Tuesday, April 30, 2024

Monday, April 29, 2024

Remains of the Day (04/29)







Mindfood: This might be for hardcore Olivia Newton-John fans only, but apparently her sister, Rona Newton-John, had a pretty juicy memoir set for release before dying in 2013 -- and now one of Rona's sons, Emerson, has granted a lengthy interview about his mother and famous aunt that is at times difficult to read. 



ICYMI: Just discovered performance footage and an interview with Die Monster Die, which fans of the '80s synth band the Vels ("Look My Way") will recognize as singer Alice Cohen's 1990s grunge band, alongside Evan Player, Kenny Sanders and Shawn Tracy


Reuters: Although I guess we're supposed to be "happy" that punishment by death was taken off the table, makes me sick to think of all of the Americans -- let alone LGBT servicemembers -- who died in Iraq. Funny how those #QueersForPalestine are strangely silent about this, which is not the least bit unusual in the Muslim world.





Hot Cat of the Day: Living the (deserved) dream




Weekend Tennis Roundup

 

Lots of action in Madrid, where Rafael Nadal is looking to regain his form before heading to Roland Garros, plus Casper Ruud made quite a splash. Full report BELOW.

Sunday, April 28, 2024

Thursday, April 25, 2024

On the Rag, Vol. 805


Andrew Scott takes a sinister turn in "Ripley": the second half of the Miami Outshine Film Festival is set to begin; Josh O'Connor is the reason "Challengers" is the sexiest movie of the year; and more in this week's magazine roundup BELOW.


Wednesday, April 24, 2024

Remains of the Day (04/24)


WSJIt’s not you. Those "I am not a robot" tests are getting harder.

The OregonianFans are campaigning to save "So Help Me Todd," Portland-set TV show that CBS canceled / Creator Scott Prendergast gets emotional about the outpouring of support HERE.














Tuesday, April 23, 2024

Kenneth From the (313)

 

Thought it was cute slash comical to see a tourism ad for the Motor City on a bus shelter around the corner from my NYC apartment -- only to pass this young woman on the subway platform in Times Square en route to the office! Maybe the "renaissance" Detroit natives were promised in the late '70s is finally here.


I'm in a Dee-troit state of mind.

UPDATE:


And now The Wall Street Journal is in on it! Read HERE.


Tennis Tuesday

 

In the Tennis Fashion Hall of Fame, for me it's a tie between Bjorn Borg's Fila and Chris Evert's Ellesse outfits. Both were way out of my price range back in the day -- I'll never forget the exultation I felt finding a single pair of Ellesse socks in the piles at a Ross Dress for Less in Tempe as a boy! -- but now instead of money it's my lack of court time stopping me from buying everything up. More of sexy Francesco Passaro in blue BELOW.

Weekend Tennis Roundup


Titles for Ruud, Struff, Fucsovics, Rybakina and Stevens. Plus all the ATP beef that's fit to post BELOW.

 

Friday, April 19, 2024

Block Party

 

Looks like my sleepy (dead end) street got an ‘80s makeover. 😎


On a sunnier note: The cherry blossoms seem to have followed us home from Japan! 

Thursday, April 18, 2024

On the Rag, Vol. 804

 

Your next swimsuit has arrived; he'll make you "woof!"; Kathy Griffin is back; and more in this week's magazine roundup BELOW.

Wednesday, April 17, 2024

Remains of the Day (04/17)



AutoStraddle52 TV shows with gay and bi women characters that were axed after just one season -- would also like to see a full LGBT list with the hilarious "It's All Relative" (2003-04)










RemindTom Selleck gives fans an inside look at his "accidental" career in new memoir (Note: I tend to like guys as they age, but I must admit the pre-fame Tom on "Taxi" back in 1978 was definitely the hottest he's ever been!)

Gr8er Days: The "Airplane!" soundtrack will finally be available in full ... but will it include "River of Jordan" by everyone's favorite stewardess, played Lorna Patterson?!!!







Threads: I get -- and accept -- that language is constantly evolving. So my only comment on THIS is that I'm not convinced an offensive term for any other minority group in this country (black, Hispanic, Asian, Jewish, etc.) would be readily accepted by older members of any of those groups during their lifetimes if younger people started spewing it -- much less be expected to be accepted at the risk of ridicule. So I'm not sure why LGBT people immediately get lambasted as boomers (or worse) for not readily jumping on board with this.

Plan of the Rising Son


Several of you have reached out about how we planned our trip to Japan, asking if we'd used a tour group or not. The short answer is no: Damian is my travel hero, more capable of putting together a dream vacation I will never forget than I am for myself! I'd like to flesh this out with photos and ephemera at some point. But in the interest of time, I'm going to start with just the lineup for now. xo

Osaka: 
Okawa river cruise 
Osaka Castle Park 
Kaiyukan (night aquarium) 

Himeji (aka White Heron) Castle (incl. Koko-en Garden) 

Yakushima: 
Stayed in Miyanoura, Hotel Yakushima Ocean & Forest 
Shiratani Unsuikyo Gorge, incl. Taikoiwa Rock and Bugyosugi Trails 

Kyoto: 
Gion (Geisha) district, incl. Hanamikoji (lanterns) and Pontocho (along canal) Streets, Kennin-ji and Yasaka shrines, as well as Miyako Odori geisha performance at Gion Kobu Kaburenjo Theater 

Philosopher's Path (cherry blossoms along canal), starting at Nanzen-Ji Temple w/ large archway and park 

Sanjusangendo Temple (garden and long temple w/ 1,000 statues, near hotel) 

Nijo Castle (incl. garden w/ cherry blossom trees, tower terrace, and Ninomaru Palace w/ nightingale floor and tapestries) 

Tenryu-ji (botanical garden w/ large pond and cherry blossom trees, and temple complex), next to Arashiyama Bamboo Forest 

Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine (with red "torii" arches and fox statues along mountain path) 

Lake Kawaguchiko (Fuji Five Lakes): 
Fufu Kawaguchiko hotel w/ private onsen 
Itchiku Kubota Art Museum (ornate gate and little garden by hotel) 
Kawaguchiko North Coast Walking Trail (lakeside promenade) 
stairs to Chureito Pagoda w/ viewing platform of Mt. Fuji 

Tokyo
Stayed in Shinjuku District 
Shibuya Crossing (plus Tower Records nearby) 
Ueno Park (Sakura Boulevard, cherry blossom trees on both sides) 
Yoyogi Park (and Meiji Jingu shrine nearby with a few large gates) 
Kabukiza Theater (w/ kabuki single-act performance) 
Ginza Six mall w/ rooftop garden 
Cat Cafes: Mocha Lounge Ikebukuro (large) and Monta (small) 
Harajuku District and Omotesando Boulevard (large Beverly-Hills-esque) 

Kamakura
The Great Buddha at Kotoku-In temple 
Kamakura Hasedera temple (hillside with ocean view and gardens) 

Matsumoto (aka Crow) Castle (in Nagano Prefecture w/ mountains)

Tuesday, April 16, 2024

Impulse Purchase

 

Love it -- but where's Dagwood? Prints available HERE.


P.S. I'm really starting to look forward to Chris Stein's coming memoir, "Under a Rock," which promises to far more detailed than what Debbie Harry's editor was able to drag out of her!


"The recording took six weeks. The final session found everyone half asleep on the Record Plant floor at 6 a.m."


"It was a great apartment… I’d shipped a Teac four-track back from Tokyo, the first one I owned, and I set up in the living room using a kitchen appliance rack for gear." 

On the Rag, Vol. 803

 

Danny Pintauro on his childhood success and plans for the future; gay romance on the French riviera; Matthew Camp gets chatty; and much more in this week's magazine roundup BELOW.