Priceless

This treasure is just waiting for someone to find it in Jaffa's flea market. HOT!

L
ps - Yes, comments riffing on the fall of the Ottawan empire are welcome.

Israel-o-rama

I'm just back from Israel, an amazing trip. I covered an enormous amount of territory - yes, it's a compact destination, but a lot to see and do - ranging from new school high-style sections of Jerusalem to old school ruins like Masada. I'll be linking to some stories for several outlets over the next week or so, as well as reflecting upon some highlights and bits of local flavor (fun fact: in Tel Aviv, if you order an "iced coffee," you get a granita - a sweet icy coffee-milk slushie, not a traditional iced coffee. You have to ask for that specifically...)

L

Jerusalem

Formerly known as the Wailing Wall, I finally visited Jerusalem's Western Wall. And much more. There's so much to Israel here, so much complexity, and so much diversity in landscape...

More to come.

L

Tel Aviv Flapper Fierce

I'm in Tel Aviv, Israel - which is an amazing city - and as if the sunshine, excellent falafel and Bahaus architecture weren't enough to make the day fantastic, I come across Ruth. Ruth, dressed in a Flapper-style ensemble that would command even Anna Wintour's awe and respect, j'adore!

I wish I had gotten her e-mail during our brief interaction, but I'm hoping she reads this! Ruth, you add magic to Tel Aviv. I hope to run into Ruth again while I'm here...

Also a highlight today: sampling Pomegranate wine in a hip Neve Tzedek neighborhood (it's Tel Aviv's Williamsburg/Soho of the moment) wine bar... And the falafel here makes New York's seem pretty damned sad (and we've got decent falafel).

L

Swagdance

My Sundance 2009 story has been running in some gay regional publications, but the swag sidebar - always something to look forward to - got snipped, it seems. So... here it is!

You Can’t Stop The Swag

There were fewer lounges, lodges and big brands, but VIPs (and their friends) could still load up with suitcases of swag. In fact, much of it was extremely useful – brands and chains like Nivea (at House of Hype), St. Ives, Sephora, AMC Theaters, and Conair gifted VIPs with moisturizers, hair care products, body treatments (Elijah Wood received a St. Ives facial), AMC tickets, Divine fair trade chocolates, Givenchy Phenomenon mascara, and other useful items. “It’s like you went to a free Target,” observed one of my condo mates. The Hollywood Life House upped the cool factor with hip Onitsuka Tiger sneakers, T-shirts and adorable Tokidoki dolls; Whiting and Davis metal mesh bags; and tasteful White House Black Market clothing/accessories. L-R-G Gifting Villa’s Radius Earphones and Creative Recreation sneakers were fab giveaways. And Village at the Yard, where I ran into Chris Meloni, proved a favorite spot thanks to its T-Mobile Diner comfort foods (like “Touchscreen Turkey Pot Roast” and “Google Maps Mac & Cheese”), Fred Segal Fun mini-outlet (which featured the Black Boy Collection’s way-cool T-shirts and sweater depicting gay poet/icon Langston Hughes as a child), and Nickelodeon’s insanely fun Spongebob Squarepants lounge. Visitors included Jane Lynch, Philip Morris’ Ewan McGregor & Rodrigo Santoro, Richie Rich, Michael Cera, and Susan Sarandon, whom inquired, “Why is it a sponge?”

Paris is Burning

I can't stop listening to this song. Over and over and over. I'm obsessed!

L

Sundance 2009

My Sundance 2009 story is popping up in some LGBT newspapers. Here is the Windy City Times version...

L

My Sigourney Weaver interview

My interview with Sigourney Weavery about Prayers For Bobby is popping up in gay newspapers across the country including NYC's HX, Chicago's Windy City Times, and Florida's Watermark. She deserves an Emmy for this. Hell, an Oscar. It's an amazing performance, and she was a fabulous interview (done by phone)...

L

My Sundance/SLC-Park City Article

I wrote a travel/preview article for Los Angeles' IN Magazine about Sundance 2009 and its host cities of Salt Lake City and Park City. Enjoy!

L

Scandi Pop Dose

Sometimes you just need a dose of ridiculously contagious Scandi dance pop.

Why didn't this make it in the States years back?

L

Thank You Australia!

Australia seems to be a spawning ground for the best edgy, 80s-tinged electropop these days. Empire of the Sun is another fab band, and specifically member Nick Littlemore, whose Pnau I had the good fortune to see in Glasgow in November.

This is EOTS's new video, shot in the awesome city of Shanghai.

L

Top 10 Films 2008

Frontiers' best of year issue featured my Top 10 Films of 2008 list (along with fellow critic Gary M. Kramer). Scroll down the article and enjoy!

L

Madame and Me

My interview with the saucy puppet diva, Madame - yes, Wayland Flowers' creation is back - is on Advocate.com. Here!

L

Signage

Soda Stereo

One of my favorite songs... by a band fronted by the awesome Gustavo Cerati.

L

Little Piano Diva Works Ryuichi

This little 9 year old girl pulls some diva shit on the piano, playing Ryuichi Sakamoto's sublime theme for Shining Boy & Little Randy. The movie isn't that fantastic on its own, but the score brings it a poignant edge that makes me weep. Ryuichi is so talented it hurts.

Work that piano, kid!

L

Keep Tryin 2009

I've posted this video before. When I watch it, I think of the path and turns life could take if I moved to Asia - Hong Kong, Tokyo, Taipei, Kuala Lumpur, Shanghai, Bangkok - either temporarily or permanently.

2009 will be the year of that decision, methinks. And seeing how things change, or remain, here stateside...

L

Gay Taipei

My feature on gay Taipei - an underrated and reasonably priced vacation destination well worth a visit, especially if you're a fan of Hong Kong and/or Tokyo - is running in Los Angeles' Frontiers Magazine. An even more expanded destination piece on Taipei will appear on Logo Online in early 2009. Link when it's available!

Thanks again to cousin Rick and all the wonderful, lovely, generous friends I made while in Taipei during October...

L

My Holidays in London Story on LOGO

My LOGO Online travel feature on spending the holidays in London just went live. Enjoy!

L

Petch Shop Boy

Man in Bangkok


This is the video for the insanely Pet Shop Boys-esque "Man in Bangkok" by Thai artist Petch. Love it!

L