Month: September 2009

civil rights, listen up!, that is so gay, tragic, venting, wtf?!

Atlanta gay bar, The Eagle raided

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UPDATE on the Eagle raid: I no longer THINK this was discriminatory, I know it was. This comment literally send shivers down my spine:

Du-Wayne Ray, store manager of Rawhide Leather, which operates below the Eagle, said that he and one of his employees heard one white uniformed officer say to another, “This is a lot more fun than raiding n***ers with crack.”

Ray said he was handcuffed for an hour-and-a-half to two hours on the back deck of The Eagle, and said, “A lot of anti-gay comments were made.”

This is an outrage. Atlanta police should be extremely forthcoming with formal apologies to anyone and everyone involved; additionally, a formal apology to the gay community should be submitted. This level of discrimination is shocking and unbelievable; especially when it comes from the very people that are supposed to keep us safe. Bigotry in any form cannot be tolerated, and this again, is just shocking to know that it came from Atlanta police officers.

I honestly can’t believe that this happened, here in Atlanta, last night. I thought we were living in a more progressive city, but it just goes to show, you aren’t safe from discrimination anywhere.

civil rights, hmm interesting, is it just me?, that is so gay, venting, wtf?!

a lot of little things really add up

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I just took a survey in order for $20 credit added to my account for a website I bought a product from. To be quite honest, I was sort of offended that I was not given any option other than single, married, widowed, divorced, or separated in the relationship question field. Since none of those apply to me, I left that question blank, but the survey wouldn’t submit without it, so I had to chose an incorrect response.

I know it may seem “meager” or “nit-picky” but it’s honestly little things like this that constantly reaffirm the second class status of gay people. I ended up emailing them, because sometimes, it really is simple ignorance, and I was hoping that was the case in this instance. Here was the email I sent:

I just took the survey on your website after committing to buy one of your products, and I find it interesting that you don’t offer an option for same sex couples. Clearly, we cannot get married in most parts of the US, as well as most of the world, and I am slightly offended that I was required to answer the question as a part of your survey; because I am neither single, NOR married. Granted, I didn’t have to take the survey, but since I did, I felt compelled to drop you a line to let you know that a simple inclusion field for partnered/in a relationship would clear this whole thing right up; that, or not requiring that I answer the question with an incorrect answer. Thanks, Duane Moody

They replied with:

Hi Duane,
You are absolutely correct. We need to fix this survey right away – and we will do so as soon as possible.

Like I said, this may be incredibly minor, but when you take a bunch of minor things (as well as some major ones) they start to really add up after a while, and every new one is just a reminder of every other one before it. I can now cross this one off the list, and appreciate the fact that they responded quickly and kindly. I am sure that a lot of people see it as complaining, and sweating the small stuff, but I see it as all part of the bigger picture. We have to be recognized as equal; not just considered later when we bring it up that we were excluded.

This is not really a “little thing”, but there was a raid on the Eagle last night, that reeks of Stonewall-esque civil rights infringement, and it really brings home the point that I am trying to make about our struggle being FAR from over. Some thoughts about the Eagle raid: while they may have gone in on suspicion of “seedy” behavior, and they may have been well within their rights to shut things down for not having the proper permit, from the sound of it, they had a very heavy hand in doing so. I know that if I would have been there, legally drinking in a bar, one that holds a legal liquor license, and would have been handcuffed OR searched, without explanation, I would have been outraged. Even though I wasn’t there, I can’t help but read this, feel as though The Eagle and its patrons were being targeted because it was a gay establishment. I don’t like to think those things, but the description (especially the recall of one person who was there) of the event, makes almost impossible not to.

Honestly, if it is what it sounds like it is, it is really unbelievable that it happened; not only in Atlanta, but in 2009. I, for one, would like to know why the cops aren’t out there working on stopping the violent crimes that have been escalating over the past couple of years; instead of raiding gay bars? If we have such a “shortage” of funds and police force, why are they focusing on the lack of a permit for dancers in a gay bar, instead of bigger, more dangerous stuff? Couldn’t they have issued some kind of warning, or citation that would certainly wouldn’t necessitate a raid? Again, the more I look at this situation, the more it reeks of discriminatory action. I’m interested to see how this Eagle raid story develops, and I hope that it doesn’t fall squarely on the ever-growing list of acts discrimination against gay people in this country; because whether the items are big or small, it’s a really long list.

funnies, mixed media, you tube

llamas are not kleptomaniacs

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I love llamas, and I am totally serious. I think they are absolutely adorable. While I think that the people in the video take things a little far with how intricately they dressed up their llamas, that isn’t why I posted the video.

There really are only two reasons for me posting this video: one, llamas are cute (which I already mentioned), and two, I absolutely love Rachel Mazac’s response to some woman asking her if her llama would eat her jewelery. I love that Rachel just rolls her eyes and says, “they don’t eat jewelery, they’re not kleptomaniacs”. So true Rachel. So true.

(seen on bestweekever.tv)

blog on blog

more content coming to this space!!

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The previous post is a taste of what’s to come here at duanemoody.com; (hopefully) lots more content! In an effort to bring more pizazz and zing! to this site, especially since it often lays barren, and without updates for days and days at a time, I have been looking into the concept of structured blogging; which involves sharing more content than just a post here and a post there. It seems that spreading out to other sites (while I do enjoy it, and it is good in and of itself), has caused me to neglect this space.

So, from now on, I plan on integrating reviews, links, and other fun content alongside my “regular” posts (which at this point, refers mostly to the 5SF). I hope that this will make my website more exciting, and allow me to bring more for you, my awesome readers, to enjoy.

yelp reviews

yelp review: Harmony Vegetarian

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My review:
I was really impressed by the selection, and the overall presentation of the food. As a vegetarian, it is nice to have a restaurant that caters directly to you, and Harmony rolls out the red carpet for every level of veggie eater.

I hate that people call it “fake meat”, because it isn’t fake anything; what it is, is a delicious vegetable based substitute that has a lot of the same flavor, and perhaps most importantly, a lot of the same texture as the meat it mimics. The amount of food that you get for lunch outpaces most places, and would do more than right for the vegetarian on a budget; for about $7, you get soup, appetizer, and a full delicious meal.

My only complaint would be that they are heavy handed on the salt, so make sure to order water, and have them keep bringing you refills. Other than that, sit back and explore; don’t be afraid to try something you wouldn’t normally try!! Everything I have had here was good.

As for your friends that insist on calling it “fake meat”, even after you correct them, just roll your eyes at them… there is nothing “fake” about being a vegetarian.

4/5 stars

all about me, show the love, venting

if you can’t say something nice

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… you aren’t supposed to say anything at all, right?

Well, that’s good advice for where I am at right now. Whether it is just general malaise for things that are going on around me, or outright disgust for others, I don’t have much in the way of positive words of wisdom right now; and I’m trying not to unleash a constant stream of complaints.

As such, I’ve decided to just see if it will blow over, and I am hoping that it will; much sooner, rather than later. Until that time, I will do my best to keep these feelings out of my mind, and off of my blog (this would be a reason for the lack of posts recently… that and the funk I’ve been in).

Despite all of the aforementioned negativity, I was introduced to Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka this weekend, and I would be happy to pontificate about its greatness all day long. Seriously, this shit is amazing. Thanks goes to Davidly for formally introducing me to what I am sure will become a new obsession of mine. It may be minor, but this little treat certainly cuts the focus on the cynical and negative, and that is definitely a good thing.

five song friday, movie musings, music musings, music suggestion

5SF: september 4

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Yesterday, I was thinking about what I was going to post today, and I had a little difficulty coming up with the five songs that I wanted to share. I decided to ask my fellow twitterati what they thought I should post, and I got several excellent suggestions; three of which I am actually going to feature today! Let’s get started! (Note: I think every song has a bad word or two in it, so don’t blast these at work unless you don’t care; just wanted to give the heads up)

The Swell Season – In These Arms
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_94_theswellseason-inthesearms.mp3]
This suggestion comes from my friend John, who caused immense excitement for me yesterday, when he messaged me that The Swell Season’s new single is already out (a fact that I was unaware of). John and I watched Once together a couple of years ago after the Oscars, and both of us agreed at that time that Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova (together, outside of the context of the movie, they go by The Swell Season) are downright brilliant actors and musicians. As for the new single, after 10 seconds of the 30 second preview, I knew that I was going to love this song, and it has not let me down. If this amazing first single is any indication of what we can expect from Oscar winning duo Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova (they won an Oscar for the song, Falling Slowly from Once), their new album will definitely be amongst my favorite albums of 2009. I’m glad that there is more coming from this incredibly talented music duo in the very near future, and a big thanks to John for bringing the fact that this song was already out, to my attention.

Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse – Revenge (feat. Wayne Coyne)
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_94_dangermouse-revenge.mp3]
This suggestion comes from my friend Brian. This track comes from an audio/visual collaborative project, helmed by Danger Mouse, called Dark Night Of The Soul. I love the John Lennon-esque vibe of the track, and the way it pays heavy tribute to Pink Floyd with the arrangement. The artistry of this song is beautiful, and it only adds to Danger Mouse’s incredible production range; his work spans from trend setting hip-hop teetering on the alternative, all of the way out to rock and roll. It seems whatever he’s up to, it’s something that is going to be at a minimum, innovative and interesting. A big thanks goes to Brian for pointing out this excellent suggestion!

Mew – Beach
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_94_mew-beach.mp3]
This suggestion comes from my friend Cody. The first time I heard this song, I found it to lean towards being a bit bouncy and unmanageable, but the more I listen to it, the more I hear the brilliance in it. The song is fantastic, and like a bucking bronco, refuses to stay still and let you reign it in. I love the backing synth, that reminds me of the ethereal quality of m83, and especially love the way they paired it with the sweet and tender vocals; together, they round out the package quite nicely, making for an amazing pop-rock track. I love arrangement, which sounds like it would be the perfect soundtrack for driving country roads with the top down. A big thanks goes to Cody for the amazing suggestion!!

Esmee Denters – Outta Here
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_94_esmeedenters-outtahere.mp3]
There is a lot of good music that comes out of the UK, and it never ceases to amaze me how much of it is completely overlooked by people in this country. This song was in the top ten on iTunes UK, and I had never even heard it before I stumbled onto it last night. After one listen, I sat there wishing it was songs like this that were dominating our radio airwaves, instead of songs from other tweens like Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus. This song has a banging beat, and a lot of energy. Esmee’s vocals are powerful, and a welcome addition to the “tween scene”; that is, if she can actually successfully cross the pond. The way I look at it, for each annoying track from Taylor Swift, if we could get a fantastic one like this one, there would be balance in the world. Turns out Esmee was a youtube star that Justin Timberlake caught wind of, and got her a record deal; maybe that’s enough for her to make it here. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

Alexisonfire – This Could Be Anywhere in The World
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_94_alexisonfire-thiscouldbeanywhere.mp3]
I will start by saying that I have never been a fan of post-hardcore shout rock, and I have never seen any value in it (I don’t get the screaming). However, as many of you know, one of my favorite singers of all time, Dallas Green, actually plays in a post-hardcore band, Alexisonfire. Since I love his side acoustic project, City and Colour, so much, curiosity eventually got the better of me, and I wanted to see if I could find any Alexisonfire that I would like as well (my philosophy was, more Dallas is a good thing). With the release of their new album, Old Crows/Young Cardinals, I ended up finding one track that I liked right off, but still stood firm in believing that I probably wouldn’t listen to them, as they “weren’t my cup of tea”. Well, apparently, that has changed. I ended up FINALLY giving the rest of the album a listen, and I actually REALLY liked what I heard. It was then when I went back to see if I would like some of their older stuff, and I found this song, which is perhaps my favorite Alexisonfire track of all. I love the energy, and the way that Dallas’ voice soars during the chorus. I may never give shout rock as much of a chance as I did with Alexisonfire, but I can definitely say that I am glad I was able to overcome my initial skepticism, and given them a chance.

Well there’s your five songs for this Friday. Let this be a lesson; suggestions are more than welcome and many times, they will find their way into a 5SF of the future! So, let me know what you think of this week’s selections, and tell me what you are listening to as well. Finally, I want to extend another thank you to my twitter friends for hooking me up with three of these five fine selections. Now… let’s go enjoy a 3 day weekend, shall we?!

all about me, funnies

kids say the darnedest things

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A while back, my grandma shared one of the many, many stories of my childhood with me, and for the first time in a while, the story was one I hadn’t heard anything about before. Grandma is always sharing stories with me, and many of them, I have heard over and over, and for the most part, they are fun to hear, because that is a part of my life I can’t remember much of. Seeing as I thought I had “heard them all”, I was kind of surprised by this one, especially since has been sort of a running joke ever since it happened.

Sometime when I was around 5, I was playing with a stick, poking the ground, when a relative/neighbor’s dog that was nearby went running to the road. Being a young boy, I naturally ran after the pup, whose name was Spike. Upon seeing me run towards the road, my grandmother yelled for me to come back to her, upon which, I stopped in my tracks. This is where Spike laid down, and I went back to poking my stick at the ground. Since I didn’t go any closer to the street, Grandma continued her conversation where she was, and not long after, I came back away from the road when I grew disinterested in Spike. Upon returning to her side, she yelled at me, and told me not to go near the road, and to especially not to run after the dog, because he would most certainly run into the road, and if I were to follow, I could be killed. Apparently, it was then that I looked at my grandmother and told her not to worry, and gave her a good reason as to why I was perfectly safe the whole time. I told her, “Grandma, Spike was not going to go in the road, he was just up there resting his pussy.”.

Kids say the darnedest things, don’t they? Apparently, I was no exception.

is it just me?, listen up!, shiny stuff, well?, wtf?!

windows activation required

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I have a problem with my PC… can you help?! (And if you say, “get a Mac”, you should “get a life”, because I have one.)

So I noticed my desktop background was gone the other day, and I also noticed a new notice from Windows Vista on the right side of the tool bar, where the process icons run. This new process is asking me to “activate” or “validate” Windows, and when I click on it, it warns me that my key is not valid, which is completely not true.

I bought this computer a couple of years ago, and I have no idea why all of a sudden, Windows Vista would decide that the key was no longer sufficient. If anyone has ran into this problem, can you share your solution?
PLEASE NOTE: Solutions should not include:

  • Buying a new key for Windows Vista: because I shouldn’t have to pay for something twice.
  • Contacting the manufacturer of the PC: because last time I contacted the manufacturer of my PC, they simply noted I was out of warranty and wanted $59 an hour to “solve my problem”; which I got a friend to fix for free.
  • “Revert to XP”: because the damn PC came with Vista on it, and except for constant issues with iTunes, I hadn’t had any issues with Vista up until now.

I have not put in my key (that is located on the side of the PC), because I am afraid that it will invalidate that key (I am using logic to come to this conclusion, because that key should be the one that is already on file on the PC, because, again, it was the version of Vista that came with the PC), and I don’t want to risk ruining my current, legitimately paid for key. I am wondering if this is some virus or some issue/update/problem that does have a fix out there that I am just not presently aware of.

Any help is much appreciated.

funnies, listen up!, show the love

suckin’ it for the holidays

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One of my favorite comedians, the amazing Ms. Kathy Griffin just released her second comedy album, Suckin’ It for the Holidays last week; and what kind of fan would I be if I didn’t say something about it? I especially wanted to spread the word, because I only found out about it yesterday myself.

After one listen to this CD, I am reminded why I love Kathy so much; her brash sense of humor is consistently hilarious, and she is one person that always makes me laugh no matter my mood. Even when she is talking about celebrity gossip that I don’t have a clue about, she draws me in with the way she makes fun of it and tells it like it is. Kathy’s comedy is fresh, and always keeps you on your toes. You never know who she’s going after next, and you never know when she’s gonna run into them down the line (which always makes for a great story on its own)!

My favorite moments from this album are when Kathy is at her “worst” (i.e., BEST), saying the things that many of us may think, but won’t say. If you are fan of Kathy, you will love this CD, because it is another generous helping of her hilarious shtick that had me laughing for over an hour. I hope she snags another Grammy nod for this record, because this is one comedian that needs to get the recognition she deserves!