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Two Things That Caught My Eye
James Duggan
copyright 2008
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As we move closer to the holidays there are two issues that have caught my eye this week which I would like to share them with you.
The Thorn of the Mummers Parade
The Mummers have a long history with the city of Philadelphia dating back to the 1700's when the Swedes extended their custom of visiting friends on the "Second Day Christmas", to include New Year's Day, welcoming the new year with masquerades and parades of noisy revelers. It was not until 1901 when the City of Philadelphia provided $1,725 in prize money for the parade participants for the first time. Since then the city's contribution to the Mummers parade has grown to $355,000 for prize money, and over $700,000 a year in support services such as police and sanitation.
While I have attended and enjoyed the Mummers Parade for years I am both shocked and offended that for all these years Philadelphia has provided millions, if not tens of millions of dollars, as prize money for participants of this event. I'm not going to address the expense of the parade itself to the city . . . others can argue that point. But as a percentage of the revenue generated when compared to other events in the city it seems disproportional to what the city gives other organizations for events, notably queer ones, such as The Philadelphia International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival (PIGLFF).
The Philadelphia Film Society receives a subsidy of just $25,000 a year from the city's Festival Fund to help produce PIGLFF. Just $25,000! Mayor Nutter has eliminated this fund and in doing so the city's support for next year's festival appears to have been eliminated as well.
PIGLFF is currently the third largest queer film festival in the United States and is internationally renowned. Over the course of ten days and nights the festival features over 150 films from around the world, a multitude of social events at restaurants, hotels and clubs around the city, and attendees are as globally varied as the films.
PIGLFF's economic impact to the city is at least a hundred times greater then the modicum of funds the city provided to the Film Society. I can not believe that the same can be said for the one-day Mummers Parade.
This is a situation that needs to be investigated further to determine who is responsible, if anyone, and how their decisions were made. Is Mayor Nutter really telling us that the third largest queer film festival in the country is not important to Philadelphia?
The City of Philadelphia not only needs to continue its support for PIGLFF, it needs to provide additional funding so our 10-day film festival is brought up to parity with the one-day Mummers Parade. Anything less is unacceptable.
Anti-queer Pastor Rick Warren to Give Invocation at Inauguration
It was reported on Wednesday that Dr Rick Warren, founder of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, and author of The Purpose Driving Life, will give the invocation at President-elect Obama's inauguration. This announcement and his prominence at the inauguration is a slap in the face to every queer, not just in America but from around the world.
To his credit President-elect Obama has openly supported our equal rights; however his selection of this religious leader is reprehensible. Warren has publicly supported the passage of Proposition 8 in California while comparing same-sex marriage to legitimizing incest, child abuse, and polygamy. In an October newsletter to his congregation Warren wrote, "this is not a political issue -- it is a moral issue that God has spoken clearly about."
Also troubling, but underreported, is Warren's support of The (Anglican) Church of Uganda in its boycott of a conference of Bishops held in England this past July. This boycott was in protest to the election of Gene Robinson - a queer priest - to the office of bishop in the U.S. Episcopal Church and a similar election in the Church of England. In his support, Warren stated that homosexuality is not a natural way of life and thus not a human right.
While Warren claims to have "hundreds of gay friends" and that he is not homophobic, his actions clearly indicate that he is anti-queer rights. His presence at the inauguration in such a prominent role is an affront to all! President-elect Obama needs to immediately replace this person as the invocationgiver with an individual who truly supports the rights of all people and not just heterosexuals.
You can contact President-elect Barack Obama at his Transition Office at 202.540.3000; or visit: http://change.gov/page/content/contact/
ALSO . . . Visit CNN.com and vote on Obama's choice of Rick Warren to present the invocation at his inaugural. It is important that our voice be heard loud and clear on this issue.
QUESTION: President-elect Barack Obama's decision to have evangelical pastor Rick Warren deliver the inauguration invocation is shrewd politics or disappointing.
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12th Street Gym |
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What It Looks Like From Here
Thom Cardwell
copyright 2008 |
Fashion time! That's the way I personally look at the holiday season! With all the special events, receptions, dinners and parties during the holiday season, I'm always excited and impressed with what people wear that speaks personally (you know clothing is our outer skin as the pop cultural futurist Marshall McLuhan said) and especially to this warm and happy time (despite the economy this year). After all, as Auntie Mame told her favorite nephew, Patrick, "You have to live, live, live!"
Certain textiles invite warmth, friendship and luxury. Velvet is always a perfect fabric to wear during the holiday season. Texture is everything, especially for winter dressing. The "feel" of velvet is great to the touch as your outer skin.
 That's what Italian fashion impresario Giorgio Armani, the award-winning designer of style and taste, has to say about men's dressing for the holiday season (Details, Holiday 2008). Armani is one of my fashion gods whose clothing, whenever I have been lucky enough to own any of his signature line (not AX or Armani Emporium but the Armani that the once venerable Wanamaker's sold in the designer collection on the second floor of the men's department, a la Boyd's), I've never gotten rid of even when I've gained weight. It's like owning your own men's couture collections. (Okay, I guess that I'm a little crazy when it comes to fashion.)
To be honest, I'd be blissful to live in an Armani world. "The holidays mean handsome velvet tuxedo jackets. If you're entertaining at home and feel like it, you can try one in a midnight blue or deep palm and you should wear velvet slippers. If you go out, wear shoes--preferably wing tips," Armani said.
Of trends, he is critical: "The worst sartorial faux pas you can make is looking like you're trying too hard. To develop your own individual style, really consider what suits you."
Of developing an essential wardrobe (God knows that most men, queer or hetero, need a lot of help here), he offers sound, direct advice: "When choosing a suit, a man should look for something that he can wear, and not something that will wear him. In other words, elegance, sophistication, and timeless style are always better than of-the-moment trends, which will date-and date the wearer."
Armani also has no problem sharing his opinion about establishing a fashion sense and, ultimately, dressing for success of whatever kind that you're aspiring towards: "The most important thing is to feel comfortable in your clothes," he explained, "If you feel comfortable, you will feel self-confident."
And, on the subject of age, Armani muses: "If you remain curious about the world, you will stay young at heart. Beyond that, I recommend an hour's exercise every day and a healthy diet with a lot of fresh vegetables and fruits."
Finally, what makes a man sexy, Armani sums up his "10 Rules of Style:" "Confidence and a sense of humor make a man sexy."
My advice for the holidays? Dress to kill! Happy This and That!
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Seven Reasons to Advertise on the Qt |
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Thom's Table
Thom Cardwell
copyright 2008 |
Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar captures Marlton.
 There's no argument that South Jersey continues to be developing as its own dining destination much like Philadelphia has now unarguably become.
In Marlton, there's yet one more restaurant to attract diners on both sides of the bridge with the opening of Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, 500 Route 73 North, Suite 1, north of Route 73 and Route 70 Circle. "Fleming's was founded on the premise that a steakhouse can be sophisticated yet comfortable and not overpriced," said the restaurant's group's president Skip Fox.
Highlights of the menu include: prime meats and chops, fresh fish and poultry, generous salads and side orders, and a sophisticated and unique selection of more than 100 wines served by the glass, known as Fleming's 100 in addition to the Reserve List of over 80 wines of limited availability is sold exclusively by the bottle, a signature of the restaurants nationwide.
"Our wine program is at the core of our dining experience," explained Bryan Gauthier, operating partner. "It is our point of distinction from other steakhouses. Coupled with our tremendous food, service and value, it is the key to creating a memorable experience for each of our guests."
Fleming's ambiance is a combination of traditional steakhouse with a contemporary dynamic for the open dining room, bordered by an exhibition kitchen and expansive bar, creates an energized atmosphere for 210 diners, with a private dining room that can accommodate up to 80 or it can be divided into two rooms.
The first Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar was
launched in Newport Beach, Californiain 1998 by successful restaurant industry veterans Paul Fleming and Bill Allen. The new Marlton property marks number 60 of the restaurants nationwide.
For more information, call 856.988.1351; or visit flemingssteakhouse.com
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Chiropractic and Sports Rehabilitation |
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Cookbooks For
The Holidays |
 Hot off the presses, "Latin Evolution" (Lake Isle Press) penned by Jose Garces, the current darling of the city's restaurant scene, with Philadelphia magazine food writer, April White, is one of the most anticipated cookbooks of the year.
Garces, who seems to have the Midas-touch in opening restaurants that literally become instant hits, Amada, Tinto, Distrito, in Philadelphia, (with another restaurant to open in 2009) and Mercat in his native Chicago, shares his "rare talents" in "taking a classic dish and transforming it into modern fare" as the proclaimed "godfather of Nuevo Latino cuisine," Douglas Rodriguez has acknowledged in endorsing the cookbook.
"As a chef, my constant challenge is to see the possibilities that new ingredients and techniques offer, while honoring what has come before. My mantra is simple 'authentic' and 'innovative' are not contradictory . . . "but more than that, 'Latin Evolution' is a phrase that describes my own experiences, my dishes are a reflection of my own experiences; my dishes are a reflection of my own evolution, and this recipe collection of a highly personal mix of family history, culinary training, creativity and my personality," explains Garces in his introduction.
Possibly one of the most stunningly designed cookbooks of the year, the photographs (by Tim Rupp) of Garces dishes are mouthwatering, many of them easily captured my attention, including "truffled lamb albondigas with sherry foie gras cream, bluefin tuna with spicy watermelon sauce and black sesame seeds, littleneck clams with bomba rice, artichoke confit and parmesan espuma, sous vide squab with aji gallina sauce and shredded confit pork with rosemary-brown butter applesauce and Catalan escarole.
Are you hungry yet? This cookbook is a must-have for yourself and your favorite home chef or
passionate foodie on your gift-giving list!
With the almost eternal shelf life that cookbooks possess, I thought that I'd focus upon some of my all-time favorites, penned by authors who have a Philadelphia and/or tri-state connection.
 In his third cookbook, chef/owner Walter Staib of City Tavern continues to dazzle us as the commensurate food historian. Black Forest Cuisine: The Classic Blending of European Flavors (Running Press) explores the origins of the rich culture and cuisine of the region where the world-renown namesake cake lays claim as well as the dishes that have established Germany as a major food nation.
 Ingrid Croce has her own connection to Philadelphia as the widow of singer/songwriter Jim Croce. In her second cookbook, The San Diego Restaurant Cookbook (Avalanche Records and Books), the maverick restaurateur who is attributed with the renaissance of the city's historic Gaslight District with the opening of Croce's Restaurant and Jazz Bar leads the reader on a culinary tour of the current scene with the best of chefs, recipes and dining destinations in the dazzling second city of Southern California.
 Fish eggs not your thing? Fear not--these days there's many new products, even vegetarian caviar, made from seaweed and imported from Iceland, American (from Tennessee) and Israeli from the "emerging caviar nation" at the top of the list. These are just a few facts that Inga Saffron, a Philadelphia Inquirer reporter, reveals in Caviar (Broadway Books), a fascinating history of the strange and exotic food delicacy.
 White Dog Cafe Cookbook: Multicultural Recipes and Tales of Adventure from Philadelphia's Revolutionary Restaurant (Running Press) says it all about one of Philadelphia's landmark dining destination where our founding fathers would have supped. Co-authored by owner Judy Wicks, an exemplary model of community-minded entrepreneurship and civic pride, and chef Kevin Von Klause, now owner of Pharmacia, the recipes, all 250 kitchen-tested of them, will delight diners of creative American cuisine.
Wicks continues to dazzle diners with her celebrated restaurant, her shopping destination, The Black Cat, and her genuine and lifetime dedication to causes of all kinds from the homeless, hunger, energy to intolerance.
 Ethel G. Hofman, former president of the International Association Culinary Professionals, has been a local treasure for decades as a food writer for The Jewish Exponent and many national food publications. In Everyday Cooking for the Jewish Home (HarperCollins Publishers), she guides home chefs through more than 350 recipes with emphasis upon kosher culinary skills not just for the holiday table but year round.
Rebel chef and avowed motorcyclist Bill Hufnagle, aka Biker Billy, loves to "cook with fire" in his companion cookbooks, Biker Billy Cooks with Fire (William Morrow) and Biker Billy's Freeway-a-Fire Cookbook (William Morrow). His freewheeling approach to preparing, cooking and eating with hot peppers is chronicled with flair and abandon, adding sizzling flavor to basic recipes that will challenge the meekest of home chefs from his hometown of Madison, New Jersey and beyond.
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EVENTS on the Qt! |
· Now till Sunday (December 21)
 MANNA'S Pie in the SKY for the Holidays!
Why bake it yourself? Let MANNA do it for you! Choose from Apple Crumb, Pumpkin, Southern Pecan, Sweet Potato, and the new US Airways SkyPie (cheesecake topped with a dark chocolate ganache). The pies cost between $25 and $35, and each pie provides three meals to a MANNA client. Purchase pies for your holiday meal or as gifts for family, friends, co-workers, employees, or clients. Every helping helps!
Click here for more information or to order your pies. Pies are on sale until December 21 and will be available for pick-up on December 23 from 5-8pm at one of nine convenient locations in Philadelphia and surrounding areas, including:
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Fosters Homeware at 399 Market Street, Philadelphia
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TD Bank at 1900 Market Street, Philadelphia
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Saxbys Coffee in Abington
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Saxbys Coffee in Wayne
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Passariello's Pizzeria in Moorestown
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IKEA in Conshohocken
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IKEA in South Philly
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The GST Group Inc. in Bensalem
Click here for more information about the distribution sites.
MANNA is an organization that delivers nourishment to people living with HIV/AIDS, cancer, and other life-threatening illnesses throughout the greater Philadelphia region and Southern New Jersey. For more information visit: mannapa.org
· Friday (December 19)
 Greater Philadelphia Professional Network (GPPN) Holiday Networking Mixer
Please use for our Holiday networking mixer at TIME
1315 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, 6:00PM to 8:30PM
Come mix and mingle with the best of the Greater Philadelphia Region's LGBT professionals, and enjoy a sampling of TIME's fantastic menu.
$5 Cover, Cash Bar, Drink Specials, Appetizers, Door Prizes!
Don't forget your business cards for networking.
· Friday (December 19)
 Melt the Ice Benefit a Fund Raising Cabaret @ Pure Nightclub, 1221 St James Street, Philadelphia, PA - $10 cover - Proceeds benefits ActionAIDS and Equity Fights Aids. Doors open at 9:00 p.m. and the party continues until 3:30 a.m. Show starts at 11:00pm
The cast of the national touring company for 'A Chorus Line' will be stopping in Philadelphia, PA for a one night only special show with proceeds to benefit ActionAIDS of Philadelphia and Equity Fights AIDS of New York City. With an amazing and tantalizing show of song, dance and a few strip teases, this show is sure to entertain.
Melt the Ice also offers Pure Nightclub's $2 "pink drinks" until 11:00 p.m. and flavored shots throughout the night.
Coming in January 2009
· Saturday (January 24)
 ASIAC (AIDS Services In Asian Communities) 2nd LUNAR NEW YEAR Celebration: A Banquet Fundraiser
Saturday, January 24, 2009 / 6PM-10PM
At Host Restaurant:
Wokano Restaurant
1100 Washington Avenue
Philadelphia PA
Featuring: 10 Course Asian Banquet, Silent Auction, Raffle
Proceeds from this fundraiser benefit ASIAC programs. For more Information or to RSVP please call 215.629.2300; or visit asiac.org
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Lift The Ban |
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What They Said: |
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 On the occasion of the release on DVD last month of the 1960's queer classic, Mart Crowley's "Boys in the Band," based upon his original off-Broadway play, and directed for the big screen by William Friedkin (1970), queer culturalist Michael Bronski wrote in "The Guide" (December, 2008): "In the 1970s and 1980s, gay critics often protested that the play was a one-sided, even homophobic, take on gay life. Yet 40 years on, it's clear the play has a generous heart and truly understands its characters. In the past eight years I've taught 'Boys in the Band' in a variety of classes. Nearly all the students respond with real feeling to the film, especially gay ones. These latter love it and relate, despite all that's happened in the years since."
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 Pop musical icon, Brandy, talks about being an individual, loving her role as mother of two daughters, her queer friends found on MySpace, her queer fan base, her admiration and inspiration for President-elect Barack Obama and her just released CD, "Human" (Epic Records, www.foreverbrandy.com) in "Instinct" (December 2008/January 2009): "Oh, my God, I am so happy to have witnessed what has gone on in the election this year. Having the first African-American president and to be able to share that with my daughter was an amazing experience. I couldn't stop crying during Obama's speech. He inspires so many people. And it's not just African-Americans, but everyone."
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 Who knew that queer hunkamania actor/dancer/model Nick Adams of "A Chorus Line" and "Guys and Dolls," the 2008 2(x)ist underwear model and "friend" and "workout buddy" for Mario Lopez (they met while sharing the boards during the Broadway revival of "A Chorus Line") actually hailed from the Keystone State as a born and raised "skinny kid" (his words) from Erie, Pennsylvania? This month's cover boy (Instinct, December 2008/January 2009), Adams said that his parents have been supportive, from the start, of both his career in theater as well as being "out" as a young queer man. Known for his abs, biceps and six-pack, ripped stomach (he admits to going to the gym every day for two hour workouts and still loves eating cheeseburgers whenever he needs to fill the craving), he's thrilled to be touring "A Chorus Line" talking to writer Jeremy Kinser: "I think anyone in show business can relate to what that show is about. I couldn't believe that it showed what it was like to be a dancer in New York City. That was really my first attraction to Broadway. I had no idea that 'A Chorus Line' was going to change my life the way it did."
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I'm Glad I Never Said That:
Scrawled across the front window of California same-sex couples' front window: "fag"
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