"That's So Gay"~ Sykes & Duff

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

You Voted- You're Faves are......

The results are in.....

Voted as the '08 fave in the WHY DO I WRITE series:
Matthew Hittinger



Voted as the '08 fave in the SUNDAY EYE CANDY series:
Bryan Thomas




I went through each month and selected some posts I wanted to put in the spotlight. I have my reasons as for why I've selected each post. I hope you'll have a few minutes to browse:

January
Key West Literary Seminar & Workshop Thoughts

February
Limp Wrist Launch Party

March
Letter to Senator Dan Moody

April
1993 to ? ... When Will DADT Rest in Peace

May
Dear Mr. Rove: 32 Letters to Karl Rove

June
Only 1 boring post for the month. NEXT!

July
Editorial in David

August
"Cher" by Dorianne Laux

September
Limp Wrist & Tax-Deductible Donations: Now In The Same Sentence ties
Tina Fey as Sarah Palin

October
Is Chambers the One for District 81?
Dolly ~ "Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show"
Limp Wrist Scholarship

November
Prop 8 Protest ~ Atlanta
Not In My Georgia
Obama-Biden: Plan to Strengthen Civil Rights

December
People & Their Os
"You're Likeable Enough Gay People"
Woman Gang Raped in East Bay

Almost Time for Faves...

Voting for faves in the Sunday Eye Candy and Why Do I Write series is over. I'll announce the results later tonight.

A Few Thoughts Regarding DOUBT

Saturday, I saw Doubt and said I would write about it on Sunday; however, I did not. I have a problem called procrastination, and I assure you it is a nasty problem/addiction. My apologies. When it comes to movies, I typically don't write too much more than "Go see it" or "Worth the money that could have been used for a drink and a half." However, I feel quite strongly about Doubt and want to give it a little more than a line or two.

Doubt is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by John Patrick Shanley, which also won four Tony awards in the 59th Annual Tony Awards.I don't want to say too much about the topic of Doubt as I don't want to give too much away; however, if you've seen any previews you know the movie is centered on a nun who confronts a priest after suspecting him of molesting a black student. As you might expect, the movie deals with religion, societal roles, race, and expectations, and it does each in a fantastic way. Some of these topics are handled in a blunt manner while some are handled subtly. The movie delves into another topic that was quite taboo for 1964 and in a way is still taboo today, but mum is the word on this-- chat up about after you've seen it, and we will discuss!


Back on December 2, I posted a trailer for Doubt, and my title, which I derived from just watching the trailer, for that blog entry is "Meryl Streep + DOUBT = Oscar." After watching the movie, I stand by this prediction. Streep deserves an Oscar nomination and win for her role as Sister Aloysius Beauvier. If you disagree, you now have a two-part homework assignment. (1) Rent and watch MAMMA MIA. (2) Watch Doubt for a second time. Then, I think you will see and feel the rage of the screen goddess known as Meryl Streep.

While I feel that Streep's presence as Sister Aloysius is getting most and will continue to get most of the attention in the press, I have to applaud and rave about Amy Adams as Sister James and Philip Seymour Hoffman Father Brendan Flynn. I could hardly believe Adams was the same actress who starred in Enchanted and Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day. Well, I should say Sister James does share naivete with Adams's character from Enchanted. I'm happy Adams received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress, and I hope she receives an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress as well. I predict that Adams's career is going to catapult after this performance. And, Hoffman, well, I thought it was going to be hard to see him in this role because all I could think was Capote, but after getting into the movie his performance erased all his others for me. For the rest of my life Philip Seymour Hoffman will always be Father Flynn. Yes, you know it is coming: He deserves his Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor and deserves it again when Oscar time rolls around.

Bottom Line: Go watch Doubt & talk about it!

New GA Laws Enacted on January 1, 2009

New Laws Enacted on January 1, 2009

SB 488: Driver's licenses
The law allows foreigners who are temporarily in the United States to keep their home country driver's license after they obtain a Georgia license. Previously, a visitor had to surrender the foreign license. This cuts down on bureaucracy for business travelers and other legal visitors who want to drive in Georgia, but will need their original license when they go home, said bill sponsor Sen. Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock.) The law also allows refugees and other legal immigrants who are in the country indefinitely to renew their license once every three years instead of every year. This cuts down on unnecessary paperwork, Rogers said.

SB 474: Sex offenders
Registered sex offenders must hand over Internet passwords and screen names. While federal law requires authorities to track Internet addresses, Georgia goes further and wants passwords, too.


HB 977: Health care
This law relates to health plans with high deductibles and associated health savings accounts. The idea is to give health coverage to more uninsured Georgians. Under such plans, consumers pay high deductibles, but get tax breaks for putting money into savings accounts to be used for health care. The new law exempts insurers from paying taxes on premiums in the sale of the high-deductible savings account plans. That would save health insurers $146 million in tax breaks over the next five years, according to consumer groups. Proponents say the law will spark competition among insurers to sell the plans, making them cheaper. Critics said the new law is essentially a tax giveaway to insurance companies that sell the plans.


HB 426: Railroad crossings and school buses
Local school districts are to provide the Department of Transportation with information regarding rail crossings without active warning devices that are crossed by school buses. School districts are to use their best efforts to reroute buses to minimize the use of such rail crossings.

ALL information is from Representative Stephanie Benfield's newsletter, The Benfield Beat, 12/31/08 - 1/4/09.

Wow'd By DOUBT

I haven't been in too long from watching Doubt. More on the topic later today after I've had some beauty sleep.

Birthday Time = Fundraising Time

1/22


Another year older....
Since my 21st birthday, I have used my birthday as a way to benefit and raise awareness for an organization. I am happy to say previous organizations include Project Open Hand as well as Grass Roots Institute. This year I am proud to announce that I am trying to raise funds and awareness for Limp Wrist and our scholarship. Anyone wanting to show a little birthday love, feel free to make a tax deductible donation of $5 or more to Limp Wrist. Click here to donate.


If you donate you can win....
If you donate $5 or more between now and 2/28/09, you could win a number of autographed items. Some of the items include a limited broadside of a poem by Mark Doty, books by Sandra Beasley, Marilyn Nelson, Cecilia Woloch, and more.

Check out the items HERE. The breakdown:
1 Chance = $5
3 Chances = $10
5 Chances = $20
10 Chances = $45
A donation of $200 or more will allow you to pick three items.


Dolly "Dusty" Parton.....
If I raise $1,000 by 2/28/09, I am going to create a Youtube of me doing Dolly drag. Silence to the peanut gallery-- even though I am crazy for Dolly, I don't spend my weekends in Dolly drag. So shhhhh Chris, Sissy, and Maxton.

WHY DO I WRITE ~ Didi Menendez

WHY DO I WRITE ~ Didi Menendez



I write because I am losing my mind. Seriously.

I want to make sure that when my mind is gone, my children will have something that will express my point of view, my sentiments, my sense of history. Yes, especially my history since I am the voice of a generation that was displaced. A generation that was taught to love a country that they did not live in, die for, decide the outcome of the government in. To love a four letter word. Cuba.

Then again, I also write in other voices that come to me in the middle of the night. Voices that remember love. Love sometimes writes for me.

I also write because I cannot teach what I preach unless I practice it.

In other words, I can not call myself a Poetry editor unless I have been there, done that.

I cannot call myself an artist unless I have painted.

I do however, call myself a publisher because I am.

That is the one exception.

So there.