Month: September 2009

flickr, near and dear, photography, show the love

weekend walk through the park

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Yesterday, James and I took the doggies out to the park for a nice walk, and I took my camera, and snapped some great pictures. Here are a few of them:
us at the park
mr. pickles looks intense
*sniff*
This was actually Mr. Pickles’ first visit to the doggie park. He had a lot of fun, while Sydney did his typical, “why are there other dogs here?” stand offish thing. It was a nice little Sunday afternoon thing to do with my family, and hopefully, will motivate me to continue to taking more pictures; something that I REALLY need to do.

five song friday, music musings, music suggestion

5SF: september 25

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Y’all ready for another fabulous 5 tracks selected just for your listening pleasure today? Well, you better get ready, because here they come! Editor’s Note: This should have been released to the internets yesterday, but due to some scheduling issues, the presses were shut down for the evening, forcing us here at duanemoody.com to publish as soon as we could today. Our deepest apologies for this mix up.

Sugababes – Easy
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_925_sugababes-easy.mp3]
I wanted to pay tribute to the change in line up of a certain amazing girl group; a change that very well may spell the final fate of that very band’s future. Earlier this week, the last remaining original Sugababe was handed her walking papers, and while only time will tell what will happen with the ever changing group in the future, one thing is certain; they have had some major hits, and in looking back, I see that they have been a major presence on the 5SF. As such, it only feels fitting to offer up a hit from their past to show a bit of love for these fine ladies. This song was one of the first songs (that wasn’t just a re-recording or extra track added to a re-release) that was released after adding Amelle to the group (who replaced Mutya), and I think it is definitely one of their best. I love this song every which way, and the slutty lyrics and double entendres are just too wonderful to ignore. I don’t have much hope for the ‘Babes now that the amazing Keisha has left the building, but if this song is any indication, they certainly have the ability to keep moving when things change suddenly and drastically. Let’s hope the future looks bright for the NEW Sugababes.

Anouk – Lay It Down
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_925_anouk-layitdown.mp3]
AMAZING. That is one word that could easily be used to describe Anouk’s voice. I have featured her on the 5SF before; it was after hearing her amazing Lost on So You Think You Can Dance. Other than that song, I didn’t really seek out any of her music at the time… until recently. I am always scouring new releases for something new to check out and listen to, and I noticed that Anouk’s new album (with intense and quite amazing cover art) was released last week. As such, I figured I’d give it a go, and I am so glad I did. There are some massive songs on this album, and this one is my favorite. I absolutely love the power in her voice; she could jump a car battery using her vocal cords. This song is incredibly beautiful; the arrangement, lyrics, vocals, and all. I’m glad this one made a blip on my radar screen, because it is truly a wonderful find. As my friend Deb and I were discussing just yesterday about the album, it really is a wonder why Anouk isn’t more famous here; she is an amazing musician.

Monsters of Folk – Dear God (Sincerely MOF)
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_925_monstersoffolk-deargod.mp3]
This light and airy number from this band of folk masters is truly a delight. I heard it randomly on the radio, and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the harps as they combine with the drum machine and the deep backing bass. The delicate vocals are woven in beautifully, and make for a truly beautiful song. If you are a fan of any of these guys or their respective bands (M. Ward did solo stuff and is in She & Him, Connor Oberst did solo stuff and is in Bright Eyes with Mike Mogis, and Jim James is in My Morning Jacket), you will definitely hear their influences weighing heavily on this track, and you will probably enjoy their work together, just as much I do.

The Lovemakers – Love Is Dead
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_925_lovemakers-loveisdead.mp3]
This song didn’t really make such a big splash with my initially, but upon a second lesson, I fell really hard for it. This track was offered as a free track on iTunes a week or so ago, and I always give those tracks a listen; just in case. This time, it paid off, because I absolutely adore this song. It has the energy and spunk of the Sounds’ No One Sleeps When I’m Awake, and throws in a bit of that light, syrupy goodness of bands like the Lightning Seeds and the Pet Shop Boys (especially with regards to the male vocalist). Overall, it was a great find that lead me to checking out their recently released album, Let’s Be Friends; which has several other great songs on it as well.

Madonna – Celebration
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_925_madonna-celebration.mp3]
I give in. I cannot resist anymore. This song is by Madonna, and it is BRILLIANT. I want to dance all fucking night long and this song fills me with a gay glee that I cannot fully describe in words. As many of my friends will most certainly recall, I have been sort of hard of this old cougar over the years. Madge hasn’t ever really been a staple part of my music collection, mostly because I don’t ascribe to praising someone for EVERY SINGLE THING THEY’VE EVER DONE; which is something I see a LOT of gay men do with Madonna. For me, that which I would consinder her biggest misstep (Ray of Light) won a fucking Grammy, and as such, I think I have punished her (perhaps unfairly) for it ever since. Well, after hearing this song a few weeks ago, when it was released as the lead single on her upcoming hits collection with the same title, I will admit that I resisted it. I resisted hard. But her rock hard thighs and sveltely toned arms danced and pounded their way into my heart. This song is massive, and I definitely believe in giving credit where it is due; and Madonna, you deserve a standing O for this one, baby.

I hope you enjoyed the tracks that I picked for this week’s Friday five, and I hope that you will let me know what you thought. I also hope that you will let me know what you are listening to, as I always have my ear out for the next thing that will blow me away. Have a good weekend, kids, and if you are in Atlanta where the forecast is rain, stay dry and stay safe.

all about me, is it just me?, mixed media, near and dear, that is so gay

so you’ve known all along?

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It is no secret that I have been thoroughly enjoying the new show Glee, that it seems everyone is talking about. However, this post really isn’t about Glee. While I find the show funny, sweet, endearing, the times where it has proven to be an intimate portrait of real life are what have really struck a cord with me.

Now, I am going to say this to warn you, I am going to discuss something that happened on the show last night, so you have been forewarned of spoilers, and should stop reading now if you haven’t seen the episode/don’t want to see this spoiler.

On last night’s episode, Kurt came out to his father (he came out in the episode before it too, and while I’m glad they covered him coming out, I really hope the whole season isn’t Kurt coming out to people) and while I thought it was really touching, it was what was said said during their conversation that really hit me. Mike O’Malley (who’s kind of adorable) played Kurt’s father, and after Kurt came out to him, he said to him, “I’ve known since you were 3. All you wanted for your birthday was a pair of sensible heels.”. While his follow up was hilarious, I can’t help but focus on his initial response: “I’ve known since you were 3.”. For me, an unavoidable question arose when I heard that statement: why didn’t you say anything, then?

This reminds me of a scene from the first season of (the American version) Queer as Folk, where Justin’s mom Jennifer is talking to Debbie about their respective gay sons. Jennifer was having an issue with talking to Justin about it (I think it was about getting confirmation that he was indeed gay), when Jennifer said something to the effect of “when did you know your son was gay?”. Debbie’s response really resonated with me in the same way Kurt’s father’s response did; however, she took it a crucial step farther. Debbie tells her that she had always known, and quips to Jennifer that parents always know; which is the reason that she went to her son and talked to him about it, so that he wouldn’t have to face the difficulty of coming to her on his own.

What I wanted to get at with writing about this is, if parents know their child is gay, why don’t they talk to them about it, instead of making us go through the process of coming out? Even if you aren’t 100% sure your child is gay, at least going to them, and talking to them makes it easier for them to know that things are going to be okay. Coming out was one of the hardest things I have ever done, and unfortunately, I got that same response from my parents, “we’ve always known”.

This time I was asking myself: since they knew, why didn’t they say anything? Since they knew, why did they make me go through the pain of having to come to them, on my own, to tell them? I am sure they had to of noticed how hard it was for me to do it, and what I went through all of those years prior to your official confirmation, so again, why did they wait?

I think that many parents are afraid to take responsibility for things, and as such, are afraid to talk to their kids about things that are affecting them. This is a major reason why some parents are terrified to talk with their kids about sex, which, just like ignoring the gay issues, has its own set of consequences. It’s incredibly difficult for me to understand how you can be someone’s parent (or guardian), and not want to protect and love your child as much as humanly possible. It would seem to me, that this would include making things better for them in any way I could (in this case, making their lives easier by helping them come out by going to them first and letting them know it is okay).

Unfortunately, I know there are people out there that are just downright horrible people, and many of those people would likely cause harm to their child if put in this situation; and as such, these are not the people I am asking to answer this question. A friend of mine in college named Mandy was thrown out by her parents when they found out she was indeed a lesbian, and they cut her off completely. People like that should really be ashamed of themselves, but are clearly so selfish, that I am certain that isn’t possible. Yet, parents that aren’t horrible people like the ones I just mentioned, still let their kids go through the painful process of discovering who they really are alone. I just don’t get it.

I once dated someone whose parents came to him and discussed his sexuality before he came out to them, and they had an amazing relationship. I always admired them for their being so forthcoming with him, and making the issue of his sexuality something that helped him, instead of hurt him. By opening up to him, he wasn’t forced to go the often difficult journey of discovering who you are, and coming out, alone. Seeing it practice even strengthened my curiosity as to why so many parents don’t do the same thing his parents did for him.

I can tell you, that if I ever have kids, no issue will be “off the table”. I think one of the best ways you can show your child that you love them, is by not keeping vital information that you know they are struggling with to discover themselves to yourself; the damage that could arise always outweighs the discomfort you might feel engaging in a sensitive conversation. If there is anything that I would want to come out of this, is if any parent reads this, and you think your child might be gay, talk to them about it. The worst thing that could happen, is that you make their life easier in the process; and isn’t that what every good parent wants for their child?

flickr, happenings, tragic

atlanta flood 2009

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I, like many of you, heard lots of reports of how bad the flooding was out there yesterday, and I don’t think I really realized it until I was driving home and saw this:
Ok I believe it's bad.
While I know my personal observation was relatively minor compared to everything else that went down, I have to say that the whole thing is rather scary. Also, it has me reliving when hurricane Floyd came through Greenville, NC, and the whole town was practically underwater because of the surge of the Tar River. I was in college at the time, and luckily, I lived in the dorms, so I personally was relatively “untouched” by the storm (well, except for being out of school for 2 weeks, and being forced out of the dorm because of water contamination). Well, that, and a lot of my friends lost their homes, cars, and most of their possessions, and it was horrible. I remember the aftermath of the storm, and the times after the flooding were almost worse than the actual flooding, so I know there are many Atlanta residents that have a long journey ahead of them.

My heart goes out to anyone that was touched by this unusually heavy storm; I hope that everyone is safe and their homes are safe as well. Luckily for us, we just lost power for a few hours, and that was the worst of it. I just hope that things don’t continue to escalate for those that have already suffered. If you are still out there facing the flooding, please, stay safe. I only hope that the coming days of forcasted rain don’t make this dire situation even worse.

happenings, music musings, you tube

last original sugababe leaves

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According to the Sugababes’ website:

The current line-up of the Sugababes has disbanded.

Heidi Range and Amelle Berrabah will continue as the Sugababes and will be joined by new member Jade Ewen. They release their album ‘Sweet 7’ on November 23rd through Island Records.

Keisha Buchanan will continue to record for Island Records as a solo artist.

Well, there go my hopes for their next album being better than Cat Fights and Spotlights, and thier chances of finally “breaking” the American music market are definitely going to diminish (even further) without Keisha. Oh well… at least we still have Push the Button, right?

is it just me?, music musings, you tube

shakira in a sparkly vagina cave

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I wouldn’t consider myself a fan of Shakira’s new song, She Wolf, and the video isn’t really something that I would consider my cup of tea. I’m not referring to her hyper-sexuality in the video, nor her basically thrashing around in almost no clothing (a flesh colored outfit! I get it!). I’m talking about the fact that she spends a fair amount of time in the video dancing in a giant sparkling vagina. Here are some screenshots:



I guess, mostly, I just wanted to know what being a “she wolf” has to do with dancing around in a sparkly vagina cave. If the sly look in the last screenshot says anything, apparently for Shakira, it means something. What that is… I don’t know.

AAAwoooo!

five song friday, music musings, music suggestion

5SF: september 18

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I’ll be honest, I didn’t post the 5SF last week because I was wrapped up in the Eagle raid. That being said, I am still in awe that it happened, and as more information comes out about it, I am more and more surprised at how it looks to be blatant homophobia. It’s extremely disappointing all around.

I am not skipping this week, though. This week’s picks are all strong, and most of them are major finds. I hope that you enjoy them, and I hope it gives you at least a few minutes to take your mind off of the whole debacle mentioned above. Let’s get started!

Priscilla Renea – Dollhouse
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_918_priscillarenea-dollhouse.mp3]
I discovered this song when I stumbled on the cutesy video on youtube one day last week. I instantly loved the production and arrangement of the song, and I was sure that it was another gem from production genius Max Martin. Interestingly enough, it isn’t him, but Benny Blanco, who’s worked with a lot of the same artists (which is probably why it sounded like similar production to me). I love the energy of the song (which has a lot of the spunk that major hits like My Life Would Suck Without You carry), and I especially like Priscilla’s voice; which sounds like it has some major power underneath it. This is such a cute little song, and one that I would expect to hear on the radio 1000 times.

A Fine Frenzy – Bird of the Summer
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_918_afinefrenzy-birdofthesummer.mp3]
A Fine Frenzy’s new album, Bomb in a Birdcage came out last week, and I have found myself falling deeper and deeper in love with it with each listen. There are some incredibly beautiful tracks on it (this one being one of the best), and while many people fell for A Fine Frenzy with her debut, for whatever reason, I wasn’t pulled in. However, that is no longer the case, A Fine Frenzy has delivered one of the best albums of 2009 with Bomb In a Birdcage, and this song is one of my favorites from the album. It is light, airy, and beautiful all over. I am glad that she snagged my attention this (the second) time around.

Noah and the Whale – Blue Skies
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_918_noahandthewhale-blueskies.mp3]
I posted about Noah and the Whale last year around this time, when I fell for their song, 5 Years Time; after it was featured in a Saturn commercial. Unfortunately, I didn’t fall any further for Noah and the Whale, and my interest never materialized past that one song. However, they recently released a new album, and I figured I would at least give it a listen to see if there were more gems like 5 Years Time on it, and what I found was surprising, and wonderful. This song stood out to me, because I absolutely love the arrangement. The vocals remind me of Peter Bjorn and John, and the music is something that should be played at a pivotal scene in a beautiful movie. After hearing snippets of this album, I am back on board with Noah and the Whale. It’s just like A Fine Frenzy, sometimes, it takes time… or another album.

Weezer – (If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_918_weezer-iwantyouto.mp3]
I will start by saying that I consider myself to be a fairly die-hard fan of Weezer. The Blue Album was one of my first CDs that I remember buying, and loving each song on it. Additionally, it is an album that really shaped the beginnings of my love for music. Each subsequent album showed that Weezer is a pop-rock band that is of a consistently high quality, and I have been a fan ever since. Amidst rumors of a break up after Make Believe (one of their best albums to date), Weezer quelled the fears of fans that didn’t want a break up to happen by releasing the Red Album, which unfortunately, I never really got into. There were some great songs on it, and it was definitely a good Weezer record, but for me, it was somewhat of a letdown. Well, a couple of weeks ago, a friend of mine on twitter said Weezer had a new fantastic song out, and after listening for like 5 seconds, I was in love with it. This song has all of the energy and cheesy sweet lyrics of the Weezer that I love. Rivers Cuomo is back in FULL FORCE, and this song should be a massive hit. I am hoping that their next album thrills me as much as this song does.

White Lies – Death
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_918_whitelies-death.mp3]
Sometimes hearing a song in context makes you realize how amazing it is; and that is exactly what happened to me with this song. I first heard this song back in March, when I posted about White Lies’ amazing track, Farewell to the Fairground. I really liked the song then, and really enjoyed much of their album, To Lose My Life. However, it wasn’t until I heard the song played in the background on The Vampire Diaries, that I realized just how incredible it was. It wasn’t even an important scene, but the way that it complimented the show, it really helped me to fully enjoy the song, and see intricacies and nuances I hadn’t heard in it before. I love when shows pay extra attention to the music that they play, because it is really appreciated by viewers like me; sometimes, that attention to detail will keep me coming back to the show time and time again. In this case, the show may be a bit hokey (think Dawson’s Creek… with vampires), but the writing is actually pretty good, and the music so far has been fantastic. It really sets the mood, and has done wonders for the show in my eyes. I can’t wait to see what gems they have for me peppered throughout each episode to come.

Well, there’s your Friday five. What do you think of this week’s selection? Please let me know!! Also, let me know what you are listening to, because I really, really want to know. Seriously, I love suggestions from people, and I always at least give them a go, so be sure to share them with me; you never know, I might feature one of your selections in the future.

civil rights, is it just me?, that is so gay, well?, wtf?!

Atlanta Eagle raid reponse: I’m calling bullshit

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The Chief of the Atlanta police says that the reason the Eagle was raided is because of complaints of (as well as undercover cops witnessing) sex acts and drugs being used. Yet, interestingly enough, no drugs were found when the raid happened. Perhaps most importantly, and why I am calling total and utter bullshit on that half-assed “excuse”, is that upon arriving at the bar, if sex acts would have been occurring, the undercover officers would have clearly seen them; yet, again, those too were absent.

So why was the raid even carried out? If the undercover officers were present prior to the raid, as was reported by the police, they would have been able to observe that NO sex acts were occurring, right? Yet, they continued with the raid; which makes this excuse invalid. Additionally, after the raid, and even after no drugs were found (the other so-called reason for the raid), they checked each person’s ID, and ran background checks in what seems like a clear attempt to “find something”. At best, the only claim that they have, is that undercover cops should have arrested someone having sex or using drugs at the time they witnessed it; otherwise, it’s a moot point, and frankly, a half-assed excuse that does not justify the events that occurred last Thursday night.

Now, I am not saying the Eagle is perfect by any means, but if you give two reasons why you raided a bar, and the treatment of its customers was harsh and anti-gay at best, you have to at least substantiate those claims in your explanation, Officer Pennington. Saying that it was “suspicion” isn’t good enough, especially when you again, consider the treatment of the patrons. This statement is essentially admitting that the police involved illegally detained people, searched them, and then illegally ran background checks on them; and that it is okay, even though they lacked the proper lawful permission to do so. I just want to know why the police, who are supposed to be bound by the law, are apparently above it?

This is the part of his statement that probably angers me the most (from the article linked above):

He also expressed regret that Danni Lynn Harris, the department’s liaison with the gay and lesbian community, had not been notified of the raid.

“She should have been invited,” Pennington said. If she had been there, the chief said, any inappropriate behavior by the officers could have been curtailed.

“This is very unfortunate this incident occurred,” Pennington said. “I’m sorry for what happened.”

So, Officer Pennington, their behavior should only be kept in check when another gay officer is around? I don’t know what bothers me more; the fact that she wasn’t there to “keep them in line”, or the fact that these officers are apparently such bigots at heart, that these checks and balances are even necessary. I thought policemen and policewomen were supposed to protect us, all of us; regardless of race, gender, religion, or orientation? Apparently, that only applies when your community liaison is present.

Again, I’m calling bullshit, Officer Pennington. I only hope the investigation of these events, is not over run with the deception that already clearly blankets this situation in fog. This was a clear violation of the rights of those involved, and I hope that the Atlanta police are held responsible for their actions. It boggles the mind to see that crime is escalating in the manner in which it is throughout Atlanta, yet, in a 1960’s fashion, police officers are beating down the doors of a gay bar because of suspicion that “something unsavory is going on in the dark”. It’s good to know that my tax dollars are hard at work.

all about me, happenings, hotness, show the love

six years

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me and james

We’ve had some good times, some not so good times, and mostly, some pretty great times over the past six years together. I’m hoping for many, many more years and wonderful times together. Happy anniversary, to my wonderful lover!

I noticed a lack of photos of the two of us when I was looking for one to post; something which I really need to remedy. This shot is of us last summer in NYC, on top of 30 Rock (hence why I am sweating profusely in the picture).