Category: show the love

hotness, listen up!, mixed media, pegg and frost, show the love

spaced

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If the summer drought of good television is making you sad, well you are in luck, because one of the best shows ever made is now out, for the first time in Region one DVD goodness, as of today!!! That’s right ladies and gents, the one and only Spaced, starring the loves of my life Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, has finally crossed the pond, in a format that the less than tech-savvy masses can ingest.

If you enjoyed either Shaun of the Dead or Hot Fuzz, you will love Spaced, because both had roots in the show. The show is only two seasons long, but it is chock full of laughs, and is one of those programs that you can literally watch over and over again. Each episode has so much to it, that it really feels longer than a 30 minute comedy romp. Also, for all of you geeks out there, this is THE show that will speak to you; it is written by geeks for geeks pretty much.

While I already have it, because I bought it a while back on Region 2 DVD (when I got my fancy schmancy region free DVD player), I am more than pleased to see it is finally out on this side of the pond. (Speaking of formats… if someone could hook me up with the ipod version of the entire series, I would be ONE HAPPY CAMPER… hint hint…).

I am, however, sad that I wasn’t in NYC this week, because apparently, Nick and Simon are doing press tours, and NYC is one of the stops (I think that I would go into a gay frenzy if I got to meet either of them). Oh well… maybe some day. Either way, do yourself a favor and pick up one of my favorite shows on DVD, so you can make it one of your favorites too… it is truly a masterpiece of television.

flickr, hotness, listen up!, mixed media, music musings, music suggestion, photography, show the love, the catch-all-egory

welcome delta! (and other thoughts)

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I just picked up the third release by Australia’s best selling female artist EVER, Delta Goodrem’s amazing CD titled simply Delta, from Best Buy. It came out earlier this week, and I wanted to welcome Delta to the US (finally), and I wish her all of the success here that she has had down under. Delta is one of a slew of amazing artists that we don’t get to hear about over here, even though they are major in their home country of Australia. If you remember, the CD made my top 31 CDs of 2007 (it was number 6), and it is definitely worth picking up. In other music related stuff, I saw Jennifer Hudson’s video for Spotlight (which I featured in the 5SF on June 6th), and I am going to solidly say, that a diva has been BORN! She was flawless in Dreamgirls, and now she is strutting (and singing) the shit out of that video/song and looking fantastic while doing it. I can’t wait for her record.

Also, I don’t know how many of you are on Facebook’s iLike application, but I decided to head over to their website and check out the “full” deal today. My iLike profile name is duanecmoody, so feel free to add me if you are a part of that business.

Not much else is going on with me, other than trying to wrangle transcripts together in order to apply for nursing programs (I’ve already applied to one), and other such mess. I am still hacking from this head cold, but it seems like it is moving on, albeit, slowly. Speaking of slowly, I am still sorting my MANY NYC pictures, and I will be uploading them on flickr in small batches, as to prevent one massive picture dump that no one will pay any attention to.

Oh yeah, one more thing, speaking of flickr, James is now on flickr, so go over and add him, because all of his pictures are for friends/family only. (not sure why, but it isn’t my account, so it isn’t up to me). Hope everyone is having a great Thursday; I am just looking forward to the weekend!

all about me, friends, happenings, mixed media, near and dear, photography, show the love, that is so gay, venting

new york city: the trip, the story, the post that follows

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As I mentioned in my previous two posts, we went to NYC for a little vacation, and despite a horrible 10+ hour delay in LaGuardia, we are back. Fun was had, sweat was shed, feet were hurt, subways were ridden, food was eaten, money was spent, and all of that made for some great stories and good times. I have decided to give you a list of the highlights of the trip, so here we go:

downtown

  • I got engaged. James proposed to me on the top of the 30 Rockefeller building, also known as the “Top of the Rock”. It was amazing being up there, and seeing all of NYC, and then being surprised by a beautiful ring (which I picked out), from a beautiful man. I don’t know when the date is going to be set, but I need to ask him in return, so I need to come up with something as romantic as his proposal (which was uber sweet).
  • When I say above that sweat was shed, I meant it. NYC is fucking HOT in the summer. Top all that heat off with the lack of A/C in a lot of places meant that I took no less than 3 showers a day, and changed clothes at least 2 times as well. All in all, we started to acclimate by the end, but that was pretty much pointless, as we were headed back to ATL at that point. I would like to go back to NYC in the fall next time; I have only ever been when it is scorching hot, or freezing cold… I would like to see it during a happy medium.
  • When we got to our hotel, I committed a bit of a gay snafu, if you will. Upon arrival, we checked in at the desk, and I needed to ask the clerk something, so I addressed her by name; or so I thought. Her name was Liza, and I thought, “it can’t be pronounced Lie-za, it just can’t be”, so I called her Lee-za. The best part, was that she corrected me by saying, “no no, honey. It’s Liza. With a Z.” Needless to say, we got a big laugh out of that one, even though I probably lost a few gay points for not knowing the correct way to pronounce Liza.
  • As a result this trip, I’ve pretty much given James and ultimatum; the beard has got to go back down to a van dyke. The reason being, that while we were in NYC, almost every place we went, people asked us if we were twins. Now let that sink in for just a second; not just brothers, but twins!?! I know that we are both guys with beards, but seriously, twins?? I don’t see it. Either way, I don’t want to look just like my lover, so I want him back in the goatee ASAP, so we can curb this “brother” nonsense.
  • We saw two shows while in NYC: Legally Blonde the Musical, and RENT. First of all, Legally Blonde was AMAZING. It met and greatly exceeded my expectations. I saw it on MTV last fall when they broadcast a performance of the show, and when I found out that Laura Bell Bundy was still in the show on Broadway, I HAD to see it. SHE. WAS. AMAZING. If you like the movie, you owe it to yourself to see the musical; it is just as fun, and the songs are delightful. I am so happy I got to see this show with the original cast. Also, we saw RENT, which I have loved for many, many years, but I had never seen on Broadway. As with all traveling shows, they just don’t compare to the Broadway version, and as such, I had to see RENT before it ends on September 7th. RENT was one of the first musicals that I got into, and it was great to see it on Broadway. It too, was excellent.
  • As I mentioned before, walking around really was painful on the old feet. I realized that I need to get back in shape, and I am committed to doing so; especially after suffering during the trip. I hope that I can make a permanent foray back into working out regularly; and if anything good comes out of our trip, that would definitely be a great one.
  • While there, I got to hang with one of my best friends, Steve Yockey, which was awesome. I also got to meet a fellow flickr friend, Michael, for the first time, who accompanied us to a sunny afternoon on the pier, followed by dinner. I wish I could have spent more time with each of them, but time didn’t permit.
  • Overall, the trip was awesome. John was great, and a lot of fun to hang out with. We got to see pretty much everything we wanted to, and felt like we saw it all (even though we really didn’t). It was awesome seeing such spots as the Stonewall Inn and the Brooklyn Bridge, and took a lot of pictures (expect them to trickle onto flickr in the coming days!). I had a lot of fun in NYC, but I am so glad to be home; it was a great vacation, however, I need a vacation because my vacation tired me out so much! Oh well, that’s how it happens, right?

all about me, blog on blog, happenings, listen up!, music musings, music suggestion, show the love, that is so gay

check it: jiingo

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A friend I met a few years ago URL through the wonderful blogosphere invited me to be a part of a kick ass new website this weekend. The website, called Jiingo, is a collection of music lovers talking about music; what a great thing to be a part of for a music lover like myself, eh?

I am honored that Shan appreciates my opinions about music and included me as a contributor on the site. I look forward to contributing to Jiingo, and getting suggestions from my fellow Jiingo writers. Check it out!

This weekend was pretty fun, my friend Justin pretty much hung out all weekend, and we had a blast. I am looking forward to the upcoming 3 day weekend, which happens to also be Pride weekend.

I am apprehensive about Pride, but only because I haven’t been doing well with heat lately. If it is bad, I might skip the parade, and just go to the festival; which has moved to the air conditioned Civic Center. I really, really hope that Pride goes well this year, as I have heard some buzz that the festival pretty much needs to be a success to keep it going (since it was kicked out of Peidmont Park). I know that I will be there to support it, and will give money like I always do; Pride is an awesome celebration, and it would suck if we didn’t have it. Okay, now that I have been talking about it, I am getting all excited for Pride!

concerts, flickr, happenings, hotness, listen up!, music musings, near and dear, photography, show the love

green tea heaven

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I have found it; today, I had the best green tea frozen yogurt I have ever tasted. After lunch at Doc Chey’s, my buddy Deb and I wandered over the Yoforia to sample the “Italian frozen yogurt”, and after a small sample of the green tea flavor, we eagerly decided that is what we should get. They offer lots of different types of toppings, but to be totally honest, this frozen yogurt is so amazing, that it didn’t need anything… but a spoon and a mouth to put it in.

After I finished what I am now dubbing the “best green tea ice cream I have ever had”, I really wanted more. I love this place, Yoforia, and I will definitely be requesting future trips for more of this delectable treat. Perhaps the best thing about the sinful treat, is that it is totally fat free (!!!!!), and, totally organic. Can we say LOVE??? Yeah, love is officially spelled Y-O-F-O-R-I-A today folks… I seriously am considering going back again later tonight!!! I also totally love the decor in this place, it is very futuristic, with lots of orange. I loved the orange counters and the glass tiles in the bathroom. I want them for my house.

Now I have to see how I can convince Deb to go there after lunch (or before!??!?!) again tomorrow!!! YUM!

On a totally unrelated note; I finally uploaded a bunch of my Sara Bareilles pictures. I must say, that I got some AMAZING shots, so please, do me a favor, and go and check them out. Let me know what you think; I had a great time photographing the show, and I am definitely loving my new camera! More to come!!

civil rights, get involved, happenings, listen up!, music musings, music suggestion, show the love, that is so gay, tragic

5SF: april 25

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One final down, two to go. This really is a stressful time of year.

On a serious note, today is the National day of Silence, where people in schools across the country don’t speak, in order to bring attention to the fact that gay people are continually harassed verbally, and unfortunately, physically. This year is dedicated to the little boy, Lawrence King, who was murdered because he had a crush on his classmate. It still blows my mind how cruel and unusually hateful can be. I hope that this day, we can respectfully remember those that have been taken from us, and hopefully, these instances of abuse (and worse) can end. Being gay is normal, and in order to make that a reality, we all need to stop calling names, stop making fun, and treat gay people just as we are; normal.

On a less serious note, let’s do the five songs already.

Newton Faulkner – Dream Catch Me
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_425_newtonfaulkner-dreamcatchme.mp3]
I actually heard this song a long time ago, when my buddy Deb played it for me, but for whatever reason (again), it didn’t gel with me right away. I heard it again on the radio a few months ago, and have really been loving it ever since. I have been meaning to post it for two weeks now, but better late than never, right? Be warned, it is such a catchy song, with a fabulous melody and an infectious chorus, so there is a great chance that it will get stuck in your head after listening. You have been warned. Sometimes, you hear a refreshing, really well done pop song, and I am here to say that this is definitely one of those songs.

Feist – Mushaboom (Postal Service Remix)
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_425_feist-mushaboom(postalserviceremix).mp3]
After seeing Feist last week in concert, and remembering why I chose her amazing CD The Reminder as my number 2 of 2007, I have been revisiting the record, and feeling the need for more Feist. I went back and downloaded her first CD, and found this really great mix of Mushaboom on the compilation CD she released called Open Season. It’s a great song on it’s own, and I thought she performed it (and all of the others) flawlessly in concert. However, adding that Postal Service treatment to anything makes it instantly better, in my honest opinion. I wish they would release another record all ready!!! Well, at least I have the random collaborations that the did with fabulous artists like Feist to tide me over, I guess. Either way, it was great getting to see Feist, and it has been a great “reminder” of how great of an artist that she truly is.

Imogen Heap – Hide and Seek
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_425_imogenheap-hideandseek.mp3]
First of all, wow. I mean seriously. This is my “blast from the past” song this week, and it is a doosy. I have loved this song immensely from the first moment that I heard it. The rest of this record is amazing, but this is one of those songs that carries emotion so pungently on the tip of each syllable, that is begs to be played over and over again. Imogen Heap’s voice is ethereal and amazing, and with the vocoder letting her use her voice as the instrument that drives this song truly defines her as an unconventional, yet amazingly talented music artist. I really look forward to what’s coming next from Imogen, because if it is anything like this, I know that I am going to LOVE it. *pardon me for a second while I play this song again… yep… amazing.*

Hayden – The Hardest Part
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_425_hayden-thehardestpart.mp3]
I posted a Hayden song a while back when I first found out that he was opening for Feist. It was the first song of his that I heard, way back when I was in high school, and since that time, I have had the chance to get to know his newest release, In Field and Town much more thoroughly. I can say now, that it is definitely one of the best records released so far in 2008, and if my love for the record continues to grow with each listen as it has, it will probably be amongst my favorites for the year. The harmonies and melody that Hayden plays with are effortless, and insanely beautiful. His raspy voice offers more emotion to these simple, but well crafted songs. Seeing him open for Feist was definitely a treat, and I am extremely glad to have been reintroduced to an artist that I forgot about nearly 10 years ago. This is my favorite song from his new record, and it is one that I could seriously listen to on repeat.

Danity Kane – Pretty Boy
[audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_425_danitykane-prettyboy.mp3]
On a final very danceable note, I present this brilliantly produced track from Nate “Danja” Hills. He worked wonders for Britney, as well as others like Katharine McPhee, and he pull out all the stops on this hot track for Danity Kane. Is it me, or is Danja totally the next Darkchild? I hope they release this as their next single, because I would love to see a video for this track. While I haven’t fallen as hard for their sophomore album, this song is definitely getting lots of play from me, it is HOT!! I am hoping that Danja has more of this up his sleeve, and less of that sleeper he did for Madge. This song is just twisted, and the beat is wickedly infectious, whereas the Madonna track is well… boring to me. Oh well, I guess we’ll see!

Well, there’s your five… what do you think?? And music suggestions for me too people!! I need them!

all about me, happenings, show the love

tribute to tradition

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swallows!, originally uploaded by duanemoodydotcom.

Lori and I went to Ink and Dagger Tattoo Parlour today for the Tribute to Tradition event, where they were doing traditional tattoos for traditional prices. Originally, I had a different idea for what I wanted my swallow to look like, but after seeing this one, I had to have it; I loved it just as it was. Also, the position that Russ suggested was perfect; just on the outside of my knee (think not in front, or back, but on the side!). After getting the first one done on my left leg, I really felt as if I should seize this opportunity while I was there, and get a second one on my right leg in the same spot… so I did!!!

These are the only traditional style tattoos that I have, and I really love them. I have always loved the simple swallow design, and I am totally jazzed that Russ did them for me. I love that I got them where I did (great suggestion by Russ), and I really like that got two matching ones. It wasn’t what I was expecting to get, and it required me to compromise a bit, but in the end, I was happier than I thought I would be to begin with. It was a fun time, and believe it or not, this was not a very painful place to get tattooed. Interesting.

Either way, going back to Ink and Dagger gave me a chance to catch up with Russ, and also led me to set up a consultation for my phoenix half-sleeve; which I am sure I will start soon. Man, tattoos are awesome, and I love them immensely, but they cost a lot of money!

Oh well… everyone has a vice, I guess.

happenings, is it just me?, listen up!, mixed media, show the love, that is so gay

new who

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So this weekend was the beginning of the fourth series of the amazing show Dr. Who on the BBC. Unfortunately for us, it hasn’t hit our televisions yet, but that didn’t stop me from tracking down the show via the interwebs, and getting my Dr. Who fix last night.


This season, the Doctor has shed his most recent companion, Martha, and found himself a new tag-a-long in Donna, who we were introduced to in the last Dr. Who Christmas special. I have to say, that while I really liked Donna in the Christmas special, as usual, it is hard to let go of what I have come to know and love about Dr. Who. It is hard not to have Martha along for the ride, and the wound of losing Rose is still there, so getting used to Donna is definitely going to take a while. It was the same way when Martha “replaced” Rose, so I was pretty much prepared for the separation anxiety this time around.

I enjoyed the episode, however, and really love that they didn’t mess with the formula that has worked so well for three great seasons so far. I am looking forward to getting to know Donna more, and seeing the adventures that she and the Doctor go on. I have heard that Rose (*squeee!!!!*), Martha, and Jack are all supposed to pop back up this season, so I can say that I am definitely looking forward to how this season progresses. I may not be able to watch the show when it is broadcast, but hey, I get to see it commercial free, which is better anyways, right? (which, it airs commercial free on the BBC, but anyway…)

Also, on a totally unrelated note, does this piss anyone else off but me?? Seriously. Perez fucking Hilton is the #16 “most influential” gay person? Gag. Puke. Repeat.

hmm interesting, hotness, mixed media, movie musings, pegg and frost, show the love

region free is the way to be

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A couple of months ago, I decided it was time to upgrade our DVD player to a HD upconversion unit, and I managed to get a great deal in the process. One of the other requirements I had for the unit, was that it not be Sony, because I wanted to see if I could unlock it, and make it region free. Being a lover of British shows and lots of British things, I wanted the opportunity available to get region 2 DVDs if I should so desire.

Well, as I wrote about some time in the past, I have had a great time watching shows like Spaced and Hyperdrive; both of which are only available on region 2 DVDs. Well, my most recent exciting region 2 goodness comes in the form owning the movie that is just hitting US theaters this week: Run Fatboy Run.

Now, my love for Simon Pegg may be a little bit on the verge of “I’m ready to walk down the aisle with this sexy man and have his babies”, so it should be no surprise that I jumped at the opportunity to get this DVD; even though it was like $35 (damn conversion rates and shitty US dollars!). Well, it was a good purchase, because the movie is actually quite cute, and definitely enjoyable. I am debating on whether or not to see it in theaters, but I probably won’t, because a) I paid so much for the DVD, and b) I hate going to the movies, and if I can sit home, I would rather do that.

Either way, I am definitely a believer that being region free is the way to be. Having a region free DVD player has given me the opportunity to relish all of the amazing material that my dream lover Simon Pegg and sexy bear Nick Frost have done overseas; some of which is brilliant. Either way, here’s to consumerism, right?!