In Korean no less.
Uhm Junghwa (KPop diva supreme) has a new release entitled D.I.S.C.O. which should leave no imagination as to what the mini-album's theme is. This song will just embed itself in your ear, I'll tell you. Plus what better way to celebrate the 960th post at this corner of the internet?
In further upbeat news, I'm taking my first vacation of the year, so I'll be away for a good part of this month.
Enjoy midsummer!
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Tuesday Jukebox Says "You try to sing 'Without You'"
It's one of these viral videos that everyone has seen, but since it has Kirkorova (aka the co-writer of Shady Lady) in it and makes a point about singers not having a clue what they are singing about, I thought it would be a good inclusion.
So as to give something new, here is Mitsuhiro Oikawa singing Shinin' Star live. Mr. Oikawa pulls off the interesting trick of being both fey and butch nearly simultaneously. ("CLAP YOUR HANDS" he doesn't so much shout as snarl.)
Proving his actor credentials and panache for drag, here is Mikkatsuki Hime (Crescent Moon Princess). Considerably less butch here.
A male trio, SUPER LIVE, covers SOULHEAD's SPARKLE TRAIN. Not bad, but the audio makes it a bit hard to give a good critique. At least they aren't singing "Ken Lee."
Finally, SOULHEAD & Tomita Lab's video for Like A Queen (seems appropriate for this jukebox), which seems to be very Manhattan Transfer-esque.
So as to give something new, here is Mitsuhiro Oikawa singing Shinin' Star live. Mr. Oikawa pulls off the interesting trick of being both fey and butch nearly simultaneously. ("CLAP YOUR HANDS" he doesn't so much shout as snarl.)
Proving his actor credentials and panache for drag, here is Mikkatsuki Hime (Crescent Moon Princess). Considerably less butch here.
A male trio, SUPER LIVE, covers SOULHEAD's SPARKLE TRAIN. Not bad, but the audio makes it a bit hard to give a good critique. At least they aren't singing "Ken Lee."
Finally, SOULHEAD & Tomita Lab's video for Like A Queen (seems appropriate for this jukebox), which seems to be very Manhattan Transfer-esque.
Happy Canada Day
According to a poll, the Maple Leaf & Hockey still reign supreme as the ultimate in Canadiana.
That said, it's what else made the list that is really interesting:
That said, it's what else made the list that is really interesting:
- Peacekeeping
- Universal Health Care
- The Rockies (I don't think those are exclusively Canadian, but that's just geography nerd that I am)
- Niagara Falls (ditto, although Canada by FAR has the better version)
Personally, I'd add sex scandals, because Canadian sex scandals are just plain more interesting than ours.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Pride 2008: Kill the closet
The 2006 Pride post talked strongly about the tendency amongst gay men to demean or denigrate other gay men in effort to establish themselves as "better than."
2008 sees things pretty much the same on that front. Yet, with the recent developments in respect to gay marriage in California, the current upturn in HIV infection rates amongst males, and well Matthew Rush's breakdown (link not particularly work friendly depending on one's place of employment) to be honest, I wonder if something is afoot.
All of these subjects--in my view at least--are symptoms of one thing: Gay is not sexy.
Lest you think that I've gotten very shallow here, I'll explain. By "sexy," I mean that it is STILL a world where tons of men (and likely a fair amount of women as well, one would assume) have no qualms whatsoever in participating in homosexual sex and activities, but vehemently deny the obvious fact that lies right in front of them: They are gay.
The fact that "gay" continues to be a pejorative amongst ill-informed people--both gay and straight of all ages--is alarming. Even moreso is the fact that they are rarely challenged on it.
The fact that there is still a fetishisation around supposedly "straight" men who are eager to participate in gay sex is alarming. What once was just another cliched porn theme has now emerged into the real world as a belief system complete with its own hierarchy of desirablity on full display on any internet sex site. While to some extent this may only involve fantasy role play, by it spilling into reality it's beginning to cost us our health. Not just our emotional health but our spiritual health as well.
And let us get into this fun subject of "gay for pay" while we're at it. How messed up is one's own sense of self when the idea of watching a man going against his own sexual drive--aided by god-knows-what--is actually a turn on? I could understand it if the point was to ridicule poor sexual performance, but it's not. It is merely a continuation of the belief that to be gay and open and honest about it is to be "less than," and openly gay men are making money off of it.
If I was just recently out these days, the very last kind of guy I would be chasing down would be someone who was closeted or even claimed discretion. It wouldn't be worth the medication nor the hit in terms of self-respect.
2008 sees things pretty much the same on that front. Yet, with the recent developments in respect to gay marriage in California, the current upturn in HIV infection rates amongst males, and well Matthew Rush's breakdown (link not particularly work friendly depending on one's place of employment) to be honest, I wonder if something is afoot.
All of these subjects--in my view at least--are symptoms of one thing: Gay is not sexy.
Lest you think that I've gotten very shallow here, I'll explain. By "sexy," I mean that it is STILL a world where tons of men (and likely a fair amount of women as well, one would assume) have no qualms whatsoever in participating in homosexual sex and activities, but vehemently deny the obvious fact that lies right in front of them: They are gay.
The fact that "gay" continues to be a pejorative amongst ill-informed people--both gay and straight of all ages--is alarming. Even moreso is the fact that they are rarely challenged on it.
The fact that there is still a fetishisation around supposedly "straight" men who are eager to participate in gay sex is alarming. What once was just another cliched porn theme has now emerged into the real world as a belief system complete with its own hierarchy of desirablity on full display on any internet sex site. While to some extent this may only involve fantasy role play, by it spilling into reality it's beginning to cost us our health. Not just our emotional health but our spiritual health as well.
And let us get into this fun subject of "gay for pay" while we're at it. How messed up is one's own sense of self when the idea of watching a man going against his own sexual drive--aided by god-knows-what--is actually a turn on? I could understand it if the point was to ridicule poor sexual performance, but it's not. It is merely a continuation of the belief that to be gay and open and honest about it is to be "less than," and openly gay men are making money off of it.
If I was just recently out these days, the very last kind of guy I would be chasing down would be someone who was closeted or even claimed discretion. It wouldn't be worth the medication nor the hit in terms of self-respect.
Pride 2008: Not Just For Us
But for everyone who has the courage to say this is who I am.
Pause today to think of what strides we have made and also what struggles wait ahead.
One day, perhaps sooner than we think, we may very well live in a world where the bigoted speech of a few is muted by the basic human compassion and understanding of many.
Pause today to think of what strides we have made and also what struggles wait ahead.
One day, perhaps sooner than we think, we may very well live in a world where the bigoted speech of a few is muted by the basic human compassion and understanding of many.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
If he's on the list, then what exactly is the criteria?
If it was April, then I would believe this was a joke, but apparently it's not.
Nelson Mandela & The ANC were on the US government's terror watch list.
That's right, Nelson Mandela was on the terror watch list and only now is the US government making an effort to get him off it.
In theory, this would mean that Oprah and a slew of other celebrities associated with a possible terrorist. Publicly. In front of cameras.
What idiot during the past 2 administrations kept the man that helped end apartheid (which ended over a decade ago!) on the terror watch list?
Nelson Mandela & The ANC were on the US government's terror watch list.
That's right, Nelson Mandela was on the terror watch list and only now is the US government making an effort to get him off it.
In theory, this would mean that Oprah and a slew of other celebrities associated with a possible terrorist. Publicly. In front of cameras.
What idiot during the past 2 administrations kept the man that helped end apartheid (which ended over a decade ago!) on the terror watch list?
Friday, June 27, 2008
The Zimbabwe Situation as I see it
Read the Wikipedia entry on Ian Smith, particularly on the fact that his old party is now the one of Mugabe's most prominent challenger.
Is anyone else thinking of a certain song by The Who?
Is anyone else thinking of a certain song by The Who?
Thursday, June 26, 2008
And now everyone can shoot themselves (part 2)
Interesting coverage of the Supreme Court handgun decision on the Journal Sentinel's NewsWatch.
Guess who supports the decision? Russ Feingold.
Then again he is from Green Bay and not Madison.
Proof that a broken clock can be right twice a day, I'm with Tom Barrett and Bloomie.
This country is too big with too many variables to really definitively say that handguns in the home are acceptable everywhere...at least when loaded.
Chris Rock was onto something when he said that "what we need is not gun control, but bullet control."
Guess who supports the decision? Russ Feingold.
Then again he is from Green Bay and not Madison.
Proof that a broken clock can be right twice a day, I'm with Tom Barrett and Bloomie.
This country is too big with too many variables to really definitively say that handguns in the home are acceptable everywhere...at least when loaded.
Chris Rock was onto something when he said that "what we need is not gun control, but bullet control."
And now everyone can shoot themselves
So the Supreme court says that an individual has a right to have a handgun in their own home.
But the question is why would a person feel compelled to do so?
The one thing that I believe--and I admit that I am not a legal scholar--that the majority is missing is that the Constitution was meant to be flexible. If it wasn't I would (as well as Clarence Thomas) not even be considered a citizen, or even a human being.
Now I wonder if the Court is now courting (no pun intended) lawmakers to put a law--or even an amendment--in place that would put in no uncertain terms that handguns have no business being in someone's home in this day and age where we do not live under the tyranny of British troops marching in unannounced into our homes.
But the question is why would a person feel compelled to do so?
The one thing that I believe--and I admit that I am not a legal scholar--that the majority is missing is that the Constitution was meant to be flexible. If it wasn't I would (as well as Clarence Thomas) not even be considered a citizen, or even a human being.
Now I wonder if the Court is now courting (no pun intended) lawmakers to put a law--or even an amendment--in place that would put in no uncertain terms that handguns have no business being in someone's home in this day and age where we do not live under the tyranny of British troops marching in unannounced into our homes.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Just nationalise the damn thing
American outlines more cuts.
Dear lord, if the government effectively saved Bear Stearns, then why can't they just take over American and United. It's like the airlines are daring them to come in and do so.
Dear lord, if the government effectively saved Bear Stearns, then why can't they just take over American and United. It's like the airlines are daring them to come in and do so.
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