perfect for a saturday

While browsing the internet, I noticed that
Dj Ayem8y has a wonderful mix tape over at his website, called "Music to Make Bisquits By"

It's so groovy I can hardly stand it.
Do yourself a favor and have a listen.

Sven Libaek's "Soul Thing" and the Dave Pell Singers' "Oh, Calcutta" are personal favorites, but there's not a dud on it.

Thanks to Mean Dirty Pirate

bitching and dropping names

Today, again, I was kept in traffic both going to work and coming from by what seems to be (another) film crew. I looked down the street and saw the ubiquitous film crews. I see them every week somewhere it seems. I did a bit of research and found out that it's a film about the founder of The Chess music label in the 50's and 60's. That would explain the vintage cars.

It's called "Chess" (Like about eight other films in the past it turns out).



I've never even heard of the actors in it, except maybe Alessandro Nivola.




Of course, a few years ago Brad Pitt was in the neighborhood and earlier still Jude Law and Sean Penn were camped out in my (pre-K) neighborhood for a week or so. That movie was a complete dog. I didn't even see it. I think the Brad Pitt one ("Benjamin Buttons") is still unreleased, but that doesn't seem like a good omen for a good movie. Let's hope this "Chess" has better luck, but it sounds unlikely.
It doesn't say on imdb, but it sounds like a Showtime or HBO production to me, not even a "real" movie, but who knows.

All in all, it's getting to be more of a hassle than a novelty.

Footlong Hotdogs in the Vagina Monologues

Last night Stuart, Michael, a straight male friend of Stuart's, and I went to the huge Vagina-palooza at the Arena. All in all, it was a wonderful time. (Thanks again, Stuart.)

The superdome next door had been the site of a huge two day long "super love" event, with massages and seminars and other things off limits to men.

It was all part of V-Day in celebration of "The Vagina Monologues" tenth anniversary.

Here's a clip from Today with Jane and Eve explaining, "so why New Orleans?"



(She kind of has a point.)

Anyway, we arrived to find huge tour buses full of women. The parking garage was filled with license plates from all over the US. It was a fairly diverse crowd: a number of straight women, busloads of lesbians, a few straight men with girlfriends, and a number of young gay men.


On the way in crossing the street, two straight women ahead of us were singing from sheer happiness, thanking the police for "protecting" them.
Inside, it wasn't all pink loveliness, however.

The women were getting a little rowdy. The Arena is our basketball stadium, and with the lines at the concession stands it looked like nothing less than a ball game. The mood was oddly similar. I was half expecting them to be selling big foam vaginas to wave in the crowd.

I bought a foot long hot dog, just so I could say I'd eaten a foot long hot dog at the Vagina Monologues.
It just seemed like the right thing to do, you know.

While in the bathroom, I heard a giggling butch voice, "Are there any men in there?" I didn't answer. "We're taking over this bathroom!"
The giggling intensified, joined now with others. The Revolution had begun. Soon there was a line in the men's bathroom of the overflow from the women's room. I had to pass a procession of giggling lesbians on my way out of the bathroom. I'm surprised I wasn't heckled.

The play itself was good. I'd never seen it before, so I had only a vague idea of what it would be like. There were parts that were moving, funny, and just plain eye rollingly cheesy.

The chief draw scheduled was to be Oprah, of course, (who didn't show "due to an illness" and Salma Hayak whom I think I may have just missed while in the bathroom, who knows.) I really didn't care about Oprah anyway.

A few random thoughts about the performance:

1. I have students who can perform better than Jennifer Hudson. Maybe she was nervous, but she practically read from her cards. She should have just sung.
2.Jane Fonda is a dynamo...and a pro. No cards for her. I could see the stage and where she was sitting when she was not performing. she was beating the stage with her fists.
3.I'm suddenly intrigued with Calpernia Addams
4.Kerry Washington is a much better actress than any of the other high school actresses I've seen performing her monologue on youtube.
5.Rosario Dawson is much more beautiful in person than on screen. She was also wearing some ridiculous Marc Jacobs shoes.
6.I have a crush on Jennifer Beals. (a crowd favorite, needless to say)
7.Didi Conn looks fantastic for her age, and no one remembers her. Though one of the women behind me squealed, "It's Frenchy from 'Grease!'"
8.Christine Lahti does not look good.
9.Liz Mikel (I'd never heard of her before) should be a star.

Here are some pictures. I tried to capture the scrolling lcd lights spelling out "cunt" along the perimeter of the arena, during the "Cunt" section of the play, but it didn't quite come out. This was the weakest section, I thought, since three fourths was done in Spanish and some still unregocnizable language. Oddly pc for an a monologue about not being pc.



This was the view from my seat. We were very high up, but only a few feet away from a huge screen. Actually, the photo makes it look further away than it was. I was staring straight into the vagina logo.



Jane Fonda, not using a single notecard. This, Jennifer Hudson, is how a *professional* does it.

"It's Official..."

I can't think that the people who put up the "Entertainment" headlines at
yahoo don't know what they're doing.

Sarah Larson: How I Met George Clooney
It's Official: Prince William Is a Top...
Jessica Simpson 'Couldn't Be Happier' for...
More Celebrity News » provided by People

That's some genius use of ellipses, that's all I'm saying:

eye candy

Another fantasy room. (I wish I could remember where I found this, perhaps apartmenttherapy? It's been too long.)

I just love those windows...and of course the fantasy of having all those books around me.

coffee date

The other night, I had a first date with a guy who'd answered an ad of mine.

I sat there for a few hours, thinking to myself as he went on and on and on about his ex, "God, how am I going to get out of this?"

Actually, it wasn't quite as bad as all that, but sometimes I feel like these "dates" should be earning me some social work credit hours.

Anyway, the next day, I got a email that was as friendly as could be, but clearly saying "let's just be friends."

This is exactly the best outcome of this situation possible, exactly the best thing I could wish for. Seriously.

So why did it sort of hurt my feelings? I don't know why, but it kind of stung.

I swear I'm crazy sometimes.

Anyway, in happier news, I did finally did get to go to (the seemingly always closed) coffeehouse down in Bywater, Coffea.

It's really quite nice there. I wish I could have found a photo of the inside.
In the bathroom there's a baby's crib, complete with mobile...and lots of Victorian bird paraphernalia on the two Eastlake style mantels...in the bathroom.
Most odd. Most cool.

the model, the waitress and the middle aged man

As you can see, I'm playing hookie today. I really have been feeling kind of off lately, probably depressed, but for some intangible reason. It being a short day anyway, I felt justified in taking a personal day, especially since my entire vacation was sucked up by jury duty.

Anyway, I took myself to lunch. My waitress wasn't very good, but as adorable as could be. She's Russian. Every waitress there seems to be a pretty young Russian girl, which is odd, because it's a Lebanese restaurant.

Next to me, two middle aged (well, more middle aged even than me) were obnoxiously irritating another of the Russian girls.
"I've just gotten back from Russia," Mr. Tie and Pleated Pants tells her.
"Oh," she replies.
"Yes...." and then he launches into a longwinded description of his trip to her, interspersed with questions about her "village."
She clearly just wants him to order and shut up, but he doesn't.
He wraps up the story with, "There's a woman at the university from your province. Would you like to talk to her?"
He pulls out his flashy cell phone.
"Not now." she smiles awkwardly, and goes to another table.
"She didn't seem to want to talk about her village," Mr. Tie with Pleated Pants tells his companion.
No kidding. Amazing how rude people can be.

On the way back, I put in a cd. How amazing it is to have a cd player in a car for the first time in my life! I blindly pulled one out (they're all old, since I haven't bought a cd in 4 years it seems) and it turned out to be, Kraftwerk's "The Model"
Perfect.



I wish I could just live in this song.

marvin meme

Just for kicks, I'm stealing this meme from joetohell (and his genius answers by way of Madonna)

I decided on Mr. Marvin Gaye.

Musician Challenge: Pick an artist - Marvin Gaye
Rules: using only SONG NAMES, cleverly answer these questions...
No repeating song names...

1.) Are you a male or female? -- Trouble Man
2.) Describe yourself? -- Sanctified Lady
3.) Describe your day? -- Mercy Mercy Me
4.) Describe where you currently live -- Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's my home)
5.) If you could go anywhere, where would you go -- Flying High, in the Friendly Sky
6.) Your best friend is -- Right On
7.) Your favorite color is -- Inner City Blues
8.) You know that -- You Ain't Livin Till You're Lovin
9.) What's the weather like? -- I Wish It Would Rain
10.) If your life was a television show, what would it be called? -- If This World Were Mine.
11.) What is life to you? -- God is Love
12.) What is the best advice you have to give? -- Funk Me
13.) Describe your ex? -- What's The Matter with You Baby?
14.) Your current relationship status? -- I Want You To Want Me
15.) What's your favorite hobby? -- Too Busy Thinking About My Baby
16.) When you think of your friends? -- What's Going On
17.) What do your friends think of you? -- Something Stupid
18.) What does your current love interest think of you? -- When Did You Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop Loving You
19.) You always travel with? -- You're all I Need to Get By.
20.) The best way to end a long day? -- Sexual Healing
21.) Your occupation is? -- You Sure Love to Ball
22.) When you grow up, you want to? -- Save the Children
23.) What does your family think of you? -- Stubborn Kind of Fellow
24.) Your favorite food is? -- The Onion Song
25.) You want to be remembered as? -- A Funky Space Reincarnation

absolutely gratuitous post

(Watching "Tea House of the August Moon," and can't quite concentrate on the plot.)

still life

Found this, the work of a British artist, James Hopkins at Apartment Therapy(a really cool site, by the way).
It's interesting how he "blurs the line" (as they put it) between interior decoration and art

The best I've ever done is to arrange my books by color, but he does give one ideas.