Another Designer is off to the big Treseme' Hair Salon in the Sky

I swear Project Runway is the best thing on television.
I'm actually kind of not sure who's going to win. (But Kara Janx, clearly your number is up...)
Kevin and I are clearly both, in the words of Micheal Kors "Full-on Dan Fans".
Only time will tell I suppose.
A couple of things...
Last Night on HBO at like 4am "The Secret Life of Mary-Margaret: Portrait of a Bulimic" was on. Remember Calista Flockhart???
In other TV news, I discovered that Animal Planet has an entire show that takes place at the North Shore Animal League. That warms my heart. Somewhere I still have my blue paw-print covered volunteer sweatshirt.
Try as I might, I can not find a picture- but I promise you all that Kanye West was wearing a Les Mis Sweatshirt on Ellen. I know he supports the gays and all, but please.
Also, two very sad democratic senators have broken ranks and decided to support Scalito's nomination to the Supreme Court. Its not like we had a chance to stop it, but giving W. any reason to gloat is uncalled for.
In other Political news, even Canada is being conservative. Great...

Today, Jan. 19th, 2006, is a day of national import.

HAPPY 60th BIRTHDAY TO DOLLY PARTON!!

We paused earlier this week to observe the birthday of Martin Luther King, a great American hero and one of Kevin's all-time icons. Now, on Thursday, Jan. 19th, 2006, we pause to salute the greatest entertainer in the history of the world, Dolly Rebecca Parton, who was born unto us on this day in 1946 in Sevierville, Tennessee.

Dolly has given the world many gifts over the years- "I Will Always Love You" (which will always belong to her and not some disgusting crack addict from *hello* New Jersey), "Here You Come Again," "The Grass is Blue," "9 to 5" (both the song and her Oscar-worthy performance in the film), and the new "Travelin' Thru"- but I wanted to just take a moment to give my heartfelt shout-out to my favorite overlooked D.Part gem...

"I Can See the Light of a Clear Blue Morning"

I'm honestly not sure when this song was first written, but I first became aware of it as part of the "Straight Talk" soundtrack (though I really do think it was written and recorded earlier than that... maybe I'm wrong). Now, I'm on the whole a rather chipper person, but like anyone, there are times when I get down/gloomy/blue/sullen, and, literally, this song possesses such a shocking amount of blind optimism, that it can truly erase any bad mood, ever. So as Dolly enters her 7th decade, I just wanted to say:

Dolly, you're a genius.

I love you.

I'm coming to Dollywood in August. Get ready.

Happy 60th.

I adore you.

God bless you, Mountain Angel.

KEVIN :-)

pros of living below the mason-dixon line

I've just discovered that in Virginia, Rite-Aide has a wine aisle.
Finally! A girl can get q-tips, prescription drugs and merlot all in the same place.
What a discovery.
PS I went bowling on a military base on sat night.
-L

"I mean, who names their kid Jack with the word 'off ' at the end of their name?"

Shout out to George Clooney for that soundbite about everyone's least fav. republican lobbyist.
anyway...now that Kevin's had his two cents...here are mine:
um...i think Issac Mizrahi needs to be stopped. Even tough he did fluster Hillary Swank, which I'm sure Kevin was thrilled with.
I'm not sure who was best dressed...Maybe Emmy Rossum? She always looks good.
I think worst was actually Drew Barrymore, who I love, but please,wear a bra.
Michelle Willams was robbed. I love that Heath Ledger was dressed as her prom date, complete w/matching corsage.
Also I guess I have to go see Transamerica now. It'll be good to see Felcity Huffman actually doing something useful. David Chase was right, that is a two season show. Ofcourse they had to go giving it awards, so that it can continue sucking for years to come...desperate indeed.
Also I was super happy for Sandra Oh. I heart Grey's Anatomy so bad.
In summation: Way to go Gays!
speaking of which... my Project Runway dress arrived yesterday, it is GORGEOUS. Now I just need somewhere to wear it.
-L

"Every woman in Hollywood with breasts should follow Queen Latifah around with a notepad."

I love the Golden Globes. They're so fun and silly and ridiculous- Except when they award gay cowboys. THEN, they have a righteous fury, which was the case at Monday night's awards. As you may or may not be able to see coming, BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN is shaping up not only for a Best Picture win (which is starting to look reeeeeeeeeeally inevitable), but also for the coveted Trannie Award (hint, hint). Anyway, kudos to that wonderful, groundbreaking film and everyone associated with it.

Now on to what really matters.

Best Dressed- The cast of DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES
Felicity Huffman excepted, I'm 100% over this show (which has actually gotten toxicly homophobic and racist this season... which is Just. So. Odd.), but I do want to give a shout-out to Teri Hatcher, Marcia Cross, Trannie Huffman, Eva Longoria and even Nicolette "Linebacker" Sheridan for all managing to look good on the same night- which is a feat that they've never acheived before. (Sure, Eva's disgusting extensions almost cost them this slot, but cmon... They looked damn glam.)

Honorable Mentions: Zhang Ziyi, Keira Knightley, Laura Linney, Michelle Williams.

The Connie & Carla Award- Geena Davis and Emma Thompson
When two ex-Oscar winners come to an awards show fully dressed as drag queens- biological men in outlandish costumes, barely concealing their testes- then you know that this really is 'The Year of the Queer' in Hollywood.

Worst Dressed- Cynthia Nixon
I adore her more than words, but... Eeeepp. Wow. I mean... Wow.

Dishonorable Mentions: Reese Witherspoon, Sarah Jessica Parker, Rachel Weisz.

06' ? oh yes!

HI KIDS
I'm so sorry, I've been distracted by the following things:
Dragging drunk Morrocans around Manhattan, Seeing people I went to high school with who are married and have produced on the LIRR, garlic knots (which one cannot find south of the mason-dixon line) gay cowboys, baking no less than 816 Christmas cookies, my parents, CHAMPAGNE, Schnitzel and Berliner Weisses, the New Jersey Turnpike, crashing new years eve parties, reuniting with old friends who have jobs that make me jealous, and serving margaritas and $6.99 Burritos with a smile.
It won't happen again.
I'd like to say the following things:
Is it possible I already kind of miss New York whislt loving the district? SIGH
I heart Katie McGrath. Not only for being the inspiration for my tattoo, but for being fabulous company
There were so many different T-shirts at American Apparel thatI got overwhelmed and picked black.
My roomates are both sick and I'm fairly certain that I'm afraid no amount of zicam or vitamin C will me
OK, I really need to go buy a calendar now. They really should include January, so you can adjust.

Two-Double O- SEX

It can't possibly be 2006. That can't be a fact. I mean, if it were really 2006, that would mean that I would be turning 25 this year. Which can't be real. In any way. No.

I need to take mind off the passage of time (and what it's doing to my face). Now that we're three days into 2006- Which reminds... Happy 76th to everyone's favorite Grandblogger, Mae Manganaro! Hooray! - we can appreciate the ravages of 2005 from a distance and get underway with this blog's first ever awards, voted on by you, our dear, sweet readership. Leigh and I will probably add our own two cents (each, so four cents) about the movies, music and TV shows of 2005, but for now, please enjoy some simply questions about the cultural highs and lows of the year that was:

Welcome to the first ever Trannie Awards!!

Category 1: High Point in American Culture in 2005
1-Finding out what was in the hatch on "Lost."
2-"Being Bobby Brown" premieres on Bravo. HELL TO THE NO!
3-Bush's approval numbers reach the lowest point of his presidency. Ha ha. Fuck off and die.
4-"Commander In Chief" premieres on ABC.
5-Brangelina.
6-"Brokeback Mountain" breaks the record for per-screen averages for any live-action movie. Ever.
7-Condoleezza Rice is shopping in Saks, I believe, during the most life-and-death moments of the Hurricane Katrina disaster, and some wonderful woman confronts her about her complete lack of awareness. Citizenship at its finest.
8-"George Bush doesn't care about black people."- Kanye West
9-"Fatal Attraction: A Greek Tragedy."
10-Madonna releases "Confessions on a Dance Floor."

Category 2: Low Point in American Culture in 2005
1-The Supreme Court nominations of John Roberts, Turkeyneck Myers and Sam Alito.
2-Hillary Swank wins her second Academy Award. Martin Scorsese? Still zero.
3-"Brownie, you're doing a hell of a job."- George W. Bush
4-Arnold Schwarzenegger (sp? who the fuck cares?) vetos a legislature-created gay marriage bill.
5-Jennifer Maniston is GQ's first ever Woman of the Year.
6-The New York City public turns on the striking union members of TWU Local 100, who are just trying to strike a blow for workers' rights against the incalculably corrupt MTA. I mean, honestly, being inconvenienced during ones commute is more important than standing up to the Enron-ization of City industries?! We're supposed to be a lefty city. Shape up. I'm disappointed in everyone who bitched about this.
7-Pope Benedict XVI.
8-"Fatal Attraction: A Greek Tragedy."
9- TomKat.
10-Two of Kevin's African-American icons, Rosa Parks and August Wilson, pass away.

Category 3: Hero of the Year 2005
1- Steven Colbert for "The Colbert Report."
2- Kanye West for "George Bush doesn't care about black people."
3- The creative team of "Brokeback Mountain."
4- Angelina Jolie for her ongoing humanitarian efforts (Also for "Mr. & Mrs. Smith").
5- Martha Stewart. Period.
6- Mackenzie Allen (Geena Davis) of "Commander in Chief."
7- Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Category 4: Villain of the Year 2005
1- George W. Bush.
2- Arnold Schwarzenegger.
3- Jennifer Aniston
4- George Pataki.
5- Pat Robertson.
6- Corey Feldman.
7- "Senator" Rick Santorum.

Please consider your votes carefully and then email your thoughtful responses to kevin.manganaro@gmail.com. We'll put up the results of everything sometime next week. To come: Leigh and I throw down about the Arts in '05. Stay tuned.

KEVIN :-)

2005 Round-Up Begins NOW.

Hey everybody! Kevin here. Oh my gosh, I can't even tell you how mortified I am that it's been so long since I wrote anything here. Please forgive me. I mean, it's been AGES. We have so much to cover here, and it's a lot to take on, but I'm going to start with HOLIDAY HO-HO-HODOWN 2005, which took place last Saturday (but whose effects were felt well into this past Tuesday).

Most Valuable Party Guest shout-outs go to Katie McGrath, who prepared no less than THREE delicious dishes that everyone enjoyed. AND she looked hot as hell! AND she gave me a photo calendar! Hello, whenever they're electing a new pope, I'm nominating Katie McGrath. She's better than Current Pope, because she's not a wrinkled old homophobe AND she doesn't wear neon red clogs... as much.

Other Notables: Jake Brown for bringing 'TheLangley Schools Music Project,' Sara Fitzchristmas for bringing the hotness, Margaret Murphy for bringing the determination to climb 6 flights of stairs after Neil Diamond busted her kneecap, Heidi Hansen-Young for bringing the gift of a conversation topic, Cara David for bringing Uma on 'Oprah,' Kenneth Naanep for bringing an A+ line reading of 'Hey, gays! Where you get them shoes?', Ryen and Sean for bringing the ingenuity to invent 'Jack & wine,' Matt Kupchin for bringing clout, Kate Jacobs for bringing the male part of 'Baby, It's Cold Outside,' Mike Ettannani for bringing emotional instability, Bret Friedman for bringing an appreciation of homemade curtains, and most of all, Matt Gurry for bringing the wherewithall to hang out with a bunch of lushes on his 24th birthday. Holla to everyone! It was literally the funnest. And next year, I promise to stay, if not sober, at least lucid. I apologize to any- and everyone I spoke to with my eyes closed while drooling slightly.

Now that we've taken care of that rigamarole, it's time to announce that this blog is going to launching a year end wrap-up to beat the band. We'll be looking at 2005 in pop culture, 2005 in politics and 2005 in the eternal battle of good (John O'Hurley) v. evil (Kelly Monaco). More on this once 2006 officially kicks into high gear. I know you all are wicked excited, so feel free to email Leigh or myself with ideas and/or suggestions. Likely, they'll be 100% ignored, but I'm pretending that this blog's a give-and-take. Which is totally ain't.

Democratically, KEVIN :-)

"I mean, to me it looks like a barefoot, Appalachian, lil'Abner mess"

Words like those are why I cherish every moment that Michael Kors appears on Project Runway.
I hope you are all watching the new season. I haven't figured out who I'm rooting for yet- but I think it might be Chloe.
I have to go get gingerbread making supplies and a gallon of peppermint schnapps for my holiday fete tomorrow, but I thought today needed a post.
After all, Today is GAY COWBOY DAY
-Lethal.