Photography Break

In the midst of writing, I took this one photo during a break.

*Sigh*

I'll miss this next year.

Harsh Medicine

The new head of the Screen Producers Association of Australia says that Australian film makers don't deserve their A$100 million/yr subsidy, because their films aren't good...in the eyes of the public.

Ouch.

That being said, I don't think the "ram it down our collective throats" approach of US filmmakers is that much better.

The October/November Video Log

Video Log...interrupted

Oh well, the content hopefully is good.

Honestly, these past few weeks have been full of so much emotion, that it's probably a good thing that the Helio gave out (Apologies for my shaky hand.) before I got a little bit too long-winded.

Enjoy!

Aeroflot Out-Aerofloted

The Russian government is going on a buying spree of airlines, particularly those in Siberia and the Russian Far East.

The behemoth is to be given the terribly original name of "Russian Airlines."

Aeroflot execs are understandably pissed.

Personally, I'm skeptical, but not entirely opposed.

Indeed, I agree with consolidation of the airline industry, but more along the lines of creating several smaller carriers with a regional focus rather than one big carrier.

But Russia is not the US and vice versa, and the population is not as high, so perhaps this might work.

Then again, a Putin crony is a proponent of this, and who knows if the broken clock is right on this one?

Um....This Is Rather Squicky

I know that the apple often doesn't fall far from the tree, but this Journal Sentinel article about a a woman trying out to be a Playboy Bunny (which makes her mother proud) is kind of....odd.

Perhaps it's made a bit odd that the wannabe Bunny was in the year below me in school.

Innocence is dead.

A Moment of Sanity

I have little to say about all the Proposition 8 debacle beyond what I said before.

(It makes one wonder how a sampling of 200+ voters can suddenly speak for all.)

Fortunately,  fivethirtyeight has a sane analysis of the vote.

Emirates Goes Down

I cannot say that I weep for Dubai's home airline.

In fact, a good dose of schadenfreunde is tasting quite well.

Seriously though, when they say there's a global airline economic crisis...believe it.

I Guess Mequon Is Changing

Shootout in Mequon of all places?

Perhaps this is just the writer side of me showing, but I find this comment interesting:

"This isn't the type of thing that happens in Mequon frequently..."

Frequently? Well, it's true...you can't go home again.

And I Ask What's Wrong With This

If he said he was going to do it, why are you surprised that he's following through?

Believe you me, most of the people complaining will actually see a tax cut. 

That's right, you aren't as rich as you think you are.

Friday Jukebox Is Another Attempt To Musicalise The Zeitgeist

...Or to be honest, I finally found a performance clip of Ingrid Peters singing Afrika, and tried to shoehorn it into current events.

Although, to be honest, the song does come across as a prime example of what Edward Said was taking about and applying it to Africa...a continent with a plethora of countries and cultures.

Just today, while doing some errands, a white man came up to me and said--with no malice whatsoever on his face--that I must be happy with the election, and noted that he voted for Obama.

I pointed out to him that as Americans, all of us should be happy.

How I love Ozaukee County Naivete.

Anyway, sing Ingrid.

Wednesday Jukebox Tries To Explain the Zeitgeist again

There's a lot of mixed emotions I'm going through today: shock, happiness, and after the Prop 8 results--anger. 

I know that it's likely to be overturned (the California Supreme Court in their ruling stated clearly that equal treatment and rights of all Californians is fundamental, if memory serves me), but nonetheless, one always hopes that you can finally live in a world where people choose wisely when given the option to vote on equal rights and protections.

At home: sadly evil Ms. Darling pipped out a win over Sheldon Wasserman (courtesy of the Mequon returns which went in her favour), although just barely; and Jimmy Boy won by 80%.  I can only hope that this term he has a metaphorical "Come to Jesus" moment and realises the error of his ways.

So it's a lot to think about.

I can't believe that I am alive--and not even close to collecting my pension--at a time when the US has elected a black president...and by such a resounding margin. 

Therefore, my jukebox take on it is the partly incomprehensible, jarring, but still jubliant Jumper by Capsule.

A Tale from the Ozaukee County Obama Headquarters

After probably the longest lines I've ever seen at my polling place (a near half hour wait--at 10am), I finally voted.

Personally, I will take these long lines as a positive sign.

On the way there, my mother shared an interesting story about the local (as in county) Obama Headquarters. Apparently, people going there to visit/get information/volunteer start out by entering in very slowly almost like they don't want to be seen entering in there. (Much like going to one's first gay bar.) Clearly they must have started relaxing their nerves since--and I know I have said this before, but I still can't believe it--the amount of Obama signs here is unbelievably high. 

Hilariously, the centre of McCain/Palin signage is in front of a barren lot and next to an abandoned restaurant.

A Reminder of our absurd political system

The Journal Sentinel is just a fountain of information today, with an article on electors. (My god, some ex-Real Worlder could be a Republican elector?)

While it is important that we all vote, it is also important to remember just how the US electoral system works. 

In other words, for all our bluster about bringing democracy to the world, our own form of it is rather...um...archaic given the demographic changes since 1787.

My favourite part of the article is this passage (emphasis my own):

"Reformers say it's time to do away with an outdated system set up by the Founding Fathers to protect elections from a mass of uneducated voters. John Koza, one of the inventors of the scratch-off lottery ticket, is one of them."

It took more than one person to come up with the scratch-off lottery ticket?

Meanwhile in Wauwatosa...

Today's Journal Sentinel features an article on a couple who apparently still AT THIS POINT undecided.

Several things:

1. If you're "informed" then you really ought to have made up your mind now. (Perky wife pretty much admits that her obsession over abortion is the only reason she stays undecided.)
2. Anyone that has that many conservative beliefs but calls themselves "independent" has clearly been asleep during their US History classes.

 

This Is Not The North Shore I Remember...

...Or is it?

I am back in Wisconsin for election week. 

While I would be surprised enough to see one Obama/Biden sign, I am positively shocked that they outnumber McCain/Palin signs by at least 4 to 1. 

And this is over 4 suburbs. The only one bucking the trend is Bayside, where the McCain/Palin signs scream more desperation than support.

I am really and truly shocked...in a pleasant way.

We even have one very nasty State Senate race in my district.

Dare I even dream that Sensenbrenner might get unseated as well? Well, I've only seen one sign supporting Jimmy Boy.

Whither Belgium...Whiter Ourselves

The BBC takes a look at whether the Belgian state will survive, and how it's at risk even if neither side actively seeks it.

While I've often said that Belgian devolution is a bit of a warning to what might happen to the United States, one thing that has yet to truly manifest in the US is ethnic political parties and exclusive ethnocultural pop culture. We do have--to some extent--ethnocentric pop culture (basic cable is full of examples of this), that pop culture is only part of the cultural diet of an average American. (In other words, LOGO and BET viewers feel completely comfortable watching ABC, NBC, etc.)

Still, one has to wonder what exactly binds us all together, beyond mere geography.

From the "Snow Is Cold" File

Now, I hate to rag on the Journal Sentinel for doing a series on binge drinking--because it is a severe problem in Wisconsin--but I cannot believe that they thought feigning surprise at the fact that the problem is indeed that bad in Wisconsin was the right way to present it.

Our sodding baseball team is named the Brewers!

They play at Miller Park.

There was a sitcom set in Milwaukee about two women working at a brewery.

People (instate and out) know that binge drinking is bad in Wisconsin, but the real shocker is that so little is done to curb it.

Could We Please Reverse This Trend

...of popsters from the Soviet Union joining up with hip-hop producers. First we had Dima Bilan screech his way to a Eurovision win with a song produced by Timbaland. Now, Missy Elliot has joined forces with Ruslana on the latter's new album.




It's not a total miss, but it's not a bullseye either.

Thursday Jukebox Is A Literalist

This hilarious take of Take On Me, illustrates my major irritation with writing screenplays*



* You do have to write everything that happens on screen.

Thank You, Joe

I opted not to watch the debate last night, so I wasn't privy to all the "Joe the plumber" nonsense.

So I had to play catch up today.

My assessment was that Joe was one of those "I got mine" types.

You know, the ones who basically got us all into this fine economic mess we are in.

Well, the chickens are coming home to roost, "Joe."

Wednesday Jukebox is so Sergey

As in Lazarev. As in he-who-should've-won-the-Russian-selection-this-year.

Oh well, it looks like he's carved out not too shabby pop career for himself. (God knows what would happen if Diddy got his hands on him...Donnie who?)

Sergey got his start out in the boyband Smash!! (a name which is now being recycled--without exclamation points--in Korea).

Smash!! wasn't too bad, but the only song I really cared for was Freeway. Here's a rather hilarious (and lip-synced) performance from 2003, followed by the original video.







Then he pretty much went solo. He got a UK release for his cover of Shattered Dreams. (I feel a degree of relief in knowing that I was not much older than Sergey when the original came out.)





Quite wisely, Sergey's single Fake featured a remix entitled "gay club mix"




His most recent album TV show featured the single TV or Radio, which shows that Sergey is game for physical comedy.




From an anglophone lyrical standpoint, Sergey is a very handsome man.

Lest this jukebox end in sarcasm, once again, here's Flyer.




By the way, Sergey has a diary on his website. (It's mostly in Russian, naturally.) Apparently on July 7th, he met Whitney Houston. Whitney is looking...better, and I'm not going to even attempt to read into Sergey's reaction in the photo, except to say "a picture tells a thousand words."

Another Minority Government?

The CBC is saying that the Tories are going to get another minority government.

Admittedly, I haven't been following the coverage as closely as last time, but as kind and cute as Dion is, the fact that he didn't have Celine in front of his name is part of the reason.

The second is that he's no Chretien.

Look for another Liberal leadership race soon.

Up is Down, Left is Right

I always thought Bush was going to do something left field while he was a lame duck, but when I was thinking "left field" as unexpected, not actually left-wing.

By the way, Newscorp, we do not need a special report on WWOR just because the Dow didn't crash.

Yes, Darling

The UK's Chancellor of the Exchequer tells other G7 countries to start buying up banks.

Whether such a thoroughly logical and sane solution will fall on deaf ears is another thing entirely.

Sunday Jukebox Contemplates The Zeitgeist

Somehow I think a Korean technopop song performed by a brassy woman, accompanied by a group of crash test dummies, and lots of paint perfectly sums up the general feeling in the US at the moment.

Ladies & Gentlemen, W & Whale's R.P.G. Shine:




Who knew the lyrics to Pointer Sisters singles were so prescient?









And Yes We Can doesn't count.

An Accidental Editioral?

Alas, I have no link to share, but during W's speech this morning, WNBC "accidentally" interrupted it with a snippet from the ad for the musical A Tale of Two Cities:

The excerpt?

Voice Over: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times

(Sound and image of a guillotine in action.)

Irony?

The New Cod War?

Iceland froze. (Canned Laughter.) I mean, its assets are frozen. (Rimshot.)

Ok, let's just put it this way: Iceland is broke--in the way that a nation can be broke--the UK is gunning for them, and Iceland isn't backing down.

Who would've thought the Cod Wars would come back?

Do You Buy This Excuse?

Sam I am, I do not like to link to the New York Post, but at least it's the entertainment section.

In today's Pulse, there is an article pointing out the plethora of non-American male actors.

In it, Life on Mars (debuting tonight by the way, although the recent full court press by ABC has made that hard to escape) producer Scott Rosenberg (and other producers as well) bemoans the fact that American male actors are not macho enough:

...these guys don't come to us with any baggage. That's what's really nice. They're not all Us-magazined and Page-Sixed. Those actors wilt the minute they get any success. Jason [O'Mara, the lead on Life on Mars]'s the one who's crash-landing into 1973 and into people's living rooms for the first time. He's not someone who's been washed-out from doing myriad TV shows.

Now, I don't quite buy Rosenberg's claim. I offer this theory: it's not like American actors are devoid of machismo, it's just that the American actors he looked at might've asked for more money. An actor from overseas might not be as costly. Just a theory.

I don't know where Rosenberg has been, but macho American actors are out there. He's just trying to justify his decision to cast a non-American.

For what it is worth, Life on Mars is at least shooting in New York, which--in my humble opinion--yields many more "macho" actors than Los Angeles.

The New Tourism Australia Campaign

Tourism Australia debuted the new Baz Luhrmann ad campaign today.

My impression: It looks sharp and interesting--and if there is going to be a storyline attached it, all the better--but, it also looks like they are marketing Australia like it's a perfume.

As for the film Australia, it'll go down gangbusters in Asia, lukewarm in the US, and Europe is hard to call.

Nonetheless, a wise tie-in.

Whither Qantas?

Nick Bryant's Australia blog on the BBC website has a very insightful post about the state of Qantas, which puts in words something I've been pondering for the last few weeks: When did Qantas go astray? (I reckon it was at this point, myself: when it entered into the domestic market and was privatised shortly thereafter. That's two big changes too close together.)

My own experience with Qantas this year left me feeling that something had changed in the company's culture. Prior to this year, my opinion was of an airline that treated passengers like they were nieces and nephews--friendly, in other words, but this was in the early 1990s.

After this past April, the impression I received is that the employees are overworked, underpaid, and the company's desire to maintain its market share without raising costs has created such a bizarre clash of systems (to the point that its own subsidiary operates on a different baggage handling system than the parent) that it barely functions.

Since renationalisation is highly unlikely, the question is when can Qantas get a management that appeases shareholders and customers, gets maintenance done locally and effectively, keeps waste low--but isn't afraid to spend when necessary, and doesn't pillage salaries of frontline workers? That might sound like a lot, but I don't think it's a pipe dream.

Otherwise, I say break it up.

The Importance of Same Sex Marriage Comes Home

While I have always been in favour of Same Sex Marriage, it never really hit home for me until this past Winter when my fiance (at the time, boyfriend) was hospitalised with double pneumonia and septic shock, further complicated by his HIV.*

* We are a sero-discordant couple. He is HIV+, I am HIV-.

Every day, I had to fight to get information on what was going on in respect to his health. While I figure that a heterosexual would be in the same position (at least in New York), it made me realise that in the future, were he to be hospitalised again and we were married, I would have little legal protection to ensure I was kept informed.

You see, at the time, I was also dealing with my mother's battle with breast cancer (which is in remission and likely to stay that way). In that situation, as a family member, I was privy to every bit of information and had strong legal protection.

I feel fortunate in that in both situations, I had no one else with an ulterior motive trying to keep me out of the loop, but many do have to deal with that.

Now that we are engaged, we are moving to a country where the situation is similar, but the chances are higher that it will change to an equal footing...although it is not going to be smooth sailing at all.

Nonetheless, it is sad and unacceptable that some couples in California may have to consider leaving their homes and lives in order to be treated with dignity and respect.

I reckon that I am preaching to the choir here, but in the chance this post may reach someone who will be voting in California, I strongly encourage you to vote No on Proposition 8. It is a matter of equal rights, and equal respect.

As La Perry Prepares To Meet His Waterloo

How sad is this: Anne-Marie Johnson shows more guts and character than Sidney Poitier and Oprah by issuing a public statement denoucing Perry's actions.

She has also put her own job on the show (as a recurring character) at risk by doing so.

Oprah and Sidney lose nothing by denouncing Perry.

Spineless.

For what it is worth, the syndicated House of Payne aired an episode tonight which was written by one of the fired writers. Meaning La Perry will be racking in the money and Teri Brown-Jackson will not.

La Perry will be collecting his DGA rate for the show, but is too greedy to consider extending WGA rights and rates to the same show for others. In other words: the man directs every episode, gets a DGA rate (which means he follows DGA rules in addition to SAG rules for the actors), but because he cannot write every episode (try getting to 100 episodes on your own), he denies union membership and benefits to others in order to horde more money.

For what it's worth, here is a sampling of companies/products advertised during tonight's episode:

• Chilli's
• Verizon
• Red Bull
• ING
• Perdue
• Honda
• Vivendi Universal

Teri Brown-Jackson did a good job with the episode, which dealt with HIV/AIDS in the black community. She is definitely owed her fair share. Perry has taken more than his own.

When You Need The Absolutely Wrong Person For The Job

The bailout will be run by a 35 year old.

A 35 year old who is a former Goldman Sachs executive.

Unless the man is an idiot savant or a real life Doogie Houser when it comes to financial knowledge, I think the Office of Financial Stability (how Orwellian) will be anything but.

Monday Jukebox Bonus Asks "What Was On Her Mind At The Time?"

Today's contestant: Marianne Mendt in the preview video for Musik.



Marianne looks like my kind of singer. She snarls, growls, and smokes with abandon throughout the video. My guess for what's on her mind: "Can we finish this damn thing already? I need a Grolsch." Another Marianne--as in Faithfull--needs to cover this song.

Monday Jukebox FinKLs you

Here's a unique name for a girl group: "Fine Killing Liberty," which sounds more like a terrorist group rather than a gaggle of pop princesses. No wonder they went by Fin.K.L instead.

Even though I've heard of Fin.K.L since 1999, I was definitely surprised to find out that was they stood for. So let's jump in the wayback machine and see the best of Korea's pop princesses with the anarchist themed name.

Judging by songs like Forever Love, I reckon the Fin.K.L girls were planning on subverting the establishment by doing really weak (or just very avantgarde...maybe even "Outsider" inspired) choreography while singing ridiculously high. I don't know why, but when combined together, it works...at least for me.



Fortunately, that whole theme got tossed out in 2000 with Now, much like how Britney Spears ditched her cute image around the same time.



They pretty much went their separate ways in 2002, but regrouped in 2005 for a brief moment which yielded Fine Killing Liberty. The song is damn catchy, and it does look like the theme song to a group of young female anarchists.



Arguably, Lee Hyori has been the Robbie Williams of Fin.K.L in that she has risen the highest out of the ashes of the group, and how can you not like someone who releases an album called It's Hyorish?

First, here's a comparison between Hyori's Get Ya and Britney Spears's Do Somethin'. Yes, they are pretty similiar. (And I hope Hyori wasn't behind the idea to have blackface dancers in her video, which is a big offensive mistake that I hope wasn't intentional.)



Now, something Hyorish: Hey Mr. Big.



I'm still wondering what inspired that poll of "young people" to come up with Fine Killing Liberty as a name. Even though wiki.theppn says that the meaning was that they are against the oppression of freedom (yeah, I'm going to trust the protection of my rights to a bunch of young girls who can dance well), the name actually implies the opposite.

When I'm 55...

I'll see the Brewers advance in the playoffs.

Great run, guys.

La Perry: The Hypocrisy Continues

La Perry opened up his new studios in Atlanta last night, and it's rather fascinating/disturbing to see the assortment of celebrities who had no qualms in crossing the picket line.

Here's coverage of the opening from the local NBC affiliate:


Disgusting, but sadly, not surprising.

Saturday Jukebox Presents Kosuke Atari and the EEEEEEE!

After the La Perry bomb yesterday, I reckon it would be nice to have a serene post today.

Kosuke Atari is probably the only male singer who brings out the inner screaming teenage fan boy in me. Why?

Well, I'll be honest with you here, he's pretty damn good looking in my book.

Secondly, he's also talented. It does take a great deal of talent to make me like a singer who is pretty much 90% ballads, because a good ballad (one where the lyrics, tone, and singer's ability to emote, are all in sync) is difficult to do.

Atari sings in the "shima-uta" style of the Ryukyu islands of Southern Japan. It sounds very nasal, but it also is extremely hard to do without looking like a parody.

First is his (major label) debut single Sorezore ni, which personally, I think is also his best work:



Next, Hana, his big hit from last year.




And finally, his most recent single Kizuna.



Bonus: It feels a bit odd not to put something upbeat with this jukebox, but it would also disrupt the tone of the post. (Not to mention the Atari songbook is not that bouncy.) As a compromise, I'll just do a link. Here is the Korean female trio SeeYa performing Hot Girl. Want more "EEEEEEEE?" Listen to the Rising Gods perform (quite sharply, I must say) Mirotic while their rabid female fans shout parts of the chorus like a war chant.

La Perry Is Megalomaniacal Scum

What an interesting and disturbing email I received from the WGA today.

Apparently, La Perry is anti-Union...and against sharing the profits of syndication.

I cannot say I'm surprised one bit. (Bold emphasis is mine.)

Four writers involved with a WGA organizing effort at writer-producer Tyler Perry’s TBS show “House of Payne” have been fired. The WGAW filed an unfair labor charge today against the production company, House of Payne LLC, alleging that the writers were unlawfully fired in retaliation for their union activity. The charge also says that the company bargained in bad faith with the Guild, which since April has been seeking to negotiate a contract covering “House of Payne” and the company’s upcoming show, “Meet the Browns.”

The four writers, Kellie Griffin, Christopher Moore, Teri Brown-Jackson, and Lamont Ferrell, along with supporters, will be picketing during Saturday’s opening of Perry’s new studio in Atlanta, and asking invited guests not to cross the picket line.

Writer Christopher Moore said, “It’s very disheartening, considering that this is a studio run by African Americans. What Tyler Perry is essentially saying to us is that ‘you’re black and there’s not a lot of opportunities for you, so you’ll take what I give you’ – whether it’s fair or not.”

The studio claims the writers were fired for cause, however writer Teri Brown-Jackson noted that “we were good enough to create over a hundred episodes, but now when it comes to reaping the benefits of the show being syndicated and having other spin-offs from it, he decides to let us go .”

Without a doubt it's suspicious.

The New York Times has an article on the (wrongful) terminations.

Was the money that good?

Apparently, DJ Grooverider was imprisoned for marijuana possesion in Dubai.

I had no idea.

I can't say I'm entirely sympathetic (although the amount is being very petty by the standards of many Western countries), because while the Dubai government may be keen to cultivate the image of being cosmopolitan, it is still an extremely conservative place.

Money has never equalled tolerance.

When Mr. Biden met Mrs. Nasty

Well, that was a debate!

90 minutes and she didn't answer any questions.

Like a robot with a beehive.

Still enjoyable.

While we were all supposedly (given the hype surrounding it) interested in seeing how Mrs. Nasty performed, I found myself more impressed by Biden. Granted, I was already in his column, but he informed me more about his abilities and qualities--as well as Obama's*--during this debate than in any coverage I had seen about him previously.

* I think better than Obama himself, actually.

The debate seemed to suggest that we were moving into a new America, but when Gwen Ifill asked both candidates about gay marriage, it was clear that this country remains tethered to much of the bigotry of the past.

The more things change....

Why I Love Canadian Election Time

The French-language debates were held in Canada last night...and it was a bloodbath.

It's a damn shame we can't have our debates this way. It would cut through all the hemming, hawing, and pandering if we just had Obama, McCain, and a moderator.

It's even more fun in Canada, because there are 5 parties (The Liberals, The Conservatives, the Bloc Quebecois, The NDP, and now The Greens) duking it out, and they have to do it in two languages.

Wouldn't it be hilarious to hear Mr. Nice & Obama go head to head in Spanish?

Not just that, but wouldn't it actually be pleasant to just have a simple debate without a live audience and a million cameras to play to? (Like we did in 2004.)

Advantage: Canada.

Another Reminder That We Did Inflict Joseph McCarthy Upon The World

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel--as it is wont to do with anyone who has spent more than 24 hours in Wisconsin--has an article on David Zucker's new movie. (He's from Shorewood, don'cha know?)

Zucker claims that he didn't leave the Democratic Party inasmuch as it left him.

Hogwash.

He's having the adult equivalent of a teenage rebellion. (Well, he did do the Airplane and Naked Gun movies.)

As someone who grew up in Milwaukee, I should explain Shorewood, or at least my perception of it:

Shorewood is a very close-in suburb of Milwaukee (which itself has Los Angeles styled borders, you're going in and out of it all the time), and is on the Southern part of what is called the North Shore. The North Shore is basically the rich/richer part of the Greater Milwaukee area. Shorewood stands out a bit from its fellow North Shore neighbours, because it is very close to the City of Milwaukee, and has more of street life, culture (UW-Milwaukee is next door), and just general cool.

I like to think of Shorewood as the polar opposite of my hometown, Mequon (which is also on the North Shore--the Northern border of it, coincidentally), but to put it in Manhattan terms: Shorewood is the Upper West Side, where the prevailing atmosphere is educated and liberal.

If that's the prevailing atmosphere in Shorewood, then it would be very rebellious to become an arch-conservative Republican--even if you haven't lived in that environment for quite some time. That being said, I wound up a Socialist not so much as a response to the environment that I grew up in*, but by actually learning and experiencing the world around me and coming to the conclusion that it does not revolve around me and my income, but about the quality of life of those around me. It's possible that Zucker took the journey in the opposite direction.

* My father was a Republican (fiscal conservative, he believed that the social conservatives were beyond the pale, mostly because the social conservatives also tended to be the biggest bigots on the planet). My mother is a Centrist Democrat. I'm a Social Democrat. Centre-Right, Centre-Left, and Left all in one family.

What I find particularly amusing/tragic is how Zucker tries to explain his political (d)evolution:

“But I’m labeled a conservative now. Because I support smaller government, lower taxes and a strong military, all the things that JFK once espoused...But now you have to be a Republican to be in favor of those things.”

Apparently, Zucker seems to believe that we are still living with the USSR and the past 8 years have brought nothing but prosperity to the US. He also doesn't quite have a grasp on how Republicans actually increase the size of government, while Democrats tend to streamline it.

What's stupid is that he doesn't realise how dangerous his new gang is.

From the Commonwealth Department

Stephen "I LOVE GEORGE W" Harper, the current PM of Canada is alleged to have plagarised a speech by John "I LOVED GEORGE W FROM THE START" Howard, the old Australian PM.

George W Bush was not available for comment, but offered to send the pair to Judge Judy.

Mikey Boy, You Are No FDR

Perhaps he believes his own hype way too much, but Bloomie is going to go for a 3rd term.

Lest we do not forget, this same man was a MAJOR advocate of term limits.

Either We're Hitting Puberty As A Nation or...

...well, I can't think of it in any other way.

• Bailout (mk II) has failed to pass.
• Citigroup has taken over Wachovia.

By the way, Amtrak has been posting its on-time service performance online for quite some time.

Update (10/3): Wachovia likes Wells Fargo more...and Citi is peeved.

I Think I'll Postpone That Trip To Graz

Austria has gone to the polls this weekend.

It's a good thing that the Social Democrats have won, but the Austrian far-right is rather a disturbing crowd...and the amount of the vote they received is terrifying.

There Is Hope

The Brewers have won the NL Wild Card.

And the bailout debacle is nearing a possible close.

Shout hallelujah.

The September Video Log

This month's subjects: Mr. Nice has no manners at a debate...Chase will own all of us...Wisdom teeth...and the Brewers.

All from a slightly different location in the apartment, and presented (unintentionally) in silhouette and (intentionally) sepia.

I have no idea why I'm lisping as well, except that I stayed in Paul Lynde country too long.

The September Video Log
Uploaded by hikarufree

RIP Paul Newman.

It's Not A Modern Day Sweeney Todd

American Psycho is being turned into a musical.

It will bomb.

Silliness of the idea aside, why are producers forgetting the differences between Broadway & Off-Broadway?

Goodbye Washington...Mutual

Another giant "topples," this time Washington Mutual.

And Delta-Northwest comes ever so closer to reality.

Our new world begins to take shape.

Thursday Jukebox Is Not A Sampling Girl

It's a pissed off pussycat. In fact, it's several of them.

The evidence: the video for MEG's latest song Precious.




The English at the opening and refrain is--apparently--"I am not a sampling girl/And You are Naughty Boy."

Well, she may be right, I don't recognise any familiar songs underneath.

No Addio yet for Alitalia

Apparently miracles can happen...to Italian flag carriers.

My two euro-cents: divide it up like the UK used to do with BEA & BOAC.

Maybe it's me, but it does seem like the Alitalia crisis is likely to be repeated with several US companies. Jack Welch (Mr. General Electric/NBC himself) was on television a few days freaking out about the bailout not being passed.

GE going under? That would be a huge surprise.

From the "The Times They Are A-Changin'" Department

Mr. Nice suspends his campaign to focus on the economic crisis, and asks Obama to do the same.

This is truly asinine...or just really dumb posturing.

For starters, he's known about this crisis for quite some time, and if he felt it needed that much focus, he would've asked for this suspension much earlier.

Secondly, there are people--on both sides of the aisle--working on this already.

Suck it up, Mister.

News coverage aside, I definitely have noticed the effect of the crisis here:

For the past few days, I have seen job fair lines stretch for nearly an entire Midtown block.

Today, I was on two packed PATH trains in the middle of the day. That is a first for me.

Wednesday Jukebox Goes to "Africa"

via Europe.

Back in the early 1980s, Rose Laurens (French and English) and Ingrid Peters (German) had a hit with the song Africa. It apparently didn't cross the Atlantic (although I was only 4 years old when it was released), since I only heard it for the first time today.

Here's Rose Laurens performing the original French version:


and the video for the English version (remember it was 1982-3):


And Ingrid Peters's German cover, which I think has the most bite out of them all. (I believe the animation isn't the original video.):


Bonus: Yesterday, The Pussycat Dolls released their new album. On the deluxe version, you'll see that one of the Bratz--I mean Dolls--covered Jane Child's Don't Want To Fall In Love, one of my favourite songs (and personal mantras) of all time.

Shockingly, it's not that bad. That being said, it doesn't come close to Jane's original.



That New York, the one that led me to find my way here a decade later, is long dead. (Sigh)

The Saga of Panair do Brasil

The read may be a bit of a slog, but Daniel Sasaki's excellent description on the death of Panair do Brasil might be a glimpse into what could be in store for future institutions taken over by the US government...at least under the current administration.

To put this in perspective, the Brazilian government that took over Panair (and the nation itself) was a right-wing military dictatorship.

Monday Jukebox Says You Be The Judge

The Gods of the East have released the video to their new song Mirotic (Under My Skin). It's a catchy tune without a doubt.

It's also pretty familiar as well...to a song by "Sarah Connor" called (no surprise) "Under My Skin."

Some might call it a cover (and it probably is), but I also like to think of it as the same song from a female and male perspective. (Perhaps Teutonic Sarah gave the boys such a night to remember that months later they are left repeating her words...albeit in Korean.)

Judge for yourself, comrades.*

* Personally, I find this quasi-flame war between German & Korean fanatical fans hilarious.

Here's Sarah's summer 2008 hit Under My Skin



And the inevitable Autumn 2008 hit by the Eastern Gods, Mirotic (Under My Skin)



They do work as a call and response pair, don't they?

A Fool and His/Her Money...

Some daft idiot or cynical/savvy man from Ohio is bottling New York tap water and selling it for $1.50.*

In Manhattan.

The sad thing is that there are people who would fall for this foolishness...and line his pockets happily.

* If he ran it as a non-profit, then I'd let it slide, but since he's doing it as a for-profit (not to mention, anyone who enjoys NY tap water that much, would be wise--and eco-smart--enough to just buy a damn refillable water bottle.

Update: Alitalia

They dead.

Seems like Alitalia is joining the ranks of Sabena and Swissair. It will be very interesting to see how it could get saved from this point.

Thursday Jukebox Is A Rising God From the East

This is a jukebox I have probably put off doing for quite sometime.

Why?

Well, once you start talking about boybands, particularly a certain Korean boyband who inspire "anti-fans" to poison members of it with super glue...I'm just saying this band taps into a certain level of obsessiveness. (And given the amount of hits this corner of the internet receives from people desperately trying to figure out whether Mike Woods is gay...)

Nonetheless, I'm going to bravely enter the world of Dong Bang Shin Ki. (SQUEEEEEE!!!!)

First off, Tri-Angle, which actually works even though it's a combination of the gods of the East, KPop princess BoA (who will be debuting in the US this year), and KRockers The Trax.




Skipping ahead to Rising Sun, which seems to me like the video is given more gravitas than is really needed.





However when it comes over-the-top self-importance, nothing compares to the lads' O Jung Ban Hap. I've never heard of an anti-war anthem having several dance breaks.




That same album about world peace and peaceful resistance featured the almost sickeningly sweet Balloons (which is an argument for us all developing Peter Pan Syndrome, in my view). The song is very catchy if you close your eyes, but the second you look at the video--BAM!--instant toothache.





Now the gods, being gods, figured that singing only in Korean could be limiting, so they branched out to Japan in 2005. Their original Japanese output is considered more "mature," but there's still all the SQUEEEEEEE!!! so who can tell? It is catchier and slicker I'd say. Here they are performing the songs ZION (a non-reggae reference to Zion, believe it or not) and Choosey Lover (sic) in 2007.




Being gods, they're also wise to go into full-tilt bubblegum pop sector of Japanese pop music as their smash Summer Dream proves.




This year, they began the year with the song Purple Line, which while catchy as hell, makes no sense in either Korean or Japanese. (Then again, neither does Fergie's London Bridge and that's all in English.)








Later this month, the gods release their 4th Korean language album entitled MIROTIC. I am dying to find out what the meaning behind that title is.

Did You Want An Insurance Company?

I didn't.

And it's interesting to note that AIG was considered "too big to fail."

Why not prevent a company from getting that big in the first place?

Will She Still Be Able To Do Today?

Rosanna Scotto is set to replace Jodi Applegate on Good Day New York, according to the Daily News.

This is probably the only sane decision made at WNYW for at least 2 years. (Seriously, Greg Kelly? If that wasn't a kiss-ass move...) Rumour mill has it that Scotto herself is the one who wanted the move. I wouldn't be surprised.

From the "This is laughing in the face of adversity" Department

A gay bar in Texas celebrates the countdown to curfew (courtesy of Hurricane Ike) with a Tina Turner sing-along.

How I wish the ABC supplied pictures.

Shocker! La Perry's formula revealed

The Daily News does pretty good job at pointing out the formula of La Perry's work.

The surprise isn't in content, but in the fact that a media outlet is pointing it out.

Alitalia e America...or not

While our financial institutions here in the US prepare to write their own obituaries. The Italian government is busy trying make sure that their flag carrier's wings don't get clipped.

Richard Branson says that they shouldn't be bailed out, but flag carriers and their significance mean that you cannot make a decision on their welfare without bringing emotion into play.

Earlier this Spring, the Fiance stated to me--in a very blunt Australian way--that he made a concerted effort to fly Qantas from New York to Sydney, because "it was like coming home." It's the same reason why I try to fly the occasional Midwest Airlines* flight back to Milwaukee. (Hell, I'll likely fly a US carrier back to US from Australia as time goes on.) There is still that emotional aspect to air travel, and quite frankly, the industry needs to remember that.
*I don't even want to think about Midwest's woes at the moment.

Back to Alitalia.

The merger plan which involves merging it with Air One (the 2nd biggest carrier in Italy), seems like the lesser of two evils plan to me. For those who saw the absurd growth and then garroting of the venerable Eastern & Pan Am (mk.I)--not to mention the weird rise of US Airways (ne Allegheny/Piedmont/PSA), we know airline mergers are rarely smooth, and often not always entered into with long-term effects in mind.

Now, I don't know much about Air One from personal experience, but Skytrax reviewers (a curmudgeonly lot, I will say) paint a picture of a lean operation where flight attendants seem to double as food & goods sellers. It has been twentysome years since I've flown Alitalia, but when I was in Italy this past summer, Alitalia did the check-in for my flight and gave me a pass to their lounge. The check-in personnel were good, friendly, perhaps a bit blase about their jobs. The lounge, however, was woeful, especially since this was Rome Airport. It looked like someone took some 1960s suburban office, slapped in a few coffee makers and departure screens and left. That's faded glamour on a Norma Desmond scale.

So I don't think that the young cost cutter and the old diva with laryngitis are going to make a good couple, but it looks time isn't on anyone's side in this situation.

What exactly got Alitalia into this mess? A mishmash of peculiar regulations (including a bizarre "you must live in Rome" rule), union leaders being arrogant, and executives keen on avoiding any major decisions that might actually allow the airline to be competitive. If you think I'm drawing a comparison here between the woes of Alitalia and the woes of some major US firms (toot toot, beep beep), then you're spot on.

It's hard for any entity, particularly one--whether it was "private" like Pan Am or effectively state-owned like Alitalia--to adjust out of a "chosen instrument" status even in the face of impending corporate death or at least radical restructuring.

The harsh sunlight that the new Alitalia walks into, should be watched by every single CEO on the planet.

This is not going to be pretty

It's not even going to be homely.

When I first heard about Lehman Brothers filing for bankrupcy, I have to admit that my first thought was one close to indifference. (Sympathy for the workers, little for the management.)

Well, comrades, this is going to hit us all, especially when you add on Bank of America buying out Merrill Lynch.

I found this BBC News article a good read.

I would add that the ultimate culprit in all of this is basic greed: People thought they could use their homes as ATM machines so that they could keep up with the Joneses, and the financing companies who eagerly enabled them to do so.

And our national budget is such disarray that another bailout--no matter how necessary it is--might not be possible.

The Map of the American Personality: The Palindrome Post

That sodding governor has killed any joy I had in terms of using the word "palindrome."

Anyway, here's an interesting article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Apparently researchers at Cambridge University (I guess they have free time and/or grant money to waste) have created a "personality map" of the United States. This map identifies a "stress belt" stretching from Maine to Louisiana.

Wisconsin is outside this belt and ranks #2 for extroversion. I would agree with that, but you have to temper that with the fact that it also ranked #47 for openness. Try to mesh those two aspects together. You also have to remember that the state has 1 or 2 random spree killings a year, and these spree killings are just people (generally outside of Milwaukee, I must point out) going crazy. Remember the murders that inspired Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho happened in Wisconsin.

New York ranked in the top ten for neuroticism. Equally not surprising.

Time for happy music! MISIA released a digital single last month called Catch the Rainbow, seems rather appropriate escape from the nonstop September 11th coverage today.

The Grand Super Special 1000th Post Celebration

It would only be appropriate to start a special occasion with an opening number, so opening up the proceedings is Aira Mitsuki with GALAXY BOY (yes, she has a lisp which makes the refrain unintentionally funny*).






* I think she's singing "look up at," but it sounds like "look up the ass," at least to my ears.


When I started working on this corner of the internet back in January 2005, I set out to do essentially one thing: express my opinion to the world and also get opinions back. It is truly a rough world out there and it is extremely easy and tempting to stay isolated (oddly enough courtesy of the internet). So hopefully in a way, this little corner helps someone feel less so.

Growing up, I was given the opportunity and the encouragement of both of my parents to form my own opinions and beliefs. In fact, I came out as a Socialist before I actually came out as gay! Yet, I don't want to devote this 1000th post to a personal political tirade. I'd like to do something I don't do much on here, which is "talk" about who I am as opposed to what I think.

Back in 2005, for the 200th post I did a Q&A, which you can read here, this time around I'm just going to talk directly, particularly about everything that has happened (personally) since 2005.

It's hard to believe that so much has happened in 3 years: I've changed apartments twice, for starters.

And it's part of the reason why I'm moving. When I was growing up, I pretty much figured that I was going to live in New York for a brief period of time. It was kind of a family tradition, my mother lived here for nearly 30 years, my father lived here for a little under a decade, so perhaps it was in my blood. I had this image in my head that I--like George & Wheezie--would find my own "deluxe apartment in sky." So what does one do after that? You go looking for new challenges.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Ever since I can remember, I wanted to spend my adult life outside the US. I'm not an America-hater by any stretch of the imagination. I owe this country my existence, quite literally, as the racial mixture of Native Americans, African slaves, and European immigrants (all groups in my ancestry) doesn't exist anywhere else. Yet, creatively, I felt--and continue to feel--that I can't reach my full potential as a playwright and a scriptwriter living here. US media is focused on profitability--even the theatre--as opposed to quality. That's why LOGO is so historic, it basically says that we (LGBT Americans) are now an audience to be catered to by advertisers, because we'll buy, and in the US you are nobody unless you are recognised as a desirable consumer demographic.

Ok, so I kind of backtracked on the no political tirades promise.

Personally, I want to be able to write without worrying about demographics. I also want to work at telling stories that aren't always vetted for how they will play in Peoria. (Look at the state of gay theatre here in New York, where plays and musicals often are excuses for buff men to get to walk around naked while catty/bitchy characters deliver a stream of one-liners. It sells tickets, but there have been very few pieces that really get beyond burlesque.) Sadly, the US is not a place for that. I do believe that will change, and oddly enough, I feel I can do my part by leaving the land of my birth.

Leaving the US, on the other hand carries its own risks: Expat's Disease, being the big one. Expat's Disease, which can happen to even the most well-rounded, open-minded person, is where someone goes overseas and starts either lionising or demonising their homeland beyond what it really is. I'm going to do my best to stave it off by coming back frequently. I pretty much have to, since my family is here, and when your family is as small as mine, the bond is extremely tight.

Now even though I have planned for quite some time to leave the US, I wasn't expecting it to happen "so soon." Yet, I met an Australian man, got engaged, and since he's ready to move back to his homeland and I'm at a point where I can move, I'm moving to Australia, which is even more of a change than I expected to make. (I was thinking Canada, the UK, or Germany when I thought I'd be making the move solo.) Isn't fate funny?

I reckon it's time for a comedy break, and I can think of no better choice for that than clips from Designing Women.

And we're back.

One thing you might've noticed is that this corner of the internet is low on pictures of shirtless men. It's intentional for two reasons:

1. You can find them easily on other sites and blogs. (Some of which are in the blogroll just to the right.)
2. I have little desire to put any on here.

I've mentioned it on here before, but I was anorexic for 2 years in college and I pretty much fight a daily battle with body dysmorphia. For whatever reason, there is very little discussion (at least not as much as I reckon there should be) about what images men are receiving and how it impacts their self-esteem, particularly gay men. It's like all the fanfare around The Adonis Complex never happened. It may seem cliched to say so, but I truly believe that gay men can be our own worst enemies when it comes to making ourselves feel good about our bodies. In my case, I find that my worst critic is myself. I work out 5-6 times a week at a relatively intense pace, and often afterwards, I have to remind myself that I have pushed myself to the limit and not failed in comparison to other guys at the gym, some of whom have other things (i.e. steroids) that allow them to have a certain physique. Plus--and this is the hardest pill to swallow (npi)--my body is just genetically predisposed to being a certain way.

Now here's the big struggle, how does one get to the point of liking one's body without it veering into narcissism? I'll be honest with you, I don't know. I'd like to think that having a strong egalitarian streak can put a clamp on it, but who knows?

I still have my clothes from the days when I was overweight, and I still wear them. Honestly, the fashion crowd would have a field day with me, because I do not like to wear anything that conforms to my figure, I like things baggy. By baggy, I don't mean saggy, because I just don't get that whole trend of showing one's underwear to the world--at least in public. I just like to catch a breeze through my sleeves and my trousers or shorts. Fitted, in my view, feels restricted. As a writer and observer, there's a definite advantage to this: I blend in to the background, which is perfect, frankly.

I think it's time for another music break.

That's Miho Fukuhara singing CHANGE, by the way. Killer voice, don't you think?

So I've been pretty serious for the first two parts of this shindig, so let's lighten the mood a bit.

Here's a list of small irritations--hey, I said lighten, not upbeat:

• Those damn Cablevision commercials. I think the entire Tri-State knows the number and has no intention of calling them, even if they like the concept of the Triple Play.
• The NYC tourism industry. Let me explain this: I pass by the Empire State Building often. I like to believe that my body language suggests that I have a destination in mind and I am not taking in the sights. So why do those tour bus company employees keep trying to thrust some literature in my face or convince me to take a tour?
• Being near Penn Station on Saturday when it seems the entire state of New Jersey and most of Long Island descends upon the city en masse and stops to get their bearings on 7th Avenue.
• 1 Penn Plaza. It just blocks everyone's view, and it's an ugly building.
• Tyler Perry. Yes, I consider him a small irritation, like a gnat.
• For whatever reason every single day at 5PM the fire department decides to send a truck down 6th Avenue, knowing fully well that it will be choked with gridlock. I suspect graft.

And that comrades, brings this celebration to a close. I would just like to thank everyone who has stopped by this corner since 2005, and hope that they've enjoyed their time here. I'm looking forward to bringing on another 1000 posts.

Now, since you know that I believe in opening numbers, you know I definitely believe in closing numbers, and who better to close it out than the one, the only MISIA.

Best of Eurovision Reviews

As part of the 1000th post bonanza here, I reckon it'd be fun to take a gander at the myriad of Eurovision reviews posted at this corner of the internet.

Why?

Well, they're mostly done live, so I don't have much time for editing, so this is as close as I get to raw & uncut, so to speak.

• The first ever Eurovision review to appear at this corner: Melodifestivalen 2005, Semi-Final 1. Notable for the fanboyishness that Shirley Clamp inspires in me.
• Russian Eurovision entries don't believe in no grammar--part 1, part 2.
• Spanish Eurovision finals are trippy as hell, seriously. I'm not joking, TVE execs must be high.
• Remember SWWBN?
• The Polish final of 2006 had the best song ever...which didn't win.
• Miss Sextape won Dora 2006.
• For 2 days in May 2006, the US decided to inflict Maria Menuonos on Europe. It will take a miracle for Europe to forgive us.
• I'm starting to believe that Estonia just doesn't care anymore.
• In 1992, Vegas went to Eurovision in Malmo.
• What the hell happened at the Eurovision 2007 Qualifier?
• Rumoured lesbian wins Eurovision with about average ballad.
• Italian disco singer presents the Spanish Eurovision preshow and makes it all about her. Thank god.
• Video logs are fun when you're hopped up on pain-killers, recovering from a surgery, and watching a pan-continental song contest!

Since this is the 999th post, it would only be appropriate to play the theme song to Galaxy Express 999.