Dave's Blog

Hiking the Henderson Trail

2010-01-03T21:32:00.001-08:00

(A panoramic view of Palm Springs from the outskirts of Cathedral City in the east on the right to South Palm Canyon on the left.)

We are back to perfect hiking weather here in Palm Springs with temperatures in the 70s. And although things are still a bit brown, they'll be greening up soon.

(Me at the bottom of the trailhead.)

Today my friend Paul and I decided to venture up amongst the trails that start just a mile or so from our house. Originally we thought about the Araby Trail that skirts above Bob Hope's huge home, but instead decided to hike the Henderson Trail. Although this trail starts at along a wash, it crisscrosses up the hills alongside the eastern edge of south Palm Canyon across from the San Jacinto Mountains.

Although the climb only goes up about 800 to 1,000 feet or so, we could tell we were not as in shape as we were last summer. However, the views looking down on the Cathedral Canyon Country Club were spectacular, as were some of the homes along Rim Road.

(Paul about three quarters of the way up.)

The trail is one of many that crisscross the area of Murray Hill. At times we were on the Earl Henderson Trail (named after a president of the equestrian group, Desert Riders), Shannon Trail (named after Shannon Corliss a daughter of another president of the Desert Riders), and the Clara Burgess Trail that all meet up at the top with the Araby Trail. All in all we probably hiked about 5 to 6 miles and came back knowing we'd gotten some good exercise.

A Single Man: Mourning the Loss of Your Life

2010-01-02T22:36:00.000-08:00

(Matthew Goode plays the part of Jim the dead partner of George played by Colin Firth in A Single Man, based on the novel by Christopher Isherwood.)

For anyone mourning the loss of their husband, wife or partner, time often stands still. "Time will heal," is often said to the surviving partner, and after several months of mourning, many think it is time to move on.

Tom Ford in making the movie A Single Man, based on the 1964 novel of the same name by Christopher Isherwood, does make loss seem very painful. Although the action only takes place on one day several months after the death of Jim, his lover, George, an English professor, is still in a daze and depressed. Life has not moved on. With flashbacks and attention to detail, I felt at times that this film was moving in slow motion.

George is suicidal. He is alone. He has no one to confide his hurt and loss to. His one friend, Charley, played by Julianne Moore, is too self-centered to acknowledge his hurt and pain believing she can drown it in laughter, drink and heterosexual sex. George's redemption comes from one of his students, Kenny, played by Nicholas Hoult, who senses George's homosexuality and tries to show him attention. George doesn't fall for his advances, but does listen and gets to the next day.

Beautifully photographed and exquisitely shot with gorgeous clothes and sets, the film felt too much like a set piece from the 1960s. Hopefully times have moved on and gay men no longer have to hold so much of themselves inside. It was a look at a time that although it looked stylish and hip like a Palm Springs mid-century set, I felt sad for gay men who had to live with all that hurt.

This Year's Xmas Movie: The Young Victoria

2009-12-26T18:13:00.000-08:00

(Emily Blunt and Rupert Friend star in The Young Victoria.)

For most of my life, Christmas Day was not synonymous with going to the movies, but now that we're semi-retired and often spend it without other family members, going to the movies does seem like a good afternoon diversion.

There certainly were some big blockbusters released nationwide this weekend, but I decided in keeping with a more English Christmas theme to go see The Young Victoria directed by Jean-Marc Vallée. Set in the mid 19th century England, the film stars Emily Blunt as Queen Victoria, Miranda Richardson as her mother the Duchess of Kent, Rupert Friend as her cousin and husband Prince Albert, Paul Bettany as her advisor and Prime Minister Lord Melbourne, and Mark Strong as her mother's advisor and confident Sir John Conroy.

Like any English period piece, this film is beautiful to look at. The costumes by Sandy Powell are spectacular, as are the sets by Maggie Gray. The British know how to do pagentry better than any one and this film gives us glimpses of that in the coronation scenes, as well as in the palace settings. For many not too familiar with Queen Victoria's early upbringing, the rigidity of 19th century court life may seem a bit stilted and silly, but all of the actors do great jobs of setting the proper tone. If anything, the love scenes between the teenage Victoria and Prince Albert may strike you as a bit too modern for what we often imagine took place during the "Victorian Era."

I enjoyed the film, but there certainly were times during it that I found its editing of certain events a bit skimpy; a few seconds of the coronation, Victoria's wedding and assassination attempt. An interesting period piece into about four or five years of Queen Victoria's life, The Young Victoria is a film that probably will have a short run. Perhaps it can be rerun as a Masterpiece Theater television segment.

Bat Cave Buttes

2009-12-20T23:27:00.000-08:00

(Bat Cave Buttes rise about 85 feet off the desert floor.)

I am always looking for new places to go hiking here in the desert. About three years ago (before we had moved here full-time) I remembered going on a hike to the Bat Cave Buttes located near the Salton Sea. So I contacted one of my hiking buddies whom I remembered had led that hike and we decided to head on down there again today.

About an hour's drive from Palm Springs, the butte is located off the eastern end of the Salton Sea at the border of Riverside & Imperial counties off of highway 111. Rising about 85 feet off the desert floor, these formations were once islands in the large Salton basin that once was much larger than the current Salton Sea. In fact, according to many scientists, over the last 2000 years, at least three large lakes have filled the basin for hundreds of years, with many more small lakes in between. This of course helps account for the wave-life formations of the rock, as well as the tufa that is on some of the upper rock.

It was a great hike. We hiked up the off road vehicle road to the buttes where there are some huge areas of sand that have blown up onto the steeper side. As we did this, we noticed that the Creosote bushes at the beginning of the road were smaller than the larger ones up higher toward the bluffs. This our guide informed us was due to the fact that we had crossed over the San Andreas Fault that reduced the amount of water from one side to the other. We also explored several of the caves that have been made in the rock formations where we saw lots of evidence birds who used the caves, but no bats. The hike up to the top of the buttes is fairly easy since there are lots of roads that have been made by off road vehicles. (We encountered two.) Once up on the butte you can see for miles not only across the Salton Sea to the Santa Rosa Mountains, but also the large alluvial fan that reaches out toward the Chocolate Mountains, Eagle Mountain Railroad and Joshua Tree National Park on the north eastern side.

To see more photos from today's hike, go here.

Party Season

2009-12-19T15:07:00.001-08:00

(The infamous Tommy Rose emceed the holiday party at Hunters.)

Seems that this time of the year we have one party after another. Many are fundraisers for local charities and although we don't have the funds for many of the more pricey functions, we do end up at a few.

Last night we went to one at a local bar, Hunters, that was holding one for the AIDS Assistance Program; a non-profit volunteer-driven organization with the goal of providing support to low-income men, women, and children living with HIV/AIDS in the Greater Palm Springs Area. I had been contacted by the party organizer to contribute a gift certificate to the silent auction for an hour photography shoot. When we got there it was fairly crowded and my gift certificate was selling well. (I think it eventually went for one-and-a -half times its value.)

(Steve with "Sister Piggy Sue," Abbess of the Palm Springs Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.)

Also participating in the fundraiser were several local drag queens and clubs, most notably the Palm Springs Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. Part of a world wide gay phenomenon that began in the late 70s in San Francisco, the "sisters" use drag and Catholic imagery to call attention to sexual intolerance and satirize issues of gender and morality. Dressed in their red holiday best, they urged the crowd to dig deep into their pockets and give either money or else contribute to their toy drive for underprivileged children.

After a couple of drinks and some bad lip syncing drag queens, we scurried across the street to do some singing of our own at Spurline where they play showtunes on Friday nights. Somehow in a crowded bar, after a couple of drinks, our voices don't sound quite so harsh even if we aren't Ethel Merman, Barbara Streisand, Madonna or Cher.

Our final stop of the evening was an art opening, "Visual Space" at M Modern Gallery that was showcasing some of the best artists of Palm Springs. Among them Brett Hess, Bill Arata, Carachele Carter, Cherry Capri, Dan Irvine, Jean Bradley, Kimberly Nichols, Lee Balan, Maya Kalabic, Michael Heath, Patty Sharkey, Penelope Merrill, Perry Scanlon, Rik Phillips, Shaktima Brien, Shahram, Ted Svenningsen and Yume. However, we were also intrigued by the work of Naoto Hattori, a Japanese artist that paints very detailed and precise dream-like images.

It was a fun filled evening that took us from the throes of butch hairy gay men drinking beer amongst drag queens performing for charity, to preppy show queen guys belting out Broadway tunes, to the more eccentric fashion focused art crowd sipping champagne and ogling modern art.

Puppets and Drag as Theatrical Art

2009-12-13T14:23:00.000-08:00

(Joey Arias performance at the REDCAT was as unique and bizarre as advertised.)

Having read a review of "Arias with a Twist" in the LA Times, I was intrigued to see this unique show featuring cabaret drag performer Joey Arias with puppets by Basil Twist. And having convinced a couple of others friends to join us, we made a two-hour excursion into Los Angeles to see the sold out show at the REDCAT in the Walt Disney Concert Hall Complex.

Having read that it would be best to sit close, the four of us sat almost center in the second row of the smaller performance space. As the overture began, the curtains parted to reveal another set of curtains that then were draw up, to only reveal another set that were parted like window curtains, to then review a sheer screen with blinking lights, behind which was the band. Consisting of a trumpeter, drummer, pianist and bass player, "The Dream Orchestra" puppets nodded and moved their heads, arms, hands and instruments as the music played.

But that was just the beginning. Suddenly the overture music stopped and a flying saucer appeared twirling and blinking in front of the screen accompanied by rather loud and eerie music. And then, the curtains pulled apart in a small square fashion to reveal Joey Arias in all her outrageous bikini burlesque outfit strapped onto an inversion chair surrounded by a blinking lite circle who has been abducted by aliens. A martini glass floats by, a decapitated hand, and then a puppet of Arias plunges and plunges and plunges into the “Jungle of Eden,” a psychedelic pyscho-sexual collision of leafy plants, a slithering snake, and an eventual meeting of Adam and Eve. Whew!

This is then followed by Arias singing a series of ballads that she sings in the style of a cabaret, all the while dressed in her burlesque or slinky gowns lounging on various props. Each song and act mimicked various movies, tv shows or popular culture, while the fanciful puppets designed by Basil swirled about her or added to the set. There were many memorable moments but perhaps my two favorites (other than the jungle scene) was the monster woman scene in New York as Arias lumbers amongst the skyline of New York culminating in chewing off a part of a skyscraper, and the tap dancing leg routine that has her ending up kick legging at the center of a cake with multiple puppet legs all kicking about.

Quite unlike anything I've ever seen before, this show by this 60-year old performance artist reminds me that experimental theater is not dead.

Sport as Unifier and Motivator

2009-12-10T13:42:00.000-08:00

(Morgan Freeman stars as Nelson Mandela and Matt Damon as Francois Pinenaar in the moving film Invictus.)

I doubt I have seen my partner Steve ever watch a sports event as long as he did last night when we went to see a pre-release screening of Invictus, directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandela and Matt Damon as Francois Pinenaar, the South African Springboks rugby union team captain. Not only that, this motivational film brought both tears, cheers and resounding applause from the enthusiastic Palm Springs International Film Society audience.

Based on the book, Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game that Made a Nation by John Carlin, the movie gives Freeman once again the opportunity to play a strong movie character. This year's recipient of the 2010 Career Achievement Award for Acting from the Palm Springs International Film Festival, Freeman's performance as Mandela is so spot on that it is almost hard to believe you aren't watching Mandela himself. There is no doubt that Mandela's life is one of humility and inspiration, as well as showmanship. By realizing the importance that a sport's team can have, Mandela against the advice and wishes of his own party decided to continue to support the former Afrikaners rugby team and inspire them on to victory in the 1995 World Cup.

Damon also plays a great role as Pinenaar showing strength and motivation, but also endures the skepticism and often outright hostility of his teammates to the new government following years of apartheid. Of course in this role as a team captain meeting a head of state could be intimidating and therefore Damon's speaking part was limited in comparison to Freeman's.
In the end, this is a film that is carried by both Freeman's acting and Eastwood's direction. Each scene is filled with either warmth, action, anger or admiration.

However, you might want to brush up on your knowledge of "rucks" and "mauls".

Desert Business Association Celebrates 30 Years

2009-12-08T12:56:00.000-08:00

(The Desert Business Association has been promoting GLBT businesses in the Coachella Valley since 1979.)

There aren't a whole lot of organizations or institutions here in the Palm Springs area that have been around longer than similar ones back in Boston, but the Desert Business Association is an exception. Last night it celebrated its 30th anniversary at the BluEmber Restaurant at the Rancho Las Palmas Resort and Spa in Rancho Mirage.

A lot has happened in the past 30 years to end discrimination in the workplace and the business world, but this discrimination was the basis for GLBT "chambers of commerce" springing up all over the country. Yet, even in Boston, that didn't happen until 20 years ago when the Greater Boston Business Council began. When I lived in Boston the GBBC often had some of the greatest programs and networking opportunities so when I moved here I decided to check out the DBA too.

(Me with Jack Newby of Touch Pointe Home Care Agency at a recent DBA mixer.)

A bit more informal, the DBA has various after work social hour mixers each month as way to highlight local businesses, as well as providing an opportunity for members to network and promote themselves. Since working to do a bit more marketing consulting, as well as photography, I recently became a full-fledged member and have enjoyed getting to know many of the local GLBT-owned businesses.

An Education - When Life Outside It Seems So Glamorous

2009-12-07T11:39:00.000-08:00

(Carry Mulligan plays the school girl Jenny who is swept off her feet by the glamorous David played by Peter Sarsgaard in An Education.)

School can be so boring for so many. And in many parochial and private school settings, the rigidity, rules and discipline can make getting an education more like a sentence than the adventure it should be.

This is certainly the setting for Lone Sherfig's film, An Education. Set in a London suburb (Twickenham to be exact and where my mother was born) in the 1960s, Jenny (played by Carry Mulligan) finds herself at a girls school with a strict headmistress (played by Emma Thompson), tough teachers like Miss Stubbs (played by Olivia Williams), and a nagging father Jack (played by Alfred Molina).

Life changes dramatically however when one day in the rain, Jenny finds herself charmed by David (played by Peter Sarsgaard) a charming gentleman twice her age who picks her up to give her a ride home from school ostensibly to protect her cello from getting wet. A con man, David is not really the person he purports to be, but Jenny (and her family) get pulled in by his charm, wit, and glamorous life.

There will be no spoilers here, but suffice it to say that this is a film that pulls you in to its plot. One doesn't really want to encourage this underage romance that somehow seems off, but yet life at school does seem kind of monotonous, strict and even futile in its possibilities for these girls, except as a way to find well-0ff boys and future husbands at Oxford.

The acting, direction and script reveal lots about life in England as it middle class began to deal with becoming more cosmopolitan, less provincial and diversified following the hardships of World War II. Antisemitism, patrimony and cultural differences all rear their ugly heads. The make up and costuming of Carry Mulligan is superb as she goes from looking like a young school girl of 16 in London to a sophisticated young woman in Paris and then back again. Emma Thompson too has some great lines, as does Olivia Williams who almost plays two different individuals: her school teacher strictness contrasted with her warmth later as a personal tutor.

A great film about an incredibly important subject, Education.

50,000 Miles

2009-12-05T14:35:00.000-08:00

Well after almost 4 years of owning our 2005 Jeep Liberty, it turned over 50,000 miles this past weekend (46,400 of which are ours) .

This is one of those car milestones that new car owners dread (50,000 mile/4 year warranty). You know how everything is covered under a warranty when its new and nothing will probably go wrong anyway.

It seems kind of funny to now be driving the exact amount of miles as the average number of miles driven per vehicle as calculated by the Energy Information Administration. I guess that says a couple of things about us. One, we live somewhere where everything is near by and we don't travel out of the area very much. Two, we're older and don't have kids in our household any more.

Equivocation

2009-11-23T09:11:00.000-08:00

(Bill Cain's play, Equivocation, is running at the Geffen Playhouse until December 20th.)

Equivocate [i-kwiv-uh-keyt]
–verb (used without object), -cat⋅ed, -cat⋅ing. to use ambiguous or unclear expressions, usually to avoid commitment or in order to mislead; prevaricate or hedge: When asked directly for his position on disarmament, the candidate only equivocated.

Yesterday we went into Los Angeles to see our niece and also to attend some real live theater again. This time we saw Bill Cain's play, Equivocation, directed by David Esbjornson at the Geffen Playhouse, a venue we'd never been to before.

As with many productions that we often see, we've read a bit about them before hand, and this was no exception. (Shakespeare, now starring at Geffen Playhouse, and Theater review: 'Equivocation' at Geffen Playhouse) Starring Joe Spano as Shag (William Shakespeare) and five other actors playing various multiple roles, Cain was interested in showing how a great playwright works to "tell the truth in difficult times." Using the Gunpowder Plot as the framework, Cain has King James I ask William Shakespeare for a new play based on some of the confessions made by those put to death or tortured.

There is a lot to this play, many many references to Shakespeare's King Lear, Macbeth, as well as character switching back and forth by the actors. At times, at two and a half hours in length, the play seemed to be very slow with little comic relief. Yet the dialog was intense, thought-provoking and the whole point of the play. Are the questions being asked by the accuser the one that will condemn you to death or is it the underlying question that is not being verbalized. By equivocating are you lying or actually telling the truth.

The minimal set by Director David Esbjornson, as well as the black costumes by Frances Kenny, were as much a part of the show as was the writing and performances. Yet, even though everything was in black and white, the lighting by Scott Zilinski seemed to turn everything into grey. It wasn't the best play I've ever seen in my life, but like all good theater, provided thought and not clear cut answers in black and white.

Back at the Film Festival

2009-11-20T15:31:00.000-08:00

Once again I am back working for the Palm Springs International Film Festival as the Assistant Volunteer Coordinator for the next couple of months.

Last year was lots of fun and it is great to be back at my old desk again and working once again with my boss, Holly.

So just what is it I am doing. Well right now we are working to recruit new volunteers to work during the Festival in January, and helping returning volunteers select their schedules at the various theater venues and other areas where we need help. In addition we work with the various other staff members who use volunteers and try to supply volunteers to meet their needs in areas like guest services, special events, transportation, production, merchandise, etc.

Since this is the 21st year that this Festival has been held, and many of our volunteers return year after year, we are actually far ahead of last year at this time of filling the various time slots. This is really great as it makes our task of fully staffing each venue that much easier.

Over the next few weeks Holly and I will have several orientations, meet with both new and returning volunteers and do our best to make this year's festival the very best for both movie goers and film industry personnel.

The Key Lime Pie Test

2009-11-18T18:45:00.001-08:00

(At this time of the year, our Mexican lime tree produces hundreds of limes that I use in a variety of ways.)

At this time of the year we get excited as the many different types of citrus that grow on the property surrounding our condo begin to ripen. The very first are the Mexican limes on a large tree on the way to the pool. Every morning as they ripen there are dozens of them lying on the ground. Of course I can't bear to let them just rot so I do my best to find uses for them such as limeade, margaritas, and this year, Key Lime Pie.

Known by many names such as Key lime, Bartender’s lime and West Indian lime, Mexican limes are small, approximately one and one-half inches in diameter. They have a thin, greenish-yellow rind at maturity that emits a fragrant oil when pressed. The flesh is greenish-yellow, seedy, and once they reach full maturity, they drop from the tree.

So for the past four weeks, I've been picking these luscious limes up and enjoying them. There has always been a nice pitcher of limeade in the refrigerator and sometimes a nice margarita. But my experiment this year was making four different Key Lime pies to see which one I like best. The two ingredients that all of these recipes contained were lime juice and sweetened condensed milk.

(After baking and freezing for about an hour, the Popsicle sticks were inserted into the pie and then put back into the freezer overnight.)

The first one was pretty much the standard recipe that is often on the cans of sweetened condensed milk and was topped by whipped cream. The second recipe came from the LA Times and used meringue in both the filling as well as the top. The third recipe came from a mutual friend and didn't contain any eggs, but did include sour cream. And finally, the last recipe used chocolate and was served frozen and on a stick.

(Finally the foil is cut away from the sticks, the pieces are cut and then dipped in dark chocolate.)

So the winner is the Frozen Key Lime Pie on a Stick, followed by the Key Lime Pie with sour cream, followed by the original with whipped cream, and finally the one with meringue that was too mouse like for me.

When Cultures Collide and Conquer

2009-11-02T21:43:00.001-08:00

(Come on Shore and We Will Kill and Eat You All: A New Zealand Story by Christina Thompson and published by Bloomsbury)

Browsing in a library or bookstore, I am often enticed to read something by its title and cover. Certainly when I saw the title, "Come on Shore and We Will Kill and Eat You All," it attracted my attention. Then when I saw that it was a story about New Zealand, I became even more interested. You see, a few years ago I found out, by also reading a book, that I had relatives who live in New Zealand. Ever since then, I've had an increasing interest in finding out more about a country I know very little about.

What starts out with a brawl in a bar between a white and a Maori islander that is witnessed by the author, Christina Thompson, turns into a love story and family history. As it turns out, Christina's family on her mother's side happened to arrive in Massachusetts in 1642, the very year that Dutch explorers came upon New Zealand. In both cases they met the native peoples; Maori in the case of New Zealand and Agawam, Pennacook and Pawtucket Native Americans in the case of Massachusetts.

Told as a personal memoir, the book endeavors to weave the history of what colonization did to the Moari culture. Although Thompson spent lots of time researching the history of New Zealand and the Polynesians who settled the vast islands of the Pacific, there are lots of times in the book that it seems as if she is apologizing for what she perceives were the injustices done. At the same time, she has a hard time documenting the motives behind much of the warring tribes of New Zealand or their interactions with Europeans.

I enjoyed reading about Thompson's observations and stories about life with her Maori husband and her marriage's effect on her own family. I also learned a bit more about the European explorers and their interactions and dealings with the local people as they endeavored to settle and Christianize the islanders. Whether it is due to the lack of a tradition of a written language or the quick annihilation of the Maori due to war or disease, the story from their point of view often seems a bit weak.

In the end, the story Thompson tells is personal. In many ways it does tell us more about Maori culture and folklore. Yet it also is a story about class, privilege, education and how two very different individuals melded a life together. And that is probably all one can hope for, a melding of lives one at a time as our world increasingly gets smaller culturally and demographically.

Amelia: Looking for Bravery, We Only Get a Smile

2009-10-23T16:22:00.000-07:00

(Amelia Earhart looks out at us with her strong eyes and wisp of a smile, and in the film Amelia, directed by Mira Nair, we don't get much else.)

I was hoping for so much more. Who was Amelia Earhart, this icon of female pilots, this famous woman who vanishes into thin air? But in Amelia, the recently released film by Mira Nair, her husband and maybe even her love-affair with Gene Vidal, are more interesting than the flat dimensional character that we are presented with.

I don't know if it was the period, the roaring 20s that crashing into the depression, but Amelia, as portrayed by Hilary Swank, seems little more than a prop used by her publicity hungry husband, George Putnam. The movie is beautifully photographed with scenes over Africa and parts of Ireland and Wales, but the passion, drive and risk taking that Amelia's endeavors must have taken just don't come through.

What is she thinking? Why is she doing this? The answers seem to lie in her journals and letters to her husband, but even those seem a bit stilted in today's vernacular.

While watching the film, I kept thinking back to my first two flights. The excitement, fright and thrill I got in that first flight in a Cessna Cub when I was a kid, and then to my next flight in an American Airlines 747 from Boston to Los Angles when I was in college with its immense size and luxury just didn't come through. Hilary Swank and Richard Gere as George Putnam did their best with what material they were given, but in the end I thought I was supposed to hate Putnam for using Amelia for her publicity's sake and be upset that she vanished. I did neither. It is hard to have too much emotion for cardboard characters.

Woodstock and the Class of 69

2009-10-21T15:12:00.000-07:00

(Elliot Tiber's story (with Tom Monte) of a riot, concert and life, gives us a much deeper insight into his life than Ang Lee's movie version.)

There are lots 40th anniversaries this year. A lot happened in 1969. It was no ordinary year, but of course for those of us living through it, we didn't know that then.

Steve & I graduated from high school, there were Peace Marches against the Vietnam War, the Stonewall Riots took place in New York, Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, Richard Nixon was elected President, Edward Kennedy drove off the Chappaquiddick bridge, and the Woodstock generation was born.

I remember a lot of those things, participated in some, while others just seemed to be a bit out of my realm, especially as a young man still trying to find my way and please my parents. Of course that meant I graduated from my conservative Seventh-day Adventist high school, South Lancaster Academy. (I didn't attend my 40th reunion.) But that didn't mean I was totally oblivious to what was going on around me. I participated in the largest peace demonstration on the Boston Common in October of 1969, after having to register for the draft on my 18th birthday in July just a few days after we had landed on the moon.

(When I graduated from high school I never saw the sexual innuendos that were squarely in front of me, even on my yearbook cover.)

I don't recall hearing much about the gay Stonewall riots in New York that June that set off the gay liberation movement, but I certainly heard about the large gathering of kids who had set off for upstate New York for the Woodstock concerts. Of course I didn't go. I didn't have a car, didn't know anyone who would have gone, and wasn't all that caught up in many of the singers or bands who played. Certainly not until after the event had happened.

So after 40 years, this year we were treated to reminiscences of one of those huge defining moments: Taking Woodstock, both the book by Elliot Tiber with Tom Monte and the movie version by Ang Lee based on the book.

There is often a difference between a movie adaptation of a book. And, in Ang Lee's version of Taking Woodstock, Tiber's gay life and exploitations in New York City are left out. True there are a few scenes in both the book and movie where young Tiber experiments with his sexuality at the festival and his parents motel. And, in the interest of being fair, the movie version really only concentrates on Tiber's relationship with his parents in running their derelict motel, the weeks proceeding the concert, its happening from Tiber's perspective four miles away, and a few scenes following its close. Thus the movie in a wonderfully dreamy, almost documentary kind of way, is really about Woodstock, whereas the book is really about Tiber's life and how Woodstock transformed him.

The movie was funny, moving, a real head trip back in time; but I really loved reading about Tiber's struggles to find his sexual identity amidst his two lives in Manhattan and upstate New York. And, like many from little towns across America, once he saw the greater world about him, he had to leave the country behind.

Balloon Boys

2009-10-18T13:10:00.000-07:00

(I wonder if Falcon Heene, the Colorado "balloon boy" saw Russell, the cute energetic cub scout in the movie Up, and too wanted to fly away?)

All of a sudden balloon boys were in my conscience. Not that one could have actually avoided the story of Falcon Heene, the six-year-old boy who was thought to have flown away in his family's silver space-like balloon this past week. But then, on kind of a lark, Steve and I went to see the Pixar film, UP, at one of the cheapest movie places around, Cinemark 10 in Cathedral City.

We'd never been to this movie theater, but everyone always commented about how cheap the tickets were. However it always seemed that they showed stuff we just weren't interested in; that is, until the "balloon boy" reminded us about UP. Now I know that this movie was also released in 3-D, but even though we didn't see it with those funny glasses on, we really enjoyed the joy and adventure that this movie is all about.

Poor old Carl Frederikson (voiced by Ed Asner) misses his adventurous wife, Ellie, of many years and their little house is now surrounded by high rise construction on all sides. Now a bit cantankerous, he gets a knock on his door from a cute little cub scout looking to earn his "assisting the elderly" badge. Not amused he sends him away and after reminiscing about his life by flipping through Ellie's scrapbook, he wishes he could just fly away to that lost land they dreamed of discovering so many years ago.

Things get a bit chaotic when the construction crew continues to encrouch on his property and he decides to blow up a huge bunch of balloons that go up his chimney. Whoops without thinking about it, the house gives way and off it goes. However not only does he have his pet dog with him but also a stow away; Russell. Up, up and away they go, and soon they find that they are on adventure to that secret land Carl and Ellie had dreamed about.

Of course there are protagonists (a mad scientist in a helium blimp), mad dogs, a rare and elusive bird, and enough magical moments to make even the youngest child to the oldest curmudgeon laugh and cry.

Kids have been dreaming of flying with balloons or by jumping off tree stumps and roofs for ages, and I am sure that little Falcon was too. Fantasy is fun and UP makes it even more so.

Object of Desire is a True Love Story

2009-10-17T10:57:00.001-07:00

(Object of Desire: A Novel by William J. Mann, published by Kensington Books 2009)

I think we all, at some point in our lives, want to be "objects of desire", yet in William Mann's latest novel, Object of Desire, there is really only one I'd care to be.

Unlike Mann's previous novels, this book is set in East Hartford, Connecticut (not so pretty), West Hollywood, California, and Palm Springs, California, (where I now live). And although the life of Danny, the main character of the book, is somewhat reflective of those settings, (East Hartford - depressing / West Hollywood - sexy sleaze / Palm Springs - laid back & beautiful), Mann brings enough twists and turns to the story to keep you wanting more.

There are plenty of characters in this 400 plus page novel who become "objects of desire", many to the point of obsession. Becky, Danny's teenage sister who vanishes into thin air and becomes his mother's obsession. Chipper, Becky's boyfriend, who ends up being one of many of Danny's obsessions. Frank, glanced briefly by Danny in a stripper joint, who becomes he longtime partner. Kelly, the coke obsessed bartender that Danny sees as his younger self, and that he can't shake off. And these are just the few that Danny goes nuts for; let alone the characters his mother follows around in search of her lost daughter or the rich double living society whores Danny meets in Hollywood and Palm Springs.

Mann has done a great job of character building, but the greatest strength in this book is its twists and turns. The way the story of Danny's crazy early life in East Hartford is turned upside down by his mother's manic obsession in trying to find his sister and that comes to haunt him too. Does Danny find his way, his true happiness, the object of his desire? He certainly tries. There are lots of detours and questions along the way, but that's what makes life interesting and this book a real page turner.

I'm not going to give away the fascinating twist that lies toward the end, but will only say that this book was a perfect anniversary present from my spouse & partner of 21 years. It made me cry and happy to know true love, even if there are many "objects of desire" along the way. Oh, and the fact that I too live in Palm Springs, where like Danny I also look at the glorious San Jacinto Mountains that rise majestically "like papier-mâché, folded in various and intricate patterns."

My Review of the Backstreet Art District

2009-10-16T17:31:00.000-07:00

What began as a dream several years ago has now blossomed into a full-fledged art district in Palm Springs...

Art and Culture: Backstreet Art District

Glass as Inspiration

2009-10-11T23:20:00.000-07:00

(The work of glass artist Lino Tagliapietra was the inspiration for an afternoon at the Palm Springs Art Museum.)

It never ceases to amaze me how incredibly lucky we are to have the Palm Springs Art Museum so close by. Not only has it undergone a complete renovation over the last three years, but it collections and shows have gotten even better. Recently Steve and I also participated in a focus group to see what more the museum might do to attract those who aren't coming.

Today marked another new beginning, "Free 2nd Sundays at the Art Museum." For several years the museum has been open for free on Thursday evenings, the same night as Palm Springs Village Fest. But now, thanks to a large grant from the H.N. and Frances C. Berger Foundation, the museum will be free the second Sunday of each month for the next three years. Of course Sundays are probably easier times for families with children to attend, so programming for them, as well as special events will be planned each month.

(Patrick Blythe applying a plaster cast over the silicone mask that he has painted onto Glenn Ostergaard's face to make a mold for his cast glass face mask piece.)

Today's focus was inspired by the recently opened show, Lino Tagliapietra in Retrospect: A Modern Renaissance in Italian Glass. Although there were a number of events during the day, we only took in two; the Artist Demonstration and Reflections of Lino: A contemporary performing art piece. Local glass artist Patrick Blythe did a demonstration on his life casting that he then produces in glass. The interesting thing besides his use of silicone, plaster and some of his finished pieces, was that he was using as subjects David Kaplan and Glenn Ostergaard major donors to the museum in whose names the contemporary glass gallery at the museum is named for.

Following that demonstration we quickly zoomed through the exhibition of Lino Taglipietra's work, but will return when the Glass Center gallery reopens this week with some new works from the museum's permanent collection, as well as pieces on loan from other collectors.

However the real highlight of the afternoon was a contemporary performing art piece based on the life and work of Tagliapietra, Reflections of Lino. Presented by the Coachella Valley Repertory theater in the Annenberg Theatre, the work showcased dancers from the L. A. Contemporary Dance Company and music by Nathan Wang, narrative by Jonathan Dorf and backdrop sets by four members of the museum's Artist's Council (Gideon Cohn, Peter Demopoulos, Gary Paterson & Patrick Sheehan).

Made up of six scenes, the narrative of Taglipietra's life was actually more interesting to me than the documentary that I saw on his life that is part of the exhibition's catalog. The lighting, photography and narrative that accompanied each section of the piece that highlighted Taglipietra's life, interest in glass and eventual movement from a craftsman to artistic genius were well told and illustrated. The three dances movements that accompanied the piece, Renaissance, The Elements and New Currents, actually got better as they moved on.

The four dancers were fluid and expressive, and the costumes, especially in the elements and currents gave the appearance of molten glass and light. The accompanying music was also very captivating with its movements, sounds and rhythm; all indicative of glass being blown, cooling and heating up.

If this is the type of programming that we will get on the 2nd Sundays, I'm looking forward to many more. And, if you're in the Palm Springs area, this performance will be repeated on Saturday, November 14, at 2 pm as part of the Mobile Hot Shop.

Okay, We're Back to More Food

2009-10-10T18:51:00.001-07:00

(Steamed artichokes were one of the food items on our menu this week.)

Seems like this has been a week where everyone is talking about food. What with the announcement on Monday that the venerable magazine, Gourmet, was no longer to be.

Now maybe because I am a bit more visual and love reading the stories, the menus and themes it often presented, and didn't actually cook all that much, it was I who subscribed for years and looked forward to each issue. Every time it came, I would sit at the table and leaf through each issue and sort of dream that I was transported to wherever editor Ruth Reichl took us. Provence, Portugal, the south, New Orleans, and even to places I'd been. Yup, I always fantasied about those fabulous summer dinner parties staged somewhere in an orchard with white linen, gorgeous groups of friends all eating fabulous food that somehow magically appeared on their tables and plates.

So it is no longer to be... very sad.

Then today we went off to our farmer's market. I know most of you in the country are winding down your farmer's markets, but our close for the heat of the summer and then come back for the fall, winter and spring. Just lovely. Of course I wanted to first just wander about, see who had come back, if anyone was new and what was in season today. There were the usual vegetables, but I would have to say that everything just looked and smelled so fresh. We picked up an assortment of peppers, little eggplants to roast, fresh basil, tomatoes, pears, peaches, bread and corn. A bounty for the week.

Our final food experience was going to our newest grocery store, Smart and Final. We seem to have so many grocery stores that it is hard to know why we need more, but several seem to be try to break into our market share here. We'll probably get a Fresh and Easy soon too since its been built just down the street, but not opened yet. So there we were in a new store, not knowing which way to go or whether or not prices or products would be better than our other choices. We found that some things were a bit cheaper than a regular grocery store, but not as cheap as a Costco. And although the store did sell things in bulk, one wasn't forced to buy as much as at Costco. Did we save a lot of money? I'm not sure. Will we go back... maybe if we're in the neighborhood, but probably only for a few items that are on sale.

So there you have a week's worth of food related thoughts. Kind of funny how they all came together.

My Life in France Brings Back Memories

2009-10-02T21:03:00.001-07:00

(My Life in France by Julia Child with Alex Prud'Homme brought back lots of memories of our trip to France.)

After seeing Julie & Julia, I just had to read Julia Child's memoir, My Life in France, that much of the movie was based upon. I was not disappointed.

Often people don't like movies based on books, and yet Julie & Julia was actually based on two books. And yes the movie changed a few details, but in many ways I got to relive the movie for the third time by reading Julia's colorful and conversational memoir. But, if you don't like France, French food or liberal politics, don't pick up the book: you'll hate it. However if you are like me and enjoy good food, hearing about it, reading about places you might have been, this read was pure pleasure.

In fact I think it was just like having a conversation with Julia herself. There were so many times in the book that I could hear her talking. I also could feel her exasperation with her collaborators of her early cookbooks, along with her excitement and discovery of using the new medium of television to help educate others to her enthusiasm for all things French and cooking.

Did I learn a whole lot more about her as a person, no probably not. But I did get the sense that as easy as everything seemed on television and the person we all thought we knew; life was not always a bowl of cherries, it often was more like an oyster, you had to work hard to get at the morsel.

Dealing with Masculinity & Looking for that Hollywood Dream

2009-09-28T15:14:00.000-07:00

(One of the best documentaries of Cinema Diverse: The Palm Springs Gay and Lesbian Film Festival was The Butch Factor by Christopher Hines.)

It is always nice to end a film festival on a high note. Yesterday afternoon's showing of The Butch Factor, directed by Christopher Hines, certainly hit the ball out of the park. Feeling like there were very few films that depicted gay athletes or blue collar men, Hines set out talk with them, and in the process produced an all encompassing film that highlights what it means to be a man and gay.

Through interviews, footage with gay football, softball and rugby players, to gay prison guards, police and horse ranchers, the film then highlights more effeminate men who could not hide their gayness to the various stereotypical gay male roles from the "Castro clone" to "leathermen" and "bears". Not only was this film fascinating in the exceedingly vast array of gay men it portrayed, but by also interspersing it with various academics who have studied gender and its place in society, the film gave the audience lots to think about.

It is pretty incredible to be able to film and edit almost every different type of gay man in America today and put it into an 88-minute movie. This movie moved right along, and as soon as you thought you had seen or heard from almost every different type of gay man discussing what they thought it was to be a man and masculine, Hines came along and threw in someone else; a little person, a female to male guy, drag queens, and historians who talked about how the male persona in America among both gay men and heterosexual men has evolved over time.

Running the film festival circuit right now, this film will be shown on Logo in March of 2010. If you can't see it in a theater, then be sure and put it on your spring calendar. You won't be disappointed; especially if you are a gay man either nelly or butch. And here is a tease!

Since we didn't have a lot of time before seeing the final film of the festival, we got a quick bite at the Camelot Cafe and discussed what we'd just seen.

(Newcomer Eric Debets is impressive as Jerome Beaunez in Jason Bushman's, Hollywood, je t'aime.)

Right now I guess I am in a French phase (Julie & Julia) and so I was once again smitten by a Frenchman; this time Eric Debets as Jerome Beaunez. Written and directed by Jason Bushman for Debets, Hollywood, je t'aime did a incredible job of making Paris look dreadful and dreary and Debets a sexy Frenchman.

Of course in this lovestruck comedy, life looks better on the other side of the fence (which in this case means Hollywood instead of Paris). On a whim and after a breakup with his cute philandering boyfriend Gilles, played by Jonathan Blanc, Jerome heads for Los Angeles. Everything is very different than he expected including the cost of food, hotels, etc., and he quickly finds himself at the mercy of a gay transvestite who introduces him to her friend. Taking a room in her Westlake house, he heads for the beach (and freezes because its winter) but meets up with a medical marijuana druggie who befriends him too.

Believing that persuing his dream of acting can happen, his luck leads him to a casting call, an awful pizza commercial and nostalgia for home and his former boyfriend. One thing leads to another and Jerome continues to have crazy encounters at a gay bathhouse, a French restaurant where he works for a few hours, and of course on the bus and with his new found friends.

But in the end, Paris even in its cold winter light, seems warmer than the craziness of Hollywood and Jerome returns home. A crazy adventure, Debets happy go lucky nature, winning French smile and accent save the film. Unfortunately the sound track to the music was so loud and uneven over the voice track that I lost much of what was being said. Let's hope that was a local flaw as it unnecessarily detracted from this French quest for love and adventure on Hollywood and Vine.

See what you think. Here's the trailor.

Senior Citizens, Being Young Black & Gay, and Loving Crystal Meth

2009-09-27T10:23:00.000-07:00

(The movie, A Place to Live: The Story of Triangle Square, was as much the story of building a building as it was about the lives of the LGBT seniors who dreamed of living there.)

Ever since I have heard about A Place to Live: The Story of Triangle Square, I've wanted to see it. A documentary on the building of the first LGBT senior housing directed by Carolyn Coal, the film follows the lives of seven individuals who dream and hope to become its first residents.

Since this documentary centerpiece film for Cinema Diverse with its focus on the need for affordable housing for gay and lesbian seniors has also been a dream of the Golden Rainbow Senior Center here in Palm Springs, it was only natural that the Golden Rainbow Senior Center sponsor the film here. It was a good match. Although many people realize this need, growing older as a gay and lesbian, is something that most younger LGBT people spend little time thinking about. It was heart wrenching to see and hear the various stories of the seven men and women that Coal followed in making the film. Due to the fact that the various apartments would be assigned by lottery based on income eligibility, when these people were first picked to highlight, none of them knew if they would even be eligible or win a spot in the building.

Each story was compelling told, following their ups and downs, along with the long waits in the process. In the end not everyone gets in (a couple more have since the film was finished), but the film really highlighted the need, the difficulties of getting such a project built, and even the false expectations of those who dreamed of the possiblities. As with any documentary, it is the characters of those shown that often make the story. Cole's editing and ability to convince the participants to open up and allow us to see their hopes, disappointments and frustrations make this film real and moving.

(Even the director of Rivers Wash Over Me knew that this would not be an easy story to tell..)

Growing up black and gay is hard enough, and then to have to move from New York City to rural North Carolina would be even tougher. It was, as portrayed in Rivers Wash Over Me directed by John G. Young. Fifteen-year-old Sequen Greene is shipped off to live with his poor disfunctional relatives where he meets scorn and ridicule for his studious ways and shy demeanor. But that is not the least of it, his cousin with whom he must share a room molests him, is involved with a murder, drugs and generally tries to run his group of friends like his own little gang.

Dealing with segregation, poverty, sexism, racism and homophobia, there is a lot in this film that most of us would rather not see. The black sheriff (Greene's uncle) and his up and coming author wife won't take him in, townsfolk especially the high school principal (who has something to hide) don't respect the sheriff, and the local trashie white girl does her best to fit in by sleeping with any black guy she can find. In the end the story doesn't have a happily ever after ending. And, even though Greene eventually finds a soulmate in the brother of the trashy white girl, we all know that that too won't work.

The acting and casting in this film is good. But then again, it is probably easy to play what seemed to me very stereotypical roles. This is a story that perhaps we need to still see in 2009 but I am not sure just what it has added to our knowledge. Haven't we seen this type of story for a long time now?

(Dale Dymkoski as Denny the hustling meth addict in Lucky Bastard gives the best performance in the film.)

I'm not really sure who the "lucky bastard" was in Everett Lewis' new dark, twisted and love sick film: Lucky Bastard. Part autobiographical, the film is based on the story of two successful architects, one of whom has a hard time with relationships. When his "lover" leaves on business, he meets up with a hustler in a convenience story that he instaneously falls in "love" with. Infatuation can lead you to do stupid things and in this case, Rusty does. He gives the attractive hustler, Denny, money to buy drugs, even after he knows he's been ripped off.

The film does its best to try and portray the spiral that this new relationship brings, but fails in that we don't much care for either character. How is it that Rusty and his business partner are successful architects? We are told this and we see a couple of their rich clients, but we never see any of their work. What has Rusty done with his money? Why does he live in a hotel? Of course we know that Denny isn't going to change his life's patterns. As a hustler he's had a hard life, but selling his gorgeous body and continually feeding his drug habit aren't likely to endear us to him either.

The best parts of the film were between the two business partners: one straight and one gay. That isn't easily recognized by those around them, but does provide some sexual tension in addition to the tension of the business of their firm. I was hoping for more from the film. Someone who I could like, root for or at lease empathize with. But in the end I think the two main characters just hadn't grown up enough; Rusty still seemed like a teenager unsure of what he really wanted in life.

Porn as Horror

2009-09-26T11:12:00.000-07:00

(David Kittredge's Pornography: A Thriller draws you in making you both want and not want to watch.)

Last night in opening up the Question & Answer session with Director David Kittredge following the showing of his film, Pornography: A Thriller, the first question out of an audience member's voice was, "What the f--k?"

And, although I wouldn't have voiced such a reaction, I was certainly thinking it. Kittredge laughed it off, and said he was influenced by lots of filmmakers among them David Lynch and Stanley Kubrick, but what he really liked doing was to "Screw around with the narrative and subvert what movie goers might expect. I love to try to figure out the various puzzle pieces within the film." And, if that was his goal, he more than exceeded. There is more plot, subplot and suspense to keep many audience members wanting more. At the same time, if you like a linear concise story with sexy men making a porn movie, Pornography: A Thriller isn't going to be your thing.

(Writer Matthew Montgomery finds he is suprised & shocked by what he discovers, but is never fearful.)

Not to say there isn't actually a plot. There really is; it's just that you don't really know who is playing whom, what is real, what is a visual affect, and who is the most evil. New York writer Matthew Montgomery played by Michael Castigan is writing a book on the history of gay male porn. He comes upon the name of Mark Anton (played by Jared Grey) whom at the height of his career quit the business and disappeared. It is this mystery that takes Michael on his quest that leads him to dark basements, an apartment that he is sharing with his boyfriend when he discovers it had been used in some clandestine way with cameras capturing the occupants every move, as well as his friendship with a video store owner who seemingly has every gay film ever made.

What happens? Well things get creepy, events in the writer's life seem to be too circumstantial to be haphazard. Is he being followed? Was Anton's disappearance a murder? Did it happen in their apartment, is Anton's murderer now out to get Montgomery? Did his boyfriend have something to do with this? And who is that leather masked lab coated man that keeps showing up on tapes and at the porn studio?

To find out, you'll have to keep watching, not once or even twice. Are you brave enough?

Here' the trailer.