this is fyf

PRIDE 2011: BLOWOFF - Friday night at Highline Ballroom.

My friend, Amir, is really looking forward to this. He's never been and is in need of escort. He is smart, as can be evidenced by the following exchange between he and his boss:

Amir: "In Tel Aviv, if you see someone who's on steroids, you know he's gay. Here everyone is!" 

Boss: "Gay or on steroids?"

Amir: "Both!"

Besides being a quick study (he just moved here!), he's attractive, gainfully employed and single. He appreciates - very generally and non-offensively - an aesthetic in keeping with that being sold by the Bear/Not Bear guy.

Best comment on this post gets his number and an introduction tonight at The Highline Ballroom.

Happy Pride, Peeps!

Hey Ya'll. It's Pride.

The schedule's FILLED! Events OUT THE WAZOO (And in. And out. This IS Pride after all?!)! Tourists and trannies and thongs, oh my! Tellingly(?) Rod and I are both out of pocket this weekend. And yet, we're VERY proud, so...not sure what that fact tells.

Back to the calendar, there's so much to do you need to study up. Browse the FYF Calendar and make a list of your priorities. There's something - quite literally? - for everyone.

Speaking of something for everyone... Old-timers? Remember the track that kicks off this post? I would be willing to swear I had it as a cassingle. And I wore that shit OUT! U2's original? Major. Clivilles + Cole's techno remix? I LIVED!! Did you?

[For the purists and lovers, here's the full version. The track posted above is from the "Gladiator" movie soundtrack and is both shorter and has better sound quality than any full version I could find on YouTube.

U2's original track here (remember when they were young!? My GOD!).]

This weekend: Geminis must be twins or how else could there be so many!?

Birthdays, birthdays, BIRTHdays are what's happening, people! That's all this weekend seems to be scheduled with! I sound like I'm grousing, but - truth be told - happy birthday all you geminis! Especially my sister Tai Chi and other FYF loves: Solomon Greene, Eldin Johnston, Brian Toynes, Jason Anthony, Bill Pfeiffer and every other Gemini having their birthday party THE SAME FUCKING DAY (Saturday, in case you were wondering.)! Big love, duos! Being with you always feels like a threesome! And yes, each of those links are to an event page for their respective parties.

Tai's party will be in Central Park's Sheep Meadow like last year and promises to be a relaxing, fun-filled time (primarily because I'm in charge. See?). Meanwhile down at the docks, sorry...piers, Jason Anthony is - true to his twinned sign - pulling double-duty by hosting a good-hearted flash mob/love-in prior to his birthday lounge-on-the-grass that afternoon. Bring a song, a white t-shirt and a heart filled with love, 'k?

Tonight, as another Gemini enters his 30s (Happy Birthday Greg Lockard!), Viva Ruiz and Gavin Russom perform together as The Crystal Ark at Sugarhill Disco in Brooklyn for what promises to be a MAJOR night of music and performance. Also, Alberto Cortes makes music with his body.

There's also Clubber Down Disco (It's Honey's birthday, too!), a SPANK boatride and Mister Saturday Night tomorrow night and Folsom Street East Sunday, (just naming a few) so there's plenty to do regardless of how many Gemini's you know. Check the FYF Calendar for all your options and enjoy what'll hopefully be a sunny, warm weekend.

Again, Happy Birthday all you gems!

Limelight not in limelight enough; fails.

Perhaps the least surprising/unexpected news of the day -- much-ballyhooed Limelight Marketplace is not making it as a mall, but will be re-renovated to become a single department store its developer/operator optimistically compares to Barney's.

Note: this absolutely nothing to do with Jesus, nor am I comparing the operator to him in any way. It's just an allusion (pointless, but allusive all the same.).

Use us. Please. We like it...

 

Celebrating May Day by listening to a BIMBO (Jones) WERK-ing it (Labour Day. Get it?) at Amnesia NYC? Use our discount code (FYF) to get tickets (That banner just to the right --> takes you where you need to go to purchase tickets) and get $5 off.

Here's a May Day mix to inspire you (we hope!) courtesy of Freemasons:

May Day Mix - Freemasons

Rawhide is a safer place to eat than Elmo, Hiro, or Cafeteria according to NYC DOH.

Have you been obsessively checking some of your favorite restaurants and bars to see if they've been graded by the city Department of Health?  FYF pal Mister D has and here are some of his findings:

• Rawhide (B+, 14 violations)
• Rocking Horse (B, 19 violations)
• Tipsy Parson (B-, 22 violations)
• Julius (B, 17 violations)
• Hiro (C, 36 violations!)
• Bar Pitti (B, 20 violations)
• Elmo  (C)
• Nooch (C-)
• Cafeteria (B, 23 health violations)
• Morans (B--, 27!)
• Half King (B--, 27...EW!)
• Malibu Diner (C----- with 45 health violations.)

Obviously, this is Chelsea-centric.  We'll take a look around the city all this week.

What to do (from now 'til MLK Day)

Courage and Dignity look good on any man.

It's only Wednesday and I've already got your nights planned for the rest of the week and weekend! As we've said before, FYF = service-y!

So tonight, there's BASSMENT - a weekly party that takes place at King's Cross (formerly The Slide) with regular DJs/hosts Jools Palmer and Dirty Jean. The space (and party) is small and intimate but bound to be packed as this week, Kim Ann Foxman of Hercules & Love Affair fame and Silvia Prada, of Barcelona party “Club Tropicana” are the guests (DJs) of honor. Lesbians and H&LA fans, LIVE!

A few blocks over, East Village dandy/flaneur (who only sleeps in Brooklyn) Kevin Fernandez celebrates his birthday with drinks at his permanent haunt, GOOD TIMES at Eastern Bloc. His look will undoubtedly surprise and most likely be both slutty AND matronly (a difficult balance to pull off!)?!

This is New York, so…another night, another new (gay) party, right? It can seem that way, but – despite signs of an impending influx – there’s almost been a drought for the gays here of late! First sign of the apocalypse coming wave? Thursday night (the 13th) is the opening night party for JOHNNY, a new weekly at Liberty Hall under The Ace Hotel on Thursdays. The Ace is psyched to be hosting their first Gay party, as are we that they’re hosting (now if they can get The Breslin to cater…?). DJ Kevin Graves starts things off with Johnny “Daddy” Dynell next week and Josh Sparber the following.

That drought I mentioned? Lots of party closings added to the feeling, but SNAXX – the "Foxy, Furry, Friendly" Friday bi-weekly in the basement of Westside Tavern – held out for going on eight years now. They’re still not closing, either...they’re evolving…taking the party from one venue (sans actual dancefloor) to another (The Monster! WITH dancefloor!) and changing the format up: it will now be a monthly Tea dance affair. Their new motto: Tea is the Time, is not only declarative, it’s educational; reminding queens Tea is not necessarily a type of music, but rather a time of day.

After hosting one last night in the old venue using the old format this Friday night (the 14th), half the SNAXX DJ Duo – Rich King – joins Mark Louque to spin at Mid-Atlantic Leather in D.C. on Saturday night.

Here Saturday night, Mister Saturday Night (Eamon Harkin and Justin Carter) teams up with the Spank boys for a truly mixed, truly underground loft style “all-about-the-music” dance situation at Ft. Greene’s 12-turn-13 loft space. Mister Saturday Night explains – “For our first party of the year, we're doing a special collaboration with a set of DJs who call their jam 'Spank'. […] They, and we, have been longing for a truly mixed party for years, and so we decided we'd make it happen. NEW YORK, JUST LIKE I PICTURED IT is what we're calling it. That's not a nod to some bygone era, but a statement that we're making New York what we want it to be right now. (It is still possible, no matter what anyone tells you.)”
Can I get a a-MEN?

Speaking of nods to a bygone era…or to making New York yourself what you want to be, Mr. Christopher Ciccone will be appearing at Saturday night’s CLUB 57 with Madonna impersonator non-pareil Melissa Totten as part of DJ Escape’s birthday celebration.

Last Saturday’s EuroCHERYL was the last for a few months here in New York (haven’t heard of CHERYL? Maybe cuz it’s a Brooklyn thing. ;)) as they are setting off on the CHERYL World Domination Tour (of Europe) to further their controversial post-gay agenda of "pansexual integration, complete loss of inhibition and pretentiousness, and maximum glitter inhalation.”. They’ll hit Barcelona, Berlin, Lisbon and London with DJ Mark Louque joining them in Barcelona and Berlin. Mr. Louque was just deported from Canada due to his involvement with the CHERYL movement! (No. Not why, but he was deported! …Bad ass.)

Michael T. is a legend and a bad ass, particularly onstage with his band The Vanities (or any other band/performer who asks him to join them onstage!)! Sunday night marks both Mr. T’s birthday and the fifth installment of his party, OH! YOU PRETTY THINGS’, a glam rock jubilee in homage to David Bowie in honor of Mr. Bowie’s 64th. Oh! You Pretty Things! is always mind-blowingly great in a way unlike any other nightlife event I've experienced; it's truly a SHOW. Michael T. and his crew TURN IT OUT. Expect great glam rock performances from a mélange of live music performers/tribute artists backed by a 22 member chamber orchestra(!!), a late night performance from the Daisy Spurs, a late LATE night costume contest (give your best Bowie!) and DJs W. Jeremy (House of Stank) and Bill Coleman (Peace Bisquit) spinning it up throughout. At Le Poisson Rouge.

On Monday, SCRUFF says goodbye to host Mike Dreyden who is leaving NYC for LA to become Director of Operations and Social Media for Instigator Magazine. He’s also launching a new website (www.mikedreyden.net), maintaining a blog (www.mikedreyden.blogspot.com)  AND continuing his career in pr0n so – not sure what more needs instigating?? Still, I’m sure he’ll be a tremendous asset to the publication! All the best over there, Mike!

Also Monday night, DJ Lina kicks off a new weekly at Tillman’s - on 26th between 6th and 7th - called SUGAR COOKIES. The space is great from what I remember, lounge-y with a speakeasy vibe…kind of perfectly Lina-esque. They also had really great mac-and-cheese on the menu then and I’d imagine if you get there on the early side, it’ll still be on offer!

Being it's a holiday weekend, I'm sure there's some circuit-y thing happening, too.

Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (well in advance!)!

Speaking of birthdays...

Some good buddies of FYF are celebrating this weekend and just so happen to be hosting parties that all our readers are welcome to attend! How generous! Unfortunately, all hell is breaking loose in the computer/Google Calendar/my work email world and nothing works right, so the FYF Calendar is (finally) fully, freshly fucked (Update: er...I think I got it sorted?). Because of this, I'll be going old school and hot-linking parties to their Facebook invites in the posts to follow (and this one...and the previous one about Sugar Daddy.).

But back to friends' birthdays...

First, Mr. Erick Ruales turns a dry-aged and mellow 34 on the dancefloor at Clubber Down Disco under the Chelsea Hotel and hosted by FYF Sister Tai Chi and La Ladyfag...spun right 'round by Ms. Honey Dijon!

Come Sunday, Mr. Desi Santiago a/k/a Desi Monster will return to his "disco dungeon" at Vandam where La Lady hosts once again and he and DJ Will Automagic celebrate their birthdays in conjunction with Vandam's 3rd Anniversary (Shocked it's been that long!?).

So...FYF wishes you all a very happy birthday...and best wishes for many more!

A man of a certain age...

He's 1, actually! Here you may have thought a true Daddy would've stopped celebrating birthdays altogether, but THIS Daddy...one SUGAR Daddy (the best kind?), is celebrating his first birthday tomorrow night at Rush. Some regular patrons have decided to give Mama her due as well and are crashing the festivities in drag, dubbing their efforts...guess!...SUGAR MAMA!

Rush is on Sixth Avenue between 16th and 17th. You know...around the corner from Splash!!

Sugar Daddy is Gustavo Motta and Bill Pfeiffer workin' them turntables (or disc changers?) and Paul Short hosting the hell out of the second floor.

Check out the line-up of classic Daddies in the video/music promo below:

 

This weekend: 1) Stay Warm 2) See below

Reindeer games, indeed!

Tonight, shop at Limelight with Next Magazine, bring a new toy for the toy drive at David Barton - Astor Place, check out Justin Bond and the Pixie Harlots in Christmas Spells at The Abrons Arts Center and then press to the function at The Chelsea Hotel...Clubber Down Disco, I mean. There's also the aforementioned grand opening of Uncut out in Queens (very Krash circa 2001?).

Tomorrow, don your best Santa suit and join the drunken hordes of Santacon. Make them all stop in at Art Jamboree #3 and buy stuff from your talented artist friends. Later, if you missed Justin and her harlots, they're on again tonight (and until the 18th, in fact! Don't sleep though...they may sell out - or be already!). Afterward, there's a swirl of parties to decide amongst...from Sugar Daddy (see Paul Short's promo photo above.) to Family Function; from Mister Saturday Night to Spank Actions 3-D: Spank's 3 year Anniversary, and from Cheryl: WYZZRD BLYZZRD to Miracle on 36th Street with Steve Travolta, Quentin Harris, Cevin Fisher and DJ MSG and the New York Cares Coat Drive. Choose wisely!

Specially for the hefty set, Bearracuda hits New York for the first time tonight, as well. Apparently, it's the next Blow-off? Better? Something.

Sunday, the Art Jamboree and Justin Bond continue, while Griffin Sundays and 718 Sessions help you keep your blood moving (unless you're too busy posing?).

And that, my friends, is what to do this - the first truly cold weekend of the winter.

For more, hit the FYF Calendar.

What to do: this weekend

This.

First? It's cold. Bundle up...and I'm not even saying that 'cuz I'll be doing coat-check at Snaxx (Westside Tavern. All the way to the back. See you at 10pm? 10:30? 11? Come when you're ready.).

Not this.

Earlier, there's a Toys for Tots thing that's not Toys for Tots -- however that works (The organizers were scolded by the Marines for calling it that, apparently?), and this Toys for Tots thing that's not allowed to be called Toys for Tots is THE place to see and be seen from what I hear...sort of like Cherry's in Cherry Grove?

Like Cherry's, it's a wonderful place to get a drink - the event is one long open bar...though every open bar I've ever been to has actually been a pretty fucking miserable place to get a drink because of all the queens crowding, elbowing and generally giving all kinds of entitled realness effeckssscksckss trying to get their measly shot glass of juice w/ splash of vodka.

Wait...did I mention there's an open (beer) bar at Snaxx from 10-11pm? No? Well there is and...ignore what I just said about open bars, 'k? Seriously, if there's an open bar I WILL go to, it's Snaxx'. 

Also, I've never been to the Not-Toys-for-Tots-"Toys for Tots" event myself, so you really shouldn't base any of your expectations about the event or the attendees on anything I've said. Clear?

Ok. So there's NTFTTFT, Snaxx...and Clubber Down Disco under the Chelsea Hotel with Ryan Smith at the door and my partner-in-crime(s committed long ago) Tai Chi inside. I'm not sure who's spinning tonight, but it doesn't really matter cuz they'll play disco and it'll be cute and that's that.

What else? Let's see...there's Paul Alexander (The Ones) MC-ing again (you know he was one of the MC's for the famed Jackie 60 parties back in the day at Mother?) at a party at Sugarland with DJ Emjay (He of Wonderbar and Starlight fame). 

Also in Williamsburg, Mondo returns just in time for FYF Friend and Fashion contributor Kiger Hansen's birthday. He'll be celebrating Mondo-style (does he do anything any other way?).

If you walk for body, head over to Splash and enter to win $250 at the F*Word in their stripper contest. James Anderson has a new(-ish...I think it's the second one?) party at The Monster, and Gumbo hosts the first of two parties this weekend - this one in DUMBO, Sunday's down in Miami!

There's stuff tomorrow, including Cheryl at Brooklyn Museum's Free Saturdays, a coat/clothing drive at Excelsior in Park Slope, a Hanukkah Pink Mafia for media networking at Julius', Xanadude on Ice at Public Assembly Loft and FYF Contributor Dave Huge's A Very Collider Christmas at Stonewall, and Sunday...but I really don't have to tell you about them, do I? You know to look at the FYF Calendar for more/details by now, surely!

Regardless, stay warm and have a great weekend!

Going out? Here's some things you might do...

Like Rod, who feels empowered to do anything this weekend (by Cher), last week, people felt they could "be" anybody...or at least look like them. You could be Snooki (and were hopefully punched if you were? Though you gotta admit, Vinny dressing as Snooki is kind of meta?) or Daphne from Scooby-Doo or even a fucking graffiti artist's comment on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict!? The possibilities were endless!

Tonight too, you can do nearly anything and be nearly anyone if you so desire. This IS New York and, while the ability to blend in and/or remain anonymous and thus change up your personality at will isn't limited to ONLY this city, it's certainly a place where that option is readily available to you.

Sure the aftermath of Tuesday is, and will be, a bitch, but let's end this week on as high a note as possible, shall we? And I mean high in spirits, just to be clear (though what you do with your money, your time and your chemical receptors is entirely up to you, as is all this other we're mentioning.).

So...here's some stuff going down this weekend:

TONIGHT (Friday) -

A comedy about Muslim terrorists opens tonight at Angelika Film Center and the director, Chris Morris, will be in attendance at evening performances (7:20 and 9:45) both tonight and tomorrow. Sounds a mite offensive, no? Rumor is, Mr. Morris started to make a drama and was given access to tapped calls made by alleged terrorists plotting to bomb different targets and ended up making the film a comedy after having heard how often the plans were unbelievably absurd and hilariously stupid. Check FYF's Calendar for a link to the trailer, etc.

Clubber Down Disco and Snaxx make it a one-two punch on West 23rd Street again. Clubber Down's under the Chelsea Hotel (now up for sale!?) while Snaxx is across 8th Ave under the Westside Tavern. Fun stuff, either one.

Downtown a bit, DJ James Anderson returns to the city with a regular gig at The Monster, every Friday. 

Many more to be found by checking the FYF Calendar, including FriskyDisco, Mister Saturday Night (tomorrow night, obviously), Banzai!!! (kooky fun, also tomorrow), Vandam with Lady Miss Kier (Sunday), 718 Sessions (Danny Krivit spins on Sunday), Griffin Sundays (scream it, girl!), Beetlejuice (Sunday), etc.

Whatever you do, have a great weekend!

What are you doing for Hallowe'en?

Yes. That IS a Labryinth t-shirt!

What are you going to be (I still haven't a clue, but it's not likely to be either Luke Perry or David Bowie in Labyrinth.)?

Ancient Celts believed the membrane separating this world and the underworld, or afterlife, became thin and was breached by various spirits on All Hallow's Eve (they traditionally called it Samhain, I believe?). See, Samhain is believed to have marked summer's end (the word derives from the phrase for that in Old Irish, supposedly.), and the border between the "light" part of the year and the "dark" part may have seemed related to a thinning of this barrier between worlds.  The spirits who came through could be harmless, but were also potentially harmful. Costumes were worn both as a means to confuse the harmful spirits and - by young men - to symbolize the spirits of family who had crossed over, that viewers might remember those who had passed and respect their memory.

So...what are you going to wear?

Regardless, here's what you might want to do:

FRIDAY (Tonight):

Ladyfag's new Clubber Down Disco returns for its second night with Honey Dijon DJing and Tai Chi, One-Half Nelson and Casey Spooner hosting. Ryan Smith at the door, whore! Word to the wise? Arrive on the early side. There's more than one reward (i.e. - entrance) awaiting you if you do.

Similarly, Mr. Rich King and Mr. Gustavo Motta offer incentive to arrive to their Snaxx shindig early. They'll be wigging out (as you should be!) but the beer will be free (from 10pm - 11pm)! Also popcorn, peanuts and a surprise!

Uptown at mine and Tai's (well, EVERYone's) old haunt - Rebel - Peter Rauhofer and the WORK! crew (DJs Corey Craig & Nita Aviance spin upstairs and Ms. Roze BLACK is BACK hosting the party!) throw a night of Hallo-weenie craziness.

Bana is back, but they've been kicked out of their Downtown Fulton Street baths location at the last minute so are moving the VIP portion of the party out to Brooklyn to the site of the original banya party several years ago that kicked the whole shebang off. The baths there are SITTing, is all I'll say. Oh and transportation is provided (via go-go equipped...or equipped go-go? party bus.) from 15th and 8th Avenue (in front of Starbucks) three times: 11pm, 12am, and 1am with two return trips at 3am and 4am. I think you may have to already have a ticket to ride the bus, so hit up the website for full information and the ticket purchase link.

There's (what seems like) a thousand other options, as well. Find the FYF Calendar for those.

What you wanna do this weekend...

Hey kids! Tonight's predicted to be a blustery one. Don't get flustery however! Here's what to do tonight and the rest of this weekend:

Tonight, (now, actually!) it's all about cute and smart as Mary Literary Quarterly drops it's new issue at Pearl Lounge (not Pearl River) in the heart of "Old" Chelsea (it's not the gay ghetto it once was, is all I mean.). Later, cute and smart continues at Union Hall as Eliot Glazer provides running commentary on a screening of "Riding the Bus with My Sister".

Speaking of cute gays with glasses, the party continues at Bedlam on Ave. C where manly manager Sam hosts and Greg K. and Nicolette see to your entertainment. Should you be seeking something a little more seedy, back over in the numbered avenues (2nd to be precise), Eddie and Stuart Black resolutely contribute to The Cock's infamy with Black Cock (every Friday!).

Tomorrow night, Spank LIVE takes place out in my hood at Littlefield (a truly beautiful space!) and involves pretty much every talented gay (and some not so) out there?! Milan and DaLipstyxx, The Dazzle Dancers, Gio Black Peter, Perfidia...the list goes on! Art by Scooter LaForge, too!

Meanwhile, back over in Chelsea (have you seen it Lately?), Sugar Daddy holds a Game Show Edition. Need I say everyone'll be a winner? Paul Short'll see to that. Gustavo and Bill Pfeiffer provide tunes/themes/gongs.  See video below and BE INSPIRED!

 

Finally...Sunday...major stuff happens elsewhere (Horse Meat Disco 7 year anniversary in London; Patrick Cowley's birthday in San Fran with the Honey boys) but here you can rave silently in Times Square with ex-Mr. Black and current Boiler Room bartender Russell or sample some of DJ Chauncey's  Kielbasa over in (the) Eastern Bloc. 

Also Sunday night, FYF Friend Xavier gives a rare concert with full band at Cameo Gallery in Williamsburg that - at $5 - is worth every cent! He's got a record coming out this fall of Arthur's Landing's "Is It All Over My Face" with Hercules & Love Affair's Nomi Ruiz, so look for that as well. No, I DON'T think the $5 covers that, too. Bitch gotta eat, ok??

P.S. - I think he's a batter.

Check the FYF Calendar for more events and complete details.

What you wanna do is this...

As with most holiday weekends, big parties are happening on this one, but I don't mean Alegria or any of its ilk. Instead, this weekend brings us both Click + Drag 3.2 and Bowie Ball, both at Santos Party House and both serious as hell (for parties) about making it a night to remember.  Are you good at giving looks? You'll want for no greater trying ground. 

Tonight, Snaxx is celebrating Oktoberfest in the best possible way: shoving sausage in your mouth. At the same time, Ryan Smith and Ron Like Hell bring Rocket back as a bar party once again over in Greenpoint, and DJ Steve Travolta lays down his soulful, make-your-body-move mixes at 128 Houston Street, week 2!

Besides the Bowie Ball on Sunday, there's Gant Johnson and Austin Downey's 10/10/10 - Tens Across the Board! at Bedlam (that new bar on Ave. C we've mentioned a couple of times?) inviting you to bring it to the runway and Griffin Sundays giving old school faghag: not necessarily the most photogenic, but always a lot of fun. 

Speaking of the young ones, here's a party description I recommend you get in to: "Per usual, CHICKENBEAR is the place to hunt down your ever elusive panthermule, piranhadeer, pandashrimp, et al."  Sadly, this party (and the enticing animal combos it promises) is all the way out in San Francisco or I'd make an appearance just to congratulate the organizers on their timeliness. Why timely? It's a very 2010 feeling, kids...the in-between; the not-just-one thing; the multi-layered. In the next few months until it's over, take full advantage!

Also? James Bidgood at Queer/Art/Film Monday! Check the FYF Calendar for...everything.

Civilization Progress Report: "And this is why India can't have nice things."

Picture via Random Specific

After I got home from work last night, my mom called me and we got to discussing the Commonwealth Games, which, according to Wikipedia, is just like the Olympics, only America's not invited to the party. Which makes sense, I suppose, as America doesn't make a past-time out of activities like rugby and netball. Late 2009, the Indian capital of New Delhi embarked on a bold urban renewal project in order to prepare for its turn at hosting the games this year. But since no one could really get their act together in the nearly eight months that ensued, preparations for the games crumbled into an incomplete mess of half-finished venues and swarms of mosquitoes carrying dengue fever. This is giving officials from other countries cold feet about moving forward. But as someone who's fallen in love with a country whose labor force is always striking for one reason or another, I merely remarked to my mom, "And this is why India can't have nice things,"¹ and we defected to more relevant topics like calorie-counting. Which is essentially to say, dear readers, that this week we learned well why no particular slice of the world--except for Lucy Lawless' native New Zealand--deserves nice things at all.

• So, yes, more details re: how slow-to-stalled Commonwealth Games-related construction is accelerating the spread of dengue fever throughout Delhi. [WSJ]

• FASTER THAN A FACEBOOK STATUS Not-at-all flailing auto manufacturer GM encourages all drivers to simultaneously update their Facebook statuses while gunning the gas pedal. [Consumerist]

This weekend... (Well...Thursday night, actually.)

So tonight's a busy one (even Rod's posting shit to do!) and I wanted to write up a quickie outlining all that's going on (well, maybe not ALL) just for tonight as they're all pretty near and dear to my heart (or some body part...) so I wanna give 'em a push all their own!

First, there's two art openings: one's a group show of art by former and current staff of 303 Gallery at the gallery's space in Chelsea. Walt Cassidy (f/k/a Walt Paper) has a piece in the show - called "Closed for Installation" - and is the reason I mention it/know about it. It's an early one (5 - 7:30pm) which leaves you plenty of time to hit the second opening, Justin Russo's "Who's No Lady?" - featuring NYC Drag favorites such as Sherry Vine, Varla Jean Merman and Joey Arias - at XES Lounge a few blocks away (8pm - ).

Later, DJ Nita celebrates her birthday in grand style by having 8 DJs join her for her birthday Beatdown at Santos Party House, including Michael Magnan, Gant Johnson, Josh Sparber, Christy Love, SPANK (Will and Sean B.), Sammy Jo, JohnJohn Fields and Ryan McKnight (11pm).

Special Mention: The exquisitely named Pussy Faggot! and Sodomighty parties are also tonight and also involve people close to my heart. Jools Palmer and Dirty Jean, as well as Leo Herrera and HOUSE OF LADOSHA! (TWERK!) among (many) others are part of Pussy Faggot! (8pm) while DJ Chauncey D holds it down for his party, Sodomighty (10pm).

New York is the donut capital of the world.

 
 A similar proclamation was made on A Continuous Lean, but declaring Los Angeles as the capital, apparently because their lead donut shop has a big iconic sign.  We also have a donut shop with an iconic (and far less size-queeny) sign.  More than a sign though, it's a long-standing shop with fantastic donuts.

Undoubtably, you've passed by  The Donut Pub innumerable times.  The heft of the other retail signage around semi-obscures it near the corner of Fourteenth Street and Seventh Avenue.  Further damage is done by ubiquitous chain Dunkin Donuts being nearby.

Regularly reviewed with five stars on a variety of sites, the business has been serving up donutty goodness for over forty years.  And yet?  Because of its lower profile, it's new to me.  Had I not made a mistake, I would have never known it existed.

A few months back I made the mistake of planning to meet a friend at ten on a Saturday morning.  I ran late, but arrived at Fourteenth and Seventh.  "Do you want to see the apartment where I'm dog-sitting?" was my clue that my friend was also running late.  Making a quick judgement of the building, the decision was to wait outside.  "Mmmkay.  Taking a quick shower."  Although we were meeting for breakfast, I knew that this was going to be a long wait.

Looking around, The Donut Pub caught my eye.  I sat down for a coffee and asked the wise-looking woman at the counter what to have.  "Red Velvet glazed, sugar."  She placed it down in front of me and suddenly I was in donut heaven.  

Dunkin' Donuts had done the job over the years of teaching me  to dislike the lumpy artificially-flavored bits they called donuts.  The red velvet donut was light and the flavors subtle, yet solid.  "You want another, don't ya, sweetie?"  She was right, and I did, but my friend was finally primped and ready to go, so I was off.  I've been a fan ever since.

Now I've never been to Los Angeles, so I can't compare and contrast here, but Donut Pub serves it up so nicely and simply, I can't really imagine Randy's being competition.  So, cultural tyrants that we are as New Yorkers, I think's safe to say that New York is the true donut capital of the world.

Image via roboppy's flickr. 

This weekend...

Queens Pride is this weekend!

So...if you haven't been keeping up on Facebook/wherever...there's a (VIRULENT!) rumor that Ms. Minogue will make an appearance at the F Word's reactivation at Splash tonight. Personally? It all sounds too much like a PR wet dream, but I look forward to receiving first hand reports/twits/stat updates! Question though...why do these pop princesses ONLY show up at Splash?! Used to be the Roxy was the spot, now it's Splash?! What's the common element here, gayleuths? Give us the tea!

Pyromaniacs, hose lovers and hotties at Pyrophilia in deepest Greenpoint tonight. The venue is t.b.d Bar and sounds super cute! Part of an ongoing series from The Blood Dumpster. Sounds very Dexter!

Also in the wilds of Brooklyn (Deepest Bushwick to be exact), Mark Louque and Miss Pappas bring you XOO at Tandem Bar with special guest Michael Magnan. Crunchy, crusty fun!

On the opposite side of town and with (perhaps?) a little less edge/crunch, but as much soul/steeping (makes a good tea!), Snaxx at Westside Tavern (Back of the bar, down the stairs...DANCE!) is earthside on its bi-weekly transit.

Just up 8th Avenue, who knew Upright Citizens' Brigade was up so late!? Funny folkster Ben Lerman performs with t h i n s k i n j o n n y. Funny songs is what you'll hear. Funny ha ha. 11:30pm is showtime!

The weekend continues below...

This weekend...(WHOA!) - Memorial Day Edition, Part 3

  

Memorial Day Weekend 2010! How's everyone holding out? Well? Good.

There's still two nights and two days left to go, though, so...let's get back into it, shall we?

Recurring (Weekly/Bi-Weekly/Even Monthly) - 

Tonight (Saturday): 

Crisis on Eighth Avenue! is "Dressed to Kill"...literally. Come in uniform/Full Metal Jacket/full military regalia for tonight's celebration of seamen everywhere...and also Gustavo. (1opm, Elevate)

Double-Headed Disco is doing double duty hosting double birthday drinks/affairs for Michael Ventolo and Paul Vitale. The theme is Solid Gold and - being that these kids know how to use a prop - I'm bettin' there'll be gold-plated train/tunnel action for two for your NERVE!  (10pm, Nowhere Bar)

Feeling patriotic thinking of all those seamen? I have no doubt ONE of the dozen+ dancers at P3LIGRO tonight will be sporting a flag g-string. It's nearly a given! So what if it's a PUERTO RICAN flag? It'll be stirring (Note I never said your heart) regardless. (10pm, Element)

Over at Woody's where P3LIGRO was once known as Caramelo, Ladyfag hosts a more Family (oriented) Function. Jason The Black Teenwolf takes pics and Michael Magnan spins. (10pm)

Click thru for the rest of the weekend, including a special one-off happening tonight...