of the gaycentric perspective.
...And another example of how the Colbert Report keeps on bringin' the funny. [Thanks Evan & Ken]
Virtual Earth is Microsoft's response to Google Maps. The satellite imagery site is leaps and bounds above the current Google model. Check it out for yourself. Pictometry, a Rochester-based satellite photo company is at the heart of the product. Stalk your house, your ex or your future ex at the click of an address. Can you name a few of the landmarks I pulled?
From the Advocate:Discussing a TV show her actor dad (Brandon Maggart) starred in, Fiona Apple shares her affinity for the gays:
"I remember an episode where a character came out to his father, and the father didn't accept him. I was 8 years old at the time, and I went right home and prayed to God—and I don't come from a religious family—that I would have a gay child."
Interesting iTunes celebrity playlists of late.
Brandon Routh, the once-unknown soap actor poised to launch the summers' biggest flick, adds his playlist to iTunes. Not much that's listed makes the gaydar go off. Routh gives props to his singer sis, Sara Routh, adding "You're Never Gone" to his top fourteen. "This song really says what Superman Returns is about. Bravo to my sis for hitting the nail on the head."
of course she's gonna throw a few family gems on her list. Janet "makes me wanna *%$#!" Jackson gives us what sounds are runnin' through her head. I do appreciate her shoutout to legendary makeup artist Kevin Aucoin, but could have done without the Sugarhill Gang addition.
Is it just me or do both playlists seem to have gone through the corporate machine before making their way to the music portal; they seem forced, sterile and all too strategic. I'm such a cynic.
Brandon Routh, the once-unknown soap actor poised to launch the summers' biggest flick, adds his playlist to iTunes. Not much that's listed makes the gaydar go off. Routh gives props to his singer sis, Sara Routh, adding "You're Never Gone" to his top fourteen. "This song really says what Superman Returns is about. Bravo to my sis for hitting the nail on the head."
of course she's gonna throw a few family gems on her list. Janet "makes me wanna *%$#!" Jackson gives us what sounds are runnin' through her head. I do appreciate her shoutout to legendary makeup artist Kevin Aucoin, but could have done without the Sugarhill Gang addition.
Is it just me or do both playlists seem to have gone through the corporate machine before making their way to the music portal; they seem forced, sterile and all too strategic. I'm such a cynic.
Breaking news: Kevin Richardson, the older, wiser member of the chart-topping Backstreet Boys, issues a statement, confirming rumors he's left the band: "After thirteen years of what can only be described as a dream come true, I have decided to leave the Backstreet Boys. It was a very tough decision for me but one that was necessary in order for me to move on with the next chapter of my life."
We are left to wonder: there was still a band for Richardson to leave?
Fanizzi's Restaurant, in Provincetown's east-end, is a great place to grab drinks and dinner, especially during the off-season. The restaurant recently launched a website, featuring two of my most favorite Ptown residents, Kim and Chuck, right on the front page. Even though the eatery has a great view of the harbor, nothing compares to the view of the two of them.
While you're on the west-end, be sure to pay a visit to Midnight Lounge's favorite store (and frequent advertiser) Utilities Home, online or in person!
Perhaps the most overlooked show of the summer is Lifetime's Lovespring International. Okay, okay, it may not be the most well-funded sitcom on TV, but if talent equates wealth, then this improv-heavy gem is richer than the oil barons in the White House.The sitcom follows a crew of clumsy matchmakers playin' yenta at an elite dating firm in California. And although the cast may not immediately seem recognizable, their bios certainly are. Jane Lynch (The 40 Year Old Virgin, Best in Show) Jennifer Elise Cox (Will & Grace, The Brady Bunch Movie) and Jack Plotnick (Girls Will be Girls, Down with Love) bring the show to life with their hilarious, largely improvised, characters.
Eric McCormack, post Will & Grace, has his hands in the mix as executive producer. I've only caught one episode, but I like what I've seen so far. Fellow W&G alum Sean Hayes has a cameo as a wife-eating widower looking to enter the dating pool again. Hayes was in his element with improv, but I'd almost rather see the cast left to their own devices and rely on each other, rather than star-heavy guests, to develop laughs.
The one to watch is definitely Jennifer Elise Cox. Her pre-occupied office executive assistant is dead-on and hilarious. I still laugh out loud each time I catch her in reruns playing Nurse Trainee Pittman to Debra Messing's Grace on W&G.Give your TIVO the command to record Lovespring International (mondays at eleven on Lifetime) and see for yourself how great the troupe can be!
- Check the show out my MySpace
**UPDATE: Check out this outtakes clip of Cox on Will & Grace as Nurse Pittman:
There's nothing I love more than a girl that can make me laugh, and Kira Soltanovich does it effortlessly. She's been a Girl Behaving Badly on Oxygen (now in syndication) and most recently on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno as the voice of the talking photo booth...We'll have an interview with Kira posted soon, but in the meantime click over to Kira's home on the web to view Tonight Show photo booth media clips and Oxygen's archived Girls Behaving Badly videos for a little introduction to Kira's satirical humor.
Related:
The Chelsea Handler interview (another Girl Behaving Badly!)
get your summer on with choice cuts supplied by uber-bloggers PopBytes, Popmuse and ArjanWrites:
- We dished about this last week; now you can check it for yourself. The Scumfrog rub of Paris Hilton.
- Popbytes drops some Lil Kim for us. I'm waiting for her Martha moment.
- Popmuse offers up the Beyonce and Christina Aguilera jams, dueling to bring it back old skool.
- ArjanWrites chats with dance act Madison Park and sneaks a few remixes our way.
- Midnight Lounge still stands by the song of the summer: Pink's "Leave Me Alone (I'm Lonely)"
Midnight Lounge gets to know Justin a bit better. Tough gig, I know. Now you can too...Don't be shy....say hi.
Been awhile since you've scoped out the other guys we've featured?
Here's a few of the favorites:
Doug
Vadim
Patrick
Jordan
She's big in the UK too.And for the very same reason why she's big with me. It's that damn voice. I have a thing for Leann Rimes. If you can get past the twang, perhaps you'll hear one of the strongest and most pure voices in contemporary music (yeah, that's a bold statement and I'll stand by it, damnit!)
Rimes recently released Whatever We Wanna, a pop album for the European market. It's doubtful the release will make it stateside, as her audience in the states is more hoedown than get-down. A release may also be hindered by the fact that This Woman (the 2005 country release) is still pumpin' out hits to C/W stations.
No worries though. I got the hookup. This blog gives a review and few mp3s away of the album. Be sure to download "Headphones", a personal favorite of mine.
The lead single "And it Feels Like" (Hi-Tack Mix) is also available.
...and the video for "And it Feels Like":
Cristal, the french champagne notorious for its extreme price tag and signs of affluency, will soon be finding sales drop significantly. Frederic Rouzaud, Managing Director of Louis Roederer champagne (and maker of the brand), came out against a large pocket of its' market: the hip hop community. Rouzaud says the attention the brand gets by those in the "community" is unwelcome.
Oh yes he did!
Club owner Jay Z has pulled the product off his shelf: "I view his comments as racist and will no longer support any of his products through any of my various brands including The 40/40 Club nor in my personal life."
it's a bitch fight, y'all! Rouzaud comes back with: "I'm sure Dom Perignon or Krug would be delighted to have their business."
Oh yeah, it's on! This is about as bad as if Macy's had pulled support of the gay community....oh, wait...shit. Never mind.
[Source: Dlisted via MTV UK]
Oh yes he did!Club owner Jay Z has pulled the product off his shelf: "I view his comments as racist and will no longer support any of his products through any of my various brands including The 40/40 Club nor in my personal life."
it's a bitch fight, y'all! Rouzaud comes back with: "I'm sure Dom Perignon or Krug would be delighted to have their business."
Oh yeah, it's on! This is about as bad as if Macy's had pulled support of the gay community....oh, wait...shit. Never mind.
[Source: Dlisted via MTV UK]
It's been a bit since we've added a new stud to our hallowed halls of MySpace men. Tommy's well worth the wait...He comes from the city of brotherly love. He's a Philadelphia boy with a smirk that instantly tells you he's the first to cause trouble, but also one that will melt your mom's heart.
Check out our latest Man of MySpace, Tommee-Boom-Box.
Matt Lauer is to Britney Spears as Martin Bashir is to Michael Jackson.Watch the coming undone of a pop star tonight, on Dateline.
Perhaps my favorite line to look forward to is Spears' response to driving Los Angeles with baby on lap. "I can't go anywhere without someone judging me. I did it with my dad. I'd sit on his lap and I drive. We're country." We're country, ya'll!"
If you can't contain yourself 'till the evening, JustJared has snippets. [Via JustJared]
The Pet Shop Boys latest release Fundamental hits iTunes weeks before its June 27th street date.I haven't had a chance to get into it yet, but Andy gave a first listen. Check it.
**Update - Be sure to also check out the Fundamental remix collection Fundamentalism, containing remixes by Richard X, Michael Meyer and more.
Buy Fundamental at iTunes
Oooh, she got a little crazy on her face. Shirley Phelps Roper speaks on behalf of the 100-member Westboro Baptist Church.
The new TV spot for the Dreamgirls flick debuted during the Tonys on Sunday. Somehow I missed it. Oh yeah, 'cause I wasn't a good gay and watched them.
Here's the trailer: [Via Dlisted]
Here's the trailer: [Via Dlisted]
We create our existence. We nurture and cultivate our environment. We surround ourselves with love and laughter. With joy. There are times when we must step outside of our circle and face the lives of others. And as wonderful and brilliant as that can be, there are other times when the love we carry inside of us goes missunderstood. I'm sure most have heard by now of the horrendous assault that occured in New York's East Village late Saturday night.
Gay icon and club impresario Kevin Aviance was left for dead after being assaulted by six to seven teens. Aviance spoke with the New York Post on Sunday. “They kicked me in my back. They kicked in my knees. They just kept kicking. They kept yelling ‘fucking faggot!' I thought I would be dead. I really thought they were going to kill me.”
Given this crime occured in the midst of Pride celebrations across the country, one is left to question our safety. As far as we feel we have come as gay men and women, we stumble each time a situation, like the one involving Kevin, occurs. It is during this time of celebrating our pride that we recognize our progress, but also the obstacles we need to overcome.
And of course during these moments of progress we simply need to be entertained. Pride parades across the country feature performers like Kevin. Many of whom actually make their living entertaining us; making us laugh, sing and find the pride inside of us.
Ari Gold reaches out in light of Kevin's assault and reminds us that Kevin is indeed a working performer now left without a gig or two 'till he heals. The singers' jaw is wired shut due to the beating.
With this in mind, please support Kevin. Buy his music. Talk about him on your blog. To your friends. Watch a video or two. Popmuse has "Rhythm is My Bitch." Remind yourself what a brilliant performer Kevin is. I've had the pleasure of meeting him in the past and he is perhaps the sweetest and most unassuming person. In heels.
Buy Kevin at iTunes: "Give it Up". Even if you own it, buy it again. It's that good!
Kevin's 2002's "Alive" resonates now more than ever:
Gay icon and club impresario Kevin Aviance was left for dead after being assaulted by six to seven teens. Aviance spoke with the New York Post on Sunday. “They kicked me in my back. They kicked in my knees. They just kept kicking. They kept yelling ‘fucking faggot!' I thought I would be dead. I really thought they were going to kill me.”Given this crime occured in the midst of Pride celebrations across the country, one is left to question our safety. As far as we feel we have come as gay men and women, we stumble each time a situation, like the one involving Kevin, occurs. It is during this time of celebrating our pride that we recognize our progress, but also the obstacles we need to overcome.
And of course during these moments of progress we simply need to be entertained. Pride parades across the country feature performers like Kevin. Many of whom actually make their living entertaining us; making us laugh, sing and find the pride inside of us.
Ari Gold reaches out in light of Kevin's assault and reminds us that Kevin is indeed a working performer now left without a gig or two 'till he heals. The singers' jaw is wired shut due to the beating.
With this in mind, please support Kevin. Buy his music. Talk about him on your blog. To your friends. Watch a video or two. Popmuse has "Rhythm is My Bitch." Remind yourself what a brilliant performer Kevin is. I've had the pleasure of meeting him in the past and he is perhaps the sweetest and most unassuming person. In heels.
Buy Kevin at iTunes: "Give it Up". Even if you own it, buy it again. It's that good!
Kevin's 2002's "Alive" resonates now more than ever:
Jody Watley. 2006. The "Borderline" video. Enjoy.
Summer's heating up. So are things at the lounge. Click back for more men of MySpace shortly.
The guitar riff is like a Flock of Seagulls on 'roids. It's really that good. Documenting the walking contradiction of crazylove, Pink travels that familiar road to relationship discovery on my favorite track off I'm not Dead. It's been my most-played song on my iPod, and for good reason.
With lyrics like:
"No you can't, hop into my shower
All I ask for is one f*ckin' hour"
and
"Go away come back / go away come back
Why can’t I just have it both ways"
"Leave me Alone (I'm Lonely)" is my summer anthem. Now it can be yours too:
Pink - Leave me Alone (I'm Lonely) Mp3
Related:
Pink - Who Knew (Bimbo Jones Mix)
With lyrics like: "No you can't, hop into my shower
All I ask for is one f*ckin' hour"
and
"Go away come back / go away come back
Why can’t I just have it both ways"
"Leave me Alone (I'm Lonely)" is my summer anthem. Now it can be yours too:
Pink - Leave me Alone (I'm Lonely) Mp3
Related:
Pink - Who Knew (Bimbo Jones Mix)
I'm probably giving myself some bad karma for posting about this, but I chuckled after reading this article. Okay, I flat-out burst into laughter, if only because of the quote.The downtown Rochester commute nearly came to a halt this morning after local motorists faced thousands of religious travelers en route to the Women in Faith conference.
When asked about the traffic jam, sixty-year old Wolcott resident Lucia Monroe said "We just turned up our Christian music and didn't let it bother us."
Clearly, because of Christ's music, Monroe does not suffer from Intermittment Explosive Disorder.
...And you probably thought Paris Hilton couldn't get any more scummy, right? Think again.
Dutch DJ the Scumfrog is preparing to release a remix of Hilton's upcoming flop "Stars are Blind".
According to the 'frog:
"When I tell people about how I gave Paris Hilton a Scumfrog makeover, most of them don't suspect that I'm talking about an actual record, or song, as you will. But I need to tell you right now; Yes, Paris made a record, and no, it's not that bad. The original version of her single "Stars Are Blind" is a playful rip-off of UB40's number one 80's single "Kingston Town" where her vocals sound like Gwen Stefani. My remix is more like 8 minutes of electronic nastiness in which her slightly reduced vocals sound like Gwen Stefani on Ecstasy. You can hear the preview on the discography page and judge for yourself." [Thanks Evan]
I'ts not *that" bad, eh?
For a record more in-line with your listening pleasure, be sure to check out the brand new remixes of Tiefschwarz's "Damage" featuring Tracey Thorn. Originally released in 2005 as part of the Eat Books CD, the track is gettting revisited just in time for Thorn to stream through the speakers and onto dancefloors across the country. Although none of the mixes immediately inspired my rear to shake, I recommend the MOGG Man Band Remix.
Related:
Midnight Lounge interviews The Scumfrog
Flipside
That Voice
Commercial License
She's Back
Dutch DJ the Scumfrog is preparing to release a remix of Hilton's upcoming flop "Stars are Blind".According to the 'frog:
"When I tell people about how I gave Paris Hilton a Scumfrog makeover, most of them don't suspect that I'm talking about an actual record, or song, as you will. But I need to tell you right now; Yes, Paris made a record, and no, it's not that bad. The original version of her single "Stars Are Blind" is a playful rip-off of UB40's number one 80's single "Kingston Town" where her vocals sound like Gwen Stefani. My remix is more like 8 minutes of electronic nastiness in which her slightly reduced vocals sound like Gwen Stefani on Ecstasy. You can hear the preview on the discography page and judge for yourself." [Thanks Evan]
I'ts not *that" bad, eh?
For a record more in-line with your listening pleasure, be sure to check out the brand new remixes of Tiefschwarz's "Damage" featuring Tracey Thorn. Originally released in 2005 as part of the Eat Books CD, the track is gettting revisited just in time for Thorn to stream through the speakers and onto dancefloors across the country. Although none of the mixes immediately inspired my rear to shake, I recommend the MOGG Man Band Remix.
Related:
Midnight Lounge interviews The Scumfrog
Flipside
That Voice
Commercial License
She's Back
sorry for the lack of updates of late. More content to come. (photo courtesy of fellow Flickr member Troy)
Anderson Cooper's the latest to publish his playlist on iTunes. With ambiguous choices such as R.E.M., Nina Simone and New Order, bloggers now have even more fodder as they dissect his every gay move.I am surprised he doesn't list Scissor Sisters in his playlist however; he's mentioned the queercentric rockers in the past...
I've blogged a few times about my online addiction Lala.com. Lala allows members to trade CDs with other users for only a $1; each CD you agree to ship, you'll get one from your want list in return. This phenomenal service is still in beta, but midnight lounge has received a few invites to pass along to readers.Go a'head and drop me a note and I'll forward you an invite, soon enough you'll be all over lala too.
Our Memorial Day trip was fantastic. We rented a houseboat and cruised through the Thousand Islands region of Eastern Canada and Northern New York. Eric spent his summers on the St. Lawrence with his dad, commandeering sailboats and powerboats, so a return to the area as an adult was quite an experience for him. The seven of us launched La Baronessa (the name of the boat) in Champagne Point, just east of Gananoque, Ontario.Click here to continue reading…
...or skip to the Flickr photostream.
Here's a Rochester expressway billboard I couldn't help but snap.If you look closely, you'll notice Time Warner advertising Brokeback Mountain available On-Demand.
I couldn't help but find the fact the advertisement is a sign of subtle progress.
That and some clueless wives may not need a billboard to know it's on pay-per-view; it may show up on detailed billing.
Let's play catch-up:
There's something extremely intriguing about the fact that 50 Cent is man enuff to get his nails buffed while visiting Cannes. [Rod 2.0]
With first-week sales of more than 500,000, the Dixie Chicks' Taking the Long Way debuts at #1. Simply delicious. I'm a relative newcomer to the Chicks. I find this release to contain some of the strongest material I've heard lately. I recommend it to anyone in need of a shakeup to their iPod.
Superman Returns gets its box office debut bumped. Originally scheduled to fly into theatres July 4th weekend, it's now to debut two days sooner to capture more box office boffo. Some folks "in the know" say it's a strategic move to capture some of the dollars studio execs had hoped to gain from the box-office bomb named Poseidon.
There's something extremely intriguing about the fact that 50 Cent is man enuff to get his nails buffed while visiting Cannes. [Rod 2.0]
With first-week sales of more than 500,000, the Dixie Chicks' Taking the Long Way debuts at #1. Simply delicious. I'm a relative newcomer to the Chicks. I find this release to contain some of the strongest material I've heard lately. I recommend it to anyone in need of a shakeup to their iPod.
Superman Returns gets its box office debut bumped. Originally scheduled to fly into theatres July 4th weekend, it's now to debut two days sooner to capture more box office boffo. Some folks "in the know" say it's a strategic move to capture some of the dollars studio execs had hoped to gain from the box-office bomb named Poseidon.
MAC cosmetics celebrates 20 years of Fashion Cares in Toronto this weekend. Scheduled to appear is Jennifer Holiday, (my girl) Jody Watley, Pam Anderson and more. I was hoping to make it but other plans got in the way. If you're in Toronto, GO!
It's a Kathy Griffin blitzkrieg this summer: each time you turn the channel there's a chance you'll land on her. The second season of My Life on the D-List premieres next week on Bravo. She's also got judging duties on NBC's fourth season of Last Comic Standing (a guilty favorite of mine.) Griffin wants OFF the D-list and *you* can help. She'll become a Scientologist for her fans...now that's what I call a giver!
It's back. Fox's summer filler So You Think You Can Dance debuted last week. One dancer in particular stole my heart during the auditions: Victor of the Sickstep crew. He's so damn cute! Be sure to pay a visit to Rickey for your fix of all things Dance.
It's been awhile since I got myself into a movie theatre. We decided to avoid the heat, so Eric and I made it to a showing of X-Men: the Last Stand (heard of it?) last night. I don't need to get into the details of the flick as everyone on this planet seems to have seen it already, but the movie was just as I expected. I knew going that the character of Storm (thanks to a post-sequel best actress Oscar win) would be bolstered more than before and that Wolverine would "save the day" (oops, did I give it away?) Being a fan of the first two, I was satisfied, but not with the same adulation I had for the first two. I adored Kelsey Grammer in the Beast role, and wished they had given us less Storm and more Angel (the gay subtext was brill.) Oh, and Juggernaut and Mystique were strong players too. I guess I'm a cynic but I think I just may miss Bryan Singer having his eye behind the lens, I dunno.
Before the flick, a trailer for My Super-Ex Girlfriend came up. It stars Uma Thurman and Luke or Owen Wilson as boyfriend / super ex-girlfriend. Yawn. Only when Rainn Wilson (Dwight from The Office) had screentime did I seem to perk up. The movie looks forgettable, but I hope Rainns' agent continues to cultivate quirky, off-center roles. Between playing strange on Six Feet Under and The Office, he's got a gimmick and should stick to it.
I am hooked on the CD-swapping site lala. I've discovered old and new music I probably wouldn't have bought otherwise. Right now I'm playin' the hell out of Bette Midler sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook at the moment. Other swaps I've taken great pleasure in receiving: Pussycat Dolls' PCD (guilty pleasure, don't tell anyone), Wham!'s 1987 farewell disc Music from the Edge of Heaven, and more.
Knowing little to nothing about photography, I was rather pleased with this image, snapped Saturday morning atop Camelot Island, near Gananoque, ONT.
Perhaps one of the most glorious sunsets I've seen in quite some time, as seen docked at the Gananoque marina Sunday evening.
...and another pic from our tour de Canada. This shot captures the boat crew docked at the Gananoque marina on Sunday evening. This small Canadian town turned out to be a rather interesting waterfront village. The breathtaking sunsets and the restored victorian-era residences had us singing "Oh, Canada..."
By the way, the table covering was not boat-sanctioned. I found that after rummaging through the deep-discount bin at Target. Its cheekiness blended with everything else the boat had to offer...
...back after a little holiday break. I'll post more pictures and commentary as time allows. Here's one of my favorite snapshots from this past weekend. This one was taken atop Camelot Island (part of the National Parks of Canada.)
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