Before I go...

Updates, News, & Reviews

I will be away for the first and possibly the second weeks of July. I will be attending the Bright Young Minds (BYM) Conference in Jo’burg. It is unlikely that I will be able to update my blog during that period; thus, I won’t be putting up any Queer Eye reviews for 3 weeks! Yikes. I don’t know if I’ll even be able to ever see the Queer Eye episode of 5 July. I’ll be setting the video machine & Dstv but with all the power failures in Cape Town it is unlikely that programming will not be interrupted. My other option is to get a family member to be present and tape it for me. That’s a huge leap of faith (and I mean that in the nicest possible way). I feel I’ve been a bit slack with this blog lately in terms of discussion and I want to discuss my own TV show sometime, as well as the hot shows on TV here at the moment.

Stargate News:
The Stargates have begun filming the new seasons and all the websites are buzzing with spoilers galore. If you’re a David Hewlett fan, get all the updates you need from www.david-hewlett.co.uk (under News), including awesome photos of David’s movie, A Dog’s Breakfast. That’s David’s dog in the photo. Paul McGillion (SGA’s Dr Carson Beckett) co-stars. David’s sister, Kate Hewlett plays his sister in the movie, as well as in a third season episode of SGA entitled McKay and Mrs Miller, written by Martin Gero. I’m so excited to see how it plays out, with all the sibling Hewlettisms and the fact that both McKays are geniuses. Who is the smarter sibling though? I’ll have to wait in agony here in SA, while the new seasons start in July overseas. There are also amazing cast photos for both shows available at www.gateworld.net or at www.sg-atlantis.emedian.net (New Atlantis – The Evolution). Who did the SG-1 photos? They are particularly stunning. Of further interest in the realm of David Hewlett is an on-line article about Nothing, the weird movie I’ve recently seen and recommend to anyone and everyone. You can find the link to the site the following paragraph is from on The Number One David Hewlett Site (www.david-hewlett.co.uk):

The Stargates will return to Sci Fi Fridays next month, but till then, if you 1) acknowledge that David Hewlett’s snarky and arrogant Dr. Rodney McKay is the best thing about Stargate Atlantis, and 2) need a geeky Hewlett fix, then you’ve gotta check out the 2003 Canadian film Nothing, from Vincenzo Natali, the guy who made the seriously freaky Cube. I’m tempted to say as close to nothing about Nothing as possible, because it’s freaky in a way similar to Cube (though not at all gory), which is to say that it is more disturbing, and in the case of Nothing, more funny, the less you know in advance. Maybe it’s enough to say that Dave (Hewlett) and Andrew (Andrew Miller) are two dorks who live together in a ramshackle Toronto house that’s like something Terry Gilliam might dream about, but, being dorkishly antisocial, they don’t have a lot of use for the rest of the world. And they wake up one morning after a particularly uncomfortable run-in with the rest of the world to find that it’s gone. The world, that is. Or maybe they’ve been transported somewhere else where the world isn’t.
I’ve probably already said too much. It’s all deliciously Twilight Zoney, which would be enough for many a geek, but the bonus of Hewlett’s performance -- as a too-smart, too-weird guy who gets what he wishes for and then is sorry he got it... maybe -- is what makes Nothing a must-see. His fidgety energy animates Dave’s misanthrophy so that you identify with it at the same time you want to give him a smack -- Hewlett creates a screen presence that you just can’t help but love even when he’s being an annoying little shit.

Queer Eye News:

Like I said I’ll be away and I’ll be really upset if I miss that episode of Queer Eye. Anyone willing to tape it for me? Anyway, the review below will be the last one for a while. Queer Eye is now officially called Queer Eye and not Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, thus the change to the website and it’s URL, which is now: www.bravotv.com/Queer_Eye/
Does anyone else think the new site is a bit… crazy? I do love that you can get to all the videos within one window now. The behind-the-scenes (or the outtest out-takes) of Las Vegas are a real treat and worth watching. The 3-episode Las Vegas block is now finished overseas. I really think Bravo should bring the series in its entirety to DVD. At the very least they can put the Vegas block and all the bonus footage on a special DVD.
And then, the big news, Kyan is engaged, to partner Greg.


Now for the Queer Eye Review:

Episode 2.38: Ari Vais – It’s Only Rock and Roll

First Aired in SA: 21 June 2006

The thing I’ll remember the most about this episode is the song that Ari sings for the Fab 5. It’s probably titled “long distance relationship”. I really like the song and Ari is really good. Carson gets a lighter and sits down waving the flame in the air as Ari sings. Lyrics about “long distance relationship is a four letter word” and how you need “pretty eye contact”. Really liked it. Later Thom picks up the guitar to sing a song about Ari saying, “Ari, you’re very special to me. I see you four times, just four times a year. When I’m not with you, you’ve got cream and tissues.” I digress, but the big question is, can Thom actually play the guitar?
Earlier:
Ted: “His girlfriend lives in London and he sees her four times a year. You know what that means?”
Carson: “Hand lotion.”
Later:
Thom (on the megaphone): “Attention. Attention. I found some tissues and hand lotion next to the bed. I told you.”

Later, Ari is telling Ted and Kyan about the types of clubs he normally plays in.
Ted (repeating what Ari just said): “People get sweaty and drunk and throw things and there’s a lot of love!?”
Kyan: “Sounds like Thom Filicia’s house.”
Lovely!

Ari painted an amazing picture of Robert Downey Jr.

The common thing with the average straight guy is that they just don’t do dishes. Think Tom on Desperate Housewives. Think my own brother! Don’t understand it. Ari is no different. He tells Ted that he washes his dishes on the weekend only. The Fab 5 meet a straight guy on a Tuesday, so Ted says to Ari, based on the amount of dishes, “Today must be Friday”.

Ari is a musician. He’s the lead singer, guitarist, and publicist for his band, called the Pelicans. Yet, Jai finds his stereo, which is so small, it can fit in the palm of Jai’s hand. Jai: “He’s a musician and this is his stereo. It’s fabulous. Can we get him a sound system or something?”

Speaking of poultry, Ted gives a brilliant hip tip. I burst out laughing but it is a serious warning.
Ted: “Wooden cutting boards are great for chopping but they’re also great for Salmonella.”
Salmonella is a type of bacterium found in poultry. If you cut chicken, etc. on a wooden board, the Salmonella get into the wood and grow happily to dangerous numbers. Then you come along and chop something else and the Salmonella contaminates that food. You can’t wash off Salmonella. And the scary thing is that Salmonella is making it’s way up to the number one deadliest pathogen. So use a plastic cutting board for meet products and cook and heat up your food properly.

And another thing about Thom. He jumps on furniture a lot. Granted he’s really good at that, but I wonder if the stores are accepting of it.

When Ari sees his new place he practically hugs Thom to death. Cute.

Carson is talking to Ari about his closet. He says “I hate straight bars” but he’s talking about the straight bars in a closet. Then he talks about “harness boot”. That whole conversation was just innuendo.

This is the first time that I’ve seen Ted laying on the couch and not serving any drinks. He had Carson working for him.

Ari’s stove had no handle on it. Carson comes along and uses a suction cup to open the stove door. Later, Ari burns himself wearing burglar gear trying to get the meal out.


Quotes:

Ted: “He’s a 34-year-old rocker slash hobbit.”
Carson: “He escaped communist Russia.”

Kyan: “He’s got a small basket. That’s the unfortunate thing about Ari.”

Carson: “It’s like a Jewish car alarm. I love it. Someone stole my Audi.”

Thom (on the megaphone): “Hi. I’m Thom. I’m the interior decorator.”
Ari: “I see you found the megaphone.”

Carson (on the megaphone): “Ari, report to the closet please.”

Carson: “We love cruising.” [He’s not talking about cruise liners here.]

Jai: “If you’re gay, come in this room.”
Carson: “I’m not gay, I’m questioning.”

Carson: “We can clean this place up or sing show tunes.”
Carson and Ted: “Show tunes!”

Kyan (to Ari): “Rinse with water. Rinse with water.”

Ari: “Can’t believe they’re gone.”

Ari is eating leftovers off dirty plates.
Thom: “He’s disgusting.”
Kyan: “He’s not a human being.”

Ari cuts himself while preparing the food. I’ve never seen someone be so frustrated and violent trying to make a meal.
Kyan: “He’s bleeding all over the onion.”

Kyan: “He’s using the paper directions as a potholder!”

Ari (about washing his face): “I can feel it killing things.”

Carson: “I have a high self-esteem problem.”

Ted actually knows a lot about Indie Rock, including the band Pavement.
Carson: “I thought they were talking about the asphalt industry.”

Thom likes the megaphone! 

Can Thom play the guitar? 

Love the t-shirt! 

It was Jai Rodriguez's birthday on June 22. 

A Horse. 

A beautiful picture of a cove in Dorset, England (by Carrie). 

A metal sculpture of a pelican (can you see it?). 

Ergots and ibises. Sometimes there are so many it is like "spot the grass". 

Look at the size of that tennis ball! 

Happy Birthday Jai!

It's Jai's birthday today, 22 June. Happy Birthday Jai!

Jai is the culture vulture on Queer Eye. He is also a singer, dancer, broadway performer, and has been in movies as well.

Kyan thinks it is so funny that he gelled Ted. 

Kyan is crazy about his own hair. 

Poor Kyan. Was asking for it though! 

Gelled by Jai. 

Jai gets Kyan. 

What gel can do to good hair. 

Wake up... 

...And do 15 minutes of cardio first thing in the morning! 

Carson wants to be hit by the overhead fan. 

Thom wants to borrow Winston's credit cards. 

Carson throws Winston's endless plaid wardrobe at poor Jai.

Thom and the running man sculpture! 

Kyan's book. 

From Kyan's wonderful book. 

QE Review & Kyan's book, Beautified

QE Review

Episode 2.37: Winston Shih – An Opening Night to Share

First Aired in SA: 14 June 06

Thom did an amazing job with transforming that space into a restaurant. Winston and Kay bow to him saying, “We are not worthy”! What was interesting, from Ted, is the range of organic wines.
The straight guy knew about the T-zone!
The Fab 5 are really having fun with each other now, not just with trashing the house, and the straight guy. They’ve obviously grown closer. How cool.
Carson puts on a helmet and allows the ceiling fan to hit him in the head, repeatedly.

Quotes:

Carson: “What’s it called?”
Ted: “It’s called Share.”
Carson: “I love her! … Wait, they spelt it wrong. S. H. A. R. E. It’s C. H. E. R.”

Ted: “The family’s conservative. They don’t believe in this risky business thing.”

Thom (greeting Winston): “How’s the chest fungus?”

Thom (on a statue of a man): “Is this guy running from your tragic apartment? It’s horrible!”

Carson (holding up a mesh): “This place is a mesh.”

Ted (to Kyan): “I’ve been gelled. You are a professional hair person. How could you?”
[Jai gets Kyan back on Ted’s behalf.]

Thom (holding a handful of credit cards): “Can I borrow your credit cards?”

Carson (going crazy about the plaid in a brilliant way): “Just when you thought there was no more plaid in the world…”
Carson (throwing plaid in Jai’s face): “Look at all this plaid. God, it makes me crazy.”

Ted (to Kyan, about the odd bookshelf): “As you observe the cleanliness issue, you skip over this.”

Carson (to Winston): “…expecting Cher. It’s just you. It’s already a let down.”

Ted: “Thom drives like a lunatic.”

Kyan to Jai: “Jai bird.”

Ted: “Just don’t take the whole bottle this time, Thom.”

Carson: “Fancy Pants. That used to be my nickname at camp.”

Thom (ripping off how Winston is always grinning): “She can never get mad at him. It’s like having a puppy.”




Beautified: Secrets for Women to Look Great and Feel Fabulous by Kyan Douglas

OK, this book is for women, and it’s great. If you have watched Kyan you’d know that he is a very spiritual, loving guy, and very respectful towards women. He’s whole way of being comes across in his writing and it is a pleasure to read. The book is helpful and informative and anyone can take his tips to heart.

The book itself is over 200 pages and it is a big, glossy book, with beautiful pictures! I was very impressed. The chapters cover: hair, skin, makeup, grooming, diet, exercise, and your spirit. This book is great for women. You also learn some things about Kyan, like, he wears braces! You also get an idea of the rigours of making the show, Queer Eye.

The book is available at Amazon.com

Bad to worse. 

The situation is bad.