Lipstick & Dipstick

Lipstick's Novel - Jukebox

2010-11-14T12:49:00.000-08:00

Hi friends, although we've moved our blog over to Curve's website, I thought I'd post some info about my debut novel, Jukebox here, too.

You can read all about it HERE.

Sign up for the mailing list (click on link above then "subscribe") and I'll be sure to keep you posted on events and readings.

Get your copy today!

We've Moved Our Blog -- Kind Of

2010-09-03T14:49:00.000-07:00

Hi Faithful Friends

Dipstick and I have been pretty lax this summer blogging--our apologies. We've been busy enjoying the sunshine and good friends.

We have some exciting news, though. Our blog is moving over to Curve Magazine's website. We will be posting over there now most of the time.

You can follow us here: http://www.curvemag.com/

See the arrow for direction.

(You'll also notice Dipstick's purdy mug on there, too, so be sure to watch that video of her from the Olivia cruise on their home page.)

We will continue posting important events and information here, so don't delete us off your RSS or your favorites page.

Our first blog on Curve's page will be up today or tomorrow.

We heart you.

Stopping the National Organization for Marriage

2010-09-01T20:16:00.000-07:00

I don't think I've seen a better response to a misleading ad than this one. Thanks Stop8

Got Plans Tomorrow Night?

2010-08-14T08:40:00.000-07:00

If so, cancel them and go see one amazing singer/songwriter: Christine Havrilla. She's not only a great friend, but we also recently collaborated on an original song for the short film Patty and I are doing. The song is called Hightail and you can buy it HERE.

Havrilla will be at Mississippi Pizza's Atlantis Lounge tomorrow night from 6-8pm with special guests The Ragged Word.

Vancouver Queers :: Will You Be at Davie + Howe?

2010-08-11T12:01:00.000-07:00

Vancouver is a-talking about what's coming to Davie & Howe in October and it's all the buzz....

Much speculation has been going around about what would be going into the prime intersection in gay-town.

While I was glad to hear it's not going to be a Starbuck's or a BlockBuster or yet another Safeway, I couldn't get the skinny on what was coming to the location exactly. I'm super intrigued, though, as I like the way "whatever-it-is" is flirting with the gay community.

What I Did Find Out

It's going to be a new Canadian brand and that they are launching in Vancouver before going national. Hmm.... a brand of what? We also heard from a very reliable source that this new yet to be named Canadian brand is going to definitely support the LGBT community.

Even though it's quite coy, I'm very curious--curious enough to join the online bandwagon! You should, too.

I'll keep my ear to the ground and let you know what I can uncover between now and Oct. I'm excited to see so many cute faces out and about and online! Join me in the fun.

Portia DeGeneres

2010-08-09T14:20:00.000-07:00

Speaking of Ellen, Portia has petitioned the court to legally change her name to Portia Lee James DeGeneres. Apparently, it's her 2nd anniversary gift to El. How sweet is that?

People magazine reports that it won't go into affect until the courts will hold a hearing in Sept.

Love it.

You can read more about it here.

Ellen DeGeneres Sat Here

2010-08-09T09:02:00.000-07:00

I was at a garage sale this weekend and came across these chairs. I thought they would be good for my deck. The guy was selling them for $7 each. Way too much. I offered $10 for all four. He countered with $15 and I accepted.

As I was getting ready to load the chairs into my car, he told me Ellen DeGeneres sat in one of them. He said he used to work as a waiter at the Heathman, a high-end hotel in Portland. Ellen and Ann Heche were having drinks on the patio and invited him to come back when his shift was over and have a drink. He said Ellen was very nice.

I was glad to hear that, but I told him he could keep the Ann Heche chair.

Changent Cate Cameron

2010-08-06T08:13:00.000-07:00

My friend, amazing photographer Cate Cameron, was selected for an initiative Proctor and Gamble is working on called Children's Safe Drinking Water. She just shipped off to NYC and will then be heading to an area of Haiti within Zone Code 4 (No Travel Advised), where she will be connecting and photographing with some of the world's poorest people in relation to access to clean water.

She is writing a blog about her life altering adventure and you can follow it here: http://givehealth.changents.com/cate-cameron

Lady Ga Ga Speaks her Mind

2010-08-02T13:31:00.000-07:00

They asked her to boycott her shows in Arizona to protest SB1070. Instead, Lady Ga Ga activates the crowd. I love Lady Ga Ga.

Elizabeth Hasselbeck Thinks Lesbians Just Can't Find a Man

2010-07-28T08:02:00.001-07:00

Have you seen this clip? During a recent episode of The View, Elisabeth Hasselbeck said that she thinks the reason lesbians come out later in life is because they just can't find a man.

Check it out!

What do you guys think?

Love is Love

2010-07-22T14:11:00.000-07:00

I've seen a lot of ads for marriage equality, but for some reason this one got to me. It's from Basic Rights Oregon, our state-wide gay rights organization. They're raising money to put gay marriage up for a vote in Oregon, probably in 2012, to overturn anti-gay amendment. But first they're running campaigns like this one on cable TV stations. If all works out as we plan, Oregon could be the first state to legalize gay marriage by a popular vote.

Our Friend Kristin Wants to Be Top Guru

2010-07-21T14:43:00.000-07:00

Ever want to quit your job, sell your house and travel? Who hasn’t? Our friend Kristin Flickinger, did just that. Now she’s in the running for a dream job with GayTravel.com. And she needs your help.

GayTravel is looking for a North American Gay Travel Guru. Kristin is hot. Don’t believe me? Go check her out. Then vote for her.

You must be signed in to vote, so make sure you create a profile and then activate it by checking your email. To vote for Kristin, Click "Guru" in the upper right hand corner, then "VOTE!" on the left side, then look for her bikini and click on her application. Then click "vote for Kristin" at the top and rate her "5" to show the love. Finally, make sure to "share" and "retweet" at the top. All of these things will help make her the GayTravel Guru!

Here’s the best part: Vote, and then let Kristin know you did and you're entered to win a "tag along" trip with her if she becomes the Guru. She gets the gig, and someone gets to go along for part of it. Spread the word! Checkout MidLeap.com for details.

Thank you all!

Help Curve Keep Publishing!

2010-07-15T16:51:00.001-07:00

We know these are tough economic times. And print media is struggling to figure out its place in the wide world of instant internet gratification. If you value Curve magazine, the place that gave Lipstick & Dipstick it's start and the place that continues to publish our monthly column, please do what you can to help out.

This year Curve is celebrating it's 20th year. But unless the community comes out to support it, Curve will not make it to its 21st birthday. Curve is struggling financially. There are a few ways you can help.

Make a donation.

Subscribe. And when you do, you're entered to win a trip to Cozumel with Sweet Vacations. Unlike most magazines that rely on advertising dollars to sustain them, Curve relies on its subscribers. So don't just pick an issue up at the newsstand. Become a regular subscriber.

Advertise. If you own a business, consider advertising in Curve magazine.

Buy your tickets to the 20th anniversary gala in San Francisco.

We love Curve and we know you do too. So please, do what you can. If you already subscribe, consider buying one for a friend.

Where would our community be without Curve?

Rachel Maddow for President

2010-07-05T07:42:00.000-07:00

Kate McKinnon is ****ing Hilarious!

2010-07-03T14:15:00.000-07:00

The comical genius Kate McKinnon is at it again--making us laugh our asses off. Recently, she was part of a skit about the BP oil spill (with the UBC Theater). The skit made its way to the Rachel Maddow Show. If you haven't seen it, you must! Go Kate! Keep on keeping on. We need humor in light of the unstoppable awfulness that is happening down south.

SF Pride 2010

2010-07-03T02:26:00.000-07:00

It's been almost a week since SF Pride and I think I'm just recovering now. Wow, what a fun and fantastic time. For the first time since we've been writing for them, Curve magazine had a float in the San Francisco Pride parade. I was so excited when I got the call. Did I want to ride on the float? Are you kidding me? I wouldn't miss it!

But before Sunday and the parade began, I had a lot of other partying to get through. I arrived in SF Friday morning. I spend the afternoon with my friends, before heading over to the Olivia/Curve comedy night show with Dana Goldberg, Julie Goldman, Sandra Valls and Gina Yashere. I ran into many friends from past Olivia trips and laughed my little a** off. Then it was off to Tease to dance the night away. Perhaps I should have started pacing myself earlier.

I had to be up early the next morning to join my friends over in Delores Park because I was helping out on stage at the Dyke March. My good friend Retts is stage manager and I volunteered to help out with stage crew. From noon until 7pm or so, we hustled ladies and dykes on and off the stage. Drummers and poets and politicians and singers and drag kings. What a lot of fun! I got to say hi to old friend Alix Dobkin and meet one of my butch Role Models, Phranc. The only bummer is we were wrapping things up at the stage and I missed the beginning of the march. The Dykes on Bikes. You know how Dipstick loves the Dykes on Bikes.

After a quick dinner and outfit change, it was time to head out for more dancing with Curve and Olivia. This time over at the Olivia headquarters where I got to hang out with new friends: Mikey from The Real L Word and Top Chef Josie. But the big thrill of the night was when a tall woman came up to me and said, "Hi, I'm Sheri Sam." As in, Sheri Sam, the amazing WNBA star. If there's one thing Dipstick likes better than Dykes on Bikes, it's women's basketball. What an amazing day this was turning out to be.

Lord knows what time it was by the time I got home to bed. And we had to meet at some corner at 10:15 am for the float. When I finally found the corner, I found the Curve ladies frantically gluing tissue paper and glitter to the Curve float. I grabbed a staple gun and got right to work.

I love coming down to San Francisco for Curve events, because I get to meet other Curve contributors, like the amazing photographer Cheryl Mazak and blogger Queerie Bradshaw. And of course, any time I get to hang out with Curve publisher Franco Stevens, it's a good day. Once the float was together, we relaxed a bit, practiced our butchest parade wave and watched all the beautiful people stroll by.

After about two hours of waiting, finally it was our turn! Our big cupcake float pulled out onto the street and the crowds were deafening. Our onboard DJ spun some old school Michael Jackson and of course, Pussy Cat Dolls. I waved and blew bubbles and looked for people I knew in the crowd while the ground crew handed out magazines to the crowd. The sun was out. We were happy and gay. And too quickly, it was over.

I headed back to my hotel room to rest up, because, no, oh no, there was still much more partying to be done. Met some new friends for Happy Hour, old friends for dinner and then we all went to see Red Hot Blues Sisters play in a small club downtown.

I stayed in San Francisco an extra day. I planned on spending some time hanging out and seeing the city. Instead, I got a late check-out from my hotel, met a friend for lunch and took the shuttle to the airport.

You can see why it took me so long to recover. I'm not as young as I once was. But still, Pride in San Francisco never gets old.

Sweet: My Sister is a Star!

2010-07-02T14:17:00.000-07:00

In the Life was aboard the Sweet Cruise that Lipstick & I were on in November. They made an awesome video and Dipstick's sister Mary Belge is interviewed. Check it out!

Happy Canada Day!

2010-07-01T10:14:00.001-07:00

It's Canada's Independence Day today and although it's cloudy out--boo!--it's sure to be a fabulous day. Here's hoping it burns off before my afternoon run.

We had a fantastic time in Portland last week visiting with friends and shooting the music video for Toby. Thanks again to everyone who came out for the fun. The sun was out, the voices were perfectly pitched and a great time was had by all, I think.

Come Be a Part of Til Death Do Us Toby!

2010-06-18T18:00:00.000-07:00

Portland!

We are coming to town this week to film a portion of the short film Til Death Do Us Toby and want YOU to be a part of it.

DETAILS

Saturday, June 26, 2010
5 - 6pm
Laurelhurst Park*

*meet at the bathroom area (click on map embedded here)

We will be filming Christine Havrilla singing a song called Hightail, co-written by Gina Daggett and Patricia McKenny. With her jammin' acoustic guitar, we are going to film Havrilla in front of all of you, who will sing along with the chorus, which is super duper catchy...

Gotta break free

Gotta survive

Gotta find a way to stay alive

I just wanna run

I just wanna scream

I just wanna hightail out of this dream

What is this Til Death Do Us Toby movie anyway?

It's a short film about a girl named Sam and a neurotic dog named Toby, who are both trying to find freedom. In Sam's case, she's trying to break free from her controlling mother, Mimi, who doesn't like Sam's best friend who's quite the edgy dyke. In Toby's case, he misunderstands a conversation between Mimi and Sam and thinks they're out to kill him, so he's just trying to hightail out of electric chair (aka their house).

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

It's going to be a ton of fun and won't take up a bunch of time, so come on out and be in the short film, which will be making the queer festival rounds next year. Lipstick would be forever grateful!

If you're coming, let us know on FACEBOOK!

Portland Pride This Weekend

2010-06-18T10:56:00.001-07:00

Boy do I wish I was going to be in Portland this weekend!

Two of my favorite performers are singing or strutting their stuff on the Community Stage for the Portland Pride 2010.

First up: Christine Havrilla plays at 3pm on Saturday. Right after: Bang Bang Betty's Big Beautiful Bombshells (which includes our Executive Editor from Curve, Diane Anderson-Minshall) at 4:30.

Portland Peeps: get your pride on this weekend and go check out these fantabulous performances!

Be sure to check out the full lineup of great performers coming to Portland Pride this weekend. It's quite the talent draw: http://www.pridenw.org/

* Kina Williams Photography for Bang Bang Betty

Lesbian Commercials

2010-06-17T07:49:00.001-07:00

My friend Kelly sent these great commercials to me recently and I thought you'd all appreciate them...

Lucy Jane Bledsoe Coming to the NW

2010-06-15T09:44:00.000-07:00

Get excited bibliophiles! Lucy Jane Bledsoe is coming to Portland, Seattle and Bellingham soon. If you're a lesbian and don't know Lucy Jane Bledsoe, you've been living under a rock or your idea of reading is scanning your friend's Facebook updates.

Lucy is a prophetic writer who's written some real jewels, including Biting the Apple (which is sitting to the left of where I'm typing right now).

If you live in or near these fabulous NW towns, go check out Lucy and her new book: The Big Bang Symphony.

Wednesday, June 16, 7 pm
THIRD PLACE BOOKS -- Ravenna store
6504 20th Ave. NE
Seattle, WA 98115
206-525-2347

Thursday, June 17, 7:30 pm
POWELL'S BOOKS -- Hawthorne store
3723 SE Hawthorne Blvd.
Portland, OR
503-228-4651I love Powell's and I love Portland, my hometown. Come on out and say hi.

Tuesday, June 22, 7:00 pmVILLAGE BOOKS
1200 Eleventh Street
Bellingham, WA 98225
360-671-2626
This reading with Carol Guess and Elizabeth Colen! Please come.

Pretty Airplanes

2010-06-10T11:05:00.000-07:00

Jes from Dayton Ohio recently contacted me to tell me about an art project she completed. She was invited by the city to cover this model F16 jet with art. Since she is a mosaic artist, this is what she came up with.

Jess said:

I covered the Jet with stained glass because glass is the most beautiful media in the world ;)
I wanted to show a larger range of color and knew that a rainbow would be perfect. The plane is meant to be beautiful more than anything else. I wanted people to want to know what she is all about. A beautiful sculpture that says I'm proud to be gay and in the military. I hope this Rainbow F16 serves as a reminder that we need to defeat the BAN on gay men and women serving our country. Equality is beautiful.

Jes's plane will be on display in a bank in Dayton, Ohio. Thanks for sharing Jes!

Curve Auction :: Dani Campbell + the Real L Word Ladies

2010-06-05T10:08:00.000-07:00

FW: Curve Magazine Auction: Lunch with Dani Campbell ++ EDEN Party with THE REAL L WORLD CAST!Exclusive eBay Curve Auction....

This is a chance of a lifetime!

Hang out with the smoking hot Curve magazine cover girl... lesbian firefighter DANI CAMPBELL from MTV's A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila!
Now's your chance to hang out with Dani Campbell in San Francisco during Pride Weekend (June 26-27, 2010)

If you are the highest bidder, you and a friend will party with Dani Campbell and the Curve magazine editors in San Francisco during Pride Weekend!

Here's what's included:

• Lunch for you and a friend with Dani Campbell (Saturday, June 26th) in San Francisco

• Two (2) ALL-ACCESS general admission passes to EDEN - All Women, All Weekend.
EDEN: The official women's events at San Francisco Pride: with Dani Campbell and cast members from Showtime's new series, The Real L Word.
Include general admission passes to:
EDEN Welcome Party (Thursday, June 24th)
Lesbian Comedy Show (Friday, June 25th)
Tease Dance Party (Friday, June 25th)
EDEN Signature Dance party (Saturday, June 26th)
Good Times after party in Oakland (Sunday, June 27th)

• One (1) autographed copy of Dani's Curve magazine cover

• One (1) official limited edition Curve magazine 20th Anniversary Tee Shirt

• Two (2) Grandstand tickets for at San Francisco’s Pride Parade (Saturday, June 26th)

FW: Curve Magazine Auction: Lunch with Dani Campbell ++ EDEN Party with THE REAL L WORLD CAST!
*** NOTE: This package does not include hotel, air travel or transportation.
••••••••
ABOUT EDEN:SIX MONTHS in the making...
Movement Productions and Curve Magazine present in conjunction with Olivia Travel, BoiBlue Events and FullCircle Events
The 1st ANNUAL All Women, All Weekend Pride Event

EDEN is the 1st Annual All Women, All Weekend San Francisco Pride Event co-produced by Movement Productions and Curve Magazine in conjunction with Olivia Travel, BoiBlue Events and FullCircle Events. Welcome to four days of non-stop parties, women and more. For information on ticket prices please click here (http://edensf.eventbrite.com/)
THURSDAY - June 24tn
EDEN Welcome Party
Parc55, SF
7pm-9pm
Only available to ALL ACCESS and ALL ACCESS VIP Ticket Holders

FRIDAY - June 25th
EDEN Comedy Show co-sponsored by Olivia Travel
Parc55, SF
7pm-9pm

Featured Comedians: Dana Goldberg, Sandra Valls, Julie Goldman, Gina Yashere

FRIDAY - June 25th
TEASE
Suite 181
181 Eddy, SF
9pm-3am

Featured DJs: DJ Olga T, DJ C-L.A. DJ Calalo, DJ Campbell, DJ Rockaway

Hosted by: Aysha of Flourish and Miranda of Afterglow

2 Floors
3 Dancefloors
5 DJs
Gorgeous, Hosted VIP areas
Bottle Service (VIP only)
Hot Go-Gos
Hotter Celesbians

SATURDAY - June 26th
EDEN
Taste the Forbidden Fruit
434 Brannan, SF
Inside the historic Olivia Travel Building, 3rd Floor
9pm-3am

Featured DJs: DJ Olga T, DJ Ms. Jackson, DJ Rockaway

Be transported into the Garden of Eden with 180 degree views overlooking the city, Movement Productions and FullCircle Events have created San Francisco's very own Eden inside the historic Olivia Travel building. Come taste of the Forbidden Fruit.

The Flyest Music
Hot Go-Gos
Drink Specials
Meet our Comedians
Special Guest Celesbians from THE REAL L WORD
Hosted VIP section
Hosted Bottle Service
Red Carpet
Valet Parking

SUNDAY - June 27th
GOOD TIMES
The Den, Oakland
7pm-midnight

Featured DJs: DJ Olga T, DJ Rapture, DJ Ryan, DJ Trinity, DJ Jacatac

End your party weekend right at one of the most popular All Women's event in the Bay, GOOD TIMES in the city with the largest lesbian population in the country, Oakland! GOOD TIMES is hosted at one of the most beautifully appointed venues in Oakland, The Den. Right across from the 17th street Bart, it takes less than 20 minutes to Bart over from the city and trust it is well worth the trip!

To bid, go here: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300434151013&ssPageName=ADME:B:EF:US:1123

Hello Faithful Friends

2010-06-02T09:26:00.000-07:00

Hey, remember when Dipstick and I used to post stuff here? For those of you who haven't given up on us, THANK YOU!

Have you ever felt caught up in a vortex, where things are spinning so fast around you that you actually see colors and bright shiny things in the clouds (no hallucinogenics involved)? That is how I've been feeling and it's been hard to hold onto the reigns. Beyond basking in glee and drinking packets of EmergenC, that also means any free time I've had has been dedicated to sleep, so sincere apologies for being MIA.

Anyhoodle, for now, I'll fill you in on all things Lipstick since I last wrote.

A little over a week ago, we shot our first short film Til Death To Us Toby. For Patty (who was an awesome Assistant Director) and I, it was a 22 hour day. We got up at 3:45am, crew call was at 5:45 and we were rolling by 6:30. We shot until 11:11pm non-stop, save 15 minutes for lunch and 15 minutes for dinner. I thought it was killer that I said "that's a wrap" at 11:11 (I'm superstitious that way). We partied with the cast + crew until nearly 1am. The cast and crew were beyond AMAZING! Seriously, what a stellar team we had, who never complained or ran out of energy. Can't wait for the big wrap party!

If you're out of the loop, you can follow the thread the Hot Pink Shorts HERE.

It's been an amazing journey with OUTtv and this Hot Pink Shorts program. I'm gushing with gratitude and spinning at the sight of exciting things on the horizon, finally truly within grasp. I told the folks at OUTtv that I felt like a caterpillar who'd transformed into butterfly throughout this process. Week One, I was a furry little larvae and slowly, as we ate all the mentors had to offer, and set out on our own journey into the sticks and leaves, my wings actually began to take shape and I could eventually lift off the ground. And now, well, there's no stopping me as I fly around this wonderful world of opportunity.

More to come soon, for sure, as there are some really cool things simmering on the TV front.

**Small caveat for you Portland peeps: in the upcoming month, we'll be filming a little music video for the original song Christine Havrilla and I are co-writing for Toby. It's called Hightail and it's addictive. Think Jack Black meets Melissa Etheridge. For the video, which will also be part of the credits for the film, we'll need people to come out and help us, so stay tuned. We'll need as many people as we can get for the shoot, which is slated to happen at Laurelhurst Park.

Enjoy the little slideshow below of our shoot, both of the action and behind the scenes. Cate Cameron captured these amazing moments. Be sure to check her out online. She rocks!

*photos by Cate Cameron

Cancun

2010-05-24T15:34:00.001-07:00

Have you been following Dipstick in Cancun? Her daily blog posts can be found over at Curve magazine.

My Bags are Packed and I'm Ready to Go...

2010-05-14T14:03:00.000-07:00

I think I've got everything. I head out tomorrow morning for my wonderful trip to Cancun with the ladies of Olivia.

On Monday, I'll be hosting a lesbian dating game. Later we'll have a Curve themed party and I'll do a book signing at some point during the week.

Mostly, though, I hope to be sunning it up by the pool, dancing the night away and snorkeling in clear and warm waters. While I'm there, I'll be blogging daily for Curvemag.com. Be sure to stop over and read about all the excitement. Since I'll be writing for Curve this week, I won't be posting much over here, except maybe some links to those articles. So have a good week. I know I sure will!

Do You Want to Star in "Til Death Do Us Toby"?

2010-05-12T10:16:00.000-07:00

Call for auditions!

If you live in Vancouver and fit any of the below criteria, send us your resume and headshot. You can read a full listing for the call for auditions here. Remember, we have a super small budget...

PROJECT INFO

Title: 'Til Death Do Us Toby

Duration: Short film

Storyline: A film about freedom, the need to break out of the chains that keep us in our usual place and a mother’s propensity to put unrealistic demands/expectations on a child. It’s also a story about survival. The protagonist, Toby, is the family’s pug, who misunderstands a conversation between his owners—Mimi, the mom, and her daughter, Sam. The neurotic Toby thinks that they’re trying to kill him so he tries to escape. Sam, Mimi’s teenage daughter, has a friend that Mimi doesn’t like: Megan. Mimi thinks Megan is a bad influence on Sam because Megan is edgy/alternative/gayish. Financially, times are tough for the newly-divorced Mimi, who is trying to keep up with the lifestyle she and Sam have grown accustomed. To supplement her income, Mimi leads a double life as a business woman/high-priced dominatrix. (Role info below.)

Characters:

Name	Mimi Brennan
Gender	Female
Age Range	42
Description	Mimi is a controlling mother who is confident, sexy, image conscious. Her daughter, Sam, bares the brunt of Mimi’s controlling ways. Mimi wants to keep Sam on the straight and narrow. Mimi, who was recently divorced, has had a hard time making financial ends meet, so she leads a double life to supplement her income by being a high-priced dominatrix. Actor must be willing and comfortable to playfully wear dominatrix outfit for funny, brief flashback scene. (Age range: 35-45) Height: 5’5 – 6’0

Name	Samantha Brennan
Gender	Female
Age Range	15
Description	Sam is a precocious, impressionable teen who is feminine, but also naturally a tomboy. Sam may or may not be gay, but she can’t stand her mom’s controlling ways, loves to break the rules and is completely smitten with her best friend, Megan. (Age range: young-looking 17 - 19) Height: 5’4 – 5’7

Name	Megan Ross
Gender	Female
Age Range	15
Description	Megan is a cool, alternative, edgy dyke, who is pretty hardcore for a teenager. Megan is confident, comfortable in her own skin and enjoys that Sam, her questioning best friend, has a crush on her. (Age range: young-looking 17 - 19) Height: 5’4 – 5’7

Auditions are this Saturday! Check out Vancouver Actors Guide for details on casting.

Also, we're looking for a local queer photographer and an art director/wardrobe specialist, to email me at development@chateauentertainment.com for info on that.

Spellcheck is your Fiend

2010-05-07T13:13:00.000-07:00

A friend shared this video with me. As a writer who relies heavily on spellcheck, I found it priceless.

Hot Pink Shorts - Day 3 + 4 (Pre-Production + Location Mentor)

2010-05-06T08:15:00.001-07:00

Things are really cranking over here! So fast that I've had to get my oil out twice to keep the parts moving. (Interpret that how you'd like.)

On Saturday, we had our first pre-production meeting with our team at OUTtv's offices. It was yours truly, Patty (who's wearing the Assistant Director hat, among other things) and Ryan, our Director of Photography. We talked about some important preliminary stuff: where we were at with the script, casting thoughts, logistics around filming, crew update, equipment needed, etc. At that point on Saturday, we'd yet to lock the script, so that was priority 1.

P and I went to lunch afterward--a little Caribbean food at The Reef on Main--and worked on the script and than did another couple hours of brainstorming later. We finally locked the script on Sunday! There will be little tweaks along the way, but we're truly off and running now.

On Sunday, we met with our Locations Mentor, Mike Cates. It was a great meeting where we discussed:
- scouting locations
- permits needed
- effective scouting strategies
- the need to be flexible and resourceful and not to get sold on one location
- how to protect the place you're shooting at (laying down cardboard or rubberback carpets, tennis balls on the bases of lights, etc)
- the importance of prioritizing when you first start scouting (what is the hardest location to nail down, what is the most important location with the most scenes)
- he told us about the BC Film Commission and said they are an incredible resource for location scouting and have thousands and thousands of digitized photos of locations submitted by filmmakers through the years of locations that have been used or scouted

He was a great guy and very resourceful! Thanks Mike.

We've also been on the hunt for the perfect pug to play Toby and have been in touch with some animal talent agencies. We decided to throw up a post on Craigslist and whatya know?

[Drum roll................. ]

That is where we found our star! We met "Juno" on Tuesday and immediately fell in love. He's "big boned" and we think that adds to the humor that we're going for in the film. Also, Juno is one of our favorite movies and we thought that was a sign. This is coupled with the fact we loved his owner, Peter, and his son Adam. We thought we'd give you a sneak peek at "Toby" here. Juno is a retired show dog and a former Canadian champion. If he could talk, Juno would tell you why he's a champ: his perfect placed ears and perfectly round melon. He did lose a few points because his hind chops aren't as curved as they should be.

We had another production meeting on Tuesday night and met our Camera guy (although he is and will be way more than that). His name is Mic and he's from Australia. He's a super smart guy and is putting our script into a digital 3D storyboard program which makes me so excited I yelp and snort--like Toby--little when I talk about it. Not sure if that is something I can upload here, but hopefully I can share some of that, too. The program he's using is called Frame Forge.

All right, more soon. We've got to check some things off our "To Do" list.

Which Top Can Dipstick Pull Off?

2010-05-03T15:26:00.000-07:00

Okay, Girls Dipstick needs your opinion. As you know, I'm getting ready to head to Cancun with the wonderful ladies of Olivia in just a few week. I'm still working on that bathing suit body, but what about the suit?

I've got plenty of board shorts, but what to wear on top? Can a handsome butch like Dipstick pull off a girly bathing suit top like the one on the left? Or should I stick to my standard sports bra type attire, like the one on the right?

Give your opinion in the comments section and add if you're butch, femme or neither. Thanks for helping me out!

A Mouse in the House

2010-05-02T12:27:00.000-07:00

I used to have this awesome cat named Chicken. She was kind of clumsy and sort of lazy, but that damn cat was such a hunter. Every Spring she'd bring moles, voles, mice and birds into the house, let them loose and chase them around for a few hours. She was a great cat.

I now have a new cat. Herbie. Herbie also loves to bring mice into the house. Only thing is, she lets them go, they run behind a bookcase or the stove and then she forgets about them.

I knew there was a mouse in the house when I got up Friday morning because Herbie was camped out in front of the bookcase. I know she wasn't contemplating which of Tiger's collection of Stephanie Meyer's books to read next. She was waiting. Waiting for the vermin to reappear. Problem is, vermin is patient. And Herbie is not. Soon she was curled up and sleeping on her favorite green chair.

The mouse must have tried to make it's escape some time on Saturday because I heard the scramble of cat paws, followed by the scramble of dog paws on the floor. By the time I got to the living room, both the dog and the cat were sitting and staring at the book case. I moved it, but no mouse showed it's face.

Yesterday I was working out on my Nordic track when I saw a tiny flash out of the corner of my eye that let me know, indeed, the mouse was still lurking in the living room. At least it hadn't made it's way to the kitchen.

After I finished working out, I noticed the dog was sitting and staring up at the window. Somehow the mouse had snuck out from behind the bookcase and crawled up the curtain. It was just hanging out there, near the top. The cat was no where to be seen.

So, I grabbed an old rag, scooped the mouse up in it and brought it outside. Is it wrong that I deposited in front of my neighbor's house? It looked stunned for a moment and then it took off across the lawn. Herbie, of course, has forgotten all about it.

Hot Pink Shorts - Day 2 (Directing + Mentoring)

2010-04-27T07:49:00.001-07:00

Our second day in our Hot Pink Shorts learning journey--it's more of a kick ass filmmaker's boot camp--was very exciting and jam-packed. The other winner, the amazing Kevin Kostal (picture here with Aerlyn and I), was also there with me this time. We were separated last week, but it was more fun this way, as we could talk about our projects, help each other, in-between the various documentary set ups.

I met with director extraordinaire, Aerlyn Weissman. She was an unbelievable well of information and I wanted to keep on dipping my bucket, but we only had an hour. Here are some of the major points I learned from Aerlyn:
-- I need to find a central metaphor in my film that inspires
-- I need to be deliberate about framing
-- I shouldn't focus on trying to get artistic shots, as most of the time, those end up on the cutting room floor and take a ton of time to capture
-- There are many "tools" for a director, one being the color palette
-- Different shots: 1 or 2 frame, master shot
-- I need to get close to my characters, need to find their beating hearts
-- Script breakdown: create a storyboard which is the essential communication tool between my DP and I
-- I need to inspire my actors, give them a backstory for each character and let them know it's okay to fail
-- The importance of wardrobe and set dressing

There was SO much more I learned, but I didn't want to go overboard here. Like all the mentors, Aerlyn has graciously left her door open for me to ask addition questions as the process moves along.

Next up: powerhouse producer Morris Chapdelaine. Coincidentally, I met Morris two weeks prior by chance. We have a mutual friend, Ken Coolen, and both sat at his table for the Out in School breakfast. I loved him immediately. Beyond producing, Morris also co-hosted a compelling show for OUTtv during the Olympics called "Pride at the Podium." It was a successful, quirky LGBT look at the Olympics. You can watch one of his latest episodes HERE.

Morris, too, was full of extremely important information. I joked he was like a lemon I wanted to keep squeezing. He answered so many of my questions that you can't find in books and really broke down the "illusive" producer role. Here are some nuggets I learned from Morris:
-- A successful movie is 90% business, %10 show.
-- "The Line" in filmmaking (who is below the line, who is above the line)
-- Dealing with the budget (We have $2500 to spend)
-- I need to create a "production binder" (done, see "Toby Book" below)
-- If I know what's good for me, I ought not skimp on camera and sound because at the end of the day, that is the movie
-- What to expect when casting
-- Insurance, releases and all that good stuff
-- How to fund-raise for a feature film

Morris rocked! And we're going to have a follow up meeting soon with my better half, Patty, who will be the Assistant Director and Script Supervisor for Til Death Do Us Toby.

Where I'm at with the script: I completely rewrote it and took the story in a whole new direction. The feedback I got from my mentors: they liked the direction of the first script better, so now I'm just reworking draft1 and am feeling good about how it's coming together. I need to lock it by Thursday, so wish me luck!

As the script takes shape, I've been drawing inspiration from a place my scripting mentor, SB Edwards, sent me online. It's called "Shorts Bay" and it's a platform where some of the best short films can be seen. My two favorites: Gridlock and The Parlor. Amazing work!

This Will Remind You There is Good In the World

2010-04-22T02:13:00.000-07:00

My mom sent this to me and it totally made my day--it washed away all the stress and negativity the sometimes seeps into daily life.

Happy Earth Day!

Operated by Invisible Hands

2010-04-21T02:22:00.000-07:00

Check out this great short film trailer about two antique female dolls who have a one night stand and work out their feelings for each other. I love it! Great work. Inventive and fresh.

Operated by Invisible Hands
By Nicole Brending

To see the whole 7-minute film, go here.

Trailer:

Hot Pink Shorts - Day 1 (Meet the Filmmakers + Scripting)

2010-04-20T03:29:00.000-07:00

Let the games begin....

On Sunday, we began the making of my first short film with OUTtv. (Background: In March, my short film pitch was selected by OUTtv for their Hot Pink Shorts contest. As a winner, they are not only funding my first short film--titled 'Til Death Do Us Toby--but also they are making a documentary out of the process. We began the creative work and filming Sunday).

First task: THE SCRIPT! I met with the amazing S.B. Edwards (pictured above), a writer who's been in the film industry for years and recently optioned 2 film scripts and 1 for TV. She kicked ass and I walked away with an awesome arsenal of knowledge and feedback for my little short film. She was like a wise old sage (although she's not old at all--we're the same age--but seasoned deliciously). Some things I learned from S.B.:

- Before you begin writing your script, you must know the ending, as it will be your guiding force. As a novelist, my process was opposite for my debut novel, Jukebox (coming out in the fall). Many times, after I had the characters good and fleshed out and the story underway, I'd let the characters lead me. I'd just show up and I'd let my muse write through me, let them do what they wanted (like a Ouija board). I got some of my best scenes that way. In prose, characters can take on a life of their own and lead you (may seem strange to a non-writer). In film, you have to be much more deliberate it seems.

- There needs to be a surprise or twist, and a big payoff at the end. It needs to be something viewers aren't expecting, but after it happens it makes logical sense.

- I need to hone in on 1 protagonist and make them a sympathetic character viewers like.

- I only have 7 minutes, which equals 7 pages. Eeeek. There is no way I can pull off what I'd intended in 7 minutes. Time to turn up the heat and reduce the story.

- A short film needs to play on viewers emotions and be able to say much in just 1 scene. The short format is very economical and you must push the story forward (similar to the novel, but in an even more concentrated way) with each scene/each word. Nothing is wasted.

- I only get 3 actors, 2 locations and 1 day to film. Eeek again.

There was much more, but clearly, I've got to get to work!!! A big THANKS to S.B. for her advice and offer of continued support. She has been a great mentor so far!

Thanks, also, to Nicky (superhero/Director), Rylan (Mixer), Jonny (DP), Meagan (editor), and Philip (Producer/PM). I'm anxious to talk to Kevin Kostal, the other winner, to see if his day was just as fruitful!

OUTtv will be launching an interactive feature to the HPS website this week, where Kevin and I will be blogging about our experiences, uploading video and photos, too. Once that kicks off, I'll just put the link here for those interested in following.

Wish me luck!!

In case you didn't see my pitch, I embedded it below.

Out in Schools

2010-04-19T02:22:00.000-07:00

Last week, I went to a breakfast fundraiser for a great initiative called "Out In Schools." I was so inspired and blown away by all that's being done for our queer youth.

Everyone knows that homophobia and bullying are serious issues facing today's chitlins, particularly queer youth. Out In Schools brings queer films to local high schools to facilitate discussion on bullying, homophobia and stereotypes. They give students a safe place to explore these issues. It's supported by local GSAs, educators and the Vancouver School Board. Very cool stuff! I want to give a shout out to the awesome Dave Shortt with Creative B'stro for putting together this amazing video about it.

It's umbrella organization is Out on Screen, which not only does important work for youth, but also hosts the Vancouver Queer Film Festival and the Queer History Project.

Out on Screen's mission: promote the production and exhibition of queer media art creating opportunity for dialogue and education among diverse communities that cross class, age, ability, ethnicity, spirituality, gender and sexuality.

If you're a student who wants to submit, get more information here. Go for it!

They've been holding competitions for students to submit their own anti-homophobia PSAs. Check this recent winner out...

Rear Gear for your animals

2010-04-17T03:07:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows lesbians are all about their animals so this is right up your alley (or rather, your dog's "alley").

If you or your dog or cat is modest, they've got you covered...

Check out:

Rear Gear: "No More Mr. Brown Eye"

Hilarious! And apparently, for real!

Myself, I prefer the daisy bum for our dog, Harvey (although he thinks it's the evergreen pine--shhhh).

Obama Orders Hospitals to Respect Gay People

2010-04-16T08:37:00.000-07:00

This is a fantastic story about how Obama recently signed an order for hospitals to allow gay and lesbian patients to have non-family visitors and to grant their partners medical power of attorney.

Gobama!

Listen or read the NPR story.

Lesbian Wins Pulitzer Prize

2010-04-12T21:57:00.000-07:00

The 2010 Pulitizer prizes were announced today. As I was reading through the list, I came across a familiar name. I interviewed Jennifer Higdon years ago for an article in Curve magazine. Now she won the Pulitzer Prize for Music for her "Violin Concerto." I remember that she was very charming and had a sweet Southern accent.

Here is the article I wrote for Curve magazine back in 2004. I think it might have been my first article for them.
Classical Composure
By Kathy Belge

Jennifer Higdon’s partner had a premonition something big was about to happen. In a vivid dream, an older woman came to Cheryl Lawson and said, “Do you realize your life is about to change?” A few weeks later in June, 2002, Higdon’s Concerto for Orchestra premiered at the Philadelphia Orchestra. The work was received with a level of enthusiasm rare in the classical music world, complete with hoots and whistles. Even Higdon is puzzled by the reception to her work. “I’m still kind of scratching my head and going, ‘Wow’,” she says.

Concerto for Orchestra has been performed nine times since its premiere, quite a feat. “It’s very, very, very, very unusual,” Higdon says. “I mean, in the history of music. Normally a piece will have to be out a long time before people will start picking it up.”

Higdon herself is quite an anomaly, too. The girl from Tennessee didn’t even pick up an instrument until high school. While most of her contemporaries were weaned on the likes of Tchaikovsky and Bach, Higdon grew up listening to The Beatles and Fleetwood Mac. Which could also be why her music is so accessible.

For all of her accomplishments, Higdon is equally accessible. I caught up with her when, iced in from a winter storm, she had to make a stop on her way to a concert in Eugene, Oregon. Her southern accent, peppered with words like gee and gosh, made me feel as if we could just sit down and chat about anything. Her enthusiasm for her work bubbles out and it’s easy to understand why she is one of the most popular teachers at the prestigious Curtis Institute, where she teaches composition. “I feel very lucky to be there,” she says. “It’s like a family. It’s very small and everyone knows everyone. It’s not a dysfunctional family,” she laughs.

Though Higdon may have been the black sheep in her family of origin, she certainly has found a home in Philadelphia, where she and her partner Lawson can often be found walking down the street hand in hand, attending concerts or going to movies. She said it never occurred to her not to be out and so far it has not hurt her career at all. “Maybe it’s because classical music has a real history with gay male composers,” she says. But, she notes, “there aren’t that many lesbian classical composers.”
And she is well aware that she is a role model for other women in a field dominated by men. “I know that women who came before me had a really rough time and a lot of them paved the way for people like me,” she says. “Little old ladies come and say, ‘Honey, I love that you’re a woman.’”

Today Higdon and Lawson, a professional meeting planner, spend a lot of time on the road traveling to music festivals and performances. More and more, Higdon is being recognized as a celebrity. People come up to her on the street and in restaurants. “It startles me,” she says.

This summer, on their way to a Vail music festival, a woman sat next to Higdon and Lawson on an airplane and started telling them of an interview she heard on the radio about a new classical piece called blue cathedral. When Lawson pointed out that she was sitting next to the woman in the interview, “The lady completely freaked out,” Higdon says. “It was really, really funny.”

Much of Higdon’s writing takes place in hotel rooms these days. There’s a variety to her work that she loves, everything from commissions for the Atlanta Symphony to a junior high school band.

At age 41, Higdon’s accomplishments seem astounding. Last year she wrote commissions for The Brooklyn Philharmonic, The Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the National Symphony. She was the first female composer in residence at Tanglewood. And she’s been with her partner for 23 years. Yes, they met in high school band.

The two love to travel. A few months back they were driving along the back roads of Georgia when, “We actually ran across the little bitty town and the little bitty street of Fried Green Tomatoes. … The café is still there. We had a piece of pie.”
But the big news these days is the release of her CD by Telarc last March. The Atlanta Symphony recorded Concerto for Orchestra and Cityscape, a 30-minute symphony she wrote about Atlanta, a town where she once lived. “I have to say, I was quite blown away by [the recording],” she says. “The conductor Robert Spano did a fabulous job of interpreting the work.”
In addition to her major commissions, Higdon makes time to compose for the community. She wrote Freedom Dreams for the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band in celebration of families of choice. One of its movements, Freedom March, is performed quite often by gay and lesbian bands. These days she writes pretty much what ever she’s commissioned to write. Higdon has no time for writer’s block. As a matter of fact she says, “Sometimes I’m getting the brochure in the mail and it says ‘Announcing a premiere work by Jennifer Higdon’ and I haven’t even started it yet. You definitely have to get that kind of thing going very fast.”

Where does she get her inspiration? “Most of my inspiration come from thinking about the groups I’m writing for,” she says. But, coming from a family of visual artists seems to influence her as well. “There’s a really strong image in my head of something to look at when I’m writing,” she says. “It inspires the music. There’s almost always a graphic picture in my head.”

As for the future, Higdon, a self-described movie buff, hopes one day to compose for the big screen. “I figure if it’s supposed to happen it will on its own accord,” she says. And with her you get the feeling it will.

Ellen Hates America?

2010-04-09T01:32:00.000-07:00

I used to love Family Feud when I was a kid. I was sure our family would kick some serious a** if we were ever on the show. Back in the day, the topics were things like "Things you might find at the Drive-In" or "Things Your Mother Might Say."

I guess the Family Feud is all grown up now. One of the topics recently was "Things Everyone Knows about Ellen DeGeneres." Apparently, this one guy thinks that everyone knows Ellen doesn't really like this country. Wouldn't you love to ask this dweeb to explain himself? I love how Ellen handles it.

Lesbians Who Look Like Justin Bieber

2010-04-08T07:45:00.000-07:00

There seems to be this phenomenon in pop culture right now that is Justin Bieber crazy. (I've heard his name, but had to Google him to find out what he is famous for! He's a musical YouTube sensation.)

Anyhoo, my point: We've all seen his face on the TV or tabloids at the market, but did you double take and think he was your friend from the dyke softball team?

If so, you aren't alone. Check this out: http://lesbianswholooklikejustinbieber.tumblr.com/

And this: http://punchbowl.queersighted.com/2010/03/12/lesbia ns-who-look-like-justin-bieber/

Do you look like Justin Bieber?

Jukebox: A Love Story

2010-04-07T09:01:00.000-07:00

Sooooooooooooo. Lipstick has some big news that I've yet to officially announce here on our blog....

My stellar, rockstar literary agent, Holly Bemiss, sold my debut novel, Jukebox to Bella Books. It will be sizzling on bookshelves in November of this year.

In short, Jukebox is a coming-of-age love story, chronicling the heart-wrenching and ultimately uplifting tale about two debutantes who fall in love--with each other. More>>

I've been working on Jukebox since the beginning of time, it seems; well, at least the beginning of my lesbian time. It started out as my senior thesis at Pacific University, while I was in their creative writing program and has since evolved in many incarnations. In 2004, the manuscript, while a work in progress, won a generous Filmmaker Fund grant from POWER UP.

You can read an excerpt from the novel at http://www.jukeboxnovel.com/

Since Holly sold it, I've been working with Katherine V. Forrest on editorial and she's phenomenal.

I've also adapted the story into a screenplay. When I finished the first draft in October, I sent it to Power Up, who gave me incredibly, insightful notes (thank you Chris, et al.). After I finish with my edits for Bella Books, I'll be back in the saddle again tearing the screenplay apart and reworking it. More on that down the road, as it evolves. (It will one day be a feature film and I'll be directing it. First, though, I've just got to get some more experience under my belt and check a few more things off my "to do" list.)

The trailer is below. To join the Jukebox mailing list, go HERE.

To subscribe to my YouTube channel, go HERE.

If you go to the Jukebox website, turn up your volume and hear the fabulous Bonnie Ste-Croix.

Martina has breast cancer

2010-04-07T06:54:00.000-07:00

Lezzy Tennis legend Martina Navratilova has been diagnosed with breast cancer, People Magazine reports. The good news is that it was found early, so the prognosis is very good. Read more.

Hang in there, Martina!!!!

Let this be a reminder to all of us to give ourselves monthly boobie checks and get in for those mammograms when we're in that bracket.

The Real L Word

2010-04-05T13:11:00.000-07:00

The new reality TV show based on the L Word looks good.

But I wonder, like Grace moon points out, where are the brown people?

Vote For Christine Havrilla

2010-04-01T04:07:00.000-07:00

We need your help, friends. Christine Havrilla is competing in OUR STAGE to be a part of Lilith Fair. Starting today, we can sign up and vote for her to join Sarah et al. on the tour.

Help Christine out! She rocks!!!

Lipstick Wins HOT PINK SHORTS

2010-03-26T13:43:00.000-07:00

It's official: My pitch, 'Til Death Do Us Toby, has been selected by OUTtv for their Hot Pink Shorts contest. Thank you to all who voted! I couldn’t have done it without you.

If you're in the dark about this, here is some more info: OUTtv, Canada’s only LGBT national television network, recently held a contest in conjunction with Hot Pink Shorts, in which contestants submitted video pitches that were voted on by viewers. Yours truly was selected as one of the winning pitches. As a winner, OUTtv will fund my first short film, ‘Til Death Do Us Toby and make a documentary of the process (“The Making Of…”). Also part of Hot Pink Shorts: mentoring. During the process, I will receive advice/help from industry professionals from pre-production all the way through post-production—and it will all be captured on film for the world to see!

My short film, ‘Til Death Do Us Toby, is about Sam, an artist tomboy teenager and her mutt, Toby, who go on a wild adventure together, which includes Sam discovering that she’s gay. Sam is being raised by her religious cougar mom, Mimi, who refuses to acknowledge that Sam is growing up to be a big ole lezzy. Meanwhile, Toby, Sam’s neurotic sidekick, thinks that everyone is out to kill him. Will Sam and Toby make it out alive?

I've been producing the Lipstick & Dipstick Show on Curve’s website and am excited to take it to another level by writing/directing my first short film.

Round 2 of the Hot Pink Shorts contest has already began and they’ll make more lucky filmmakers’ dreams a reality. If you have a short film idea, check out Hot Pink Shorts today! Even if you’re simply a film enthusiast, Hot Pink Shorts is an amazing community. Join today!

http://www.hotpinkshorts.com/

http://www.outtv.ca/

http://www.hotpinkshorts.com/contest

* the other short film selected for this round of Hot Pink Shorts is "Short Sight" about a gay man who has the abilty to see people's true, repressed selves in an eye that was damaged in a fight when he was young. Cool, huh?

Garage Sale in Portland this Weekend

2010-03-25T07:56:00.000-07:00

Hey folks, a good friend of ours is having a huge "Sell Her Life" garage sale this weekend in Portland, Oregon and I wanted to spread the word. Here are the details from her:

Saturday + Sunday
7am - 5pm
4564 NE 82nd Avenue
I'm pretty much selling, um, you know, everything I own. Fashion to 5x/6x, small furniture (dresser/bookshelves), electronics, TONS of books (including pervy ones), decorative items, kitchenware, like a bajillion wine glasses, I don't even know anymore. Just, basically, everything. Come help me cement this major transition in my life by hauling away all my stuff. There's some good stuff!! Take it! ;)

Here is the Facebook listing.

Indigo Girls in Vancouver

2010-03-22T08:37:00.001-07:00

I spent last night basking in the Indiglo at the Commodore Theater. Amy and Emily from the Indigo Girls rolled through town and put on an amazing show. Bitch opened for them and came out and sang several songs with the iconic dykes, who haven't changed a lick.

They sang some of my favorites: Ghost, Power of Two, Galileo, Get Out the Map, Closer to Fine. My voice is all Kathleen Turner this morning because I sang so hard.We rocked out all night and had a fantastic time with our some of our favorite people--Jessill (Jess + Jill), Judith (hipster aunt), Sarah (lil weenis) and Katherine (artsy fart).

The music never dies! Enjoy the song below, lifted from YouTube...

Help Our Friend, Dawnie

2010-03-20T04:40:00.000-07:00

A beloved friend of ours, Dawnie Grubstein, is battling colon cancer. She is the brightest spirit you'll ever meet and I know that if anyone can beat this, it's Dawnie. Truly an effervescent soul.

Her best friend, Luna Jaffe, wrote a song for her and uploaded it to CDBaby. You can download it and the proceeds go to Dawnie. It's called "You'll Find Your Way."

Check out and buy it today to support Dawnie!

Tegan + Sara

2010-03-19T07:24:00.000-07:00

I was in Gastown recently visiting my friend, Jill, at work when we decdided to head out and get a bite to eat. We stopped at a little cafe around the corner from her office and when we walked through the door, Jill immediately recognized one of her favorite artists sitting at the window chillin' with a cup of joe. It was either Tegan or Sara from the band Tegan + Sara. She wasn't sure which one so we introduced ourselves.

Now, even though I'm a lezzy, I have to admit, I only know one song of theirs: a short tune from the L Word soundtrack "Love Type Thing." I know, bad lesbian, bad.

Anyhoodle, I snapped a photo because I knew you'd all dig it. And now I'm going to go download some Tegan + Sara for my iPod.

Lady Gaga & Beyonce: Telephone

2010-03-17T06:24:00.000-07:00

If you haven't seen this yet, it's worth watching. Hot! You've been a very bad girl Gaga! This is about the gayest thing I've seen in a long time. Parts of it made me laugh out loud. And of course, I love the Thelma & Louise reference at the end. What do you think?

Tristan Taormino in Portland and Salem

2010-03-16T06:32:00.000-07:00

Tristan Taormino is coming to Portland! Tristan is one of the best and brightest sex educators in America.

She is the author of four books: Opening Up: A Guide to Creating and Sustaining Open Relationships, True Lust: Adventures in Sex, Porn and Perversion Down and Dirty Sex Secrets and The Ultimate Guide to Anal Sex for Women.

The chance to see Tristan Taormino in person is something you don't want to miss. Plus, if you go to her March 21st class, you'll get a chance to check out Portland's newest women-positive sex shop.

March 17, 7:00 pm
Portland, OR
The Expert Guide to Sex Toys with Tristan Taormino
Are you looking to liven up solo sex, hit hot spots more easily, or give your partner new sensations? Sex expert, writer, and adult filmmaker, Tristan Taormino, author of The Big Book of Sex Toys, wants to help you use toys and other accessories to take your sex life to the next level! She'll share her picks for the best lube, vibrators (including compact, clitoral, wearable, insertable, dual-action, and luxury vibes), dildos, strap-on harnesses, butt plugs, men's toys, G-spot and prostate toys, sensation play tools, bondage, and more! She'll talk about creative ways to use toys and other sexy goodies to transform your bedroom into an erotic playground. Plus, you'll be able to ask her all your burning questions in a supportive, non-judgmental environment. Join Tristan as she takes you on a tour of all you need to know to have sensational, mind-blowing sex!
Location: Fascinations, 9515 SE. 82nd. Ave, Portland, OR
Admission: Free!

March 18, 7:00 pm
Salem, OR
THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO WOMEN'S SEXUAL PLEASURE
Discover the ABCs of sexual pleasure for women, from the basic to the advanced in a supportive, non-judgmental environment. Hear Tristan's unabashed straight talk about sex in the Human Sexuality class that most people never get to take! She'll cover a variety of topics, including: sexual anatomy, masturbation, orgasms, improving your erotic communication skills, finding the elusive g-spot, myths and truths about female ejaculation, sex toy tips and techniques, and the wonders of anal sex. There will be an extensive question-and-answer period where students are encouraged to ask her anything.
Location: Engima, 1326 State St Salem OR 97301
Admission: $25 general and $20 students, reserve by phone 503-569-7087, in the store or by Brownpaper tickets!
URL: http://www.ourenigma.com/
http://puckerup.com>

March 19-21
Portland, OR
KINKFEST
Portland Leather Alliance presents Kinkfest 2010. Join me for an entire weekend of kinky fun!
URL: http://www.kinkfest.org

March 21, 7:30 pm
Portland, OR
Kick It Up a Notch: Taking Sex to the Next Level
From her popular columns and website to her videos and lecture series, Tristan has garnered raves for her unabashed straight talk about sex. Now, you can hear it from the sexpert herself! Whether you've been in a relationship for six months or six years, Tristan will discuss what happens when the honeymoon is over and real life begins to set in. She'll cover a variety of topics, including how to: let go of the myths of what sex should be like, improve your erotic communication skills, add something new to the mix, explore dirty talk, fantasy, and erotic role playing, try anal pleasure and penetration, utilize sex toys, lubricants, and other erotic accessories. This unique and intimate class will be a supportive, non-judgmental environment where you can ask questions and openly discuss your sexual issues and goals. Join Tristan as she takes you on a tour of all you need to know to have healthy, adventuresome, mind-blowing sex.
Location: She Bop, 909 N Beech St., Portland OR 503-473-8018
Admission: $25 (please call or email She Bop to pre-register)
URL: http://www.sheboptheshop.com
http://sheboptheshop.com>

This is a Gay Bar

2010-03-15T09:09:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I was visiting Seattle and we were wandering around Capitol Hill looking for a place to have a beer.

Although RPlace was closed, we did appreciate the sign on the door. I wonder if it really keeps the homophobes, racists, bigots and assholes out. What do you think?

Ten-Year Old Takes a Stand

2010-03-14T08:58:00.000-07:00

Maybe you saw this. It aired back in November. I just learned of it because it won a GLAAD media award. This ten year old boy is so well spoken about why he won't stand to say the pledge of allegiance. And he's from Alabama. There is hope.

Ashleigh Flynn - Great Interview on NPR

2010-03-13T06:46:00.000-08:00

One of our favorite queer Americana/folk artists, Ashleigh Flynn, was recently featured on NPR! You can hear her interview HERE.

Also, check out her new video for Knock On Wood.

Way to go Ash!!

Street Interview Goes Sideways

2010-03-12T07:40:00.000-08:00

First off, this video is NOT kid-friendly, but captures a hilariously insane event in Toronto (that, by the looks of it, was filmed years ago, but is still as priceless).

I'm working on a project right now where I have to "go to the streets" and ask people questions on camera.

I'm hoping this doesn't happen to me this weekend as I cruise Davie looking for people willing to go on camera. If it happens, I sure hope she's a hot femme and not... well, watch for yourself.

Mississippi Prom Cancelled Because of Lesbian

2010-03-12T07:30:00.000-08:00

Have you guys seen this story?

I think that Mississippi School District is in serious hot water! Thanks god for the ACLU.

Here is another article from The Advocate.

Lipstick Needs Your Vote!

2010-03-10T04:55:00.000-08:00

Help!

I've entered a contest with OUTtv called Hot Pink Shorts where two filmmakers will be selected to have their short film made. (For those that don't know, a short film is between 5 - 7 minutes.)

For the two lucky winners, in addition to having your short film funded and help with producing, the whole creative process (from pre-production to post) will be captured on film and made into a documentary for OUTtv (the Canadian equivalent to Logo in the US).

I've come up with an idea for a short film called 'Til Death Do Us Toby. For the contest, I've produced a short video pitch for their site. The contest is based on votes from viewers (like or dislike), so I need your help!

I'll forever be grateful if you'll:

1) Go to Hot Pink Shorts Website
2) Click on "The Pitches"
3) Join the community (you’ll have to wait to be approved, which will come via email and pretty quickly—check your spam folders)
4) Watch my short pitch--'Til Death Do Us Toby
5) Click on the "Like" button and make a comment (if you like my pitch, that is)

You can see the pitches under Contest/The Pitches.

It's super easy to do and the contest closes next Monday (March 15), so I really need all the help I can get as I'm joining late in game.

Can you PLEASE help a girl out?

Also, if you have an idea for a short film, it's not too late to get your pitch in!

Thanks in advance for those who want to support me!

Same-Sex Marriage in DC

2010-03-09T11:00:00.000-08:00

Today is the first day same-sex marriages could be performed in Washington, DC. Can you watch this video without crying? I couldn't.

Olympic Skater Johnny Weir

2010-03-04T05:28:00.000-08:00

G Spot Mouse

2010-03-03T04:42:00.000-08:00

What will they think of next? (I'm sure there is a penis joystick out there somewhere.) How'd you like to have your hands on this little vagina every day as you pay your bills online or work on your homework? Just point and ~~clit~~ click!

Introducing "The G-spot Mouse," aka the G-Point mouse.

For All You Cat Lovers...

2010-03-02T03:01:00.000-08:00

Since we're all a little depressed around here that the Olympic party is over, I thought we could all use a little humor.

This is one of the funniest things I've seen in a long time...

Make sure you read the subtitles.

For the laughter, you're welcome.

Oh CANADA!

2010-03-01T10:35:00.000-08:00

What an ending to the Winter Games last night, eh? As you could imagine, Vancouver went BERZERK when the Canadians snatched the gold medal in an overtime nail-biter against USA. And we were right there in the thick of it!

We started the day with a pot of chill and good friends who came over to watch the game. After the big overtime finale, we immediately hopped a cab downtown.

Our cowbells never worked so hard as they did last night on Granville Street, where we ran through the street hooting and hollering. I've never slapped so many hands, catcalled to more strangers and laughed so joyously as I did last night in downtown Vancouver, BC.

To top it off, it was a beautiful night in BC, too. The stars were out, so was the moon, and so were hundreds of thousands of crazy Canadian fans.

We ended the night at the PourHouse in Gastown for a late bite. It was the perfect ending to a fabulous, enormously memorable day.

I wish so much I could've somehow bottled up the energy of downtown last night and shared it here with you. I took some video, but you know how those never do any justice.

I wrote a while back that I thought we'd be glad to see the Olympics go, as it was really beginning to cramp our style--city-wise. But now I don't feel that way at all and neither does anyone else I've talked to. Maybe it's because we won yesterday, maybe it's because we had more gold medals than any other country. Or maybe, just maybe, there is some real magic and weight behind the old Olympic spirit.

MORE COWBELL!

Unbelievable! Jennifer Beals Spotted Again!

2010-02-26T03:36:00.000-08:00

This time, Jenny from the Block was trying to ski in peace at Blackcomb Mountain when we bothered her once again for another photo.

I wonder if she ever washes that suit she loves so much?

Also, who do you think she's rooting for? It's hard to tell from that scarf and (dare I say) tacky hat?

Women's Hockey Tonight

2010-02-25T03:18:00.000-08:00

Even if you don't watch hockey (or understand it), you should watch the women's hockey final match for the gold between the USA and Canada tonight. It is sure to pack plenty of drama and emotion no matter who you're rooting for.

For myself, I'm quite torn, having been born in America and lived my entire life there before moving to this wonderful country Canada, which I love in a very different way and for very different reasons. I think I'll root for Americanada!

For those hockey fans out there, you realize this is a major match-up, one with echoes of the past. Flash to the Winter Olympics in 2002 in Salt Lake City, when Canada beat the USA in the women's final and snatched the gold medal (and that was on America's turf!).

Will there be home court advantage tonight? Payback? Deja vu?

We'll see! Tune in tonight, live in Vancouver at 3:30pm PST.

Woooot woooo! Go Camerica!!!!

Who is Canada?

2010-02-24T05:58:00.000-08:00

If you've never been to Canada or don't know any of us lucky enough to live here, here is a primer from NBC's Tom Brokaw...

Olympic Coverage - Or Rather Uncoverage

2010-02-23T17:47:00.000-08:00

I just peed my pants watching this wardrobe malfunction remix.

Olympic Pride

2010-02-21T08:30:00.000-08:00

Go Slovakia! Errr. Go Russia! Go dykey athletes!!!!

Another afternoon/evening of fun was had yesterday. Olympic-wise, we started downtown at the Pride House (Whistler's sister, where we watched the opening ceremony). Andre (who is a doll and pictured below) with Pride House asked Dipster and I to stop by, and because I was the only one north of the border, I rolled in (with Pcake on my arm) yesterday afternoon--a beautiful, sunny afternoon I might add. Andre blogged about it yesterday.

We met some really cool people there: Ginger, MaryAnn, the Professor, Lovie, and Skipper. Just kidding. (One of the great women we met was Ginger and I just wanted to pay homage to Gilligan's Island.) Ginger and her partner, Kelly (pictured here together with yours truly), had come up for the games from Seattle. Super cool women. Their friends Maria and Jenna were also kickin' it at the Pride House, watching some downhill skiing. The Qmunity Director, Jennifer, also popped in to say hello. Kelly and Ginger just so happened to have a Curve Magazine with them, so we had a good laugh together and took some fun photos. Thanks ladies! Hope you enjoyed the hockey game!

Pcake and I then ventured out into the wild Olympic abandon and made our way to UBC's Thunderbird Arena for some women's hockey. Russia VS. Slovakia. Both teams were evenly matched and it was a great game. In the end, Russia beat Slovakia 4-2. There were many things I loved about going to see women's Olympic hockey, but one of the big things was that every single person on the ice was female, even the refs, and you could feel the estrogen reverberating off the ice like the beat of a base drum. The female heartbeat was alive! Also, we enjoyed all the many many many lezzies in the crowd rooting on our Slavic and Russian sisters.

We ended the night with a bang: fireworks! Every night at David Lam Park--Live City Yaletown--they do a huge music show and then end it with amazing fireworks. We hung out with Patty's family and watched the show from a perfect vantage point: the 25th floor of a condo in Yaletown. Not a bad view! You could almost feel the heat from the explosions.

Beyond the impressive pyrotechnics, there was one really cool element to the celebration that inspired me. The photo slide show played off the water's spray. It's hard to see in photo and the video, but those sprays of water had images of Winter Olympic athletes playing on them. Click on image below to see up close. Super cool!

Olympic Fevah :: Part Sept (these are French #s btw)

2010-02-20T09:39:00.001-08:00

Me again, giving you your daily dose from the Olympic trenches...

Back in the Couv. In the afternoon yesterday--a glorious spring-like day--Pcake and I played tourist in our own city and went down to see the flame. You may have heard about the controversy surrounding (so to speak) the flame, cuz people were mad they couldn't get close enough. They had it encircled by Olympic covered fences and you could only see top of it and from far way. VANOC made some changes earlier last week (getting people closer, altering the fence and adding a viewing point) and people can get closer, but we were the real lucky ones: our beloved family member Pam works in the building adjacent to the flame and she let us up onto their atrium so we got an amazing bird’s eye view.

You Yankees might recognize some of the buildings and the rings in this slide show from NBC’s coverage in these photos. The building with slanted eaves and grass on the roof is where NBC and all the other million media affiliates are broadcasting from.

Women’s hockey tonight! Unfortunately, not USA or Canada, but a 7pm puck drop for Slovakia and Russia. We’ll still be there with bells on!

Olympic Fever :: Part Six

2010-02-19T10:50:00.000-08:00

Where do I even begin??? The women's downhill combined event yesterday was an absolutely amazing experience--one of the most exhilarating times in my life. it's hard to put words around the energy at these Olympic games and all the wisps of activity swirling around them. It's just so palpable.

By now, you know Olympic darling Lindsey Vonn crashed at the end of her run yesterday, so no spoilers here. Most everyone else skiied amazing and the sun was so high and bright, keeping us all warm thorughout the morning and into the afternoon. After the medals ceremony, we waited to around and got to meet and greet some of the USA Olympic team. Kaylin Richardson was SOOO nice and even jumped the fence to get a photo with us. We waited for Lindsey, too, and we finally got our moment with her. She signed Pcake's ticket and was also so gracious and sweet, despite having just spilled down the mountain and been disqualified from the event. She is SUPER sexy. MEOW!

Hope you enjoy the slideshow; there were so many photos I had to create an online album.

Olympic Fever :: Part Cing

2010-02-18T08:07:00.000-08:00

Woa! Things are really ramping up here in Vancouver and Whistler. We had to buzz back to Vancouver earlier this week to get some bizness done and celebrate a friend's birthday, but arrived back in Whistler last night to an engulfing Olympic spirit.

After some sushi, Pcake and I cruised the Village and were swept away by the Olympic energy that has swelled here in Whistler! We just missed the medals ceremony where Lindsay Vonn received her medal, but arrived to Celebreation Plaza for the party afterwards. The "world" spirit is so fabulous and fascinating! Being surrounded by so many people from all over the world so excited to be alive is at times moving. Pcake and I both felt that last night here in Whistler. The photos don't do any justice (as usual), but we had such fun!

Before we arrived, we stopped in downtown Vancouver at Robson Square to see our good friend Bonnie Ste. Croix perform for the Olympics. If you don't know Bonnie, you SHOULD! Her voice is like delicious spoonful of warm caramel--mmmm mmmm good. She sang a set and the crowd loved her! After the show, as we were just hanging out, gold medalist Maelle Ricker walked by with her Vancouver PD security detail on her way to a TV interview. She stopped and waved at our little crowd. She ROCKED the snowboard cross two days ago!

We're just getting ready now to leave for today's women's downhill, which gave Lindsay Vonn a gold medal and most of the other women many bruises. We couldn't believe all the spills--they were so hard to watch. Rumor has it they've made some changes to the course overnight, so here's hoping no one gets hurt today. More to come later...

Go Canada! Go USA!

Lizzy the Lezzy :: First Kiss

2010-02-17T09:21:00.000-08:00

Lizzy the Lezzy stand up comedy videos - “FIRST KISS” - watch more funny videos

Olympic Fever :: Part Quatre

2010-02-15T10:37:00.000-08:00

GO CANADA!! We've finally done it! We've won gold on our own turf! Alexandre Bilodeau took home the men's freestyle crown! We were with friends at the base of Whistler mountain when Canada won the gold and everyone went cah-razy! Putting a touching spin on the win was Alexandre's brother, who has cerebral palsy

Because the women's downhill event was canceled yesterday, we just hung out in the village and enjoyed Valentine's Day. Hope everyone's enjoying the games!

Olympic Fever :: Part Trois

2010-02-14T11:28:00.000-08:00

How about those Opening Ceremonies?! We were blown away up here and so proud of the amazing job VANOC did. Aside from that one little phallic glitch (Patty said the fourth caldron needed viagra), it was absolutely stunning! My favorite parts included: the whales swimming in the floor, the mountains and the red skiers, the little boy who flew through the prairies, Sarah McLachlan's beautiful song and the special effects, the Anne Murray cameo and--of course--the barefoot dyke who brought down the house: kd lang singing Hallelujah.

In case you missed kd's song, enjoy a very similar rendition below...

Every big country up here has a host "House" for people to visit and for their people to hang out in. We visited the "Swiss House" a couple days ago (they're serving up bratwursts and bier) and on Friday we hung out in the "Pride House," hosted by GayWhistler.com. It was a great space and was very warm and welcoming, a place for the LGBT athletes and visitors to take a load off, have a drink, eat and just chill. The bronze pictured here is called "Slapashotolus," inspired by the famous discus bronze. Classic!

The women's downhill alpine was postponed today. Good news for America's sweetheart Lindsay Vonn, bad news for us--we had tickets. It was rescheduled for Thursday. We also scored women's hockey tickets for Saturday--a playoff game, teams TBD. Very excited for that! Those bitches play just as hard as the dudes! Canada beat Slovakia yesterday 18-0. Ouch.

More soon....

Lizzy the Lezzy:: "Single"

2010-02-14T04:19:00.000-08:00

Lizzy the Lezzy stand up comedy videos - “SINGLE” - watch more funny videos

A Very Special Glass

2010-02-12T13:06:00.000-08:00

I met Barb on the Olivia Cruise. Barb is a fan of bright and sparkly things that light up, as you can see from her Halloween costume. While on the Olivia Cruise, Barb bought an amazing glass, but when she set it down to go dance, someone walked away with her prize possession. Barb tried and tried to get a replacement while on the cruise, but came away empty-handed.

She was sad, but determined. After getting home, Barb tracked down Holland America customer service and eventually had a glass shipped to her from a ship near Seattle. As you can see, Barb is very happy to have her special glass.

Olympic Fever :: Part Deux

2010-02-12T05:00:00.000-08:00

Do You Hear What I Hear?

It's the world coming and turning their eyes to British Columbia. As the snow falls outside our window, the cars are winding up the sea-to-sky highway making their way to Whistler. They're also circling the airport in 747s from all over the world getting ready to land and go through customs before descending upon Vancouver.

If you'd like a sneak peak of the Olympic mayhem, watch the Today Show. They've been here this week covering many different angles and Natalie Morales has been live from outside the Longhorn (our favorite place for apres ski in Whistler).

We went up on the mountain earlier this week to ski and it was a eerie ghost town. Even though nearly 80% of the mountain is still open, people would rather be sipping toddies in the village than treading the slopes. Not us. We enjoyed a wonderfully sunny day in heaven.

Last night we hit the village again to ride the Olympic wave some more and it was really exciting. We snapped some photos with the Olympic rings and then hit the Bearfoot Bistro to experience the Belvedere Ice Room, where we sampled vodkas from all over the world. Brrrr. It was 30 degrees below zero (C) and I was in a skirt!

More to come soon...

Olympic Fever

2010-02-11T04:55:00.000-08:00

The sports fans are arriving in Vancouver and Whistler, likes ants headed to the anthill, and we continue to enjoy ourselves up here in the Canadian Rockies waiting for the Olympics to begin.

Yesterday, we got to play in a bobsleigh and scored some tickets to Womens Alpine Skiing. It's a medal event and we can walk there--bonus!

There is a lot of buzz about the Opening Ceremony, which is being shaped and rehearsed in downtown Vancouver right now. Rumor has it some big names will perform.

I have a hunch Sarah McLachlan will be there to sing her new Olympic song: One Dream.

Here is a preview:

The Rebirth of Lilith Fair

2010-02-10T04:22:00.000-08:00

I remember, back when I was just coming out, an amazing music festival that blew through my hometown. It was called Lilith Fair and it was revolutionary for its time. Only women performers, the best on the planet.

With clarity, I remember watching Jewel, the Indigo Girls and Sarah McLachlan sing "Water is Wide" a capella together 20 feet away from where I was sitting. I remember running from the bathroom as Martina McBride took the stage and laid down a "Broken Wing" that had most people around me in tears. I remember being near a fence that lined the backstage and seeing Natalie Merchant making her way to perform. She walked over to the chainlink to the few of us waiting in line for a hot dog and said "People actually live here?" It was summertime in Arizona and she was right: it was hard to believe people survived in 115 degree heat. Playfully, Natalie said she was melting.

Those are just a sprinkle of the wonderful memories I have from the the original round of Lilith Fairs from the late nineties, but they won't stop there, the legacy in continuing this summer with Lilith Fair 2010. It will include many of today's hottest female artists. To name a few: Tegan and Sara, Sugarland, Norah Jones, Brandi Carlisle, Corinne Bailey Rae, Beth Orton and more! For a list, go here.

Many vintage favorites will join the tour again, too: Sarah McLachlan, Sheryl Crow, Sugarland, Mary J. Blige, Heart, Emmylou Harris, Indigo Girls.

Lilith Fair Summer Tour 2010
http://www.lilithfair.com/

If you don't know anything about Lilith, Sarah McLachlan (and others) started this estrogen-charged traveling music festival. For the 2010 summer tour, the cities have been released as well as many artists names, but no dates or venues confirmed. Become Sarah's fan on Facebook to keep up to speed on all-things-Lilith. Thank you Sarah!

I found Water is Wide on YouTube!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lizzy the Lezzy :: "Straight Girls"

2010-02-09T04:18:00.000-08:00

Lizzy the Lezzy stand up comedy videos - “Straight Girls” - watch more funny videos

Where in the World is Jennifer Beals?

2010-02-08T04:40:00.000-08:00

She's here in British Columbia for the Olympics!

You'll never believe this, but I spotted Jennifer today up in the mountains and she--of course--obliged in letting me take her picture.

It's so crazy how often I see her around this city. And Dipstick runs into her in Portland, too. J Beals must love the Pacific NW as much as we do.

I'll keep my eyes peeled for her out and about during the Olympics. You never know, I just might spot her again...

Here Come the Olympics!

2010-02-07T10:00:00.000-08:00

After making its was across Canada toward Vancouver, the Olympic torch arrived in Whistler on Friday to much fanfare. While they didn't ask Patty or I to be a part of the Olympic relay (do they know who we are?!), the flames arrival is still buzzing through the Village. The photo included here is of Shania Twain, who lit the flame in her hometown (Timmins, Ontario) a month ago.

While gallivanting around Whistler Village yesterday, we ran into one of the people who was lucky enough to be part of the relay. She posed for a photo with us and said they get to run 300 meters with the flame before handing it off to the next relay member (and she got to keep the torch!).

Beyond the flame (it was lit in ancient Olympia, Greece in October), which is the biggest Olympic symbol--second only to the colorful rings--Whistler and Vancouver are all ready to host the big party next week. When we left Vancouver, nearly every single parking meter had been bagged, Olympic traffic lanes had been added and everyone was a little on-edge waiting to see if anyone's going to show up. Surprisingly, the streets were eerily quiet (because there is nowhere to park), everyone is taking public transit. It's like the perfect Utopian society without cars on the road or smog.

We are headed out today to wait in line to hopefully score some tickets, so keep your fingers crossed. More soon...

Apple Does it Again!

2010-02-05T04:42:00.000-08:00

Apple announced today that it has developed a breast implant that can store and play music. The iTit will cost from $499 to $699, depending on cup and speaker size. This is considered a major social breakthrough, because women are always complaining about men staring at their breasts and not listening to them.

What will they think of next?

Apple does it again

Cindy McCain "Comes Out" to Support NOH8

2010-02-04T04:27:00.000-08:00

Go Cindy! The MILF/John McCain's wife posed for photographer Adam Bouska for his increasingly famous NOH8 campaign. The photo is priceless! Those eyes...

About Cindy's decision to step forward in support of gay marriage, Adam Bouska wrote: "In the year since we've started the NOH8 campaign, we've often been surprised at some of the different individuals who have approached us showing their support. Few, though, have surprised us more than Cindy McCain."

There is hope for the flowers!

You can read more about it, HERE.

Dipstick on The Olivia Cruise

2010-02-03T04:54:00.000-08:00

Back in October, I got to go on an Olivia Cruise. Here's a little video of my experience.

Lipstick & Dipstick on Olivia
by CurveMagazine

Check out Blood into Wine!

2010-02-02T07:59:00.000-08:00

An old friend of mine, Ryan Page, co-directed this amazing film coming out soon. It's called "Blood into Wine: The Arizona Stronghold" and its red carpet premiere is February 19th at the W Hotel in Scottsdale, Arizona.

The movie is the widely anticipated documentary that shares the story of Tool/A Perfect Circle/Puscifer front man Maynard James Keenan and his mentor Eric Glomski as they pioneer winemaking in the hostile deserts of Arizona.

Check here for other screenings around the country. I wish it were coming to Vancouver!

DETAILS
Friday, February 19th
6pm
W Scottsdale, Arizona
Wine + hors d'oeuvres included
To get tickets, go HERE.

You can see an interview from Rolling Stone here.

Way to go Ryan!

Our Latest Column in Curve :: How to Rekindle the Spark

2010-01-30T11:56:00.000-08:00

Apple Announces ipad

2010-01-27T19:30:00.000-08:00

Like many of you, I was excited to hear about Apple's launch of the ipad today. I can't wait to get one. I heard about it on MadTV.

Goodbye Grandma Daggett!

2010-01-19T10:21:00.000-08:00

I've been off the radar. My grandmother--our beautiful Italian Matriarch--Nora Elaine Daggett died recently. I'm headed home for the funeral this week and have been working on her eulogy. I'm lucky enough to get to write and present her life on behalf of my big family.

For those of you who follow this blog, you also know I lost a cousin in Iraq in 2008: Kyle. The photo below is of Grandma and Kyle at Christmas a number of years ago. Grandma was so proud of Kyle and so devastatingly heartbroken when war took him from our family. I'm not sure she ever fully recovered after losing such a young bird in her flock.

I am embedding this song, Mama (Il Divo), which we'll be using in a video we're making of her life for the memorial. Her parents were born in Bologna, Italy and moved to the US right before her birth. Her Italian heritage was very much a part of her life in America and continues to be woven into our family.

We miss you and love you Grandma!

Getting Ready for the Gay Games

2010-01-14T16:39:00.000-08:00

You may know Kaia Wilson as the hot guitar player currently touring with Amy Ray of the Indigo Girls and formerly of Team Dresch, the ultimate dyke rock band of the 90s. What you may not not is that Kaia is also a world class athlete. And she's in heavy training for the Gay Games to be held this summer in Cologne, Germany. She's documenting her progress as she trains for this high caliber event.

"Journey to the Gay Games 2010" part two from Kristina Davies on Vimeo.

Are you an athlete planning on competing in the Winter Olympics, Gay Games or Outgames this year? Send us a video or photo of you getting ready. We'd love to share your training tips with the world.

Help for Haiti

2010-01-13T13:47:00.000-08:00

Like many of you, we have been shocked and saddened by the devastation the 7.0 earthquake caused yesterday in Haiti. I want to donate to help, but don't want my money to go to any religious or conservative organization that also is against gay rights. I found out about the Rainbow World Fund.

This is their mission statement:

Founded in 2000, Rainbow World Fund (RWF) is an international relief agency based in the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and friends community. RWF’s mission is to promote LGBT philanthropy in the area of world humanitarian relief. RWF works to help people who suffer from hunger, poverty, disease, oppression and war by raising awareness and funds to support relief efforts around the world. RWF provides a united voice, a large visible presence, and a structure to deliver LGBT charitable assistance to the larger world community.

As to how efficient they are in spending donations vs overhead costs, this is from their 2008 annual report:

Of every $1 RWF received (monetary donations, grants, interest income and contributed
supplies), over 96.1¢ went to programs and services that directly benefited those most
in need. Nearly 1.3¢ went to educate people about issues of humanitarian need and just
over 2.6¢ went to administrative and fundraising costs.

There are many other places you can donate to make a difference. I don't know if this is the best place or not, but I wanted to let people know about it.

Gay 'Ol Portland

2010-01-11T21:06:00.000-08:00

Thinking about moving to a gay-friendly city? Consider Portland.

The Portland Tribune today has an article about how queer Portland is becoming.

Recent U.S. Census data show Oregon now has the third-highest proportion of same-sex couples in the nation, behind only Maine and Massachusetts. It's a place I'm happy to call home.

Do You Like to Ski?

2010-01-11T11:09:00.000-08:00

Then this fabulous weekend is for you and it's sure to be an AMAZING time! Check it out...

POWDER 2010 is only 4 weeks away!

A women's snowboard/ski weekend in beautiful Mammoth Mountain. Our host hotel is Mammoth Mountain Inn, located directly across from Main lodge. This is a ski in/ ski out resort. Friday night is filled with six funny comics to keep you laughing, and Saturday enjoy a live performance from "That's What She Said", this hilarious duo will keep you talking for weeks! All discounted tickets MUST be purchased before Jan 21st, after their will be no more discounted tickets.

To purchase tickets visit: http://powder2010.eventbrite.com/

Reserve your room today at Mammoth Mountain Inn

1-800-mammoth

Discount code: 10027, also mention POWDER for 50% off! rooms start at $99/night

Juneau Singing

2010-01-08T13:21:00.000-08:00

Still thinking about Juneau today. I forgot to mention yesterday what a good singer she was. Here she is teaching her brother Rocky the words to her favorite song.

Still Miss the Girl

2010-01-07T09:30:00.000-08:00

It's been a year since we said goodbye to our sweet old dog. Juneau was an old soul. She was never one to let her guard down and took her role as guardian and protector seriously.

She was quite a beauty in her day. And she knew it. She loved to pose for photos. This is the shot she sat for that won us the grand prize in the Oregon Human Society photo contest. When she got older and her hair began to fall out, she never really got that her youthful beauty had left her. She pranced around the park like she was the prettiest thing anyone had ever seen.

She was stoic and could be quite grouchy. She never liked to cuddle and tolerated pets for only so long. Yet, she loved to be the center of attention. Whenever we would have a party, she would park her self in the middle of the dining room floor, sprawl out and fall asleep.

Her favorite places were Mt. Hood and Yachats, Oregon. A true snow dog, she would get a dance in her step whenever there were flurries in the air.

She loved children and whenever she saw a baby carriage she would make a beeline for it. Often scaring the wits out of parents who only saw a big scary dog barreling toward their child. Any chance she got to lick a child or a man's beard, she would take.

Yes, she had her quirks and yes we spoiled her. From the day we brought her home, she had to have her head out the window while driving, or she would howl and howl. This made for some cold winter driving. But that damn dog won out most of the time.

She drove me crazy and I miss her everyday.

It's a New Day in Houston

2010-01-04T16:31:00.000-08:00

If it can happen in Texas, it can happen anywhere. Houston has a new mayor and she's a big ol' dyke. Check out her giving her partner a kiss after she is sworn in. Love it!

The Perfect Dinner Party

2010-01-03T22:15:00.000-08:00

This comes from our November/December column. If we could invite anyone in the world to dinner, this is who Lipstick and Dipstick would choose. What about you? Add you guests to the comments section below:
The Perfect Dinner Party—Five People We’d Like to Have Over For Dinner

DIPSTICK

Pat Summit, head coach of the Tennessee Lady Volunteers basketball team, the winningest coach in college basketball history, male or female. She might have to step out to take a call from a recruit.
Suzanne Westenhoefer, who is the funniest lesbian in America and will help keep conversation flowing (and will make jokes about Pat, while she’s out of the room).
Kate Kendell, head of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, who will inspire us to get active.
Michelle Obama, who will appreciate my homegrown organic salad and might get into a debate on DOMA with Kate and Rachel.
Rachel Maddow, who every lesbian in America (and plenty of straight folks, too) wants to sit next to. She’ll bring an excellent bottle of bourbon.

LIPSTICK

Rachel Maddow, political watchdog and host of MSNBC show, whose femme wife will tag along so we can discuss winter fashions.
Anne Murray, love song crooner/possible closet-dweller, who will break out into song in-between dinner and dessert.
Ellen Degeneres¸ animal advocate/talk show host, who will bring several mutts to entertain our dog Harvey during dinner. I’ll sit her next to Sarah McLachlan, as they’re best friends and probably haven’t seen each other in awhile.
Sarah MacLachlan¸ singer/songwriter, who lives nearby and can bring an Indian appetizer (her children are half East Indian). After some wine, maybe she’ll sing a duet with Anne by the roaring fire.
Wanda Sykes, comedian, who will appreciate the wine we’ve poured Sarah. “The David” from Del Dotto, a winery I saw Sykes at last summer in Napa Valley.

Excuse Me Sir

2009-12-30T11:40:00.000-08:00

I just found this great video on Youtube about butches that addresses some of the stereotypes. I really like it. What do you think?

Leadership, Obama Style...by Drew Westen

2009-12-29T08:08:00.000-08:00

This article is long, but worth the read. My friend Scott posted it on his Facebook and I thought I'd throw it up here. Emory University Professor Drew Westen, a contributor at the Huffinton Post, makes some well-constructed, well-thought arguments about Obama's first year in office. Have a look. It's makes you think.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/drew-westen/leadership-obama-style-an_b_398813.html