Get Outta Here 2009, It's Time For 2010!

Happy New Year, everyone! Here at ModFab HQ, we're getting ready to watch the ball drop, so I thought I'd wish everyone in ModFab Nation a great 2010. I'm raising a glass to you! (Well, maybe more than one glass, truthfully.)

I'm not really making resolutions, per se, but I have thought a bit about the changes ahead. Here are the things I'm thinking about, as we say goodbye to 2009:

Things I Did in 2009 That I Am Thrilled About:

- I turned 40. And so far, I really like my forties. ;-) I lost more weight, got my first tan in ten years, and after nearly two decades, my marriage is better than it's ever been. (Mr. ModFab, I salute you!)

- I traveled. Went to Georgia to see the 'rents, then hit London for a 24-hour blast (with Cal and Raj!) Spent a week in Bulgaria, learning a new language and seeing spectacular art.

- I improved my health. I continued the weight loss, brought my cholesterol down, found a fabulous new gay doctor, and most importantly, went from being pre-diabetic to having no threat of diabetes at all!

- I survived the downturn. Kept my tiny little arts non-profit alive and functioning through the worst economic disaster for cultural groups in fifty years.

- I became a photographer. Which has been more enjoyable, creative, fulfilling, and exciting that I ever imagined it could be.

- Managed to blog in a healthy way. Yes, many of you wish I were still posting daily, but my psyche is really glad that I'm not. ;-)

Things I Did In 2009 That I Do Not Want To Do Ever Again:

- Letting people go at work. When the bottom fell out of the economy last year, all arts groups suffered pain, and many closed their doors. My office had to have a staff reorganization that meant some very talented people had their jobs eliminated. Losing good, honest, hardworking people because of money trouble is the worst feeling in the world, and I resolve never to do it again.

- Feel guilty about work. My residual guilt over the staff reduction meant that I let some of my remaining staff take advantage of me -- behaving unprofessionally, disrespecting me personally, and doing sub-par work. It's my goal, and my promise, to expect 100% and nothing less next year. (Those who read my blog...you have been warned, I'm back. ;-)

- Putting my weight loss on the back burner. After having a lot of success in 2008, I dropped the ball in the middle of 2009...didn't gain, but haven't lost a lot more since. I already got back on track in December, and I am going to keep it up in 2010.

- Letting the art go soft. My current theatre projects -- a play about Gilgamesh, a play based on a Genet novel, and my own long-gestating writing project -- spent most of 2009 slogging through rewrites, workshops, and development hell. All of them need to see the light of day, on a stage, somewhere, in 2010. And although the poetry collection is written and editing is underway, I also need to make sure it gets over the finish line.

- Watching my hair make its inexorable slide to silver. Yes, I should be thankful that I'm not bald. (Both my father and grandfather were by my age.) But vanity doesn't allow half-measures, so I'm considering getting the gray areas dyed in 2010. I wish I had that sexy silver fox, George Clooney thing happening. Or like A Strange Interlude, who wears his gray exceptionally well. But I don't. I just look old.

And you? What will you do to make 2010 modern and fabulous?

ModFabulous: The Best Films of the Decade

The first decade of the new millennium...what shall we call it? Does it even deserve its own monicker, like "the Gay 90's," the Roaring 20's," or the "Me Decade"? Possibly...the rise of global economy (and that of its bastard stepchild, global terrorism), the democratizing force of the internet, the devastation of climate change, the political mistakes, and the financial disasters all made the last ten years culturally significant enough to warrant, at the very least, a nickname.

Nowhere was the effect of rollercoaster change more evident than in the entertainment industry. Popular music lost its rudder thanks to file sharing, television rose to new heights in the competitive arena provided by cable, and performing arts slid further toward cultural obsolescence. The cinema, in large part, abandoned art for the sake of the marketplace: independent cinema went from boom to bust, world cinema found itself exiled to the arthouses, and experimental cinema? What's that?

Which means compiling a best-films-of-the-Rollercoaster-Decade was far easier than I expected...frankly, the candidates were relatively small in number, compared to the 90's, 80's or 70's. Does that mean it was a bad start for 21-st century cinema? Well, that's for better, brighter, and more talented writers than I to decide. (Incidentally, many spectacular critics on the web are doing just that, so please surf and enjoy the debate...especially fine work has just been completed by ModFab's buddy Nick's Flick Picks, required reading for any film lover.)

First, the ones who didn't quite make the Top Ten:

The Runners-Up:
30. The Asssassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)
29. No Country For Old Men (2007)
28. House of Flying Daggers (2004)
27. There Will Be Blood (2007)
26. Best In Show (2000)
25. Wall-E (2008)
24. Far From Heaven (2002)
23. Kal Ho Naa Ho: Tomorrow May Never Come (2003)
22. Marie Antoinette (2006)
21. Oldboy (2005)
20. Chicago (2002)
19. Up in the Air (2009)
18. Y Tu Mama Tambien (2002)
17. Moulin Rouge! (2001)
16. Things We Lost In The Fire (2007)
15. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)
14. Bad Education (2004)
13. The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
12. Brokeback Mountain (2005)
11. Before Sunset (2004)

By my accounting, the weakest years were the most recent (2008 and 2009), each with only one Top 30 entry, Wall-E and Up in the Air. Nick posits a theory about distance and memory for this fact, and he's at least partially right...although it can't be denied that almost all art forms (theatre, music, and dance as well) were better at the beginning of the decade than at the end. The next five, had the list gone on, would have been chosen from among Amores Perros, Black Hawk Down, Kill Bill Vol. 1, Talk To Her, and Elephant.

2004 came out on top with six releases in the top 30 (five of which were in the top 15). In my view, that establishes it as the high point of the decade. And with no further ado:

THE TOP TEN OF 2000-2009

10. City of God (Cidade de Deus) (2002)
Fernando Mereilles' brutal and poignant immersion into the slums of Rio de Janiero captured both the horrors of urban poverty and the delicacy of the masculine psyche in the new millennium. That it did so with bracing imaginative storytelling (and superb cinematography and editing) makes it required viewing for 21st-century film students.

9. Memento (2000)
By the end of the 2000's, Christopher Nolan became of Hollywood's most in-demand directors (thanks to his excellent reimagining of the Batman franchise, in Batman Begins and The Dark Knight). But his first step onto the international stage, the time-twisting whodunit Memento, remains my favorite Nolan masterpiece. Absorbing plotting and a career-topping performance by Guy Pearce are among the film's many charms.

8. Raising Victor Vargas (2003)
Peter Sollett's shot-on-a-shoestring debut, about the turbulent romances among a group of poor Hispanic teens in New York City, benefits mightily from a number of great performers: Victor Rasuk, a dazzling young talent; Melonie Diaz, one of Hollywood's most underrated supporting players; and Altragracia Guzman, whose old-country grandmother remains one of the decade's greatest tragi-comic performances.

7. O Brother Where Art Thou? (2000)
With the sad deaths of Altman and Kubrick, is it yet time to crown the Coen Brothers the greatest living American filmmakers? In a career studded with genius, the gifted duo graced us with four superb additions to their canon: 2001's The Man Who Wasn't There, 2007's No Country For Old Men, 2009's A Serious Man, and this colorful, imaginative adaptation of Homer's Odyssey. A Georgia boy myself, I felt warmly drenched by this film's sweet Southern flavor.

6. Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001)
No one will be more surprised than I was to discover Hedwig was my favorite gay film of the decade -- I didn't care for the stage musical when I saw it in the 90's, and assumed that Brokeback Mountain would score higher. But this film grew on me; I think it benefits from DVD (which brings the scale down) and multiple viewings, where John Cameron Mitchell's nuances as actor and screenwriter reveal themselves more ingeniously.

5. Solaris (2002)
Tarkovsky's sci-fi classic was given a sumptuous existential overhaul by Steven Soderbergh, who coupled the original's quiet elegance with a heartbreaking romanticism. I sat in the theatre for nearly fifteen minutes after seeing this film, unable to move. It still moves me in ways I can't fully explain.

4. United 93 (2006)
You know how it's going to end before you even enter the theatre. And yet, Paul Greengrass -- one of the decade's greatest emerging auteurs, who has yet to make a film I don't like -- captures the mounting tension of 9/11 as if it were happening in the now. Of all the artistic efforts to pay tribute to the terrible events of that day, United 93 is without a doubt the most accomplished and affecting.

3. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001, 2, 3)
Yeah, it's probably cheating to lump all three of these films together -- for the record, my favorite of the bunch was the first, The Fellowship of the Ring -- but the achievement of the filmmakers was so grand, so majestic, and so powerful, it can't be seen as anything but the sum of its parts. We may never see its like again -- a blockbuster epic fantasy with intellect, technical precision, and heart abounding.

2. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Looking at the many best-of-decade lists emerging on the internet, I'm pleased to see that most of them include Michel Gondry and Charlie Kaufman's exquisitely quirky romance. It deserves its place of honor; no film captured the desperate need for love with more inventive imagination. A classic for our times, and maybe for all time.

1. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring (2004)
When I began this list, I was only sure of one thing...that the most dazzling, gorgeous, powerful film I saw in the past ten years would be at the top of the list. Korean director Kim-ki Duk is easily the world's most underrated filmmaker, and this staggeringly poetic tour de force is his greatest effort to date. One boy's development into conflicted manhood -- driven by the stern lessons of his guardian, his love for a challenging woman, and the harsh cruelty of the outside world -- find poignant balance in a floating temple in a secluded lake. Do yourself a favor and rent it...you won't be disappointed.

Tomorrow, my favorite films of 2009. Until then, enjoy your New Year's Eve celebration!

The Old Holiday Magic

Happy holidays, everyone, whether it be Chanukah, Solstice, Kwanzaa, Festivus, Christmas, Al Hijra, or any other celebration I might have missed. I hope you get all the presents you want, all the love you deserve, all the peace we need, and all the treats your digestive track can handle.

It's been an interesting time, these holidays of 2009, the Holidays of the Downturn. It might be my imagination, but walking the streets here in New York, I see fewer lights and decorations than in previous years; I've seen notably fewer people in the stores (especially at Macy's Herald Square, usually a war zone, which was practically peaceful during my trip last week); and a lot of tight smiles (grimaces, really) when the idea of year-end charity is raised. (Please, give to your favorite nonprofits...they are all on the brink, and need it very badly. It's the great untold media story of 2009.)

Whatever the truth of this ugly economic moment might be, I hope we'll all turn the corner here and see nothing but blue skies in 2010 (or at least gradually clearing ones). For my Christmas celebration today, I'll be with Mr. ModFab and my family; the itinerary includes a trip to see The Princess and The Frog, followed by a holiday feast at Gobo (yay, I'm not cooking anything!). I'm also going to upload more photos over at Glitterlens, and maybe review some of the movies I've seen recently, including the good (Up in the Air, The Fantastic Mr. Fox, Avatar) and the not-so-good (Nine, The Young Victoria).

Until next time, I hope you have a great, relaxing, enjoyable, energizing, modern, fabulous holiday. You deserve it!

ModFabulous: The Best Songs of the Decade, 2000-2009

The list mania continues with my highly-subjective list of the best tracks of the decade. Well, kind of...I set rules for myself, which skewed the results somewhat. First, I decided to allow only one song by any artist, which means some great tracks were skipped (Kylie's "Can't Get You Out Of My Head, OutKast's "Hey Ya," and numerous Pet Shop Boys tracks among them).

I also decided to avoid tracks that are receiving (over)praise elsewhere on other year-end lists -- so you won't see Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy," Hercules and Love Affair's "Blind," M.I.A.'s "Paper Planes" or The Killers' "Mr. Brightside," here, for instance. And finally, I ignored any criteria besides my own enjoyment. Here they are.

75. Badonkadonk, Hot Pink DeLorean
74. Breathe You In, Samantha James
73. I Write Sins Not Tragedies, Panic at the Disco
72. Like A Star, Corinne Bailey Rae
71. Move Your Feet, Junior Senior
70. Milkshake, Kelis
69. I’m Not Alone, Calvin Harris
68. Toxic, Britney Spears
67. William's Blood, Grace Jones
66. Bootylicious, Destiny's Child
65. Lloyd, I’m Ready To Be Heartbroken, Camera Obscura
64. Sexyback, Justin Timberlake
63. Pull Shapes, The Pipettes
62. D.A.N.C.E., Justice
61. Take Me Out, Franz Ferdinand
60. My Secret Lover, Private
59. Grace Kelly, Mika
58. Everyday Is A Holiday (With You), Esthero
57. If I Ain't Got You, Alicia Keys
56. No More Drama, Mary J. Blige
55. It's All True, Tracey ThornGod Is A DJ, P!nk
54. Kal Ho Naa Ho, A.R. Rahman (2003)
53. Crazy in Love, Beyonce
52. Menage a Trois, Alcazar
51. Irish Blood, English Heart, Morrissey
50. Golden, Jill Scott
49. I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You, The Black Kids
48. Get This Party Started, Dame Shirley Bassey
47. Consider Me Gone, Hilary McRae
46. No Such Thing, John Mayer
45. Feel Good Inc., Gorillaz
44. Maybe, Emma Bunton
43. Drop It Like It's Hot, Snoop Dogg ft. Pharrell
42. Get Outta Town!, Lucky Soul
41. Maybe Tonight, Nicole Atkins
40. Backwards Forwards, DJ Earworm
39. She’s Madonna, Robbie Williams
38. Hollaback Girl, Gwen Stefani
37. American Boy, Estelle
36. Since U Been Gone, Kelly Clarkson
35. Emerald City, United State of Electronica
34. Walking on a Dream, Empire of the Sun
33. Hope There's Someone, Antony and the Johnsons
32. Black and Gold, Sam Sparro
31. Soda Shop, Jay Brannan
30. One of These Days, Kraak and Smaak
29. Mercy, Duffy
28. I Try To Despise The Ugly People, Napoleon
27. Chasing Pavements, Adele
26. Get Ur Freak On, Missy Elliot
25. Pagan Poetry, Bjork
24. One More Time, Daft Punk
23. Roses, OutKast
22. Vertigo, U2
21. Hella Good, No Doubt
20. Inner Smile, Texas
19. Bad Things, Jace Everett
18. Let There Be Music, Prefab Sprout
17. Take Me Home, Sophie Ellis-Bextor
16. Wow, Kylie Minogue
15. Home and Dry, Pet Shop Boys
14. Love's Divine, Seal
13. Better Life, Keith Urban
12. The Fear, Lily Allen
11. Standing in the Way of Control, The Gossip

THE TOP TEN, 2000-2009

10. A Thousand Beautiful Things, Annie Lennox
On 2003's sparse, fragile, poignant Bare, the former lead singer of Eurythmics stepped away from the ironic romanticisms of “Why” and “No More I Love You's” to a piercing examination of her own personal struggles. The album began with this pristine, staggeringly powerful lament. It remains an unappreciated classic, and one of the high points of the still-vibrant artist's career.



9. I Feel Loved, Depeche Mode
The reigning gods of electronic music released finer albums this decade than 2001's Exciter, most certainly. But buried in the last half of that record is a mind-blowing surprise – the group's finest dance track since “Strangelove,” nearly 20 years earlier. The obsessive, ominous lyrics counter the propulsive rhythm (and its remix, by the genius Danny Tenaglia, circles the upper reaches of Heaven).

Depeche Mode - I Feel Loved
Uploaded by goldrausch. - Explore more music videos.

8. Tenderoni, Chromeo
I defy you to keep your bootie still while listening to this bass-heavy wonder...or to keep from giggling with delight as you do so. The bumps and blips evoke retro style, but in our post-postmodern culture, everything old is new again. Sometimes dazzlingly so.



7. Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk, Rufus Wainwright
There were a half-dozen Wainwright tracks I could have chosen – “Grey Gardens,” “I Don't Know What It Is,” “Tiergarten,” the Beatles cover “Across The Universe” – but this cheeky, savage track kept coming back to mind. In a world littered with pop charlatans, the real artists working in the field are few. Here is the decade's finest addition to their number.



6. Hurt, Johnny Cash
A career like Cash's deserves to finish strong. Rubin-produced and Reznor-written, the decade's greatest cover was a shockingly intimate revelation of pain and damage, sung by a one of the 20th century's greatest balladeers.



5. Goldigger, Kanye West
In a career peppered with the highest highs and the lowest lows, this tell-it-like-it-is, vaguely misogynist anthem was the apex. Literally, you couldn't turn on a radio without hearing it. Crossing the soul, pop, rap and dance divides, it was the rare track that everyone could recognize as greatness.

Watch dance videos and dance lessons at DanceJam.com

4. Rehab, Amy Winehouse
Sure, she's a laughing stock now, but try to remember back to the first time you heard this fierce chunk of Motown-ish rebellion. In 2007, it stood out on the radio like nothing else, a potent (and ironic) declaration of one's right to do whatever the hell one wants. Certainly, it reeks of irony now...but that does nothing to reduce its charm, its power, or its magnificence.

Amy Winehouse - Rehab

3. Filthy Gorgeous, Scissor Sisters
New York's best new act of the decade emerged in a glittering wave of European chart success, debuting with a succession of superbly-written singles that kept their roots in 70's ephemera. The best of them was this witty, sleazy nightclub crawler, replete with a torrid video directed by John Cameron Mitchell. Like its own lyric, this is a song you want to open up like Christmas.



2. Lola’s Theme, Shapeshifters
Built around a sizzling horn sample from Johnnie Taylor's 1982 R&B hit “What About My Love,” the dancefloors of 2004 were ruled by this tribute to personal change. Traveling under the name Shape:UK in the United States, the Shapeshifters elevated sampling to the sublime.



1. Let Me Know, Roisin Murphy
Is there anything more heavenly than a groove that sounds classic and yet totally fresh, an immediately possessing hook, or an artist reaching the height of their powers? On this midtempo plea for, umm, companionship, the fashion-forward, silky lead singer of Moloko stepped fully out on her own, and onto the global stage...with a full intention to stay.



Previously: ModFab's Best CDs of 2009

Olbermann Opens A Can Of Asswhup On Everybody

Because it's got to be said. To Lieberman, to the Republicans, to Harry Reid...and yes, to Barack Obama.

Congratulations to the demonic conservatives and spineless "moderates" who, after a year's work, have managed to decimate health reform. You should feel proud...proud of all the people you've ensured will die sooner or more violently than they should have, proud of all the poor people you've kept from receiving care at all, proud of the way you protected billionaires from any accountability. Proud of the literal, factual blood on your hands. Let me know if you need help sleeping tonight...I'm sure we can get you a pill for that.

Sigh. The escalated war, the defeat of health reform, tax breaks for the wealthy...it's like Bush never left, really. I will not, cannot, support a Democratic Party that will not adhere to its own values. I've been a lifelong Democrat, but at this moment, I'm pretty certain that will change in 2010 and 2012. At least when Republicans were in charge, you knew where you stood. With Obama, Reid, Pelosi, etc., they'll take your check, then vote directly AGAINST what they promised you.

Olbermann says it better. It's required viewing for any thoughtful person.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Kylie Interview: Live in 2009, What's Next in 2010

Stolen shamelessly from Raj at Electroqueer, here's an audio interview with ModFab's resident deity, Kylie Minogue, on the release of her digital concert album Live In New York. Having attended this performance, it's a very special recording for me with a lot of memories. (It's also pretty damn fierce...especially the version of "Speakerbox," which blows me away!)

In the interview, Kylie drops some hints about her new record, which she's working on now. She's currently in the studio with Stuart Price (Madonna, Seal), and has already completed work with Calvin Harris, Jake Shears and others. She hopes to finish recording by March, for a release in late 2010! Woo hoo!

Kylie Minogue interviewed by Larry Flick - New York 12/11/09 by Steve Anderson

Fabstuff: Side By Side By Susan Blackwell

The indefatigable Susan Blackwell, star of the Broadway musical [Title of Show] and countless hilarious web videos, has a brand new interview show online, Side By Side By Susan. Here's the debut episode, featuring her in bed with Sutton Foster, discussing handjobs with Jonathan Groff, and feeling up the "taterz" of Laura Benanti. I haven't laughed this hard all year.

ModFabulous: The Best CDs of 2009

Some friends and I are obsessing over end-of-year lists (and end-of-decade lists!) over on Facebook, so I've started contributing a few. Here are my 20 top albums of 2009...wait, do we even call them albums anymore?

Honorable Mentions, in alphabetical order:
Ray Guns Are Not The Future, The Bird and the Bee; Walking On A Dream, Empire of the Sun; Lungs, Florence + The Machine; Original Soundtrack, Glee (1 and 2); Ellipse, Imogen Heap; Just Like You, Allison Ireheta; Hurricane, Grace Jones; Live in New York, Kylie Minogue; Manners, Passion Pit; Reality Killed The Video Star, Robbie Williams

11. Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, Phoenix
The French alternative darlings aren't a natural fit for my iPod, which leans toward dance music. But their sharp-as-a-tack precision and lyrical whimsy won me over...as did their intellect, which has become an increasingly rare commodity on the American pop charts.

10. Pop Noir, Black Room
I'm not sure anyone in America knows this album exists, aside from a few wildly enthusiastic bloggers...in fact, it's only available digitally in this country (on iTunes). But the Norweigan combo formerly named Lorraine put together one of the savviest electronic rock records of the year. They are The Killers for a new, savvier generation.

9. The Crying Light, Antony and the Johnsons
What can't Antony Hegarty do? A minor masterpiece, in a career strewn with them.

8. Heartbreak on Vinyl, Blake Lewis
No CD surprised me more this year than the sophomore disc from the American Idol season 6 runner-up. Now based on Tommy Boy Records (a more suitable and supportive home for dance artists), he's let loose with songs that as are smart as they are catchy.

7. Youth, Kissy Sell Out
I get dizzy listening to the layers in Kissy Sell Out's debut album. Especially about halfway through, when it decides to forego lyrics entirely and reaches mightily for the stars. It very nearly touches them.

6. Music For Men, Gossip
The most criminally underrated record of 2009, Beth Ditto and Company have emerged as superb practitioners of the craft...and under the tutelage of Rick Rubin (who produced), they've blended punk and pop like no one else since Nirvana. 25 years from now, we'll still be talking about this record.

5. Let's Change The World With Music, Prefab Sprout
All hail the return of Paddy McAloon, the reclusive 90's pop genius who dusted off a 15-year-old shelved concept album about faith...and ended up with one of the freshest-sounding records of the year. Exquisite.

4. Yes, Pet Shop Boys
After 2007's dirge-like Fundamental, the Boys needed a little juice. They got it courtesy of megaproducers Xenomania, who imbued the sophisticated elegance PSB is known for with glitz and glamour. It also had one of the best singles of the year (and no, I'm not talking about "Love Etc.").

3. Bohemians Won The Series and the Little Guy Joined The Band, Napoleon
Hands down, the year's most enjoyable recording and its most satisfying debut. Everything about the cheeky, soulful Norway combo reeks of pleasure.

2. The E.N.D., Black Eyed Peas
If Elephunk heralded Will.I.Am as a major new force in pop, the global domination of The E.N.D. has made him the genre's reigning monarch. The best part? Unlike other sub-par dance acts this year, The E.N.D. more than lives up to its hype. Three #1 singles that dominated 2009, and at least a half-dozen more possible follow-ups waiting on the bench for 2010.

1. It’s Not Me, It’s You, Lily Allen
The first time I heard this record, the year was over for me. Witty, savage, peculiar and magnificent, it's a record that captured the damaged spirit of 2009 like no other. "The Fear" is a brilliant chunk of socio-political song, and its lyrics should be taught in economics classes. But "Fuck You," "Not Fair" and the other delights blossoming on this record are equally as marvelous.

New Jersey Needs Your Help!

If you (or someone you love) lives in New Jersey -- or if you just care about marriage equality -- the vote is probably going down in the next few days in the State Senate, and possibly in the Assembly. Which means state reps need to hear from as many concerned citizens as possible. Remember, most of those who voted against equality last week in New York mentioned anti-gay constituent calls as the principal reason. We can't let the Republicans win the phone war again!

Garden State Equality has set up an incredibly easy page to contact your representatives. (Make sure you STATE, not federal, representatives.) 2-3 minutes, and a phone call...not too much to ask, is it?

FabStuff: Sade's "Soldier of Love"

After an absence of what feels like a gazillion years, Sade is returning February 8th with a new CD, Soldier of Love. The title track was released today, and it's got a surprising little thump to it, almost a strut. Nice to see that they're mixing it up a little, even at this late stage in their career. ("Smooth Operator," the band's first global smash, is 25 years old. Can you believe it? Ouch.)

NY Marriage Equality: How The Vote Went Down

In case you're wondering which of the Democrats sent equal marriage to defeat today in New York state, here's the list. You might think, as I did, that it was senators from the more conservative upstate districts who voted "no", but you'd be wrong...equality died today thanks to representatives from Queens and Brooklyn, including districts with especially large gay populations.

I've linked to the despicable cretins' official web pages, if you'd like to contact them and give them a piece of your mind...or better yet, to vote them out of office next time they're up. (list via AKA William)

Joseph Addabbo (D-Queens) – NO
Darrel Aubertine (D- Cape Vincent) – NO
Ruben Diaz (D-Bronx) – NO
Shirley Huntley (D-Queens) – NO
Carl Kruger (D-Brooklyn) – NO
Hiram Monserrate (D-Queens...Jackson Heights and Elmhurst, no less, the new gay neighborhood!) – NO
George Onorato (D-Queens) – NO
William Stachowski (D-Buffalo) – NO