Yuck! But still pretty impressive.

This was a gift from my Uncle Jim (who is an artist and has even had his work appear on the cover of a published book) in response to my sometimes over-the-top reaction to spiders and images or portrayals of them. I think he was specifically trying to get me to sympathize with their plight through anthropomorphizing them. Even by mixing my most despised of creatures with one of my favorite people!

I don't know if it had the desired effect on me, but you can judge for yourselves.
WARNING:images after the jump there may be disturbing in nature!

Decoration Day

On holidays like today the phrase "Freedom isn't Free" gets bandied about, but I believe there are very few Americans who really know what that means anymore. I'm sure I don't. I have never had to sacrifice anything to enjoy the liberties of being a citizen of the United States.

We are currently involved in a "War on Terror" operating in both Iraq and Afghanistan. This war has been going on for almost nine years and has led to the deaths of nearly 5,500 members of our armed forces. What do we have to show for it? I guess that will be up to the writers of history to decide.

Compare those 5,500 deaths to the American Civil War or World War II. Neither of those lasted longer than 5 years (with U.S. participation in the case of WWII) but resulted in 625,000 and 405,399 deaths, respectively.* War is now relatively safe for Americans (not safe for U.S. soldiers, or the people of Iraq and Afghanistan).

I do not write this to diminish the sacrifice of our soldiers, but rather to point out the hypocrisy of the civilian. Unlike with previous wars, the majority of us have not been asked to give up anything to conduct this war. There is no draft, no rationing, no victory gardens. In fact, there is only conspicuous consumption. I guess the powers that be have finally figured out that they can get more support when all it requires is a wave of a flag and a "God bless America". Hell, they didn't even have to raise taxes!

I apologize that this is such a downer of a post, and I have actually felt quite ill in writing it, but maybe that is appropriate. I do thank the men and women of the armed services whose sacrifices have allowed me to live as freely as I do and have ensured my freedom to write these words. But is it wrong (or just naive) to hope for a time when their deaths will no longer be required? To hope for a time when those deaths won't seem so pointless? To hope for a time when they can come home? I will never think it wrong to hope for such things or to verbalize that hope.

So, Happy Memorial Day. Here's hoping that it provokes reflection and true gratitude despite the gross commercialization and disrespectful glorification.

In writing this, I have no intention to offend. If I have done so, I beg your pardon and invite you to respond with your feelings about this subject.

*I went to a couple of different sources for the statistics including this report.

A Mystery

About a month ago my cell phone just stopped working. It had been temperamental for a while but this was something different. It wouldn't turn on at all! I had to go to Best Buy to get a new phone. To save money, I bought a cheap replacement. I still haven't programmed all the phone numbers back into it. Now, when I get a call, I just add that person into my contacts list.

Last night I got a strange picture message. It was from the 215 area code and contained only a picture of me and Joanna in our Baby Bumble Bee costumes. No message. Weird. When I got home, I looked through all the numbers I had written down. Only one was a 215, Maggie, a friend who lives in Wildwood, NJ but is originally from Philly. I cannot envision a scenario in which she would come across the old Miss Linda's School of Dance Program from the 80's.

If there is anyone with information concerning this mystery message, I would love to know who sent it. I have not replied to the message asking the sender who he/she is.

HOCKEY HOCKEY HOCKEY!

First, a question: Why on earth does professional hockey, clearly a winter sport, not complete its season until JUNE? If the Stanley Cup series goes until the last game, it won't be over until June 11! From the NHL.com website, it looks like the season begins in September. With the possible exception of NASCAR (depending on whether or not that can really be considered a sport) hockey has the longest season of any American professional sport. This year, the Chicago Blackhawks will be playing the Philadelphia Flyers for the championship. Chicago is already 1 up in the series.

It is a strange thing to leave your apartment in the middle of the day and have Cubs fans stumbling around your neighborhood and Blackhawks fans screaming in your ears. I say: One or the other, please! There should be a rule against this type of doubling up of sports.

I feel I must explain this tirade: My cable isn't working properly (when I hit "Guide" the screen goes blank, when it should really be showing me the programs across channels) so when I turned it on this morning to HBO and a documentary about the Philadelphia Flyers came on, I didn't bother changing the channel. The film nearly had me crying when it went on about downtrodden Philly, those losers of the 70's and how a hard-scrabble bunch of fighters brought them pride. The team wins the Stanley Cup twice in '74 and '75 then goes on in '76 to defeat the Russian team, single-handedly saving the U.S.A. from the terror of Communism.



This made me stop and think. What do Philadelphia, punching, underdogs, and beaten Commies have in common? ROCKY! and Rocky rhymes with Hockey! If you leave out the original Rocky, wherein the southpaw is just edged out by Apollo Creed (and completely disregard Rocky V, which should go without saying), Rocky II, III, and IV very closely parallel the story of the Broad Street Brawlers. Coincidence? I think not.

Sylvester Stallone should really explain himself.

These guys are for real

Apparently 123Party! Is a renegade dance group assaulting the streets of New York City. One of them tried out for "So You Think You Can Dance" and he was absolutely delightful. Needless to say, he didn't make it to the Holy Land of Dance (which is apparently Las Vegas if the show is to be believed). But, my God, if this isn't what dance is really all about, I don't know what is!

Train Etiquette

Have you ever been minding your own business, walking on the sidewalk or through a hallway or up a stairwell only to be met with someone coming directly at you? Did you do the go left/go right dance? Did you try to stare down your opposition to see who was "chicken"?

I distinctly remember being taught (as a child) that I should walk on the right-hand side of the hall. This just seems like good advice. After all, in the U.S. we drive on the right, why not walk on the right as well? I know it isn't always the easiest or most convenient thing to do, but it does make sense.

This morning I was trying to get from one train platform to another, I went up a set of stairs (keeping to my right), and down comes a group of women, in a line, from one side of the stairs to the other. There was really nowhere for me to go so I had to stop and see if the lady coming directly towards me would go around. Of course not. I know it isn't really a big deal, but I find it so frustrating.

Another time when the "stay to the right" rule would be greatly appreciated is when I am trying to get off the train at my stop, but the people waiting for to get on are blocking my exit. They seem to not understand that if I can't get off, they can't get on.

There is one man, in particular, whom I notice morning after morning queuing up to be the first on our train. His red bearded face is literally inches from the unopened doors before the train actually comes to a complete stop. He parks himself directly between the sliding doors, ensuring that no one may get on or off before he does. I have made it my mission to be in front of him one day.

I once saw a photograph of business men waiting on a train platform. There were markings on the ground to show them where to stand to wait for the doors to open. It looked like there was an entrance and exit to each set of train doors. It was kind of like a roller coaster platform. I may have dreamt this photograph up, because I can't find it or anything like it anywhere. If heaven exists, its train platforms will be like that.

Am I alone in this?

"The education of a magician"

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell is a brilliant amalgamation of 19th century style prose, fantasy and contemporary humor. Written by Susanna Clarke, this International Bestseller is one of my favorite novels. I first read this book in 2005 (it was a Christmas gift from a British friend of mine in Greece) and could not put it down. At nearly 1000 pages, I did have to put it down occasionally to go to work but, other than that, I read it voraciously.

It is primarily about 2 British Practical Magicians (those who actually DO magic rather than just talk about it) at a time when everyone believed the ability to practice magic had left England for good. The story takes us from the wind-swept moors of Yorkshire to the society and politics of London to the battlefields of the Napoleonic wars to a Venetian district draped in eternal night, and finally, back to those northern moors. Along the way, we meet fairies, generals, servants who are kings and a King who is mad.

The book is written as though it is a biography of these two men, complete with footnotes and sources. The footnotes are digressions from the main plot and proved the reader with more background about Magic and Faerie than you can shake a wand at. Susanna Clarke's wit is delightful as she manages to be funny while never dropping her 19th century voice. The world she creates is a bewitching mirror image of the real world and her magic is convincing.


Click here to read one of Susanna Clarkes' short stories

This post is not about "LOST"

It was an exciting night of television for "Lost" fans like me. I had trouble sleeping last night for thinking about the finale and how I felt about it.

That's not what this is about. This is about the Target ads that aired during the finale.



They were absolutely brilliant. Target really tapped into the over 13 million viewers and rabid fans of the series. The ads did what so many Super Bowl ads seem to be failing at recently. They were memorable, timely, and created plenty of buzz.

Happy Birthday, Stevie D!

Today is my good friend's birthday. Since I won't be in Erie for Memorial Day weekend and will miss the opportunity to reminisce with him, I thought I'd post one of my favorite (G-rated) memories of Stevie D.

A few years ago a bunch of us went to Cedar Point for the day. For the most part we stuck together. I think a part of that group even rode the Magnum about 10 times in a row! We called them "Magnum Loops". The weather was great, but that old coaster just didn't attract the types of lines we had to wait in when I was younger. It remains my favorite, despite the "strobe lightning"!

Anyway, at one point, Stevie D and I were separated from the larger group and found ourselves near the Wildcat coaster. For those of you who don't know, this is a smaller coaster and the passengers sit in cars of 4 that move independently. It isn't like the usual train of cars you find on most roller coasters. It is quick and a bit jerky so I wasn't surprised when I hear a son begging his mom to go on it again (who knows how many times she had already acquiesced*) and she was refusing. Not one to allow a damsel to remain in distress, Stevie swooped in. He's great with kids and parents, probably due to having two much younger brothers and a job that requires him to deal with parents all the time. He offered to take the lad on the ride again, and the mother was so relieved. She and I watched as the pair gleefully hopped in line and into the car. It was clear that Steve was having fun and the kid found him hilarious!

I can't remember if they went more than one time, but that doesn't really matter. It was fun and I think he made their day!

*fyi: I spelled acquiesced right on the first try, I couldn't believe it so I looked it up!

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

As promised, I am woefully behind the curve on this one. Since I rarely go to the movies in Chicago, I waited for this one to come out on DVD. I now regret that. The cinematography is gorgeous and each scene is a feast for the eyes. I can only imagine that it would have been that much more impressive on the silver screen.

For those of you who may be unaware, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is a Terry Gilliam film, perhaps most famous for being Heath Ledger's final performance. The actor's death occurred in the middle of filming and three other actors stepped up to take his place in the unfilmed Imaginarium scenes. These actors were Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell, all friends of Heath Ledger.

Terry Gilliam has a history of making box-office failures that turn into cult classics. He often goes way over budget (as with The Adventures of Baron Munchausen) or casts actors that, for one reason or another, are unable to be on set when needed (as documented inLost in LaMancha). I have seen, and enjoyed, many of his films including those listed above as well as Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Brazil, Tideland, and Monty Python and the Holy Grail. I even liked the not-brilliant Brother's Grimm.

Imaginarium may be my favorite so far. I love the idea that stories are what makes the world real and that there is not just one story, but many. On top of that, there is the Faustian devil dealing and a fight for souls. What makes the struggle between "good", Parnassus, and "evil", Mr. Nick, so appealing is that those souls have a choice. They may take the more difficult but more rewarding path, or they may go with their baser instincts and suffer the consequences. Even "good" vs. "evil" is more than it appears.

I think my enjoyment of Gilliam films stems from the fact that his message is so consistent and his visuals are amazing. There is always this sense that stories and imagination and dreams are the reality. This seems to be the way Gilliam makes his films, as well. First he finds or dreams up his story then he makes it happen, never asking along the way "is this even possible?"

It's Greek T.V.!

When I lived in Greece, English Language television was sometimes hard to come by. That's completely understandable since I was in a foreign country. What was not understandable was the available Greek programming. Most nights, I could only find shows involving nothing more than a bunch of middle-aged to elderly people sitting around a table listening to music and occasionally dancing or smashing a plate! Who was watching this? All you had to do was leave your apartment and walk to the nearest restaurant or bar and you could be there! Since I speak virtually no Greek and am almost completely ignorant about who those people at the table were, this whole thing was a mystery to me.



I later understood that many of them were singers or TV personalities, but that still doesn't explain it. Try to imagine a 4 hour show on network television that consisted only of a table of b-list stars listening to folk music, eating and throwing around place settings. Actually, that COULD provide some entertainment just not 4 hours a night.

Let's see, who should we put at the table and who should we have singing? Here's my lineup:

Scott Baio & wife, Donnie & Marie, Dave Coulier, Kirk Cameron, and Sherri Shepherd would probably be a good time.

Now I'm wavering again. I don't think I would want any of those people (except maybe Dave, he did crack me up as a child) on my television screen any more than they have to be. I guess I'm back to square one: this type of program is inexplicable!

The Culprit?

I had an epiphany on the train ride home today. If you recall, my Lip Troubles began on Tuesday evening with a vague, chapped feeling at the corners of my mouth. I had completely forgotten, but on Tuesday morning I had had some trouble waking up and, after my shower, I went to brush my teeth. Just before putting the loaded toothbrush in my mouth, I realized I had put a ribbon of facial cleanser on it instead of toothpaste. I did my best to rinse it all off but, not having a spare, I had to brush my teeth with the contaminated toothbrush.

My guess is that salicylic acid doesn't do great things for the area inside and immediately surrounding your mouth. I think there are even warnings about it. Hopefully this turns out to be the problem and I can fix it with my brand-new brush!

Lip Service

It started with a tingle that turned into a burning sensation that morphed into the largest lips since Mick Jagger! Actually, that last part is an exaggeration, I don't think my lips could ever reach that level.

Yesterday, I had this odd feeling, at the corners of my mouth, that my lips were starting to get chapped or had been sunburned. Since it isn't the middle of winter and I have barely seen the sun since '98, this seemed a bit strange. I'm no hypochondriac, so I just shrugged my shoulders and applied a little extra chap stick.

It was a rough night, I tossed and turned, my mouth was dry, and when I awoke, I realized I had been sleeping with my mouth open! "Whatever, Sara" you may say, "many people sleep with their mouths open." To that, I can only tell you that ever since I heard the statistic that the average human swallows about 4 spiders a year in her sleep*, I worked hard to train myself to sleep with my mouth closed. Of course, there is no guarantee that I ALWAYS have my mouth closed, but I like to think I do and years of waking up with my mouth closed have confirmed this to my satisfaction.

So anyway, the fact of open-mouthed sleeping had to be explained, and it happened because of my severely swollen upper lip! I felt like a sunburn had punched me in the face. When I looked in the mirror, I couldn't believe what I saw and I was having trouble closing my mouth even fully awake.

I will confess, I panicked a bit at this point. I grabbed some ice from the freezer to try to reduce the swelling. I googled "my lips are swollen" and found a number of compatriots. The most frequent advice was ice and/or an antihistamine. Luckily, the last time my brother was here, he left his Benadryl. I took a dose and hopped into the shower wondering if I would have to leave for work looking like my lip had been in a fight with a syringe filled with collagen, and the syringe had won. Unfortunately for me, the drugs didn't take effect quickly enough for me to catch a train without a case of puffy lip. I practiced tucking my upper lip in a little and trying to look casual in the mirror. I also practiced my phone answering mantra from work, "Center for Talent Development, this is Sara. How may I help you?" to make sure the lip wouldn't turn it into "Thenther for Thalent Pthhhhhh..." When I was satisfied, I hurried off to work.

The inflammation seemed to have calmed down by the time I got to the office, since my co-workers didn't look at me in a way that suggested I appeared crazier than normal. We all laughed at the story, and throughout the day they assured me that it was looking better. It still feels a little tingly and the swelling hasn't completely subsided, so I may take another Benadryl before bed.

The photos in this post were taken approximately 12 hours apart.


*I do not have documentation to back that up, but google it and you'll see!
*If you read this blog, you get how I feel about such things.

Puppies!

One of the puppies in this cuddly pile will become a member of the Morrow family. She is female, dark brown, and very curly. She may even be the one with her eye on the camera. Any ideas for cute names? I think my mother and I drove my dad crazy with our suggestions including
Dr. Hiram Barker (before I knew it would be a girl and when I read "Baker" as "Barker")
Lambchops (the original Baba had a dog by this name)
Cerberus (call her "Cera"...very funny, Mom!)
Arni (Greek for "lamb" and a homophone for our friend Arne)
Goober or Gomer
Aunt Bea
JoJo (they must miss the other one!)

Dad is saying he wants a name that doesn't end in a "y" sound. We may be able to sway him on that. Previous dog names for our family pets should probably be excluded: Charlie, Lady, Nikki, Bodie, Jazzy, Daisy

Writing Women

I just watched "The Reader" today. It brought to mind a complaint that I have had for a while concerning female characters in novels.
Recently I have read and/or watched novels and films written by men that have strong, relatable, imperfect women among the characters. Firstly, there is "The Reader", written by a German lawyer about a boy who falls in love with an older woman only to later find out that she was a member of the SS and had previously committed terrible crimes against humanity. This woman should be a completely unsympathetic character but she is so believable and human that you cannot help feeling conflicted about her. I was stunned by her when I read the novel a few years ago. In the film she is played bye Kate Winslet (arguably the greatest actress of her generation) who does a great job. She rightfully won the oscar for that performance.
Another example is "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo". Lisbeth Salander is the life-blood of the series. She is complex and unapologetic. It is she who comes to the rescue of the "hero" in the first book not the other way around.
These are just two examples I came up with off the top of my head. Admittedly, I don't read a whole lot by women, but the stuff that I do read comes across quite hollow. It seems that female authors try to write women the way they would like to be. Prettier, thinner, richer, etc. I cannot think of the last modern novel I read with a respectable heroine written by a woman.
It seems to me that the best women written, are written by men. I would love for someone to prove me wrong.

Slaughter Home?

I went to a Jerk Chicken place with friends tonight. It was on the South Side of Chicago. The food was good. I had a chicken stew.

The highlight of my night came as we were leaving. As we turned the corner from 75th onto South Jeffery, I spotted a sign that made me do a double take.


View Larger Map

It is actually listed online as "Slaughter Sons" without the &, and really the & makes all the difference.

Gap Ts

Last weekend I did a little shopping at Gap and found these great t-shirts they are selling this season. They are cut on the bottom seam more like a dress shirt or baseball jersey, with a curved hem that is longer right at the front and back and goes up by the hips. This is great for me because I usually have trouble finding shirts that don't ride up in the front. I am wearing two in the video from yesterday.

The only problem is that you do have to double up because these shirts are super-thin. That's okay with me, I think they look cute layered.

I also managed to pick up two clearance sweaters, one for $9 and one for $7!

First Try

Lights, Camera, and Me without a stitch of makeup!
I decided to try my hand at making a video. It was like being back in Mrs. Marshall's Speech and Drama class. I had to think of something I could demonstrate relatively quickly. Please ignore the fact that most of the action happens just outside the visible area. This was my first try and if I did it again, I'd probably end up drunk!

There should have been a last shot showing the actual drink and an "Enjoy" title card, but I couldn't get that to work.

If I do it again, it will be better.

"Enjoy"

Outraged about the Outrage

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Back in Black - Glenn Beck's Nazi Tourette's
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Tea Party

I really enjoy Lewis Black.

How is it possible for Glen Beck to make these leaps? There must be some serious breaks in the synapses in his "brain"

I do think that the Nazi name-calling is overused to the point where it has virtually lost any impact. I think there should be a moratorium on calling anyone a Nazi or Hitler unless they ARE a Nazi or Hitler. I'm sure with a little thought, Glen could make some more accurate comparisons.

Examples:

Instead of Hitler's Enemy: The Jews; Al Gore's Enemy: Global Warming let's try Glen Beck's Enemy: Rational Thought, or Glen Beck's Enemy: Measured Response.

The New Karate Kid*

26 years after the original, 16 years after the last, The Karate Kid is back.

There is no denying that original and best was Ralph Macchio as Daniel Larusso, the underdog from NYC. He fought and won against the Cobra Kai, an Okinawan mob, and finally, Fear itself. Along the way, he and Pat Morita made film magic. Everyone knows "wax on wax off", the crane, and "Daniel Larusso's gonna fight!"



The "Kid" returned in female form as a rebellious girl (with a pet falcon) played kin of hilariously by Hilary Swank. Swank went on to great things but "The Next Karate Kid" was a bit of a letdown. The one redeeming factor was Mr. Miyagi trying to deal with a girl.

In this latest incarnation, the incomparable Pat Morita is replaced by Jackie Chan and "The Kid" will be played by Jaden Smith. I won't be heading to the theaters but it will definitely make it into my Netflix Queue.

*this post is dedicated to my brother who is a Karate Kid authority

She & Him

I recently recommended the duo She & Him to my mother as something she might like. They have been around for a year or two and their music is like a cool, adult contemporary folk with a retro feel. It sounds like something that is simultaneously old and new.



She is Zooey Deschanel the actress from Elf, 500 Days of Summer, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and lots of other stuff you've probably seen.

Him is M Ward, a musician who has played with many artists and is a member of the Folk groups My Morning Jacket and Monsters of Folk.

So far, my favorite songs are "Sentimental Heart" "Change is Hard" and "This is Not a Test", but everything is pretty good.

V.I.P.'s

SO. MUCH. FUN!

I thought it was a really great night. Everyone had a good time and I don't think any of us had ever been to such a place.

When we arrived, we got a drink and headed down to the basement where the stage was located. We were at a disadvantage since I was the tallest in our group, topping out at about 5'6" in my heels. The first queen performed and I don't think the Munchkinlanders (you can just see their heads at the bottom left of the picture above) could see a thing. Luckily, there was a windowed balcony and we hustled upstairs to get a good view. Pretty soon, Nina came out and did her thing to one song. It looked like quite the workout and she lost her crazy headpiece doing a cartwheel! After that, she emceed a dance contest by an eclectic group of "dancers". She was very funny in between songs, asking for drinks and finishing them. At one point, someone (I think an employee) gave her a bottle of water. She did sip it, but went straight back to drinking what everyone else had.

They announced a 10 minute break (which was really about a half an hour). In that time, our little country belle didn't stop dancing. I don't know if it was the drink, or maybe the synthetic fibers of her wig, but she was having a good time.



After the break, another queen came out to perform then Nina was back on. This time she did two songs, the second was her song "Loca". Once that was done, we had the V.I.P. meet and greet, which was basically a cattle call in which we had 5 seconds to get our picture with her.

Askew wigs and barking dogs aside, it was a great night.

Russian Roulette with Rufus

Last week I got a message via email that my favorite singer, Rufus Wainwright, was going to be performing in Minneapolis, Minnesota in Mid-August. The show is scheduled for a Wednesday, but the busy season at work will be over by then so I could conceivably take off work to go. However, I will be taking time off around Labor Day for a wedding and am going to make that trip into a bit of a post-summer break.

I haven't seen Rufus in concert for years and he has primarily toured in Europe lately. In fact, he will be in Athens this year! He never was there when I lived in Greece.

If I buy the tickets for Minneapolis and he comes to Chicago, I'll be ticked, but if I don't buy the tickets and he never makes it here, I will really be annoyed. I guess it is just a roll of the dice. In the end, I am taking the chance that he will come to Chicago but there is no way of knowing.

In the meantime, I'll just have to be content with his new album, "All Days are Nights: Songs for Lulu" I haven't really latched on to any of the songs yet, but it is a darker and more somber collection than he has previously released. It doesn't have any of the grand, sweeping orchestration of his previous albums. It is just him and a piano. I have even heard that, when he is performing the first act of his concert, there are no breaks for applause and photography is forbidden. The audience is asked not to applaud until he has left the stage.

Disco Laundromat

To pre-game for the Nina Flowers show, I invited my best girls over to my place. It was the perfect staging ground, being only a few blocks from "Spin" the nightclub.

Kathryn went shopping at what she called the "Drag Queen Store"and surprised us by wearing a pair of fake purple eyelashes. Cis brought her wigs and we tried them on. I was breathtaking as a redhead and when I put on my glasses, I was serving Sarah Palin realness.

Kathryn was enamored of herself in a blond wig giving us Brigitte Bardot with a splash of Dolly. It wasn't surprising considering the girl hasn't had hair more than an inch long in about 10 years!

We watched "Paris is Burning", brushed up on our drag ball vocabulary, and enjoyed Absolut Berry Acai drinks before heading out. Be very jealous.

Fantastic Foxes

My father was off hunting in Pennsylvania this past week. He didn't get any game, but he came back with some really sweet pictures of a couple of fox kits. They were living near the camp where he was staying in Warren. Aside from how adorable they are, I was struck by the fact that in the film "Fantastic Mr. Fox" the animators were really quite realistic.

That is, of course, excepting the talking, upright walking and opposable thumbs. But still...

I Want it NOW!

In anticipation of my big drag weekend, I got my hair cut last night. My hair stylist, Miguel (who once told me I reminded him of Veruca Salt) managed to fit me in after a long day of "training".

I thought the training was beauty related, but I was wrong. He is training to become a personal banker!

Anyway, I really like Miguel and I think he cuts my hair well. And while I love "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory", it is notable for the hideousness of the actors' hair. I know it was just something I said or the way I said it that reminded him of the bratty snob, but that's not much consolation! I just hope he doesn't get a client at the bank who reminds him of, let's say, Uncle Billy

Amazing

Here is a girl (who apparently does lots of makeup tutorials) doing a Nina inspired look.

It is no wonder Nina was always talking about how her makeup took 2 hours! I couldn't do this if I had 2 days. Also, that must be outrageously expensive. If I were a drag queen, I would want to win "Drag Race" if only for the lifetime of free cosmetics!

Ai, Loca!

Got my V.I.P. tickets today for Nina's show. I was positively giddy with excitement after I hung up the phone. This has caused me to christen this "Nina Flowers" week at Stada Baba. Each day will bring new clips, photos, and other delightful items either directly or tangentialy related to Nina. This was the best Youtube video I could find. Maybe one day I'll figure out how to make my own!

Living for Drag Queens

My mom asked me today what brought about my interest in Drag Queens. I had to tell her it was all her fault. She was the one who rented To Wong Foo and brought it home for me to watch. From the first "Little latin boy in drag, why are you crying?" I was done for.

The appeal, for me, stems from the amazing transformations these men can make. It is also the idea that men, traditionally the more powerful of the sexes, can bring confidence, strength and great humor to their female personas.

When RuPaul's Drag Race began, I was again riveted. The show was great, but it was "Under the Hood" that endeared the cast to me. In the behind-the-scenes footage, the Queens would sit around awaiting the judges decisions. There were insecurities, frustrations, and anger, but there was also sisterhood. It was basically like watching a support group for Drag Queens.

Watch Gay Video & Lesbian Movies

I particularly enjoyed this aspect of the show. I have been extremely fortunate in my friendships and in a world where female friendship is so often portrayed as catty and back-stabbing, these non biological women were more "real" than anyone else on reality television. Certainly more real than those vapid pseudo celebrities on shows like "The Hills". Girls who would sell their so-called friends to the highest bidder if it meant getting the job or the guy. So maybe it isn't so strange that I love Drag Queens, from where I sit, these are the girls I would want to be friends with.

Best News EVAR!

Miss Nina "Loca" Flowers is coming to Chicago and will be performing just a few blocks from where I live! I must buy tickets and find something suitable to wear. On top of that, I will definitely be re-watching all of Season one of "Ru Paul's Drag Race" and brushing up on my "To Wong Foo". I can not wait!

Genius!

This show was originally such a parody of itself that I would have thought it impossible to parody it further. That's where children come in. The clip basically sums up everything the original show was about.

I particularly love Lil' Situation flashing his belly in the mirror.