Born On This Day... Winston Churchill

"It will be long, hard & there will be no withdrawal."

Winston Churchill

They Are Not Gay, But It Is Their Birthdays & I Love 'Em

OK, 2 Guys that I like a whole bunch, & do I have eclectic tastes or not? I actaully have Billy Idol & Mandy Patinkin in my CD collection.



I loved him from the 1st moment I heard him on Evita Original Cast Album in 1979. Favorite moment... when he was naked & wet in Yentil. I often like my men naked & wet.

Geat Moments In Advertising #8

You can click on the image to enlarge.

Birthday Men... November 28th

How to be hot & nearly 60? Try having truly awesome & versatile acting chops, a bald head & piercing blue eyes (oh my God, that sounds like me), throw in 4 Oscar nominations, & add in writing & directing Oscar nominated Pollack… I am talking about birthday boy & secret boyfriend Ed Harris. Favorite roles: The Truman Show, The Hours, Apollo 13, & Glengarry Glen Ross.

How to be sexy & over 45? How about silver fox hair, classic Jewish good looks & being our best American political satirist, writer, television host, media critic & stand-up comedian. Add 2 Peabody Awards, Emmy wins & a dash of Oscar host & there we have Jon Stewart. He turns 47 today.

New Music

My favorite song of the moment... Just Say Yes from Snow Patrol:

Blast From The Past... Wild Wild Life

A high point in 2009 seeing was David Byrne in concert in June. Mr. Byrne & Talking Heads have been favorites of the Husband & mine since the time we 1st met in the late 1970s. My appreciation has not diminished. This song is from the terrific & quirky (of course) 1986 David Byrne film- True Stories which was written with Beth Henley & starred John Goodman (my 1st time seeing him) & Swoozy Kurtz.. 23 years ago, this was what I was listening to. Wild Wild Life needs to be played at my memorial service.

I Am Grateful... Thanksgiving 2009

I am thankful to be a blogger, to do a post almost everyday (sometimes I wake up just sure that I will not be able to pull it off), for having readers & followers, for fellow bloggers that have fabulous blogs that I visit everyday. I am thankful for having met fellow bloggers Will & Mark in person in the summer 2009. I wish everyone who chances to read this a special, love filled & grateful day.

I've got a roof over my head

I've got a warm place to sleep

Some nights I lie awake counting gifts

Instead of counting sheep

I've got a heart that can hold love

I've got a mind that can think

There may be times when I lose the light

& let my spirits sink

But I can't stay depressed

When I remember how I'm blessed

Grateful, grateful

Truly grateful I am

Grateful, grateful

Truly blessed

& duly grateful

In a city of strangers

I've got a family of friends

No matter what rocks & brambles fill the way

I know that they will stay in the end

It's not that I don't want a lot

Or hope for more, or dream of more

But giving thanks for what I've got

Makes me so much happier than keeping score

In a world that can bring pain

I will still take each chance

For I believe that whatever the terrain

Our feet can learn to dance

Whatever stone life may sling

We can moan or we can sing

Grateful, grateful

Truly grateful I am

Grateful, grateful

Truly blessed

& duly grateful

John Bucchino

“If you don't create change, change will create you” Noel Coward

The Christian Right went ape shit over this commercial, saying that the mention of the Solstice promoted withcraft, which made me love it even more:


This morning I went to Ikea to gather some items that I had spotted to use as Holiday display at my store. I usually use the wholesale flower market for most of my retail decor, but I was really struck with these large red paper Amaryllis, which I am doing in a modern glass cylinder with silver balls in the bottom as an anchor. I will be spending Thanksgiving setting the store for the Holidays, putting the Holiday merchandise out, & tranforming the place into a winter wonderland. I think it is very civilized to wait until after Thanksgiving to put up the winter Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, Solstice decor.

The Husband spent the day working on a wall of our dining room, a project that started with  tearing down the dining room walls to the bare studs (I don't mean the good kind) in 2005. This re-do has been making progress at a pace only the Husband could manage. I loved the old Post Apocalyptic Bohemian look, but I am more than pleased with today's result. Here are some photos to mark the transition:

Today's Progress:

& because I have posted recently about Junior, here is the other canine- the very crabby Larry:

Blame It On My Youth

In the crazy 1960s, when I was a gay youth & eventually an adventurous teenager, I had a rather zany hobby. I would make a weekly trip to JJ Newberry’s & FW Woolworth’s (both, 2 of the original American "5 & Dime” stores) in downtown Spokane. I would spend my allowance & money made from mowing lawns or baby sitting on the craziest records that I could find. I would find these treasures in the cut-out bin at both stores. They would have a small hole-punch in a corner of the record sleeve. I was, with no prompting, developing a keen sense of irony & camp. It was all about the hunt, & I would be rewarded by taking home & listening to my newest additions on my little record player in my room.

I had put together a nice collection of obscure Broadway & West End flops, & a nice smattering of truly demented recordings. Among my most treasured were the Broadway Original Cast Albums of Greenwillow (with Anthony Perkins), Henry, Sweet Henry & Goldilocks (with Elaine Stritch & Don Ameche). There was nothing as delicious as smoking a joint & listening to the golden sounds of The Barry Sisters, twin sisters that did over-ripe versions of Yiddish favorites & Yiddish versions of current hits, & then there was Yma Sumak, the mysterious Inca princess with the 5 octave range (rumors were that she was bogus & her name was actually backwards for Amy Camus & that she was from Staten Island) & always fun- The Hawaiian Beach Boys, who did traditional Hawaiian songs in the manner of the Beach Boys.

I eventually lost most of my LP collection when mighty Mt St Helen’s blew its top in May 1980. The Husband & I were living in an amazing apartment in the Browne’s Addition section of Spokane. This place was the top floor, which included the ballroom, of a grand old mansion on a bluff above the Spokane River. A few hours after the volcano erupted, Spokane’s noon looked like midnight, & we received a doomsday-like blanketing of gray ash up to our mid-calves. We were instructed to stay indoors during the 1st few days after the eruption. The Husband & I ate what ever we could find in the house & made our way through a lot of bottles of wine, while listening to my collection of the obscure, odd & campy records from my youth. Unfortunately, the ash got into everything, including records in their sleeves & scratched the recordings so badly, they could no longer be listened to. I have been thinking about this collection of late. I wonder what actually made it on to CD… but it wouldn’t be the same. It was all about going to the 5 & Dime & the hunt through the bins for my new found treasures.

Born On This Day- November 23rd... Funny Man Bruce Vilanch

Large, Jewish, hairy & very funny, Bruce Vilanch has rarely been seen in public wearing anything more formal than blue jeans and one of his many smartass T-shirts. His own website calls himself- "the man who put F U in funny."



Vilanch's career as the man who writes funny things for funny people to say began when he was writing celebrity features for The Chicago Tribune, & schmoozing with whatever celebrities or semi-celebrities were in town. It was there that he met then-struggling nightclub singer Bette Midler, & the two became fast friends. It was Vilanch who gave Midler some helpful career advice: "You’re pretty funny. You should talk more onstage". He wrote for Midler's 1974 Broadway show, Clams on the Half Shell, then moved to Los Angeles to write for The Brady Bunch Variety Hour. When that show ended, Vilanch wrote jokes for anyone who'd hire him, including Lily Tomlin, Billy Crystal, Roseanne Barr, Rosie O'Donnell, Paul Reiser, Elizabeth Taylor, & Robin Williams. He co-wrote Midler's Divine Madness act of 1980 & has been the Oscar Broadcast head writer, pulling off quips backstage, on the fly. Vilanch is a notable “script doctor”, who is brought in to punch up other writer’s screenplays.


He was head writer & a panelist on Hollywood Squares for four years, writing gags for the other panelists while his friend & client Whoopi Goldberg ran the show. Vilanch has also toured as Edna Turnblad in stage productions of Hairspray, shaving off his trademark 30 year old beard. A 1999 documentary, Get Bruce, chronicled Vilanch's day-to-day life. He has the amazing distinction of having acted in Mahogany & Ice Pirates. Vilanch works tirelessly for gay rights.

Born On This Day- November 21st... Talented Actor Cherry Jones

Cherry Jones is epitome of the successful stage actor, & yet she is probably best known for a TV series. In 2008, Jones joined the cast of the Fox television series, 24, playing the role of the President of the United States. For her work in this role, she received a 2009 Emmy Award as Best Supporting Actress in a Drama. Cherry Jones became the first out lesbian to win a Tony Award when she was chosen as Best Actress in 1995. Classically trained & notably versatile, she has performed in a wide range of stage roles, gaining admiration for her professionalism.



Cherry Jones grew up in Paris, Tennessee- "a wonderful little town . . . a wonderful mix of tolerant and intolerant people," she acknowledges feeling like an outsider at times, such as when, at age twelve, she felt alienated from her church because "they could never embrace [me] because of [my] homosexuality.". Seeing Colleen Dewhurst in Eugene O'Neill's A Moon for the Misbegotten caused a 16 year old Jones, to aspire to be a professional actress herself. Ironically, Jones would go on to play this role on Broadway opposite Gabriel Byrne in 2000. After making her Broadway debut as the Angel in Tony Kushner's Angels in America, Jones had her first major Broadway role in Timberlake Wertenbaker's Our Country's Good in 1991, for which she earned a Tony nomination. She was also nominated in 2000 for her performance in A Moon for the Misbegotten.


In 1995, after fifteen years on stage, Jones became an "overnight sensation" with a powerful lead performance in a revival of Ruth and Augustus Goetz's The Heiress, & she also became the first openly gay actress to win a Tony award. In her acceptance speech, she thanked her partner- architect Mary O'Connor. In 2004, after 18 years together, Jones & O'Connor ended their relationship. Jones is currently in a relationship with actress Sarah Paulson. In 2004, Jones starred in the Manhattan Theatre Club's production of John Patrick Shanley's Doubt, which moved to Broadway in 2005 & won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Jones's intense performance as a nun suspicious that a priest might be abusing students won her a second Tony Award. Jones called the experience of being the first out lesbian to win a Tony "humbling," & spoke of the importance of the award saying - "it means the world to all of those people in all of those places who can't be out." My friend Kevin A studied with her & he told me that she was an amazing & inspirational acting coach.

I Finally Have An Unhappy Childhood

It seems that the story of my childhood is not that common. I didn’t have a dysfunctional family; I grew up with loving & supportive parents that gave me every advantage. They both were working professionals & we were lucky enough to have a really nice house, a lake cabin, & cars. We took vacations & visited my grandparents, who were equally as loving. My parents paid for music lessons, dance class & art lessons &amp, laid out money for 4 years of private university education. They came to see all my plays & concerts. My parents gave me all the tools to become a model gay man in the new millenium. I have continue to enjoy their good humor & their company.

Last Sunday, my parents forwarded an email with the heading- “Warning!”. The text stated that it was important that everyone watch a Fox News special that would reveal the truth about our President being a Marxist. I should have just deleted it., but I was so outraged & weary of people claiming that Mr. Obama is a Marxist, socialist, Nazi, & foreign born that I fired off a reply that stated “if any of you think that our President is a Marxist, you are truly nutty & probably racist, & if you let Sean Hannity & Fox News make your political decisions for you, then you are not just nutty, you are stupid & lazy… do any of you actually know what Marxism is?.” This set off a series of responses to me from the people in the email group saying mean & hateful things about me & my views. One person said that my response was “typical of someone that acts like a cornered animal”. I would respond with comments such as –“I don’t know why my smart & loving parents would know or associate with people like you”. My parents later emailed & stated that they were hurt & dismayed by the emails & that my father thinks I have called him stupid, my mother has been crying & that I am “tearing apart the fabric of our family”. Now I feel terrible for hurting my parents, but if I am forwarded an email like this, am I not allowed to respond? I apologized to my parents, who have not acknowledged the apology. They are apparently not speaking to me. Now in my deep middle-age, I finally have a dysfunctional family.

Quote Of The Day

“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.”
Dr. Seuss

A photograph is neither taken nor seized by force. It offers itself up. It is the photo that takes you. One must not take photos.

The title quote is by Henri Cartier-Bresson

Another from my collection:

I was going down for the third time

 My heart was broken,

I was not open to your suggestions

I had so many questions

That you just kissed away

Tell me, I guess that cupid was in disguise

The day you walked in and changed my life,

I think it's amazing,

The way that love can set you free

So now I walk in the midday sun

I never thought that my saviour would come

I think it's amazing

I think it's amazing

 I think you are amazing

George Michael

Great Moments in Advertising #7

Born On This Day- November 18th... Songwriter Johnny Mercer

One hundred years ago today, Johnny Mercer was born in Savannah, Ga., & he grew up to be one of the most popular lyricists of the American Songbook. He was decidedly, not gay, but Johnny Mercer is one my favorite lyricist. He wrote witty, smart, insightful lyrics. Mercer wrote the words, & sometimes the music, for more than 1,500 songs, with more than 200 collaborators, among them composers Harold Arlen, Hoagy Carmichael & Jerome Kern. He was nominated for 18 Academy Awards & won 4. He was the 1st president of the Songwriters Hall Of Fame & the founder of Capitol Records. Mercer was a charming & talented man & a favorite of mine. Here are some of the songs that he supplied the words for:
Hit The Road To Dream Land, Blues In The Night, Skylark, One For My Baby, Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive, Dream, Come Rain Or Come Shine, Any Place I Hang My Hat Is Home, Autumn Leaves, Something’s Gotta Give, & Moon River.

Here is Robbie Williams doing the greatest Saloon Song of all time:


It's quarter to three, there's no one in the place except you & me
So, set 'em up, Joe, I got a little story you oughta know
We're drinkin', my friend, to the end of a brief episode
Make it one for my baby & one more for the road


I got the routine, so drop another nickel in the music machine
I'm feelin' so bad, wish you'd make the music pretty & sad
Could tell you a lot, but you've got to be true to your code
So, make it one for my baby & one more for the road


You'd never know it but buddy, I'm a kind of poet
& I got a lot of things to say
& when I'm gloomy, you simply gotta listen to me
Till it's all talked away

Well that's how it goes & Joe...  I know your gettin' pretty anxious to close
So, thanks for the cheer, I hope you didn't mind my bendin' your ear
This torch that I found must be drowned or it soon might explode
So, make it one for my baby and one more for the road
That long, long road

Happy Birthday, RuPaul!

It has been pointed out by some friends & some readers, that my blog is all abut love, love, love. Not always; I can get crabby & I have a long list of things, people, events & behavior that get under my skin... but, I do love drag queens, & I love the Supermodel Of The World- RuPaul. I love her & I love him. I love PuPaul's Drag Race on Logo. I love the music. I truly love the gender-fuck. Happy Birthday, Ru!

Born On This Day- November 17th... Movie Idol Rock Hudson

Leroy (Roy) Harold Scherer, Jr. was born on this day in 1925. Rock Hudson was blessed with the urbane charm, dashing good looks, & virile masculinity of Hollywood's classic matinee idol image. His image & talents were used to great effect romantic comedies, often paired with the equally magnetic Doris Day. One of the most popular movie stars of hisera, Hudson's screen career spanned 5 decades & was a true example of Hollywood's classical "star system" style career promotion. His early success was the result of careful cultivation & nurturing by major movie studio executives. While generally underappreciated for his skills as an actor, Hudson showed unexpected glimmers of brilliance, as in George Stevens' 1956 epic, Giant for which he received an Academy Award nomination. Known for his easy going demeanor off-screen, Hudson was well thought of by colleagues & seemed to enjoy a rich & happy life in the public eye. In truth, Hudson endured a deeply troubled private life, living a lie for the sake of his career, including going along with a studio arranged marriage. Manufactured to be Hollywood's ultimate ladies man, Rock Hudson was a lifelong gay man. It could be claimed that Rock Hudson was one of the greatest actors who ever lived: a gay man who became an international symbol of heterosexuality. In the more open 1970s, Hudson did become more visible in bars & bathhouses on the West Coast, & was even included post-coitally, anonymously but with his blessing, in Armistead Maupin's newspaper serial Tales of the City.

Tragically, after contracting the HIV virus & dying of AIDS in 1985, his private life was thrust public for the world to see. Hudson would become the first major Hollywood casualty of the misunderstood & widely feared disease. Hudson's sex life received detailed attention posthumously when a lover, Marc Christian (who died last week from a drug overdose), whom he had not informed of his diagnosis, successfully sued his estate. But he would not die in vain. His death not only opened people's eyes to the disease itself, it inspired his good friend  Elizabeth Taylor to begin her decadesl ong role as a prominent AIDS activist, raising millions in the fight against the deadly disease that had robbed her friend of his golden years. He was always a favorite of mine & his passing brought me much sadness. I like the frothy comedies, but I most appreciate him in Magnificent Obsession (1954), All That Heaven Allows (1955) & Written on the Wind (1956), which were directed by Hudson's mentor, Douglas Sirk.

Trucks, Love & Videotape

During the period that we lived in the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle, the Husband & I both drove crazy, funky trucks. The Husband drove a yellow 1950 Ford Pick Up Truck. Oh, he loved that truck! I drove a 1960 Ford Pick Up Truck, & I loved mine also. We both got attention for driving these vehicles, & the husband's truck was featured in a movie (how jealous was I of that truck?!?) We got rid of the 2 trucks in the move to Portland. The Husband sold the 1950 truck to a very enthusiastic buyer & I gave mine to my father to turn into a snowplow (my parents live in rural Eastern Washington). Here I am with my beloved 1960 Ford Pick UP in front of the cottage.

NEVER FACE THE FACTS

I did a post at the end of October, on the birthday of, about my muse- Ruth Gordon. I went on to state that this amazing actor gave me my motto- Never Face The Facts, which is a quote from one of her volumes of memoirs. Yesterday, the Husband, who is a stunningly talented artist, was sifting through his box of images that he uses for his collages & assemblages, & I spotted this page from a magazine article about our house in Seattle. We lived, for 15 years, in this tiny 600 square foot cottage in the Wallingford neighborhood. This house received quite a bit of attention, not just for the design work, but because 2 men & 2 canines were able to live in this tiny space. The house had 2 rooms- The Room & The Other Room. We climbed a ladder to our bedroom built in the rafters of the attached garage (it was the original Boy's Fort). From May-October the cottage increased in square footage, as we moved furniture & rugs to the outdoor rooms that we had created using decks, walkways, lattice & plants. The house had originally been a house boat on Lake Union, & had been brought up the 4 blocks our tiny street & plopped on cinder blocks, to become a "mother-in-law" unit for the manner house owned by our landlords & dear friends- Robert & Margo. This was a happy & productive time for us, & we had wonderful neighbors, who became important friends & major players in our lives. The house was featured in a book- Flea Market Decorating by Merideth Press. It is lovely to have such a gratifying archive from this period. We still have most of this stuff, but in very different configurations. Post Apocalyptic Bohemia is a much different house & a much different life. We are older & changed, but the Husband still provides an interesting, beautiful & provocative place for us to call home. He are some photos (by Mike Jensen) from the book, you can click on any image to enlarge:

Seen At Or Near My Max Train Station

There Is Nothing Like The Greeting From A Dog When You Come Home

I have posted several times about my love of canines. The poor Husband has never had any say so in choosing our dogs. I always just bring them home. He always seems to fall in love. This is Junior. He came to live with us in August 2007, just a week after our most beloved dog- Butch died. I was in such deep & powerful mourning at Butch's passing & I figured another new family member would occupy my time. Junior was found tied to a tree, on a length of rope, in a rural area outside of Portland. All of our dogs have been rescue dogs & they all have had "issues", but Junior is particularly nutty. The Husband has dubbed him "Junie Tunes". Junior is in need of constant attention, but when he is asleep or in repose, he is beyond adorable.

I saw this on the Huffington Post via WickedGayBlog. "We always think about wives, husbands & children of soliders, but we often forget about the pets. They clearly miss their loved ones at war as well. Lt. Schmidt posted this video his dog Gracie greeting him when he came back from Kandahar."

Old Devil Moon

In the summer of 1973, I appeared as OG the leprechaun in Finian’s Rainbow at the Music Tent on Cape Cod. This was just exactly the kind of role that I was best at- a comedic secondary part, with 2 really great, audience pleasing songs & lots of time in the green room. Although this musical has an outstanding score by Burton Lane & Yip Harburg, at the time I thought the book was creaky & the entire enterprise rather twee. The current revival on Broadway, with Cheyenne Jackson, has received rave reviews, especially for the leading man (who is a favorite of mine & who is guest starring on 30 Rock, starting last night). Now I think the book is rather timely, with themes of corporate greed, government bail-outs, home foreclosures & race relations. The score includes a song that I had in repertoire forever- Old Devil Moon. This wonderful, sexy song has been covered by everybody. I would do it in a medley of “Moon Songs”. Here is my man Cheyenne, with the current Broadway version:

Born On This Day... November 13th- Actor Dack Rambo

Norman Dack Rambo was an actor, best known as Jack Ewing on Dallas. He also appeared as Walter Brennan's grandson Jeff in the TV Series The Guns Of Will Sonnett, & as Grant Harrison. Another World. He also starred on All My Children & on the Gunsmoke spin-off, Dirty Sally. He had a twin brother, Dirk Rambo, also a television actor, who died in an auto accident, killed by a drunk driver. After moving to Los Angeles in the 1960s, both Dirk & Dack were discovered by actress Loretta Young & cast in her short-lived CBS series The New Loretta Young Show. He complained about industry prejudice against gay men & said the role he took in 1985 as Jack Ewing on the primetime drama Dallas began to shrink because he was single & suspected of being gay.In 1991, Rambo quit his role in Another World after admitting he was infected with the HIV virus. He said going public with his condition was 'like freedom to me” Rambo campaigned for AIDS awareness until his death in 1994, at age 52, due to complications from AIDS. He is buried with his brother.

Top 10 Karen Walker Quotes

There are so many, but here are some favorites:

"Honey, when you were born, you were born in a gay tree. & then you fell out & hit every gay branch on the way down. & then you fell on top of a gay guy. & then you did him."

“Oh honey, I would, but... I don't want to.”

"Honey, you’re simple, you’re shallow, & you’re a common whore, that’s why we are soul mates”.

"You're sleazy & shameless. I like that, but we're through."

"I had to put him in his place...well...my place."


"Yeah? Well now my drink's talking, & it's saying 'Drink me! I make life more fun! Everyone from a high school kid to a bum on the street knows that.'"


“Honey, I would suck the alcohol out of a deoderant stick..."

“It's not something you can just run away from like a hotel bill or a crying baby”


“How did you hurt your back? Running away from good taste?”


“Well don't let it get to your head, your hair is already such a disaster that the Red Cross wouldn't give it coffee.”

Happy Birthday To Megan Mullally!

If she had only brought me Karen Walker, Megan Mullally would still have a place in my heart forever. You know during the 8 seasons of Will & Grace, there were times you just wanted to smack the 2 leads for being so annoying? But Jack & Karen? They were never less than hilarious. Megan Mullally, won two Emmy Awards & 3 Golden Globes for her delicious portrayal of Karen Walker. She turns 51 years old today. I think we need a nice big double martini & we can celebrate by watching a compilation of her funny moments from the show:



I first made note of her as a call girl in Risky Business starring Tom Cruise & Rebecca De Mornay. Mullally went on to make a run of guest appearances in various popular sitcoms: Wings, starring Timothy Daly; Seinfeld, Mad About You, Caroline in the City, & 3rd Rock from the Sun. She made her Broadway debut in 1994 in a revival of Grease in the role of Marty, with Rosie O'Donnell & appeared in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying with Matthew Broderick. She is heard in the cast albums of both productions. She opened in her own one-woman show, Sweetheart, in Los Angeles in 1999. The Husband & I saw her in the Seattle try-out of the Mel Brooks musical, Young Frankenstein as Elizabeth, the role made famous by Madeline Kahn in the original film, tough shoes to fill, but we loved her in the role & she has received nearly unanimously outstanding reviews.

Mullally is also performs in her own group called The Supreme Music Program. The band has released 3 albums, The Sweetheart Break-In, Big as a Berry & Free Again!. She also recorded a duet with Carly Simon on the track The Right Thing To Do for the Will & Grace: Let the Music Out! soundtrack. Mullally commented in an interview in The Advocate magazine, "I consider myself bisexual, & my philosophy is, everyone innately is." Mullally dated actor William H. Macy while in college. Her first marriage, in the mid-1990s, was to talent agent Michael Katcher. In 2003, Mullally married actor Nick Offerman (who guest-starred on Will & Grace during its fourth season). She currently lives in West Hollywood, California, with her husband & two poodles, Willa & Elmo. The" industry buzz" about her is that she is super nice.

Blast From The Past

My radio station (I listen in the car) KINK FM 101.9 (it is so funny, my work computer's porn filter won't let me look at KINK's website) is doing their entire catalogue in alphabetical order. This is such a cool, locally owned station & they do their own programming! On any given set you might hear The Clash, Lyle Lovett, & Foo Fighters. I love to listen to KINK & they do good work in the community. This afternoon I had a real blast from the past while driving- Dog & Butterfly. I was never real big on Heart, but I did like them.  Anne & Nancy Wilson are from Seattle. I did many voice-overs at Bad Animals Studio in Seattle's Belltown neighborhood, which they own, & I would see them in the hallway sometimes & be a little star struck .I have worked with Nancy's husband-  director Cameron Crowe in Singles. I always thought they were very cool Bitchin'  Women of Rock n' Roll, & I loved the Dog & Butterfly album. In 1978, I loved to crank it up loud, whenever I heard the single- Dog & Butterfly... just as I did this afternoon, as KINK make their way through the Ds.

Born On This Day- November 11th... Sexy Stanley Tucci

I have been zany for him since the mid-80s, when he had a story arc on 30 Something. He is truly 1 of my favorite actors. This summer, in Julie & Julia, I thought that his Paul's love & adoration for his wife- Julia Child was the glue that made that movie really old together.Sadly, he lost his own wife to cancer around the time of  he release of this lovely film. Although he does well playing adorable, he is a versatile actor, good at comedy & drama. The buzz is that his work as a child murderer in The Lovely Bones (out in December) is a sure Oscar nomination. He wrote & co-directed & starred in Big Night & The Imposters, both of which I loved. Other favorite performances include The Devil Wears Prada (he & Streep just seem to bring out the best in each other), A Midsummer Night's Dream ( an unlikely & very good Puck) & Shall We Dance. The Husband & I both find him to be Yumaliciuos & A+ sexy.

Born On This Day- November 10th... My 80s Fantasy Man Jack Scalia

Yeah, in the 1980s, I had a major thing for actor/model hottie- Jack Scalia. Good to see that he has aged nicely. He turns 59 today. Jack, baby... I want to thank you for all those special times that your photo layouts provided, including that Playgirl spread.

Born On This Day- November 8th... Songbird Sam Sparro

Yesterday evening, we had a yummy dinner at the home of cute, young J & M’s tasteful home. Why these 2 boys want to hang out with a couple of geezers is beyond my comprehension, but we all seem to enjoy each others company. During cocktails J mentioned that the tune- Black & Gold from my September Mix was on continual re-play in his head. I know what he means. This song has been playing at Post Apocalyptic Bohemia for 6 months. I have it in 3 versions; the original, a Basement Jaxx remix & a cover by Katy Perry. It is a very infectiuos song.

Talented hottie Sam Sparro was born in Australia, but moved to L.A. when he was 10, as his gospel musician father found work in the music industry. Sam was a child actor, starting with a McDonald’s Commercial & sang with hos father’s various gospel groups, where he was discovered & championed by Chaka Kahn. He moved back to Sydney as a teen & then to London seeking a career in music. He returned to L.A., working in a coffee shop frequented by industry types. It was a depressing & difficult time for him, but he did manage to write Black & Gold. Sam is currently on tour & is busy promoting his new album. He lives in L.A. with his partner of 3 years- stylist Adrian Gilliland.

"When You Take A Photograph Nothing Is Ever The Same As They Said It Was". Diane Arbus

It is all about the packaging...

"Men Are Only As Loyal As Their Options" Bill Maher

The Husband’s friend, fellow designer & sometime collaborator- the talented & lovely KJ & her husband D, treated us to a delicious & special dinner at Portabella last night. While sipping coffee & sharing dessert, KJ leaned across the table & shared- “your problem, Stephen, is that you fall in love too easily”. I think she was referring to remarks I had written in my blog posts. But wow, is it that transparent? Just last week, I asked the Musical 8 Ball what the future would hold for me, & the answer was Frank Sinatra singing- You Fall In Love Too Easily. This morning I was surmising what sorts of men catch my attention: talented, funny, a bit dangerous… & mature. I am offering 3 men, over 50, who easily hold my attention:

"Ideally, people find mates with whom they can express both their masculine and feminine sides."  Scott Bakula

“`cause tramps like us, baby we were born to run” 

 Bruce Sprinsteen

"New Rule: Politics is about compromises. Really stupid compromises.


That's how we got such laws as... Blacks are 3/5 of a person. Slaves are property, unless they make it to Ohio. Interning the Japanese, but not the Germans. Slaughtering the Indians, but letting the ones who survive run the Keno parlors. Porn, but not hardcore porn. Booze, and then no booze, and then booze again. But no pot. Except medical marijuana. Which is legal to possess, but illegal to obtain. And my favorite; you can't have stem cells, except the ones we already have.
Now in this spirit, I would like to offer a few compromise suggestions for the knotty issue we face today: same sex marriage.
Why not this? It's okay to be gay, if you're already gay, but no new gays. We'll grandfather you in if you're already an organ grinder, but that's it. Or, how about, let gays marry, but come out against gay mortgages?
Or, maybe the answer to this is as plain as the nose in my lap. With both sides so set, one being all for gay marriage, and the other completely against it, how about we just let the lesbians marry?
I mean, come on, marriage is a chick thing, anyway. It is. Monogamy and marriage were invented by women and the church as a way to address female insecurity, and to stamp out oral sex as we know it. And don't give me some line about how two women can't reproduce. As long as David Crosby is alive and can swallow a Viagra, that's not a problem.
Plus, let's face it. When people talk about homosexuality being unnatural, and abomination, they're not talking about the women.
No, no, they're talking about the men. Nobody seems to find anything so abominable about Britney Spears tonguing Madonna. Or Gina Gershon in bed with Jennifer Tilly. Or anything else on the third shelf of my "library."
No, in America, when a man puts something in another man, it had better be a bullet.
So isn't it time both sides compromised a little on this issue? The statistics tell us that anywhere from 2-10% of people in America are gay. Although it seems higher at my bath house.
So look, conservatives, I know you're sincere. I know you think you're doing God's work. But in a hundred years, people traveling by jet pack to Mars are not going to be tripping on gay marriage. The whole issue is just going to be a joke. On you.

So my advice is simple: They're here, they're queer, get bored with it."
Bill Maher