Scot’s butt is on the line… literally, at the Prime Meridian in Greenwich England.
Should I feel a certain way about this?
So, Neil Patrick Harris is gay. We all know this. We all know that he’s also one of our current “it boys” — seemingly able to do no wrong whether he’s playing straight on TV (How I Met Your Mother) or at the movies (Harold & Kumar) or doing the song and dance thing with Joss Whedon (Dr. Horrible’s Sing-along Blog) or whatever he wants to do. So why is there now this little backlash over at Gawker stating that’s he’s “too straight?” More, why am I hearing about it for the first time on one of my comics blogs where the Occasional Superheroine takes issues with Gawker’s post? Both sides actually have merit to their argument, and I am at a loss as to where I fall. Guess it depends on the time of day. Bravo for Mr. Harris’ success, and it’s always nice to see more successful gay people in the entertainment business. And come on, he looks pretty hot on that Out Magazine cover.
What will they think of next?, or the lengths marketers will go to…
As you’ve probably noticed, I don’t post as much as Scottie does, but every once in a while I see something that I just have to share.
First there was Vulva (totally not safe for work, but truly a must-see website. Don’t skip the video) the original scent of a woman… and now we’ve got Bálla powder, on sale at, of all places, Amazon.com (you know, the online bookstore?) This talc powder is designed to keep your scrotum silky-dry, smooth, and fresh-smelling. Really. Now I’m a fan of a dry, smooth, aromatic scortum as much as the next guy, but I’m not sure if a special powder is needed to do the job. Here are a couple of excerpts from the product features list on its Amazon page:
- For “nether region” freshness
- Also great for sweaty buttocks, armpits and feet
Better yet, here’s the product description from Amazon:
Balla Powder for Men is the ideal anti-chafing and anti-wetness solution for clammy sacks. Guaranteed to prevent the dreaded “bat wing” syndrome, Balla Powder for Men is lightly scented with a masculine fragrance, for anyone else who plans to work in your close quarters. Can be sprinkled into your fudgies for all-day-long comfort and dryness. A fabulous post-workout treatment, Balla Powder for Men can also be used between your cheeks, as well as on fetid feet and aromatic armpits.
Tell me truly, do you spend a lot of time worrying about the dreaded “bat wing” syndrome? And what’s the matter with good old baby powder if this is really an issue? Of course, this product does come in original, fragrance free and “tingle” formula. Hmmm. Well, Scottie’s birthday is coming up in August, and I’ve been trying to think of something unique to get for him (and it’s only $15). This just might do the trick.
Neil Gaiman’s THE GRAVEYARD BOOK is a winner!
The Graveyard Book is Neil Gaiman’s latest work for children coming out in September. Now I don’t remember what it was like to be 10 or 11, but his man in his forties loved this novel. No one writes books with appeal to all ages as well as Neil Gaiman. Borrowing a concept from Kipling’s The Jungle Book, which tells the story of an orphan raised in the jungle, The Graveyard Book features a toddler who wanders out of the house and into the graveyard after his family is brutally murdered, and is raised by the spirits and others beings who live there.
Young Bod (short for Nobody) is adopted by Mr. and Mrs. Owens, a kindly couple who died childless, and watched over by Silas, a mysterious and powerful being who is neither alive nor dead. Bod learns the secrets of the graveyard, and things no living beings know. As he grows up, he begins to encounter the living from time to time, and a curiosity is sparked. All the while, Jack, the man who murdered his family, is hoping to correct his failure by finding and finishing of Bod as well.
Gaiman populates The Graveyard Book with all the sorts of mystical and fantastic creatures he is known for. Silas’ wonderful, Eastern European substitute guardian Miss Luprescu is surely my favorite, but from ghouls to witches and other denizens of the dead, there is something to astound and capture everyone’s imagination. Watch for this one when it’s published in September.
Of course, friends of mine will know I’ve got a long-standing admiration for Mr. Gaiman, and about a month ago, while attending BookExpo America in Los Angeles, I was able to meet and hang out with Mr. Gaiman not once, but twice! The second time I even was so bold as to ask to have my picture taken with him. It was a geeky thing to do, and I’m smiling way too hard in the photo, but at least I hvae it. I’ve been reading Neil’s work since the 80’s when he broke into comics at DC with the Black Orchid miniseries. Shortly after that Neil began what has become arguably his most popular work, The Sandman. His work as a novelist began with the riotously fun Good Omens, co-written by Terry Pratchett. He has since hit the NYT bestsellers’ list on his own with the titles American Gods and The Anansi Boys. He has done screenplay work for such films as PRINCESS MONONOKE, MIRRORMASK, and BEOWULF. His young adult novel Coraline has been adapted for the screen and is due out later this year.
A Round-Up of Recent Reads
Of Men and Their Mothers by Mameve Medwed – “Medwed writes with clarity and humor, and even as Maisie’s life seems to falling apart around her, we never worry too much, because things always seem to work out for the best in a Medwed novel. But what makes her work so satisfying is that those happy endings are never cheap or unearned. Maisie works hard for her happy life, and we can do naught but cheer her on when she makes it.”
Dust by Elizabeth Bear – “Bear is adept at writing big, complex sci fi sagas such as this. She also ignores convention with regard to sexuality and relationships, having her characters love come in varied forms. Bear is clearly talented, but some of she may be mixing in a few too many elements, cluttering her story to the point of distraction.”
The Perfect Waiter by Alain Claude Sulzer – “There is a lot of restraint on display, and plenty of control just waiting to snap. Sulzer and his translator John Brownjohn do a great job with language to convey the conflicting desires simmering just under the surface of these characters.”
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein – “Garth writes the family relationships and the emotional scenes nicely, which is why so many people respond to the novel and why people are calling it a tear-jerker. While Enzo and Denny are bonded, my favorite part of the book was the way Enzo’s relationship with Eve develops. It’s tentative at first, yet grows into some of the most powerful moments in the novel.”
The House on Fortune Street by Margot Livesey – “Livesey has a strong sense of place (the book takes place in London, Edinburgh, and across the British countryside) and character, and weaves a powerfully emotional story as well. For adult drama, Livesey is master.”
Andorra by Peter Cameron – “Cameron has created a marvelous batch of eccentric characters around whom sadness seems to hover like a vapor. There are moments of brilliant honesty even as secrets are kept close to the heart, and moments of sublime revelation. Andorra makes an already sparkling body of work including The Weekend, The City of My Final Destination and Someday This Pain will be Useful to You shine even brighter.”
The Somnambulist by Jonathan Barnes – “Ultimately striving for a Neil Gaimanesque dark fantasy, The Somnambulist misses more than it hits, but judging from the first third of this tale, there’s some real talent there.”
The Thief Queen’s Daughter by Elizabeth Haydon – “Fantasy series have to work really hard to keep me engaged nowadays, and I’m pleased to say that Haydon’s The Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme has me hook, line and sinker.”