echeblog

Online Dating Tips

2009-11-19T00:21:00.000-07:00

And now, a guest post for your enjoyment!

Have you or someone you know ever tried dating online? Many people have and have been successful, yet just as many come away from the experience unsatisfied and vowing they would never try dating online again.

Gay dating online is difficult, especially if the site is expensive or doesn’t have updated information. It’s frustrating to find someone online and then realize that your gay or lesbian match isn’t even a member of the site anymore.

There are lots of online dating sites out there, but finding the right one can take a lot of trial and error. When looking for a gay dating site, there are some things you can do first to help narrow down your choices.

To start with, be sure to check out the site and see if it offers everything you’re looking for – make a checklist of the membership benefits you want and then eliminate the sites that don’t offer them.

If possible, sign up for a free trial membership to the sites you like. This can give you access to bios, personals, and pics of other members. If you see someone interesting make a note of where you found them and use the data to help make your choice.

Last but not least, when you’re trying gay dating online, make sure you are honest in your profile. Finding the right homosexual partner will only happen if you are truthful about your own likes, dislikes, and personality.

For example, if you love dance music or you’re into pop culture make sure you put that in your profile. Being completely honest when using a gay dating site like PrideDating.com for instance, will help you find the right gay or lesbian match. Whenever you choose online gay dating sites, use these tips and avoid the disappointment.

Two Weeks

2009-08-24T10:42:00.000-07:00

An amazing fan video of "Two Weeks" by the group, "Grizzly Bear." Great song, incredible video!

July and August 09 Top 10 Trance Picks

2009-08-04T14:47:00.002-07:00

I love me some trance and progressive house, here's my top 10 picks for July & August.

July and August 09 Top House Picks

2009-08-04T14:40:00.004-07:00

My top pics are back -- this time you can listen to them right from the player. Lots of good stuff for the ears and dancefloor.

Neutrality

2009-07-21T17:22:00.003-07:00

The Colbert Report

Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

The Word - Neutral Man's Burden

www.colbertnation.com

Colbert Report Full Episodes

Political Humor

Mark Sanford

I love Stephen Colbert. He manages to get to the heart of things with ease.

Tuesday Morning

2009-07-21T05:03:00.003-07:00

Thunder splits the sky
Nature in its majesty
Life in the desert

Hope

2009-03-12T13:24:00.002-07:00

I know a lot of people are still troubled by Prop 8 but sometimes you have to look past the big things to see the real progress.

When you have a bunch of straight FRAT BOYS who are standing up to the bigots, you can see that the change we've all been hoping for is in the works. It's not going to be by a court ruling, it's going to be because the younger generations are leading the way, they know that everyone deserves to be treated with respect. That's what real change looks like, it doesn't come through lobbying groups and celebrity fundraisers, it's real people who recognize our common humanity.

Oh, and frat boys are hot.

True.

2009-03-10T19:13:00.002-07:00

(Thanks to The Daily Slab.)

Bizarre Zombies

2009-03-04T10:43:00.002-07:00

Okay, I've been a little quiet lately and I think it's because I've had far too little zombie contact lately. I remedy that immediately.

Nothing says "joy" like zombies and a 90's one hit wonder from New Zealand.

OMG! Billy Herrington!

2009-02-16T12:41:00.007-07:00

It all started with an insane video that Adam from This Boy Elroy posted... insanity like only the Japanese can conjure. Sadly, YouTube has already removed the video. Nonetheless, in the past 24 hours I came to learn much more about the bizarre elements of Japanese pop-culture, notably that they have an obsession with porn star Billy Herrington, who was big in the late 90s. (I remember seeing him dance here in Phoenix around 2001 -- he was even hotter in person!)

I don't claim to understand the whys and hows, but he now has his own action figure (figma for the purists)(even creepier than normal action figures) and is known as "Aniki" or Big Brother. Even though Billy is getting older and isn't close to being in porn shape anymore, it's great to see him back in the limelight, even though the whole phenomenon seems bizarre.

Porn stars with their own "action" figures. Ah, the insanity of the Japanese. You can read even MORE insanity about Billy's recent Tokyo appearance.

(From BoingBoing via QueerClick)

Masterbeat New Releases - Pop - 2/15/09

2009-02-15T22:22:00.004-07:00

There's been a whole lot of new releases over at Masterbeat in the past month. I'm going to break them down into a few posts.

Masterbeat New Releases - Pop - 2/15/08

Britney Spears - Circus (Linus Loves Mix)
Okay, Britney's still a mess but I know The Gays still love her, so I can't ignore her latest release. For the record, I may not be the biggest Britney fan but she's had some memorable tracks over the years and some have been downright enjoyable. In stark contrast, Womanizer made my ears bleed. Fortunately, Circus is a definite step up from that. This is a mediocre track, so it's all up to the remixer to make it interesting. Junior Vasquez has three mixes, the Ringleader Mix has a funky bass line that separates it from the Club mix and Electric Circus mix which are solid but a bit plodding for my tastes. The release includes two mixes by David Morales -- the Camp David Remix and the Camp Epic Remix, the Camp David Remix is a bit lighter has more energy. Friscia and Lamboy have a mix with more of an electro feel that's got a good feel. My favorite of the bunch was the Linus Loves mix, which, like Morales's Camp David Remix is a bit lighter with good energy.
Beyonce - Diva (Jeff Barringer vs. Fingaz Extended Mix), (Redcap Mix) & (Maurice Joshua Extended Mojo Remix)
Okay, I REALLY don't care for this track, so I chose mixes that had elements that made the track interesting. First off was Maurice Joshua's groovy style that seems to work with just about any track he works on. Classic groovy house feel with healthy doses of piano and groovy bass line. So silky smooth that it almost makes me ignore the rest... almost. The Redcap Mix goes for the other extreme -- the word that comes to my mind for this track is gothic. Something about it really worked for me. Finally, I really dug the Jeff Barringer vs. Fingaz Extended Mix -- it has a dubby feel at points with more of a techno feel. Definitely not what I'd expect from a Beyonce remix, which is probably why I like it.
Deborah Cox - Beautiful U R (Soulseekerz Club Mix) & (Yinon Yahel Club Mix)
Praise Jesus, Deborah Cox is back! Okay, I love this track for all the reasons that I disliked Beyonce's Diva -- that is, Deborah Cox comes through with a track that is beautiful, uplifting and shows that pop music doesn't have to be crass and jaded. This release includes a mix by the Soulseekerz who I absolutely adore. This isn't one of my favorite of their remixes but it's solid and high energy. Massimo Nocito comes through with more of an electro-ish feel, though it's not straight up electro. My favorite is the Yinon Yahel Club Mix that manages to feel grand and soaring and has some more trance elements. I know there are some tracks from the early 2000s that this reminds me of, though I can't put my finger on them right now. Welcome back, Deborah, I missed you!
Solange - T.O.N.Y (Lost Daze Extended Remix)
Ah, listening to Solange is so refreshing because it's like hearing Beyonce before she started taking herself SO seriously. I love the Lost Daze Remix -- it's like listening to something from the Motown days. The other remixes are solid, but they end up sounding very routine and contemporary, where the Lost Daze mix ends up coming off sounding classic, very much in line with the original track.
Brandy - Long Distance (Jody denBroeder Club Mix)
Another solid track from Brandy. This release only has two remixes -- the JodyBroeder Club Mix and the Dub. denBroeder comes up with a solid pop remix, doing a good job moving the track from a slow ballad to the dance floor. I was surprised at the energy the track managed to find considering the original. This isn't a peak hour track but it's definitely something that would be great to help bring a crowd to a more relaxed place.

Whoa! Big Cats on Hallucinogens!

2009-02-11T16:49:00.002-07:00

Jaguar eating ayahausca
Uploaded by ayadocs

In a related story, Kellog's has decided to replace Tony the Tiger as the Frosted Flakes mascot of "They're GRRRRREAT!" fame after photos showing him tripping out after eating ayahausca.

OMG, Chris Evans!

2009-02-06T23:47:00.002-07:00

I went with Adam and my friend Chris to see Push tonight. Adam had directed me to the reviews on Rotten Tomatoes and they were pretty grim. Adam was particularly put off by the presence of Dakota Fanning. Nevertheless, the movie starred Chris Evans, so after Chris envited me, I was determined to go and enjoy it simply for the presence of Chris Evans.

While my expectations were low, I have to say that the movie itself wasn't half bad. No, it's nothing award winning and the plot was a little thin in parts, but I'd give it a 6.5 or so, probably something best experienced at a matinee or on DVD for those of you who don't drool over Chris Evans (maybe just lesbians), but I'd have raised the rating to a 7.5-8 if he had taken his shirt off. That's right, he kept his shirt on for the entire movie. Nonetheless, Chris Evans was amazingly hot and I have to admit that he's come a long way as an actor. So, if you don't mind admiring him with his shirt on, Push is worth a look.

I'm My Own Hero

2009-02-05T19:12:00.001-07:00

(Thanks Madhouse @Pluto Drive)

It's Good to Wait?

2009-02-05T17:49:00.006-07:00

I suppose I'm like a lot of people out there, I hate to wait. I want what I want and I want it NOW. Unfortunately, that doesn't work out for me, just like the rest of the world. Anyway, I've always been a sci-fi/fantasy geek at heart, that hasn't changed over the years. I've played RPGs all my life but I've gotten bored with the current crop of MMORPGs, Vanguard: Saga of Heros being my last one, although I dabbled a bit in the soon-to-be-defunct Tabula Rasa. While the whole MMORPG phenomenon has been interesting, I'm big on story and most of the games out there just don't really give you much depth, it's all about "Kill x creatures" or "Get _____ loot." /yawn. I had been playing Dungeons & Dragons Online for about a year, and that's honestly been the most fun I've had in the MMORPG genre but I haven't really felt the urge to go back.

I've usually preferred the traditional one-player RPG. It's just nicer for me because I can decide when I want to play, how much I want to play and usually I have a much richer experience. The only problem has been that there hasn't been any game in a while that's really caught my attention, until recently. Toward the end of last year I received an e-mail from Bioware announcing the development of Dragon Age:Origins, and I knew I had to have it.

I went looking for updates on the game and found out the release was pushed back to the second half of 2009. Initially I was disappointed, but I realized that the push back is actually very beneficial for me... especially because my machine is SO slow and I've not yet figured out how I'm going to get a new one. This gives me some time to work before I have to rush to the store and buy Dragon Age: Origins. So, despite that I want both a new computer and the game NOW, I suppose it's a good thing that I'm able to have some time to work it all out. I suppose I could look a little deeper at some of the other things where I want the things I want that I haven't yet gotten and think about how the time lag is actually benefiting me, but I think I'll skip that for now.

Up In Smoke?

2009-02-01T11:38:00.002-07:00

I'm not sure how many of you have been keeping track of this, but the latest scandal regards photos published of Michael Phelps sparking it up at a party at the University of South Carolina. There was a resulting furor that the 23-year old Phelps is acting, well, like a 23 year old. Some have opined that this is just horrible and shocking and that this somehow erases all of Phelps's accomplishments and spells the end of his career. Phelps recently released a statement acknowledging the truth of the photo and expressing his regret over his "bad judgment" and "regrettable" behavior and swears never to do it again. Mea culpa, mea culpa.

How insane is this? Phelps should have released a statement explaining that all he does is eat, sleep and swim and if he decides he wants to spark up a bowl and act like a normal college-aged student, then congratulations for trying to have some semblance of a normal life. Yes, it sounds like he was a bit out of control but that's what happens when you spend your life trying to be superhuman and miss all the things that make life enjoyable. These outraged moralizers need to get a life and mind their own damn business.

BALLS!

2009-01-27T20:13:00.003-07:00

For those of you who think that a little teabagging might be hazardous to your health, turns out you might be right. Well, at least it is if you're talking about blowfish testicles. The AP is reporting that seven people were sickened with blowfish poison when an unlicensed chef prepared the dish. It just goes to show, be very choosy about the balls you put in your mouth. Personally, I prefer balls that aren't likely to cause paralysis.

Milestones

2009-01-22T19:13:00.005-07:00

This is a bit of a milestone here at echeblog -- my 1000th entry. I thought about commemorating it right after the Inauguration or with a beef haiku... but neither of those felt right. After all, above anything else, this blog is about ME. It's my story, it's a reflection of me, not of beeves, of politics or celebrities or even of music. I wanted to use this moment to do something special. I thought about it for a few days and the idea really crystalized this afternoon. I had been trying to figure out how to pull it off, and then circumstance intervened. I received this comment a few minutes ago that was just perfect:

"Your blog is absolutely pointless. Have you realized that you live a trite and meaningless life, or has the fact continued to evade your conscious mind? What a waste of natural resources your (as well as you family's I presume) existence represents. Do the world a favor and bring an abrupt cessation to your existence."

So, you might think to yourself, "That's horrible!" or "What a dick!" or "Hey, he's right!" At earlier parts in my life, maybe I would have felt hurt, angry, annoyed or maybe defensive... deep down, I might have even agreed. What struck me was that I didn't feel any of these things. Rather, I found myself to be incredibly amused... Amused because for the first time in my life, I have the deep knowingness that this comment is the most absurd thing someone could say about me or anything I do. Someone could tell me that I have fifteen heads, purple scales and legs made of cotton candy and it would STILL make more sense than that.

I'll be honest here, I've spent plenty of time questioning my own value, whether it's because I haven't found the success I want, or look the way I'd like to, or manifested the stuff and relationships I've always wanted... and through the whole process, I kept wondering why it seemed like other people got to determine what I was worth and how valuable my ideas, work, music and LIFE were. How 'come all these other people get to set the hoops through which I must jump?

Finally, in the past few days, it finally hit me: Your opinions don't mean zip. I mean that in the most loving way. I'm the one who gets to choose, I'm the one who decides how I feel. Maybe I didn't see it before, but I do now and that's a wonderful thing. I couldn't think of a better use of an important milestone. Even more importantly, it's just the beginning -- I'm only just letting it sink in just how many amazing things about myself are there, how much I've grown and achieved and what mind blowing things are yet to come. I really am doing remarkably well. And so are you.

That's, 'Mr. President,' to you.

2009-01-20T10:58:00.002-07:00

Believe It!

2009-01-19T01:24:00.002-07:00

The Arizona Cardinals are going to the Super Bowl! It's just amazing what can happen when you give yourself a chance and start to believe... What an amazing reminder that the pieces can all fall into place when you let them.

So Sweaty!

2009-01-12T20:52:00.005-07:00

The latest episode of Legend of the Seeker was a very sweaty one, as the Seeker spends almost the entire episode shirtless, sweaty and glistening. That's my kind of television. It should get even sweatier this week as BSG returns on Friday. Helo usually winds up real sweaty one way or another.

And on a related BSG note, especially for those of you who watched the recent Webisodes -- could Gaeta have proven to be any more of a douchebag? I think not.

Masterbeat New Year, New Releases!

2009-01-12T17:54:00.005-07:00

Masterbeat New Releases - 1/12/09

It's 2009 and while many have been busy with the holidays, I was rather pleased that Masterbeat has a number of great new tracks. Here's hoping their second year in existence is even better than the first!

Mariah Carey - I Stay In Love (Jody den Broeder Club Mix)
I've never been the biggest Mariah Carey fan, but she's had some good tracks, especially recently. I Stay In Love is a light ballad that translates well onto the dance floor. Not as catchy as Touch My Body, but still worth a listen. Jody den Broeder's Club Mix keeps things relatively light, which feels right for this song, in my opinion. den Broeder also has a House Mix, which is piano-based and has more energy than the Club Mix. Ralphi Rosario's Big Vocal Mix feels a little heavy for this track. I like his Melodic Radio Mix, I'd have preferred a full length version.
Solange - Sandcastle Disco (Lost Daze Extended Club Mix)
Yes, she's Beyoncé's little sister and I'm a little (okay a LOT) tired of Beyoncé at the moment, but I dig Sandcastle Disco. I enjoyed her last single - I Decided, as well as the videos for both tracks. They've both got a good dose of whimsy to them, which makes Solange more fun on the ears than her sister right now. There are some decent tracks in this release, none of them quite capture the vibe of the original track. The Freemasons have a remix and normally I love their stuff. This one is pretty standard for them -- very Freemasons, but they're not able to pull off the marriage of this track with their style. It sounds okay, but it came off sounding somewhat formulaic. DJ Escape and Tony Collucio offer a more dramatic Circuit-style feel, which gives the track more of feeling of angst. Lost Daze is my favorite, with an almost electro-vibe that's got a little more juice to it but still ends up being fun.
The Pussycat Dolls - I Hate This Part (Moto Blanco Club Mix)
I have a confession: I like this track. I know, while I didn't officially swear to secretly hate every PCD track, I UNOFFICIALLY swore and I just broke that vow. It just goes to show you that a good remixer can work wonders. In particular, Moto Blanco goes with their standard groovy vibe and makes this track FUN. Pussycat Dolls with disco-y goodness! While the Freemasons weren't able to marry their style with Mariah, Moto Blanco succeeds here. Dave Audé and Digital Dog have tracks that just plod along... Karmatronic goes with a more trancey feeling, which works for a while but ends up sounding a little whiney. Moto Blanco all the way.
Matt Zarley - Here I Am (Ayhan Sahin Crystal Ball Mix) and (Love to Infinity UK Club Mix)
I have a some friends who take an instant disliking to male vocals, but Matt Zarley comes up with a feel good track that I'm very glad to have found. He's got a great voice and on top of it all, he's hot, gay and I'd TOTALLY sleep with him. While Matt's had other releases and has been hitting the gay scene recently, this was my first exposure to any of his stuff and I'm hooked. My favorite is the Ayhan Sahin Crystal Ball Mix that's a little more stripped down, featuring piano and acoustic guitar that I love. Love to Infinity, Solar City and Rafael M each have good mixes. Love to Infinity is a more mainstream sound with high energy and lots of piano. Solar City also comes up with another strong effort.
Wemixer - Revival Changes (Starplayerz Vocal House Mix)
Taking a break from the more pop-oriented tracks, I was really struck by the vocals, that reminded me somewhat of Annie Lennox. The track is very lush and and the synths flow well, supporting the vocals really well. Not a long track, but something I really enjoyed.
Stefano Prada - Forever Young (Extended Vocal Mix)
Okay, I know there are still some children of the 80s out there. Alphaville's Forever Young was one of my favorites. Stefano Prada's no Alphaville, his vocals aren't great and being Swiss, his slight accent ends up leaving the lyrics feeling a tad off... but he gets so many points for reviving this track that I like it anyway. The electric guitar also reminds me of Peter Presta's revival of Boston's More Than A Feeling. Prada doesn't pull it off quite that well, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Until next time, remember -- someone should be dancin' up in here.

I Wish I Knew...

2009-01-06T22:01:00.003-07:00

I wish I knew how it would feel to be free...

Over at Rick's blog, he's talking about the many reasons he's not able to be himself in his day to day life. I won't elaborate because it's not my story to tell, but it's something I can definitely to which I can relate. I commented on his last entry with a question: What would it be like to be free? I've been asking myself that question a lot these days... but compared to the many moments I automatically conclude that it's just not possible, I don't ask that question nearly enough.

I wish I could break all the chains holding me...

Once upon a time I perhaps I believed that it was just about my sexuality -- I've known since a very early age and it was hard for me to deal with such a profound feeling of difference, that on a fundamental level I wasn't who I was told I was supposed to be. Of course I think it always went deeper than that. It was hard for me to walk into Kindergarten as one of the youngest students there and feel like, "Wait, I already get this and the people around me don't... something's not right here." Not sure how I came to the conclusion that if I could just try hard enough, be perfect enough, smart enough, maybe I could overcome the "different" part and earn the love I've always wanted.

I wish I could say all the things that I should say,
say 'em loud, say 'em clear for the whole world to hear.

But as the years roll on, it's become painfully clear that I'm not perfect. No matter how hard I've tried, it's never been enough. Somewhere along the line I went from, "How come I get this when the people around me don't?" to "Why don't things work for me? What am I missing?" Can't be that I haven't jumped through the right hoops... because I have. Can't be that I'm not willing to work hard... because I am.

I wish I could share all the love that's in my heart...

There've been so many people in my life whom I respect and love for so many reasons. Whether it's men or women, romantic or not... Maybe it's life as a Scorpio, but sometimes it's hard to explain what exactly what that means. At one point or another, I think I described myself as "loving fiercely." There are people I've encountered that I love with a depth I cannot possibly explain. But it's more than just being "in love" and romantic squooshiness. I've always wanted to be able to find that beautiful place, that love and joy and express it to the world. At my best, that's what I aspire to in my music.

Remove all the bars that keep us apart...

And yet, aside from family, it seems that the people I've loved the most have been the ones with whom I've been least able to express myself. Wherever my passion has been the strongest, so too has been my fear. The greater the love, the stronger the chains. For the past few years, it seems, my only solution is just not to love. In that, all that's left is disappointment, criticism, judgment and doubt. For too long it seems like arms' length is the closest I can come.

I wish you could know what it means to be me...

But that's not what's in my heart; it's never been who I really am. My voice has always been meant to be a voice of joy, of love, of celebration. Often times I seem to see things others don't -- I suppose I've wondered if maybe that's what has scared off some of those with whom I've longed to be close. Again, maybe it's just the Scorpio stereotype. Usually, what I've seen isn't something to be feared or despised. Rather, usually I see people trying to be strong even when they're scared, when they're doing the best they can. Sometimes it's where someone lets me catch them being themselves when they think other people aren't watching. Once in a while, it's someone sharing things they've not shared with someone else. Often, it's that the vulnerability, awkwardness and imperfection we try to hide is what makes us most beautiful.

then you'd see and agree that every man should be free.

Fresh Veal

2009-01-04T23:39:00.007-07:00

Alex introduced me to a new show available on Hulu - Legend of the Seeker. One of the executive producers of the show is Sam Raimi, who was executive producer of Xena, Hercules, directed the Spiderman movies, Army of Darkness, and has also written quite a lot. I've always enjoyed his work and this is another in a long line of fluffy, entertaining fantasy TV filmed in New Zealand.

Of course, the only thing I knew about it before I watched was Alex's admonishment to check out the tasty new veal in this show. He was right -- they had him shirtless and sweaty while chopping wood while within the first 5 minutes of the first episode. That's my kind of show.

The lead is played by Craig Horner, an Australian actor who, while not as tasty as my previous (also Australian) fantasy TV favorite -- Daniel Goddard who played Dar in the Beastmaster, is still a nice veal that gives me a good excuse to follow this show.

Speaking of Daniel Goddard and Beastmaster, I was quite sorry to see that show go. Daniel Goddard shirtless throughout every episode was a special treat. I was glad to find that Goddard has gone on to The Young and the Restless -- it's great that he's found steady work and I'm sure that they have him shirtless frequently as well, but it's not something I'd bring myself to watch. Goddard is definitely within that physical type that really works for me, has a smile that can melt your heart... and it's nice having a hot guy that's near my age. (Goddard is a couple of years older than I am...)

Still, the one nice thing about not watching the Beastmaster anymore is that there's no annoying sidekick, Tao, who I basically describe as Beastmaster's Lt. Gaeta. Let's hope that Legend of the Seeker doesn't fall into the trap of having the annoying, intelligent but ultimately useless sidekick.

Back to LotS, I'm hoping they find many reasons for Horner to lose his shirt and get all sweaty.

Job Security

2009-01-04T19:14:00.002-07:00

Cooped Up

2009-01-03T21:57:00.002-07:00

I've been nursing a bit of a cold since just before New Years. Have been taking it easy, so as to try to recover as soon as I can, but I've been feeling a bit cooped up. So, I decided some beef with bed head was exactly what the doctor ordered.

Roots Before Branches

2009-01-03T00:58:00.004-07:00

"So many things to do and say, but I can't seem to find my way... but I wanna know how..."

I don't know how many of you have been following my blog for any length of time. Among the beef haikus, music reviews and snarky observations, I suppose if anything sets it apart from any other blog out there it's because it's been my story. Mainly, it's been a story of searching and trying to find a place in this world. I don't know that I've let too much of that story make it out... part of it is just a natural guardedness, whether that's from growing up gay in a straight world, life as a Scorpio, and I'm sure there are other factors thrown in there as well. Part of it, however, has been my own self-judgment... a self-defeating perfectionism that tells me that my story isn't worth telling until I've found all the things I've been looking for. Well, let me tell you how well THAT'S going.

"I know I'm meant for something else, but first I gotta find myself...but I don't know how..."

I suppose it hasn't been until recently that I started noticing just how pervasive it was... that tiny habit of telling myself that I've got to have it all figured out before it's all worth telling. That little lie that nobody cares unless you have all the answers. The only thing is that that little lie becomes a real big lie when you tell it over and over again. What I never really saw is that it just gets reflected back at me all those times I've felt like I don't get noticed or appreciated or valued. It's always been easier to blame everyone else and blame myself for not being good enough, rather than set it all down and be willing to see myself in a different way.

"Oh, why do I reach for the stars when I don't have wings to carry me that far?"

I've asked myself that question a million times. One of the best things about the past several years is that I've taken the time to really devote to myself and to really understand who I am. Sometimes that's come at the expense of the love I've longed for, for the meaningful work I've saught, the more meaningful friendships I've needed.

"I gotta have roots before branches, to know who I am before I know who I wanna be..."

I've kept looking for the one big thing that's been holding me back. I keep searching for the hidden trauma that keeps me tied down... I've been great at going back and facing all those big things. I'm a Scorpio, I excel at facing demons. The bigger the crusade, the harder I'll fight. The darkness doesn't scare me, I've stared it down many times. I don't fear losing what I have because I've lost those things and survived. Yet, at some point, you run out of demons. I keep searching and there just aren't any left.

"And faith to take chances, to live like I see... A place in this world for me."

I've spent so much time searching for my place in this world, constantly finding reasons why I could never possibly fit. So many times I've been willing to judge myself on the basis on what others think or how they respond. But now it's time to take a chance... to say that it's finally time to leave all the excuses behind and to let my place be here, to let my time be now, regardless of anything else. This is where I belong.

Hello 2009!

2009-01-01T18:51:00.003-07:00

I know there are plenty of people out there who are making a list of promises for the New Year. This is certainly the time to do it -- if you're going to try to do things differently this is the logical place to start, right? While I have my own list of things I'd like to see happen this year, now that I stop and think about it, those particular really take a back seat to something a little bigger.

Around this time last year I decided that I needed to spend much less time paying attention to the things that drive me crazy. If you look around, there are people who will line up to tell you just what is wrong with you or this planet we're on. Hey, that's what sells newspapers, gets TV viewers and blog readers, right? So, I made a concerted effort to eliminate much of the negativity that passed my way. Did I eliminate all of it? No, but on the whole I think I did a pretty good job.

At the same time, I've spent a lot of time stuck on what I've chosen to see as the disappointments in my life. Notice that I said "chosen to see" because at the end of the day, I'm the one who gets to interpret my life and everything that happens in it. I've spent time pretty down on myself because I haven't managed to turn my education, talent and experience into the type of work that makes me glad to wake up in the morning. That's not to say that a reasonable observer would be wrong in interpreting things that way... but as I was sitting here I realized that in parsing out things that way, I miss the rest of the story -- that since I graduated high school many moons ago, I've found so many different things to be involved in, different work environments and fields, made good friends and colleagues, as well as having experiences that have really helped me understand who I am and what I want. By constantly seeing that I haven't gotten where I want to go, I've been missing so much of what makes the journey worthwhile. There are plenty of areas in my life where I've made that same choice, whether it's relationships or friends or any of a million other things out there.

Last week I went to the movies and when I got out, I went to look for my car and for the life of me, couldn't find it. I knew the general area, but walked up and down the lanes of the parking lot searching without luck. After a while, I finally found it -- but it was much closer than I had expected it to be -- I had forgotten that I parked it as close as I had. As I made my way out of the lot, it really struck me as the answer to a question I've been asking quite a bit these days. What I've been looking for is much closer than I've expected it to be.

So, while 2008 was about trying to pay less attention to the external things I've used as a distraction from the things that are really important to me, I feel like this is the one thing that's been the biggest pattern that causes me to stumble. It's time to see the worth in myself that I've not been willing to acknowledge throughout most of my life. It's time to enjoy the great many things about my life that I just haven't bothered to enjoy because I haven't gotten where I've wanted to end up. It's such a small thing, but something that is so pervasive that I haven't realized just how far the pattern extended.

So, for 2009, regardless of what happens -- I intend to find the best in myself and in the world around me. That really IS the change I've been waiting for.

The Best of 2008 - Part 2

2008-12-30T17:07:00.004-07:00

My "Best of 2008" continues with the best dance tracks of 2008. There's a lot of music out there and it's been great for me to be able to find some really great tracks and share them with you. That's the part of being a DJ that I really love -- being able to share great music, whether you're familiar with the tracks or not. So, here's the best of 2008, in no particular order.

Room for Two - Roots Before Branches (Studio Crashers Extended Mix)
What can I say, this is a track that really grabbed me from the start and I've really come to love the more that I hear it. I don't really listen to pop music unless it's in a dance remix format, so I didn't see the video until long after I heard the dance version:

That white girl can sing! The video is good but the Studio Crashers Mix brought out a bittersweet quality that that really expressed the way my life has been feeling lately -- the frustration of feeling like I can't quite get to the things in life I've always wanted, yet recognizing that I've been laying the foundation for those good things to come. I can't say how other people judge their dance music, but I can't ask for anything more in a track, to be able to express my life in a way I could not otherwise express.

Filo & Peri - Shine On (Activa Mix)
From the bittersweetness of wanting what I haven't yet figured out how to let myself have to soaring where I'd love to be, Shine On is the embodiment of what I love about trance and dance music in general. It's a reminder that we can look beyond where we are to where we'd like to be. And that's a wonderful thing.

My favorite is the Activa Remix... it leaves out some of the vocals from the original, but it hits all the right emotional notes. I've linked to the Aly & Fila Remix because that's what they have available at Masterbeat. I'd grab any mix of this track that I could find.

Debby Holiday - Joyful Sound (Wayne G & Porl Young Atlantis Anthem)
There are plenty of things out there telling you how awful the world is and what's going wrong. In my mind, a DJ's job is to remind you of what's beautiful in the world and to help you find some joy even if it's for just a few minutes. It's great to have tracks that are unapologetic about it, rather than simply regurgitating what's hot at the moment. It's also great to have Debby Holiday back on the scene. Hearkens back to a time on the scene where there was plenty of music that just felt good.

Mary J. Blige - Just Fine (Moto Blanco Club Mix)
Another track that's in the same spirit as the aforementioned Debby, Mary J. will tell you how it is and if you're smart, you'll listen. I won't change my life, my life's just fine! Yes ma'am, we love you, Mary J! My favorite mix is Scotty K's, but I'm not exactly sure where you can buy that one. Moto Blanco gives you a high energy, yet delightfully groovy track. Ok, for the record, Masterbeat shows this as being released in December 2007, but this is my blog and I can do what I want.

Chanel - Dance (Fish n Chips Remix)
"It feels like somebody should be dancin' up in here..." If I could recommend that Phoenix listen to one song, it might be this one. Somebody really SHOULD be dancing here. Anyway, take Spiller's classic Groovejet and put Chanel's perfect vocals on top and you get one top track.

There were other good tracks this year but these are definitely my top 5. Don't wait, buy them now.

The Best of 2008 - Part 1

2008-12-29T19:52:00.005-07:00

It's natural to look back at the end of the year and take stock of the best the year had to offer. I'm no different, so I'm going to look a few important things that have made 2008 enjoyable. Part one is dedicated to the beeves, those shining stars that just leave me with a touch of the vapors. It's not a top-5 because there are only 4... (in no particular order... except my #1)

Barry from Sean Cody.
He's handsome, beefy and openly gay. And to tell the truth, he does bear some resemblance to someone in my real life over whom I was quite a-twitter not too terribly long ago, not to mention reminds me a bit of HUNKY HELO. What can I say? I admit it, I love me some white bread. Not only can he take it like a champ (and come asking for more), he's the type I'd be proud to take home to meet my parents.

Ross Hurston
Okay, I know the rules -- never judge a book by it's cover or a porn star by his films. Maybe he's wonderful, wholesome and incredibly well-read when he's off the set. All of those things are good things in my book, but all I have to go on are videos and this Brit knows how to take slutty, which I normally don't care for, and make it appealing. It raises another question -- when did the British suddenly start getting hot? (He's not the only these days, by any means...) Anyway, from someone I'd take home to meet the parents to someone I'd probably keep away from my parents, lest he cause me to do inappropriate acts in my parents' house.

Tyler Saint
If you're paying attention, you're noticing a general physical type emerging. Handsome, a killer... uh, smile. Has the amazing ability to be aggressive even when he's going down on a guy. Where Ross Hurston has that hint of slutty, Tyler Saint gives off a different energy. Maybe it's because I've seen Tyler in videos where he's in leather, but something about him says, "Regardless of what I'm doing, or perhaps BECAUSE of it, you WILL respect me." Self-respect is hot.

Finally, my #1:

Ben McAvinew
Okay, I want the record to be clear -- the guy is straight (as far as I know) and has no connection to pr0n at all. Aside from a handful of shots taken, he's really not out in the modeling world, either. And yes, he's clearly within the physical type that's been set out with the previous guys. But here's what sets him apart from the rest for me... it's the smolder. Something about the eyes. Call it a character defect, but that's what hits me most because it's something I understand... that feeling of holding back, for whatever reason. Maybe that's just the way life is as a Scorpio, or as a human for that matter. But if there's a lesson I'm learning, it's how to stop holding back. Here's to 2009 being the year where I'm finally ready to let go.

I Survived Light Rail

2008-12-28T11:57:00.002-07:00

Yesterday was the grand opening for Valley Metro's new light rail service here in the Valley. It's a project that's been years in the making. My dad and I decided to head to downtown Phoenix to catch an exhibit at the Arizona Science Center and we figured that it would be a great opportunity to check out the new light rail system. We headed down to the Apache & Dorsey station because it was designated as a "Park & Ride" stop. We were greeted with a carnival-like atmosphere as there were a number of celebrations going on at several stations.

While I anticipated that people would come out on the first day, I hadn't realized that turnout would be as heavy as it was. While I heard reports of 2.5 hour waits, we managed to get the first train that stopped. That said, we were greeted with a train that was absolutely packed. It was a very un-Phoenix-like experience. Still, the riders seemed to be in good spirits -- the conductor would announce that he was closing the doors and would count down from 5 to 1 and the riders began counting down with him. The high point was crossing Tempe Town Lake and hearing the oohs and ahs as we glided over the water. Once we crossed into Phoenix, it became an actual clown car experience, as a clown made her way onto our already overcrowded car. I overheard a few passengers around me wishing physical violence on the wayward clown.

The trip back was a little more trying. I had hoped that perhaps things would settle down later in the day. I miscalculated. We headed for the 1st Avenue and Washington station after lunch. There were many more people than at the Apache & Dorsey station. The first train came and was full, I overheard some riders saying that they had seen several trains come and go and hadn't been able to get on. Officials at the station said that there was another train following in 5 or 10 minutes, but it ended up being around 20 minutes to the next train. Valley Metro was also running special buses along the light rail route for those who didn't want to wait, but as we saw those buses pass us by, they seemed as crowded as the light rail cars.

Fortunately, we were able to get on the second train, as I was determined to push my way on and make the trip back home. The trip back was less comfortable than the first -- the cars were more crowded on the way back, it seemed like everyone was tired and ready to get back home. I remember someone remarking that we were being herded like cattle, but I reminded him that because of a recent initiative passed, farm animals are required to have much more space for them to move.

Overall, I was very pleased with the experience. I'm glad they had so many people come out in support and I hope that people use it. I'm interested in seeing what the ridership is like once regular service starts. I'm also hoping they come to their senses and extend service on Friday and Saturday nights for people who want to hit the bars. I'm also interested in seeing how the areas around the line develop -- I'd have to believe that the land use around it is going to change quite a bit. It was a great start and I'm looking forward to seeing how things come together.

For You, Santa Baby...

2008-12-25T19:57:00.004-07:00

This planet was only able to hang on to Eartha Kitt for 81 years. Yet, it seems fitting that the indomitable Ms. Kitt made her exit on Christmas Day. I had the pleasure to see her perform earlier this year and was amazed... I hadn't realized it would be the only chance I would get. We lose another legend... and yet, we knew it couldn't last forever. Thank you for being you.

I Opened My Gift Early!

2008-12-25T11:38:00.003-07:00

Merry Christmas to me! Go Irish!

Merry Christmas, Everybody!

2008-12-24T21:52:00.001-07:00

(Thanks to BeautifulMag!)

RIP Lwaxanna Troi

2008-12-18T20:01:00.002-07:00

Or, more commonly known as Majel Barrett-Roddenberry. The wife of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry died at age 76, of leukemia.

Extra Secret Sauce, Please!

2008-12-18T16:16:00.002-07:00

Okay, there's a glut of bareback films out there with titles like, Dude, Swap my Cum, My Guy Creampie and Sperm Attack. If you hadn't guessed, these videos tend to be a little... base. What about those with a more... refined attitude toward semen?

Today you're in luck because now there's Natural Harvest - A collection of semen-based recipes. File this under, "I shit you not." With recipes like, Creamy Cum Crepes and Tuna Sashimi with Dipping Sauce, and the Almost White Russian, along with a bevy of colorful photos of the prepared dinners as well as nutritional information, Natural Harvest is perfect for those out there with a discriminating pallet. The author has also noted in the recipes when ingredients can be omitted in order to bring out the flavor of the semen.

So, when you can't decide between a bareback orgy and a Pampered Chef party, there's no need to compromise. Natural Harvest is here to help.

Marc's Midweek 'Bad Santa' Holiday Haiku

2008-12-17T12:33:00.001-07:00

Who's that strange fat man,
and who let him near the kids?
Ho, ho, ho, indeed.

w00t

2008-12-16T10:17:00.003-07:00

I know I'm letting my inner geek show, but I just saw the trailer for X Men Origins: Wolverine and I found, to my delight, that they'll be including my favorite of the X-Men -- Gambit.

Along with the end of BSG, this makes 2009 a year I'm looking forward to!

I Know That's Right!

2008-12-15T12:54:00.001-07:00

Seen today. The Universe is trying to tell me something!

Dear Santa...

2008-12-14T23:35:00.002-07:00

If you need any gift ideas for me, please consider...

I'll gladly leave milk and plenty of cookies of your choice. You know I've been a VERY good boy this year.

-Marc

Masterbeat New Releases 12/14/08

2008-12-14T18:18:00.003-07:00

Hey everybody! I took a couple weeks off from the music reviews to make sure I had quality tracks to let you know about. Here's some of Masterbeat's newest and best for your Holiday listening pleasure!

JR Disco - Found A Cure (Original Mix)
I don't know about you, but nothing says Christmas to me like straight up disco goodness. Plenty of disco strings and horns, along with a classic disco groove and feel, and some great feel good vocals on top of it all. A great find in my book.
Tristan Garner feat. Akil - Give Love (Arias Remix) & (Jerome Isma-Ae Remix)
I've mentioned it before but one of the things I love about house music is the spirit of wanting to make the world a better place. This is a great track that really embodies that spirit, which makes it perfect for this holiday season. The centerpiece of this track is the vocals -- "We gotta give love...'cause we've just got one world to share..." There are three main remixes; my favorite is the Arias Remix. Good energy, the instrumentation supports the vocals well. The Jerome Isma-Ae Remix is a little more high energy with a piano base. I found the Original Mix to be a little too busy for my taste.
Pepper Mashay - Does Your Mama Know (12" Extended Mix)
I know a lot of you out there still love diva house and Pepper Mashay is here to deliver. You'll probably remember Pepper from the Circuit smash, Dive in the Pool. Yeah, that one was hard to miss back in the day. Truthfully, this track isn't quite as memorable as Dive In the Pool, but this is a solid track. There are quite a few mixes. 12" Extended Mix goes with a funky guitar line that makes the track a lot of fun. Corey D's mix is a piano driven track and if you're going for more of a Circuit sound, Tony Marino's mix sounds like it could have come from a more well known Tony M (ie Tony Moran). Not a chart topper, but another solid track from Pepper.
South Central - Golden Dawn
Sometimes I like to go off the house/trance track and see what other good music is out there. I'm not sure how I'd classify this track, it's got a heavily filtered, indy-rock vibe with a bit of an electro attitude as well. I'm not sure how I'd use it in a set, but something about it really grabbed me. Worth checking out.
Masters & Nickson feat. Justine Suissa - Out There (5th Dimension) (Daniel Kandi Bangin' Mix)
I don't think I'd use the term, "bangin'" for this track, or just about any trance track, for that matter. That said, this is a quality trance track to finish out 2008. I remember the vocalist, Justine Suissa, from Oceanlab's Clear Blue Water, Sky Falls Down and Beautiful Together, from 2001-2003, as well as Chicane's classic, Autumn Tactics. I consider those to be classic trance anthems, so it would be unfair to compare this track to any of those. This is a good fluffy trance track on the Soundpiercing: The Best of 2008 collection. Another good track on it is Sunlounger feat. Zara - Crawling (Club Mix). Good efforts for those trance lovers out there.

A Holiday Reminder...

2008-12-03T10:47:00.004-07:00

I know that the holiday season is here and people are trying to celebrate, even in these uncertain times. Thankfully, the powers that be in New Zealand have given us an important reminder: Please don't swing the baby.

And maybe it's just me, but doesn't the guy in the video look like Adam from This Boy Elroy?

Guilty Pleasures

2008-12-01T20:26:00.006-07:00

I have a confession to make. This past weekend I spent with my family for Thanksgiving and as a part of that, we made a group run to the video store. On the sale rack was something unexpected... unexpected because I forgot it was being made -- Starship Troopers 3: Marauder. I mentioned in a previous entry that I really dig Paul Verhoven as a director and I really enjoyed the original Starship Troopers -- it's brilliant satire, I had read the book in college and Verhoven really gave a great spin to the story. I'd be lying if I said the other big reason I enjoyed the movie was the hotness of Casper Van Dien.

I described this as a guilty pleasure because Starship Troopers 2 was only slightly better than Sarah Palin's Katie Couric interview, and coincidentally, did not feature my beloved Casper, nor did Verhoven direct. Verhoven didn't direct this one either, but this one included Casper, so, for $3.99, I decided to take a chance and hope that there would be gratuitous shots of near-naked Van Dien. I was rewarded for my faith.

Not only were there beef shots of Casper, there was some other tasty flesh in there as well, if you're willing to put up with some unimpressive breasts. In my estimation, the quality of beef far outweighed the price.

Aside from the beef factor, overall, this one was definitely better than the second -- Edward Neumeier, who wrote all three screenplays and directed this one, went back to the political and social satire that worked so well in the original, and was missing from the second. Neumeier isn't as adept at it as Verhoven is, but the decision to make the ham handed use of religion as a political and social tool the underlying theme of the film is quite timely and amusing. Including a music video of a uber-patriotic song created for the film called "It's A Good Day to Die" is brilliant. The scary thing is that it's not too far off the mark from what you'd find in your standard pro-military music videos that have come on the scene since 9/11.

So on balance, for $3.99, it wasn't a bad buy. There's definitely beef, though not as much as I'd like. The film is watchable, though not something I'd watch too terribly often. Still, I can't get enough of nearly naked Casper, so this is one guilty pleasure I just can't hide.

Masterbeat New Releases 11/30/08

2008-11-30T12:22:00.003-07:00

Thanksgiving wasn't just about eating lots of turkey, as a bevy of new music found it's way to Masterbeat. There are some big new tracks as well as something for those of you who are looking for something a little different.

Beyoncé - Single Ladies (Escape & Tony Coluccio Club Mix)
Unless you've been hiding in a box recently, you've seen Beyoncé's new video and assorted video reworks. I've had people asking me for remixes and fortunately, Masterbeat is already on top of things. I have to admit that I was really pleased with this official batch of remixes. First off is Dave Audé -- his remix is more relaxed and lighter, perfect for a tea dance or pool party. Craig C takes it in a bit of a darker direction (compared to Dave Audé), with synths that make it perfect for building into another track that will give you more of a climax. Finally, you have DJ Escape & Tony Coluccio's mix. With a song that features the line, "Put your hands up," this remix has some great buildups and more of a playful feel, in my view. Definitely a track that is listenable and will keep your dance floor happy.
Alanis Morissette - Not As We (Dangerous Muse Remix) & (DJ Lynwood Reborn Remix)
I love me some Alanis and I always enjoy hearing her music make the crossover to the dance floor. Not As We isn't one of my favorite tracks, but there are a few remixes worth playing -- DJ Lynwood goes from some piano based riffs to an electro-ish vibe that works well. The Dangerous Muse remix is a standard club house track -- nothing outstanding, but it flows well. Eddie Amador also has a good remix, although it feels a little more plodding compared to the Dangerous Muse remix.
Kristine W - Never (Nick Harvey Club Mix) & (DJ Peter Canellis & Kamil Bartoszcze Mix)
Kristine W is an old pro when it comes to the gay scene, so it's no surprise that she's back with another track. This new track is something like Kristine W makes her own I Will Survive -- 180 degrees from her last track, The Boss. That said, it seems like the gay scene can never have too many "You broke my heart but I'm still strong" sort of tracks. If you're a fan of the classic disco vibe, go with the 7th Heaven or Love To Infinity mixes. The Canellis & Bartoszcze has a darker, progressive feel that works well with this track. Nick Harvey's mix is a high energy mainstream club feel. DJ Escape & Johnny Vicious also have a remix and a few years ago I bet Johnny Vicious would have made this track into something especially fierce. The Escape & Vicious track is solid but nothing special.
Kenneth Thomas feat. Betsy Larkin - Stronger Creature (Kenneth Thomas Mix), (Darude Mix) & (Talla 2XLC Remix)
One thing you can count on in trance is some good vocal tracks serving up a full plate of melancholy. Perfect for those days when you want to remind the world just how much love sucks. Enter Kenneth Thomas's new track -- Betsy Larkin's vocals are perfect for this track, she hits the right feeling for lyrics that include "a stronger creature made of ice." Kenneth Thomas's Mix is the moodiest of the bunch while Talla 2XLC manages to add a higher, more ethereal vibe while keeping a tone that fits the track. Beautiful and sad without feeling quite as overpowering emotionally. Darude (remember them?) cranks up the energy and gives the track more of a climactic feel.
Eddie Silverton - Aperitif (Original Mix)
I started dipping my toe into the Lounge/Downtempo genre earlier this year. It's great to be able to create a mood that works even when you're in a more relaxed setting. One of my favorite stylistic elements, whether on the dance floor or in a lounge setting, is acoustic guitar. Eddie Silverton creates a nice melding of modern and classic, combining acoustic guitar and synths.

Marc's Midweek Trainwreck Beef Haiku

2008-11-26T11:03:00.004-07:00

Just because you're beef
doesn't mean that you're immune
to laws of good taste.
(via Towleroad)

Masterbeat New Releases 11/23/08

2008-11-23T15:06:00.004-07:00

There are a couple of new tracks out that I wanted to cover, so I decided to combine the House and Trance reviews into one.

Donna Summer - Fame (The Game) (Ralphi Rosario Club Mix)
The Queen of Disco is back with another single from her latest album, Crayons. Donna goes with a rock feel and plenty of electric guitar in the album version. The remixes, with the exception of the Ultimix Extended Album Version, each take a different angle on this track. Dave Aude's remix takes a lighter approach while Dan Chase isn't quite what I would describe as electro, but has a bit of that vibe while feeling somewhat thin and low energy. Ralphi Rosario ends up coming out with a track that captures more of the feeling of the original track, while adapting it for your mainstream big room dance club. Ralphi's tracks are always very distinctive, this track is no different. At the same time, Ralphi's style definitely works for this track.
Brandy - Right Here (The Departed) (Moto Blanco Club Mix)
I haven't heard much from our girl Moesha in a while... My favorite track of the bunch is the Moto Blanco mix. While I generally like Moto Blanco, a number of their remixes sound far too similar for my tastes. They do a good job with keeping things high energy with a groovy feel but without sounding like a carbon copy of their other remixes. In fact, this track gives me a hint of something I would expect out of the SoulSeekerz. That is a very good thing. Seamus Haji & Paul Emanuel put in a good showing as well, just a bit more relaxed than the Moto Blanco mix.
Aquilia - Dreamstate (Oliver Lieb's LSG Mix)
I've said before that I prefer my trance to be pretty and with great vocals. That said, there's a lot of different trance out there, and some great tracks without significant vocals. Oliver Lieb's mix of Dreamstate combines all the elements I like -- good energy, pretty and euphoric elements, while giving you just enough vocals so that you can grab ahold of this track.
Moussa Clarke & Terrafunk - She Wants Him (Blake Jarrell's Panty Dropper Mix)
For those of you who like covers of your favorite classic rock tracks on the dance floor, Moussa Clark takes part of the Police's Don't Stand So Close to Me and trances it up, while keeping the rock vibe. Ok, it's not Sting's vocals and you never get to the iconic "Don't stand so..." that I love, but I still like this track. Definitely worth a listen.
Ascension - Someone (Signum Mix) & Chakra - Love Shines Through (Vocal Mix)
Okay, these aren't new tracks by any sense of the word, but for those of you who haven't been following the genre for long or just want to own two of the best trance tracks of all time, Ultra has included them in their Classic Trance America release. Both tracks are by the duo also known as The Space Brothers, Ricky Simmonds and Stephen Jones, who have released under the names Ascension, Lamai, Chakra & Lustral. In my own mind, Simmonds & Jones represent some of the very best that the trance genre has to offer. Two essential tracks for any dance music lover.

Marc's Midweek Winter Beef Haiku

2008-11-19T00:05:00.000-07:00

Here in the desert
no snow or changing leaves, but
a sign of winter

(for the record, I know that winter isn't technically for another several weeks)

Cosmic Humor

2008-11-18T14:22:00.004-07:00

Just in case you forgot that the FSM had a sense of humor: Exhibit 1: The Furby. Yes, they're evil and will steal your soul. But you thought that was just make believe, didn't you? You didn't think that a real live Furby would show up to devour your very essense, did you?

The evil is real. When your doom appears, you'll know it originated in Indonesia.

Gratuitous Beef

2008-11-17T20:45:00.001-07:00

If you've you been following the blog lately, you might think I've lost my taste for beef, seeing as how there haven't really been any beeves making an appearance. nothing can be further from the truth. And for that, here's some tasty wrestler beef just because I'm in the mood.

Masterbeat Trance New Releases 11/12/08

2008-11-12T19:55:00.002-07:00

Marc's Top Trance New Releases 11/12/08

Quantum feat. Karen Porat - The Race (Original Mix)
I've said it before -- one of the issues I have with trance is that many of the tracks are incredibly similar. That can be said about many different genres of music, especially when you're not familiar with the genre, but as a whole, it's important to keep things feeling fresh. I was pleasantly surprised with The Race because it tries to be distinctive and succeeds. The track merges traditional trance with a Middle East vibe and vocals. I've heard it done well on a handful of mainstream house tracks and once in trance with Sauna's Mirage. This track doesn't have the same sort of haunting beauty of Mirage, but it's definitely good if you're looking for something different.
Glockenspiel feat. Blackfeel Wite - Away (Original Mix)
This track reminds me of some recent tracks I really enjoyed - Armin Van Buuren & DJ Shah's Going Wrong and the Cicada mix of Filo & Peri's Anthem. You've got emotive male vocals on top of more relaxed trance stylings with a dash of electric guitar thrown in. Personally, I dig it.
Robert Nickson feat. Elsa Hill - Never Again (Original Mix)
While I said earlier that trance tracks can all sound the same, it's still a versatile genre. One of my favorite flavors of trance is where it's more relaxed and floating, something you'd use for morning music at the end of a long set. Never Again fits the bill perfectly. It strolls while other tracks race or pound. The vocals are breathy and light -- I have no idea what the lyrics are, but this is a track where the vocals really just add to the atmosphere of the overall track. Not a showstopper but picture, if you will, coming down off a hit of Ecstacy and floating along nicely while the evening comes to it's last hour or so. That's where I'd throw it in... not that I'm advocating illegal mind you. Heh.
DJ Shog with Lemon & Einar K - (Feel Me) Through the Radio (Duderstadt Uplifting Remix)
The last description works nicely for this track as well. A great comedown song with vocals that are still light but more coherent than those in Never Again. Duderstadt does a great job keeping things light without killing the energy. I give credit to Markus Schultz for putting this track on one of his recent lists.
Kamaya Painters - The Collected Works
Ok, it's not really "new" and I've said that I prefer vocal trance over pure instrumental trance. That said, Kamaya Painters is an exception to the rule. I remember their classic Endless Wave from around 2000 and the rest of the tracks are memorable and worth getting.

Masterbeat New House Releases 11/11/08

2008-11-11T20:09:00.006-07:00

Okay, I know it's been more than a week since my last music review. I'd rather let a little extra time pass than review a lot of mediocre music. In any event, here's the latest!

Marc's Top House Picks for 11/11/08

Madonna - Miles Away (Miles Page Mix) & (Rebirth Mix)
I received an excited e-mail from Brett about their newest exclusive -- Madonna's latest, Miles Away. To be honest, I haven't been impressed with her latest CD, but here's a reality: I play in a gay club, so Madonna is a must. I was excited to see that Johnny Vicious had done a couple of remixes of this track; I'm definitely a fan of his work. That said, I was disappointed with them. The Johnny Vicious doesn't have the kind of energy I'd expect from a Johnny Vicious track. To boot, the gays generally like their Madonna to have a "throw your hands in the air" sort of vibe and neither remix has much punch.

That said, I'd go with the Morgan Page Remix as well as the Rebirth Remix. Both have a strong electro feel. While electro isn't my usual cup of tea, the Morgan Page mix has a good flow to it -- like some of Benny Benassi's better known tracks. The Rebirth mix has the contrast between some very flowing synths along with some stacatto sections that give it some pop.
Room for Two - Roots Before Branches (Studio Crashers Extended Mix)
More pop-crossover that should play well especially to your traditional gay crowd. I confess, I know nothing about Room for Two and the vocals could pass for any of the second tier pop divas. At the same time this is a solid track -- something that would definitely be welcomed in your playlist for a few months. I was surprised to see that Almighty has a mix of this track and for those of you who like tracks that have a little bit lighter, but not quite trancey of a feel, you should definitely check it out. The Studio Crashers mix is a solid club mix with that fits the vocals and track as a whole.
The Veronicas - Untouched (Napack - Dangerous Muse Remix)
If you're paying attention, you're noticing a pattern by now -- I'm definitely a little on the pop side today. There are four main remixes for Untouched: Eddie Amador, Napack - Dangerous Muse, Designer Drugs and Von Doom. The Eddie Amador feels a little heavy and plodding for my taste. The Designer Drugs mix features a lot of the electric guitar feeling that was part of the original release. I went with the Napack - Dangerous Muse mix because it has more of a mainstream club feel that flows well. Mainly a stylistic choice.
LeAnn Rimes - What I Cannot Change (Scotty K Klub Mix) & Good Friend and a Glass of Wine (Soul Seekerz Extended Mix)
I'm not sure how much crossover appeal LeAnn Rimes has in the dance scene anymore. I doubt she'll find the kind of hit she had with Can't Fight the Moonlight or even a Suddenly. But LeAnn has had plenty of tracks adapted for the dance floor, so maybe she'll prove me wrong. What struck me most about this track is the interplay between Scotty K's instrumentation and LeAnn's vocals. They're a great fit and while the song isn't a smash hit, the combination of Scotty K and LeAnn make this worth a try. On the flip side, there's the Soul Seekerz' mix of Good Friend and a Glass of Wine. I love the Soul Seekerz and I enjoyed hearing them take on Ms. Rimes. If you like your LeAnn with a little bit of funk to it, check this one out.
Murk - Believe (Andrew Salsano & Danny Woo Remix)
For those of you who like your music dark & melancholy and you've already got all the Offer Nissim tracks you can find, you can always count on Murk to give you what you like. This track reminds me a lot of some of the Star 69 tracks from 3-4 years ago -- like I Try by Made By Monkeys or Amuka's Appreciate Me. Nothing flashy, just dark and melancholy, Murk at it's murky best.

It's Over!

2008-11-04T21:02:00.002-07:00

Yes, We Did.

Denial...

2008-11-04T08:26:00.002-07:00

As you can see in my last blog entry, I'm predicting a big Obama victory. Even those who are hallucinating a McCain victory have to anticipate tremendous gains by Democrats in the House and Senate. They might not get to 60 votes in the Senate, but they'll be close.

I've already started hearing the psychological defense mechanisms from conservative Republicans. The talking point of choice: "America is a center-right country." Usage: The Democrats won't be able to really pursue their agenda because America is a center-right country. I was reading an article on the candidates' environmental policies and Newt Gingrich used that line with regard to Obama's policies. "Obama's plan won't work because America is a center-right country." I heard a clip of another Republican talking head say that this morning.

This, my friends, is what's called "denial." While I don't see the US suddenly becoming Sweden politically, it's hard to envision that some intrinsic "center-rightness" will magically counteract what is clearly a movement leftward. Should the Democrats learn their lessons from the last 8 years and avoid governing from the fringe of the party as opposed to the center? Of course. Despite all the Fox News talking points that Obama is a radical, it's hard to imagine that he's going to up and nationalize the healthcare system or pursue anything far out. From all accounts, Obama's politics are on the left, but he's demonstrated (if you bother to listen) that he isn't particularly ideological. But to imagine that the voters are going to elect him as well as a large majority in the Congress but not really expect that they're not going to govern in a different way is just pure fantasy.

Keep in mind, I'm not a registered Democrat -- I'm an independent and I understand and expect that the Democratic Party can exhibit the same sort of excesses that we've seen from the Bush Administration. That said, these past 8 years and the Rove "Permanent Republican Majority" strategy has fucked the Republican Party for many years to come. There won't be a way to put the pieces back together they way they were, especially because what's left of the base is hell bent on branding as traitors anyone who doesn't subscribe to orthodoxy. That's not a recipe for building a new coalition.

So, sit back and enjoy the show!

Prediction

2008-11-04T08:20:00.001-07:00

Here's my Electoral College prediction...

Fear and Hope

2008-11-03T09:03:00.003-07:00

For me, one of the best things about this election is that it's given me tremendous insight into my own internal processes regarding my life. In many ways, this election has really mirrored much of what has been going on in my head regarding my life. From my vantage point, this is the fundamental issue of this election: Change vs. Fear.

Whether it's the country as a whole or certain aspects of my life, there's the general feeling that we're on the wrong track and something needs to change. Things could be, perhaps SHOULD be better. But as we all know, that doesn't happen unless we do something differently. And so, the opportunity for change presents itself.

Yet, we're confronted with opposition to the change we seek -- the mainstay of McCain's campaign has been the call of fear. At it's core the message is: Change is scary. It will be worse than it is now. The McCain campaign has used a variety of narratives to accomplish this -- because Obama looks different, he's secretly a radical/Muslim (ie terrorist)/America-hater. He's a Socialist! He's going to raise your taxes and the economy will collapse! Terrorists will attack the moment he's elected! He wants government to control every aspect of your life!

The easy answer is to point at these people as nutcases and just push forward. For the record, on a political level, DO I think these people are nutcases (this means YOU, Kevin & Patrick... just kidding!)? I certainly think most/all of the the conservative memes about Obama are neither credible nor compelling. At the same time, to dismiss these things out of hand misses the point.

If you believe that these things are true, that somehow Obama is some sort of Islamic Manchurian Candidate, then suddenly the case against change is quite a rational thing. If you believe that no despite how bad things are, the only possible alternative is catastrophic, then keeping things as they are is the logical choice. At that point -- you pull the lever to "reform" the current path and just do a better job, despite the evidence that what you've been doing before just isn't working.

I'll say this again -- I don't believe any of that on a political level, but on a personal level it really becomes enlightening because it highlights what I haven't been wanting to see about myself. In one of my previous entries that detailed one of my requests of the Universe, Alex responded, "Be careful what you ask for..." While I know his comments were in jest, the truth of it is, for every desire and hope for the future of my life, I fear each of them as much if not more than I desire them.

And like those conservatives out there who fear that somehow terrorists will strike the US again if Obama is elected, I have the events in my past that make the fear seem quite reasonable. Maybe these things will take me in a direction I don't want to go, maybe I won't be able to handle them, maybe I'll get my heart broken again. Maybe I'll repeat the mistakes of my past. Legitimate concerns, all of them.

I can't predict the future, I don't know exactly what is to come. I don't know the answers to questions that haven't been asked. In fact, sometimes I have trouble with answering the questions that HAVE been asked. So, it's no longer a mystery why I've been resisting the changes I've wanted for so long.

The one thing I DO know is that while I can't change the past, I am not the same person I was back then. I may not know what is to come, but I do know that I am much more now than I have ever been. I can feel the differences between who and where I was and who and where I am now. Even if things look the same on the outside, I know they're not.

Perhaps that seems like a flimsy reason to hope that things can be better. At the same time, I know what's changed, I know the work I've done. I also know that I'll never reach a point where everything is perfect, or where I won't make mistakes. I'm learning to be okay with that. I don't expect everything to change overnight, but I know the issues I need to confront. I'm not afraid to look at the fears that I've left hidden. Maybe that's not everything I need to get me where I want to go, but at least it's enough to let me take a step forward.

Happy Halloween?

2008-11-01T17:01:00.003-07:00

I hope everybody had a good Halloween. Mine was uneventful, for the most part. The highlight of the evening was finding out some kids decided that tearing up our Obama sign would be a good Halloween trick. Fear not, I managed to tape the sign up and put it back out later that night.

That said, it sounds like the grumpy McCain supports are taking this election to the extreme... via Halloween tactics. Maybe this was the "October Surprise" they were talking about: According to an AP Press report, a woman in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan decided that she was only giving out candy to kids whose parents supported John McCain. I shit you not.

According to TV station WJPK, Shirley Nagel posted a sign outside her house that read: "No handouts for Obama supporters, liars, tricksters or kids of supporters." Apparently, it wasn't just an empty threat. Asked about turning away two kids, driven to tears, she explained, "Oh well. Everybody has a choice."

Wow. Sometimes the stereotypes prove themselves.

H-E-Double Hockey Sticks

2008-10-30T09:55:00.004-07:00

It's official. I'm going to Hell. So sayeth The Worldnet Daily - one of those whacked out "news" sites for conservative Christians. You simply cannot support Barack Obama and be a "Good Christian:" "Obama will use your tax dollars to kill innocent children, and then he'll take your paycheck and use it to 'spread the wealth around.'"

Sound familiar? It's almost like reading the McCain campaign's talking points. It's not just coming from The Worldnet Daily -- the Catholic Church has also thrown it's hat into the ring with the logic that abortion is the sine non qua for being a "Good Christian." Never mind that there are other issues out there -- like torture and the occupation of Iraq. Never mind that the economy is in the shitter and that people are tired of sending tax money to bail out giant corporations.

None of that matters. "To those who think that God's grace gives them license to willfully disobey Him without consequences – think again... Then obey Him in the voting booth and out of it." It's so painfully clear: OBEY. You MUST obey! Do what we say or you will be punished... if you think it's bad now, wait until your father gets home. Yesiree, I'll give you something to cry about!

It's been around 2000 year since Christ, or so we're told, and despite all of his divine goodness, the church of the day is still telling the people to obey and fear, rather than to love and trust. Give me that old time religion, indeed.

True.

2008-10-25T15:02:00.000-07:00

(Thanks to Scott at Bill in Exile for this!)

Dear Universe...

2008-10-23T20:14:00.003-07:00

Dear Universe,

Hope you're doing well -- I just wanted to drop you a line. I'm sure you know my birthday is coming up. I've had quite a few people tell me that they get frustrated because I don't tell them what I'd like as a gift. FSM knows that I don't need any sweaters, candles, or bath products. As such, I figured I'd clear that up right now.

Ok, I know this one is straight and maybe 10 years too young for me, but you get the idea. You're the Universe and include everyone and everything in it, so just how hard can it be to find a little bit of something special for one of your favorites, right? Hell, if Sarah Palin can get $150k in clothes for spewing hatred and bile, certainly it's no effort to find me the husband of my dreams. I promise to feed him, keep him clean, and touch his bits n pieces, although not specifically in that order.

Oh yeah, and a new MacBook Pro. That would pretty much make for the best birthday ever.

Thanks and hope to see you at whatever sort of birthday celebration develops!

Love,

Marc

My Eyes... THEY BURN!

2008-10-23T13:32:00.003-07:00

Okay, I applaud Ron Howard for what he's trying to do and all... but let me tell you, Ron Howard has not aged well. He's in Nicholas Cage territory now. While they're both balding and resemble the Crypt Keeper, there's one horrific difference... that this video made abundantly clear -- HOLYFUCKINGSHIT I just got subjected to seeing Ron Howard shirtless. The sound you're hearing right now is the baby Jebus weeping.

Beatport New Releases - 10/20/08

2008-10-20T12:43:00.007-07:00

Marc's Top 5 House New Releases

Kid Massive feat. Yota - Just Want U (Original Mix) & (Raul Rincon Rootz Mix)
One of the things I love about Beatport is that they have a very deep catalog, so I always find great tracks that I don't often hear anywhere. This is a great example -- the Original Mix is piano based that mesh well with Yota's vocals. Raul Rincon's mix keeps gives the track a funkier, dubbier feel with less piano. I really dig both tracks.
Warner Powers feat. Alec Sundrae - Dirty Games (2008 Vocal Mix)
I've mentioned before that I like groovy tracks and this one has a great classic house/disco vibe. I confess, I missed this track when it originally came out in 2007. The 2008 Mix isn't too far off the original, just seems more filled out with the additonal vocals. Makes me long for the days of Studio 54, unprotected sex and cocaine. Never mind that I'm not really old enough to remember those days, but this is a great track.
ATFC feat. Lisa Millett - Bad Habit (AFTC's Lectrotek Revisit)
Ok, I remember hearing AFTC's Bad Habit from around 2000 from a great local DJ and my DJ "Godfather" (or Godmother?) DJ Timmy. Just one of those quintessential tracks that screams, "I am in a gay bar and I love it here!" Thanks ATFC for updating this track. I found another remix not too long ago that didn't quite work for me. This time, ATFC updates the more classic disco sound with an electro feel that still has plenty of energy and ends up still being playful.
Alex Baratinni feat ELO - Last Train to London (Extended Mix)
Speaking of Studio 54, unprotected sex and cocaine, a remix of ELO! You don't get much more disco than that unless you're Cheyenne Jackson in Xanadu. Another one for you disco afficionados. Honestly, I've been looking for other styles but it looks like there's just a TON of really great groovy/disco feeling tracks that made it in this week. Many more than I'm mentioning.
Ian Carey & The Good Guys - Lose Control (Stefan Gruenwald & Oliver Backens Remix) & (Jerry Ropero & Denis the Menace Remix)
I confess that while I've spent most of my time in the gay dance scene, I have an affection for the spirit of house music as a whole. This is a track that celebrates that spirit -- that the dance floor is a place for everyeone to be themselves and to let go. Gruenwald and Backens go with a groovy, guitar based track while Ropero & Denis go with more of a tribal, big room style. At the moment, this track seems to be territory restricted -- so it may be a while before we can buy it in the US... which means I'll have to find less legal ways of getting it. Idiots!

Bonus Track: Victor Imbres feat. Francisca London - Don't Let It Get to Ya (Submerge Mix), (Surface Mix) and (Bounce Mix)
Ok, I recommended a track that you couldn't buy, so here's a make-up. One of the things I love about house music is that it has so many different shades and feels and vibes. One of my favorites is tracks that openly try to uplift you and help you let go of life's disappointments and frustrations. As such, two of my favorite tracks of all time are Chicane's Strong In Love (which can still make me cry) and Alright by Red Carpet. Don't Let It Get to Ya is in that same spirit, if not necessarily as emotionally moving as those two tracks. My favorite is the Bounce mix, which has a balance between a stronger bass line and lighter synth elements that give it a substantial feel in my book. The Submerge mix is a close second -- still a strong bass line and a good feel of building energy. The Surface mix isn't bad, just doesn't quite have the same feel as the other two.

Marc's Top 5 Trance Tracks

Armin Van Buuren feat. Sharon Den Adel - In and Out of Love (Richard Durand Remix)
I love Armin and I got the original of this track over the summer. Loved it, though it didn't really work as a dance track -- mainly because Armin went with more of a break beat instead of your standard dance 4/4 beat. I was glad to finally see a remix, although Durand gives the track a more aggressive bass line that initially didn't sit well with me. Now that I've listened through it a few times, it makes more sense in the context of the track as a whole. Definitely a track worth getting. Sadly, I couldn't buy it at Beatport, but I did get it at Masterbeat. (Stupid record labels making it hard!) Also worth getting is the Blizzard Remix. The Push Trancendental Mix is pretty but feels a little too happy and bouncy to be appropriate.
Filo & Peri feat. Eric Lumiere - Shine On (Activa Remix) & (Aly & Fila Remix)
Ah, trance at it's very best -- happy, euphoric and soaring. I loved Filo & Peri's last track with Eric Lumiere - Anthem. It's great to hear them go from singing an anthem for the one that got away to the heights of Shine On. Lumiere's vocals aren't as textured as they were in Anthem, but they're still easy on the ears. Both the Activa and Aly & Fila Remixes are good, similar in feel.
Ascension - For A Lifetime (DJ Shah Remix)
What happens when you pair one of my all time favorite trance artists, Ascension (aka Lustral, Chakra, The Space Brothers), with one of my recent favorite remixers, DJ Shah? For A Lifetime isn't one of my Space Brothers/Ascension favorites but DJ Shah gives it a good update. You still get a taste of DJ Shah's more relaxed style at points but it retains the feel of the original overall. I'd love to see DJ Shah take on Someone or Everytime.
Kim Sozzi - Feel Your Love (Extended Mix)
This isn't the first time Kim Sozzi's gone from your typical house diva style to trance. In this go around, it's hard to hear the Kim Sozzi I remember from "We Get Together" back in 2001 in this track. Not a good or bad thing, it's just impressive that Sozzi sounds like she's been doing trance vocals for years, which is probably a much better career move because trance is MUCH more commercially viable, at least in Europe. While this track didn't blow me away, it's enjoyable and worth a space in your newest playlist.
Giuseppe Ottottaviani feat. Stephen Pickup - No More Alone (Original Mix)
One of the tough things about trance is that a lot of it winds up sounding the same. The genre has been undergoing some growth -- there's hard trance and you've also got the Eurodance sound -- neither of which really appeal to me. One of the ways to stand out is to use a different sound for the synths -- No More Alone takes this approach. I'm not sure if I like it, but I tend to be a little picky on small things like that. Overall, another decent track worth mentioning.

A quick note -- while these are Beatport releases, I did have problems linking to a couple. I ended up linking to them at Masterbeat, so you can listen and maybe purchase.

Masterbeat New Releases Week of 10/17/08

2008-10-16T13:17:00.010-07:00

Marc's Top 5 House Releases

UPhonic Records Presents Darrell Martin - One Nation (Darrell Martin & Steve Harwood Mix)
A fusion of House and a more reggae style vocal. For those of you who enjoyed Bob Sinclar's recent tracks like World Hold On & Together (both featuring Steve Edwards) and Love Generation (featuring Gary Pine), One Nation is very much in that mold. Personally, I preferred the instrumentation of the Groovepusher Mix - it's got a great happy and bouncy vibe, but the vocals are off key and that drives me nuts. The Darrell Martin & Steve Harwood Mix has more of a traditional club feel and their use of the vocals works. I'd still prefer the Groovepusher Mix with vocals that were on key.
Hani feat. Andrea Martin - No More (Original Vocal Mix) and (Dino Velvet Mix)
I know some people love their screaming Divas. Andrea Martin doesn't really scream, but for those of you who like diva house, this track gives you a good taste of diva, although the energy level in both mixes is a little more subdued. The Dino Velvet Mix has gives it more of an electro flavor while the Original Vocal sticks to a more traditional house feel. Not really a "throw your hands up in the air" kind of track, as a DJ it's something I'd play to let the crowd catch their breath and regroup.
Pleasure Bar - My Love Will Lift You Up (Original Mix)
Okay, I love groovy house and my ears picked up the moment I heard this. This track is light and groovy -- something that would be great getting you moving and in the mood to dance -- and still has enough energy to move you into something a little more aggressive. Enough energy to separate it from lighter "deep house" tracks. This is a track I'd love to hear out on the dance floor and something I'd love to play or listen to just about any time of the day.
Mary Mary - Get Up (George Mena & Frankie Estevez Fuzion Mix) & (Jamie J Sanchez Mix)
I was introduced to Mary Mary by the often played Shackles (Praise You), back in 1999 - 2000. Get Up is another crossover track, there are quite a few mixes. Both the George Mena & Frankie Estevez as well as the Jamie J Sanchez mixes have a good mainstream dance feel to them. The beat in the George Mena & Frankie Estevez mix has a bit more punch, but overall I lean toward Jamie J's mix. A good track with Mary Mary's great voice and uplifting lyrics. If you're used to the Circuit vibe of the past several years, Jamie J's track is very much in that vein.
Janice Grace - Wanna Be Beautiful (Dave Audé & Claude Le Gache Club Mix) & (DJ Escape & Tony Coluccio Mix)
Think of Fergie and The Pussycat Dolls. This track is the exact opposite, as least in substance. Janice Grace takes a shot at the highly produced, looks obsessed artists that seem to be dominant in pop culture right now. A good track, the Dave Audé & Claude Le Gache Club Mix have a little grittier feel with the electric guitar while the DJ Escape & Tony Coluccio Mix has a more disco feel and sounds like something you'd have heard in most gay bars 10-15 years ago. Twisted Dee also has a mix and I'm a big fan of her remixes -- the Twisted Dee Dub is good but something in the Vocal Mix didn't sit right with me. Wasn't Dee's fault -- some of the vocals have a very processed "vocoder" feel that is the rage right now... which is ok, but if you're singing about how you don't want to be packaged like other artists, perhaps your vocals shouldn't be so processed.

Bonus Track: Debby Holiday - Joyful Sound (Scotty K's Sordid Club Mix) & (Wayne G & Porl Young Atlantis Anthem)
For those of you who remember Debby Holiday's big club hit, Dive, a few years ago, along with Half A Mile Away, Debby's classic diva style is candy to our gay ears. Debbie's back with a brand new track. While Hani and Andrea Martin never get to a "hands in the air" energy level, Debby takes you there with ease. Debby has many of the big names remixing the track that are familiar to gay club goers - Scotty K, Wayne G, Hex Hector and Tracy Young. Having done a mix of Dive, Scotty K's mix has a similar feel. Tracy Young's mix is a little too tribal for this track -- the track deserves more instrumentation than this mix gives it. Wayne G & Porl Young's Atlantis Anthem probably comes closest to giving this track the energy it deserves.

Marc's Top 5 Trance Releases
When it comes to trance, I prefer vocal trance -- while there's some great instrumental trance out there, it can get a little repetitive and boring for my tastes. Usually an instrumental track has to have something in it that really jumps out for me to want to listen to it.

DJ Shah feat. Inger Hansen - Don't Wake Me Up (San Antonio Harbour Mix)
DJ Shah is one of my favorites of the past couple of years. His tracks usually have a lighter, more etherial feel to them while still having energy to them. Don't Wake Me Up isn't my favorite of his tracks -- I like the vibe but something about the vocals is just a hair off. Not enough to dislike the track, but enough for me to notice every time I listen. Still, worth getting.
Thrillseekers feat. Fisher - The Last Time (Simon Bostock Remix) & (Original Mix)
The Thrillseekers have been around forever and always come out with great tracks. This one is more traditional trance -- light female vocals, standard buildups and breakdowns and floating synths. Nothing struck me as outstanding, but everything is done well, which is what I'd expect from the Thrillseekers.
Offer Nissim feat. Maya - For Your Love (Sied van Riel Remix)
For the record, I'm not the biggest Offer Nissim fan -- his tracks all have a very distinct sound... on the darker, heavy side, as well as being melancholy and melodramatic. I know some people love, love, love him, and I don't mean to suggest that he doesn't have some great tracks... they just all sound so similar to me as to all be interchangable. Sied van Riel doesn't change the overall mood of the track but gives it a very different feel. Lighter, but still melancholy (you can only do so much, right?). Maya's vocals float, instead of the usual feeling of yearning or lamenting that I'm used to hearing from her. A great change of pace.
George Acosta feat. Aruna - Fallin Backwards (Dunderstadt Uplifting Remix)
Another melancholy track, in line with the other tracks in the batch. The vocals remind me a little of Do's vocals in DJ Sammy & Yanou's Heaven. They have a younger feel while also being expressive.
Sunlounger - Agua Blancas (DJ Shah's Original Mix)
As I mentioned before, I prefer vocal trance, but this track from Sunlounger is an exception. Again, I love DJ Shah's work and he is in fine form here. Relaxed, with a guitar line that draws you in. It makes me think of sitting on the beach, watching the sun set over the water. Just a great track.

One Crazy Bitch...

2008-10-10T18:26:00.002-07:00

I refer, of course to the power-abusing Sarah Palin. Betty White, on the other hand, is amazing.
(From AmericaBlog.)

Say Hi To Your Mother For Me

2008-10-08T14:41:00.002-07:00

With Tina Fey's portrayal of Sarah Palin, my interest in Saturday Night Live is renewed. I was watching one sketch and noticed that Will Forte is kinda hot. Even when they're trying to make him rather frumpy, he still manages to be strikingly handsome. Another one of my favorites is Andy Samberg, who I also find to be rather hot. Lest you think my interest is purely physical, here's a video of Samberg doing an impression of Mark Wahlberg that is spot on. Enjoy, and say hi to your mother for me.

Marc's Midweek Beef With Wood Haiku

2008-10-08T14:14:00.002-07:00

Such a sweaty beef,
it feels good to know you work
hard to give me wood.

My Life's Motto

2008-10-06T20:54:00.000-07:00

Found this past Friday night. I can't think of truer words.

The Gloves Are Off

2008-10-06T12:35:00.004-07:00

I know I've already voted, but the campaign isn't over. In the wake of McCain's flagging poll numbers, the McCain campaign has decided that his last tactic is to smear Obama. ~~Teddy Ruxpin~~Sarah Palin has already started the smears. The Obama campaign has finally decided to take the gloves off and hit back with the one issue that we haven't heard about at all this campaign -- John McCain's involvement with Charlie Keating & the S&L disaster. The Obama campaign just released this new, 13 minute video about the Keating scandal and has even launched a new website - KeatingEconomics.com. Look for much more about the Keating 5 scandal in the next month.

Yeah, a maverick and reformer. You asked for this, John.

VP Debate Reaction

2008-10-03T12:23:00.002-07:00

I was chatting with my friend Mikey today about the VP debate. He thought Biden was a little off his game. I explained that Biden had to really tone his usual shtick down because Palin has a vagina. That's a little too harsh because it wasn't just that Palin has a vajayjay, it's that she has a vajayjay and is completely unqualified. So that means we have to be super nice.

Because of that, Biden had to take a different tone -- show that he was intelligent, knowledgable and in touch with voters' concerns. He also did a great job hitting at John McCain and tying him to the Bush Administration. From what I've read and seen about reactions from undecided voters, they responded to him well.

Palin did a much better job than expected. She didn't make a complete ass of herself and as a human being, I have to admit that I was relieved. Beyond the underlying train wreck factor, Palin demonstrated that she's every bit as good as a Teddy Ruxpin. She can say anything you tell her to say and by golly, the eyes and mouth move along with the recording! It became painfully apparent that she was either not willing or not capable to do anything beyond that -- the most illustrative point on that was when Biden got choked up talking about knowing what it's like being a single parent worrying that one his sons wouldn't make it... Given Biden's family history, the human response would be to acknowledge that and show some compassion. Instead ~~Teddy~~Palin immediately launched into how John McCain is a maverick.

By golly, the eyes and mouth move along with the recording!

Time to Choose

2008-10-02T16:30:00.003-07:00

Arizona has already started sending out early voting ballots. In fact, mine just arrived in the mail today. I just filled mine out, although I haven't mailed it back yet. (It's only been here 15 min or so, not like I'm stalling, here.) In any event, I'm glad to be able to finally put my two cents in officially, even if I don't expect Arizona to end up in the Obama column.

While I'll enjoy watching the last few weeks of this drama play itself out, regardless of what happens (by that I mean, regardless of the margin of Obama's win), it's time to quit agonizing over the choices and just choose. Choose something and take a step in that direction. That's something I've needed in my life -- less contemplation about what direction I should go and more confidence in the notion that movement in whatever direction I've chosen will yield rewards. And while this particular choice is important, both for the country and those personal choices in my own life, the truth is that they're not the only choices I or we will ever make.

I guess that's the trick -- no matter how good a decision is, or how poor it is, there is always an opportunity to choose again. Sometimes I lose sight of that... sometimes I forget and think that the choices of the past bind me, when in truth I've always had the ability to go in whatever direction that really inspires me.

"Yes, there are two paths that you can go by,
but in the long run,
there's still time to change the road you're on."
- "Stairway to Heaven", Led Zepplin

SFW?

2008-09-29T15:37:00.001-07:00

Ok, I'm not always up to date with the latest viral craze, but apparently Diesel has this new video that's sweeping the ol' Interweb. It's clever, I must admit, and I can't help but marvel at the absurdity of straight porn. Especially straight porn from the 70s. But straight porn in general. Yeah. So watch for yourself.

I Can't Believe It's Not Palin!

2008-09-29T13:13:00.004-07:00

For those of you who watched Sarah Palin's disastrous interview with Katie Couric and just can't get enough of Palin's garbled nonsense, there's hope! A new website will generate Palin-speak for you on the fly. A sample:

Q: What is the role of the US in Iraq and Afghanistan?

A: Afghanistan will lead to war and it doesn't have to lead, as I said, to a position like we are today with so much collapse on Wall Street. That's to blame. And that is what America and American troops are providing in his country. But no, the Pakistani people also, they want freedom. They want democratic values and tolerance and freedom. I see the collapse that we're on, reform of this state that I do bring to this table, and that's with the energy source that is the foundation of our best interests to fight against a regime, especially Iran, who would seek to protect the good guys in this, the leaders of Israel and her friends, her allies, including us, all of these countries, especially Russia.

Yes, computer generated Pailin. Brilliant! Check it out: InterviewPalin.

Marc's Midweek Pool Beef Haiku

2008-09-24T12:45:00.002-07:00

Flotation device
in case of water landing.
Suck nips to inflate!

Not News.

2008-09-23T17:39:00.003-07:00

Clay Aiken is gay. Cancel this Friday's Presidential Debate because nobody saw this one coming and we're going to need plenty of time to discuss the far-reaching implications of this earthshattering revelation. That is all.

Progress

2008-09-22T23:52:00.004-07:00

Having posted that Adama campaign poster earlier today, I've been in a bit of a BSG mode this evening. (Maybe I've just been needing a dose of some HUNKY HELO in my life...)

Anyway, I was poking around NBC's site, and noticed that they have a range of full episodes of different shows, including BSG. Clicking a bit further, I realized that these were episodes of the original series. I decided to take in one of the classic episodes -- I'd seen all of the original episodes many times growing up. I had a way of nostalgia, remember how much I enjoyed the show growing up -- the original BSG came out in 1978, which would have made me 5 at the time -- a little young to have watched the show when it originally aired, especially given that it only lasted until 1979, along with the brief Galactica 1980 show. Still, I have many vivid memories of the show and I know that many of my friends at the time were similarly enthralled.

Beyond the original nostalgia, I couldn't help but marvel at how much better the current show is. I know that's hardly a revelation -- the current series has been airing since the 2003 miniseries, but this was the first time that I've gone back to watch any of the original since I started watching the current incarnation of BSG.

Of course the production and special effects are a quantum leap from the original series, but what struck me most was how the tone of the two series differs. Sparked by the success of Star Wars, BSG and it's twin, Buck Rogers, also created by BSG's Glen Larson, sci fi on the small screen hadn't advanced much since the original Star Trek. I'm really proud that sci fi has become a more serious and legitimate form of story telling in the current series. Certainly, as with the original Star Trek, the producers of sci fi have always been able to use it as a vehicle on which to comment on society, but it's quite impressive to have a show that is able to transcend the genre and become a great story in it's own right.

As I've mentioned before, this isn't really news -- but sometimes you have to go back and see how far things have progressed. I suppose that's what is in my head the most about this -- not necessarily about BSG itself, but for life in general it's easy to get bogged down in what happens on a day to day basis. It's good to take a step back sometimes and really get a sense at how far you've come. It really helps me get a sense of appreciation for all that's happened over the years. That's true in my life in general and it's especially true in appreciating a shirtless Helo.

So Say We All!

2008-09-22T17:55:00.006-07:00

I was talking with my friend Mikey today -- he's still having some heartburn about the election... While he can't stand McCain, he's not not sold on Obama and he's looking for another choice. Fortunately, I stumbled on someone that I think will appeal to many out there:

That's right, for those of you who need a President with military experience, Admiral William Adama has what it takes to lead the people to the promised land... even if it turns out that this promised land got nuked.

Avast, Ye Scurvy Dogs!

2008-09-19T04:13:00.006-07:00

Yarr! It be International Talk Like A Pirate Day once again, ye landlubbers. Be watchin' this classic instructional video if ye be needin' a referesher.

If ye be in the mood fer more Pirate tomfoolery, be seein' this fine film: Pirates of the Great Salt Lake.

Thar be a new addition to th'Pirate celebration this year: Zombie Pirates In Love.

Getting My Shit Together

2008-09-17T13:28:00.001-07:00

I've been quiet lately, I know. To top it off, I've been hit this week with a nice case of food poisoning, which has been OH so fun. Hopefully I'll be back on track soon.

I Kissed A Girl?

2008-09-05T18:21:00.002-07:00

Fortunately, when I kissed a girl, I didn't like it. Problem solved.

(Thanks, Towleroad!)

Doublespeak

2008-09-04T18:18:00.000-07:00

Touched By His Noodley Appendage

2008-09-01T20:24:00.001-07:00

Consider This Your Subpoena

2008-08-27T11:26:00.003-07:00

Gurl, where was Kristin Chenoweth when so many people I knew turned into crack heads? Listen to Whitney, crack is whack!

Seriously, though, while crystal meth is a problem in the gay community and elsewhere, it's so refreshing that we can start to laugh about it. In my mind, that's a sign that a big chunk of the battle is already won.

(Thanks to Andy at Towleroad.)

Moving Forward

2008-08-19T09:07:00.006-07:00

I've been a little quiet on the blog front lately. A few weeks ago I got involved with a couple of new nights at two clubs in Scottsdale - Six and e4. I'd wanted to get back to DJing again and these both landed in my lap in the span of 24 hours. It's been great because opportunities made their way to me. At the same time, because these are new and just getting off the ground, I've spent a fair bit of time and energy worrying that they wouldn't happen at all and then that we won't be able to make them succeed. To compensate for that, I've been spending even more energy trying to get out and promote and feel like I'm doing everything I can to help make things successful. That's left very little energy left to blog... or for much of anything else.

It would seem like that's just the way things start out -- unfamiliar, unsure... the feeling of patience and anxiety. I know it isn't just me, everyone I'm working with seems to be going through those same growing pains. What's been helpful is seeing the physical evidence of what's going on in my internal process -- people not being on the same page, lack of coordination, some fuzzy ideas needing definition. In the beginning it really bothered me -- it just seemed to dredge up a lot of issues I had been avoiding before. While it's only been a few weeks into things, I'm learning to relax and see the signs of progress. I don't know how things will wind up, but I'm starting to understand the process much more and finding things to enjoy as things develop. I'm also becoming more aware of what happens when you try to microwave things -- so many of the little things you need for something to work in the long term just don't happen.

Marc's Midweek Beef of Summer Haiku

2008-08-13T10:43:00.003-07:00

In the summer sun
even the hottest of beef
remembers to play

Bad Kitty?

2008-08-01T15:50:00.002-07:00

I've stumbled across some of the craziest shit I've seen in a while... a whole website of videos enacting Garfield cartoons: LasagnaCat. Some of them are really quite well done -- they're all styled as "tributes" to Jim Davis and yet for a tribute, they sure manage to point out just how inane these things are... see for yourself.

And I can't help but remember that as a kid, I used to love them.

Book List Meme

2008-08-01T01:52:00.002-07:00

The Big Read thinks the average adult has only read six of the top 100 books they’ve printed below.
1) Look at the list and bold those you have read.
2) Italicize those you read part of but never finished.
3) Underline the books you LOVE.
4) Strikethough those you hope to never read again, and sometimes wish you could un-read.

1. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2. The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4. Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
5. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6. The Bible
7. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8. Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9. His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11. Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12. Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13. Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14. Complete Works of Shakespeare (The Tempest, Measure for Measure, The Comedy of Errors, Much Ado About Nothing, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Merchant of Venice, As You Like It, The Taming of the Shrew, All’s Well That Ends Well, Twelfth Night / What You Will, Henry IV, part 1, Henry V, Richard III, Titus Andronicus, Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, Macbeth, Hamlet, King Lear, Othello, Antony and Cleopatra, Cymbeline)
15. Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16. The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17. Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18. Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19. The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20. Middlemarch - George Eliot
21. Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22. The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23. Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24. War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25. The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26. Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27. Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28. Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29. Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30. The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31. Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32. David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33. Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34. Emma - Jane Austen
35. Persuasion - Jane Austen
36. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - C.S. Lewis
37. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38. Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40. Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41. Animal Farm - George Orwell
42. The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43. One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44. A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45. The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46. Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47. Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48. The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
49. Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50. Atonement - Ian McEwan
51. Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52. Dune - Frank Herbert
53. Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54. Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55. A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56. The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57. A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58. Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60. Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61. Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62. Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63. The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64. The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65. Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66. On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67. Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68. Bridget Jones’ Diary - Helen Fielding
69. Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
70. Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71. Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72. Dracula - Bram Stoker
73. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74. Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75. Ulysses - James Joyce
76. The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77. Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78. Germinal - Emile Zola
79. Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80. Possession - AS Byatt
81. A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82. Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83. The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84. The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85. Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86. A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87. Charlotte’s Web - EB White
88. The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90. The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91. Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92. The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93. The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94. Watership Down - Richard Adams
95. A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96. A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97. The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98. Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100. Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

Via The Electronic Replicant.

Badass

2008-07-31T11:11:00.001-07:00

Many thanks to another badass: Scott at Bill In Exile.

When Zombies Attack...

2008-07-31T10:51:00.002-07:00

Apparently my Zombie post struck a chord out there because I just received an e-mail about another Zombie site -- Lost Zombies. I didn't realize that the Zombie community had such a strong internet presence.

Visit Lost Zombies

Nothing Important Happened Today

2008-07-25T22:11:00.006-07:00

I ended up having a slight change in plans and ended up going to see X-Files: I Want to Believe with Alex. While I was never a hard core X-Files fan, I generally liked the series -- personally, I enjoy the premise of the true believer and the skeptic trying to uncover the unexplained. I liked the experience of challenging the types of things that we'd like to ignore or deny. It was entertaining to believe that there really was much more out there than we see in our day to day existence...

...and the sexual tension between Mulder and Scully was off the charts.

Flash forward to the present movie. The original series is best summed up with the iconic phrase, "The truth is out there." Sadly, the latest film is best described by one of the episode titles in season 9 (for the record, I looked it up) -- "Nothing important happened today." I won't go into the plot -- perhaps some of you might actually go see it... not that there's much to spoil.

I didn't have any expectations going into the film, so you'd think it I wouldn't be disappointed... but I was. Why? Because by the end of the film you realize, it was all hopeless. Mulder is still tortured that he hasn't found his sister, the abducted sister that even HE admits is dead. Scully is still tortured and raging against God. This time, there's no conspiracy, at least nothing out of the ordinary. Just tortured people chasing more tortured people... and that's the saddest part: the realization that there's nothing left of Mulder & Scully, only their withered shells that STILL. CAN'T. LET. GO. What's worse is hearing them go back and forth about how they just can't be together because neither of them can do much more than not let go. It was like the final episode of Seinfeld where the writers make it clear that at the end of things that everyone is exactly who they were when they started. It was all for nothing.

It's really surprising how many people I heard expressing their disappointment in things as the credits started. Why? Because by the end of the film the only thing that happened was that Mulder & Scully decide they'll go back to being miserable together. Great. Back to where you started. SO glad we went through that. Nothing important happened today.

Flesh Eating Nic Cage Needs Love Too!

2008-07-25T13:33:00.003-07:00

Just a reminder that even flesh eating, rotten Zombies need love too. Now they can find it with ZombieHarmony!

Best. Title. Ever.

2008-07-25T11:52:00.008-07:00

I was talking with Adam about going to see the new X-Files movie tonight. I was checking to make sure that it was out, popped over to a movie site only to discover the best movie title ever: The Midnight Meat Train. Ok, I know it's really another edition of "oh.my.god. we're.all.going.to.die." starring Tori Spelling and featuring a flesh eating Nicholas Cage, but this is the best title of a real thing that sounds like porn since Dexys Midnight Runner's, "Come On Eileen."

The Midnight Meat Train? OMFGBBQ, how many gay men haven't ridden that? Or wouldn't enjoy riding it? What makes the whole idea even more delicious is the caption on the film poster on the right: "The most terrifying ride you'll ever take." Yeah, that's what all straight guys say until they actually ride the midnight meat train... and then he tells you that he was sooooooo drunk and he's never done ANYTHING like that before, he swears and please don't tell anyone... and oh by the way, why don't you give him a call sometime so you can chill, watch SportsCenter, drink some beers and "hang out," ya know?

Heh, thinking of a straight guy calling the midnight meat train "the most terrifying ride you'll ever take" makes me think of a guy who's been featured on StraightHell.net. (Definitely NSFW!) Either that or he hasn't been able to admit to his friends that he's been featured on Sean Cody for the past 6 months.

In any event, I'll leave you with the above mentioned Dexys Midnight Runner for all you nostalgic types.

Marc's Bonus Midweek 'Pumped' Beef Haiku

2008-07-23T10:03:00.002-07:00

With muscles gleaming,
"The glitter makes us look butch,"he kindly explained.

Marc's Midweek Return of Abercrombie Veal Haiku

2008-07-23T09:49:00.005-07:00

"Let's take off our shirts!"
he said, after a few beers.
Straight guys are so gay.

Feeling Domestic

2008-07-21T23:20:00.003-07:00

I'm housesitting for my aunt and uncle while they're away in New York. Aside from taking care of their cat, Eddie, I've mainly been feeling rather domestic. My aunt bought a fresh pineapple because I mentioned that I love pineapple. Generally, I stay away from buying whole pineapples because they're a bitch to cut. I know, it's much more expensive to buy the sliced pineapple at the grocery store, but I'm a sucker for easy.

Leave it up to my aunt, who's originally from Austria, to ride to the rescue. Europeans seem to have the coolest gadgets... well, almost as cool as the Japanese, but the Europeans are a close second. Anyway, she left me a pineapple slicer, that works kind of like a corkscrew. You slice the top off, corkscrew your way through the pineapple and pull out the fresh, tasty fruit. It's one of those things where it was so ridiculously easy that I almost looked around for the TV cameras. "Oh, Mr. Popeil, I simply MUST have one!" (For the record, the pineapple slicer isn't sold by RonCo. I have to say, I really do one a pineapple slicer of my own.

As someone who grew up in the television age, I know I can be pretty cynical when it comes to kitchen gadgetry. I know my parents had a Chop-o-matic (or something similar) at one point... and the thing worked but it ended up as yet another piece of junk I'm sure we either threw out or sold at a garage sale. (Can you believe they still sell the Chop-o-matic?) And don't even get me started on the George Foreman grill... or should I say, "Lean, Mean, Fat Grilling Machine?"

As cheezy as all of those kitchen gadgets can be, along with the infomercials they spawned, it really is kind of impressive to realize that how the infomercial revolutionized TV and sales. On one hand, you want to strangle the guy for breeding the whole "As Seen on TV" sales phenomenon, and by extension QVC and the like, but how often does one person really breed a whole industry?

Here's a little bit of TV nostalgia for you... and Ron Popeil was kinda hot back in the day.

MY PRECIOUS!

2008-07-18T13:18:00.001-07:00

A fabulous new site from the creators of I Can Has Cheezeburger: Totally Looks Like.com

Oh. My. God. We're. All. Going. To. Die.

2008-07-18T11:58:00.003-07:00

Last week, Adam and I went to go see Hellboy 2-it was opening day and we didn't get to the theater early, so there weren't any decent seats. We decided that rather than split up or trying to squeeze in between a group of very geeky breeders, we'd suck it up and just sit in the front row. We were immediately punished by the Universe, first by a wave of nausea from being so close to the screen and then by a preview of the new Nicholas Cage flick - Bankok Dangerous. I've said it before and I'll say it again -- Nicholas Cage is looking AWFUL. He looks even worse when you're RIGHT in front of the screen.

Right before the movie started, we had another treat -- a preview for the latest bad horror flick - Quarantine. Essentially, it's a bunch of people locked up in an apartment building who all die in some unspeakably gruesome manner, shot in the style of The Blair Witch Project. Oh boy.

Several months ago, while watching BSG at Alex's, there was a commercial for some horror flick I never bothered to watch: I think it was Cloverfield - another bad horror flick shot in The Blair Witch Project style. The hallmark of these films, in my opinion, is the idea that if the actors just scream a LITTLE LOUDER then the audience will know they're supposed to be scared. From that point on, any time I encounter a horror flick, I always blurt out in monotone: "oh. my. god. we're. all. going. to. die."

The Quarantine preview was no exception. Having just seen the preview of the new Nicholas Cage film, however, I was struck with brilliance -- if you took Quarantine and tweaked the plot to include Nicholas Cage as an lich who must eat the beating hearts of the protagonists in order to maintain the illusion of humanity and keep flesh over his skeletal frame, you'd have a pretty good film. I'd pay to see that.

At that point, I thought I had come up with the ultimate horror film. I was wrong.

Today, Alex pointed out yet another outlandish new horror film in the works: Cthulu. While the trailer I watched did not appear to include a creature with a squid for a head, it did have something even more brilliant for a horror film -- Tori Spelling.

Now before you get the idea that I'm comparing Tori Spelling with a mythical source of all evil, don't misunderstand me. I like Tori Spelling. Her performance in Trick forever changed the way I looked at her -- here's someone who can embrace her status as a B-movie actress and knows that her daddy paid good money for those breasts. She is the quintessential sort of actress for a horror flick.

So today I told Alex my new rule: All horror flicks star Tori Spelling and are titled, "oh. my. god. we're. all. going. to. die." Throw in a flesh-eating Nicholas Cage and now we really DO have the ultimate horror flick.

ED Got You Down?

2008-07-10T14:56:00.002-07:00

Ok, I've really tried to step away from politics both on this blog and in life in general. That said, sometimes something comes up that is just too good to pass up.

Oooh, sharp as a tack, that wily Maverick of ours.
(Thanks, Towleroad!)

Marc's Midweek Hard Rock Veal Haiku

2008-07-09T01:12:00.004-07:00

Watching you stroke it
and grip it's very thick shaft...
you know how to rock!

(Thanks to JohnnyLopera* for the pic)

Respect the Kat 2008

2008-07-08T13:31:00.005-07:00

It took me a little while to get back into the groove for this one, but I'm glad I finally did. Check it out on my radio.blog and hopefully soon I will have the links to the tracks so you can buy them for yourself.

1. Stratus Energy (Special Disco Mix) - Faze Action
2. Something Come to Nothing (Solitaire Mix) - Dab Hands feat. Emma Lea
3. Dance (Fish and Chips Mix) - Chanel
4. When You Touch Me (2008 Club Mix) - Freemasons feat. Katherine Ellis
5. Mexico (Keep Movin' Keep Groovin') (Degg & Blakker Mix) - Nick Nite vs. Tex Mex
6. Kung Fu Me (Original Mix) - Twisted Dee
7. Waterfalls 2009 (Garotes Praia Extended 12") - Atlantic Ocean
8. Stamp Your Feet (Escape & Coluccio Mix) - Donna Summer
9. Just Wanna Dance (Original Mix) - Double Track feat. Jamie Lee Wilson
10. What A Wonderful World (Original Mix) - Axwell feat. Ron Carroll
11. Away (Fonzerelli Mix) - Lys & Hunted feat. Marijana

In Search Of...

2008-07-02T15:00:00.007-07:00

One of the things I fell in love with about dance music was the variety of music out there that isn't being played in the mainstream. Even if it's a song that's part of the mainstream, I love that various remixers and DJs are able to take the song and make it their own.

Part of the fun for me was exploring the music out there and finding tracks so many different tracks that I had never heard. I suppose that's what led me to become a DJ -- being able to find things that I wasn't hearing anywhere and putting them all together into a unique expression of me.

In the years I've been a DJ, I've had many people ask me where I find my music and where they can find particular tracks. Unfortunately, most of the time I've had to tell people that there isn't any easy way to find the music that I've been playing. It's especially frustrating because there's so much music that I love that I'd love to share, even more than I could possibly play.

Some of that began to change with the coming of Beatport. Beatport was the first major online dance music retailer I encountered back in '04. Since that time, their collection has grown and they've become a major source for the music I buy -- my tastes tend to be much more underground, so I really enjoy being able to search through a large catalog to find tracks that I enjoy.

Since that time, there have been a bevy of new sources of online dance music sites -- I had actually considered compiling a guide to buying dance music online because there are so many. At the same time, I'm reminded of something important -- while I enjoy searching for dance music and digging through a lot of tracks that I don't care for to find a handful of tracks that I enjoy, there are many people out there who'd prefer to have someone show them what's really good and how they can buy it.

As I mentioned, my tastes tend to run more to underground tracks, but I've enjoyed more mainstream tracks as well. One of my big frustrations (that I'm sure I share with countless other DJs) is that remixes of more mainstream tracks are very difficult to get. The record labels in the US have never really embraced dance music and have been prone to release tracks only after people are tired of hearing them.

Fortunately, Masterbeat, which went from a label selling dance music CDs targeted at the gay community to online dance music, has been working to bring major labels into the 21st Century by beginning to offer their tracks online. This is a very good thing -- it's a more enjoyable experience when I can find mainstream music easily and also know that the artists who make it are being supported.

I know that RCA offers tracks on iTunes, but I've never really enjoyed trying to find dance music online with iTunes and I've been turned off by having to purchase dance tracks in AAC format, which aren't compatible with the software I use to mix CDs.

I've noticed that because I'm not playing anywhere currently that I haven't had quite the interest in keeping up with the music that's out there. I know that in many ways that's because I haven't really had the kind of outlet I need right now. With the rise of so much music being available online now, I've decided that I'm going to start writing more about the music that I find and making it easy for you guys to listen for yourself and buy the tracks you enjoy. So look for much more to come!

Marc's Midweek Horny Beef Haiku

2008-07-02T00:34:00.000-07:00

No need for a mask
It's okay to admit that
beeves do get horny