a review of the new Nikon D50
36 Hours: Toronto (New York Times)
we’re hoping to go to Toronto in July 2006 for the Gaylaxicon
For 20 Bucks, Is It Worth It? (New York Times)
New York restaurants debate whether participation in Restaurant Week is worthwhile
Madam Secretary and me
elfintech posted a photo:
My boss and I were asked to give a brief presentation to the Secretary of State last week. Here I am showing off some of our work to the Secretary.
These pictures were taken not by me, but by a staff photographer.
[ geotagged: see this photo’s location on a map ]
Madam Secretary and me
elfintech posted a photo:
My boss and I were asked to give a brief presentation to the Secretary of State last week. Here I am showing off some of our work to the Secretary.
These pictures were taken not by me, but by a staff photographer.
[ geotagged: see this photo’s location on a map ]
ballsy production at the studio hits a homo run
Last night we had an evening on 14th Street, in Jeff’s old neighborhood. After dinner at Hamburger Mary’s and dessert at Caribou Coffee, we saw a One in Ten benefit performance of the excellent Take Me Out at The Studio Theatre. We had talked about going, but then I’d gotten it confused with another gay-themed show currently playing in the area, and had procrastinated about getting tickets, not realizing that it was a benefit and likely would sell out. On Monday, though, Jeff got us on a waiting list, and yesterday afternoon he got word that some tickets had come available after all.
The show–which won the 2003 Tony Award for “Best Play”–was riveting. A caution: It’s not for everyone. Many members of my family, for example, would find the strong language and the frequent and prolonged male nudity troublesome at best. Most readers of this blog, though, would not; and many might even find the latter, at least, an additional reason to appreciate the play. Moreover, both the language and nudity, though quite prominent, were integral to this story–the group showers in the locker room provide some critical insights for several of the major characters, and for the audience in our understanding of the impact of nakedness–emotional as well as physical–on these men specifically and, by extension, men more generally.
Most local press wrote glowing reviews (Washington Post, Washingtonian, Washington Blade, even the normally gay-unfriendly Washington Times) for this production, and my only disagreement with any of them might be with their strong praise for M.D. Walton, the actor playing the main protagonist, Darren Lemming, the bi-racial baseball player who comes out of the closet in the play’s first five minutes. Though I know that smugness is part of the character’s personality, Walton came across to me as just a bit too self-pleased, making it difficult at times for me to see past him to the character he was playing; he seemed to crack himself up in ways that simply broke the illusion for me that he was anything other than an actor playing a role.
The actors in the other three central parts, though, were incredible, in fact, nearly perfect. Rick Foucheux gave perhaps the best and most believable performance I’ve seen all year, as the nebbish gay financial manager, discovering in baseball, through his association with Darren, a truly life-changing philosophy and passion. I don’t know if straight audiences feel the same connection to Mason Marzac, but last night there was definitely a strong empathy from the particular crowd in attendance. And the first-act monologue on how baseball is democracy taken to its purest and truest ideal–better even than our practice of political democracy–provides one of the most incredible pieces of writing and acting I’ve encountered. And it made me want to learn more about baseball, to feel some of that same strange blend of passion, mystery and, yes, innocence.
Jake Suffian, playing the ignorant, bigoted, yet in some ways eerily childlike and trusting relief pitcher Shane Mungitt, is spot-on in the role. With his mullet and deer-in-the-headlights blank stare–so at odds with the stunningly handsome headshot in the playbill–he presented a frighteningly convincing portrait of the troubled–and trouble-causing–hillbilly, the catalyst at the heart of the play’s darkest moments and of the discovery of its hidden, disturbing truths.
Finally but not least, Tug Coker was incredibly sympathetic and believable–as well as breathtakingly gorgeous–as Darren’s best friend on the team, the unusually cerebral and paternal Kippy Sunderstrom, the show’s well-intentioned–with all the pitfalls good intentions guarantee–heart and mind to Darren’s ego, Shane’s id and Mason’s soul.
Measuring Up
The New York Times reports on the difficulty short/small men have in finding clothes that fit well.
post mortem?
So… Should I continue posting to this blog at all? If so, what’s working in the concept and design, and what’s not? I haven’t actually checked my stats in quite a while, so my current impressions are based more on intuition than hard data, but I suspect that readership and interest have waned significantly, especially if comments and trackbacks are any indication. That never mattered to me overmuch, since all along this journal has been as much for my own benefit than for an external audience, but as work, my relationship and my other online interests–like Flickr–continue to vie for my attention, and additionally as I’ve increasingly avoided talking about the more intimate details of parts of my life–notably romantic and professional–where I know the people involved are reading the blog, I’ve begun to wonder if this exercise really has (if it ever did) any continued relevance for others.
If so, are there things you’d prefer I did differently? For example, would you rather I separated the quicklinks and/or the photos more distinctly from the personally written entries? Should I provide separate RSS feeds for the links and photos, rather than consolidating them all into a single feed as I do now? Are the personal entries themselves just too few and far between, or lack sufficient intimacy to keep you interested and engaged?
I’m looking for honest–though, I hope, constructive and respectfully offered–criticism. I’m open to suggestions, receptive to change, and even willing to hear that this site just isn’t particularly relevant or engaging. I no longer need to post here solely for myself, since I have plenty of other good tools–flickr, del.icio.us, to name just two–for managing my links, photos and other data. And I have a partner with which to discuss most of the personal thoughts, emotions and fears I might once have shared here more intimately, lacking other outlets nor fearing reprisal. On the other hand, I’m not averse to continuing writing here, whether the site remains as is or evolves based on comments and suggestions, if there’s a sense that it has some value to others.
I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the matter, whether through comments posted here or through private email, and I thank you for your consideration.
any other name
“young boy gathering scrap metal” – victory ’95 world war ii memorial
elfintech posted a photo:
In September 1996, the Victory ’95 World War II Memorial was dedicated at Heartland of America Park in downtown Omaha. The memorial, dedicated on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II, was created by John Labja, with the financial support of local industry. The memorial depicts four scenes that are reminiscent of those who served in the military and at home during World War II.
The memorial depicts the following four scenes:
Returning Soldier with Children
Rosie the Riveter
Young Boy Gathering Scrap Metal
Farm Family with Folded American Flag
[ geotagged: see this photo’s location on a map ]