The Daily Sheet Dec 4 to Dec 10, 2006

[kmich]

December 4, 2006

Supporting Children Who Aren't Gender Typical

What are parents to do when their young child identifies strongly with the opposite gender?  When their five-year-old prefers to dress as the opposite sex or objects to being categorized as their biological gender?  In the past, the answer was to force these children to conform to typical gender roles via psychoanalysis and behavior modification and to blame parents for providing a dysfunctional home environment.  However, as a New York Times  article  by Patricia Leigh Brown explains, a revision to this type of thinking has occurred.  "Doctors, some of them from the top pediatric hospitals, have begun to advise families to let these children be 'who they are' to foster a sense of security and self-esteem.  They are motivated, in part, by the high incidence of depression, suicidal feelings and self-mutilation that has been common in past generations of transgender children."

While the road for such children and their parents is paved with uncertainty, the goal, as Dr. Edgardo Menvielle, a child-adolescent psychiatrist, says, "is for the child to be well adjusted, healthy and have good self-esteem.  What's not important is molding their gender."


No "I Do's" Until Everyone Can


Recently, famous Hollywood couples such as Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt and Charlize Theron and Stuart Townsend have expressed their support for gay marriage by stating that they won't marry until gays and lesbians are allowed to do the same.  According to an article in the New York Times  by Kayleen Shaefer, there are other, less famous heterosexual couples who are in agreement with that stance.  Kelly White, a law student at the University of California, Davis, explains her reasoning on why she won't marry her boyfriend, "I usually explain that I wouldn't go to a lunch counter that wouldn't allow people of color to eat there, so why would I support an institution that won't allow everyone to take part.  Sometimes people don't buy that analogy."

The article notes that "Gay and lesbian organizations working to have same-sex marriage legalized don't officially sanction what these couples are doing.  They said the gesture is sweet, but don't want anyone to put off marriage.

'The people we represent want to get married,' said Susan Sommer, the senior counsel at Lambda Legal.  'It's not like we encourage different-sex couples who want to get married not to.  We recognize the legal rights of getting married and the cultural benefits.'"


Forum Members Attend Candy  Screening in L.A.

By WLAGuy

There was a meeting of the boards (of sorts) last night for the Los Angeles premiere of Heath Ledger's new movie Candy  at the Laemmle Sunset 5.  Members from the DC Forum, the Addicted to the Movie Candy forum (and I believe members from the Heath Ledger Central forum as well) met at the theater to watch Heath pull off another excellent performance.  Those in attendance included lauren, James, Joe ( WLAGuy ), Rosemary, her actor son, Tom, and Theresa (candyaddict), as well as a number of other thoroughly charming and delightful people whose names I unfortunately cannot remember (and no, I didn't have any wine at dinner).




Afterward the group descended upon Johnnie's New York Pizza where many of us tried the New York White Pie for the first time (pizza with garlic cream sauce, spinach and ricotta cheese), which we all agreed was healthy because of the spinach, which of course cancelled out any fat in the dish.  As for the movie, whether you're a Heath fan or just want to see another great acting performance, go see it.  The scene in the hospital room will stay with me for a very long time.  In the interest of fair reporting, however, I must confess a number of us agreed that the kissing scenes between Heath and Abbie Cornish were nowhere near as passionate as those between Heath and Jake.  Unfortunately (and inexplicably) the movie was not very well attended, so if you want to see it, I suggest you go soon.


Zodiac Site Updated

The Zodiac  movie site has been updated with a trailer and several film stills, including the one above.

Post of the day

By michaelflanagansf in the Mourning Someone Who Has Died thread:

On World AIDS Day - 2006

In memory of fallen warriors.

Jim was lively, humorous and turned his house in Lansing, Michigan, into a meeting place where we all got together and became a family.  He used to call gin and tonics 'fluffs' and was really upset when I moved to California.

Wade was a little geeky.  When he broke up with his boyfriend Michael I went with him to see the first Star Trek movie (yep, I had hope of moving in and being Michael no. 2).  I used to worry about him, because he moved back to Mobile, Alabama when he got sick and as this was the 80s I thought he might get bashed.

Dick was the boyfriend of my longtime friend Ivan.  Dick was a wonderful host and though I met him through friends he made me feel completely at home in his home.  He had a very lively parrot.  We held his memorial in Muir Woods, a place he loved.

Howard was a baker.  He worked at Just Desserts, and when I first moved to San Francisco he was one of the people I met who make me feel welcome.  He loved music and we would often be together at concerts - synthpop, funk, goth - he loved it all.

Timmy was so sweet.  He was from New Orleans and I was introduced to him through my friend Laura.  He married a lesbian performance artist so that she could have U.S. citizenship and went to Italy and loved it.  He spent the last years of his life doing AIDS activist work in Italy.

Porter was very serious.  I knew him from the record store I worked in.  He had an encyclopedic memory (he even impressed me!) and could rattle off fact about practically any topic.  Fortunately he had a very wry sense of humor too.  Porter was one of the people I didn't know was sick.  I read of his death in the papers.

Tony was from the Italian speaking part of Switzerland (near Lake Como - which I always called 'Lake homo' when I joked with him).  He was my hairdresser for many years at a barbershop on Castro street.  He was hilarious - and always did up halloween in a big way.  I remember how sad he was when he said that he was going to have to quit working - he loved doing hair.

Jerry was the hairdresser I went to after Tony got too sick.  He used to do hair out of his home and was very, very punk.  Nothing I could suggest he do would shock him - he was always up for a challenge.  I was introduced to him through some of my more political friends.

Carla was a fighter.  When she went to one of the fake right-wing abortion clinics that tried to talk her out of having an abortion, she sued them (and won).  She was fierce and fought hard for women to get equal access to AIDS treatments in San Francisco.  She was a close friend of my friend Diamanda.  She died when doctors first started proposing 'treatment vacations'.

John was on of the first AIDS activists I knew.  Before there was an ACT-UP he was involved in a San Francisco action that took to the roof of Burroughs-Welcome to insist that the price of AZT come down.  I would see him all the time at protests throughout town.  I saw him right before he went into the hospital for the last time.

Adam was sweet and somewhat sad.  When I first started to go to an afterhour club called 'The Headquarters' in San Francisco I saw this sweet little boy who couldn't have been more than 16 at the time.  He'd been kicked out by his father when he found out he was gay.  I saw Adam a lot in his later years, when he became a bartender at Cafe San Marcos.  He was always so bubbly and lively.  I read of his death in the paper.

Thomas worked the phone lines at Project Inform when the AIDS archive I worked in shared offices with them.  He was a bit surly, but very well informed and extremely activist.  He was involved in running ribavirin and interferon across the Mexican border where there were no treatments for AIDS.

Mike was my human resources person at work.  He was sweet and probably not as wary as he should have been - he had a boyfriend who left him when he got sick.  I remember being in Cafe San Marcos on a New Years Eve with him - I didn't know he could party like that!  He was among the many people who I lost at work.

Louis worked in computer operations at work.  For the longest time we all debated whether or not he was gay - then he was spotted on one of the 'leather' floats at Gay Pride!  He was a lot of fun and we spent time together at parties at his place as he got sicker.

Curt was a filmmaker.  He was very, very outre - he had very interesting theories about human sexuality (he didn't really believe in “gay” or “straight” - he had a straight boyfriend for years).  He was involved with the Roxie Cinema and was very involved in independent cinema in San Francisco.  And before he died we held soirees at his house - eating and drinking and talking about what we were doing with him.  He died of Cryptococcal Meningitis - a truly hideous opportunistic infection.

Robert was Curt's lover.  They worked together at the Roxie, and Robert was the one who organized the get togethers for Curt.  He was a good filmmaker in his own right - but what I remember most about him was how cute he was.  He had incredible brown straight hair and deep soulful eyes.  He was a very sweet man.

Carl was an acid-tongued queen!  He always had the right thing to say and being and Italian New Yorker he was never afraid to say it.  He used to say that if he was not on the guest list for an even, it wasn't worth going to.  He used to open his apartment to me (right across the street from Port Authority bus station in Hell's Kitchen) and let me stay there whenever he was in New York.  He was extremely active in ACT-UP New York and was also involved in CRIA (the Community Research Initiative on AIDS).  He was a teacher of special needs children and was very active in getting AIDS education in the New York schools.

Ed was a neurological nurse.  In the first decade of the epidemic he was very active in helping to help one of my friends do basic research on the disease.  I remember him telling me that I had to take care of my migraines, because I needed to be around to tell the story of all of the people who were dying after they were gone.

Steve was a poet.  He also worked as an arts writer for one of the local papers.  He had several books published.  I would often see him at Club Chaos and Club Uranus in the city.  When his wife died in a car crash he brought his daughter with him to live in San Francisco (and this was the 70s, so you can imagine it was a little wild).  He was just beginning to deal with his gayness then.  He introduced me to many, many writers and musicians.  I did the last published interview with him.

Patrick was very witty.  I met him at work, he was an indexer.  He was quite smart and had a wonderful memory about artistic things.  I ran into him at the event where the Golden Gate bridge was closed and we all got to party on it (for the anniversary).  He was so worried that he would lose his job without health insurance (which fortunately didn't happen.

Louis (pronounced like the kings of France) was a gallery owner.  He showed amazing work and had wonderful opening parties.  If you come to San Francisco you can still see his mural on 19th street of a gorilla.  When he got sick his lover left him because he said that he was “allowing sickness into his life” (his lover was a big New Ager).

Jerome Caja [one of the few people here I'll identify fully, because I want you to go to this website and see his work: http://www.queerculturalcenter.org/Pages/Caja/CajaIndex.html ] was an incredible artist.  Louis showed his work at his gallery.  Jerome was as much a performance artist as he was a painter and did this incredible scag drag at bars - he looked like a down and out hooker.  He was hilarious and smart - I truly  miss him.

Tom was a DJ at the Graffiti, the Detour and other clubs that I met in the early 80s.  He always played unusual music and loved that I was interested in it.  We went to see Morrissey in Oakland together.  He was convinced that he was going to beat AIDS with his attitude, and of course I didn't discourage that notion.

Thomas Avena was an incredible writer. [ http://www.mercuryhouse.org/avena.html ]  He encouraged me to write and published my work.  Along with that (if that wasn't enough) he was an incredible cook and did wonderful dinner parties.  He and his lover William (who I am not giving a separate line to, but who also died from AIDS) were an incredible team - they worked hand in glove to get Thomas' work published.

Don Gorman was my muse.  In 1985 he was running a fledgling organization called 'DAIR' (the Documentation of AIDS Issues and Research) out of the Valencia Rose and encouraged me to participate.  He was an ob/gyn and neonatology nurse.  He knew several doctors and nurses working to keep people with AIDS alive and worked with the California Nurses Association to put together safety and health guidelines.  He worked against the anti-AIDS initiatives of the 80s and got his Master in Medical Administration the year before he died (1990).  He had a wicked sense of humor.

*****************************************

I'm stopping here at 25 people.  I've known many, many more who died (hundreds).  Living in San Francisco (and New York, and L.A.) in the 80s and 90s was like living in a warzone.  What was worse was that these incredible people were dying and no one even seemed to care or notice.  At the same time I would notice that people who I saw in service jobs (the cute little ticket taker in the subway station) would disappear - never to be seen again.  Although I'm no longer experiencing depression about their loss, I've now come to terms with the fact that the sadness that is with me at having witnessed their passing at such an early age will never leave me.  I miss them all - and if I ever meet God I will ask him why he took away so many of my friends so early - what was the purpose?


Fan Art of the Day

Posted by PatSinnott

Haunted

Forum Footnotes

Born on December 4th: 1849 - Crazy Horse, Oglala Sioux chief (d. 1877) 1875 - Rainer Maria Rilke, Austrian poet (d. 1926) 1949 - Jeff Bridges, American actor 1973 - Tyra Banks, American supermodel On December 4th in history: 1952 - Great Smog of 1952: A cold fog descends upon London, combining with air pollution and killing up to 12,000 in the weeks and months that follow. 1978 - Following the murder of Mayor George Moscone, Dianne Feinstein becomes San Francisco, California's first woman mayor (she served until January 8, 1988). Quote of the day: Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened.  Happiness never decreases by being shared. Buddha

Photocap of the Day

Posted by Jannis

You got your dogs, your 30-30, tents, pots, pans, blankets, each other,
mules, horses, saddles but no reins.  Ain't no reins on this one.

Calendar

Forum Events

1-3 Dec - Ocean City, MD - A DC area Mini Slash
Bash; numbers limited due to space constraints.
5-7 Jan, '07 - San Francisco, CA -
The Solstice Bay Bash
25 Feb, '07 - Bay City, MI - Oscar Night
Screening of Brokeback Mountain
If you have ideas about initiating a gathering go to
Start Your Own Threads and get the ball rolling
to plan a get-together near you.

Other Events


Let us know of any events you'd like listed here.

The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at www.davecullen.com/forum Editors: Elle (elle_ann) and Kathy (kmich) Assistant Editor: Marcia (Marge_Innavera) Columnists: cynical21, Connie Bailey, Jim Bond, michaelflanagansf, sparky Proofreader/Researcher: Gonzo (twistedboy) and gnash Today's edition produced by Kathy (kmich) email: kathy@davecullen.com Today's edition formatted and proofed by Gonzo (twistedboy) Contributors: elle_ann, Jannis, KittyHawk, michaelflanagansf, PatSinnott, WLAGuy We count on you to send us your news items, questions, and nominations for posts of the day. To subscribe to The Daily Sheet, press the "Notify" button at the top of the page. When a new TDS is posted, it will be forwarded to your email address. Previous issues of The Daily Sheet here. Response thread for The Daily Sheet here.

[elle_ann]

Tuesday, December 5, 2006

Alberta In The Summer Time

Photography buff and Brokeback aficionado Paul Peterson toured southern Alberta last summer. Paul has a great eye for natural beauty and he encountered outstanding weather. His photos include some very familiar settings, as well as some stunning places you have not seen before. Visit the remarkable Peterson photo collection here and here.

As always, for a wealth of Brokeback travel and production-related material, visit: www.FindingBrokeback.com.

BangBroek Mountain – A South African Musical About Camping

Ed's note: "BangBroek" -- translated literally from the Afrikaans means "scaredy pants" but the figurative meaning is 'coward'.

This hilarious musical parody of Brokeback Mountain has a funny South African twist and a complete absence of subtlety. The story follows the lives of two sixteen-year-old boys – Emmil (Grant Almirall) and Jacques (Marcel Meyers) – who meet at a Boy Scout ‘camp’ and fall in love. Every five years they reunite at the camp at Bangbroek Mountain and as their relationship becomes more intimate, they are faced with various dilemmas, including the decision whether or not to leave their wives and open a B&B. A unique feature of the show is that the audience gets to choose whether they want a happy or sad ending. Half-way through the second half, the votes are tallied and announced, and the ending proceeds according to the audience’s wishes.

Marcel Meyers puts on a convincing performance of a sensitive gay boy just reaching out for love and affection and Grant Almirall is fantastic as an awkward, unwilling male coming to terms with his own sexuality. The passage of time is marked effectively through the changes in the music (composed by Charl-Johan Lingenfelder) and outfits of The Cowletts -- a trio of divas who are sweet in the sixties, sport afros in the seventies and dance ‘the robot’ in the eighties. Full review can be found here.






Ongoing Critical Acclaim For Gustavo Santaolalla

Oscar Award-winning music composer, songwriter and producer Gustavo Santaolalla continues to receive overwhelming critical acclaim for the inventive original score he composed for director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s award-winning Babel, starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett.

Gene Shalit of The Today Show calls Santaolalla’s score for Babel “marvelous, engulfing music” and Bob Strauss of The Los Angeles Daily News hails it a “career-best contribution.” Ray Bennett of The Hollywood Reporter predicts “the film, which also features exceptional work by…composer Gustavo Santaolalla, is headed for major prizes.”

Santaolalla was also featured as one of Time Magazine's 25 Most Influential Hispanics in August 2005. For a sampling of Santaolalla's career production work, visit iTunes’ recently launched “Gustavo Santaolalla Essentials” collection.



Thread and Post of the Day

What's in a Username, started some time ago by royandronnie, has provided forum members with a lot of insight into why people chose the username they did, as well as discussion about sig lines. These range from the funny to the sad and through just about everything in between. Visit the thread if you want to know more about tfmisc (My initials are TF and misc is short for miscellaneous) or hotoddy (Hotoddy is sheer bravado. I'm not at all certain a 70 year old can be 'hot'.) or about buteo (Buteo is a genus of medium-sized wide-ranging raptors with a robust body and broad wings).

Forum member gnash took it one step further! gnash quiz 1. my chinese name "sang" backwards, with an "h" for huang. 2. i gnash my teeth 3. i cause others to gnash their teeth 4. gay, and i live in nashville 5. gay, and nash is my hustler name 6. employed at a "general nutrition" center in ashland, oregon 7. total "gray's 'natomy" and "silent hill" fan 8. none of the above. For answers, go here!

Too Cool For Christmas: DVD Release George Hamilton and Brooke Nevin star in Too Cool for Christmas, a holiday film that gives gay families the chance to watch maudlin Christmas movies just like straight people. Mainstream holiday movies often pump up the schlock factor, wallowing in the sentimentality of the season. Now gays and lesbians have their very own saccharin Christmas film Too Cool for Christmas, originally aired in 2004 but now available on DVD. Click here for the full review.

Photo courtesy of Genius Productions and Here! Films.

The Ultimate Jake Fan Survey: Sponsored By JakeWatch

Jake fans the world over are invited to unite and participate in the first ever Ultimate Jake Fan Survey. For more details visit our own Jake's Eyelashes or the infamous and always entertaining JakeWatch.

About That Story We Didn’t Report On...   Heath Ledger's sister and former Perth publicist Kate Ledger  has cleared up recent rumors about her younger brother's impending nuptials to his partner, Michelle Williams. The Brokeback Mountain Oscar nominees were spotted apparently picking up a marriage license in Brooklyn, New York last week. Until now, representatives for the notoriously private couple have refused to confirm the wedding rumors. But when asked if the couple were in fact engaged, Ms. Ledger replied with an emphatic, “No, they’re not.” The couple has a one-year-old daughter, Matilda Rose Ledger. Source: Perth Now exclusive by STM film critic Shannon Harvey DECEMBER 01, 2006

FanFiction Review: Roots

By Cynical21

Once in a while, in the ‘real’ world, a literary debut occurs which sets the publishing community back on its heels. Sadly, it doesn’t happen often. Such events are even less common in the fan fiction genre, but we who inhabit the beloved Brokeback Mountain universe have been blessed this week with such an occurrence. Today, I am deeply grateful to be in the right place at the right time to add a totally new story to those previously reviewed. The author, forum member 271horses, AKA A.J., should be familiar to many members here, as he has previously been recognized for his continuing story, A Widower for One Year – a work in progress that enjoys a huge following of devoted BBM fans. The story we feature today is already complete, as the author chose to refrain from publication until it could be posted in its entirety. I believe this should be considered a kindness to his readers as I’m not sure how they would have reacted had they been forced to wait for periodic updates. This narrative is compelling and spellbinding, as addictive as fine wine.

It is not, however, for the faint of heart.

Roots tells the complete life story of Annie Proulx’s minor characters, Earl and Rich. It follows them from deprived childhoods, through the maturation process, the events that bring them together, and the deep, abiding love that grows between them. Coincidentally, it also traces the development of the culture that spawned them and the rise of the enduring myths of the Old West, interweaving the personal lives of these two compelling characters with the vivid color and richness of the setting around them. By the time the author reaches the end of the story, the reader has found that Ennis and Jack are not the only lovers whose fate defines the word tragedy and whose story touches the heart. At the same time, one has learned more about the brutality of life in that harsh reality than one might have anticipated. The story, and the form used to relate it, are uniquely the author’s own.

"Year in and year out, it stands upon the bluff as it has done for over a hundred
years, while the land around it wastes, still black, still putting forth its stunted
leaves, for its roots go deep, fed not by the poisoned spring at all, but some
other source, nameless and obscure and known only to itself.”

A.J., when asked, reveals that he was always intrigued with the story of Earl and Rich, and found that previous references to them in other fan fictions tended to conclude that Rich, after Earl’s death, must have lived out the remainder of his life in quiet  anguish – a passive victim – but he could not accept this version of events. He decided to write this story to give a voice to Rich, observing that a man who had loved Earl passionately for over fifty years would not simply accept what had been done to his lover; instead his response would have been “Biblical. Apocalyptic.”

That is the story he wrote, creating this small masterpiece, and we are all enriched by it. A.J. is an ex-soldier who hails from Texas and resides now on the West Coast.

Access this incredibly complex, beautifully researched narrative here or visit the author's LJ here.




Forum Footnotes

Born on December 5th:

1901  --  Walter Elias Disney, Chicago IL, animator (Mickey Mouse) 1905  --  Otto Preminger Austria, director/producer ( Exodus)

On December 5th in history :

1969  --  US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site 1974  --  "Monty Python's Flying Circus" final episode airs on BBC  1990  --  Salman Rushdie, author (ordered to death by Iran for blasphemy), appears in public for 1st time in 2 years

Urban Dictionary Definitions: Brokeback    
   
Urban Dictionary currently carries 36 definitions for the word Brokeback including:

(adj.) something that has questionable masculinity: 1.  "Dude, please tell me you are not wearing perfume!" 2.  "What? No... its cologne... I swear!" 3.  "Well it smells pretty brokeback to me.."   (adj.) term describing unrequited or impossible love: Those two were meant for each other, but they could never be together. It was a brokeback situation.

Photocap of the Day

Posted to PhotoCaptioning's Greatest Hits by royandronnie. Original poster: soylentGreen

Little known fact:

Gandalf the Gray only turned to wizardry because he failed so spectacularly as a cowboy.

Calendar

Forum Events

5-7 Jan, '07 - San Francisco, CA -
The Solstice Bay Bash
25 Feb, '07 - Bay City, MI - Oscar Night
Screening of Brokeback Mountain
If you have ideas about initiating a gathering go to
Start Your Own Threads and get the ball rolling
to plan a get-together near you.

Other Events


Let us know of any events you'd like listed here.

The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at www.davecullen.com/forum Editors: Elle (elle_ann) and Kathy (kmich) Assistant Editor: Marcia (Marge_Innavera) Columnists: cynical21, Connie Bailey, Jim Bond, michaelflanagansf, sparky Proofreader/Researcher: Gonzo (twistedboy) and gnash Today's edition produced by Elle (elle_ann) email: elle@davecullen.com Today's edition formatted and proofed by gnash Contributors: candyaddict, britpopbaby, royandronnie, solyentGreen, InTears (Jim Bond), Paul Petersen, Lyle (Mooska), twistedboy We count on you to send us your news items, questions, and nominations for posts of the day. To subscribe to The Daily Sheet, press the "Notify" button at the top of the page. When a new TDS is posted, it will be forwarded to your email address. Previous issues of The Daily Sheet here. Response thread for The Daily Sheet here.

[kmich]

December 6, 2006

Politics of Homosexuality in the Arab World

It seems that American politicians aren't the only ones who use homophobia and the guise of religion and morality to achieve their ends.  Negar Azimi, in an article for the New York Times, describes one such Arab politician, Mostafa Bakry.  Bakry is an Egyptian newspaper editor and parliamentarian who has recently taken on the issue of homosexuality in Egypt by calling for censorship of popular new movie entitled The Yacoubian Building.  The movie, in which one "of the central characters in the story - a mosaic of downtown Cairo life complete with political intrigue, love triangles, the specter of extremism and more - is an affluent, dashing, Francophone newspaper editor who happens to be gay.  He has an affair with a simple soldier from the countryside, and thus begins a tale of lust that ends in murder."  Bakry accuses the movie of "spreading obscenity and debauchery," and tells Azimi that "The American agenda is promoting the rights of homosexuals.  I am not against freedom of expression, but this abnormal phenomenon should not be presented as natural.  Even if it has roots here, it is rejected by society.  And by Islam."

Azimi notes that "sexuality in general and homosexuality in particular are increasingly becoming concerns of the modern Arab state.  Politicians, the police, government officials and much of the press are making homosexuality an 'issue': a way to display nationalist bona fides in the face of an encroaching Western sensibility; to reject a creeping globalization that brings with it what is perceived as the worst of the international market culture; to flash religious credentials and placate growing Islamist power.  In recent years, there have been arrests, crackdowns and episodes of torture.  In Egypt, the most populous country in the Arab world, as in Morocco, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates - even in famously open and cosmopolitan Lebanon - the policing of homosexuality has become part of what sometimes seems like a general moral panic."

There have been crackdowns on homosexuality, including a raid on a floating disco boat, in which 52 men were arrested, beaten and tortured.  Newspapers printed the names, addresses, and places of work of the detained.  In other cases, the national police force has tapped phones, monitored suspected gay gathering spots, and recruited informants, citing "the protection of the society's values" as the reason for arrests. 


Brokeback Mountain Tops List of 50 Best DVDs for 2006

The U.K.-based Times  Online has issued its list of the

50 Best DVDs of 2006 and Brokeback Mountain

tops the list in the category of "Big film releases".

 

Cold Case's Brokeback  Episode


Viewers of CBS's television show, Cold Case, were treated to what some are calling a Brokeback Mountain  episode this past Sunday night.  According to Michael Jensen at AfterElton,   [Possible spoilers ahead] "Last night's episode of CBS's crime show Cold Case  was remarkable for a slew of reasons.  First off was the fact that it was a gay-themed episode, but as far as I know CBS didn't make a big deal out of it despite the fact that veteran television actor Chad Everett played one of the gay roles.   The show also featured a passionate same-sex kiss that ten years ago would've had folks up in arms.  Yet last night all of the above happened with nary a mention.






In this case, the murder victim was a cop named Coop who turns out to have been having an affair with another cop named Jimmy. (The Brokeback  comparison is because Jimmy is married, but Coop wants them to move away and start a new life.)  It turns out Coop was murdered by two other cops who couldn't stand the idea of a queer cop "disgracing" the force.'"  Jensen goes on to give the episode a very positive review, stating that instead of being discouraging because one of the gay characters ends up dead, the episode sends a powerful message to viewers about the fact that "it's a necessity for people to understand that gays and lesbians did - and do - get beaten and murdered just for being gay."


The Final Hollywood Taboo

Stating that one of the unwritten rules of Hollywood is that an actor never admits to being gay, Andrew Gumbel of The Independent, speculates  whether the recent spate of actors, such as T.R. Knight and Neil Patrick Harris, coming out may change that.  He notes that "Hollywood still adheres to the mentality that American audiences look to their on-screen idols as outlets for their own romantic fantasies and thus need to think of them as strictly heterosexual."

He quotes an unnamed actor who "heaped considerable blame on Hollywood's power elite, many of whom, are themselves openly gay but still continue to perpetuate an atmosphere of intolerance and oppression. 'A lot of people are working against gays to shore up their own closet door,' the actor said. 'They say it's all about the market - if people won't buy it, there's nothing they can do about it.'"
 
Gumbel surmises that only time will tell if this final Hollywood taboo has been broken.  It is only after the successful television shows that T. R. Knight and Neil Patrick Harris star in end will the truth be known.

Many thanks to chapeaugris for forwarding the above story.


Thread of the Day

Nax has started a new thread, entitled The Orchid Hothouse - for Orchid lovers and those who appreciate them.   According to Nax, it's "a place to ask questions, give tips and post pictures of your little beauties."  Some examples of these beauties have been posted already.

DC Area Mini Slash Bash

The DC area Mini Slash Bash took place over the weekend.  Here's a souvenir picture of the event:




One: An Earth Installation Exhibition

by michaelflanagansf

As a young man in Raton, New Mexico, Stanlee Gatti grew up on the Sante Fe Trail.  He has been an event designer in San Francisco for more than two decades and has been president of the San Francisco Arts Commission and designed the Mayoral Inaugurations of Gavin Newsom and Willie L. Brown.  And yet you still can see the echoes of nature and the west in his new exhibition 'One: An Earth Installation' at the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers.

The installation includes orbs covered in moss, cairns of smooth stones and statements about the place of man in the universe.  The centerpiece has a representation of the big bang and the creation of planets and life on earth - and all of this is encased in a shell of blue dots on the Conservatory's window and is presented with a soundtrack of Native American chants.  I must admit that when I read about it, I was skeptical.  The potential for being something that came from a new age expo in a mall was there, I admit.  And yet somehow it all works - I don't know if it is because of the primitive horsetails, or just the barrenness of the space in combination with representations of medicine wheels and vegetation, but it does.

In a place where we celebrate the works of Annie Proulx and Larry McMurtry and wonder about the connectedness of people and the fulfilling of our own desires an installation of this sort has a clear message: if we allow ourselves to be in harmony with the earth and do not worry about the conventions and strictures that our societies have built up around gender and sexuality we will be much happier and be living in tune with the natural world.  I strongly suggest that any members of this forum who are in San Francisco before the show ends on April 15, 2007 stop by and absorb a truly wonderful space.

For more information, click here.
 

Forum Footnotes

December 6th birthdays: 1642 - Johann Christoph Bach, German composer (d. 1703) 1896 - Ira Gershwin, American lyricist (d. 1983) 1971 - Ryan White, American AIDS activist (d. 1990) December 6th in history: 1933 - U.S. federal judge John M. Woolsey rules that the James Joyce novel Ulysses is not obscene. 1971 - Pakistan snaps diplomatic ties with India following New Delhi's recognition of Bangladesh. 1989 - École Polytechnique Massacre: Marc Lépine kills 14 young women in Montreal, Quebec. Quote of the day: The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. Eleanor Roosevelt

Photocap of the Day

posted by jasonwv

picture by iwishiknew

A CHRISTMAS CARD FROM JACK AND ENNIS

We wish you a Merry Christmas; We wish you a Merry Christmas; We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Good tidings we bring to you and your kin; Good tidings for Christmas and a Happy New Year Ennis said yes to a sweet life Ennis said yes to a sweet life Ennis said yes to a sweet life Ennis said yes to a sweet life and we're both of good cheer We will never ever part again We will never ever part again we will never ever part again cause we're happy right here We wish you a Merry Christmas; We wish you a Merry Christmas; We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Calendar

Forum Events

5-7 Jan, '07 - San Francisco, CA -
The Solstice Bay Bash
25 Feb, '07 - Bay City, MI - Oscar Night
Screening of Brokeback Mountain
If you have ideas about initiating a gathering go to
Start Your Own Threads and get the ball rolling
to plan a get-together near you.

Other Events


Let us know of any events you'd like listed here.

The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at www.davecullen.com/forum Editors: Elle (elle_ann) and Kathy (kmich) Assistant Editor: Marcia (Marge_Innavera) Columnists: cynical21, Connie Bailey, Jim Bond, michaelflanagansf, sparky Proofreader/Researcher: Gonzo (twistedboy) and gnash Today's edition produced by Kathy (kmich) email: kathy@davecullen.com Today's edition formatted and proofed by Gonzo (twistedboy) Contributors: chapeaugris, iwishiknew, jasonwv, michaelflanagansf We count on you to send us your news items, questions, and nominations for posts of the day. To subscribe to The Daily Sheet, press the "Notify" button at the top of the page. When a new TDS is posted, it will be forwarded to your email address. Previous issues of The Daily Sheet here. Response thread for The Daily Sheet here.

[elle_ann]

Thursday, December 7, 2006
 
Today's Edition Produced by Marge_Innavera

Heath Ledger Scoops Double Honors At The Annual AFI Awards Ceremony By elle_ann   The Australian Film industry finally honored Heath Ledger's achievement when the AFI awarded him International Best Actor for his groundbreaking role as Ennis del Mar in Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain. Heath also won the News Limited Reader's Choice Award, an accolade bestowed upon him by the voting public of Australia.  Heath, back in his homeland for the first time since the filming of Candy, joked with presenter Daniel Radcliffe, saying: "This film just won't go away!" He thanked Annie Proulx and Ang Lee, and added that the best things he had gotten out of Brokeback Mountain were his two girls, ie his partner, Michelle Williams and his daughter, Matilda Rose Ledger. Geoffrey Rush later introduced Heath as the presenter of the Best Direction Award, calling him a 'valiant and mercurial film artist.' Heath's date for the evening was his older sister, Kate Ledger. The AFI Awards, held in Melbourne tonight (7th December) are the Australian film and television industry's longest running and most prestigious awards ceremony. Now in their 48th year, the AFI Awards focus both industry and public attention on the best in Australian film and television productions, and are recognized internationally.

Heath arrives at the AFI Awards with sister Kate Ledger

 
 

Annie Proulx at Boulder, Colorado
 
Forum members are turning up regularly at Annie Proulx’ speaking engagements, most recently on November 29th at Colorado University’s Center for the American West at Boulder. She has written a prologue to photographer Marty Stypich’s book about the Red Desert in southwest Wyoming, to be published late next year. Annie became editor and did lengthy research on southern Wyoming’s outlaw heritage including the early days of Robert LeRoy Parker and his friend Cassidy, from whom Robert took his outlaw name of Butch Cassidy.
 

 
From left: LoveEmBoys/Monica, John Beene, and Jack (brokeback1)

Annie spoke about the bloody conflicts in the Red Desert area, sparked by wealthy absentee investors owning huge herds that were easy targets for outlaw entrepreneurs. These “cowboy outlaws” easily put their own brands on cattle and resell them, and they became popular in the small towns where they spent much of their profits. Like the bank-robbing outlaws, they also won small ranchers as allies by paying generously for food, horses and protection. The absentee owners’ efforts to control the rustling led to yet another type of Western cowboy: the cattlemens’ enforcers and hit men, who used the then-modern technologies of railroads and telegraph to hunt down and kill rustlers. Annie stressed that the cultural background of these conflicts included the specifically American ideal of standing one’s ground and bypassing tactical retreats.
 

 
Front-Ranger and Adam

Forum member Front-Ranger (Lee), who is also active on the BetterMost forum, noted some parallels at the event to social changes in Wyoming itself. After the question-and-answer session, the Center’s president asked if Annie wanted to say anything else to the audience and according to Front-Ranger, “Annie said, ‘Stay on your side of the Snake’ and left.” Newcomers from Colorado and California buying ‘ranch lots’ in subdivided ranches have brought suburban sprawl to Wyoming – particularly west of the Snake River. 
 
Annie's research on the Red Desert area will be an asset to historic preservationists over the next decade, as this part of Wyoming is undergoing oil and gas development.
 
 
 



Brokeback An Inspiration For Fanart
 
Forum member Janie-G had been drawing and painting for about eight years when she saw Brokeback Mountain and like most of the forum members, “I was completely overwhelmed by it. Almost every shot is a work of art especially the first section. It's not just the beauty of the scenery but the way in which each shot contains perfectly constructed images.”  Using the traditional media of pencil, watercolor and chalk pastels, Janie has created artwork with her own interpretations of the characters and her favorite scenes.
 
 

 
A One Shot Thing, pastels

Janie considers art a constant learning process, and considers herself lucky in having “a truly inspirational teacher” as well. Brokeback is the only film that has inspired her to produce artwork of its images, and like other fan artists and writers, she doesn’t sell or profit from her Brokeback-related work. Janie doesn’t expect to “ever again experience this sort of reaction. I'm just grateful to be one of the lucky people Brokeback reached out to.”
 
 

 
Reunion, pencil

 

 

 
Celebrating One Year of Brokeback Mountain

Brokeback Monuments: An Immodest Proposal   Last April, a blogger named “thegayesteditorever” noted that a determined group of Ronald Reagan supporters were campaigning to get a landmark named after the former US President in every US state and urged Brokeback fans to follow suit. While some of his readers took his suggestions a bit too seriously, the Editor posted some interesting suggestions for keeping Ennis and Jack and their story in the public’s consciousness.     Exit from Brokeback Mountain Parkway, currently known as California Highway 1

”Brokeback Bucks”   “What's more American than two manly cowboys on our country's most popular denomination?” the Gayest Editor asks.

If you want to enjoy the beautiful wilderness still to be found in US National Parks, don’t forget to check out Brokeback Mountain National Park, currently known as Yellowstone. "These should be among the easier things to tackle," the Gayest Editor points out, "since Republicans don't care about national parks anyway."
 
See the Gayest Editor’s complete proposal Here.
 
 

 

12 Months With Jake
 
Gyllenhaalics who want Jake on their calendar all year can order calendars with bonuses like peel-off stickers or their own special dates highlighted for a personal touch. The vendor names and links that the Daily Sheet is providing are for information purposes only. They are not exclusive sources, and buyers are urged to check customer feedback before ordering any merchandise online.
 

Jake has a businesslike look is on the cover of the “Hollywood Idols” version offered by 365 Calendars.com The price is £8.00

On Starstore.com, a 12-month calendar with peel-off stickers on the back cover is available for £6.99.

A somewhat more sensual Jake calendar can be customized with your own birthdays, anniversaries and other significant days if you order from Tablet-Of-Time Custom Calendars. This calendar sells for $8.99.
 



 

Terror at the Lap Pool (Conclusion)
 
by Sparky
 
Last week, Sparky set us up for a startling encounter while he was enjoying his weekly swim. Readers wanting to refresh their memory can check out the The Daily Sheet of November 30th.
 
IT GETS WORSE
 
I am swimming very quickly. It is now my focus to get my laps done as swiftly as possible. And I intend to do so without ever stopping on the same end as the tormenting exhibitionist who has chosen me as a target.
 
Boom. Boom. Boom. I get three more laps done and am kicking ass. I have lost count, but I think I have 6 to go. I flip, and head back to the start side, thinking I can bag this thing in about 5 more minutes. The meditative quality of the swim has begun to sink in. I am slipping into the zone and I am starting to think I misjudged. Maybe her top just came undone. Perhaps it was an accident, and the ties broke. I am trying to remain calm and focused, and give her the benefit of the doubt.
 
BIG MISTAKE.
 
I hit the start side, flip again, and push up above the water to start the breaststroke. She is about 25 feet in front of me, on my right. She has what appears to be a maniacal grin on her face. She is still treading water, bobbing up and down. The stroke starts with my head down in the water as my arms go out in front, then completes as the arms go out and down, and my head is pushed above the water to get a breath. I try not to pay any attention to what is going on underwater. I try to look forward and focus. Sucker for a car wreck that I am: I can't help myself. I glance to the right underwater, and she is still at it. Top open, boobs a-flopping, belly a-bouncing. I don't know if it was real or my imagination, but it seems as though I saw a shadow peeking out of her trunks like some strange kelp. My legs never kicked so fast in my life.
 
I hit the wall on the other side, and race all the way to the other end. Thankfully, the lane 2 spaces over is empty. I bolt under the floating divider without looking for approaching swimmers. Collisions be damned. I am half-laughing, half-panicked, and completely disgusted. I manage to bang out 4 more laps without thinking. When I finish and hop out of the pool, the demented dugong is nowhere to be seen.
 

THE EPILOGUE
 
I run to the showers. I quickly rinse, hit Trader Joe's in the nick of time on the way home, and here I am. I was going to stay home for a quiet evening. 4 hours of work loom in the morning. To hell with it. I am going out for a drink. I think I deserve a shot or two of tequila after this incident.
 
I wonder...Why me? How did I get in the middle of that? Of course, earlier in the day, my ass became a brief focus of conversation at the office, and I had nothing to do with that either. Really, I am innocent of any wrongdoing here. I will thank you to make a note to yourself: Sparky was innocent. It’s a watershed day. There have been times in my life when I have actively courted disaster, tempted fate, laughed in the face of risk. A time or two I may have had sex in places where I could have been justifiably arrested. Today was not one of those times.
 
On some days, there’s just a target painted on you, and you’ve got to roll with it.
 
Or in this case, swim for your life in the opposite direction.
 
 
 



Post of the Day
 
In the ongoing discussion about Who Is A Homophobe? the perspective of a gay man whose experience with homophobia was limited while growing up is provided by bradINblue:
 

“I’ve never given homophobia and its impact on homosexuals much thought. Brokeback Mountain and the ability to share, read, and debate within these threads has done much to me. Pulling my head out of sand sums it up.   “My beliefs, likes, dislikes and my comfort zones are forged from early childhood and fostered along based on the rollercoaster that has been my years on this earth. I read posts and interact with men who have been generally accepted by family and surroundings. . . . Guys like us (most have partners) bump along wondering what all the hub-bub is about. When we question those opposite of us or share our feelings and it flies in the face of being politically correct, we either go away or persist in pointing out our side of the coin.   “To each and everyone of you that have been the subject of hate or violence cause of how you were born, thanks for having the courage to share it. Thanks for not hiding behind a ring or in a closet. . . . Please try to understand why, to myself and others here like me, homophobia means something a little different.”

Click to read Brad’s complete post:
 
 
 


Forum Footnotes
 

Born on December 7th:
 

1932 -- Ellen Burstyn, Broadway, film and television actress 1835 -- Mark Twain, American author 1874 -- Winston Churchill, British Prime Minister and Nobel Prize winner (1953) 1929 -- Dick Clark, of "American Bandstand" fame 1873 -- Willa Cather, novelist

December 7th in history:
 

1916 -- David Lloyd George becomes Prime Minister of Britain 1941 -- Japan attacks US naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii 1939 -- USSR attacks Finland 1993 -- In Texas, Williamson County commissioners reversed a decision to deny Apple Computer tax breaks for a new facility in the county because of its policy of extending benefits to employees' same-sex domestic partners. Several of the commissioners, however, continued to express condemnation of "the gay lifestyle."

 
 


Photo Caption of the Day
 
In Photo Captioning Fun!, forum member tfmisc speaks for all BBM fans who want Santa to bring Ennis and Jack the perfect present.
 

 
Ennis: Now let’s see what ol’ Santa del Mar has in his sack for a naughty boy…
 
Jack (thinks): Please please let it be the deed to a little cow and calf operation.

Calendar

Forum Events

5-7 Jan, '07 - San Francisco, CA -
The Solstice Bay Bash
25 Feb, '07 - Bay City, MI - Oscar Night
Screening of Brokeback Mountain
If you have ideas about initiating a gathering go to
Start Your Own Threads and get the ball rolling
to plan a get-together near you.

Other Events

 
Let us know of any events you'd like listed here.

The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at www.davecullen.com/forum Editors: Elle (elle_ann) and Kathy (kmich) Assistant Editor: Marcia (Marge_Innavera) Columnists: cynical21, Connie Bailey, Jim Bond, michaelflanagansf, sparky Proofreader/Researcher: Gonzo (twistedboy) and gnash Today's edition produced by Elle (elle_ann) email: elle@davecullen.com Today's edition formatted and proofed by gnash Contributors: Front-Ranger, Janie-G, Sparky, bradINblue, tfmisc, ministering angel We count on you to send us your news items, questions, and nominations for posts of the day. To subscribe to The Daily Sheet, press the "Notify" button at the top of the page. When a new TDS is posted, it will be forwarded to your email address. Previous issues of The Daily Sheet here. Response thread for The Daily Sheet here.

[elle_ann]

Friday, December 8, 2006

DVD Campaign Investigation Begins

Announcement from Dave Cullen:

We are putting together a team to investigate how many libraries received BBM DVDs, and to determine what we can do about the situation. I am pleased to announce that we have the perfect person to head up that project: dcluke. I just had a long phone conversation with him, and he has agreed to head up the project.

You may know that dcluke played a central role in the initial campaign and did much of the legwork, so he is up to speed and in a great position to lead volunteers who will be new to the library scene. He's also a manager in his professional life, with good leadership skills, and everyone who has worked with him has spoken highly of him. I personally interacted with him in a very touchy situation and found him honest, capable and trustworthy, so I think we're in great hands.

Lucas and I have three major goals for the project:

1. Determine as best we can how many libraries received DVDs.
2. Determine what can be done about it now--including the key question of how many are still interested in receiving them.
3. Implement whatever we determine in #2.
 
Several people have asked how they could help, and I hope some of you will volunteer to join in. Please contact him directly. He's got a few words to say (see below) about what he needs. It's going to take a fair bit of legwork, but I feel confident that Lucas is the right person to organize that effort and get it done effectively.

Announcement from Lucas (dcluke):

At Dave's request, I am leading the team that will audit the DVD Campaign.  Earlier in the year, many volunteers, myself included, contacted hundreds of libraries in the United States and Canada to offer a copy of the Brokeback Mountain DVD.  Several hundred libraries eagerly accepted donations and we need to ascertain how many of those libraries actually received a copy of the DVD. 
 
I need volunteers to contact Forum members who personally made donations, as well as libraries that accepted DVDs in order to develop an accurate count of the number of DVDs donated through the Campaign.  If you can assist me with this project, please send a message to DCLuke and, if applicable, include your state or province of residence.  Please do not contact any individual or library without checking with me first. 
 
Thank you in advance for your assistance.  The DVD Campaign is one of the most worthwhile projects I have ever worked on and I look forward to giving the Forum a full accounting of its success. 




Dirt Music - December Book Club Selection

By Michaelflanagansf

Dirt Music is a novel of Western Australia, which (aside from being where Heath Ledger was born) is Australia's largest state. A rich and remote place (Perth is the most isolated metropolitan place on earth), Western Australia is a wonderful backdrop for the interactions between the major characters of the novel. Georgie Jutland is an ex-nurse and current stepmom living in White Point (a fictional fishing village) with Jim Buckridge, a fisherman, and Luther Fox is the poacher with whom Georgie is having an affair. For fans of Annie Proulx's Shipping News this book gives a look at a different sort of fishing village - upwardly mobile and yet perhaps as remote as the environs she favors.  Dirt Music was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and won the Miles Franklin Australian literary award in 2002. This will be the sixth selection for the book club. Selections for reading are based on suggestions from the group - polls are held and the most popular are chosen for reading. So far selections have included Annie Proulx's Postcards, Edmund White's A Boy's Own Story, Larry McMurtry's The Last Picture Show, Patricia Neil Warren's The Front Runner and Denis Johnson's Jesus' Son. Interest in the books is lively enough that The Front Runner thread[/u][/b] is still going on strong, discussing the sequels to the book If you're interested in reading a novel about a part of the world you may not know much about (and may want to learn more about if you're a fan of Heath Ledger) we'd love to have you aboard! This is your chance to discuss books with people from around the world! Discussion of Dirt Music begins on Monday.

 
Celebrating One Year of Brokeback Mountain

Bad Ideas for Brokeback Mountain Sequels
 
Back in March of 2006, forum member Quiplash posted a series of "Really Bad Ideas for Brokeback Sequels" on Flickr. The following posters are just an example of some of these, find the full set here.

Bad Idea No 6: If Jane Austen had written Brokeback Mountain...
and it was a made into a Merchant & Ivory film




Bad Idea No 7: Quoting Ennis: Of all the sheep-herding fields,
on all the mountains, in all the world, he had to ride into mine ...




Bad Idea No 8: Throw in a sitar player and a maharajah and the script practically writes itself!

The Madras House With Roberta Maxwell Roberta Maxwell, better known to most Forum members as Mrs. Twist, will be starring in the Mint Theater Company's revival of Harley Granville-Barker's play The Madras House from Jan. 31-March 11, 2007. In the play, Constantine Madras, who founded a London fashion emporium and then left England to establish a polygamous household in Iraq, comes home to sell the business. Maxwell's Broadway credits include Equus, Othello, Our Town, Summer and Smoke, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and King Henry V. Her portrayal of Jack's mother in Brokeback Mountain is her most famous film role.

The Great Movie: Tens of Billions

Opening in Chinese cinemas later this month is the film Da Dian Ying Zhi Shu Bai Yi (which translates literally as "The Great Movie: Tens of Billions"), a comedy which pokes fun at the likes of House of Flying Daggers, Kung Fu Hustle, Infernal Affairs, Daisy, Ringu, Brokeback Mountain and countless others. The film stars Hong Kong veteran Eric Tsang, sitcom star Yao Chen, Huang Bo (recently in Crazy Stone) and TV actress Jiao Yang. With a constant stream of gags and pop culture parodies, the film certainly looks to be the Chinese equivalent of the Scary Movie series. Who knew that Brokeback Mountain was well-known enough in China to be spoofed? A 13-minute trailer can be found here.

Post of the Day
 
On Thursday, international cooperation and global goodwill were fostered as our Aussie Heath fans delivered an award-by-award account of the AFI Ceremony on Planet Heath. The Daily Sheet reported yesterday that Heath Ledger scooped both Best International Actor (for Brokeback Mountain) and the People's Choice Award (ie the Australian public voted him as their favorite actor). At the conclusion of the event, Ministering Angel posted in Planet Heath:

"He (Heath) does come across as so nervous. He just doesn't know or care how to play the celebrity game. But what a sweetheart he is. And no boots!! Nice shiny shoes instead. I'm so pleased he got two awards. It would have been awful otherwise. Just one thing - seeing him just being that goofy, loose-limbed, nervous fellow that he is, just like a big kid, it's astonishing how he could morph into Ennis. The man is a total genius. He is a truly great actor. He will become one of the greats of all time if he picks his roles well."

Forum Footnotes
 

Urban dictionary Word of the Day: elationship This refers to a couple (friends, lovers, whatever) that know each other *only* via online correspondence (e-mail, IM chats, video rooms, etc.). 1st Guy:     Jasmine and I have a great elationship, dude. 2nd Guy:    Um, she lives in Vietnam, dude. 1st Guy:     I know, but she writes very flirty e-mails. And her myspace is totally hott.

Quote of the Day: Anyone who has a library and a garden wants for nothing.  -- Cicero

Photo Caption of the Day

Posted by twistandshout

There, a steer is born. . .

Oh, shit, I screw one boy and I'm channelin' Judy Garland. . .

Calendar

Forum Events

5-7 Jan, '07 - San Francisco, CA -
The Solstice Bay Bash
25 Feb, '07 - Bay City, MI - Oscar Night
Screening of Brokeback Mountain
If you have ideas about initiating a gathering go to
Start Your Own Threads and get the ball rolling
to plan a get-together near you.

Other Events

 
Let us know of any events!

The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at www.davecullen.com/forum Editors: Elle (elle_ann) and Kathy (kmich) Assistant Editor: Marcia (Marge_Innavera) Columnists: cynical21, Connie Bailey, Jim Bond, michaelflanagansf, sparky Proofreader/Researcher: Gonzo (twistedboy) and gnash Today's edition produced by Elle (elle_ann) email: elle@davecullen.com Today's edition formatted and proofed by gnash Contributors: BayCityJohn, Dave Cullen, dcluke, twistandshout, quiplash, michaelflanagansf, ministering angel We count on you to send us your news items, questions, and nominations for posts of the day. To subscribe to The Daily Sheet, press the "Notify" button at the top of the page. When a new TDS is posted, it will be forwarded to your email address. Previous issues of The Daily Sheet here. Response thread for The Daily Sheet here.

[kmich]

Weekend Edition   December 9-10, 2006

Member Profile: royandronnie


Me with Ronnie (left) and Roy, as in royandronnie, September 1987.  I didn't have a teenage pop-star crush--I waited ten years.

I'm a lifelong resident of Virginia Beach, VA; I am in fact older than the city itself! (Incorporated 1962.)  I am a potter and musician of some skill but not quite enough.  I am also a poet, lyricist and writer, and there are some who think I'm pretty good at those things, including me, but I've still not managed to get paid for any of them!  I love to travel, have been to Scotland about twenty times, to Iceland, to Australia--including Heath's hometown of Perth--twice, and the North Pole, as well as other destinations less far flung and exotic.  I was the Couch Potato Poster Child until I was over thirty, but in the years since I have become an actual athlete, with ten (by the time this is published, twelve) Grand Canyon backpacks and a 260-mile hike across the Outback to my credit.  I still find this amazing myself.  I had a crafts gallery for ten years, but ten years ago I closed it and since then I have been an artist.  At least, that's what I keep telling myself.

I am single and wish I weren't.  (New thread: Straight and Celibate and Hating It.)  My sell-by date is like, last week.  The only thing I don't like about this forum is that it is not a good place to meet guys unless you ARE a guy.  Actually, I like my own company very well.  It's just that I think we should see other people.

As the world spirals ever deeper into chaos and hatred, I am grateful for all moments of wonder and peace, and glad that I can retreat in my mind to places like Brokeback Mountain.  And I am more grateful than I can express for Brokeback  itself, which came along at just the right time in just the right way to give all my creative energies an enormous boost.  And a kick in the gestalt generally.  And I'm grateful for all of you out there reading this who have given me a shockingly large number of hours of poignant reflection, sex/gay culture education, intellectual stimulation and belly laughs.  Tell you what: I may still have 125 posts to go before I am officially counted among the obsessed, but I crossed that line in reality the first week of April, when I first made the acquaintance of Ennis del Mar and Jack Twist.

I look forward to the day, though I don't know if I'll see it, when people will watch BBM  and have to be told why Ennis didn't just marry Jack in 1963.  Until then, I pledge not to put up with anyone saying "it's a lifestyle choice."  Call me "straight--not narrow-minded."  (I have this as a window sticker on my rear car window, under a picture of the Dozy Embrace.)

Me beginning my second Grand Canyon solo hike, October 2005.
Note the gloves & sweater--8000'!

Profile Questions:

01. Currently listening to?  That is really hard to answer.  My taste in music is so eclectic.  Certainly the BBM  soundtrack has been a staple since April, but just as an example, on a recent typical day I listened to some Top 40 spanning about ten years, Keith Jarrett, Bach's Little Fugue in G Minor, the Welsh folk group Ar Log, and the end theme to From the Earth to the Moon.  I don't listen to the radio--all iPod.

02. Currently reading?  I just finished re-reading? We of the Never-Never,  a 1905 memoir of a young woman's introduction to life on a cattle station deep in the Outback.  While it sometimes veers toward the Pollyanna-ish, there are also lyrical passages about the beauty of the area, and, in one chapter, a gentle and empathetic account of the death of one partner of what, though not stated, is clearly a gay couple--a real life Jack and Ennis who had found that sweet life, for a while at least.  Next up, an old Star Trek  novel.

03. Biggest challenge?  Keeping my appetite within bounds.  Always.

04. Your perfect day?  Well, this isn't a slash story, so let's just say that these days, it would feature Jake rather prominently.  With, perhaps, a side of perennial favorite Kevin Kline.  Or both.  Works for me.

05. What's your indulgence?  Anything that really tastes good, anything that really feels good, and anything that really looks good.  And you are free to interpret this answer as you will--as meaning I like to shop, for instance.  True enough.

06. What's you inspiration?  Beauty in all its many forms.

07. Last major Purchase?  Art.  A wood carving, superficially a bowl, carved through until it looks more like lace.

08.  First job?  Christmas retail help in a now-defunct electronics/appliances chain.

09. What do you know for sure?  1. We must learn to co-exist, or we will cease to exist.  2. "Evil begins when I decide that my life is more precious than another's."  It's one of my taglines.  3. I will not go gently into that good night.

10. Favorite Movie Besides BBM  ?  Tough choice. Wizard of Oz  is a lifetime favorite.  I could list half a dozen others--but BBM  is the only tragedy in the list.  Usually I prefer comedies.

11. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?  "Everyone you ever loved and have missed is waiting for you."  And--"We sent W someplace warm. But NOT Mexico."

12.  What brought you to the Forum?  It's hard to remember now, but I believe I was looking for images from the movie, and I found another website that linked to it, or mentioned it.  I just know that I had lived on the Mountain for a month by that time without having any idea there were others who felt the same way I did, and it was a revelation.

13. Your favorite threads?  Photo Captioning Fun!  And Symbolism & Imagery in BBM,  Ennis' and Jack's Relationship and Jack and Ennis Sex Life.  (Boy did I learn a lot THERE!)

14. How many times have you watched BBM ? All the way through, at least a dozen.  In sections, countless.

15. Your favorite BBM scene?  SNIT.  Although Reunion, Mexico/Quit You and the whole sequence from Deceased to the end are VERY close also-rans.

16. (I would suggest you also routinely ask:) What is the significance of your username?  Roy Williamson and Ronnie Browne were the giants of Scottish folk from the 60's until Roy's untimely death in 1989.  They are the inspiration for my license plate, FOLK2N, and have given me joy in their music for twenty-five years.  There were many practitioners of Scottish folk in the 60's and 70's, but there were the Corries, and there was everyone else.  Selections available on request for the interested, and their music is now available from corries.com on CD.  For rugby fans: if you've ever heard a song called "Flower of Scotland," well, Roy wrote it.


Attempt to Reopen Gay Marriage Debate in Canada Defeated

An attempt by members of the Conservative party in Canada to reinstate the traditional meaning of the word "marriage" has failed.  The House of Commons voted to decline reopening the issue.  Per an article by Tenille Bonoguore in the Globe and Mail, "The widely-anticipated result should be the final word on the issue, with both the Conservative and Liberal parties allowing a free vote."


Post of the Day

LondonJakeFan provided the Jake's Eyelashes thread with an update on her Jake cloning project.

CLONING UPDATE

The clones are all finished and being shipped this week to arrive for xmas.  Please carefully read the following handling and use precautions:

R3NT 80Y model

This is the easiest model to work with, it does pretty much everything it's told.  It has been designed to enhance the effect of the dow  gene (dom  genes in men) and the results have been approved by all test customers.  This clone may have a tendency to develop bad habits (e.g., smoking) if nature and nurture are not properly adhered to.  This clone quite likes to be kept WET.

5w0FF model

This model is pretty much a 100% perfect specimen.  It will take care of itself and others too.  Do not keep in close contact with explosives.  This clone is supplied with the following item for you added pleasure: 

20D1AC model

This model was not expected till March but by popular demand it was rushed to be available for xmas.  As a result not too much is known about this model.  It appears to have some scouting experience, likes puzzles, can become obsessive, and there are also some signs that this model too can cope with being got wet.

TW15T model

HANDLE WITH CARE.  As mentioned previously this model only survives if cultured with the side project, so the 2 are being shipped together.  This clone MUST avoid irons but is happy next to naked flames and likes the outdoors.  This pair of clones are best let be.  Some customers (female ones in particular) may find the clone incompatible with certain functions but there is no money back guarantee.  You can't fix it, so stand it.  The clone will not live long without the 3NN15 model so we ask they be kept together if at all possible.  This clone may develop random hairiness as it ages but this can be dealt with using a normal razor if desired.


Thread of the Day

CellarDweller115 has posted a 2006 Retrospective Survey for members.  There are 40 questions in the survey, including the following:

What did you do in 2006 that you’d never done before?

Did you keep your New Years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

What date from 2006 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

What do you wish you'd done more of?

How many one-night stands?

Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?[/td][/tr][/table]

 
Celebrating One Year of Brokeback Mountain

December 9th marks the one-year anniversary of Brokeback Mountain's  release in New York City, Los Angeles and San Francisco.  The reviews that appeared in print on that day were stellar.

Here's a snippet from the New York Times  review  by Stephen Holden: "Both Mr. Ledger and Mr. Gyllenhaal make this anguished love story physically palpable.  Mr. Ledger magically and mysteriously disappears beneath the skin of his lean, sinewy character.  It is a great screen performance, as good as the best of Marlon Brando and Sean Penn.  The pain and disappointment felt by Jack, who is softer, more self-aware and self-accepting, continually registers in Mr. Gyllenhaal's sad, expectant silver-dollar eyes.

Yet Brokeback Mountain  is ultimately . . . about love: love stumbled into, love thwarted, love held sorrowfully in the heart."

Another from the Los Angeles Times  review  by Kenneth Turan: "The summer ends and both men go off to the rest of their lives.  Ennis marries his sweetheart Alma (Michelle Williams), and Jack, moving to Texas, falls into a marriage with Lureen (Anne Hathaway), a rodeo rider with a well-to-do father.  They think that what happened on Brokeback Mountain is over, but it is not.  For what Ennis and Jack reluctantly come to realize is that, all unawares, they have stumbled into the great love of their lives, with all the problems and complications that implies for themselves and the others in their life.  In a profound sense, because of the pressures of the time and place they live in, they are lost whether together or apart, riven by the agonizing longing they feel, by the chances not taken and the choices just out of reach."

And, finally, from the San Francisco Chronicle  review by Mick LaSalle: Brokeback Mountain  is already being talked about as the "gay cowboy movie," shorthand that neither does it justice nor gives the right impression.  It makes it sound either cavalier or easy to categorize, when the relationship depicted in the movie is a lot more complicated and difficult to pinpoint.
 
It's about two men who are in love, and it makes no sense.  It makes no sense in terms of who they are, where they are, how they live and how they see themselves.  It makes no sense in terms of what they do for a living or how they would probably vote in a national election.
 
It makes no sense, except in one place in the world, the place where it started, on Brokeback Mountain in Wyoming."

*******************************

The second story in our retrospective series on how Brokeback Mountain changed the lives of Forum members is from Luke-1.

I'm not sure if this is the sort of stuff you're looking for, but very briefly---I "met the love of my life," elskov, through this Forum.  It started out as a response on the board to his story, then a pm or 2 . . . then it just went crazy.  I live in Australia and he lives in the U.S.  The hard part is that we couldn't live further apart if we tried!!  He's coming to visit me in the next few months.  We speak on the phone for several hours a day, we've exchanged photographs and I feel we've known each other "forever" already.  I love the guy and I know that he loves me.  My background pretty much mirrors the characterization of Ennis--I live with one of my kids now.  My "new friend" in the U.S. is single.  The beautiful part of this for us is that we both didn't seek or expect to find any such relationship when signing-up to this forum.  We found ourselves checking-out the DC-BBM site for the same reasons as most other members . . . and this just happened--we are both bowled-over by what has happened to us.  I may relocate to the U.S. eventually--and possibly with my son.  So, yes, BBM  and this Forum has totally changed my life in a way that I would never have believed possible one year ago.  After my divorce, over 14 years ago, I never thought I would find love again . . . and not with another man.


Forum Footnotes

The following Forum member has a birthday coming up:

imennisshesjack (Carol)....Dec. 9th

Born on December 9th: 1934 - Judi Dench British actress 1953 - John Malkovich, American actor Born on December 10th: 1830 - Emily Dickinson, American poet (d. 1886) 1960 - Kenneth Branagh, Northern Irish actor and director On December 9th in history: 1961 - The trial of Nazi Adolf Eichmann in Israel ends with him being found guilty of 15 criminal charges, including charges of crimes against humanity, crimes against the Jewish people and membership of an outlawed organization. 1987 - Israeli-Palestinian conflict: The First Intifada begins in the Gaza Strip and West Bank On December 10th in history: 1869 - Wyoming grants women the right to vote. 1948 - The UN General Assembly adopts the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Quote of the weekend: There are two types of people in this world, good and bad.  The good sleep better, but the bad seem to enjoy the waking hours much more.   Woody Allen

Photocap of the Day

posted by royandronnie, in honor of her member profile.

Jack: I can't BELIEVE you filled in 39 across without asking.

Ennis: I can't BELIEVE you're still bitchin' about that five hours later.

Calendar

Forum Events

5-7 Jan, '07 - San Francisco, CA -
The Solstice Bay Bash
25 Feb, '07 - Bay City, MI - Oscar Night
Screening of Brokeback Mountain
If you have ideas about initiating a gathering go to
Start Your Own Threads and get the ball rolling
to plan a get-together near you.

Other Events

 
Let us know of any events you'd like listed here.

The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at www.davecullen.com/forum Editors: Elle (elle_ann) and Kathy (kmich) Assistant Editor: Marcia (Marge_Innavera) Columnists: cynical21, Connie Bailey, Jim Bond, michaelflanagansf, sparky Proofreader/Researcher: Gonzo (twistedboy) and gnash Today's edition produced by Kathy (kmich) email: kathy@davecullen.com Today's edition formatted and proofed by Gonzo (twistedboy) Contributors: CellarDweller115, elskov, LondonJakeFan, Luke-1, royandronnie We count on you to send us your news items, questions, and nominations for posts of the day. To subscribe to The Daily Sheet, press the "Notify" button at the top of the page. When a new TDS is posted, it will be forwarded to your email address. Previous issues of The Daily Sheet here. Response thread for The Daily Sheet here.