Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Happy Halloween - Here's My Costume... Ta-Dah
I went as Wise Man #3...
I rented this costume for US$60 from Halloween Adventure. It's due back by Friday.
Here I am with Christi...
... with Fernando, whose 43rd birthday Friday we celebrated with a cake ....
...and with George and Gene...
Cartoons du Jour
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Tuesday, October 30, 2007
The Magic Position
For this week's Song/Video of the week, something truly gay. Whatever Patrick Wolf is sexually, this year he's singing (and dressing) the body homo 'in a major key.' His huge hit this summer trumpted 'you put me in the.. magic position, darling' in a loud, proud, impossibly melodic slice of manic 1979 disco...and here he is singing it....
With roots in art rock, church choirs, string quartets, and alternative gay venues, Wolf plays two dozen instruments, including the harpischord, accordion, ukulele, kantele, and mountain dulcimer...
As for sex: "I fall in love with men and women. I like to have sex and fall in love. But just like I can't say if my next album with be baroque waltzes or death metal, I don't know if I'm destined to live my life with a man, a woman, or just my horse..."
More Halloween!
People at my Halloween Party: Bevan, who I work with, his friend Sheryl, and Christi..
Gene, with whom I've hiked on terrain as diverse as Western Jersey and Eastern France
Christi has lived overseas twice; George has been living overseas (here) for decades...
Donna's cheerful squint...
A particularly lovely shot of Karen. Donna and Karen moved in together in June, in Sunset Park, and I must pay a visit there soon...
In the kitchen, Donna, Sunil, and Varun...
Cartoons du Jour:
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Monday, October 29, 2007
look at Thomas from ages 3-7. New Emerson traffic video, this time Saigon.
Buenos Aires today, Washington tomorrow?
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Buenos Aires today, Washington tomorrow?
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Knock Knock
Last night I finally saw Judd Apatow's "Knocked Up," a surprisingly enjoyable balance of the sweet and the crude, complete with Hollywood ending. Review first, then more Halloween pics...
In this film a hopeless slacker/loser type and a would-be entertainment journalist find themselves expecting a baby after an ill-fated one night stand and then attempt real a relationship. Join us as we filter this film experience through the five parameters.
1. Four Words That Encapsule: "Use A Condom - Always"
2. Haiku (5-7-5)
"Sex the icebreaker..
Mismatch! Oops! Forget it quick..
We can't, I'm pregnant..."
3. Oblique remarks: I like Paul Rudd - he played the gay hero in "The Object of My Affection" and was the most believable part of that flawed movie. Does being 5' 9" and 35 mean he'll now only due character roles?
4. Insight: This broad comedy widely sidesteps the abortion question. We don't know why she keeps the baby, nor does it seem important to know. She just wants to, and the geek/slacker who horrified her the morning after turns out to be decent and caring.Believable situations are not essential to good comedy. Believable characters are. Can chemistry and good intentions over come gaping differences in background and maturity? Happens every day...
5. Metacritic Link: Average 85 rating from 38 reviews - that's critical acclaim...
Oh, and here's the trailer...
Looking Like Halloween!
Some guests came in costume to my Halloween shindig - I salute them here:
Steve Simoni came in nurse's virginal white....
Christi was a cowgirl... yee-haw...
Anchor's aweigh... Sunil charms a sailor, and made an excellent deck hand..
Cartoons du Jour:
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Sunday, October 28, 2007
Long As You Don't Inhale
That ever-entertaining sui generis known as Tom Lehrer takes in the atmosphere...
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Setting The Stage
Neither rain nor sleet nor flu recovery could stop my Halloween Party.... Another great gathering, and I'll be dribbling the photos out all week. I did hella decorating to create the ambiance. As usual, shuffling pictures on my computer screens and ambient video on my TVs, the latter, courtesy of my old pals Rocky (below, right) and Bullwinkle (below, left):
Crepe paper is indispensable, I've found...
Other atmospherics included seasonal flowers, mini-pumpkins, midi-pumpkins, anything orange, candles, a arachnid helium balloon, and thematic plastic cultery and paper plates... Sunil kindly went food shopping for me, resulting in a splendid spread free of such Aaron faux pas as 'cereal is a dessert.' : - ) My friends did, indeed, get their just desserts.
Cartoons du Jour:
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Saturday, October 27, 2007
Specks of Sweden
My flu recovery continues, but is not quite complete. No matter. Tonight is my Halloween party. Come rain, come shine... Today's post returns to QT Luong's awesome visions of Europe in black & white. (Here is his site.) I'm fortunate to have this reliable standby, since all I did this week was work, lie in bed, and watch old TV series dubbed in foreign languages.
Here's a row of houses in East Gotaland (Östergötland), in the Swedish provincial heartland southwest of Stockholm. It's a land of rolling plains... I've only been to Stockholm, though..
... a row of mailboxes ....
... the town of Vastervik, viewed through the tulips. Does anybody remember Tiny Tim?
Do I need to draw you a map? : - )
Cartoons du Jour:
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Friday, October 26, 2007
Friday Improv
Short of material, having been ill most of the week. So I dredged up some photos of Copenhagen's Tivoli Gardens for your pleasure. I'm getting steadily better...
The Tivoli Gardens as I saw them: from the outside, closed for the winter (October to April).
In summer, Tivoli opens its doors.. It's Europe's oldest amusement park, the mythical fountainhead of kitsch... Here's the Glass Pavillion - not my photo, of course...
Tivoli's Chinese Pavillion.
I guess Tivoli is Copenhagen's Central Park, in a certain sense:
Cartoons du Jour:
Quote of the Day:
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Thursday, October 25, 2007
Time Marches On
I'm slowly, slowly getting better. My Halloween party Saturday night is going to to be wonderful, I can just feel it...
Emerson's blog reports on Deepvaali - the Malay New Year in Singapore. Thomas revisits Autumn in Northern California and medieval theme restaurants....
Winner, NYT Caption Contest...
"Then I said: 'George, Russia and France are united in their admiration for your international insight and diplomatic finesse.' "
Video from Onion News Network
"Bullshit is Most Important Issue for 2008 Voters"
Poll: Bullshit Is Most Important Issue For 2008 Voters
Nothing stays the same, time marches on... Building inlay, 42nd Street...
Fabu-foyer of Fifth Avenue gem...
Cartoons du Jour:
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