Category: hotness

happenings, hotness, mixed media, show the love

join me in welcoming the newest member of our family

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join me in welcoming the newest member of our family, originally uploaded by duanemoodydotcom.

TIVO HD is here!!! This morning, I was greeted by the sight of a new baby sitting on my porch, as I went out to go to work. I opened the crib, and inside, I found the newest addition to our family!

We welcome you with open arms, our beloved new Tivo. Today is a special day indeed, because even though Tivo HD is a new member of the family, it is almost like we have gotten back an old friend that we have missed for too long. Since the old Tivo wasn’t HD compatible, we had to say our farewells, and now, we are greeted by this new, shiny bundle of joy!!!

Rejoice! For the new technology is here!

I called Comcass(t) to see when I could schedule a cable card “installation”, and I was pleased to find out that I could go and pick up the cards myself; free of charge. If they would have come out, she said they would charge me $30 for EACH CARD. Fuck you ComcASS. Additionally, she wanted to “warn” me, of potential issues and problems associated with the cable cards. She said that first, I wouldn’t be able to order movies directly as I could with Comcass’ shitty DVR, and before she could finish her statement, I said, “I don’t do that”. Then, she started to tell me how the cable cards weren’t as good as the box, because the box is a direct connection or some bullshit. She also had the nerve to tell me that people complained because their cable cards got stuck in whatever they were putting them in. I replied with, “so, is this your way of keeping people stuck with the Comcast box?”. She immediately replied no, but I know that she was thinking the same thing; it is their way of keeping you tied to that shitty DVR.

Well, not for me. I cut off her rants about why the cable cards were bad, and told her, “it doesn’t really matter, because they are coming to my house”. I hung up with her after getting the address of the local Comcass place, and James is going by this afternoon to pick them up. Stay tuned for reports on the baby’s first steps and first words!!

Excitement, ladies and gents! Excitement!

hmm interesting, hotness, is it just me?, mixed media, sex (oh yeah), that is so gay, well?

humor… or just hot?

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It is no secret that the media loves to “push the envelope” by attempting to bring “humor” out of situations that, for whatever reason, they believe the “straight male” will find humorous; particularly, the depiction of gay kissing, groping, etc. Clearly evidenced by the recent movie “I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry”, it is clear that there is a fascination with man on man action, and whether it is used to attempt humor, or whether it is used to simply make fun of, one thing is certain; it definitely garners attention.

Many times, the attempt at “humor” will bring negative attention from the gay community, like with the Snickers ad that was played during the Superbowl; mostly because it crosses a line between being funny, and instead, seeks to make fun of someone/something. I think that regardless of where that line may lie, there is no denying that there is a constant obsession on man-on-man action; which is clearly evidenced by this ad campaign. The campaign is trying to get Londoners to come to Paris, and in this ad, they are showing how Paris is not only the city of love, but that it is also the city of humor. However, I have to ask; how is this ad humorous? Is it funny that men would kiss and grope one another in a clearly sexual position?

While I will admit that I am not an expert with regards to rugby, I know one thing for certain; rugby is a really hot sport to watch, and the players are a real distraction (i.e., they are hot). The grittiness of this contact sport, practices like a “scrum”, and the other close cornered activity that goes on during a match make this a visual delight for men that are sexually attracted to men (regardless if that is the intention or not). Additionally, I would argue that seeing the activities of the sport acted out, undeniably provide a visual display that borderlines on porn (or as Mark Simpson brilliantly calls it: sporno). What I find interesting, is that the men that are viewing these games and images of this sport (and others), along with the advertisers and the sports promoters, continue to pretend that these images and portrayals of “sporno” are not interesting to them sexually; even though they go the extra mile to portray them in such a sexual manner. I have to wonder; is it really done for humor, or is there some part of them that really thinks that it is just hot? If not, then why the emphasis on the more attractive men, and more sexually charged advertising?

I will gladly admit that this image is a distraction for me. I could just stare at it for a long time. I don’t think many would deny that this image is very sexual, and to many, extremely hot. I also think that was at least, at a bare minimum, part of the point, and I find it interesting that the motivation to make it so hot is there. This is especially interesting, considering the fact that straight men are “supposed to” “lack” sexual interest in the situation. I mean, you’ve seen a Men’s Health magazine, haven’t you? You can’t tell me that the images that they use in that magazine are geared towards men who are “so-called” “disgusted with the thought of gay sex”! It is practically a skin mag!

I mean, if men want to continue to deny that they are not looking because at least a tiny part of them is interested, intrigued, or at least on a small level, attracted to the image of the male form, that is fine, I actually have no problem with that whatsoever. However, I do ask that they keep bringing the goods, without crossing that line I mentioned earlier. I don’t care if they created this image for their ad campaign under the potentially false guise that it was “humorous”; because it clearly shows that there is a continued fascination with man-on-man action. The best thing about this ad, is that it does it in a way that is both subtle, as well as fucking hot.

I will always be fascinated by the fact that there is so much obsession with the male body, and even man-on-man sex, from straight men, especially when you consider that so many men will wince at the thought of two men kissing. It’s like the line that Christina Ricci delivered in the movie the Opposite of Sex:

Can I just say to all the girls out there…if you’re with a guy who groaned or made some crack during that little kiss…you’re with what we call a closet case. That’s the number one tip-off. Number two is if they freak out about gays in the military. You know, if they can’t discuss it without giggling about showering with guys…and bending over for soap and stuff. That’s not good. Real straight guys don’t spend a whole lot of time thinking about wet naked men, if you ask me.

While I think that she really has a point, I don’t think that just because a man thinks about other men, it necessarily makes him a closet case, or even gay. I think that we all have a fascination with the physical body, and men are naturally visual creatures. Also, I think that it would be correct to assume that men can appreciate, and possibly even enjoy, the visual aspects of the male body (or the actions in which it partakes). Regardless of the potential for wincing and making lewd comments, all while (possibly) secretly thinking that, “yeah, well, that is kinda hot”; I am just glad that they didn’t cross the line, and instead, went the extra mile for those of us that actually do enjoy seeing images like this. I for one, am very, very happy.

You’ve heard my spiel, so I want to know: what do you guys think? Do you think that there can be an appreciation for the male body without having to believe that you are gay, and therefore, freak out about it? I mean, there is so much homo-erotic subtext in sports, fraternities, and other male bonding rituals, that it can’t just be coincidental that men think about other men in “that way”; even though they don’t necessarily want to act on it. I think that if more men would just be okay with the presence of a potential “gay” feeling every now and then, the world would be a lot better place, you know? I would love to hear your thoughts on this; being the eternal anthropologist, this sort of thing is my bread and butter.

hotness, movie musings

I forgot to mention…

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We saw Transformers on Saturday, and that movie kicked some serious ass! I wasn’t expecting it to be as good as it was, and I was so pleasantly surprised, that I had to say something about it; I highly recommend it. It was cool to see this thing from my childhood amped up, and totally awesomely portrayed on the big screen.

Also, Shia LaBeouf completely carried the movie for the first hour. He is an awesome actor, and is totally hilarious. I have to say, the group of guys I went to see the movie with totally agreed; he is a little hottie, and definitely someone that we have a new-found love for.

If you aren’t so high and mighty (at the detriment of your own ability to enjoy a fun movie) that you feel movies like this are beneath you, I highly recommend that you see Transformers. (Think what I said about those people that negatively reviewed F4:ROTSS, who don’t like that type of movie). The story was actually really well done, the dialogue was laugh out loud funny in a lot of places, Shia LaBeouf was AWESOME, and the special effects were amazing. The action sequences were simply insane. I can’t wait for the DVD. This movie is a solid six out of six () easy, y’all.

happenings, hotness, listen up!, music musings, music suggestion, near and dear, show the love

the wait is over: Sara Bareilles – Little Voice in stores TODAY!!!!

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Alright kids, I may still be held up in the bed today, but that will not stop me from shouting my extreme excitement and praise for today’s release of this year’s BEST CD (Seriously, it is amazing), Sara Bareilles‘ delightfully and ironically titled debut, Little Voice.

As I have said many times before, I have been a huge fan of hers for years now, and not only am I completely honored to have met her, but I literally cannot say enough wonderful things about this amazing artist. If you are looking for the next big thing when it comes to music, look no further, because Sara is it. She blends perfect lyrics with pop harmonies that will blow you away. If you take a little bit from each of the following: Sarah McLachlan, Fiona Apple, Vanessa Carlton, and Regina Spektor; and mix it up a bit, polish it, refine it, and make it more sincere and beautiful, you would have Sara Bareilles.

I had the distinct privilege of discovering Sara’s amazing talent and music a few years ago, and I have been hooked ever since. I am elated to see that she is finally out on a major label, and if there is any justice in the world, she is going to be huge. Do yourself a favor, and go out today, and pick up the best album of 2007. Seriously, this is it, you guys… you won’t be sorry. Sara is amazing, and I am so excited to be able to tell you all about her, and better yet, be able to get her new album!!!

all about me, hotness, movie musings, near and dear, show the love, that is so gay, the catch-all-egory

I’ve got a little crush…

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YAY! We made it to Friday! I am super happy about this weekend, because I know that next week has a holiday right smack dab in the middle of the week; which always make the weekend seem that much better! Plus, everyone in my office is out on vacation, so that makes things super relaxed around here as well. Very, very nice.

Not too much going on today in duane-land, but I have to confess that I have more than a little crush (I know, misleading, aren’t I?) on Simon Pegg (who is being pulled in the picture by the also very handsome Nick Frost; which came from this great photography site). Not only is Shaun of the Dead one of my all time favorite movies, I have to say, that every time I see him, I just can’t get over how strikingly cute he is. Perhaps it is the nerd lover in me? Either way, we watched the movie Big Nothing last night, and it was quite hilarious. Simon Pegg is in it, hence today’s post… It is definitely one we will be adding to the DVD library. Dark comedies can be so fun, can’t they!? If you enjoy dark comedy, I suggest you check this one out, I liked it.

Other than that, I found out that I have $25 in reward zone cash from Best Buy. How sweet! Money for spending lots of money! I am going to swing by there and pick up something this afternoon… a treat!

Finally, does anyone have advice for selling things on eBay? I have thought about it in the past, and never followed through, but I was looking in my closet this morning at all the clothes that I no longer wear, and thought, hey, I should totally sell those on eBay! Just wanted to see what other people’s experiences were with selling on eBay, before I go barreling forward with my “new business”. HA! I always knew there would be a day those designer jeans would have a new home… perhaps that day will come sooner than expected; and in return, I can get a few extra dollars to boot!

Hope everyone has a great afternoon, and a superb weekend. Rock it!

all about me, civil rights, flickr, happenings, hotness, near and dear, photography, public health, that is so gay

pride 2007: recaps and reflections

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perhaps my favorite parade participantAs I stated on Friday, this weekend was the annual Pride festival in Atlanta. Let me start my recap and reflections post about Pride this year by saying, that it was, hands down, the best time I have ever had an any pride before. This year, we got a tent, and set up in the park; which was probably the best decision ever. But more on that in a bit… let’s get started.

First, Saturday morning, James left to go down to the park and set up with everyone, while I remained in bed (I am not a morning person). After setting up, he came home and picked me up, and we were off to the park. I took my camera (as my flickr contacts have already discovered), and started taking shots right when we got there. I didn’t get a lot of good pictures from pride last year because it was rained out, so I definitely wanted to make up for it this year; and I believe I did.

homo sex is sin-sational!I walked around the park with my buddy Josh, along with Daniel and Andrew, and we literally and only made a half of a lap before we were all four soaked with sweat. After seeing the sights for a quick round, we followed Josh back to his place, where some protesters from last year had set up camp. Josh, as he is known pretty well throughout the internets, got back at the protesters last year by “altering” their message; and we were here to capture it this time. I got a great shot of Josh changing their message of hate into something funnier, and something that offered a little bit of relief for the rest of us that hate to see these hate-mongers that parade around throwing the bible in our face. While we were over at his house, we made a mistake, and got into it with one of the protesters, who had brought his two young daughters out in the heat just to damn us to hell. What a prick he turned out to be. Everything that we would ask, he wouldn’t answer, and every time we would say things like “Jesus doesn’t judge”, he would tell us that he did. He was a whack job, as he turned the judgment argument into his personal mission statement, saying that it was he who was to judge. To that, I said that he must be God then, because the Bible says only God can do that. He didn’t like that very much. We also kept asking him if he really believed that he was going to convince anyone using his tactics, to which he would reply that “spreading the word was his mission”. I asked him how often he was out here “spreading the message”, which promptly shut him up about that. He also kept yelling about “accepting Jesus” as the “only way to salvation”, and I told him that I had accepted Jesus a long time ago (I have). What pissed me off, was that he just deflected that, and called me a queer living in sin, and damned me to hell anyway. Maybe he should read a little of that bible he was throwing in my face. When we walked away from him, I told him that I felt sorry for him, because I was certain that he was probably homosexual himself, and that he had to live his life in this horrible manner of self hate and denial. He didn’t say anything else and actually walked away. Hmm…

prideAnyway, back to the festival… We went back to our tent, drank and ate, and enjoyed each other’s company for the rest of the day and into the evening. As we sat in the scorching heat, we did talk about the reasons for pride, and we all agreed that we wished Judy could have held on a few more months, so Stonewall could have possibly happened in late September, and Pride could be held then instead. But, alas, June is when it is, and as such, it is why we were out there celebrating our ability to hold our heads high and come together as a community; showing the world that we are queer, and by saying it out loud, we are demanding that they take notice. It was a fun day.

donation flagSunday, we got out a little earlier, as James and I wanted to take advantage of the rapid HIV testing that AID Gwinnett was offering at their booth. I thought it was a great idea to have testing at pride, and we hadn’t been tested in a few years, so it was time. We are both negative (yay!), and there really was no reason to worry, as we are monogamous, but we still joked that we would either see everyone in 20 minutes for a day of fun, or we would just call them tomorrow. Well, glad that we didn’t have to walk down that road. After the testing, we marched over to the parade, which was nice, but way too long. There were definitely highlights (Baton BOB!), and I managed to take tons of pictures (again, on flickr — click here if you want to check out the set for yourself. James and I bailed before the end, because we were tired and it was hot. We then went back to the tent, and enjoyed the rest of the day. Deborah Gibson performed and was great, and we all had a great afternoon, just hanging out with friends, and being in the Pride atmosphere of the park. It was great. We stayed late into the evening, and then packed up and went home before the last drag performance was over.

By the time James and I got home last night, we were beat. I am still a little tired today, but I wouldn’t change a thing. It definitely was a Pride to remember. I am also sooooooo glad that it didn’t rain, because it is seriously the first pride I remember going to without a single instance of rain. And it was especially nice after having Pride rained out last year. Now I can’t wait until Pride next year; we all agreed that the tent was the best idea ever, and we will definitely be repeating that one. Hope everyone had a great weekend, and to everyone who celebrated, a happy Pride!

concerts, flickr, hotness, music musings, photography, show the love

mat kearney @ the roxy 4/20/07

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Last night, we had the distinct pleasure of catching the sold out show for Mat Kearney at the Atlanta Coca-cola Roxy theater. It was awesome. Mat totally delivered, and amazingly enough, sounded just as good as he does on his record. He has really perfected his craft. I love seeing an artist in concert who blows you away with their talent, and Mat is definitely in that category of artist.

He played a few new songs, which were delightful, but I really loved listening to his current music, because his is a CD that I truly adore. It was really neat being there with the people that were at this concert too, because you definitely tell that most of the people (if not all) were definitely fans of his; as almost everyone knew the words to every song.

It was definitely a good vibe and a good crowd, which I didn’t expect in the uber-hetero environment usually displayed in Buckhead. While the main floor is standing room only, when we arrived, we scouted out the upstairs to see what the deal with the balcony was, and much to our surprise, there were lots of seats, many of which were available. The balcony provides a great view of the stage, and you can definitely get the whole experience from there. And, if you were like us and didn’t want to stand the entire time, you should definitely scope it out to see if you can snag seats like we did.

Every once and a while, I would get up and go downstairs to snap a few photos, and much to my surprise, again, I was able to literally walk right up to the left side of the stage and get in prime position for some great shots. I have to say though, that Mat really does enjoy being in the dark, which made getting good photos of him difficult, but I did manage to snag a few that I was happy with.

I posted two of them on flickr already (one here), but have several more that I will try and get up on Monday. Mat is definitely a handsome guy, and with that voice to back it up, I can see why the theater was filled with women (there were lots of guys too, but I suspect many of them were boyfriends brought along for the ride). All in all, I was glad that we trekked our way out to the Buckhead scene in order to catch this show, because it definitely exceeded my expectations. I was also extremely happy that I was able to take my camera, because that is a definite highlight for me at concerts; I like being able to have a token to remind me of the show. I wasn’t able to find out much on the internets about being able to take in a camera, so I hope that this post can provide that information for someone in the future.

My only complaint about the show, was not really about the show at all; the Roxy was fucking hot as hell inside. By the time the concert was over, my entire head was soaking wet with sweat, but it wasn’t that big of a deal since we went straight home afterwards. I have no idea how Mat was able to play with that long sleeved shirt on, but alas, he didn’t seem to care.

If you haven’t gotten a chance to check him out yet, I highly recommend you get his CD, so that you can fall in love with him like I have, and catch him next time he is in town; you will definitely be glad you did. It was definitely a great night.

all about me, hotness, listen up!, mixed media, music musings, near and dear, politics, the catch-all-egory, venting

the wednesday run-down

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Today, there are 5 distinct thoughts running through my head, so I thought I would give you a run down. In summation, here it is: 1) come on Dems!, 2) get this CD NOW, 3) examining relationships, 4) buying too much stuff?, and finally 5) comments on TV things. Let’s get started, but let’s keep it brief.

First of all, most people don’t think that I am critical (enough) of the Democrats actions. They are wrong. This is just great; now we can EXPECT an attack on Iran. Why were these guidelines abandoned? This just seems to keep getting worse and worse; if we don’t at least put caps and regulations on things, then things will continue to go in the same direction, and there will be NO changes. That can’t be allowed to happen! We need to send a message, that is LOUD and CLEAR to the president; no more occupation! No more war! Things just seem to be idling along, while real action needs to be taken. This is seriously disappointing, to say the least. UGH. We need some people that will take real action, fast.

In lighter fare, I am proud to announce the American release of a GREAT UK artist’s sophomore disc, entitled Back to Black. It is none other than the fantastical Amy Winehouse, and you must do yourself a favor and buy this CD today. It is only $8 at Target and Best Buy, and it is definitely $8 well spent. Let’s show our appreciation for bringing great artists to our shores, rather than leaving them as imports. Amy’s voice is an old classic voice, much like Billy Holiday, and it has power, class, soul, and life. The music is fantastic, like a hip hop jazz, and you will enjoy this if you enjoy great music. Do yourself a favor and pick it up today!

Relationships. UGH. Sometimes they are great. Sometimes they suck. Sometimes you realize that certain relationships in your life are not worth fighting for, but for whatever reason, they go on, because you let them. You don’t want yourself to be like them, so you do your part; even when they don’t do theirs. All that leads to is frustration, and the occasional cryptic portion of a blog post. I am just wondering what I will do next time they take it upon themselves to call. Perhaps I will just let it go for months on end, as it seems they prefer to do themselves; or maybe I will do what I did this time, and just suck it up, and sit through another fake attempt to maintain something that isn’t really there in the first place. Oh well… we’ll see. Relationships can really take it out of you. Thank God for the good ones.

I spent a lot of money yesterday and goodies that made me feel better. Sometimes, you just gotta pull out that card and swipe it. I am glad that I did, but I need to calm down. This is kind of a suggestion and a reminder of that need. Retail therapy! WOO!

Finally, I just want to say this, if you watch 24, were you not extremely excited that Martha came back this week? Even more than that, can you BELIEVE what she did to Logan?!?!? I LOVE YOU JEAN SMART!!!! YAY! Also, if that Sanjaya Malakar makes it through, I will be PISSED. Melinda, girl, you are my favorite, and I hope you win. Lastly, I wouldn’t mind having a three-way (or a four way if James wants in) with Chris Richardson and Blake Lewis. Those boys are hot AND they can sing!

Hope everyone is having a great hump day! That’s the run-down! I’m out!

hotness, movie musings

because I said so

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No, this isn’t your mother talking, what this is, is my opinion of the new Mandy Moore/Diane Keaton movie, Because I Said So. I wrote a list of movies that I wanted to see yesterday, and this one was at the top, because I had already made plans to see it. And I am very glad I did! This movie was seriously cute, and a total romantic comedy, which I usually, and in this case definitely, love.

In the movie, Mandy Moore plays the youngest of three daughters, Milly, who were raised by their single mother, Daphne, played by Diane Keaton. When the Milly has another failure in a series failed relationships, her meddling mother decides to step in and “help her have one succesful relationship” before she dies (Milly that is). What Daphne proceeds to do, is place a personal ad on the internet, with the basic jist of the ad being, “mother seeking life parter for daughter”. When Daphne goes to meet all of these potentially eligible men, she basically has to go through a bunch of freaks, before finding one she apprehensively likes for her daughter; only he isn’t there to talk with her about meeting her daughter, he is a musician at the resturant. Just as she is getting to know him a bit, in steps “Mr. Perfect”, who is everything she wants for her daughter, leading her to forget about the musician; only what she doesn’t know, is that the musician grabs one of Milly’s cards, and decides to check her out for himself.

What happens, is a meddling mother pushes the “perfect” guy on her daughter, while she finds someone else who genuinely fits her (the musician); causing her to juggle both, and confusing her as to what she really wants. The result is a good romantic comedy that has just enough laughs to balance out the hurt that inevitably comes with situations like this. In the end, I really liked this movie, mostly because Mandy Moore is completely adorable, and so utterly fantastic in this role. She is a beautiful girl, and it is pretty hard to believe that she would have a hard time finding any one to be with. Also, a HUGE bonus for this film, is that the musician is played by Gabriel Macht, who is fucking hot hot hot!!!! I didn’t even know who he was before this movie, but I am definitely paying attention now. He plays such a genuine and sincerely romantic guy, that it just makes me melt thinking about it. The only part of the movie that I really didn’t care for, strangely, was Diane Keaton; at times, her acting was just painful to watch. Luckily, Mandy Moore’s greatness, and Gabriel Macht’s (who’s pictured here) hotness, balanced it out enough for me to forget about it, and enjoy the movie. If you are a fan of romantic comedies, then this one is a must see. I give it 5 out of 6 stars (), because it is definitely a film that I enjoyed throughout, and it is definitely one I will be owning on DVD. It won’t be winning any awards, but that shouldn’t be the benchmark of “good” films anyway! If you are looking for a feel good rom-com, then you should definitely be checking this one out; but if you need another reason, do it because I said so!!! (sorry, I just couldn’t resist!)

[as always, the pictures aren’t mine]

hotness

Tom Ford: Fashion. Sex. Icon.

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Tom Ford is featured in the new W magazine. Here is a link to his spread. Anything with Tom Ford is just too hot to resist (including his book Tom Ford, get it. I have it. Jealous?). Thanks for the link Byron.

Click on read more for a couple of my favorite photos. I am not saying that they are NSFW, but I didn’t want to take any chances, and have them be right at the top of the page; and get anyone in trouble. Also, it is kind of like a candy wrapper, you have to open it to enjoy the treat inside.

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