

I can't believe that we're 20 days out from Xmas. The good news is, Nilla will be here in 17 days. The bad news is, I have to shop and send out cards and go to the office Xmas party and a bunch of other crap.
One good thing is I don't shop for the nieces until after Xmas. I call them late on Xmas day and find out what they didn't get that they still want. Since they have like a bazillion relatives, I figure they can hold out for the gift from me--which invariably will be the one gift they didn't get. That doesn't make me lazy does it?
Eh, who am I kidding. I define lazy. If I don't get my 16 hours of sleep a day, I'm grumpy. Speaking of which, I'm going on 4 and a half for last night. (Thanks a lot Matt, video games, and A Feast for Crows!)
Uh. Stuff to tell you. Ok--
First of all, it is rumored that Amy Sherman-Palladino, creator of the Gilmore Girls, could be leaving the show to work on another next season. To that, I say, one more season, then kaput. [article]
I don't follow sports or anything, but is it true that Monday Night Football may be no longer? To that, I say, thank Jebus!
Oh, and did you guys know that Making Love is finally being released on DVD? Mark your calendars, or get your Netflix queued up--February 7, 2006. You may have heard about the film. You might have even seen it. Sometimes it is called groundbreaking. Sometimes it is called soap opera-ish. Its not a great film by any means, but any movie that has one of Charlie's Angels, Sheriff Harry S. Truman from Twin Peaks, and the murderer of Veronica Mars' best friend can't be all bad, right?
If you were wondering what's going on with the apartment that Parker Posey allegedly trashed, follow up here.
I'm not going to Sundance this year. In fact, I haven't been since just after college, but the line-up looks OK. Strangely missing is The Notorious Bettie Page starring Gretchen Mol as the titular character, directed by Mary Harron (I Shot Andy Warhol) and written by Harron and Guinivere Turner (Go, Fish!). Opening the festival is Friends with Money written and directed by the talented Nicole Holofecner (Walking & Talking, Lovely & Amazing) who works with an ensemble cast including perennial favorite, Catherine Keener.
Also at Sundance this year:
Alpha Dog written and directed by Nick Cassavetes w/ Justin Timberlake, Bruce Willis, and Sharon Stone
Kinky Boots directed by Julian Jarrold w/ Chiwetel Eijofor (Serenity)
Art School Confidential directed by Terry Zwigoff and written by Zwigoff and Daniel Clowes (the team that brought us Ghost World)

Um. What else.
Oh yeah! Arrested Development is back on tonight! It hasn't officially been axed, so please, please tune in and pray and eat your vegetables or something. And if you want to write to FOX to tell them not to cancel the show, this article tells ya where to address that letter. [article]

Hey! And did you know that Tosca is going on tour supporting their new album J.A.C.? Yeah. They are, but they're not coming to Seattle. Such a bummer. Now, for me, Tosca is sort of take 'em or leave 'em, but this new album is seriously great.

And finally, local shows that are coming up.
New Year's Eve at ConWorks (where I was last year to see U.S.E.) is doing a balls out dance music show!! John Tejada headlines. Yippie!!

And on February 18th, DJ Heather returns to headline a 3 room party at the Pacific Science Center.

Thing is, that night is also Mylo at Chop Suey. Decisions, decisions.

Oh, and as for the color scheme change--some people felt that red on grey didn't work. Some other people felt like yellow on grey didn't work. I'll work it out, just give me the feedback, y'all!

London Bridge is falling down, my daddy's drunk again in town

Inspired by Chrisafer's post about Dollywood. I was feeling in a Dolly type of mood. In fact, the holidays always kinda remind me of Dolly. Kenny and Dolly's Christmas album was a staple in our household along with Roger Whitaker. "A Christmas to Remember" and The Waitresses' "Christmas Wrapping" put me in the holiday spirit more than any other tracks. Well, those two and "Do They Know Its Christmas." There's just something cheerful and funny about starving children in Africa who could give a fuck about Jesus on Christmas Day.
I digress. For your edification, here is a link to my favorite Dolly track. (Thanks, K!)

I really, really want to see some drag queen like Dina Martina perform this song. It is so creepy and strange. How the hell did little Andy and Sandy die? Did Dolly kill them? I'm so confused--and itrigued.

Speaking of Dina, I think I'm going to her Christmas show this weekend. I'll let you know how it is.

Now for other, unimportant stuff.
Serenity might spawn a straight to TV sequel. I'm down! [article]
And, like me, the Chicago Tribune thinks Veronica Mars is better than Lost. [article] And just to remind yourself how crappy J.J. Abrams really is, I urge you to watch the Felicity "Twilight Zone" episode. Total crap. You notice how Felicity didn't go anywhere? What? You didn't watch Felicity? Well, I did, but only cuz it had Scott Speedman in Speedos. How about Alias, then? Have you noticed how it hasn't gone anywhere? Anyway, J.J. Abrams sucks big donkey dick.

But Joss Whedon rules, y'all! Here's a video clip with him discussing his plans for Wonder Woman!!! (I still hope Lauren Graham plays the heroine--or shoots heroin--or something!)

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram does a piss-poor job at slamming Ellie Parker. [article] For a better article slamming Ellie, check this.

Um. What else. Oh yeah, the House Music Awards were announced. Defected gets some major lovin'.
Dj of the Year is David Guetta.


And, finally, I'm officially a contributor to Seattlest.

Here's my first article--which probably sounds familiar.

World AIDS Day

Please go to the Bristol-Myers Squibb web site and light a candle. For each candle lit, they will donate a dollar (up to $100,000) to AIDS research. I don't think I know anyone who has not been affected by this epidemic. Please take the time to reflect on the progress we've made and how much farther we have to go to eradicate this disease.

Please don't fool yourself into believing that we have already won this battle.

If you don't believe me, check these out.

Article about Russian children whose parents have AIDS. [article]

A man struggles to "come out" as a person with AIDS. [blog]

The story of a man whose brother died from the disease. [blog]

Information from a heath worker dedicated to the fight. [blog]

Another prevention worker's take on epidemic. [blog]

Ok. Now away from the somber subject matter.

Let's talk about Veronica Mars. Did you guys watch it last night? Cordie and Willow together again. It was a delight. And UPN's trying to feel out who their viewers really are by posting an alternate ending to last night's ep. on AOL. [here] Personally, I voted for the ending where Veronica is framed for smothernig Meg, although the other ending was much more believable.

Ghostly has some free MP3's up--including my boy
Matthew Dear (in the Audion guise). [here]

Oh, and you know how I've been calling myself a nerd and a dork for reading Feast of Crows? Well, the Cincinnati Enquirer thinks I'm 'in the know' or 'hip' or something. Check it.

It's a fantasy series for hip, smart people, even those who don't read fantasy.

[link]