I've been thinking a bit lately about the bone grafts in my jaw. They came courtesy of someone who made their body available at their death, to be harvested for this purpose.

I have a form on my desk in my office, to anonymously send a thank-you letter to the family of the donor. I'm gonna fill that out today. I am really most thankful for the selflessness displayed by this person.

If you've not registered for an organ donor program, please consider doing so.

For the fourth year going, the Hauskatz will be performing our unique blend of rock, blues and jazz with even a bit of c/w thrown in on Thanksgiving Eve.

That's the evening of Wednesday November 25 at the Swizzle Stick Lounge, which is part of the Almost Home Restaurant on the north side of Greencastle's courthouse square, beginning at 9pm.

Oddly enough, Thanksgiving Eve happens to be a most popular night for us, and we've packed the house each time. Perhaps people are trying to lubricate their brain cells before interacting with in-laws the next day. Who knows?

Address is at the link. If you're coming, let me know. Dinner and/or overnight accommodations can be arranged. My home is a couple blocks from the restaurant.

I'll be running live sound-design for the play on the 19th-20th. Contact me, if you're interested in attending.

The pilgrimage and demise of Orpheus remains one of the most tragic, yet familiar tales in Greek mythology. But little is known of the journey of Eurydice, the beautiful wife for whom he pines. DePauw Theatre brings her unique perspective to light in a play of the same name. Penned by the celebrated playwright Sarah Ruhl, Eurydice revises the classic tale with a modern yet surreal setting, a quirky cast of characters and an insightful, inventive script.

The second production of the 2009-10 season opens Thursday, November 19, at 7:30 p.m. in Moore Theatre of the Judson and Joyce Green Center for the Performing Arts. Performances will continue through Friday and Saturday, November 20 and 21, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, November 22 at 2:30 p.m. (poster at right created by Andrea Hutchinson '11)

More details here.

I love this concept of guerilla theatre. See Improv Everywhere.

Here are some comments I found on the Fox News website in reaction to the story that the President won a Nobel Peace Prize:

The Matthew Shepard Act, also known as the Federal Hate Crimes Bill, passed in the US House of Representatives, by a 281-146 vote today.

Some of the support came, because the language of this bill wound up as an attachment to the big Defense Authorization Act for 2010. The Senate is expected to pass it as well.

The bill, which has given federally-protected-status class to religion and race since 1969, extends that status to people based on gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and disability.

Because much violence against queer people is motivated by perceived queerness based in non-conformity of gender-expression (i.e. you're safer when you "act straight"), this bill has especially broad-reaching implications for people whose gender presentation/expression falls outside established societal norms.

The bill also mandates that the FBI begin tracking statistics on hate crimes against transgender individuals... something that is already being done for the other groups.

Indiana has no state hate crimes law, and is only one of five states in the US to have none. Attempts to create protections for hate crimes against Hoosiers died in committee in 2007, much to the funditard's glee.

If you don't know who Matthew Shepard was, you should. He died 11 years ago on Monday. He was murdered because he was gay.

In other relevant news, the President will be speaking at an HRC dinner tomorrow night. Sunday is National Coming Out Day, and also the date for a National Equality March in Washington DC.

HT: joedecker for the video of Matthew Shepard



In slightly related news, two thugs tried to attack two people they thought were crossdressers, only to discover that their victims were professional cage-fighters on their way to a costume ball. HT akienm

I saw these guys play a mid-size venue (Mill-Run Theatre in Niles, IL) when I was in HS. I had an urge to hear them again this afternoon... figured I'd share :)

...is an amazing food experience.

I had the blackened catfish sandwich, with a side of fried green tomatoes for $8. My date had fish & grits, and a waffle. We've both been stunned by the quality of what we were served.

If you're a pescetarian, there's a bunch of excellent choices. If you're lacto-ovo-veg, also looking good.

If you live around Indianapolis, run. Don't walk. It's at the corner of Ohio & East St on the east side of downtown.

Restaurant.com has $25 certificates (for order of $35+) on sale for $3 if you enter discount code "TREAT" before Sunday. (18% gratuity is added to pre-discount total)

Newage is properly pronouned: NÜ-ij

Rhymes with "sewage."

This video made me smile.

now means Bring Your Own Bunny!

...domestic violence can be classified as a "pre-existing condition."

Not that we need health care reform or anything...

Protest in Washington last weekend...

Press release from GLBTATL:

ATLANTA, GA--On Thursday, September 10, the Atlanta Police Department raided the Atlanta Eagle, a bar catering to Atlanta's gay community, arresting staff members and allegedly rough-handling and harassing patrons. This action is believed to be expressly targeted at the gay community of Atlanta, and without sufficient basis for the severity of the raid and search action.

DEMONSTRATION PLANNED:

An independent rally-style demonstration in protest of these actions is scheduled for Sunday, September 13, assembling at 5:00 p.m. in the Atlanta Eagle parking lot (off Argonne Ave. behind Ponce de Leon Ave.). After a short summary statement, those who were allegedly harassed during the incident will be invited to share their stories, if they wish to do so.

Following this, the group plans to conduct a short, peaceful march to the steps of City Hall East at 675 Ponce de Leon Ave., for reading of one or more additional prepared statements. A statement by a representative of GLBTATL will specifically address the conduct of Atlanta Police Department officers in this incident, and will include an open invitation to APD to address these issues in a civil and direct manner. (Candidates for municipal offices will also be invited to speak at this time.)

LOCAL CANDIDATES ASKED TO RESPOND:

We are asking members of, and candidates for, Atlanta City Council district 6 and at-large posts to attend the demonstration to show their support for Atlanta's LGBT community; or if that is not possible, that they issue official statements in response to this incident.

We are asking the candidates for Mayor of Atlanta to address the issue during their debate on public safety being held the same day (coincidentally sponsored by the Atlanta Police Foundation). That debate will air live on WSB-TV 2 and WSB-AM 750 at 6:30 p.m.

FURTHER INFORMATION:

The organizers would like to give special thanks to City Council candidates Miguel Gallegos (for district 6) and Shelitha Robertson (for post 3 at-large) for their assistance to the Atlanta Eagle and their employees.

Media are encouraged to attend. For more information, see GLBTATL.org, or call 888-GLBT-ATL (888-452-8285).  Calls will be routed directly to the event organizers.
Flyer for distribution here.

...would protect traditional marriage by banning divorce.

ETA: Mike Duvall has resigned.

Michael Duvall, republican assemblyman from Orange County, CA and proponent for "family values" and protecting monogamous, heterosexual marriage, is caught behind an open microphone, talking in the assembly chambers in Sacramento about getting his kink on, and having unprotected sex with lobbyists.





I suspect he's probably not doing such a great job at protecting his own monogamous, heterosexual marriage.

Details about the show

I'm involved in another theatre production here... this time, it's Eurydice, Sarah Ruhl's modern adaptation of the Greek mythological story of Orpheus and Eurydice, a story of love and loss with a huge and rich history in both drama and music (the "first (surviving) opera ever written," as eurocentric music history books would contend). Ruhl's adaptation explores this story from the heroine's perspective.

Let me assert: this is a play, and not an opera.

If, like me, you have no interest in traditional opera, please consider coming to the show. The wikipedia entry for the play does an accurate description of explaining what this is about.

The director has asked me to provide sound design for the production... and because of extensive calls for sound-cues, it is going to require quite a lot of interesting, creative and sometimes-surreal work to pull it off. I intend to employ at least a four-channel surround configuration to help provide spatialization, and to make transitions into/out of the underworld immersive experiences for the audience.

Because Orpheus has the role of a supermusical being, I've also been asked to create some original composed music for portions of the production. Again, that does not make this an opera. :) Expect the music I write to be as surreal as the very notion of taking Greek myth and resetting it in the middle of the 20th century.

As with Tommy, I'll probably have some sort of gathering at my home in Greencastle after the Sunday matinee closes the show.

Health Insurance Reform in Three Steps, from Donkeylicious:



In related news, a survey to be released today shows that 57% of republicans either believes or isn't sure whether health insurance reform would include "death panels."

My band will be kicking off the Greencastle JazzFest at 2pm on Sunday Aug 30. Here are the details. The emcee is the awesome county judge who helped make a legal matter very simple in February of last year. It's a small town. Things work like this here. :)

We also have a gig this Saturday the 22nd at 9pm at the Swizzle Stick Lounge of the Almost Home Tea Room here in Greencastle.

Some of you know that I canceled my cable TV service several months ago because I discovered that 90% of what I regularly watch was available via the web, hulu or iTunes... but that was the problem. I had to switch between hulu desktop, iTunes and FireFox to go from thing to thing.

This morning, I discovered Boxee, which has all that and also integrates streaming music from my Pandora channels, pictures from my flickr and Facebook social networks, and all my Colbert, Stewart and Olbermann... in one place.

It has a "10 foot interface" designed for people who hook up big screens/projectors in their living rooms to use it... and there's a free iPhone/iTouch app to let you use your mobile device as an IR remote control from across the room.



It's in Alpha, so it's not exactly perfect... but it's free and darn spiffy, and worth a look.