in a vault underground

Yes

2010-11-18T06:44:00.000-08:00

I got an iPhone. So fucking sue me. Still doesn't make me like its inability (sorry, unwillingness) to play Flash or any of the other territorial crap Apple pulls.
In other news, I saw Picasso at SAM for ReMix w/ Phil and Maggie last weekend and had a grand ol' time.

Friends with kids

2010-11-10T09:02:00.001-08:00

Phil and I keep trying for kids, but no luck, yet. In the meantime, I get to live vicariously through friends with kids--namely, Risa and Keith's one-year old Saul. I need to be a more fastidious picture-taker and documentarian, but its not old-hat yet. I haven't learned the blend-into-the-background thing--I'll get there. Our most recent outing was the zoo for Halloween. Why haven't I done this every year that I've been in Seattle? Little kids dressed up as animals in a place filled with animals? I wanted to pick each one up and put them in their respective animal bin with a pat on the head and a, "this is your mommy and daddy now." Of course, I didn't do that. Or did I?

The zoo gives pumpkins to different animals throughout the day. I guess the polar bears have a lot of fun with them. The ring-tail lemurs were intrigued by them, and later could be heard fighting over them.

One mom gave me stank-face for takin' a picture of her kid and her. I ask, "Why dress your child up like the food they are giving the animals?" It is a form of child abuse, if you ask me. I would post the pic, but she obviously didn't like me taking the picture. If I know you and you want to see it, I'll send you a link.

RIP Jill Clayburgh

2010-11-05T22:40:00.000-07:00

She was always one of those actresses who filled in her roles. Even in ridiculous rom-coms like "It's My Turn." There will never be another like her.

Word is out

2010-11-03T06:03:00.000-07:00

I swear I'm coming back. In the meantime, I urge you to watch the documentary "Word is Out" which is available to stream on Netflix. Its an early queer doc that features someone as beautiful as this:

Still beating the drum

2010-10-01T07:15:00.001-07:00

I swear I'll post real soon. Decibel Festival, gay comics, and more coming your way soon! But for now, I go back to work.

If circumstance were different,

2010-09-12T15:37:00.000-07:00

Rye Rye and I would be lovers, but she has her world and I have mine. I guess I'll just have to settle for admiring her from a distance. I was convinced that with my decline in going out, I would never get to the rock the dancefloor to this song. DJ Heather brought it out for me. I trainspotted that track, as they say.
Sometimes it just pops into my head, and I think, "What a great track this is!" Well, maybe not with enough punctuation to justify an exclamation point, but you get the idea. Today it popped into my head, and now that she's had her kid and actually out on tour, there's quite a bit of video. This girl knows how to party. M.I.A. should take some lessons.

Evolution

2010-09-01T10:26:00.000-07:00

For a wonderful take on this newest iteration, Katy B, check out Rich's review. Personally, I got lost a little after Aphrodite and Roni Size, but I guess I'm just showing my age. In fact, I didn't attend last year's Decibel Festival because I thought it was too heavy on the stuff.
(I will be attending this year--there's just too much good happenin'!)

Compare and contrast

2010-08-30T21:35:00.000-07:00

I read two books this summer. The first was a post-apocalyptic vampire story titled, "The Passage" by Justin Cronin. The second was an historical fiction by David Mitchell titled, "The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet."
Below is text I highlighted from each.

The Passage

". . . you started to tell a story about who you were, and soon enough the lies were all you had and you became that person."
"How surprising death was, how irrevocable and complete, how much itself."
"What were the living dead, "Wolgast thought, but a metaphor for the misbegotten march of middle age?"
"You took their bad ideas and, for whatever reason, made them your own. That was the truth he'd learned on the carousel with Amy, . . . "
". . . that was how it felt. So many years gone by--the passage of time itself a kind of marvel. . . "
"And it was true: once you knew that the world was a place that swarmed with death, the child you'd been no longer seemed like you at all."
"A baby wasn't an idea, as love was an idea. A baby was a fact. It was a being with a mind and a nature, and you could feel about it any way you liked, but a baby wouldn't care. Just by existing it demanded that you believe in a future: the future it would crawl in, walk in, live in. A baby was a piece of time; it was a promise you made that the world made back to you. A baby was the oldest deal there was, to go on living."
"This strange new being grew inside you and by the time it was all over, you were someone different, too."
"She made them want to remember. She made them want to die."
". . . foam of voices."

The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet

". . . and the shuddering newborn boiled-pink despot howls at Life."
"Jacob finds himself as little able to evade the man's gaze as a book can of its own volition, evade the scrutiny of a reader. The silent observer twists his head, like a hunting dog listening to the sound of its prey."
"A he-rat, the young man realizes, mounting his she-rat Listening, he becomes enwrapped by memories of women's bodies."
"He spews out a dragon of phlegm."
"'Loyalty looks simple,' Grote tells him, 'but it ain't.'"
". . . professorships kill philosophers."
". . . she is on a momentous journey, but she is going nowhere."
". . . like a struck tuning fork, Jacob reverberates with the parts and the entirety of Orito, with all the her-ness of her."
"To list and name people, he thinks, is to subjugate them."
". . . even terror can pale into monotony."
"The stream of scholars and sightseers was an antidote to monotony."
"The well-oiled bolt slides home."
"The scarcity of facts leaves holes where rumors breed."
"But an ink brush, she thinks, is a skeleton key for a prisoner's mind."
"His Japanese rendition is streaked with mysticism, but so is the original."
". . . solace."
". . . the human mind as a loom that weaves disparate threads of belief, memory, and narrative into an entity whose common name is Self, and which sometimes calls itself Perception."
"To implant belief, Orito thinks, is to dominate the believers."
"'Whatever a man is busy with, that is what, or whom he values.'"
"'To a believer in Fate,' replies Shuzai, 'it's not you who is involving me.'"
"The rain's innumerable hooves clatter on the streets and roofs."
"The two men listen to the percussion of dripping water."
"'A story must move,' Master Chimei opines, 'and misfortune is motion. Contentment is inertia.'"
"Storytellers are not priests who commune with an ethereal realm but artisans, like dumpling makers, if somewhat slower."
"Pictures of the past, and the might-one-day-be. This mind's mind exerts its own will, too, and has its own voice.'"
"'Better an honest drowning than slow death by hypocrisy, law, or debt.'"
"West to east, the sky unrolls and rolls its atlas of clouds."
"Celibacy is for vegetarians."
"'. . . we have just enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love.'"
"'. . . a promise is a promise, even in a myth--especially in a myth.'"
"'The truth of a myth, Your Honor, is not its words but its patterns."
"The world, he thinks, contains just one masterpiece, and that is itself."
". . . but perhaps the luckiest are those born from an unthought thought: that the intolerable gulf between lovers can be bridged only by the bones and cartilage of a new being."
"Crows smear rumors across the matted, sticky sky."
"So the stupidest speech I ever heard, he thinks, was the very last."
"A well-waxed paper door slides open."

Guess which one I liked more.

Not my demo

2010-08-30T06:33:00.000-07:00

So, I've tried and tried and tried to give Modern Family a chance. I think I've seen a total of 10 episodes and my laugh count is less than that. The situations are stale and the use of the documentary camera is lazy. I find CougarTown to be more amusing.
So will someone please elucidate this show's humor for me? What makes you laugh when you watch it? My parents like the show, but they like According to Jim, King of Queens, and the Raymond show.
The only character I find the least bit intriguing is Manny. The rest are cardboard thin, some bordering on insulting.
Also, how in the world is Nurse Jackie a comedy? Sure, it straddles the line, but I think it favors the serious over the zany.

What's the situation?

2010-08-26T20:13:00.000-07:00

Tonight we were watching Jersey Shore, and The Situation was wearing a shirt that I saw in New York. I liked it so much that I took a picture of it.
Seeing him in it made me question my, as Nina Garcia would say, "taste level."
Decide for yourself:

Whipper snappers

2010-08-23T07:03:00.000-07:00

This list is sent out to Professors at Beloit college who teach incoming Freshman. They update it every year. It is depressing and funny.
1. Few in the class know how to write in cursive.
2. Email is just too slow, and they seldom if ever use snail mail.
3. “Go West, Young College Grad” has always implied “and don’t stop until you get to Asia…and learn Chinese along the way.”
4. Al Gore has always been animated.
5. Los Angelinos have always been trying to get along.
6. Buffy has always been meeting her obligations to hunt down Lothos and the other blood-suckers at Hemery High.
7. “Caramel macchiato” and “venti half-caf vanilla latte” have always been street corner lingo.
8. With increasing numbers of ramps, Braille signs, and handicapped parking spaces, the world has always been trying harder to accommodate people with disabilities.
9. Had it remained operational, the villainous computer HAL could be their college classmate this fall, but they have a better chance of running into Miley Cyrus’s folks on Parents’ Weekend.
10. A quarter of the class has at least one immigrant parent, and the immigration debate is not a big priority…unless it involves “real” aliens from another planet.
11. John McEnroe has never played professional tennis.
12. Clint Eastwood is better known as a sensitive director than as Dirty Harry.
13. Parents and teachers feared that Beavis and Butt-head might be the voice of a lost generation.
14. Doctor Kevorkian has never been licensed to practice medicine.
15. Colorful lapel ribbons have always been worn to indicate support for a cause.
16. Korean cars have always been a staple on American highways.
17. Trading Chocolate the Moose for Patti the Platypus helped build their Beanie Baby collection.
18. Fergie is a pop singer, not a princess.
19. They never twisted the coiled handset wire aimlessly around their wrists while chatting on the phone.
20. DNA fingerprinting and maps of the human genome have always existed.
21. Woody Allen, whose heart has wanted what it wanted, has always been with Soon-Yi Previn.
22. Cross-burning has always been deemed protected speech.
23. Leasing has always allowed the folks to upgrade their tastes in cars.
24. “Cop Killer” by rapper Ice-T has never been available on a recording.
25. Leno and Letterman have always been trading insults on opposing networks.
26. Unless they found one in their grandparents’ closet, they have never seen a carousel of Kodachrome slides.
27. Computers have never lacked a CD-ROM disk drive.
28. They’ve never recognized that pointing to their wrists was a request for the time of day.
29. Reggie Jackson has always been enshrined in Cooperstown.
30. “Viewer Discretion” has always been an available warning on TV shows.
31. The first computer they probably touched was an Apple II; it is now in a museum.
32. Czechoslovakia has never existed.
33. Second-hand smoke has always been an official carcinogen.
34. “Assisted Living” has always been replacing nursing homes, while Hospice has always been an alternative to hospitals.
35. Once they got through security, going to the airport has always resembled going to the mall.
36. Adhesive strips have always been available in varying skin tones.
37. Whatever their parents may have thought about the year they were born, Queen Elizabeth declared it an “Annus Horribilis.”
38. Bud Selig has always been the Commissioner of Major League Baseball.
39. Pizza jockeys from Domino’s have never killed themselves to get your pizza there in under 30 minutes.
40. There have always been HIV positive athletes in the Olympics.
41. American companies have always done business in Vietnam.
42. Potato has always ended in an “e” in New Jersey per vice presidential edict.
43. Russians and Americans have always been living together in space.
44. The dominance of television news by the three networks passed while they were still in their cribs.
45. They have always had a chance to do community service with local and federal programs to earn money for college.
46. Nirvana is on the classic oldies station.
47. Children have always been trying to divorce their parents.
48. Someone has always gotten married in space.
49. While they were babbling in strollers, there was already a female Poet Laureate of the United States.
50. Toothpaste tubes have always stood up on their caps.
51. Food has always been irradiated.
52. There have always been women priests in the Anglican Church.
53. J.R. Ewing has always been dead and gone. Hasn’t he?
54. The historic bridge at Mostar in Bosnia has always been a copy.
55. Rock bands have always played at presidential inaugural parties.
56. They may have assumed that parents’ complaints about Black Monday had to do with punk rockers from L.A., not Wall Street.
57. A purple dinosaur has always supplanted Barney Google and Barney Fife.
58. Beethoven has always been a dog.
59. By the time their folks might have noticed Coca Cola’s new Tab Clear, it was gone.
60. Walmart has never sold handguns over the counter in the lower 48.
61. Presidential appointees have always been required to be more precise about paying their nannies’ withholding tax, or else.
62. Having hundreds of cable channels but nothing to watch has always been routine.
63. Their parents’ favorite TV sitcoms have always been showing up as movies.
64. The U.S, Canada, and Mexico have always agreed to trade freely.
65. They first met Michelangelo when he was just a computer virus.
66. Galileo is forgiven and welcome back into the Roman Catholic Church.
67. Ruth Bader Ginsburg has always sat on the Supreme Court.
68. They have never worried about a Russian missile strike on the U.S.
69. The Post Office has always been going broke.
70. The artist formerly known as Snoop Doggy Dogg has always been rapping.
71. The nation has never approved of the job Congress is doing.
72. One way or another, “It’s the economy, stupid” and always has been.
73. Silicone-gel breast implants have always been regulated.
74. They’ve always been able to blast off with the Sci-Fi Channel.
75. Honda has always been a major competitor on Memorial Day at Indianapolis.

Weekend pics

2010-08-16T07:27:00.000-07:00

A brief post

2010-08-14T21:43:00.001-07:00

about the gayness that is Burlesque.
Certainly the gay blogs have been simmering for quite some time about this Cher / Christina Aguilera vehicle, but I dismissed it as something that would be watched on tv on a rainy Saturday afternoon.
However, Phil and I went to see Step Up 3D today (don't judge--A.O. Scott and the Stranger liked it--ok, and I saw the first two) and the trailer was on the reel.
This looks like the type of campy brilliance that Glitter only wished it was (not that I've seen Glitter). Plus, Kristen Bell!

Old like this

2010-07-30T13:29:00.000-07:00

Sure it has over 7 million views, but I hadn't seen it until today.
I hope me and the guy still have this much fun when we're wearing diapers as big as theirs.

Have a lovely weekend!

I write like

2010-07-15T06:57:00.000-07:00

I write like
William Gibson

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

I'll take it!

I'd party with you

2010-07-14T08:38:00.000-07:00

OS4 is the devil

2010-07-13T07:57:00.001-07:00

When Phil and I went to NYC in April, I purchased iPod Touches for both of us. I researched the market and really the only device out there that did the things I wanted it to was the iPod. I haven't owned an Apple product since my Apple IIe in the 80's. Even though they are puritanical in the applications they allow, it worked well for sending email postcards and checking the subway map.
Now, OS4 is here and it killed Phil's iPod Touch. I haven't even tried to upgrade because it scares me. He no longer has wifi connectivity. Battery life is gone. I've always said that Apple is like paying for a Lexus but getting a Honda. Well, the Honda died, and never shall I shuck out another dollar for an Apple product--even though they are so very pretty.

Where the hell

2010-07-12T07:25:00.000-07:00

have I been?
Joss is writing / directing "The Avengers?" I just got chills typing that.

Getting drunk with HGTV

2010-07-10T00:24:00.001-07:00

If you need a reason to drink or a way to get drunk quickly, turn on HGTV.

Get two or three bottles of your favorite beer. Turn on International House Hunters. Everytime someone says "nice" take a drink.
You will be blitzed by the time the couple is deciding which house they want.

Grab a bottle of your favorite tequila. Turn on For Rent.
Everytime someone says "out," "sorry," or some other word with an apparent Canadian accent, take a shot.
You will be vomiting shortly.

As with all drinking games, please feel free to create your own rules.

Some kids are ok

2010-07-09T07:52:00.000-07:00

The Kids are All Right didn't open here this weekend. That makes me sad. Aren't we a real-enough city? I really, really liked Lisa Cholodenko's first film "High Art" and enjoyed her second film, "Laurel Canyon." I was looking forward to spending at least a couple hours in an air conditioned movie theater . . .
Maybe we'll go see the Joan Rivers doc at the Majestic Bay and swing into Portage Bay Cafe for some breakfast. Normally, I would wait for video on a documentary like that. Since, however, the Majestic Bay is attempting to keep one screen arty, and it is an independent movie theater, I kinda feel like I should go and be supportive.

Another year

2010-07-07T04:02:00.000-07:00

Well, my 34th year on the planet has been marked.
The weekend brought James Holden at Neumo's on Saturday and Flammable at Re-Bar on Sunday. I used to go to Re-Bar all the time, but now it is relegated to Sunday nights that I don't have to work. Luckily it was a holiday weekend which also brought two friends from San Francisco. Thanks to Bill for letting us drag him around!!! If you didn't know, Re-Bar's right next to a totally rad lookin' butcher shop.

This morning brought a trip to Toulouse Petit, courtesy of the most handsome guy I know.
The beignets are amazing. The chicory anglaice is otherworldly. Its so good to have yet another quality breakfast establishment from which to choose. When you're stuck on the graveyard shift, you've gotta know where every bloody mary in town is poured.

Desire

2010-07-03T21:04:00.000-07:00

Glows like this:

From Kiwi & Pom

Bicycles : Oranges ::

2010-06-29T14:20:00.000-07:00

"I don't think about it [his bisexuality] as a part I have to accept," she said. "It's just a part of him like any other husband who loses their socks on the floor or doesn't take the trash out."

Huh? Say wha?

via CNN

I'm hangin' on a hoop, but I'm all right

2010-06-25T08:57:00.000-07:00

I was picking out an avocado for some gaucamole to go with the melon-hanbanero salsa I was given at work this morning, when this song came on over the Safeway speakers. I burst into tears, and it felt really good. I've been on that precipice for a couple weeks now, but there hasn't been anything to just get the cry out of me. Leave it to Karen Carpenter to give me that arbitrary catharsis.

AND HOLY SHIT BERNADETTE PETERS JUST SAID SHE AND ELAINE STRICH ARE GOING TO BE IN 'A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC'. Crap, that really makes me want to fly out to Philly even earlier than we are scheduled to make a detour to see those two broads. Sorry for the aside, but Bernadette is co-hosting Regis and Kelly, so you know I'm watching.

Crunch-tastic

2010-06-22T05:47:00.001-07:00

Can't get enough Pretzel M&M's. They may be the death of me.

Point No Point

2010-06-18T07:08:00.000-07:00

Phil's folks were in town this past week. We took the Edmonds - Kingston ferry to the peninsula and saw the tiny Point No Point Lighthouse in Hansville then drove on to Sequim to be let down by the much larger, but less accessible New Dungeness Lighthouse.
My favorite part is always the ferry ride.

From Phil's Family

Winter is Coming

2010-06-14T08:52:00.000-07:00

I am almost excited beyond words for the mini-series adaptation of my favorite fantasy novels. HBO got their hands on it which should make it pretty much amazing.

Winter Is Coming

If I ruled the world

2010-06-09T00:06:00.000-07:00

Part of the Food Network would be a chain of nationwide restaurants. It would be a training ground for local chefs-in-training and also feature many of the dishes shown on the various shows. It would also deliver directly to my door when I pressed "Thumbs Up" on the Tivo remote.

Fly on the wall

2010-06-05T11:11:00.000-07:00

Drop those 2 icky Fred Flare guys outta this video, and I would've killed to have been a fly on the wall at this meeting.

Four on the floor

2010-06-04T02:41:00.000-07:00

I know that the type of music I prefer has relatively few people who enjoy it. That does not, however, preclude me from posting a mix made from the tracks I've culled from Beatport and teh internetz.

Here it is.

I think its actually pretty good and is a lovely little motivator at the gym.

Track listing:
"NYC Beat - MSTRKRFT remix" -- Armand van Helden
"Westwind - Martin Eyerer remix" -- Newtonn
"Mirrors Reflecting - Two Way mix" -- Dan Curtin
"Twilight - Jeff Samuel remix edit" -- Lusine
"Swing - Original mix" -- Ante Perry, Olivier Gregoire
"Spells of Yoruba - Shlomi Aber's Chicago Delight mix" -- Gel Abril
"Blind Date - Original Mix" -- Namito, Martin Eyerer
"Everything is Changin' - Brian Heath's Double Punch" - Robbie Hardkiss
"Doiicie A - Original mix" - Minilogue
"Bengang - Original mix" - Paul Kalkbrenner
"Discolight - Original mix" - Deepchild
"Vem Rebola feat. Dama Pancha & DJ Mankila - Main Acid mix" -- Gregor Salto, DJ Gregory
"Does It Feel Good Baby - Vocal mix" -- Rob Mello

Wish fulfillment

2010-05-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

Glee has me reliving my high school years every week, and not in an entirely bad way.
I sang "I Deramed a Dream" as a duet for a talent show in high school and won second place. Last night, when Idina Menzel and Lea Michele sang it, I got chills.

Now if they can just get Chris Colfer to sing "What More Can I Say," I'll be completely satisfied (and have more music to sing along to on my way to work).

Movie shame

2010-05-13T07:19:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I wanna see this. So sue me.

Mom day fun

2010-05-11T01:32:00.001-07:00

I love this picture from Saturday. Its my mom getting her Mother's Day gift at Sunset Foot Massage. I don't think anything else I could have gotten her would have made her this happy.

Colbert's Alpha Dog

2010-05-06T07:16:00.000-07:00

The Colbert Report

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

Alpha Dog of the Week - George Rekers

www.colbertnation.com

Colbert Report Full Episodes

Political Humor

Fox News

Stuff yo face

2010-05-03T05:17:00.000-07:00

So this weekend we went out of our way to obtain the pistachio gelato I have been craving. We bought a quart. And a pint of salted caramel. The quart was polished off in less than 48 hours from purchase. Probably closer to 36.

I don't know if I've ever felt this way about food, but I know I want more--nay, need more.

NYC 2010

2010-04-26T04:02:00.000-07:00

We had a great time. It was hectic, but New York shouldn't be any other way.

New York April 2010

We went to the Moma and the Whitney. We saw Frances McDormand and Maura Tierney (both of whom I am a huge fan) in The Wooster Group's "North Atlantic" and we saw Kristin Chenoweth and Sean Hayes in "Promises, Promises". The musical was servicable, but the main reason we went, the end of Act I "Turkey Lurkey Time," was a little less than the Bennett/McKechnie extravaganza I was hoping for. However, the t-shirt I purchased is from that number. (Picture soon.) Bill and Derek saw "A Behanding in Spokane" with Sam Rockwell and Christopher Walken. It sounded like a hilarious show. I wish I had tons of money and could see lots of shows but time and budget never seem to permit.

Easy like Sunday morning

2010-04-19T01:54:00.000-07:00

Got my new camera--just in time for this week's trip to New York!
This is the way Sunday looks at our place.

Help a guy out

2010-04-18T13:55:00.001-07:00

Hitsville, U.S.A.

2010-04-14T09:09:00.001-07:00

Happy 50th Birthday Motown Records!!!!

I could be completely wrong, but I think this was their longest running #1 song:

My speed is something more like this:

Or Marvin Gaye singing Broadway standards.
And, of course, the era of which I am so fond, the late 70's, early 80's.
Diana Ross became the first non-opera diva.

A little red-headed white girl with a big voice sang "Behind the Groove."

I always thought she kinda looked like Scully.

Pissed-achio

2010-04-04T16:37:00.000-07:00

Matt and I were brutally rebuffed when we attempted to order pistashio gelato from Pagiliacci today. Apparently it was March's special. Now I'll have to go all the way to Gelatiamo downtown to get more of the delicious stuff.

Crying kids

2010-03-31T22:43:00.000-07:00

These are bad parents not only for videoing while driving, but also for enforcing confusing gender roles on their son. However, this is an endearing and entertaining video.

What the what?

2010-03-30T06:58:00.001-07:00

Music for you

2010-03-24T05:24:00.000-07:00

I know you think that I only post YouTube videos of music, but never post anything you can download. You're basically right. I wish I could say that another OKDJ was in the pipes, but I just haven't had the inspiration or time. My crate on Beatport is getting really big which should mean that once inspiration strikes, I won't be lacking for that perfect track.

So, to sate your voracious appetites, I'm directing you to some of the things I've been loading downward:

A lovely compilation from Thomas at AM180 featuring 2 of my all time favorite songs, Arthur Russell's "This is How We Walk on the Moon" and Johnny Osborn's "Truth & Rights".

Make Like a Tree podcast by Basic Soul Unit

Stacey Pullen and Donnacha Costello's mixes on Little White Earbuds

And that's all I got right now!

Friday with Tracy and Tina

2010-03-19T05:18:00.000-07:00

Pop the glock

2010-03-18T00:14:00.001-07:00

I cannot get this freaking song out of my head. It is featured prominently on Ellen Allien's new mix for the Watergate series which I highly recommend. Ellen has always been one of those crossover artists who, for some strange reason, gets radio play on KEXP and the like. Maybe its because she owns her own record label. Maybe its because she works with Apparat.
Or maybe its because on regular basis, bitch turns it out:

And for good measure the original from that sassy bitch who makes her name on her dope rhymes and dick-riding grandstanding:

Kids say the darnedest things

2010-03-15T15:22:00.000-07:00

Will Phillips clearly deserved this award and deserves a couple more in my book.
I look at the next generation and am filled with hope.

Previously.

iPad, shmiPad

2010-03-15T07:36:00.000-07:00

While I do think the iPad looks pretty cool (that's a big screen!), I think the closest thing to it that I'll ever get is going to look something more like this:

Add Windows Phone 7 to that, and the end of 2010 is looking pretty good in the gadget department!

Great Scott!

2010-03-09T04:10:00.001-08:00

It appears that Adam Scott, the likable lead in the painfully funny TV series Party Down has gotten a more permanent gig over at Parks and Recreation. While I love Parks & Rec, I really hope this doesn't mean the end is nigh for Party Down.
Party Down returns to Starz for its 2nd Season on April 23rd. I'll be in New York, but will tune in while I unpack from what is sure to be a memorable trip.

Perfect Traxx

2010-02-26T12:31:00.000-08:00

I love this track so much. It is one of those perfect accompaniment tracks for a drizzly ride into work. Of course, it has Italian roots. They sure knew how to knock it out back then, didn't they? And this isn't even as indulgent as some of those Cosmic-era tracks which can go on for . . . well, until the cocaine runs out, I guess.

Bonus: Site of the day!

Of course

2010-02-23T05:32:00.000-08:00

I won't be in town for Ame's Seattle debut at Chop Suey on April 23rd.
Totally lame. (I will, however, be in NYC w/ that guy, so that's awesome!!!)

Caught Kim Ann Foxman from Hercules and Love Affair on Friday. A handful of old house and rave tracks that were awesome. Horrible problems with the cd players. The opener was awful. Annoying crowd. That's my last Trouble Disco.

Perfect Traxx

2010-02-15T09:30:00.000-08:00

This is the frist track out of the gate for Man Parrish. I was thinking about this track because of the Sasha Frere-Jones review of the new Massive Attack album in the latest issue of the New Yorker. Jones put Blue Lines and the whole, uh, Bristol scene on the tail end of music created by Parrish. So I looked up some of that late-80's Parrish, pre-trip-hop music, but all I came up with was a slew of trash.
I'm sure there's some intersection I'm missing. Somewhere in 1991 where Hip Hop Be Bop (another *great* Parrish track, featured in Shaun of the Dead) gives way to Safe From Harm, but I can't seem to find it. Its times like these I wish Sasha Frere-Jones had twitter (that man's music knowledge blows my mind).
But, to the track at hand, this is one of those few disco tracks that manages to be both maudlin and hopeful. It is also an early use of vocoder that proves you cannot take emotion out of a robot voice. If I've had enough drinks, this song can make me tear up. Also, I love the typo on this Disconet release--"Heartstroke".

Perfect Traxx

2010-02-12T00:48:00.001-08:00

If you know this song, you probably know the Chas Jankel version. Chas wrote it, but Kitty owned it. Although, Chas owned the sexy dance moves, aviator jacket, and jeans tucked into . . . pre-Uggs?

Cover dude

2010-02-11T00:15:00.000-08:00

My valentine to, uh, my valentine is on the cover of The Stranger! Sure, its upside down, but, hey, cover!

Can you guess which one it is? (Update: That link now puts you closer to the answer.)

About last night

2010-02-05T10:27:00.001-08:00

The library is still full of fascist pigs.
I learned the correct pronunciation of Sabre.
I finally got to meet Meat Cat.
Jan Hooks and Jane Krakowski sang me a duet of "Do That to Me One More Time." [Ed. note: 30 Rock delivers so big, its too hard for me to pick one highlight.]
I sang about the baby penis in my mind.
A building from Manhatan crashed into a building from Manhattan.
That guy with colored contact lenses (read: no taste) who should have left a couple weeks ago finally got cut.
An angel without wings landed on the hood of Thunderbird in 1978.

And I still don't know what Michael Westin did--or those wacky vampire brothers!

[Parks & Rec, 30 Rock, The Office, The Sarah Silverman Program, Fringe, Project Runway, Supernatural, Burn Notice, The Vampire Diaries]

Colors

2010-02-05T05:23:00.000-08:00

Pretty video directed by Michel Gondry

via ReelFanatic

Shows I will see this year

2010-02-02T03:59:00.000-08:00

This is the only show on the menu for sure this year. . . and I can't wait--April 22nd at 8pm to be exact--Kristin Chenoweth and Sean Hayes in Promises, Promises.
Its based on Billy Wilder's absolutely-perfect-in-nearly-every-way film "The Apartment," and it features one of my all-time favorite musical numbers, "Turkey Lurkey Time" (which as been posted on this site too many times to count.)

So, instead of giving you the same ol' again, I'll put up the actual "hits" from the show.
Enjoy!
(P.S. Jerry Orbach and Jill O'Hara will always be the amazing voices I think of when I think of this show.)

Oh man, I just watched this one and it brought tears to my eyes. Seriously, Jill O'Hara (could do without Tony Roberts, though!)

Oh I just realized I've never posted the 1968 Tony Award performance of Turkey Lurkey Time featuring the abso-fucking-tasti-mazing Donna McKechnie (aka, one of Broadway's greatest dancers). So you don't get away without a little more turkey:

Shows I've missed so far this year

2010-02-01T05:02:00.000-08:00

I'm still blaming it all on the graveyard shift:

Expansions Live Show @ Neumo's
Andy Compton @ Artifical Limb Co.
Bryan Zents @ Church of Bass
Prefuse 73 / Gaslamp Killer @ Neumo's
DJ Krush @ Neumo's

Shows I will miss:

The Album Leaf @ Neumo's
Daedelus @ Neumo's
Mark Farina @ Neumo's
Four Tet @ Chop Suey

But someday soon, a Carl Craig or someone is going to blow through town and I'll just have to skip work.

When I grow up

2010-01-30T15:17:00.001-08:00

I want to be as badass as Rip Torn. Bank break-in?!? How cool is Don Geiss now?

Whitie Tightie

2010-01-28T04:56:00.001-08:00

This is going to turn Phil on, but its main purpose is to entertain you.

This is George

2010-01-24T22:29:00.001-08:00

A'hankerin'

2010-01-22T02:30:00.000-08:00

Let's call it for what it is, 2010 is the year of chicken fried steak.

I have lived out of Texas for nearly as long as I lived in Texas, and while I have found some passable chicken fried steaks out there, the majority of them cannot find full-on, artery-clogging glory necessary for the dish.

That is why I was absolutely floored by Peso's chicken fried steak. It has a jalepeno-corn cream gravy that is out of this world. Served atop seasoned home fries with 2 eggs cooked any way you want (over-medium, thanks) and a side of pico de gallo, this dish completely satisfies.
Yesterday morning I had my second hakerin' for it this year. That's 2 times in 21 days for those you keeping score. Chances are, I'll get another hankerin' in another 10 or-so days.
I asked if there was any green tobasco. Nope, but there was a special salsa verde that the cooks make for the staff, I was told. Its really hot, though, the waitress added.
That's all I needed to hear. I love hot food. I am a self-proclaimed conoisseur of all things hot.
Hot sauces can have a problem--they can sacrifice flavor for heat. This has to be the most perfect hot sauce I have ever had. It left my mouth with a warm tingle long after I was finished and still held the sweetness of the peppers used to create it.

Oh, and did I tell you the best thing about Peso's breakfast? From 9 - 11 M-F, all breakfast items are $6.

So this was never meant to be a restaurant blog, but when you live in a city with food as good as this, its hard to not write about it.

**Oh, I guess I'm not the only one who loves it.

Perfect Traxx

2010-01-19T05:54:00.001-08:00

If this doesn't make your day better, then you are dead inside.

From 1983, this is G.A.N.G.'s "KKK". It is just about perfect, hand claps and all.

Joy and Sympathy

2010-01-14T10:29:00.000-08:00

In case you didn't know, I watch "The View." No, really, I do. What can I say? There's not a lot on before I go to bed. In fact, the Tivo is paused on it right now as I type this. . . and this is something that needs to be typed.
I feel so sorry for Joy Behar. The one-time comic-relief has been forced into the position of "Sane One." I have so much sympathy for her as she tries to inject sanity into discussions which are skewed by some combination of Sherri Lewis' idiocy, Elisabeth Hasselhoff's talking-points-conservatism, and Whoopi's drug-addled, rarely-on-topic ramblings.
Is it strange that Fred Armisen's imitation of her engenders in me a sense of filial respect?

RIP Eric Rohmer

2010-01-12T06:33:00.000-08:00

A great filmmaker died yesterday.
Roger Ebert has a lovely tribute.

I think I'll watch Claire's Knee when I get home.

From: Disco To: Disco

2010-01-09T10:19:00.000-08:00

Great article in Vanity Fair on the beginnings of NYC disco.

Night Kitchen

2010-01-08T15:16:00.000-08:00

I can't wait.
In this town of few and fewer all-night eateries, it is more than wonderful to run across Night Kitchen. Guess who has a new lunch spot on his graveyard shift?

And I promise that I'll tell you all about our recent food destinations: Harbor City on Christmas day, Voula's Offshore Cafe, and a seminal favorite, breakfast at Peso's.
Pictures and reviews soon!

P.S.

2010-01-07T09:21:00.000-08:00

Absolutely crazy, I know. 3 posts 1 day?!?
What hath 2010 wrought?

But--is anyone else in love with the new Colbert Report opening sequence?

Applepious . . . anyone?

iPiss

2010-01-07T06:59:00.000-08:00

Too good to not repost:

New music from last year

2010-01-07T06:33:00.000-08:00

In case you missed the stellar December 15th podcast of Beats in Space . . . here's a link.

Juan Atkins and Ashley Beedle. My new year is sounding good (and tasting good as you will soon find out).

Scandinavia '12

2010-01-05T05:54:00.000-08:00

I said to Phil the other day, "You know, in two years, we'll be on our way home from a trip to Scandinavia." And its true. Our first international adventure will take us to the 5 Scandinavian capitals--Reykjavik, Oslo, Copenhagen, Stockholm, and Helsinki.
But we're not roughing it, or skimping on expense or duration. Two weeks in a winter wonderland, celebrating both Christmas and New Year in foreign countries, is going to be an experience to remember.
If you have been to any of these countries, I would love to hear your input.

Here's a list of hotels I've been looking at:
Hotel Skeppsholmen - Stockholm

Story Hotel - Stockholm

Hotel Windsor - Copenhagen

The Square Hotel - Copenhagen

Hotel Fox - Copenhagen (The rooms are too great, I've gotta post 2 of em)
"
Klaus K - Helsinki

And I'm hoping that while we're there, we can catch at least one of the amazing acts from that region of the world:

Deadly enough to threaten world peace

2009-12-21T06:56:00.000-08:00

So, my parents should have had some idea that I was a homo when I was more excited about Joanna Cassidy and Sheryl Lee Ralph in Codename: Foxfire, than I was about Mr. T in the A-Team.

Regardless, this series lasted 3 episodes and changed my life forever.

Tom turkey ran away

2009-12-18T07:02:00.000-08:00

I can't help it.
It's that time of year.
(Also, word on the street is that Sean Hayes and Kristin Chenoweth will be doing a revival of this musical in the spring.)

The moments we 2 can share

2009-12-15T04:19:00.001-08:00

Precious Moments - watch more funny videos

Olympic-sized crush

2009-12-14T06:58:00.000-08:00

Did anyone catch the U.S. Men's Bobsled team on The Colbert Report last Thursday?
They were all kinda hunky.
Check it:

And I would have embeded the Colbert clip, but, of course, Hulu is crazy about that shit. So here's a link.

Curl up and dye

2009-12-07T10:10:00.000-08:00

I love the nail salons and barber shops in my neighborhood. Fifteen total between my house and Market Street.

Mornings like this

2009-12-02T06:12:00.001-08:00

The marine layer sits on the city allowing you to hold onto last night's dreams for a bit longer. Pink sunlight bathes the mammoth mountains to the west, but the air is complacently cold. Sweaters are required. You have to warm the car up, but that's ok, because the extra time just means more Ulrich Schnauss.

Rubbed the right way

2009-11-25T06:05:00.000-08:00

I'm sure you're thinking that Phil and I do nothing but lounge about eating amazing food and finding ways to relax. Well, that's pretty much the case.
After yet another perfect dinner at Machiavelli's on Capitol Hill, we tried out Imperial Foot Massage (which may actually be Sunset Foot Massage) in the International District.
I had heard rumors about Imperial Foot Massage for quite some time, but finally, on a whim, decided to make Phil take me there after I took him out for dinner. (Did I mention that I had the tortellini formaggio? It was delightsome.)
Imperial Foot Massage is in a building with Hong Kong Restaurant and LA Cafe. It is a strange, yet fitting environ. $15 is all it costs for a half hour foot rub. Tax is included. The room has a large flat screen on one wall, set to the international station (natch). An array of recliners with ottomans face the tv. They sit you in a chair, bring out a tub of hot water, put your feet in the tub, and lay the chair back. Then you just close your eyes and enjoy the rub.
They are open until 11:30, and really, when you can't think of a better way to spend a Saturday night, why shouldn't you treat yourself to an insanely cheap foot rub?

Steamed

2009-11-20T23:01:00.000-08:00

Phil and I went to Banya 5 on Wednesday after the gym. When I was working at 9-1-1 Media Arts, right after it moved to South Lake Union, there was a neighborhood "get-to-know-your-neighbor" thing at that big space where they do Gay Bingo. Anyway, Banya 5 was newly opened and they gave me free passes and bottled water. It always intrigued me, but, for whatever reason, I never went.
So, five years later, 9-1-1 Media Arts has since downsized and moved. I no longer work in the neighborhood, but Banya 5 is managing to hold on.
If you're not familiar with the concept of a Banya, its basically a sauna. Banya 5 has a beautiful interior (even if some of the surfaces show the wear of 5 years). There is the "parilka" which is the centerpiece sauna. It has wooden benches, a brick floor, and an oven. It was 240 degrees on Wednesday. Phil wore his glasses in and the heat literally warped the lenses and the metal frames singed his scalp. WARNING: Take off all jewelry, glasses, etc. before entering sauna--oh! but keep your sandals on because the bricks on the floor are hot, hot, HOT!
After raising your core body temperature in the sauna, its time for the cold plunge. From 240 degrees to 52 in a matter of seconds, the jolt to your system is not entirely unpleasant. Yes, its cold. Yes, your nipples and nethers contract, but the rejuvenating, refreshing feeling is unparalleled and welcome after all that heat.
My favorite room was the Turkish steam. The room is all tile and steam. Bundles of eucalyptus are placed on either side of the entrance where the steam enters. As the steam blasts into the room, it heats the eucalyptus and releases its scent. Being a recovering smoker and sometime ashthmatic, I really feel the benefits of breathing deeply in a steam room (its the one thing I miss from my old gym even though it was only operational about 4 months in the past 2 years). Add the refreshing scent of koala food, and I felt like I was smoking healthy menthol cigarette.
Then you jump in the cold plunge again and get a double whammy of refreshing.
We stayed just over an hour and a half and I raised and lowered my core temperature multiple times, as well as floated in the sea salt pool.
They have spa services as well, like a mineral mud wrap and salt scrub. We didn't opt for them this time, but might sometime when we're feeling rich, we might.
We've already decided that Banya 5 will be an occasional apres-gym treat. The entrance fee per person is usually $35, but come in before 2pm on a weekday (by the way, they're closed Mon. and Tues.) and its half off. I can't wait to go again.

RIP Ken Ober

2009-11-16T21:47:00.000-08:00

I watched many hours of this game show.

Story of the day

2009-11-16T11:43:00.000-08:00

Damn you, Irene Cara!

2009-11-10T07:37:00.000-08:00

Day 3 of having this song stuck in my head.

Made my morning

2009-11-06T07:18:00.000-08:00

Ahhhh, Liz Lemon, how I love you, m'friend.

Well, you smart me up

2009-11-03T04:43:00.000-08:00

The first smart phone I get will look something like this:

And it will make me as sassy as this lass:

However, I am still holding out for cell phone companies to re-think pricing models.

Eat with me

2009-10-29T07:00:00.001-07:00

I used to write about all the glorious restaurants in this town a lot more, but, like so much else in my life, I haven't taken the time to do so. I blame . . . I know, big surprise, the graveyard shift which has become even more depressing now that I am alone in a vault underground.
It makes for nice chatting with the boyfriend, but once he goes to bed, it is painfully empty down here.

Anyway, food places that I've meant to tell you about.

The Twilight Exit -- This bar is in the First Hill neighborhood at 24th and Cherry. Its a quintessential Seattle bar--attracts the tattooed, the queer, and other ne'er-do-wells. It came to my attention when I learned that they serve chicken fried bacon. For real. Phil, Bill, and I went, and it was well worth it. I don't think one person can (or should) attempt eating this appetizer by themselves. You add the country gravy and you can feel the cholesterol hardening your arteries. So . . . very . . . yummy!

Rizzo's French Dip -- Rizzo's is great. Its just a few blocks down from my place on 15th NW. They serve French Dips. That's it. Options include double meat and/or cheese. It comes with a side of macaroni salad (which has never been available when I've been there), and unlike what I would call a traditional french dip, there is no au jus in which to dip your sandwich. Instead, your entire sandwich is dipped in the gravy thick au jus. For some, this makes for too-messy fare and any sort of crunch the bread is gone by the time you get home . . . and you do have to take it home because Rizzo's doesn't have seating. So, in summary, one menu item, no seating, damn fine.

Image from MyBallard

Lunchbox Laboratory -- This place gets all kinds of press and the line out the door proves it. Unfortunately, it is overpriced and the "service" is more than lacking. LunchLab is a burger joint with some crazy ass burgers--one with goose liver, one with prime rib. All quality ingredients and so, so, so much variety. Too much variety, actually because you have to order at the counter and by the time you get to the front, you've probably missed most of the blackboards listing the different burgers. They also do a different mac'n'cheese everyday which, in my opinion, is reason enough to swing by. The first time I went to LL, I went all out--burger, mac'n'cheese, and a shake. My total was $24. So swing by to see what their daily mac'n'cheese is, otherwise, keep driving.

Image from A Hamburger Today

The Counter -- The Counter is a lot like the Lunchbox Laboratory except its a chain restaurant, someone actually takes your order, and they server liquor. The beef is of the angus, never-been-frozen, hormone-free, variety and makes a great burger. The menu lists all the different cheeses, toppings, sauces, and buns available. They boast over 300,000 combinations, but since you have time to leisurely peruse the offerings while sipping a beer, its not overwhelming. I had horseradish cheddar, red onions, roasted red peppers, jalepenos, and garlic aioli on a hamburger bun. My burger was fat. After my first bite I squeezed the bun and the burger was dripping. It was cooked perfectly.

So that's it for now.

Late than never

2009-10-22T04:59:00.001-07:00

Monday marked the three year anniversary of the first date Phil and I had together (big ups to the Mecca!). We've lived together for almost a year, and it has been a great ride (in more ways than one!). He's met the folks. I've met his. Who knows, if Referendum-71 passes, I just might ask that guy to domestically partner me.

Oh, and because I posted this on my FB profile and only a few people caught it, I thought I'd post it again here:

Luke Harmon of Horse Meat Disco mixes and edits tracks from the Disco Discharge 4-disc

Associated

2009-10-01T04:25:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to my super-swell boyfriend for receiving his Associates of Art degree from Seattle Central!

I owe you a dinner. We'll let the blog-world decide:
El Gaucho
Canlis
Ray's Boathouse
Anthony's Homeport
Blu Water Bistro
Crush
The Corson Building

Vote by commenting (feeling too lazy for a poll).

Lookin' Good

2009-09-29T09:07:00.000-07:00

Need

2009-09-22T05:12:00.001-07:00

All four will be released on Janice's birthday, but make a better gift for me, thanks.

Presents

2009-09-04T03:08:00.001-07:00

Scott made a post about some of his favorite movie posters and I think they're all keepers. It got me to thinking about all the amazing Polish posters I would LOVE to have hanging on my walls. Specifically, these posters:

Man, there's so many other great ones, I should just stop now. Check out Polishposters to see more. So, if you ever want to get me a present, now you know some things I'd like. Thanks.

Watch me if you can

2009-08-21T05:35:00.000-07:00

Roy Andersson, director of one of my favorite movies, has a new one. This is only his fourth feature, and it looks spectacular. His ability to exacerbate life's dreariness by drawing out the absurdity is unparalleled. I hope this movie opens somewhere near me sometime soon.

Look for a review of the musical "Catch Me If You Can" sometime next week. Sorry if posting has been slower than usual, but we're in the canicular days of August. Also, this month has brought me many visitors.

For K

2009-08-12T01:02:00.000-07:00

I'm sure that this will make you smile, wherever you may be.

John Hughes, RIP

2009-08-07T07:36:00.000-07:00

I remember going to see Sixteen Candles in the theater. I was half the age of the protagonist, and the upstanding Christian woman who took myself, my brother and her daughter to see the film was mortified. It was rated PG and Samantha said "fucking."
To say that John Hughes informed my youth is an understatement.
His films were some kind of wonderful and will never be recreated.

A wonderful audio tribute at Beware of the Babylon.
And another wonderful tribute I stumbled across.

Happy Birthday, Mr. President

2009-08-04T05:09:00.001-07:00

Now stop being this middle-of-the-road and kickstart that whole "Change We Can Believe In" shit, ok?

And happy posthumous birthday tomorrow, John Huston.

R.I.P. Merce Cunningham

2009-07-27T08:22:00.000-07:00

An alumnus of a Cornish College of the Arts and a Martha Graham dancer
I first became aware of Cunningham along with the work of Maya Deren. He illuminated the intersection of video and dance. He will long be remembered.

Final picture

2009-07-23T06:01:00.001-07:00

One of the final pictures I worked on today was of Jean Marais and Jean Cocteau. The end of my day just got sunnier (but hopefully not so sunny that I am prevented from sleeping).

The Mighty Thor

2009-07-14T00:19:00.000-07:00

Kenneth Branagh is directing Thor which is slated to come out in 2011. Natalie Portman and Jessica Biel are also involved. I think the reason I'm going to see it looks something more like this:

Holdin' back

2009-07-06T10:32:00.000-07:00

Just because I haven't talked about music in this space lately doesn't mean I don't still, y'know, listen to it. In fact, I still purchase tracks, and I still make my crappy mixes. The two posted at the bottom of this should have been combined into one mix.
Whatever. Its free music.

The second also has a phenomenal Martin Landsky remix of the DHS classic "House of God" and quite possibly my favorite track from 2008, Rye Rye's "Shake It to the Ground" as remixed by Jokers of the Scene.

Went to see Derrick May for my birthday last Friday and was seriously let down. His mixing leaves lots to be desired. He kept trying to drop tracks in rather than mix and then he'd ride the EQ like the whole club was into it, but people were barely moving. That's ok, though, I was with some good friends and I saw some people that I haven't seen a while.

OKDJ 13
OKDJ 14

In the name of love

2009-06-29T02:13:00.001-07:00

While many areas of the US were waving their freak flags in celebration of Pride, gay men in my home town were being arrested in a Stonewall style police raid.
It saddens me greatly to think that in 2009 police still target and arrest gay men based solely on their sexuality. The homophobes, in their police report, go on to insist that even while they were zip-tying men's hands, the men were grabbing at their groins. The same men who, moments earlier in the report, were too intoxicated to be in public.
One man has been hospitalized and is in the Intensive Care Unit.
The raid happened on the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riots.

Please take the time to read this article and the subsequent comments. I am one step closer to marching in October.

Je suis music

2009-06-26T06:14:00.001-07:00

I started my week off listening to "Love is the Answer." Its Friday, and now, for some reason, it seems even more appropriate. Hell, we might as well crank out the Cerrone today.

Move along

2009-06-24T05:52:00.001-07:00

Nothing to see here . . .

(be back soon, I swear!)