The Daily Sheet May, 2010

[Stilllearning]

Tuesday, May 4th, 2010

BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
Fifth Anniversary Screening
December 11, 2010

Followed by a staged reading of selections from our book
"Beyond Brokeback: The Impact of a Film"




Autry National Center
4700 Western Heritage Way
Los Angeles , CA 90027
(323) 667-2000      www.theAutry.org

THIS PROGRAM IS SPONSORED BY: The Out West series at the Autry National Center is made possible through the generous support of Tom Gregory, HBO, the Gill Foundation, and The Small Change Foundation, in association with the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), and the Courage Campaign. Focus Features is providing the film and, according to Gregory Hinton, "they are very pleased about the Autry program. Brokeback Mountain remains their top grossing film and they are very proud of their relationship with Ang Lee." Event topic:  http://www.davecullen.com/forum/index.php?topic=39575.0

Life of Pi Seeks Fox Green Light with Ang Lee Directing in 3-D Remember The Life of Pi? It’s been seven years since Fox 2000’s Elizabeth Gabler acquired the rights to Canadian Yann Martel’s Booker prize-winning 2001 global bestseller about a boy adrift in a lifeboat in the Pacific with a Bengal tiger. What’s taking so long? Well, this kind of lyrical literary material is tricky to get right. M. Night Shyamalan fell out. So did Alfonso Cuaron and Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Finally, it may get made thanks to Ang Lee—and 3-D. Gabler and the filmmakers are lining up a big budget well north of $70 million for a 3-D magical fantasy adventure crammed with visual effects. There’s a shipwreck, the ship sinks, and a teenage boy is launched overboard and climbs into a life raft with a zebra, hyena and a tiger. There are many CG animals (whales, fish, meercats) plus ocean and atmosphere. “It has a gigantic visual effects component,” says Gabler. “You can’t put a live tiger in a boat with a child. It has elements of Castaway, when the kid is alone in the boat. You don’t need language to convey what’s on the screen. We need to make the movie for the whole world.” Read more. Source: blogs.indiewire.com

Proulx Attends Purdue's 79th Annual Literary Awards Banquet

Fans of the book-turned-movie “Brokeback Mountain” had several chances [April 15th] to meet the brains behind the story, Pulitzer-Prize-winning author Annie Proulx. Proulx appeared at a public interview session in Hicks Undergraduate Library in the afternoon, then spoke at Purdue’s 79th annual Literary Awards banquet before giving a reading of her latest work at Fowler Hall. Proulx read from her memoir, “Cloud Bird,” a recollection of her travels and experiences growing up. At the interview she gave insight into her methods and thought processes as a writer. “I trained as a historian, not a writer,” Proulx said at the interview. “History is my approach, that’s where the stories come from. Setting and character are inseparable ... you can’t transport most of the stories I write to another place; they don’t belong there.” Read more.  Source: purdueexponent.org

American Movies Banned One of the biggest American industries is the film industry, which rakes in millions, if not billions of dollars every year. The majority of these movies make it out of the United States to premiere and be broadcast and sold internationally. However, every country, and even some provinces and states, have specifications as to what is allowed to be shown and what is not. For example the American film Brokeback Mountain was banned in the majority of Middle Eastern countries as well as the majority of Asian countries due to its depiction of homosexual themes. It was also temporarily banned in certain areas of the United States. The main reason that American produced movies are banned in foreign countries is that the contain subject matter that pertains to matters of religious nature, sexually explicit or homosexual subjects, or extreme violence. Though controversial, Brokeback Mountain does not compare to some of the top banned films... Read more.  Source: blogs.furman.edu

Richardson Part of The Autry’s Hip New Generation

Yesterday’s New York Times carried a story about the new crop of museum curators of Manhattan, whose vision is attracting younger, hipper audiences with shows like the Museum of Modern Art’s retrospective on the work of filmmaker Tim Burton. The Autry’s Jeffrey Richardson has been interviewed for a similar planned story in the Los Angeles Times. And it’s no real surprise. Richardson, the Autry’s associate curator for film and popular culture, sees his job as one that bridges old and new views of the West. “That question of the fresh look is really apropos for the Western, because so many people do see it as a dying genre,” said Richardson, who is 33 years old. “How do you take what many people perceive as a dying genre and present it, not only to those people who appreciate the genre and grew up with it, but to people like myself, who did not grow up with the Western?”

The Autry’s mixture of objects includes artifacts representing hitherto unrecognized communities that form part of the West. Richardson said the addition last year of shirts that were part of costumes used in the movie “Brokeback Mountain” is a core example of the museum’s purpose. “The Brokeback shirts are exactly what our mission is,” Richardson said. “They symbolize that larger story of what we’re trying to do: the complexity of the American West.” Read more.  Source: blog.theautry.org

More Glitter - Less Bitter   |  Photographs by Daniel Nicoletta, 1975 - Present

June 4th - July 10th, 2010 Artists reception: Friday, June 4th, 6 pm Electric Works is pleased to present More Glitter - Less Bitter, a poignant romp through Dan Nicoletta’s vigilant documentation of San Francisco’s gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender communities.   In 1975 Dan Nicoletta was hired by Harvey Milk to work in Milk’s Castro Street camera store and there at age 19, Dan’s life path as a documentarian for that emerging scene began. Milk was one of the first openly gay elected officials in the world and he became a symbol of hope to the LGBT civil rights movement after he was assassinated in 1978.   The photographs in the exhibit will highlight significant moments along the way including still photos taken by Nicoletta on the set of Gus Van Sant’s Academy Award winning film MILK in which actor Lucas Grabeel portrayed Nicoletta.   Through the last 38 years Nicoletta has remained a key point person for LGBT Community related research. The title of this exhibit More Glitter – Less Bitter, takes its cue from Nicoletta’s penchant for the ebullient and theatrical in life.   In his article about Nicoletta’s 1996 retrospective in San Francisco, art critic David Bonetti wrote: “…it has been Nicoletta's conscious choice to photograph the more, shall we say, theatrical members of a community that has been famous for putting the pizzazz in theater since the first fabulous costume was worn on that stage just East of Eden. (Who, after all, invented sequins?) … if you love flamboyance, drag queens, discos, alternative theater, pretty boys, powerful women and the in-your-face politics of Queer Nation, you'll probably find Nicoletta's photographs just your cup of tea… San Francisco is lucky that Nicoletta has been there with his camera recording it through all of its changes.”

Scorchy's Holster, SF LGBT Pride Celebration, June 28, 1992 - Dan Nicoletta

Dan Nicoletta at Castro Camera, by Denton Smith, Fall 1976

Electric Works Gallery 130 8th Street, San Francisco, CA  94103     Gallery Hours: Tuesday - Friday 11- 6 Saturday 11-5   Telephone: (415) 626 5496 www.sfelectricworks.com Shown: Lucas Grabeel as Dan Nicoletta on the set of Gus Van Sant's film - MILK, Courtesy of Focus Features

Calif. Assembly Modifies Law Seeking To Cure Gays

A vote in the California Assembly on Monday to modify a 60-year-old law that classified gays as sexual deviants reopened a little known chapter of social history in a state long known as a leader for gay rights. In 1950, the state Legislature directed the Department of Mental Health (then known as the Department of Mental Hygiene) to conduct research into the causes and potential cures of homosexuality. The law was part of a larger investigation into sexual deviance. It classified gays as sexual deviants and required the state to conduct research to find the causes of sex crimes against children. One research paper from the era completed as a result of the law noted that gays might "engage in criminal aggressive behavior" as they strive to "overcome strong homosexual drives." The 80-member Assembly voted 62-0 to modify the law, removing all references to homosexuals in the provision that calls for research. It now goes to the state Senate. "It's time to get this phony cure off the books," said Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, D-San Francisco, who is gay. Supporters say change was long overdue. The law was written in 1950 in reaction to a series of sex crimes, including the molestation and murder of a 6-year-old girl in Los Angeles. Read more.  Source: cbs5.com

Gay Community Loses Dorothy Height

Civil Rights activist Dorothy Irene Height died on April 20th at the age of 98. Of prominent African American civil rights allies to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community - Coretta Scott King, Julian Bond, and John Lewis, to name a few- Height wasn't profiled and honored enough. But this unsung heroine was never concerned about accolades. In an interview with Gwen Ifill, an African American journalist, and television newscaster for PBS, about her memoir, "Open Wide the Freedom Gates," Height said, "If you worry about who is going to get credit, you don't get much work done." This grande dame of the civil rights era, however, got a lot of work done in her lifetime, exhibiting indefatigable energy in championing for gay civil rights as she did eighty-plus years championing race and gender civil rights. Read more. Source: bilerico.com

We Need to Talk About Kevin Starts Filming

Ezra Miller

Production begins this week in Connecticut on the psychological thriller We Need To Talk About Kevin, which is being directed by acclaimed filmmaker Lynne Ramsay (Ratcatcher, Morvern Callar) and produced by Jennifer Fox (Michael Clayton, The Informant!), Luc Roeg (Mr. Nice) and Robert Salerno (21 Grams). We Need To Talk About Kevin was written by Ramsay and Rory Kinnear based on the novel by Lionel Shriver. The film stars Tilda Swinton, John C. Reilly and Ezra Miller. Presented by BBC Films and the UK Film Council in association with Footprint Investments LLP, Caemhan Partnership LLP and Lipsync Productions, the film is an Independent / Jennifer Fox production in association with Artina Films and Forward Films. The announcement was made today by Independent, who also holds the international rights to the film. We Need To Talk About Kevin is the story of Eva (Swinton), Franklin (Reilly) and Kevin (Miller), who two days before his sixteenth birthday, goes on a horrific rampage. In the wake of his actions, his mother Eva grapples with her own feelings of grief and responsibility. She confronts the ultimate taboo — Did she ever love her son? And how much of what Kevin did was her fault? The director of photography is Seamus McGarvey (Academy Award®-nominee for Atonement, The Hours, Nowhere Boy); the editor is Joe Bini (The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call, Roman Polanski; Wanted and Desired, Grizzly Man); the production designer is Judy Becker (I¹m Not There, Brokeback Mountain, Infamous); the costume designer is Catherine George (The Messenger, Choke); and casting is by Billy Hopkins (Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire, The Visitor, Sex and the City). Read more.  Source: hollywoodnews.com   Image from flixter.com

First openly gay character in Archie's Veronica Comics

"Betty or Veronica . . . or Kevin?" The decades-old question that has driven more Archie Comics plot turns than a white-walled jalopy just got a new twist. Archie Comics announced Thursday that Riverdale High will enroll its first openly gay character in September. The character, a blond newbie named Kevin Keller, will debut in No. 202 of Veronica Comics. In the initial story line, titled "Isn't It Bromantic?," Veronica is stymied when her womanly wiles hold no sway with Kevin, who has more in common with fellow foodie Jughead. "The introduction of Kevin is just about keeping the world of Archie Comics current and inclusive. Archie's hometown of Riverdale has always been a safe world for everyone. It just makes sense to have an openly gay character in Archie comic books," Archie Comics co-CEO Jon Goldwater said in announcing the news.

This is just the latest step toward Riverdale showing more diversity. In the new story line of Archie Comics, the redheaded star is dating neither Veronica or Betty -- but Valerie from Josie and the Pussycats. With some comics, these collective changes would qualify as non-news. But in the less-diverse world of Riverdale -- where everything but the sundaes has often been vanilla -- this registers as a major shift. As for whether any other Riverdale students will be gay, Parent has said: "Traditional Riverdale characters won't be coming out." Read more. Source: washingtonpost.com  Watch a video on YouTube with Archie artist/writer Dan Parent.

Riderless Horse Painting



"Riderless" by Rick Wollschleger

This week's featured riderless horse is by Rick Wollschleger. I bless the hoss from hoof to head - From head to hoof, and tale to mane! - I bless the hoss, as I have said, From head to hoof, and back again! ~ James Whitcomb Riley ~

Fun Question of the Week This week’s Question: Who is recognized for coining the phrase "15 minutes of fame" (paraphrased)? This person also designed the classic Campbell's Tomato Soup label. Let us know your answer in the response thread. Last week's question and answer: What country is the world's largest producer of bananas? The answer is India!

The Forum Image

Posted by BayCityJohn in Jake's Eyelashes

The Actors: 'Prince' Gyllenhaal is Game

Quote of the Day

'Ang Lee knows his shit when it comes to gay shepherds in 1963 Wyoming, or giant green radioactive mutants contemplating lichen in the desert, or some guys in a tree fighting over the green sword of destiny, or whatever the fuck he wants to make a movie about. Ang Lee is a guy, you could just toss movie ideas at him and he would hit them out of the park with his eyes closed. Mafia epic. Opera based on the life of Malcolm Jamal Warner. Peewee football tragedy. HAMLET acted out by racoons. If you can describe it, this motherfucker can make a good movie out of it. Don't even try it. You can't beat him. It's like fighting gravity." ~ Outlaw Vern, from his 2005 review of Brokeback Mountain. ~

Photo Caption of the Day

Posted by Lyle (Mooska) in Photo Captioning Fun 5

abba dabba-doo!



Lureen could not believe Bobby was standing on his chair,
using the drumstick as a microphone
and performing "Dancing Queen."

Contributors: BayCityJohn, Lyle (Mooska)

Calendar of Events

If you have ideas about initiating a gathering, go to Start Your Own Threads
and get the ball rolling to plan a get-together near you.

Boston Brokie Bash - AIDS Walk
Boston, MA, June 4th-6th 2010

Let us know of any events you’d like listed here.

The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at www.davecullen.com/forum.

Today's edition by gnash

Fun Question of the Week compiled by Stilllearning

Researchers: BayCityJohn, Killersmom, Kittyhawk, Marge_Innavera, Stilllearning

Editors emeritae: CactusGal, Marge_Innavera, tellyouwhat, Stilllearning, MissYouSoMuch

We count on you to send us your news items, questions, and nominations for posts of the day.
If you have items you’d like to see published, send them to gnash.

To subscribe to The Daily Sheet, click the “Notify” button at the top or bottom of the page.
When a new issue of TDS is posted, you will be notified by e-mail.

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[Stilllearning]

Tuesday, May 11th, 2010

Winners of Gold Derby Film Decade Awards Announced

BEST MOTION PICTURE 1. "The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King" 2. "Brokeback Mountain" 3. "Moulin Rouge" BEST LEAD ACTOR 1. Daniel Day-Lewis as Daniel Plainview in "There Will Be Blood" 2. Heath Ledger as Ennis Del Mar in "Brokeback Mountain" BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR 1. Heath Ledger as the Joker in "The Dark Knight" BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY 1. Larry McMurtry & Diana Ossana for "Brokeback Mountain" Read more.  Source: goldderby.latimes.com

Ride With the Schamus

Film producer and screenwriter James Schamus was in San Francisco to accept the Kanbar Award, a fairly recent prize SFIFF gives to writers who have had distinguished careers. (Other recent honorees include Paul Haggis, Robert Towne and Peter Morgan.) I attended the Q&A with Schamus that was then followed by a screening of the new director's cut of Ride With the Devil (now available on DVD from Criterion), which Schamus scripted for director Ang Lee. Like any good screenwriter, he answered with wit and steered himself back on point whenever he got off on a tangent, except when he knew said tangents were the real prize. The talk was moderated by critic, scholar and teacher B. Ruby Rich, who knew Schamus in New York during the '80s when the guest of honor was starting out (he joked that when they met, his hair looked more like her full, curly hair). So there were references to those early days, the timeline stretching further back than his first forays into filmmaking; Schamus earned a PhD from Berkeley, writing a thesis on Carl Theodor Dreyer, and specifically the Danish auteur's seminal work Gertrud. Schamus joked about his "esoteric devotion to the single-most obscure Scandinavian formalist failure," and both he and Rich worried if they had alienated the audience by spending too much time chatting about Dreyer. (I suspect more of the crowd were aware of him than they realized, and I actually loved hearing about this connection.)

The namedropping people wanted to hear most about was Ang Lee, with whom Schamus has collaborated on nine features and counting. Schamus was a writer who only dabbled in screenplays when he first met Lee in the early '90s. Lee had won an award back in his native Taiwan for a short, and with the prize money was to direct a feature. He pitched it to Schamus and a few other production colleagues (by that point, Schamus had produced Todd Haynes' Poison and Swoon, and In the Soup, among others). Schamus recounted their session as "one of the worst pitches ever," as Lee took 45 minutes to sell it, belaboring the seemingly unimportant details. But after it was over, Schamus defended the pitch to his colleagues because "he had the entire film in his head, in great detail. This is a director you should have confidence in." This lead to Pushing Hands, their first collaboration together. Read more.  Source: philadelphiaweekly.com

Brokeback Lake: Gay Swans Nesting for Another Season

File this under “Cute to the point of being newsworthy” – a  gay swan couple at the largest swan facility in the world are staying together for another year. The two male swans have called the Abbotsbury Swannery in Dorset, UK home for several consecutive nesting seasons. “They basically keep territory as if they are a nesting pair,” explains swannery worker Dave Wheller of the fine feathered romance. Workers have also observed that the couple have yet to show interest in breeding with any female swans at the bird sanctuary. Swans typically form monogamous bonds with their partners that last for many years, if not life. However, modern researchers have found that swan “divorce” is far more common than previously considered, shattering the myth that straight swans mate for life. Beat the odds, gay swans! Read more.  Source: queersightblogout.justout.com

A comment on 'The Worst Movie of the Decade' Relay

I disagree that Brokeback Mountain has "dissipated from the public conversation." There are current and active websites devoted to it, the Dave Cullen Forums, Bettermost and Finding Brokeback among them. The Gene Autry Museum of Western Heritage acquired the iconic shirts from the film that are now displayed within it's walls and last month had a seminar at their Wells Fargo Theatre about the film which was paneled by academicians, historians and film critics. There have been several books published regarding the film and its impact on society, including one called Beyond Brokeback which chronicles the impact the film has had on all sorts of individuals from all around the world. There is a new book coming out soon written by a professor from USC. The film is screened at least once a month in venues around the world such as an AMPAS screening in 2008 and the college campuses of Barnard and William & Mary within the last couple months. There is a seminar and screening of the film upcoming in Montreal and a similar event in Paris, France. There's a screening at the Australian Cinematheque in Brisbane. Annie Proulx, the original author was recently honored by the New York Public Library and she donated a wealth of her material to the organization. The film has recently been cited by a number of individuals and organizations as one of the best films of this decade, including such diverse places as the London Film Critics, Greece's "Cinema Magazine", the Irish Film Network, Film Critics from Vancouver and Ottawa, Indiewire, Entertainment Weekly, Rolling Stone, New York and Los Angeles Times and a host of others. There was a dance (ballet) version of the film presented in San Francisco last year and an opera version currently in the works. The term "Brokeback" itself has ingrained itself into the language as both something derogatory (homophobic slurs) or complimentary as in Harvard Medical School's annual "Second Year Show" presented last December titled "Mountains Beyond Brokeback Mountains." It may in your world "now...only seem to come up in bad jokes, sadly," but it still is having an enormous impact on those it affected, both personally and cinematically. And lastly, there would be no "Crash" without "Brokeback Mountain." Source: blogs.suntimes.com

"One of the Persians"

Звезда «Принца Персии» Джейк Джилленхол



Source: gq.ru

Brokeback Mountain Screening at Eden Court in Scotland

When: Wed, May 19, 2010, at the Eden Court Theatre, 7pm Ang Lee’s Triple Oscar winner returns to the big screen. Against the sweeping vistas of Wyoming and Texas, Brokeback tells the story of a ranch-hand and a rodeo cowboy, who meet in the summer of 1963. They forge an unexpected but lifelong relationship whose complications, joys, and tragedies provide a testament to the endurance and power of love. Eden Court, the new arts complex for the Highlands, was opened in April 1976. The theatre was strikingly modern and as the only large scale performance venue in the region, was carefully designed by architects Law & Dunbar-Nasmith to house all types of performing arts from opera to popular music, concerts, ballet, modern dance, drama and films. Following a major appeal and two years of closure Eden Court reopened in November 2007 as the one of the best equipped arts centres in the country. The Victorian Bishop’s Palace and 1976 theatre, both Grade A Listed, were retained and two new extensions added providing a second theatre, two new cinemas, two dance and drama studios and three floors of purpose built dressing rooms. The architects Page/ Park have successfully brought together buildings from thee different centuries to create the biggest arts centre in Scotland. Thorough restoration of the Bishop’s Palace has brought back some of its former Victorian glory and outside, a new entrance and landscaped grounds means Eden Court ‘faces’ the city centre allowing visitors to finally enjoy the riverside setting. Read more.  Source: eden-court.co.uk  Take a video tour of the Eden Court Theatre.

Patagonia Mountain: Cabalgatas Haneck Do you like horse riding? Have you ever wished you could be a gaucho for a day? Have you secretly had fantasies about recreating scenes from Brokeback Mountain? Were those fantasies about riding through dramatic mountain scenery on horseback, rather than doing sexy things with Heath Ledger in a tent? If the answer to any of these questions (apart from maybe number three) is yes, then Cabalgatas Haneck is what you are looking for. Cabalgatas Haneck is company that provides horse-riding tours outside Bariloche. Don’t let this description give you the wrong impression though; it isn’t a big centralised company churning out pony treks for spoilt children. Instead, it’s the personal project of Monica and Chango Haneck, an Argentine couple in their sixties, who have lived on their estancia for years and who regularly open up their home to visitors to take them out riding. Read more.  Source: theargentines.com

Award-Winning Country Singer Chely Wright Comes Out

In a recent interview with People.com, country singer Chely Wright announced that she is a lesbian. The 39 year-old Academy of Country Music Award-winning singer told People, “I hid everything for my music,” commenting on the fact that many in the country music community are not as accepting of LGBT people or issues. While artists like Lady Gaga and Adam Lambert have made it easier for future generations of pop musicians to come out within their genre of music, the country music genre remains a largely conservative one, often garnering a socially conservative fan base. ... Wright is the first major country music singer-songwriter to come out, and her decision to do so could be signaling a changing landscape of country music. In the interview Wright also commented “Nothing in my life has been more magical than the moment I decided to come out.” Read more.  Source: gladblog.org

Nine Rules for Closeted Celebrities

Hey all you famous people that are gay and hiding: How's it going? Good? Still totally rich and privileged? Great. We're pretty happy for you about that one. But we have some things to tell you that you might not know. It's about how to stop being annoying, which we're sure you're interested in hearing. It's not like ye olden Rock Hudson times anymore. Your peers are casually talking about their gayness all around you. It's a trickle, right, we know. But still, it's happening. And the shocker is that no one really cares that much except for the stupid people. Except -- dilemma -- we know that you have a lot of stupid people as fans. So let's say you insist on staying in. Here's how not to go to hell... Read more.  Source: queersighted.com

Jennifer Knapp, Christian Music Singer, Announces She is Gay

Jennifer Knapp is just the way she is and doesn't care who knows it. The former Christian music singer, whose last album "Way I Am" was released in 2001, has come out as a lesbian, CNN reports. The Grammy Award-nominated singer-songwriter vanished from the music scene seven years ago amidst rumors - which now turn out to be true - that she was gay. Prior to the release of her new album "Letting Go" next month, Knapp reveals that she has been in a same-sex relationship for eight years. Read more.  Source: nydailynews.com

Naps Boost Memory, but Only If You Dream

Sleep has long been known to improve performance on memory tests. Now, a new study suggests that an afternoon power nap may boost your ability to process and store information 10-fold—but only if you dream while you’re asleep. “When you dream, your brain is trying to look at connections that you might not think of or notice when [you're] awake,” says the lead author of the study, Robert Stickgold, PhD, the director of the Center for Sleep and Cognition at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, in Boston. “In the dream…the brain tries to figure out what’s important and what it should keep or dump because it’s of no value.” In the study, Stickgold and his colleagues asked 99 college students to memorize a complex maze on a computer. The researchers then placed the students inside a virtual, 3-D version of the maze and asked them to navigate to another spot within it. After doing this several times, half of the participants took a 90-minute nap while the other half stayed awake and watched videos.

When the students were given the maze test again five hours later, the nappers did better than the students who had stayed awake, even those who had reviewed the maze in their heads. However, the nappers who dreamed about the maze—one described being lost in a bat cave—performed 10 times better than the nappers who didn’t. The students who dreamed about the maze did poorly on the test the first time around—which may not be a coincidence, the researchers say. If a task is difficult for you, your brain seems to know it, and you may be more likely to dream about it than if the task were easier. “If you’re not good at something, and you dream about it, you seem to get better at it—especially if the information can be used in different situations,” says Michael Breus, PhD, the clinical director of the sleep division for Arrowhead Health, in Glendale, Ariz., who was not involved in the study. “The sleeping brain seems to be processing information on one level, but on a higher level it helps evolve your memory network if the information is relevant or helpful in your life experience,” adds Breus, who is also the author of Beauty Sleep. Read more. Source: news.health.com

Dept. of Interior to BP: You're doin' a heckuva job!

Offshore pollution prevention awards cancelled due to offshore pollution No bull. BP is a safety award finalist! As long as awards have been given out to individuals and groups in recognition of their perceived accomplishments, there have been controversial selections. From Time Magazine's much maligned, and oft-misinterpreted, 1938 selection of Hitler as "Man of the Year" to the unforgivable travesty of "Crash" beating out "Brokeback Mountain" for Best Picture...it has been proven time and time again that you simply cannot please everyone. It is with that thought that we turn our attention to the Department of the Interior and their recent decision to honor oil giant British Petroleum (BP) as a finalist for their prestigious Safety Award for Excellence. Yes BP, the company whose oil rig "Deepwater Horizon" recently exploded in the Gulf of Mexico resulting in 11 deaths and the worst American oil spill in two decades, is being recognized for "outstanding safety and pollution prevention performance." And you thought irony was dead. Read more.  Source: ohmygov.com

15 Ways Smoking Ruins Your Looks

Smoking impacts appearance If you smoke, you already know you need to quit. It’s bad for your heart, lungs, brain, and even your sex life. But let’s face it: You’d have kicked the habit yesterday if smoking’s ill effects were a bit more obvious. What if each cigarette created a black pockmark on your face, for instance? Well, smoking does damage your looks. Read on to discover 15 ways smoking is ruining your appearance. Read more. Source: health.com

Riderless Horse Photo



"A broken bike, a riderless horse, a barely used highway.
In Cuba's rural frontiers -- in this case along the Central Highway that traces the island's spine --
even modest conveniences of city life are little more than rumor."

~ David Alan Harvey ~

Source: glinnbridge.com

Dave's headed for Chicago this week! If you're in the area, join him for a discussion of Columbine and a book signing. When: Thursday, May 13, 6:00 PM Where: DePaul University, McGowan South 105, 1110 W. Belden, Chicago, IL 60614 Click map to enlarge.

Fun Question of the Week

This week’s Question: Can you name, in order, the 3 most popular languages spoken worldwide? Give it a try, see what we can come up with! Let us know your answer in the response thread. Last week's question and answer: Who is recognized for coining the phrase "15 minutes of fame"(paraphrased)? This person also designed the classic Campbell's Tomato Soup label. tfferg and Nikki got this one right! Andy Warhol is indeed the answer.

The Forum Image

Posted by jnov in Life Through The Lens 4

jnov was recently in Jordan and posted pics of the holiday. Click the link
above to see more shots of this fascinating country, or view a slideshow.

Quote of the Day

"I'm aware that the evangelical community has problems with divorce and many other
facets of their artists, let alone homosexuality. The last thing I wanted to do was to
have someone go out and buy a record and feel like they had been hoodwinked."

~ Christian recording artist Jennifer Knapp ~

Photo Caption of the Day

Posted by TwistandShout in Photo Captioning Fun 5

Somewhere in the background,
he thinks he hears someone singin' . . .



Pizzas . . . Pizzas . . . Pizzas . . .

Contributors: jnov, TwistandShout

Calendar of Events

If you have ideas about initiating a gathering, go to Start Your Own Threads
and get the ball rolling to plan a get-together near you.

Boston Brokie Bash - AIDS Walk
Boston, MA, June 4th-6th 2010

Fifth Anniversary Screening of Brokeback Mountain
and the staged reading of selections from Beyond Brokeback
Los Angeles, CA, December 11th, 2010

Let us know of any events you’d like listed here.

The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at www.davecullen.com/forum.

Today's edition by gnash

Fun Question of the Week compiled by Stilllearning

Researchers: BayCityJohn, Killersmom, Kittyhawk, Marge_Innavera, Stilllearning

Editors emeritae: CactusGal, Marge_Innavera, tellyouwhat, Stilllearning, MissYouSoMuch

We count on you to send us your news items, questions, and nominations for posts of the day.
If you have items you’d like to see published, send them to gnash.

To subscribe to The Daily Sheet, click the “Notify” button at the top or bottom of the page.
When a new issue of TDS is posted, you will be notified by e-mail.

The Daily Sheet Archives
Respond to The Daily Sheet

[Stilllearning]

Tuesday, May 18th, 2010

The Oklahoma City Museum of Art Explores the Underappreciated
Role of Costume Designers in Hollywood History

Despite being cast in every important scene and center-framed during every iconic movie moment, costume design often remains hidden in plain sight. It’s a bit of a paradox, said Brian Hearn, Oklahoma City Museum of Art film curator. “You really notice it when it’s bad or when it’s really good, but a lot of times, it’s successful when it’s sort of seamless.” In Hollywood, however, clothes don’t just drape the actor — they make the character. Surveying the entire range of American cinema, OKCMOA has compiled a collection of more than 85 original garments and accessories that explore the art of making movie garments, and the historical role costume designers have played in shaping the look of films. The result is the exhibit “Sketch to Screen: The Art of Hollywood Costume Design.” Many of the featured costumes are identifiable by even casual cinephiles. The collection ranges from Jean Harlow’s cream satin evening gown from 1933’s “Bombshell,” to Mary Pickford’s tattered blue dress from the 1922 silent film “Tess of the Storm Country.” Oscar-winning designs include the John Truscott-created hooded cape worn by Vanessa Redgrave in “Camelot” and Bette Davis’ complete “Death of the Nile” pink-beaded outfit designed by Anthony Powell. Men’s film fashion also plays a big part in the exhibit. Heath Ledger’s “Brokeback Mountain” getup is featured along with Robert DeNiro’s leopard-print robe and boxing shorts from “Raging Bull,” and the “Gladiator” garb donned by Russell Crowe in 2000. Read more.  Source: okgazette.com    Watch a video on the okmoa website.

Why Book Publishers Love Short Stories

Short story collections are big business. Thousands of anthologies are in print with many more published each year. A quick look at Amazon shows more than 22,000 story anthologies listed. And Amazon breaks out another 28,000 collections of stories written by a single author. Those numbers may surprise some short story writers, including those who've asked me if they have a prayer of ever getting the attention of agents and book publishers. We know that avid readers love short stories. Short stories are easy to digest, and can provide a little emotional sparkle or epiphany in one quick take. That’s particularly true in these busy techno multi-tasking, attention-deficit times, with readers seeking the revealing, surprising, twisting, inspiring or ironical dose of feelings that can illuminate the truth about their lives. That said, most of the large circulation serious short fiction magazines like Smart Set, American Mercury, Colliers, and the Saturday Evening Post are gone now. But there are still a handful of national magazines like The New Yorker, Esquire and occasionally Vanity Fair publishing short literary work. Then there are the hundreds of smaller journals listed from A-Z in the NewPages Big List of Literary Magazines. These range from the African American Review, which has published short fiction by writers like Toni Morrison and Ishmael Reed, to ZYZZYVA, the San Francisco based journal founded in 1985 by editor Howard Junker. ZYZZYVA has published 241 first time authors, including F.X. Toole, who at 69 wrote the stories that inspired Oscar-winning film Million Dollar Baby, directed by Clint Eastwood. Agents and editors search these literary journals and magazines for new authors. And publishers take chances on new writers who aren’t particularly famous yet, but end up surprising everyone with a big hit. For example, Farrar, Straus and Giroux published Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned, a debut collection by Wells Tower, which has been highly praised and has enjoyed good sales. It’s true that agents and publishers hope that the short story writer will also produce that blockbuster novel. And it happens. Annie Proulx, author of the short story Brokeback Mountain which originally appeared in the collection Close Range: Wyoming Stories, also won the Pulitzer for her novel Shipping News. Read more.  Source: blogs.forbes.com

How A Cult Hero Became A Hollywood Prince

Jake Gyllenhaal has always been movie royalty, but never quite the huge star. That's all about to change, he tells Lesley O'Toole More women flirted with me," laughs Jake Gyllenhaal, "when I shaved my head as a marine in Jarhead than when I got big muscles and had long hair in Prince of Persia." And well he might laugh. After years of acclaim and quiet, unshowy, altruistic performances which helped his co-stars glean attention (Heath Ledger, of course, in Brokeback Mountain and Tobey Maguire in last year's Jim Sheridan-directed drama Brothers), Gyllenhaal is finally on his way to the sort of routine-shattering global success a Jerry Bruckheimer-produced "tentpole" film like Prince of Persia can guarantee, and he is the latest torch-bearer for Hollywood's "smart-throb" club. There are some of it who are older than him (George Clooney, Robert Downey Jr, Matt Damon) but not too many surrounding him, turning 30 as he does in December. Ask him now if he'd still make [Brokeback Mountain], given the chance to turn back time as Prince Dastan's dagger does in The Prince of Persia, and it's hard to read between the lines of his response. "Who's to say? I usually make choices based on film-makers and stories, but no matter how good the stories, if you don't have faith in the film-maker it's hard to deliver and give your heart. Ang Lee was a no-brainer but really, whether it's a sort of totally obscure film about two sheep-herders who end up falling in love in Wyoming or a movie like this, it's the people involved who ultimately give you the confidence to do your best work." Read more.  Source: independent.co.uk

A Parallel Story To "Brokeback Mountain"

By Gary M I have recently read the short story on which the movie, "Brokeback Mountain" is based and I almost felt like I was reading my life story. I wept most of the way through. I could not wait to see this wonderful movie. Here is a bit of my story. My best friend gave me the name "The Colorado Kid" so I am reclaiming it because of "Brokeback Mountain." "My Ennis" was the most handsome masculine man I had ever known. He taught me to ride horses, handle a firearm, hunt and do many of the things that Jack and Ennis do in the movie. He even gave me a "friendship ring." The only thing lacking was we never consummated our relationship sexually. But the hugs and terms of endearment were nourishing to our bodies and souls. He was the love of my life. Our camping and hunting adventures were in the 1970's in Colorado, Wyoming and Alaska when we were just a little bit older than Jack and Ennis. We both were in denial of what we were experiencing and considered it a Bible style Jonathan--David type relationship. When do two straight men exchange rings and write love poems to each other? We were both fundamentalist pastors and he finally said with tears that we should cool our public expressions of friendship or someone might get the wrong idea. Talk about denial. I was a fundamentalist pastor for 25 years and was the same kind of homophobe that we see in the hateful right wing movement today. I could preach some of the most hate filled messages against homosexuality and at the same time be struggling with desires for my best friend and some of the men in my congregation. I was trying desperately to convince myself that I was not gay. My "Buddy" and I even helped to found the Moral (immmoral) Majority in the state of Colorado. At the same time I was secretly seeking counsel to rid myself of these desires that I had not chosen. Read more.  Source: Evangelicals Concerned

CSC's Three Sisters; 2010-2011 Season Announced

Maggie Gyllenhaal, Mamie Gummer, Josh Hamilton, Roberta Maxwell, George Morfogen, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Peter Sarsgaard, and Louis Zorich will star in Classic Stage Company's presentation of Anton Chekhov's Three Sisters. Austin Pendleton will direct the production, which will begin performances in January. For more information, visit classicstage.org Read more.  Source: theatermania.com Shown at left: Maggie Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard

Wachowskis Shopping Script for ‘Hard-R’ Gay Iraq War Drama

In December of last year, we got word that the Andy and Lana Wachowski were putting together a film “about the Iraq War, from the perspective of the future.” The source was a set of comments and photos from Arianna Huffington, who seemed to be taking part in a shoot related to the project. At the time, we heard that she was involved in test shoots to help their next project take shape. Now there’s word that the Wachowskis are sending around a script that does cover the Iraq War, to some extent, but from a rather different angle. Deadline describes the story as featuring “a ‘hard R’ homosexual relationship between a US soldier and an Iraqi.” As we’d heard before, the story does start in the near future, but then moves back in time to tell the bulk of the story, part of which includes the current Iraq War. Deadline describes the stylistic apprach as ‘cinema verite-style,’ which would be a significant departure from anything the siblings have made in the past, and specifically from the heavily processed Speed Racer. Read more.  Source: slashfilm.com

L.D. is Versatile



Graham Beckel in a Volkswagen commercial. Watch it on YouTube.

Sir Ian McKellen and Antony Cotton Support Anti-Homophobia Campaign

Sir Ian McKellen and Coronation Street star Antony Cotton have given their support to a Lesbian & Gay Foundation initiative against homophobia. The campaign, called 'Enough is Enough!', begins [May 17th] which is International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO). Both actors have appeared in a short film to publicise the cause and organisers at the Manchester-based charity are appealing for members of the public to register their support on the Lesbian & Gay Foundation website. The message of the initiative is that gay people are still being hurt and killed by homophobia, both in the UK and around the world. Read more.  Source: pinknews.co.uk

Edinboro University Settles Sexual Harassment Lawsuit

Edinboro University of Pennsylvania has agreed to pay $495,000 to settle a former student's claims that he was repeatedly sexually harassed by a professor and that school officials knowingly allowed the harassment to continue. The settlement between the university, which is part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, and the plaintiff, Cameron Aulner, a 2009 graduate of Edinboro, was reached after daylong negotiations Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Erie. The agreement bars the parties from discussing the case. Aulner sued the university and several school officials in October. He claimed that in 2006 and 2007 the professor, William Chandler, who died in December, asked him out on dates and made references to the movie Brokeback Mountain, suggesting Aulner and a classmate were in a homosexual relationship. Aulner said Chandler called him and his classmate "Brokeback buddies" or "hunting buddies" and asked them, "Why don't you have a 'Brokeback' moment with your hunting buddy?" He said Chandler's harassment made him fear for his grade in the class. He said the harassment persisted even after he completed Chandler's class and after he complained to numerous school officials. He said he suffered depression, anger and anxiety as a result. Aulner also charged that other students' complaints about Chandler dated to 1998. In court records, he listed 14 other students, male and female, who had complained of either sexual or racial harassment by Chandler, who was a tenured professor in the Communications and Media Studies Department. Read more.  Source: goerie.com

BBM: Randomly on the Web

Who says Brokeback Mountain is dissipating from public conversation?




Source: boston.craigslist.org

Catholic Priest Advised Wahlberg to Turn Down Brokeback?

Mark Wahlberg said in a 2007 interview that he was “creeped out” by the script for Brokeback Mountain and “thankful” when director Ang Lee didn’t call him back to talk more about the film. Now, The National Enquirer reports that it was Wahlberg’s Catholic priest who convinced him not to do the film. Reads the article: "The 38-year-old reformed bad boy relies on his closest confidante and longtime religious mentor, the Rev. James Flavin, to help him pick and choose his parts. 'Mark is a practicing Catholic, and he never makes a final decision on a starring role until Father Flavin gives his OK,' an insider revealed to The Enquirer. 'Mark says he owes his career to Father Flavin.' In 2007, Wahberg told WENN: "I met with Ang Lee on that movie, I read 15 pages of the script and got a little creeped out. It was very graphic, descriptive - the spitting on the hand, getting ready to do the thing. I told Ang Lee, 'I like you, you're a talented guy, if you want to talk about it more...' Thankfully, he didn't...I didn't rush to see Brokeback, it's just not my deal... Obviously, it was done in taste - look how it was received." Read more.  Source: advocate.com

Lush Life: Line-Dancing at Woody's

As far as I can tell, country music—with deodorant-less rednecks and antebellum angst—is only a jar of moonshine away from a KKK rally. As a young black liberal, there’s just no way I could ever relate to deifying Robert E. Lee or worse— wearing Route 66 jeans. That is, until Brokeback Mountain. Absorbing the tale of forbidden love kept alive only by hope and saliva-lubricated anal sex, I could only imagine what those two lonely cowboys were going through. It dawned on me: Hicks are humans too. What could their cattle-driving, ranch-residing experiences teach me about life, love and getting my back broke? Donning the only “come hither, cowboy” ensemble I could find in my closet—a bright plaid H&M shirt that I convinced myself was flannel, and Express jeans that I pretended were Levi’s—I entered Woody’s prepared to git ’er done. Line-dancing lessons were in full swing upstairs, but first I needed to find some courage—and a partner—at the bar. “What would Jake Gyllenhaal do if he were without a partner at a saloon?” I wondered to myself. Order whiskey and solicit sex, of course. I stood against the wall with my stiff drink and my stiffer jeans, waiting for a good ole boy to lasso me for the night. Read more.  Source: philadelphiaweekly.com

(Almost) Riderless Horse

February 3rd, 1989 - Apprentice jockey Nate Hubbard clung to the neck of his mount Sweetwater Oak to place second in a race at Golden Gate Fields. Sweetwater Oak stumbled in the final stretch of the race when she was bumped by another filly. Hubbard, launched from the saddle, grabbed onto the horse’s neck and clung there for the final hundred yards of the race and across the finish line. After finishing fifth in the race on Lystra, fellow jockey Ron Warren helped to slow Sweetwater Oak down to allow Hubbard to let go and land safely. After examining the results of the race, the stewards declared that the placings were official, since Hubbard’s feet had never touched the ground during the race, and Sweetwater Oak remained the second place winner. Source: barnmice.com

Fun Question of the Week

This week’s Question: What is the most commonly understood meaning of the phrase "going commando" - what is the generally accepted origin of how this phrase came to be? Let us know your answer in the response thread. Last week's question and answer: Can you name, in order, the 3 most widely spoken languages in the world? The answer is: Chinese (Mandarin), English, and Spanish in that order (some sources have English and Spanish virtually equal). Way the go tfferg, who got this one completely right! And thank you to foreverinawe who set us right concerning an error in last weeks Question of the Week answer: "Mr Warhol did not design the classic Campbell's Tomato Soup label. He merely reproduced it as a sample of 'modern art'."

The Forum Image

Posted by Tigs in Pets and Other Animal Friends

"Mabel, my foster dog, an 8 year old chocolate labrador."

Quote of the Day

"Sometimes I wonder if men and women really suit each other.
Perhaps they should just live next door and just visit now and then."

~ Katharine Hepburn ~

Photo Caption of the Day

Posted by Lyle (Mooska) in Photo Captioning Fun 5

welcome back otter



"I keep track of those boys because they remind me of sweathogs."

Contributors: Tigs, Lyle (Mooska)

Calendar of Events

If you have ideas about initiating a gathering, go to Start Your Own Threads
and get the ball rolling to plan a get-together near you.

Boston Brokie Bash - AIDS Walk
Boston, MA, June 4th-6th 2010

Fifth Anniversary Screening of Brokeback Mountain
and the staged reading of selections from Beyond Brokeback
Los Angeles, CA, December 11th, 2010

Let us know of any events you’d like listed here.

The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at www.davecullen.com/forum.

Today's edition by gnash

Fun Question of the Week compiled by Stilllearning

Researchers: BayCityJohn, Killersmom, Kittyhawk, Marge_Innavera, Stilllearning

Editors emeritae: CactusGal, Marge_Innavera, tellyouwhat, Stilllearning, MissYouSoMuch

We count on you to send us your news items, questions, and nominations for posts of the day.
If you have items you’d like to see published, send them to gnash.

To subscribe to The Daily Sheet, click the “Notify” button at the top or bottom of the page.
When a new issue of TDS is posted, you will be notified by e-mail.

The Daily Sheet Archives
Respond to The Daily Sheet

[Stilllearning]

Tuesday, May 25th, 2010

An Afternoon at the Autry: Brokeback and Beyond

By Lyle (Mooska) in Brokeback Mountain Fifth Anniversary - Los Angeles - December 11, 2010

Monday, May 10, gave us a pure blue sky, white wispy clouds and mild temperatures in the hills of Griffith Park where members John (BayCityJohn) and Lyle had been invited as representatives of the forum to attend the first ever reading of the stage script of our very own forum book, Beyond Brokeback. Greg Hinton is the supervising producer of the Out West series at the Autry Museum and is the one who adapted the script. He mentioned that he initially approached Annie Proulx about the topic of doing this same type of program with the letters and notes she must have received from the people this story and film touched but she expressed concern over matters of privacy. Subsequently, he came across our book and discovered it contained the exact thing he was looking for. The script was culled from the pages of the book and was conceived as a production somewhat like the play Love Letters where actors are seated behind small podiums and read the letters and thoughts of the people who wrote them.  It was designed to be read by six persons, who were each given a name, although I don’t know if they are actual names from the book or not, and a narrator/announcer.   Greg greeted John and I as we arrived and we were there as his producing partner and the seven people, whom he described as "some friends and Autry employees," gathered at the Wells Fargo Theater.  The seven included Tom Gregory, owner of the iconic shirts from the film, and William Handley, an associate professor of English at the University of Southern California, who was a panelist at last December’s Whatever Happened to Ennis del Mar? event and author of "The Brokeback Book," coming out next March. From my perspective, having often read 'Beyond Brokeback,' knowing many of the authors and as a participant of the forum, I didn’t think the reading was really going to affect me, but there I was listening to the stories, the poetry, the humor--listening to it read by voices of real people, and one couldn’t help but feeling it again; the true power of how the film has affected so many, in all its human variations.The first reading clocked in at about 50 minutes.  Many things were discussed that afternoon, like the possibility of getting some name actors to participate.  Graham Beckel was mentioned.  William Handley posited why not Jake Gyllenhaal?  (Why not indeed!)  Questions and suggestions were bandied about as one might expect in the initial stages of a project like this.  The possibility of recording it for further airing was mentioned.  (Like a PBS program or as a dvd extra.)  Greg Hinton asked John & I if we thought a longer version might be warranted.  Or both, a longer and shorter version.  (Yes, both.) The 5th Anniversary of Brokeback Mountain is surely going to be celebrated in fine form at the Autry Center this December, not only with a film screening, but with this event that will carry on the legacy of the film far beyond the Anniversary itself, and something of which the entire forum can certainly be proud. It was a successful afternoon filled with the anticipatory promise of good things to come! Read more.

About Gregory Hinton

The son of a country newspaper editor, Gregory Hinton was born in Wolf Point, Montana, on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. Raised in Cody, Wyoming, Hinton graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder, which he attended on a creative writing scholarship. He is the author of four critically acclaimed novels, Cathedral City (2001), Desperate Hearts (2002), The Way Things Ought to Be (2003), and Santa Monica Canyon (2007). All of his books are endorsed by the American Library Association’s Booklist, among other national reviews. Hinton is also an independent filmmaker whose credits include It’s My Party (1996), which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, and Circuit (2003), which received international theatrical distribution. For his fifth novel, Night Rodeo, Gregory Hinton has just completed a 2009 Spring Residency at the prestigious Ucross Foundation in Wyoming. To assist him in the completion of Night Rodeo, Hinton was awarded an honorarium by the Cody Institute of Western American Studies. Hinton recently spoke at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in the Whitney Gallery of Western Art Summer Art Lecture Series. The title of his lecture was “Waiting for a Chinook: Searching for My Father—A Wyoming Country Editor.” Read more. Browse books and films by Gregory Hinton in our Forum Amazon Store.

Calling All Film Makers: Dublin Pride Festival Wants You!

Fancy yourself as the next Gus Van Sant, Pedro Almodóvar or John Waters? Is the next Brokeback Mountain buried inside you and ready to explode onto the big screen? Well now's your chance to reveal your talent to all in the Dublin Pride Film Shorts Competition. The competition, now in its second year, is back with a bang with the winners being announced at a glitzy awards ceremony held in Dublin City Centre. The winning short will also be screened at the Meeting House Square on Monday 21st June as a mini featurette before the premiere screening of the Alternative Miss Ireland contest 2010. Your film will also be featured in this summer's GAZE - Dublin's 18th Annual International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. There will also be prizes from Movies.ie and films courses from Filmbase. Your film should be original, should reflect the theme of this years pride "We are Family Too" and should be between 2 and 5 minutes in length. So dust off that director's chair and pull out your clapper. Closing date for entries is Tuesday 8th June at 5.00pm. Click for more information and the application form.  Source: dublinpride.ie

Big In Japan

All Jaked Up

‘I guess I’ve gotten buff” was how Jake Gyllenhaal put it on “Entertainment Tonight.” Yeah, just like Jennifer Hudson’s dropped a pound or two. In the time-honored Hollywood tradition of beautiful people being paid gobs of money to get in even better shape, Gyllenhaal is sporting a ridiculously ripped bod for his role in “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time,” the Disney adventure flick out Friday. But Gyllenhaal, who’s better known for his acting than his abs, seems a slightly awkward fit for the role of a big-budget swashbuckling hero. And as “P of P” is supposedly the successor to the wildly successful “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise, Jake’s carrying a lot of weight on those newly chiseled shoulders. Question is, will his fans go for the new look? “I was a bit skeptical at first, but now that I’ve seen photos and footage from the movie, I definitely think he pulls it off,” says Stephanie, who runs the fan site IHeartJake.com. “He looks hot. I don’t mind the muscles and the long hair at all. I actually prefer the ‘Prince of Persia’ look over his look in a lot of his older films.” Comedian Sara Benincasa, who hosts a sex-chat show on Sirius XM, concurs: “As a die-hard Jake Gyllenhaal fan, I completely approve of any role that requires him to do sit-ups and take off his shirt. “We are dating, in my mind,” she adds, “so I’m down with his choice to look hot.” Jake doesn’t seem to put too much stock in the business of being a straight-faced action star — as demonstrated at the "Prince of Persia" press day, where he refused to seriously entertain any questions about his physical preparation for the role. “It starts with growing long, long hair,” he told the assembled journos. “Very long, gorgeous, greasy locks . . . wash, shampoo, then condition . . . Washing works the biceps and then the triceps by conditioning. And vigorously rubbing all of your body with soap really defines the abs and the pectoral muscles. And if you do squats while you’re bathing — that’s it!” Read more.  Source: nypost.com

How Heath Ledger's Family Keeps His Memory Alive He's been gone for more than two years, but Heath Ledger's family continues to make sure his memory is here to stay. "He is alive in my heart and in my head. Every day I talk to him," Ledger's sister, Kate told PEOPLE Thursday night at the sixth annual Australians in Film Breakthrough Awards. ... "It is very special," Kate said. "It's honoring our boy so we couldn't be prouder and we think it is an amazing scholarship that is going to give so many opportunities. His mother added, "He had a huge passion for acting. That was the most important thing for him. It wasn't about the money. He had such a passion that just showed through regardless of how big the role was." Read more. Source: people.com

Ledger Scholarship Awarded To Up-And-Comer Heathcote

A scholarship established in the name of late actor HEATH LEDGER has been awarded to up-and-coming actress BELLA HEATHCOTE. The $10,000 (£7,000) fund, set up by Ledger's ex-fiancee Michelle Williams and friends following his death in 2008, was given to Heathcote at the sixth annual Australians in Film Breakthrough Awards in Los Angeles on Thursday night (13 May 10). She was hand-picked from a pool of applicants by The Dark Knight star's pals and colleagues, including Colin Farrell, who presented the honour. Read more. Source: contactmusic.com

Making of Video 'Cause An Effect' (dir-Heath Ledger)

("close ya hand 2 a fist & squeeze if ya represent freedom & ya fight for peace")



N'fa discussing the making of the Cause An Effect video.
Working with Heath, and the showing of Heath's works in Rome 2009.

"He was in many ways ahead of the curve."

Being “Out” in the West Today on KPCC public radio’s “Air Talk,” Larry Mantle hosted Gregory Hinton, who conceived the Autry’s “Out West” lecture series. “Out West” explores LGBT issues and aspects of the history and life of the West. Hinton previewed Thursday evening’s event, Hidden Histories, in which he and Autry curators will highlight objects in the museum’s permanent collection that figure in or have a connection to gay/lesbian/bisexual life in the Old West. When most people think of gays in the West, they think of Brokeback Mountain, the 2005 Ang Lee film that told the fictional story of Ennis del Mar and Jack Twist, a pair of ranch hands who meet in Wyoming in 1963 and continue a secret, tortured romance for decades. “Brokeback is basically the reason I approached the Autry,” Hinton said. “I was researching another project and going through their beautiful Western film gallery and I noticed they hadn’t done anything with Brokeback Mountain. Brokeback really deserves to be in that gallery.” Read more. Source: blog.theautry.org Jim Wilke in a photo by Blake Little, part of the IGRA archives.

Gays, Gays, Gays

It must be a great time to be gay because all around me, there are good gay things going on in the mainstream. I've never had first-hand knowledge of the gay community in general and never spent much time thinking about gays or their social/political issues. Yet lately I've been surrounded by a plethora of what is now positive stories of the LGBT community. I guess it all started last year with the installation of the Brokeback Mountain shirts in the Autry gallery. I quickly learned just how iconic those shirts are to the LGBT community. They're the "red ruby slippers of our time" said the owner of the shirts. ... Then came Ozomatli, the multi-everything band that I love. Their new album, Fire Away, showcases the song "Gay Vatos in Love". I first heard it performed live at SXSW in Austin this past March. I didn't understand the lyrics completely but thought wow, these guys are seriously singing about gay vatos in love. Read more and watch the Ozomatli video. Source: yayadeleon.blogspot.com

Jake Down Four in AfterElton Hot 100 List

The winner of the 2010 AfterElton.com Hot 100 is …Ramin Setoodeh from Newsweek! Just kidding. Truthfully, we can’t imagine anything less appealing than the attitudes expressed by this out gay journalist who recently argued, ridiculously, that gay actors can’t play straight roles. So who did come out on top? If you’re the kind of person who opens your Christmas presents early, go here to find the start of the list. 8.  Jake Gyllenhaal     Rank last year: 4 We still can’t quit him. Sure, he’s fallen a few spots since claiming two Brokeback Mountain-influenced Hot 100 victories in 2007 and 2008, but that’s nothing a few shirtless scenes in Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time can’t rectify. Way too much has been made about how “brave” straight actors are for taking on gay roles, so instead let’s get superficial and simply celebrate Jake for his piercing blue eyes, that rockin’ bod, and, of course, that wonderfully goofy grin. Read more. Source: afterelton.com

BBM: Randomly on the Web



Reenacting Brokeback Mountain in acting class

"My acting final...a scene from brokeback mountain with my good friend
jeff magee haha, toughest acting experience of my life...we better get a damn A"

Watch the video on twitvid

Fun Question of the Week

This week’s Question: Going by time as we know it on Earth, a year on the planet Mercury lasts 88 days, how long is a day? Let us know your answer in the response thread. Last week's question and answer: What is the most commonly understood meaning of the phrase "going commando" - what is the generally accepted origin of how this phrase came to be? Fofol is correct "Going commando" is to go without underwear. The current use of the phrase is theorized to have begun during the Vietnam War when soldiers were thought to go without underwear to increase ventilation and reduce moisture being close to their skin which could lead to itching, chafing and jock itch. Additionally, Fofol explains: "Military commandoes who, upon occasion, may consider the time it takes to put on this addtional part of the wardrobe as a life-threatening nicety that can easily be eliminated. And Flyboy & Andy, thanks for your, umm, contribution to the discussion.   **It would be greatly appreciated if each of you reading the Fun Question of the Day could PM Stilllearning with one of your favorite trivia questions to be featured in TDS!**

Post of the Week

Posted by tfferg in Why am I gay? -- Nature? Nurture? (Straights welcome, too)

"FWIW "An Alternative Theory for Gay Evolution "in the current ussue of the Gay and Lesbian Review "though it does overlook such historical phenomena as the Sacred Band of Thebes and similar armies in parts of Africa." Here's an excerpt from the linked article: "I propose that same-sex love and its motley constellation of deviances exist throughout human history for only one reason: to guarantee the persistence of homophobia—which I ultimately believe has been indispensable to the survival of the race. I know that will come as something of a shock, but please hear me out." -- Mitchell Santine Gould, Portland, OR

The Forum Image

Posted by killersmom in Life Through The Lens 4

A scintillating spring sunset taken from a New Mexico back porch.

Quote of the Day

“Once I saw a chimpanzee gaze at a particularly beautiful sunset
for a full 15 minutes, watching the changing colors [and then]
retire to the forest without picking a pawpaw for supper.”

~ Adriaan Kortlandt ~

Photo Caption of the Day

Posted by Marz in Photo Captioning Fun 5

Jack: (to Randall): right, if we wanna sneak off we gotta do it now,...get ready!!! RUN!!!!!!!

Contributors: Lyle (Mooska), BayCityJohn, tfferg, killersmom, Marz

Calendar of Events

If you have ideas about initiating a gathering, go to Start Your Own Threads
and get the ball rolling to plan a get-together near you.

Boston Brokie Bash - AIDS Walk
Boston, MA, June 4th-6th 2010

Fifth Anniversary Screening of Brokeback Mountain
and the staged reading of selections from Beyond Brokeback
Los Angeles, CA, December 11th, 2010

Let us know of any events you’d like listed here.

The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at www.davecullen.com/forum.

Today's edition by gnash

Fun Question of the Week compiled by Stilllearning

Researchers: BayCityJohn, Killersmom, Kittyhawk, Marge_Innavera, Stilllearning

Editors emeritae: CactusGal, Marge_Innavera, tellyouwhat, Stilllearning, MissYouSoMuch

We count on you to send us your news items, questions, and nominations for posts of the day.
If you have items you’d like to see published, send them to gnash.

To subscribe to The Daily Sheet, click the “Notify” button at the top or bottom of the page.
When a new issue of TDS is posted, you will be notified by e-mail.

The Daily Sheet Archives
Respond to The Daily Sheet