31 August 2008
Why must I (as a homo) love 90210?
I suppose there is some stipulation in my gay contract that I have to adore Gossip Girl and 90210.
But you know, I could give a rats ass about either of them.
Never watched Beverly Hills, 90210 (and who the fuck cares about anything Shannon The Dumb TV Star has say about TOS?) when it originally ran and only saw a handful of Gossip Girl episodes this past TV season, and what I saw convinced me it was dumber than George W. Bush.
Give me Chuck, Heroes, The Office and 30 Rock. It's all I need.
But you know, I could give a rats ass about either of them.
Never watched Beverly Hills, 90210 (and who the fuck cares about anything Shannon The Dumb TV Star has say about TOS?) when it originally ran and only saw a handful of Gossip Girl episodes this past TV season, and what I saw convinced me it was dumber than George W. Bush.
Give me Chuck, Heroes, The Office and 30 Rock. It's all I need.
Book: Darkmans by Nicola Barker
Darkmans appears to be about damaged or eccentric people who are thrown into everyday, mundane situations. Its bleak, yet funny even though I don’t understand what the book was really about -beyond what I described in that first sentence.
The cast of characters comprise of Daniel Beede, his drug dealing son Kane, his endlessly profane ex-girlfriend Kelly and Gaffar, a Kurdish repairman who, after a fight with Kane over the seriousness of Kelly's injuries (she broke her leg falling off a wall), comes to work for him as a courier and also befriends Beede who, of course, shares a house with the son he barely talks to.
Beede’s life is one shaped by things of the past -as most lives are, but seems to be haunted by the theft of some antique tiles, and has also embarked on a mysterious project with the forger named Peta Borough that seems to involve strange duplications and research into John Scogin, jester in the court of Edward IV.
Then there is the matter of Fleet, son of Elen and Dory, an eerily gifted and strangely prescient boy who builds a model of the Cathedral of Saint-Cecile with matchsticks. To the growing alarm of Elen and Dory (who seems to suffer from a mental illness somewhere between narcolepsy and schizophrenia), Fleet knows impossible amounts of information about the same John Scogin that Beede is researching. And during Dory's hazy episodes, Fleet calls his father "John".
There isn't much plot, but it does feature an incentive style prose, underlined with some very funny elements -like the fact that everyone appears to know a crap load of miscellaneous information on a wide variety of subjects.
Its an unusual novel to say the least, yet one that I could not put down.
The cast of characters comprise of Daniel Beede, his drug dealing son Kane, his endlessly profane ex-girlfriend Kelly and Gaffar, a Kurdish repairman who, after a fight with Kane over the seriousness of Kelly's injuries (she broke her leg falling off a wall), comes to work for him as a courier and also befriends Beede who, of course, shares a house with the son he barely talks to.
Beede’s life is one shaped by things of the past -as most lives are, but seems to be haunted by the theft of some antique tiles, and has also embarked on a mysterious project with the forger named Peta Borough that seems to involve strange duplications and research into John Scogin, jester in the court of Edward IV.
Then there is the matter of Fleet, son of Elen and Dory, an eerily gifted and strangely prescient boy who builds a model of the Cathedral of Saint-Cecile with matchsticks. To the growing alarm of Elen and Dory (who seems to suffer from a mental illness somewhere between narcolepsy and schizophrenia), Fleet knows impossible amounts of information about the same John Scogin that Beede is researching. And during Dory's hazy episodes, Fleet calls his father "John".
There isn't much plot, but it does feature an incentive style prose, underlined with some very funny elements -like the fact that everyone appears to know a crap load of miscellaneous information on a wide variety of subjects.
Its an unusual novel to say the least, yet one that I could not put down.
29 August 2008
28 August 2008
Travel plans and what's with another hurricane?
It was three years ago this week that I left Illinois, arriving in Southern California on September 1st.
On September 13, I fly to the Chicago area for a visit. Part of my reasons for going is that it's been 2 1/2 years since I've seen most of my family (I came back six-months after I left due to the death of my younger sister's husband). Another is that when I return, I hope to ramp up my desire to get out of Borders.
I'll be celebrating my birthday while I'm there, along with my nephew, who'll have number 21 the day after mine. Also, my friend Marc also has a birthday while I'm there, and hope to spend time with him, his boy friend and the rest of my friends.
Anyways, the reason I posted about this is that when I left, Hurricane Katrina was just starting to hit New Orleans. When I got here, I watched all the coverage. It was depressing. Now three years later, almost exactly the the same week, another hurricane is threatening the Gulf Coast, this time its Gustav.
Weird that I would choose almost the same to travel, even though its hurricane season.
Anywho, that's it. I have many stories about Borders, but I'm really done complaining about how stupid they are and how they deserve to fail. There recent release of 2 quarter sales was less than impressive.
I still predict that they'll file for bankruptcy in March 2009.
I'll blog about this later.
On September 13, I fly to the Chicago area for a visit. Part of my reasons for going is that it's been 2 1/2 years since I've seen most of my family (I came back six-months after I left due to the death of my younger sister's husband). Another is that when I return, I hope to ramp up my desire to get out of Borders.
I'll be celebrating my birthday while I'm there, along with my nephew, who'll have number 21 the day after mine. Also, my friend Marc also has a birthday while I'm there, and hope to spend time with him, his boy friend and the rest of my friends.
Anyways, the reason I posted about this is that when I left, Hurricane Katrina was just starting to hit New Orleans. When I got here, I watched all the coverage. It was depressing. Now three years later, almost exactly the the same week, another hurricane is threatening the Gulf Coast, this time its Gustav.
Weird that I would choose almost the same to travel, even though its hurricane season.
Anywho, that's it. I have many stories about Borders, but I'm really done complaining about how stupid they are and how they deserve to fail. There recent release of 2 quarter sales was less than impressive.
I still predict that they'll file for bankruptcy in March 2009.
I'll blog about this later.
21 August 2008
The New Model
As much as Mark Spitz, along with his 70's pornstache, was cool 36 years ago, let us not forget the new image here.
Video: Jason Mraz - I'm Yours video
Wonder how long before this song pops up on TV shows this fall.
It's a good song, though
17 August 2008
Michael Phelps. Again.
After winning his eighth gold medal in Beijing, I think we're about to see a huge sign up at local pools across the country for boys and girls who want to be like Mike.His stunning performance, his million dollar smile and his extreme ability to know what he wants and is able to achieve it can make me, little old David, sit and say there is nothing I can't do.
Plus, he's 2 medals shy of a tying an all time Olympic record of 18. So, in four years time, when he's 27, I expect Michael Phelps to venture to London and become a bigger legend than he already is.
If wishes were horses, I would love to see him play for our team.
Movie: Rock Haven (2007)
I’ve been on a spree, renting some gay themed films from Nextflix over the last few weeks. Mostly okay coming out stories and few that star Matthew Montgomery, an actor I work with on our web series Star Trek: Odyssey.
One of the last ones was Rock Haven, and illustrates what can go wrong when a writer/director David Lewis puts its heart in the right place, only to bring it off in an unsatisfying way, with way too little dialogue and endless views of the Pacific ocean and the wild flowers that cover its coastline.
The story is a bout 18 year-old Brady (Sean Hoagland), who lives with his mother in the seas-side town of Rock Haven. Both are strongly religious and Brady is quickly preparing himself for Bible College in the fall. That is until he meets Clifford (Owen Alabado), a 19 year-old kid living with his very liberal mother.
There is an immediate chemistry between the two, though Brady is so terrified of Clifford, he tries to go out of his way not to see him.
While Clifford is openly gay, we do -later in the film - get a sense that Brady was aware of his growing attraction to men, which explains his jitteriness. The rest of the story is fairly predictable, but the film is well paced and the great chemistry between Hoagland and Alabado is ultimately what makes the movie watch able. The rest of the acting, well, its okay but never rises above a standard cable TV movie.
Plus, I don’t know what possessed the director Lewis to cast himself as priest/reverend/pastor of Rock Haven’s small Church. His performance is oddly out of place in a story about religion and homosexuality. His role as the gay understanding reverend in a small town just strikes as false.
The films message about being gay and Christian is an interesting subject, one that I think could make an even interesting movie, but Rock Haven falls flat towards its conclusion, and we are left with an unsatisfying ending and a mixed message.
One of the last ones was Rock Haven, and illustrates what can go wrong when a writer/director David Lewis puts its heart in the right place, only to bring it off in an unsatisfying way, with way too little dialogue and endless views of the Pacific ocean and the wild flowers that cover its coastline.
The story is a bout 18 year-old Brady (Sean Hoagland), who lives with his mother in the seas-side town of Rock Haven. Both are strongly religious and Brady is quickly preparing himself for Bible College in the fall. That is until he meets Clifford (Owen Alabado), a 19 year-old kid living with his very liberal mother.
There is an immediate chemistry between the two, though Brady is so terrified of Clifford, he tries to go out of his way not to see him.
While Clifford is openly gay, we do -later in the film - get a sense that Brady was aware of his growing attraction to men, which explains his jitteriness. The rest of the story is fairly predictable, but the film is well paced and the great chemistry between Hoagland and Alabado is ultimately what makes the movie watch able. The rest of the acting, well, its okay but never rises above a standard cable TV movie.
Plus, I don’t know what possessed the director Lewis to cast himself as priest/reverend/pastor of Rock Haven’s small Church. His performance is oddly out of place in a story about religion and homosexuality. His role as the gay understanding reverend in a small town just strikes as false.
The films message about being gay and Christian is an interesting subject, one that I think could make an even interesting movie, but Rock Haven falls flat towards its conclusion, and we are left with an unsatisfying ending and a mixed message.
15 August 2008
Pushing Daisies: Season Two
Cut short by last winter's writers strike, the second season of one TV's best shows returns this September.
This is not to be missed, as this trailer for the first three episodes of the new season, shows.
Love me some Bryan Fuller
Warners delays Half-Blood Prince until summer 2009
When the WGA strike ended this past winter, Paramount announced they were delaying the release of the big screen reboot of Star Trek in order to take advantage of much needed re-writes. And while the film could’ve still made its Christmas Day release, the studio felt some extra time was needed to make sure Star Trek would cross over its already cult status and pushed the film to May 2009.
Now Warner Bros. is getting into the act by pushing the release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince from its November debut to July 2009. Now you could play devils advocate with this, saying the delay could be cause the film is in trouble and rescheduling is needed to save it. Or, as Warner seems to be saying, the WGA strike caused them to have no real tent-pole film for 2009 and because The Dark Knight has done so well for the studio (it’s bound to be Warners best year in years) they don’t need the extra money.
They also are saying the Harry Potter films do better in the summer, though only two of the five have been released during that time, 2004's Prisoner of Azkaban (the lowest grosser of the five) and 2007's Order of the Phoenix (which was the second highest grossing Potter film behind the first). Together they’ve raked up $1.7 billion, while the three released in winter, 2001's Sorcerer’s Stone, 2002's Chamber of Secrets and 2005's Goblet of Fire have grossed $2.7 billion.
While I can’t believe a studio can make too much money, I kinda buy into the idea the WGA strike effected their 2009 schedule more than they were willing to admit at first. So by moving Potter 6 to summer next year seems practical. Still, there is a niggling idea in the back of my mind that Warners is using the strike as a stall tactic to help save a troubled film -even though there’s been no suggestion Half-Blood was in trouble to begin with.
Still, if Warners believes the films do better in summer, then what will prevent them from releasing the final film, or at least part one of the final film, The Deathly Hallows, in summer 2011 instead of the already announced November 2010, thus pushing part two to summer 2012?
Meanwhile, Summit Entertainment took advantage of Harry's move to summer and pushed up the highly anticipated teen vampire-romance Twilight, based on the hit best seller by Stephanie Meyer, to November 21 from its original December 12th day.
Now Warner Bros. is getting into the act by pushing the release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince from its November debut to July 2009. Now you could play devils advocate with this, saying the delay could be cause the film is in trouble and rescheduling is needed to save it. Or, as Warner seems to be saying, the WGA strike caused them to have no real tent-pole film for 2009 and because The Dark Knight has done so well for the studio (it’s bound to be Warners best year in years) they don’t need the extra money.
They also are saying the Harry Potter films do better in the summer, though only two of the five have been released during that time, 2004's Prisoner of Azkaban (the lowest grosser of the five) and 2007's Order of the Phoenix (which was the second highest grossing Potter film behind the first). Together they’ve raked up $1.7 billion, while the three released in winter, 2001's Sorcerer’s Stone, 2002's Chamber of Secrets and 2005's Goblet of Fire have grossed $2.7 billion.
While I can’t believe a studio can make too much money, I kinda buy into the idea the WGA strike effected their 2009 schedule more than they were willing to admit at first. So by moving Potter 6 to summer next year seems practical. Still, there is a niggling idea in the back of my mind that Warners is using the strike as a stall tactic to help save a troubled film -even though there’s been no suggestion Half-Blood was in trouble to begin with.
Still, if Warners believes the films do better in summer, then what will prevent them from releasing the final film, or at least part one of the final film, The Deathly Hallows, in summer 2011 instead of the already announced November 2010, thus pushing part two to summer 2012?
Meanwhile, Summit Entertainment took advantage of Harry's move to summer and pushed up the highly anticipated teen vampire-romance Twilight, based on the hit best seller by Stephanie Meyer, to November 21 from its original December 12th day.
11 August 2008
10 August 2008
Adam and JayTee
On Friday, August 8th, at a few minutes past 8 pm, my friends Adam and JayTee were married under a starry sky in West Los Angeles.
The ceremony was at a friend of theirs, in her backyard. Our friend Andrew, who took courses to be able to marry them, officiated.
And guess what, the world did not end and the gates of Hell did not open up (except at Darth Cheney's house) but two men who've been together for 7 years, finally were able to express their love for each other, in front of nearly 80 people. It was a sweet, heartwarming event and one that I was proud to be at.
Getting gay-married is not about making a political statement and is not about ruining anything connected to straight marriage. It's about love, plain and simple. I've known both of them for the last 2 1/2 years, and have spent many hours with them, working with them on both Hidden Frontier and many social events. They are, in an old cliche sort of way, the perfect couple. They compliment each other in the way many couples do, and like many couples, are complete opposites in many things.
But somehow, it works.
To Adam and JayTee, I commit you to our future, one filled with much laughter, and as little tears and pain as possible.
Love, like life, finds away way. It matters not that its love between two men. And Adam and JayTee prove that every day they walk God's green Earth.
The ceremony was at a friend of theirs, in her backyard. Our friend Andrew, who took courses to be able to marry them, officiated.
And guess what, the world did not end and the gates of Hell did not open up (except at Darth Cheney's house) but two men who've been together for 7 years, finally were able to express their love for each other, in front of nearly 80 people. It was a sweet, heartwarming event and one that I was proud to be at.
Getting gay-married is not about making a political statement and is not about ruining anything connected to straight marriage. It's about love, plain and simple. I've known both of them for the last 2 1/2 years, and have spent many hours with them, working with them on both Hidden Frontier and many social events. They are, in an old cliche sort of way, the perfect couple. They compliment each other in the way many couples do, and like many couples, are complete opposites in many things.
But somehow, it works.
To Adam and JayTee, I commit you to our future, one filled with much laughter, and as little tears and pain as possible.
Love, like life, finds away way. It matters not that its love between two men. And Adam and JayTee prove that every day they walk God's green Earth.
03 August 2008
Book: Attack of the Theater People by Marc Acito
The wacky crew from How I Paid for College is back in this entertaining and even more silly sequel, set two years later. Edward has been kicked out of Juillard for being “too jazz hands” for them. Doing what anyone without a job, a home or a future, he lands a gig as party motivator.
From there, he gets caught up with Chad, who uses him to get information from the parties he goes to. Before you can say insider trading, Edward must figure out how to save himself from the SEC, his father, his ex-stepmother and a cute (but way gay for Edward) Asian named Hung.
The second trip into the 1980's world of Edward is much more richer than the first, as the story becomes a near classic screwball comedy, laced together with an even zanier musical theater.
Acito weaves an even better story here, giving you a wonderful trip back to the eighties when Starliner Express was considered the best musical around. All the characters seem to grow a bit, including Edward, and the often silly plot never falls into parody. The bright spot includes Edwards continued love for Doug, and at 13 year-old stalker who thinks he’s aa Veejay from the British MTV (which did not exist).
From there, he gets caught up with Chad, who uses him to get information from the parties he goes to. Before you can say insider trading, Edward must figure out how to save himself from the SEC, his father, his ex-stepmother and a cute (but way gay for Edward) Asian named Hung.
The second trip into the 1980's world of Edward is much more richer than the first, as the story becomes a near classic screwball comedy, laced together with an even zanier musical theater.
Acito weaves an even better story here, giving you a wonderful trip back to the eighties when Starliner Express was considered the best musical around. All the characters seem to grow a bit, including Edward, and the often silly plot never falls into parody. The bright spot includes Edwards continued love for Doug, and at 13 year-old stalker who thinks he’s aa Veejay from the British MTV (which did not exist).
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