Community Matters

(Community Matters) On Marine Commandant Gen Amos

Jt. Chiefs Chair Admiral Mullen: I don’t think there is any question he can [implement DA/DT repeal]. In fact, I’ve spoken to him as recently as last week and he recounted a town hall that he had on the east coast recently and he was very clear and very public to his Marines and he basically said that if this law changes we are going to implement it and we are going to implement it better than anybody else. So I have great confidence in him that if it gets to the change in the law, that the Marine Corps will implement it as he’s described.

(Community Matters) I’ll try to draft better posts on the trip home tomorrow.

Hamlet (Royal National Theatre) – the play’s contemporary setting within a believable surveillance state brings one of Shakespeare’s most revered works (with as many famous quotes as any work – correct?) so much more within reach. I think it’d hold my 10yo nephew’s and younger godsons’ attentions. Nicholas Hytner, who runs the National Theatre, directed. An Englishman known to appreciate  low brow as much as high brow, is obviously less bound by formality – no doubt a gift which accounts for much the excellence we’ve seen at the National over the last seven years .  Rory Kinnear knocks it out of the park as Hamlet.  Saw him in Burnt By the Sun this summer. Clare Higgins stood out as Gertrude, as did Giles Terrera as Haratio.  I so want Robert Faires to see this production – he applies some of the same to Henry V.

Priscilla, Queen of Desert. My friend Paul Boskind is producing this musical in New York, so I promised I’d see the London version. I’ve walked by the Shaftesbury theatre hundreds of times, even taken pics of ST under the giant pump.  Of course, Ben Richards is gorgeous as Tick – so’s a newbie (Oliver Thornton) as Adam.  The show was fun; the audience found it hilarious. Not sure I’ve ever seen a standing ovation in London – though it was as much about wanting to get up and dance as anything. I need to guard against high brow biases myself – we enjoyed this.

The Readers Wifes Fan Club – I suppose this could count as a gay bar outing for us (only the 2nd in our 12 years together). This Duckie troop has performed at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern for 14 years.  We had a blast at the “post-gay culture” show, part experimental theatre, part pop video and part drag.

photo: Readers Wifes

(Community Matters) NO OTHER group endures this sort of shit without screams from every quadrant of society.  Where are the screams?

The American Family Association wants hospitals to be able to keep LGBT partners from visiting and from serving as medical guardians – go to hell you fuckers!

Vodpod videos no longer available.

(Community Matters) in the interest of public charity

PETA, werewolves

(Community Matters) It’s always a treat returning to Amoul’s, our favorite restaurant in London – doubly when our friend Zeina is there, triple when her mom (Amoul) comes out of the kitchen to say hello.  So, I guess today was quadruply lucky – Zeina took us to her mother’s & father’s home to see her brother’s latest work.

Jad Oakes

We’ve met Jad before, and Amoul has hung some of his and his grandfather’s masterful photography in the restaurant.  Jad’s latest is The Fallen, photographs of soldiers lost in Iraq and Afghanistan.  He’s collected many images of soldiers who have died from each of the countries and created an image by overlaying each of the photos from that country.  Because so many have died from the United States, he’s created an image by age of their death for US soldiers.  The image in the photo is the overlay of 485 US 21 year olds.  Jad’s published a run of only 12.

These are beyond striking.  As you flip through the pages (white gloves required),  you are able to see age, even some race – especially among the US pages. It’s an extraordinary memorial.  We spent time talking about mediums for a wider sharing of the visual memorial.  I choked up – it reminded me of the first time I saw hundreds of quilts on the mall.

you must see the images at the website – click here

(Community Matters) probably a good sign when Sen Nelson is pissed off. We need his vote damnit, otherwise I’d love to not worry. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1110/45393.html posted by Balckbertty

(Community Matters) Evidently Steven’s good karma allowed us to score really great seats (returns) to one of the few remaining performances of Song of the Goat Theatre’s Macbeth at London’s Barbican Theatre. It’s quite unconventional – think beautiful athletes and voices of an accomplished compline choir meet Shakespeare.

Song of the Goat is a current star of the avant garde theater movement.  They devised a musical interpretation of the classic using  Gregorian, Benedictus, even near-contemporary music with strong movement and a Japanese flavor. Before the play Steven and I were given a tour of the very minimalist set and met the lone musical accompanist who alternated between a Korean kayagum, a custom flute, a brass device which uses water to distort sound and is played with a bow, and a drum.  The musical accompaniment is near perfect.

The Rudes are teaching me to let go of literal translations and always logical interpretations.  I thoroughly enjoyed tonight’s performance – especially the striking voices of Gabriel Gawin (Macbeth), Anna Zubrzycki (Lady Macbeth) and Ewan Downie (Banquo).

(Community Matters) After a quick drop in to Paris (Steven has this thing for a particular pencil shop – I for a Japanese lunch restaurant), we’re here – a home away from home, the Fielding in Covent Garden.

Of course we’re booked to the nines – theatrically.  Tonight Macbeth, tomorrow The Readers’ Wifes Club, Saturday matinee: Priscilla (have to finally see this before I see Paul Boskind’s production in NY), evening: Hamlet at the Royal National Theatre.  And, darn sure we’ll have multiple meals at Amouls, hopefully with our friend Zeina.  I’m still trying to convince her mother for the garlic chicken recipe or to cater my 50th.

Today thru Sunday, all about Steven Tomlinson – he’s worked his tail off since we left home

(Community Matters) completely cut & pasted:

11/1/2010: Why Israel is a Rogue State, Gabriel Latner
The Cambridge Union Society held a debate on the motion that “Israel is a
rogue state” on October 21st.  The Balfour Street blog describes what happened:
In the end, the proposition was defeated, but the event didn’t proceed
without an unusual twist. It seems one of the members of the side in favor
of the proposition, a student who was apparently selected at random (or
not at random), decided to argue the point from a decidedly pro-Israel
perspective.

Continue reading →

(Community Matters) Schwarzer Hahn Restaurant reportedly the top restaurant in Germany’s Rheinland/Pflaz region – no arguments from either of us after dinner last night.  Chef Neugebauer and manager Andres Weber (pictured here) dish out their delicacies like jewelers display and coddle their most precious stones.  Love that Andres spent plenty of time with us, discussing my likes and dislikes before deciding which wines to pair with each course. The food so spectacular it really does exceed my range of taste and discernment.  And, we were introduced to complex, fine wines (all from the region) including sparkling pinot noir, riesling (natch), sauvignon blanc, a gran cru cuvee of pinot blanc & chardonnay and a table made cuvee of riseling brut and sweet riesling – he called the latter a troll schappen [I’m sure I wrote down wrong but phonetic].  Evidently the latter a regional tradition among friends who pass around the concoction before separating.

I’m gonna record each course below but this is for my own archival purposes.  Admittedly, not so interesting to anyone else.

Continue reading →

(Community Matters) Seriously, further consolidation of wealth and/or income risks the trust and optimism which are the fabric of our democracy. A 20th century study found that Americans didn’t begrudge the disparities in wealth b/c they felt opportunity was open to everyone and that their children would do better than them. And, growth of America’s middle class is what drove America’s economic engine. We are losing too many members of the middle class today – we have been for the last decade.

NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF in the New York Times

“And then I see members of Congress in my own country who argue that it would be financially reckless to extend unemployment benefits during a terrible recession, yet they insist on granting $370,000 tax breaks to the richest Americans. I don’t know if that makes us a banana republic or a hedge fund republic, but it’s not healthy in any republic”

article in nytimes

(Community Matters) Update:

Towleroad: Gay Groups: Harry Reid Will Bring Defense Bill to the Floor with the ‘DADT’ Repeal Measure Attached