I am shamelessly copying an idea from Chris Br1xt0n's blog, the quiz. And more shamelessly, I'm making the quiz about me just so I can talk (write) about myself!
Take my quiz and learn more about me! ME ME ME
thanks for the idea, Chris!
of course, I think Boyer should be next. If not, I will write one about him that is funnier (read that as "bitchier") than anything he could come up with.
from Simon Doonan's "Nasty":
"Don't judge me too harshly: if you're not going to be a trendy, superficial poseur in your twenties, when are you going to do it?"
although our friend Missy says the book only has 2 funny lines, I beg to differ. It's loaded with 'em. If the quote here isn't enough to make you read it, I don't know what will.
Perhaps pick up some lovely Republican screed instead.
The Sundays Styles section of the New York Times says that 10 minutes late is the new on time. Love it.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/29/fashion/thursdaystyles/29age.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Left work early-ish on a mission: We were out of chile powder. Chris needed it right away. So, no problem; walk to Whole Foods @ Huron & State, then hop on the Redline @ Chicago & State, just one stop farther up the line than usual. Be home in plenty o' time.
So, making good time, even hopped a bus to zip me along. Going up Huron, though, what emerges from out of the cold Midwest winter darkness but a shining beacon of a new shop on the corner where nothing was there before: The new Jonathon Adler store!
Now, I knew it was coming, but hadn't really paid attention exactly where. And Paulie & Pamela forgive me, but I had to run in. And as I approach the door, taking in the blues and whites and vivid oranges pouring out in beckoning light, who do I see but Pamela's former main man, Dwight. I knew he had left Stitch, but didn't really know/remember where he landed.
So we chatted and I checked out the store, and Paulie & Pamela forgive me, again, but the shop is hot! But everyone has already seen it but me since you have one out there in SF too.
Bought a little something for Daddy/Simone, but cannot say what it is in case by some off chance he actually monitors the BGN site. Just say that it was a small, ceramic vessel that made me scream like a queen at a Gucci sale and then grab it up right away. Perfect for D/S.
And me? I want a pony.
from Slate:
Starbucks Economics
Solving the mystery of the elusive "short" cappuccino
By Tim Harford
Here's a little secret that Starbucks doesn't want you to know: They will serve you a better, stronger cappuccino if you want one, and they will charge you less for it. Ask for it in any Starbucks and the barista will comply without batting an eye. The puzzle is to work out why.
The drink in question is the elusive "short cappuccino"—at 8 ounces, a third smaller than the smallest size on the official menu, the "tall."
The short cappuccino has the same amount of espresso as the 12-ounce tall, meaning a bolder coffee taste, and also a better one. The World Barista Championship rules, for example, define a traditional cappuccino as a "five- to six-ounce beverage." This is also the size of cappuccino served by many continental cafés. Within reason, the shorter the cappuccino, the better.
More here, but what Mr. Harford doesn't point out explicitly is that Starbucks is basically making a boatload of money by selling people oceans of milk.
since most of y'all (or maybe even all y'all?) are down with Alan & Justin in Laguna, we're sending great big New Years kisses your way.
Chris & I ended the year with a 5k so-called resolution run in Lincoln Park. Jacob, who talked us into it, ran as well. At 6 p.m. start time, the temp hovered at about 40, a mild night for a run by Chicago standards and maybe a portent of the rest of winter? If there's going to be global warming anyway, we may as well get a warmer winter.
Then it was off to Jacob & Chip's for cocktails (vodka-saketinis, which I very un-pc-ly christened a Nagasaki for its devasting effect), sushi and games.
Sorry to miss the bash! Resolution in 2006: Have more fun.
Greg's post deserves a picture to go with. The original Annie Proulx story describes one of the characters as "cave-chested." Didn't quite understand that, myself, but one gets the idea that these two dudes were not modern gay perfection.
Novelist David Leavitt, whom I have admired and consumed since his first collection of stories, "Family Dancing" in 1983, points out (in a deftly written piece that covers much more) that the actors chosen for the film are more handsome/beautiful than the characters described by Proulx. No matter. One can easily understand the need/desire for Ang Lee to make the actors who carry his film at least look stunning.
One cannot easily deny him this. And yes, who among us is not grateful? What, Lee should have cast some geeks? We want the visuals, man!
Still, the power of the story can come through.
I saw it on Saturday during the big sellout weekend with a group of boys. We all walked out tentatively and talked about the movie a bit over drinks but it needed to seep in. On Sunday, I found I really needed to talk about it as the layers and layers of the film shook me. Later that night I finally cried.
Heath Ledger. Amazing.
Looking forward to seeing it again soon.
so, Chris, Jacob and I ran an 8K (5 mile) cross country run last Sunday on a horse farm an hour northwest of Chicago. It was hilly, not San Fran-hilly, but hilly (c'mon, our only hill within running distance is man-made!), slick with snow and cold ... how cold? To paraphrase Ligotti, quoting one of his fav films: "It was 11."
But the cold meant that the swamps and the creek were frozen; that is good. I wasn't looking forward to wading up to my hips in cold water then running several miles ...
Jacob has run the race before and yes, ran without sweatpants. Brrr. But several high school boys ran without shirts.
Andrew Sullivan's blog has become difficult to read in recent months. He's on a crusade to get the Bush administration to reverse its torture policy. Most days consist of long rants. I admire him taking on this important issue and perhaps as a Republican he understands how very poorly history will look upon this administration and the irreparable damage it has done. Nonetheless, Andrew also wrote an interesting article about the future of gay life. Today he quotes an email from an 18 year-old who thanks him for the article and the appreciation it has given him for the struggle that gay people had to go through in the past. He himself does not have that struggle today; Out to friends and family and absolutely no issues. Now self-congratulation is total Andrew ( I feel I can call him that because I seem to constantly be reminded here that he is a friend of X or Y) but if this is the direction of things, I am warmly impressed.
I am reading Thomas Friedman's "The World Is Flat" about globalization. It's hard to believe that Netscape went public only 10 years ago and how quickly technology has changed and is changing or world. It's heady and scary.
Speaking of which, what is going on in the world of the Tribune, Joe? The newspaper industry seems to be going through some shocks of its own.
I forgot to include: The wine is called Caprice and costs $220. And after my first posting, a second bottle came in. Vive la Veuve!
oh, and the first picture doesn't show the full extent of the Pucci-ness. The bottle comes enclosed in an over-the-top bag. Then inside that is another bag, skin-tight with a zipper. For a good time, unzip.
literally ...
Sweeties, have I said that I love my job?
Well, ya never know what the mail will bring. Opening wine boxes can be like Christmas: Who knows what will emerge from the plain brown cardboard. Today, it was Pucci-wrapped Veuve.
But it wasn't just Veuve. It was Grand Dame.
And it wasn't just Grand Dame. It was vintage Grand Dame!
and no, I won't be taking this home. I will have to share with colleagues at work during our next champagne tasting.
Cheers!
Coyotes have been in the news now and again the past few years in Chicago because naturalists and other researchers have noticed how well they're adapting to city life. So today when the NY Times included an article about a recent study tracking coyote behavior in Chicago suburbs, it wasn't that new.
About the newest information was that the coyotes are eating Canada geese eggs, which is keeping the population of these foul fowl down, which is great. The article also was fresh in its canny and sometimes funny approach, especially the observation that these efficient predators won't bother people as long as we don't feed them:
"Leave nothing tasty outside in an open trash can or food dish, and definitely nothing small and fluffy at the end of a leash."
Yes!
The coyote is now hero in the urban environment, ridding us of, or at least keeping in check, such nuisance animals as ever-pooping Canada geese, maybe rats (don't know for sure) and other rodents, like rabbits that feed on expensive park landscaping, and a much, much worse varmint: the much-hated yappy dog!
Shih Tzus beware!
persimmons from Alan & Justin's yard.
pretty, no? read about 'em here (but only until wednesday)
Thanks, guys!
so for the second time in nearly 12 months Chris & I attended yesterday a gay union at Unity Temple, Frank Lloyd Wright's masterpiece church in Oak Park. I imagine that couples choose it because of the welcoming nature of the congretation and ministers, but the modern gay man's love of architecture has something to do with it, no?
It was a nice ceremony, with happiness, frank emotion, parents and other family, humor. Afterward, the guys were toasted with bubbly (a tasty cava) and treats were served.
But for me, the big splash was at the lunch reception at the nearby home of some of their friends. Hosted by another gay couple at their cool bungalow with huge kitchen (and huge commercial quality oven! jealous much?), it was pretty impressive. The backyard was decked out with several tables dressed in fall colors, flowers were everywhere, the appetizer buffet was beauteous and even a themed cocktail was being served on the front steps as you walked up to the house! (It was Irish meade with a saying explaining the significance; pretty good actually) A huge buffet was served up inside later; the bartender was pretty busy out back.
Before going I thought to myself, "can't wait to be out of this party; hope it ends early." But we stayed and stayed to like 3; talked, visited, and I wasn't even getting looped. No, I had fun 'cause it was a nice party. (And as an aside I found the hosts to tell them what a great job that they and their caterers were doing, only to find out the guys did it pretty much all themselves. No caterers, just the willing hands of some friends. Pretty impressive.)
But it all made me think that Chris & I have been to two ceremonies, yes, in the past year, but we never got to celebrate with any of you California boys.
Sad, sweeties! Sad.
a dated post but oh well - i am posting aren't I jospeh so quit your kaviching!!!!!
later part of last week Greg invited Paul and I along for a night out with he and a few of his friends - all except for dean - were new faces to us . . and ALL were very handsome boys - where has Greg been hiding these boys paul and i pondered after the show . .
anyway we did a quick dinner at flippers in hayes valley and then off for an interview show with amy sedaris . . . think actors studio meets charlie rose meets graham norton (amy was graham of course) . . . simple set 2 big comfy chairs and some modern / hip (tacky) rug
the interviewer (i forgot her name - she is from the sf chronicle and i believe did a stint with bbc) was good ( no terry gross - but good) - Amy just made me laugh - she is writing a new cook book that will come out next month and sounds like it will be a must have for you joe - maybe a christmas present so don't run out and buy it . . . then there were some q&a from the audience - some good some bad - but overall the format was good - it really gave me a greater and deeper appreciation for amy and her humor . . . i continue to be a fan for sure! (besides she smokes pot now and again! - who wouldn't like a lady who admits that in front of a live audience?)
highlights of the evening were meeting greg's "other" friends and realizing that san francisco does not corrupt all young men . . . being in the spectacular (sooo Moulin Rouge) herbst theatre and spotting and talking with one of my fav trannies, ms. Chocolate, at the show as a boy.
Of course the night ended all too fast - hope we can do something like this again soon - spontaneous and fun!
found this video on Snarky. pretty alarming, really.
It's a short piece in which a phony TV reporter goes out to what looks like a mall or shopping strip and asks people which should be the next country that the US invades.
From the reporter's accent, I'm guessing he's Australian; and I'm guessing the interviewees are American. But I wish I knew where the interviews were done. Clearly a red state, though.
Wait, are we red or blue, I always confuse that.
so, like, a week ago, Alan, Justin, Moneka, Erin and company went to Madison. Something about a football game or something. I don't know. Two branches of the Mustelid family versus each other? Or some such thing. Beers were drunk.
Anywho, before all that, they came by here, Chicago, for a few drinkies.
So, we got to meet Erin, LOVE HER!, and we got to hang with her and Moneka while waiting for the Alan-Justin-Dave-Auggie Minivan to roll in. A van full of gays rollin' around the Midwest? The ultimate revenge.
After the guys finally arrived, after suffering flight delays and who knows what else, pizzas were applied to hunger spots. Wine was applied to thirsty spots. Then ...
We went out to the gay bars, the Sidetracks, the Roscoes, Hydrate. Auggie, Alan & Dave seemed to be pretty damn thrilled that Plato (sp?) silver shots were only $5.75. (I took it a little easy since my race was only a couple days away, see previous postings. So I only drank just the right amount too much.) Soon after Dave tried to recreate a dance-floor stunt performed by more muscle-y and much much younger dudes and instead landed on his head, it seemed like the time to go. Since it was only 3, Dave, Alan, Auggie and Justin climbed in a cab (leaving the minivan safely in our garage, smart!) and went to eat. I went home (where Chris was fast asleep and would be rising in only 90 minutes or so), along with the girls.
It's always good to see our West Coast friends! We hope to be heading out there soon. Great to meet ya, Erin! You and Moneka are such a cute couple.
Justin, thanks for the avocados and persimmons! I'm still ripening the persimmons on my desk at work. Those suckers are stubborn. I'm thinkin they'll be ready for their close up on Monday. The avocados, the ones that have ripened, have been great: creamy, buttery, rich. Thanks for thinking of us and can't wait to see your garden.
