| LAUGH YOUR HEAD OFF |
[Nov. 11th, 2009|08:23 pm] |
  OH MY GOD this is a twisted ass movie.
This is probably the most clever disection of the 50's...i have ever seen.
Billy Connelly is priceless as the "new zombie" in town.
"what if the zombies that couldnt escape from their coffins are still trying to "claw their way out"
Best classroom line...ever.
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| (no subject) |
[Nov. 12th, 2009|09:49 am] |
Flinders Street Station with the Eureka Tower peeking over. |
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| A Veterans Day Footnote..... |
[Nov. 11th, 2009|02:41 pm] |
There are many people that when I tell them I was in the U.S. Military from 1985 to 1989 - they give me this crosseyed look like "no way in hell you were in the service" (mostly because of the taffeta explosion when I talk; and how I've embraced my cosmic fabulocity). But it is true - I was a Submarine Radioman/Cryptographer from 1985 to 1989.
It ranks as one of the most difficult and impossible times of my entire life.
I knew from my first night sleeping aboard ship that I'd made a horrible, horrible mistake signing up for submarine duty. Serving aboard submarine is like volunteering to go to prison. Let me dissuade all the stereotypical "submerge 100 men - come back 50 couples" fantasies and rumors. To say that it was the most sexless, misogynistic, Type-A aggressive male environment would be an understatement. It literally took years of therapy and distance for me to undo the fucked-up world view that submariners have; and that despite my incompatibility with military service I absorbed as my own. It was just terrible.
One highlight (pictured below) was literally surfacing through the ice at the geographic north pole (while studying the polar ice cap from below).
Veterans Day always reminds me of my time aboard ship. I got discharged from the Navy early - military service and I weren't too compatible. The stress of shipboard living combined with the fact that I was an immature 18 year old when I reported aboard ship - - meant I just wasn't designed for military service. A variety of missteps - including offering oral sex to senior chief who was an Naval Investigative Service agent at a gay bar - cut my service time to four years vs. six.
I still have nightmares centered around dying about a submarine - from fire; from drowning. I still have dreams of the exaggerated personalities and tight quarters. I can recreate in my subconscious like it was yesterday. I'm very glad that my time in the military is now a full 20 years behind me; a footnote on my path to fabulousness.
The impact of military service on my life is palpable. It's something you honestly can't appreciate unless you've actually done it.
My heart bleeds open for the men and women in Iraq/Afghanistan - and the submariners that are assuredly in the persian gulf and indian ocean working at their posts....
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| (no subject) |
[Nov. 12th, 2009|08:36 am] |
Since ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) arktos62 liked it, here's some more of the Forum Theatre. Built in 1929 this crumbling, peeling Moorish confection is just as delightful on the inside with it's Greco-Roman statuary and a sky-blue ceiling decorated with small stars, mimicking a twilight sky. I've seen a few bands here, notably Martha Wainwright (drinks, smokes and sings) and Sufjan Stevens (is cute).
It has a wiki here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forum_Theatre
It sits opposite the hideous Federation Square. Yes that's right, I said hideous. FED SQUARE IS HIDEOUS. It' an ugly monstrosity that doesn't belong in a city of beautiful buildings. How dare I criticize Melbourne, I know, it's not allowed, especially since I am from Sydney.
I do like this little guy:
The real treasures are behind it...
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| Oink! Oink! |
[Nov. 12th, 2009|09:43 am] |
Given how quickly this came on, and the symptoms (sore throat, congestion, cough, fever and aching bones), I'm guessing this isn't the regular flu. Oink?
Luckily I had the miracle of Tamiflu standing by- it really is amazing. Yes, I'm still sick, but at least today I can get out of bed and function like a regular human. Still a touch achey and almost certainly infectious, but nowhere near as sick as I was yesterday. |
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| Billboard Song Contest |
[Nov. 11th, 2009|11:18 am] |
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Don't Prove Me Right made it to the voting process! Please swing by billboard.com and vote for me if you can. I need all the help I can get! |
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| What a selection fo scars you have..... |
[Nov. 11th, 2009|07:38 am] |
In the closing pages of "Red Dragon" the prequel to Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris - the complicated and dangerous Hannibal Lecter writes a letter to the detective that captured him. In the process - Hannibal skewered him with a bbq skewer - (most gruesome!)... but - this is the letter Hannibal sends Will.
"My dear Will, you must be healed by now... on the outside at least, I hope you're not too ugly. What a collection of scars you have. Never forget who gave you the best of them, and be grateful, our scars have the power to remind us that the past was real. We live in a primitive time, don't we, Will? Neither savage nor wise. Half measures of the curse of it, any rational society will either kill me or put me to some use. Do you dream much, Will? I think of you often. Your old friend, Hannibal Lector."
This is one of my favorite moments. and it just resonates with me. In my writing of the new novel ('The Do It Yourself Guide To Getting Over Yourself') and for that matter an underlying theme of 'House of Wolves' was finding 'what's next' after something terrible happens. In HoW - it's finding romance and love after losing a lover to AIDS; the two main characters meeting each other passing in the hallway at support groups for widowed gay men. and in the new work - it's someone trying to get out of the emotional quicksand of a particularly painful breakup with an ex-boyfriend.
What I love about Harris' letter how it so clearly communicates the impact of injury. Part of the grieving process sometimes is to deny that something happened or do a little revisionist editing so that it seems less hurtful. It is amazing what we'll put ourselves through to get past something. Granted, Harris is talking about physical wounds - - - but I think his quote works well for emotional wounds as well.
At 42 - I've been in three relationships - one that I totally fucked up; one that I sleptwalked through for almost a decade; and one that I'm in now with Dr. Dave. I've had emotional short periods where I dated someone and it didn't work out. And of course, the whole moving to San Francisco episode - which is the basis for the new novel. I talk to myself sometimes like Hannibal - - "what a collection of scars you have..."
I typed out the lecter quote and put it on the thought board for the new novel as my character rediscovers himself. His emotional scars reminding him that the past was all too real. and wading through the real-life stuff of "okay - that happened. it sucked. how do I get past it - and how do I really learn from it rather than just going right back out and seeking the same thing."
Heavy stuff, yes. I've enjoyed the challenge of writing a romantic dramedy on the topic - and it is doing me a lot of good to think through all of it both for myself and for my character Bill and his eccentric roommate and friends.
I recently wrote a friend of mine - who is in the early stages of a bad breakup:
Emotional scares - the ones in our heart and on our soul - when we seperate from loved ones (either by death or by breakup - or in your case - real intense relationships that result in real intense breakups) are harder to feel and respect. They sometimes feel like they'll never go away. They do heal - and when we reach out and love again - as we will because we're human creatures - and our nature is to love and be loved.... all these experiences that we feel like we're enduring and dragging ourselves through - make us all the better prepared when the right opportunity to love comes along - whether it's a lover you hold to yourself every night in bed; a penpal you write to every week; or a writer who's books you love so much you rush out like a 70s teenager did for a BeeGees album.
Loving is the chocolate covered dessert of being who we are.
Anyone that says they have no issues like this they think about is not being very honest with themselves. I always say to the person who says "I have no issues, I'm issue free" - after gently patting them on the back - "Darling - that is your first issue. Welcome to the club!" |
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| Copacabana |
[Nov. 11th, 2009|01:34 am] |
We are finally moving into Palm Springs.
The movers arrive in the morning, and almost everything is packed and ready to go. Six boxes of Disco records still remain in storage. We'll take them ourselves, as they are more valuable to me than the silverware. Actually they are more valuable than the silverware by the prices I see on EBay.
From our back yard, we'll be able to watch Barry Manilow take off for Las Vegas to do his shows.
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| My new Honda CBF250 |
[Nov. 11th, 2009|08:45 am] |
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Voilà
This is my new 3-year old Honda CBF 250 (read the specs here). It's a naked bike, so when you ride it over a certain speed, you surely get cold. I was protected this morning, so commuting has been a breeze, especially when I got at the Port traffic jam and I coul drive between the cars and saved 5-10 precious minutes. The bike is not fast at all, but it's got enough torque to negotiate traffic with ease.
I feel a little clumsy with the gears, as I had never ridden a motorbike with gears on my feet. In fact, the only motorbike with gears I've ridden was a Vespa, and the gears are on the left handle. Anyway, I just stalled it twice, once when I was closing the garage door and once at the first traffic light once I was in the city. |
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| (no subject) |
[Nov. 11th, 2009|10:33 am] |
Pussycat pussycat meow. |
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| I has the bike |
[Nov. 11th, 2009|12:21 am] |
I got the bike to day
I was very cumbersome to change gears, as I had only rode on scooters. Anyway, the 18 km from the shop to my house were rather smooth, although I got my brother driving right behind me to check everything was right.
Wow, It's a naked bike, so I got the full blast of cold air at 80 km/h. Brrr
I promise to post a pic!
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| (no subject) |
[Nov. 10th, 2009|01:59 pm] |
this saturday night
Jennifer Miko is an artist I've known and been inspired by for more than 20 years. Please come see her recent stunning body of work this Saturday 7-10 pm at Atlas Cafe on 20th and Alabama in SF.
As an extra bonus, Ovarian Trolley will be performing at the opening reception, so come on down and get your art and San Francisco 90s post-punk rock on. |
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