to friends and family...

5. be skeptical, but learn to listen.

i had no idea there was a fifth agreement.

an apple a day 2010

a companion photo to this 2008 version (and the story behind it.)
(photo by tomoki takahashi)

just when you thought slimeball tucker carlson couldn't possibly be any more of a slimeball...

tucker carlson proves worthy of the title weaseliest scumbag on the planet.

exhilarating and terrifying

danny boyle's 127 hours. cannot. wait.

"my son is gay."

"Or he’s not. I don’t care. He is still my son. And he is 5. And I am his mother. And if you have a problem with anything mentioned above, I don’t want to know you."

a 5 year old dresses as daphne from scooby-doo for halloween. from nerdy apple bottom.

thinking...thinking...

a pensive young girl in sapporo, japan.
(photo by carey anderson)

quote of the day

“I got so obsessed with [c-span] that it was kind of interfering with my life. Sarah Palin came on, and I thought, Oh, fuck, this is the end. Because a dumb woman is a dumb woman. [Arizona governor Jan Brewer] was worse than Sarah Palin, if that is possible. This woman was like a deer in headlights. She’s got a handle on the services of the state, and I would not let her handle the remote control.”

– cher, in the new issue of vanity fair

ladies and gentlemen...

...the end of charlie sheen's career.

do ask, do tell, don't care

u.s. troops and their families don't care.

finally... we may have the answer.

this could be why you're fat.

"what would you say is your life motto?"

part of the audition process for disney on classic each year is answering a few questions you probably weren't prepared for. not questions like, "how's your tap?" or "can you do a scottish dialect?" but rather "how would you describe your personality?" or "what is your view of the character of pumba?" or my personal favorite, "what would you say is your life motto?" this sign along the meji-dori in tokyo – somewhere between shibuya and harajuku – provides what i think is a perfectly suitable answer to that last question.

this is your tea party

not some fringe offshoot, but one of the three largest "tea parties." the message? muslim's don't belong in congress. but yeah, the tea party's goals are all about fiscal responsibility, the deficit, and taxes...

if a picture is worth a thousand words...

...what is the value of 1000 pictures? or 4000?

what have you done for me lately?

democratic national committee treasurer andrew tobias provides a list of 42 accomplishments of the obama administration and the democratic congress toward lgbt equality.

those were the good old days

remember when i used to actually write stuff for this blog?

like this, about smoking and smokers:

my legitimate smoking history mainly involves smoking unfiltered cigarettes because they made me high as a kite on may day. camels were good. if i didn’t have any unfiltered camels, i’d rip the filter off a regular camel and smoke that. easy peasy. i'd usually smoke at the end of the day. at home. at night. in my room. in secret. with the door locked. two or at the most, sometimes three. a day.

i haven't had a cigarette in about eight years. at times, it's been difficult to not take up again. i’d stub my toe and think “damnit, i wish i had a cigarette.” (i often think the same thing about crack.) but for the most part, once i decided to quit, i quit. same with caffeine, booze, marijuana, cocaine, and…mm-hmm…crack. those were harder. especially the crack. and the booze. and the cocaine.

what was not hard was quitting heroin. i never did heroin. and i lied about the caffeine. are you kidding? i tried to quit caffeine once and ended up huddled in a corner, clutching a mrs. beasley doll, sweating and shivering and mumbling something about magilla gorilla. then I had a sip of diet coke and suddenly all was right with the world. it's a true story.

but hey. this isn't about me, it's about you. you smokers. hi.

or this, which was eventually featured on a national lgbt website:

he was dressed modestly – worn-out blue jeans, work boots, a brown hooded sweatshirt – and had an intense, but warm, open face. no one spoke to him, no one approached him, yet he was anything but alone. there was a solace, a confidence. i caught his eye at one point, and something subtle passed between us. nothing sexual, but a welcome, if you will. as if he knew something i didn't, and was telling me everything was going to be okay. at the time i wasn't sure what it was, but i remember it vividly to this day.

after his pool game he perched in a corner, still by himself, and pulled out a small, silver harmonica. a harmonica. what a fantastical place this san francisco is, i thought. no one seemed to care or even notice when he began to play. the tune was sweet and simple, but it was a bluesy, haunted sound that filled the echoy openness of that quiet barroom, interrupted only by the muffled whistles and dings of a lone pinball machine in a back room somewhere. and eventually the jukebox playing the stones' "miss you".

it wasn't the absence of straight folk that i found intriguing about that neighborhood bar, or even the mysterious harmonica player in the corner. it was the stunning sense of freedom. of being at home. it's not something you feel as a gay person growing up in a small, rural town. it's not something you know enough to miss, either.

congratulations governor andrew cuomo, ctd.

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Republican Carl Paladino’s hometown Buffalo News on Sunday endorsed his rival in the New York governor’s race, declaring “there is no choice” but Andrew Cuomo.

think i'll go eat worms

yeah. this guy's just not very well liked:

"We need all of you to fight on. We need all of you fired up," (President Barack Obama) told the roaring crowd of students and admirers — 37,500 of them.

the generational gop gap

why will republicans win big on november 2nd? david frum says it's not because the country is rejecting democrats, or even president obama and his policies. it's because you under-30-year-olds aren't going to vote.

a politician sticking to his princibles?

gail collins finds two immensely good reasons for wisconsin to like, and reelect, russ feingold:

First, unlike the majority of Democrats running for re-election in Middle America, he is not trying to pretend that he didn’t vote for the health care bill, or that he voted for it with his fingers crossed, planning to completely overhaul it in 2011. “You bet I voted for that bill! I’m proud I did it!” he hollered during a campaign stop with Michelle Obama.

He keeps pointing out all the good and popular things the law contains. In debates, he asks Johnson — who’s promising to repeal Obamacare — if he really wants to reopen the hated “doughnut hole” in the Medicare prescription drug program or go back to allowing insurers to refuse to cover children with pre-existing medical conditions.

Second, Feingold is actually sticking to his principles even though it could cost him the race.

and to show her support of feingold, collins has a proposal for wisconsin voters:

Wisconsinites, if you decide to re-elect this guy I will be so happy I will personally lead a movement to make the rest of the country stop calling you Cheeseheads.

maybe she can help get rid of that fonzie statue, too.

tweet of the day

the o'donnell fix for hard times

having trouble paying your rent? run for office.

juan, it's michael calling

michael moore asks a rather relevant question of juan williams: "What do you think when you see rich middle-aged white men talking on TV about how they get nervous around African Americans on the street?"

and yes. there's much more.

some good news from newsweek

a new newsweek poll povides some good news for dems and the president:

Despite doom-saying about Democrats’ chances in the midterms, the latest NEWSWEEK Poll shows that they remain in a close race with Republicans 12 days before Election Day, while the president’s approval ratings have climbed sharply.

The poll finds that 48 percent of registered voters would be more likely to vote for Democrats, compared with 42 percent who lean Republican (those numbers are similar to those in the last NEWSWEEK Poll, which found Democrats favored 48 percent to 43 percent).

President Obama’s approval ratings have jumped substantially, crossing the magic halfway threshold to 54 percent, up from 48 percent in late September, while the portion of respondents who disapprove of the president dropped to 40 percent, the lowest disapproval rating in a NEWSWEEK Poll since February 2010.

quote of the day

"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime."

– Mark Twain

(hat tip dee dee derson)

stop what you're doing right now

why in the world are you reading this blog when you could be reading this one?

my life can end peacefully now

rolling stone gives the new elton john / leon russell album, the union, five stars. they're right to.

Singing in a strong, elastic growl and matching John's piano work with low-end rolls and top-note sparkle, Russell jars the younger man from his routine sheen, back to the natural fiber and grandeur of 1970's Elton John and Tumbleweed Connection. On The Union, produced by T Bone Burnett, John and Russell share the resurrection. Each goes back to what he first did best. Then they do it together.

npr is streaming the entire album.

UPDATE 10/21/10: it's official. rolling stone is now in love with elton john (and leon russell.) the two legends kicked off a concert tour promoting the union last night at the beacon theatre in new york:

The centerpiece of the show was a complete performance of The Union. Powered by four back-up singers, a four-piece horn section and the house band led by guitarist Marc Ribot, the songs sounded even better than they do on record. Elton and Leon have such similar styles it was often hard to tell who was playing piano. The best material on The Union ranks among the best work of either singer, particularly the Civil War epic "Gone To Shiloh." When Elton and Leon's voice merged on the line "when flags and bullets start to fly" the result was positively chilling.

may tomorrow be a perfect day

what a cruel, cruel joke the mormons are playing on me in 2010 – i will be in japan while this is happening in new york:

Donny & Marie - A Broadway Christmas, a new holiday production starring brother and sister Donny and Marie Osmond, will play 12 performances at Broadway's Marquis Theatre Dec. 9-19. Tickets go on sale 10 AM Oct. 20.

The show is "in the holiday tradition of the 'Osmond Family Christmas' television specials," according to the producers. This marks the first time the concert, TV and recording stars — internationally famous for their 1970s variety show, recordings and recent appearances on "Dancing With the Stars" — have shared a Broadway stage.

Expect "their trademark show-stopping Christmas production numbers," including "favorite hits mixed with the irresistible chemistry that made them international stars."

here's some of that irresistible chemistry now:



check out the smart choreography, yet another impressive guest list, and the ice vanities forming what appears to be a busby berkeley-esqe swastika-on-ice.

my new favorite song of the day

maybe of the week. get on that pig and hold on tight.


(hat tip erik nelson)

in threes...?

quote of the day

“Good morning, Anita Hill, it’s Ginny Thomas.

I just wanted to reach across the airwaves and the years and ask you to consider something. I would love you to consider an apology sometime and some full explanation of why you did what you did with my husband.

So give it some thought and certainly pray about this and come to understand why you did what you did.

Okay have a good day.”

– Virginia Thomas,
wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas,
in a message left last weekend on the voicemail of Anita Hill

"it's official. i'm in love with japan."

are you reading kate mccann's account of her time in japan while touring with disney on classic? you should be.

the dumbing down of america republicans

south carolina republican senator lindsey graham on sarah palin: "People on our side like Sarah. She talks in a way they can understand."

yeah, as opposed to talking like an intelligent person.

congratulations governor andrew cuomo, ctd.

carl paladino doesn't want reporters to write any "dastardly lies" about his feelings on homosexuals and homosexuality. he also says children should not be “brainwashed” into thinking that homosexuality is acceptable. this after three men thought to be gay were recently tortured, burned and sodomized with a small baseball bat by a gang of thugs in the bronx. oh, and there was that rutgers student who jumped off the gwb after his roommates filmed him having sex with a man. but yeah, carl, let's protect our children.

discovering the real tokyo

dinner in a closet, seating for seven, down a tiny, secluded alleyway near the shinjuku station in tokyo. depending on the establishement, and the night – and you, for that matter – you might not be invited in. or you might be cajoled into sitting down before you have a chance to say no.

jen's noodling in nihon

my friend jen zappola is blogging about our japan trip again this year. she sums up her return:

It’s odd to feel at home on the other side of the earth. I’m back in Japan for my second tour with Disney on Classic and the Tokyo Philharmonic (how lucky am I?). All seven American singers arrived last Friday. And as I wheeled my massive luggage cart through the bright Narita Airport I had a very clear memory of a thought I’d had when I was departing Nartia last December – What if I never come back to this wonderful country?

I remember being surprised by that thought. I was ready to go home! I’d been in a foreign country for three months. A country where not only can I not speak the language, I can’t even sound out their alphabet. Three months of white rice. Of Japanese television (you think our commercials are annoying). Of buying my groceries at the convenient store. Three months without hummus! I was tired. I missed America. I missed my family.

And yet. Arriving at Narita last December, pack(ed) and ready to fly home, I didn’t want to leave. Because I couldn’t stand the thought of never coming back.

The people. This culture. The joy and the love that I feel from and toward them. It all came rushing back. And I realized I had missed Japan.

So now I’m back in Tokyo ready to start the 2010 tour. Ready to eat white rice. And attempt more Japanese. And bow. And excited to be comfortable with Japan. So much so now that it feels like there is a little place right here where–believe it or not!–I feel like I fit right it.

more from dear jen here.

quote of the day

"I'm never going to do a fucking Christmas album ever."

– elton john
responding to a suggestion from his US record company

headshots for the nonconformist

my friend, actress erica mansfield, by my friend, photographer kevin thomas garcia.

there's more erica by kevin below the fold.

the president's rank cowardice

sullivan chides obama on his lack of leadership on dadt: "I wish I could feel some sympathy for the president on this issue. But he is making Bill Clinton look like a model of principle - and his rank cowardice on civil rights is one of the greatest disappointments of his first two years."

agreed.

the procedural whimper

gail collins gets it right on don't ask, don't tell.

today is my boyfriend bruce springsteen's birthday

i mean. c'mon. look at the arms. good god. (wanna feel old? springsteen is 61 today.)

i don't want to wait

So you look at me from across the room. You're wearing your anguish again. Believe me, I know the feeling. It sucks you into the jaws of anger. So dig a little more deeply into my life. All we have is the very moment and I don't want to do what his father and his father and his father did.

I want to be here now.

grampa has the gayest hissy fit ever

this is a crazy person who needs to go home and go to bed.

the courage of the u.s. senate

spencer ackerman asks a friend his thoughts about today's senate vote on don't ask, don't tell. a friend who is gay. and serving in the navy:

"Before I joined the Navy, I never would have thought that a bunch of drunk straight Sailors hitting on overweight lesbians in the gay bar on Neil Road in Singapore had more personal courage than the United States Senate."

52% want me to be able to marry

andrew sullivan finds a silver lining in the latest associated press poll that shows rampant distrust of government and institutions:

While distrust of most institutions has grown, and Americans are in a foul mood, the latest AP poll found that 52 percent now favor full civil marriage rights for gay couples, and 58 percent support the same rights in every respect as heterosexual couples. President Obama, and those Democrats who do not have the balls to repeal DOMA, let alone the GOP base, are now in a minority in opposing marriage equality.

don't ask, just call

call your senator tonight, or tomorrow morning. call.

irish hand dancers meet pink floyd

you may think you've seen the best of irish hand dancers suzanne cleary & peter harding (their video is posted and reposted millions of times on facebook every day. often on my wall.) but there's nothing like a little hand dancing when you're comfortably numb:

killing civilians for sport

a disgusting, blood curdling report in the washington post: a rogue army platoon with a penchant for "hashish and alcohol," charged with randomly targeting and killing afghan civilians for sport, dismembering and photographing corpses, and hoarding a skull and other human bones.

will this do for afghanistan what abu ghraib did for iraq?

"this is pierre, a frog who does oral sex."

because nobody tells a joke like an old jew.

diss of the day

alaska senator lisa murkowski, announcing she will run for the senate as a write-in candidate against sarah palin-backed tea partier joe miller and democrat scott mcadams:

"Perhaps this is one time they've met a Republican woman who won't quit on Alaska."

quote of the day, pt. II

"American scientific companies are cross-breeding humans and animals and coming up with mice with fully functioning human brains. So they're already into this experiment."

– christine o'donnell
tea party / republican candidate for senate in delaware

daddy's got legs

john caird and paul gordon's daddy long legs plays three more theatres before the end of the year.

attack of the gay millionaires

this is not the daily show. it's oklahoma:

quote of the day

"Today there is a grave danger that the still fragile economic recovery will be undercut by austerity economics. A turn by major governments away from the promotion of growth and jobs and to premature focus on deficit reduction could slow growth and increase unemployment – and could push us back into recession.

History suggests that a tenuous recovery is no time to practice austerity. In the Great Depression, Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal generated growth and reduced the unemployment rate from 25 percent in 1932 to less than 10 percent in 1937. However, the deficit hawks of that era persuaded President Roosevelt to reverse course prematurely and move toward budget balance.

The result was a severe recession that caused the economy to contract sharply and sent the unemployment rate soaring.

The President and Congress should redouble efforts to create jobs and send aid to the states whose budget crises threaten recovery by forcing them to lay off school teachers, public safety workers, and other essential workers. It also makes sense to invest in public service jobs – and in infrastructure projects for transportation, water, and energy conservation that will make our economy more productive for years to come."

– 300 leading economists and civic leaders
in a letter to congress and the president

congratulations governor andrew cuomo

here is the republican gubernatorial candidate for the state of new york, carl paladino.

"We need some delusions to keep us going."

"And the people who successfully delude themselves seem happier than the people who can’t."

despite what some feel are questionable choices in his personal life, woody allen remains one of my heroes. a couple of weeks ago i had what felt like the quintessential new york experience: watching allen's manhattan on a big outdoor screen in central park with about 200 other new yorkers. sitting on the lawn, eating cold fried chicken and chocolate chip cookies, watching isaac davis tromp around to places in the city that have become familiar to me (including the now-gutted metro theatre, just a few blocks from my home.)

we've been on a kick lately: manhattan, purple rose of cairo, bananas, hannah and her sisters. somehow, over time, i forget how great some of them are (especially hannah and cairo.)

allen's newest, you will meet a tall dark stranger, opens next wednesday. in today's times, he talks with dave itzkoff about the film, the concept of faith, and the aging process – "i'm against it."

write on that garage door again, russ

this is the russ feingold i voted for in 1992. not much different than the russ feingold wisconsin should re-elect this november. maybe if he wrote on that garage door again...


(hat tip lee becker)

anderson cooper = boozy mcboozerson?

cnn anchor anderson cooper seemed just a little tipsy to me tonight, getting all boyishly excited like he does about things like hurricanes, haitian disasters and, ohh... primary results. but no, i thought. i've never seen this behavior before. coop would never be tipsy on air.

or would he...?

the mormon musical

this makes me happy.

quote of the day

“In the year since I issued a prepared statement regarding President Obama speaking to the Nation’s school children, I have learned a great deal about the party I so deeply loved and served.

Unfortunately, I found that many within the GOP have racist views and I apologize to the President for my opposition to his speech last year and my efforts to placate the extremists who dominate our Party today.

My children and I look forward to the President’s speech.”

– jim greer
former florida gop chairman

it's easy when you don't feel the heat

not enough has been made of the fact that the anti-islam, muslim bashing that's been ratcheted up over the last few weeks could actually put our fighting men and women in more danger. this is often the cry from the right, when liberals or moderates question things like the reasons for going to war, for continuing to support war, for not ending war: "they don't support the troops!"

now, huffington post reports that some of those fighting men and women are sounding off against that rhetoric

A small but growing group of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have signed onto an open letter which calls on the American public to respect "the values we risked our lives to protect" and to avoid endangering the mission -- and safety -- of U.S. forces in the Mideast.

"America, you gotta have our back," reads the letter. "Those who would vilify and target Muslims on grounds of their religious belief not only show a deep disrespect for American values, but put American lives at risk. It's easy to burn a Koran when you won't feel the heat."

there won't be might be trumpets

the newly named stephen sondheim theatre (formerly henry miller's theatre) operated by roundabout theatre company, will receive an official unveiling and lighting ceremony wednesday, september 15 at 6:30 p.m.

the movie you don't want to be good

you can't possibly be excited to see a movie about facebook, can you? no, you can't be. no, stop. you can't be. but you should be, says rolling stone's peter travers:

This is the first film I've seen so far in 2010 that deserves my highest rating, 4 stars. It's better than the movie of the year. The Social Network also defines the decade.

How so?

Director David Fincher, working brilliantly from a dazzlingly complex script by Aaron Sorkin, uses the rise and rise of Facebook to examine a generation that can't communicate despite its obsession with social networking.

The performances are award caliber, led by Jesse Eisenberg as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, who conceived the idea as a Harvard student. The squabbling between Zuckerberg and his friends who want a piece of the site, including Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield is outstanding) and Napster co-founder Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake, an acting revelation), makes for a fierce and funny powerhouse, a modern Rashomon that will pin you to your seat.

the social network arrives in theatres october 1st. the trailer is below.

pardon me sir, does your dog bite?

frank rich suggests that, thanks to the return of the tougher, scrappier barack obama, the november elections might not be the tidal wave big media is telling us it they will be:

On Labor Day, the fighting Obama abruptly re-emerged... Speaking to workers in Milwaukee, the president finally started giving voice to the anger of America’s battered middle class. And he even let loose with a little anger of his own. The unspecified “powerful interests” aligned against him, he said, “talk about me like a dog.”

That inelegant line — “not in my prepared remarks,” Obama explained — landed because it was true and because he said it with a grin. Americans like their warriors happy...

For a guy facing a tidal wave, the president was so ebullient, you had to wonder if he knew something we didn’t. Maybe he simply read the unabridged poll numbers rather than the CliffsNotes summaries of cable news. Those numbers are hardly as monochromatic as advertised.

obama needs a little more "dog" in 'em. dare i say it? maybe a little more pit bull - sans the lipstick, of course.

obama in milwaukee:

"America was not built on hate"

nicholas kristof considers the debate over islam happening in our country and sums it up beautifully, especially in the last 1/4 of his piece, as he brings to light some of the more prominent christian and jewish leaders who have not used this moment in our history to bash muslims or, for that matter, our constitution:

“Shame on you,” the Rev. Richard Cizik, a leading evangelical Christian, said to those castigating Islam. “You bring dishonor to the name of Jesus Christ. You directly disobey his commandment to love your neighbor.”

Cardinal Theodore McCarrick put it this way: “This is not America. America was not built on hate.”

as with any group or religion, we are too often defined by the extremes. it's good to remember that in the midst of all the crazy out there.

new yorkers: about face

simon hogsberg gets ten new yorkers to talk about their faces.

quote of the day

"People say well, in Saudi Arabia you can't build a church," Bloomberg said. "Yes. That's the difference between Saudi Arabia and America."

– new york mayor mike bloomberg

quote of the day

"As a citizen, and as President, I believe that Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as everyone else in this country. And that includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in Lower Manhattan, in accordance with local laws and ordinances.

This is America. And our commitment to religious freedom must be unshakeable. The principle that people of all faiths are welcome in this country and that they will not be treated differently by their government is essential to who we are. The writ of the Founders must endure."

– president barack obama

if you want to smile for 90 minutes...

i first saw hula hoop sha-boop 20 years ago at the milwaukee repertory theatre's stackner cabaret. a new version of the 50s-60s jukebox musical opens this friday, august 6th in the same theatre, directed by your's truly. in a desperate act of shameless self-promotion, i'm including not only a photo i took, but information on how to get tickets. c'mon.

The new HULA HOOP SHA-BOOP plays a special limited four-week run opening Friday, August 6 at 7:30 pm at the Milwaukee Rep's Stackner Cabaret. Tickets at the Rep Ticket Office at 108 East Wells, by phone at 414-224-9490, or online at milwaukeerep.com. (Katie Siri and Brian Craft in Hula Hoop Sha-Boop.)

street corners, hula hoops, and deer

my friend john mcgivern asks me about hula hoop sha-boop. oh, and deer.

safety first

(photo by christine o'meally)

quote of the day

“Brett talked to goddamned Ed Werder at ESPN, says he needs ankle surgery. Now why did he do that? I’ve got Childress calling. I’ve got reporters calling all damn morning. Goddammit, why does he have to be such a goddamned drama queen? Play, don’t play, goddamn, people are getting sick of it. I’m getting sick of it! You got problems with surgery, talk to your wife. Why talk to goddamned Ed Werder?”

– bus cook
brett favre’s agent

the earth is a bitch

there's something about this era i'm longing for right now.

missing home

i've been away from it long enough to conceive and give birth to a child. missing new york (and one new yorker in particular) desperately this morning.

quote of the day

“Like many Wisconsinites, I am disappointed in the substantive effect of today’s Wisconsin Supreme Court decision in the case of McConkey v. J.B. Van Hollen, et al. The ballot initiative that spurred this case was more a matter of politics than principle. Regrettably, Wisconsinites, including many LGBT families, must live with a state constitution that enshrines discrimination.

While the effect of this ruling is a setback in our effort to repeal the discriminatory constitutional amendment banning marriage equality and civil unions, we will continue our quest for equality.”

– rep. tammy baldwin (D-WI)

why i'm not doing much blogging lately

quote of the day

"The president just called for creating a fund that would be administered by outsiders, which would be more of a redistribution-of-wealth fund...

But if I was the head of BP, I would let the signal get out there -- 'We're not going to be chumps, and we're not going to be fleeced.' And they shouldn't be. They shouldn't have to be fleeced and make chumps to have to pay for perpetual unemployment and all the rest -- they've got to be legitimate claims."

– mn gop rep. michelle bachman

it's that percussive piano

not so sure about the video, but sarah mclachlan's new song is stuck in my head like a hair in a biscuit.

in case you missed it

quote(s) of the day

"You know, our Founding Fathers, they put that Second Amendment in there for a good reason and that was for the people to protect themselves against a tyrannical government. And in fact Thomas Jefferson said it's good for a country to have a revolution every 20 years.

I hope that's not where we're going, but, you know, if this Congress keeps going the way it is, people are really looking toward those Second Amendment remedies and saying my goodness what can we do to turn this country around?

I'll tell you the first thing we need to do is take Harry Reid out."

– sharron angle
nv gop senate candidate, january 2010

"The nation is arming. What are they arming for, if it isn't that they are so distrustful of their government? They're afraid they'll have to fight for their liberty in more Second Amendment kinds of ways. That's why I look at this as almost an imperative. If we don't win at the ballot box, what will be the next step?"

– sharron angle
nv gop senate candidate, may 2010.

speaking out about the spill

this should happen to bp stations everywhere.

i've just seen a face

kevin cameron and tomoe kawafuchi's daughter mona (two syllables, easy to say, and pronounced the same in japanese and english.) growing up in rural japan.

james brown teaches you how to dance.

put your damn shoes on and pay attention.


(hat tip cathye hancock)

the sky is not less blue

time's mark halperin suggests that all the hating on obama done by the right and the tea partiers is actually good for the president:

While the conservatives' ultimate condemnation [of President Obama] rallies their core base supporters and has resonated with some centrist voters, over time it is unlikely to produce a majority against the administration.

As long as those trying to beat him are blind to the fact that tens of millions of voting Americans actually think Obama is doing a fine job, this President has a great ally in his enemies.

skip the movie, read the review

please. save yourself 146 minutes, read lindy west's review of "sex and the city 2," and be done with it.

quote of the day

"I don't even think there is bad taste anymore. American humor is bad taste — that's what we import, that's what television is about, reality television is based on that.

I think it kind of ruined bad taste, because you're asked to feel superior to the subject matter, which I don't think I ever do. I think I always look up to my subjects, which is maybe what good taste is. Extreme taste is more interesting to me now than good or bad."

– director john waters

(hat tip joe.my.god)

all we have of freedom

"All we have of freedom, all we use or know -
This our fathers bought for us long and long ago."

– rudyard kipling

"not gary busey's" sense of humor...

...is sick. but i laughed.

in threes...?

my, how you've changed.

from 1939 to 2010. any thoughts on what this is?

"you're not alone. you will not be abandoned. you will not be left behind."

president obama surveys damage done by the oil spill that resulted from the explosion of bp's deepwater horizon oil rig on april 22.

what. is. up?

hiatus. sort of. relax. be back soon.

the enthusiasm contentment gap

public policy polling rethinks the supposed enthusiasm gap between democrat and gop voters and surmises there is less enthusiasm on the dem side because, well, dems are generally more content with the way things are going:

The enthusiasm gap may be caused not by disappointment with the way things are going, but rather contentment. Voters tend to get more energized when they're angry about something. A lot of Democrats feel like things are going fine right now, so they don't have much of a sense of urgency about going out to vote. The biggest threat to the party this fall is not that its voters are unenthusiastic about how things are going, but that they are complacent precisely because they do like the direction the country is headed in.

if democrats don't come out and vote in november, they're gonna end up being angry once again.

wisconsin: you're among fiends

not everyone in wisconsin is this classy.

xanadu vampires

the fantastic goldfrapp apes olivia newton-john.

wednesday wtf

put this address into your google maps (only satellite or earth mode) and zoom zoom zoom-ah zoom (zoom in):

2893 s delaware ave, milwaukee, wi 53207

what do you see? and...wtf?

dear gays,

can we please stop with the johnny weir stuff?

leave patti alone

another devastating moment in lupone's career, i'm sure.

exceeding expectations

paul krugman:

"If Democrats hold the House, which is still a big if but is starting to look possible, the 111th Congress — and, yes, Obama’s first two years — will go down in history as an epic success."

here, here.

thinking...thinking...

a few things i've found this afternoon:

• russell crowe is an asshole.

• how can a huge swath of people think this person is worth paying attention to when i only think she's really not very bright?

• a bunch of new yorkers are about to lose their jobs.

• racism is racism, no matter how you paint it.

• tuesdaysblog stops linking to the new york times in january.

dear pope.

this is not a message for my catholic friends. this is not a message for my christian friends. i apologize in advance if you're offended.

this is a message for the pope (in response to this.)

dear pope,

stfu.

love,
tony

p.s. that hat's pretty gay.

"yoo-hoo! come into the house dave!"

one of my favorites from the good doctor. dr. seuss, that is.

aaron sorkin to the rescue

synopsis: theatre critic claims well-known actor is too gay to play straight (and in fact, all gay actors are too gay to play straight.) well-known actor's well-known co-star publicly comes to his defense. the entire internet comes crashing down on theatre critic. even the gayest show on television comes crashing down on theatre critic.

personally, i think there's some serious self-loathing going on by the theatre critic (newsweek's ramin setoodeh) but i'm happy to let aaron sorkin have the last word:

Gay actors are in absolutely no danger of losing parts in Broadway shows, so if it were me, I'd re-direct my anger to the real problem. The honest-to-God, no kidding around, small-minded, mean-spirited, hysterically frightened, pig-ignorant bigots who don't think homosexuals are fit to get married, adopt children or fight and die for their country. The ones who hold signs saying "God Hates Fags." Those people aren't in the backwoods of Idaho, they're in Congress. Fight THEM. I'll help.

the whole sorkin response is well worth the read.

edelstein/dukakis heading to ten chimneys

ten chimneys' prestigious lunt-fontanne fellowship continues this summer with barry edelstein stepping in for the late lynn redgrave, followed in 2011 by oscar winner olympia dukakis.

Ten Chimneys Foundation has just announced that renowned Shakespeare expert and director, Barry Edelstein, has been selected to fill the role of 2010 Lunt-Fontanne Fellowship Master Teacher. Widely respected as one of the leading Shakespeareans in the United States, Barry Edelstein is the Director of The Public Theater’s Shakespeare Initiative, overseeing all Shakespearean production at the theater, as well as The Public’s extensive educational, community outreach, and artist-training programs.

“Mr. Edelstein is greatly revered for his love and understanding of Shakespeare,” said Sean Malone, President of Ten Chimneys Foundation. “Lynn [Redgrave] was so in love with Shakespeare – its power and its truth – that I know she would have been thrilled to have someone of Mr. Edelstein’s talent, passion, and abilities carry on for her.”

Barry Edelstein has directed nearly half the canon at both The Public Theater and at venues around New York City and the country. Just a few highlights include Julius Caesar starring Jeffrey Wright; The Merchant of Venice featuring Ron Leibman’s OBIE award-winning portrayal of Shylock, Richard III starring John Turturro and Julianna Margulies, The Winter’s Tale starring David Strathairn, and As You Like It starring Gwyneth Paltrow.

Mr. Edelstein’s book Thinking Shakespeare (called by New York Magazine “a must-read for actors”) was published in 2007, and is now the standard text on American Shakespearean acting. His popular book Bardisms: Shakespeare for All Occasions has just been re-released in paperback. Edelstein has taught at the Juilliard School, NYU’s Graduate Acting Program, and USC. He is a graduate of Oxford University, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar, and has lectured on theatre around the USA and the world.

“I’m delighted to begin my association with the Lunt-Fontanne Fellowship Program, although I wish the circumstances were different. Lynn Redgrave’s passing is a blow to all of us who value the theater and love Shakespeare, and I hope my work at Ten Chimneys will be, in its own small way, a kind of memorial to her.

“I believe deeply that Shakespeare lives in the American actor with a special passion and resonance. My work as a director and teacher, and as a producer of Shakespeare’s plays at The Public Theater, is about bringing together the world’s greatest dramatist, the country’s finest talent, and the widest possible audience. I can think of nowhere more exciting to practice that work than in the home of two actors whose lives embodied the unique magic of the American stage.”

– Barry Edelstein, 2010 Master Teacher

Actress Olympia Dukakis, who is widely celebrated as one of the greatest American masters of interpreting and teaching the work of playwright Anton Chekov, will be the 2011 Master Teacher for the 2011 Lunt-Fontanne Fellowship Program. After two years of focusing on Shakespeare, the third weeklong retreat and master class at Ten Chimneys (July 24-31) will focus on Chekov. Ms. Dukakis has been a master teacher of acting and directing, with special emphasis on Chekhov, at Columbia, NYU, Yale, and universities and studios around the United States and Europe.

“I am thrilled that Olympia Dukakis will be the 2011 Master Teacher,” said Sean Malone. “Ten Chimneys has a rich history of great actors mentoring great actors. Actors such as Laurence Olivier, Uta Hagen, Montgomery Clift, and Julie Harris proudly considered themselves protégés of the Lunts. So to have a great actress like Olympia Dukakis, with her extraordinary mastery of Chekov, mentoring a gathering of the top regional theatre actors in the country, couldn’t be more fitting – or, honestly, more exciting.”

Olympia Dukakis is best known as an Academy Award-winning film actress, garnering great popular and critical acclaim in movies such as Moonstruck, Steel Magnolias, and Mr. Holland’s Opus – as well as on the epic miniseries Tales of the City. Ms. Dukakis is also a revered, award-winning stage actress, with New York and London credits including: The Marriage of Bette and Boo, A Man’s a Man, Curse of the Starving Class, Electra, Hecuba, Mother Courage, Peer Gynt, Titus Andronicus, Social Security, Six Characters in Search of an Author, Long Day's Journey Into Night, and Rose. She has starred in and directed multiple productions of The Cherry Orchard, The Seagull, Three Sisters, Uncle Vanya, and other plays by Chekov. For 15 years, Ms. Dukakis was the Artistic Director of The Whole Theatre Company, which she co-founded with her husband, actor Louis Zorich. In addition to Chekov, her prolific directing credits include Orpheus Descending, A Touch of the Poet, and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest – and she has adapted plays including Mother Courage and The Trojan Women.

“I am proud to be a part of this program, which is so important to the future of American theatre, and am eager to work with the selected 2011 Lunt-Fontanne Fellows. With Chekhov, our hearts will open with compassion and reverence for life in all its contradictions.”

– Olympia Dukakis, 2011 Master Teacher

Actress Lynn Redgrave was originally slated to be the Master Teacher for the 2010 Lunt-Fontanne Fellowship Program, a widely acclaimed national program to serve regional theatre actors and the future of American theatre. From July 11-18, nine of the most respected actors in America, representing nine of the nation’s premier regional theatres, were to join Ms. Redgrave for an intensive weeklong master class and retreat at Ten Chimneys, the National Historic Landmark estate of Broadway legends Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne, in Genesee Depot, Wisconsin (just outside of Milwaukee). This was to be Ms. Redgrave’s second and final year as the Master Teacher, after also leading the inaugural year of the program in 2009.

Ms. Redgrave passed away on Sunday, May 2. In a public statement made shortly after Ms. Redgrave’s death, Sean Malone shared, “Last week, Lynn touchingly went out of her way to tell me how important it was to her that the Fellowship Program continues on this summer, with a new master teacher stepping in for her. I am determined to make sure that happens. And so, at the same time that we are mourning, Ten Chimneys Foundation is working to secure the right person to step in for Lynn this summer – to lead a week of Shakespeare at Ten Chimneys with nine of the top regional theatre actors in the country.”

quote of the day

"There are some days when I think I'm going to die from an overdose of satisfaction."

– salvador dali

what's that playing on the radio?

name this singer. and don't cheat. here's a hint: if you listened to pop music in the 70', 80's or even the 90's -- you know this voice.

here's a snippet of a bio:

For two years, ________ played sessions and performed with The Lost Souls. In 1967, he left that band to join The Hassles, a Long Island band that had signed a contract with United Artists Records.

Over the next year and a half, they released The Hassles in 1967, Hour of the Wolf in 1968, and four singles, all of which failed commercially.

Following The Hassles' demise in 1969, he formed the duo Attila with Hassles drummer Jon Small. Attila released their eponymous debut album in July 1970, and disbanded the following October. The reason for the group's break-up has been attributed to ________'s affair with Small's wife, Elizabeth, whom ________ eventually married.

now this is a tea party

forget the throngs of puffy, angry white people packing heat and carrying signs against socialism – i want me some lipton.

georgia jayne schultz

or to me, mom. gone in 2006. miss her every day.

obama's katrina

the associated press beats back the notion that the obama administration has been slow in reacting to the oil spill in the gulf, or that there's any comparison to the bush administration's response to hurricane katrina:

The Gulf region, ravaged five years earlier by Hurricane Katrina, was on the verge of a second ecological disaster. Would there be a repeat of the bureaucratic bungling that marked President George W. Bush's response to the hurricane?

While the Obama administration has faced second-guessing about the speed and effectiveness of some of its actions, a narrative pieced together by The Associated Press, based on documents, interviews and public statements, shows little resemblance to Katrina in either the characterization of the threat or the federal government's response.

another difference, i suppose, would be that 1,836 people died as a result of katrina. i'm all for birds and the environment and the fishing industry, believe me. but 1,836 people.

obama honors mama

an excerpt from the president's proclamation honoring mothers and mother's day:

"Whether adoptive, biological, or foster, mothers share an unbreakable bond with their children, and Americans of all ages and backgrounds owe them an immeasurable debt.

Nurturing families come in many forms, and children may be raised by two parents, a single mother, two mothers, a step-mom, a grandmother, or a guardian. Mother's Day gives us an opportunity to celebrate these extraordinary caretakers, mentors, and providers who have made us who we are. As we honor today's mothers, we also reflect upon the memory of those who have passed, and we renew our commitment to living the values they cultivated in us."

quote of the day

"I am always doing that which I can not do, in order that I may learn how to do it."

– pablo picasso

my own sideways reality

i stumbled onto a website today. this was at the top of the page:

We are trying to locate our classmates. We have no address or contact information for the people listed below. If you have any information about these classmates, please let us know.

i don't know any of these people. i did not grow up in st. john, indiana. but i swear i went to high school with every one of them.

they just had different names.

lucky!

ny times terror scare that could have killed many americans = political "opportunity" for republicans!

where are the jobs?

oh. there's a few.


but wait. the unemployment rate actually went up, from 9.7 to 9.9%. that's bad, right?

Despite the increase in jobs, the unemployment rate rose, mostly because the government said 195,000 workers re-entered the labor force after giving up on job hunting during the recession. When jobless people do not look for work, they are not counted in the official unemployment rate.

“Of course one of the headlines is that the unemployment rate rose, but the rise was more than accounted for by a surge in the labor force,” [James O’Sullivan, chief economist at MF Global] said.

but these are all government jobs, right?

Of the 290,000 jobs created in April, 231,000 of them were in the private sector. The private sector has actually added 523,000 new jobs in 2010.

This includes 44,000 manufacturing jobs, which is the most manufacturing jobs added to the U.S. economy since August, 1998. Overall, April was the strongest month for jobs growth since March, 2006.

methinks thou dost protest too much*

ladies, keep this in mind the next time your guy makes some crass, homophobic crack. or the next time your elected representative votes against lgbt legislation. or the next time your church official...well. you get the idea:

In 1996, three researchers from the University of Georgia published a study in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology about the links between homophobia and homosexual arousal.

The authors, Henry E. Adams, Lester W. Wright, Jr., and Bethany A. Lohr, started with 35 straight men identified as homophobic and 29 straight men that were not. Both groups were shown heterosexual, lesbian and gay male porn while their erectile responses were measured.

“Only the homophobic men showed an increase in penile erection to male homosexual stimuli,” reported the researchers.

*this is a common "misquote." certainly tuesdaysblog readers know the correct version, and where it comes from. right?

jay leno: class act

not.

vaughn new co-artistic director at utah shakes

milwaukee repertory theatre company member brian vaughn has been named co-artistic director for the utah shakespearean festival, beginning in january of 2011. he will share artistic director duties with utah shakes veteran david ivers.

both vaughn and ivers have spent many seasons at the festival (2010 will be no different and includes vaughn directing this fall's "greater tuna.") vaughn is well known to milwaukee audiences from performances at the rep, as well as the skylight opera theatre ("the producers") renaissance theaterworks and the milwaukee chamber theatre.

he joined the milwaukee rep as a company member in 1997 and has been seen in over 35 rep productions, most recently "seven keys to slaughter peak."

vaughn and his family have relocated to cedar city, utah, which is home to the festival.

here's the full press release from utah shakes:

CEDAR CITY, UTAH — Two long-time Utah Shakespearean Festival actors and directors have been named as joint artistic directors at the Tony Award-winning theatre company. David Ivers and Brian Vaughn were introduced at a press conference at the Alta Club in Salt Lake City, Utah on May 5 at 10 a.m.

“This is literally a dream come true,” said Ivers. “Being an artistic director, especially at the Festival, seems like a natural progression in the long history that I have had with the organization. I am extremely passionate about the Festival and highly motivated.”

Both Ivers and Vaughn have worked at the Utah Shakespearean Festival as actors and directors for more than fifteen years. Ivers will come to Utah from the Denver Center Theatre Company in Colorado, where he has spent nine seasons as a resident artist. Vaughn is coming from the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre where he has been a member of the resident acting company since 1997.

“I was elated when I received the call from Scott offering me this position,” said Vaughn. “The call came on April 23, Shakespeare’s birthday, of all days, which is especially noteworthy and beautifully ironic.”

Ivers and Vaughn will take over the artistic leadership of the organization, which has been previously managed by two associate artistic directors, Kathleen F. Conlin, and J.R. Sullivan, in addition to R. Scott Phillips, who will continue to serve as executive director.

“This announcement marks one of the most important steps in the Festival’s future development,” said Phillips. “These new artistic leaders will allow us to move forward as a major regional theatre, while honoring our great legacy.”

The new artistic directors were introduced at the press conference by Phillips as well as Kevin Bischoff, Festival board president, and Michael T. Benson, president of Southern Utah University. In attendance were the families of Ivers and Vaughn, members of the Festival board and staff, and many friends and major donors of the organization.

“I couldn’t be more excited to have these two young men on our campus,” said Benson. “The kinds of experience they bring in the performing arts will help not only the Utah Shakespearean Festival, but also strengthen our already vibrant performing arts programs at SUU.”

In their new roles, Ivers and Vaughn will manage artistic programming, play selection, and casting, as well as assist with fundraising and promotion of the Festival.

Ivers has worked at the Festival as an actor and director for 15 seasons. He has a bachelor of fine arts degree in theatre from Southern Oregon University, and a master of fine arts degree in acting from the University of Minnesota. Ivers has worked at the Oregon, Alabama, and Idaho Shakespeare festivals, as well as the Portland Center Stage, Artists Repertory Theatre, Tacoma Actors Guild, Portland Repertory Theatre, and Seattle Repertory Theatre.

“I am deeply grateful for the support of my family in this endeavor,” said Ivers. “I am passionately committed to the future of the Utah Shakespearean Festival and Southern Utah University.”

Vaughn began working at the Festival in 1991 as an actor in The Greenshow, and has since acted in over 35 roles over 16 seasons. He holds a bachelor’s of science degree in theatre arts and dance from Southern Utah University. Regional credits include American Folk Ballet, Arizona Theatre Company, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Nebraska Shakespeare Festival, Red Bull Theatre, The Skylight Opera, and Theatre at the Center. He currently serves on the board for the Southern Utah University College of Performing and Visual Arts.

“I am devoted to the Utah Shakespearean Festival’s artistic mission and its continued growth and collaboration with Southern Utah University,” said Vaughn. “I also believe David and I will make a great team, because we possess mutual goals and a shared vision for the Festival’s future.”