Monthly Archives: October 2006

Soundout

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By Beth Freed – Staff Writer

5 questions with Sheryldine Samuel-Fall



Sheryldine Samuel-Fall has served the Resource Center of Dallas as the HIV/AIDS Nutrition/Education Program Manager for three years. The Resource Center of Dallas operates the Gay and Lesbian Community Center, the Nelson-Tebedo Health Resource Center and the AIDS Resource Center. Through the AIDS Resource Center, clients can access the food pantry, which supplies 1,000 people with food for breakfast, lunch and dinner each week.

How long have you worked in the HIV/AIDS services field?
It’s been a combined total of five years that I’ve been working, but prior to that, I started volunteering in nursing school. So, with volunteering, it’s been eight or nine years. I’ve worked for the Resource Center of Dallas for three years, and before that I was an HIV/AIDS case manager at a medical insurance company.

How did you get interested in HIV/AIDS issues?
I took an HIV/AIDS 101 course from Marianne LaShat at Georgetown University. I don’t know what happened that day, but it just clicked. I thought, that’s what I’m supposed to be doing. I started participating in a peer education group that informed freshman about using condoms.

What are some obstacles you face in your job?
We can’t give condoms out at schools. We have to ask everywhere we go, because we can’t offend anyone if that could be called offensive. I hate hearing stories about young people still getting infected in this day and age when there’s so much information out there. As an African-American woman, young black women coming in and testing positive is very upsetting.

What are the blessings you receive through your work?
Going out there and educating people and seeing someone get it. Watching someone come in and get tested after hearing us talk. I tell everyone to know their status, whether it’s positive or negative, so they can be better informed and responsible.

How long have you lived in Dallas and who do you live with?
I’ve lived in Dallas for four years. We moved because of my husband’s job. I have a 10-year old son, who I really try to educate about safer sex and condoms. And then I have my extended family at the Resource Center.

Soundout is a weekly column featuring people whose jobs and interests have an impact on the daily lives of members of the GLBT community. It features those who often go unnoticed by the press and community. If you’d like to recommend someone to cover in this column, contact staff writer Beth Freed at freed@dallasvoice.com

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Query of the Week

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By Beth Freed – Staff Writer

What more could be done to help prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS?

“I think the most important thing is education. Research for medications is great and should be developing, but there needs to be more intervention programs and education for kids.”

Anu Dhingra
Ph.D. student

“More education. You have clubs that offer condoms and literature. Nowadays, people are still being very promiscuous, like getting into threesomes. They think it’s gone away and it hasn’t.”

Earnest Lathon
Human Resources

“Go tougher on the laws for sex crimes. Like, if you don’t tell someone that you have HIV, and you give it to them, you get involuntary manslaughter charges.”

Aarron McKenzie
Data processor

“I think that more education, because I don’t really know anything about HIV. I’m naive as to how to catch it. More material published so that people like me can learn about it would be good.”

Michael Sneed
Construction worker

“There needs to be more education about drug use for young people. In fact, this whole party-and-play thing with young gay people right now really pisses me off.”

James Foster
Customer, CrossRoads

Have a suggestion for a question you’d like us to ask? E-mail it to staff writer Beth Freed at freed@dallasvoice.com.

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Pet of the Week

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Mickey and Monty are 12-week-old brothers. They were rescued from an apartment complex parking lot and have been in a foster home for several weeks. Mickey is a short-haired brown tabby, and Monty is a medium-haired marble tabby. They are loving littermates who want to be adopted together. Both have had their first vaccinations, are microchipped and are negative for FeLV and FIV.

Dogs, cats, puppies and kittens are available for adoption from Operation Kindness, 3201 Earhart Drive (near Keller Springs Road and Midway Road), Carrollton. The no-kill shelter is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (until 8 p.m. Thursday) and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Cost to adopt is $110 for cats and kittens and $135 for dogs and puppies. The cost includes spay or neuter surgery, microchipping, vaccinations and other tests. Those 65 and above and those who adopt two pets at the same time get a $20 discount. For more information call 972-418-PAWS, or visit www.operationkindness.org.

This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition, December 1, 2006.

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Courts review custody battles between lesbian former couples

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By Staff and Wire Reports

Virginia court says Vermont has jurisdiction in one custody fight; Pennsylvania Supreme Court refuses to hear appeal in second case



Lisa Miller (left), and Greg Nivens, Lambda Legal senior stafff attorney (right).

A Virginia appeals court ruled unanimously on Tuesday that Vermont courts have jurisdiction in a custody battle between two former lesbian partners. And in Pennsylvania on Wednesday, the state’s Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal of a lower-court ruling giving a non-biological parent primary custody of the children from her previous lesbian relationship with the children’s biological mother.

The Court of Appeals of Virginia remanded the dispute between Janet Jenkins and Lisa Miller to a lower court, which claimed Virginia had jurisdiction in the case.

In August, the Vermont Supreme Court ruled that Vermont courts, and not those in Virginia, had exclusive jurisdiction over a custody case involving the two women, who had a child while in a lesbian relationship. The women, who had changed their last names to Miller-Jenkins, entered into a legal civil union in Vermont. During their relationship Lisa Miller became pregnant through artificial insemination and gave birth to their daughter.

But when the women’s relationship ended, Miller moved to Virginia but asked the Vermont court to dissolve the civil union and give her sole custody of the child. When the Vermont court ordered that Jenkins be allowed visitation, Miller instead took the matter to court in Virginia, using that state’s anti-gay marriage law to have herself named as the child’s sole parent.

Earlier this month, the Vermont court had ordered Miller to pay several thousand dollars in fines, saying she was in contempt of court for refusing to allow Jenkins to see the child.

Greg Nivens, senior staff attorney in the Southern Regional Office of Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, is one of the attorneys representing Janet Miller-Jenkins in the case. Nivens said Tuesday that the Virginia court’s ruling was a relief for his client.

“This has been a long road for Janet, and now, she’s that much closer to seeing her daughter again,” Nivens said. “The Virginia Court of Appeals rightly recognized that federal law protects parents against the very thing Lisa Miller did parents cannot shop around looking for a court to give them sole custody.”

In returning the case to a lower court, Virginia Appeals Judge Jere Willis Jr. stressed that the court was not addressing the issue of civil unions.

“This case does not place before us the question whether Virginia recognizes the civil union entered into by the parties in Vermont,” Willis wrote. “The only question before us is whether, considering the [Parental Kidnapping Prevention Act], Virginia can deny full faith and credit to the orders of the Vermont court. It cannot.”

In Pennsylvania, the Supreme Court’s refusal to hear an appeal in the custody battle between Patricia Jones and Ellen Boring, the court let stand a lower court ruling awarding custody to Jones, the non-biological parent, on the basis that Jones would provide a better home for the children than would Boring.

“Today, the court has protected the best interests of these children and held them above all else,” said Alphonso David, the Lambda Legal staff attorney who argued Jones’ case before the Pennsylvania Superior Court.

Jones and Boring were partners for 14 years, during which time Boring gave birth to the couple’s twin children. After the relationship ended in 2001, a trial court found that Jones had parental rights and awarded joint custody to both mothers, with primary physical custody going to Boring, the biological mother.

Jones later filed for primary physical custody, citing Boring’s history of ignoring the court-ordered visitation schedule and her repeated attempts to take the children out of the state. The court then awarded Jones primary physical custody after finding “convincing reasons” that the best interest of the children would be served by doing so.

Boring appealed to the Superior Court of Pennsylvania, which upheld the lower court’s decision.

This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition, December 1, 2006.

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Buddha-ful

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By Gilbert Garcia – Pop Music Critic

Lesbian folk-rockers Bandmates shine on debut release



FIRST MATES: Susan Carson, left, and Kimberly Cody jam at Winedale Tavern on Saturday.

As often as they gig around town, it’s never been hard to catch indie locals Bandmates onstage. Whether playing as an acoustic duet or an electrified four-piece, the duo fronted by singer-guitarist Kimberly Cody and bassist-backup vocalist Susan Carson have been paying their dues. At countless open mikes, street fairs and music fests.

Given their devotion, it’s great to see Bandmates put themselves out there yet again.

Partners in life and music, Cody and Carson recently released a full-length disc “The Buddha and the Alien.” Simple and straightforward while remaining playfully in left field, the disc is a perfect insight into just where this group’s sentimentalities lie: folky, trippy and a little silly.

With 11 tracks barely cresting the half-hour mark, “The Buddha and The Alien” gives Bandmates just enough room to stretch their wings.

Like the imagery of the disc’s title, the album’s lyrics tend toward psychedelic rock with a decidedly ’60s vibe. Dallas’ queer scene is starving for more hippy chicks.


Bandmates, “The Buddha and the Alien”, Self-release

Cody’s vocals are animated, though occasionally affected. Carson remains the strong anchor both vocally and with her rock-steady bass lines.

Lead guitarist Lee Fortune is particularly impressive, dishing out bluesy solo licks with a seeming ease, while session drummer Scott Miles keeps the beat steady but uncluttered.

Early highlights include the bouncy “Seattleville” as well as the meditative title track. And while most of “Buddha and Alien” remains in a mid-tempo groove, tracks like “Ice in the Fire” and the record closer “Pressure” pack an emotional punch you’ll appreciate.

Bandmates perform Dec. 2 9:30 p.m. at Winedale Tavern, 2110 Greenville Ave. 214-823-5018. MySpace.com/Bandmates



LAST STOP: DALLAS HOMECOMING

It hasn’t been easy for the Dixie Chicks. Three years ago, the group touched off a firestorm in red America for saying they were ashamed of our Texas-reared president. By the way, Natalie, he’s not from Texas: Let Connecticut be ashamed of him. And they continue to face a backlash from many in the country-music-buying public.

If anyone was expecting this trio to quietly fade away, it certainly wasn’t the folks in their hometown of Big D. Dallasites have seen the Chicks claw their way to the top and who know just how tenacious these cowgirls are.

With mainstream country seemingly set to abandon them, the Chicks chose to jump ship. Earlier this year, they released the Rick Rubin-produced crossover hit “Taking the Long Way.”

Showing the sort of defiance that we’ve come to expect, the Chicks took their shots at critics early and often, releasing the in-your-face track “Not Ready to Make Nice” as the album’s first single.

As the story of their 2003 tour hits big screens in the form of the Barbara Kopple documentary “Shut Up and Sing,” the Chicks have again hit the road for a set of dates dubbed the “Accidents & Accusations” tour. With politics hopefully far in the rear-view, this tour promises to be a boot-stomping time. Expect the evening to be anything but dull. The Dallas gig at American Airlines Center is the Chick’s last tour stop.

Gilbert Garcia

American Airlines Center, 2500 Victory Ave. Dec. 5 at 7:30 p.m. $49.50-$75. 214-373-8000.

This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition, December 1, 2006.

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Lambda Pages Best of the Best 2007

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Best Breakfast Spot – Lucky’s

Best 24-Hour Restaurant – Caf? Brazil

Best Brunch Spot – Monica’s Aca y Alla

Best Vegetarian Restaurant – Cosmic Cafe

Best Greek Restaurant – Fadi’s

Best Chinese – Howard Wang’s China Grill

Best Italian Restaurant – Carrabba’s Italian Grill

Best Mexican Restaurant – Uncle Julio’s

Best Thai Restaurant – Chan Thai

Best Margarita – Ojeda’s

Best Burger – Hunky’s

Best Patio – Hunky’s

Best People-Watching Spot – Hunky’s

Most Romantic Restaurant – The Grape

Best Restaurant to Take the Family – Original Black Eyed Pea

Best Bar-B-Que – Peggy Sue BBQ

Best Buffet – Texas de Brazil

Best Take Out – Eatzi’s

Best Caesar Salad – La Madeline French Bakery

Best Fast Food Restaurant – Taco Cabana

Best Coffee Shop – Buli

Best New Restaurant – Cosmo Rouge Bistro-Lounge

Best All-Around Bar – JR.’s Bar & Grill

Best Leather Bar – Dallas Eagle

Best Lesbian Bar – Sue Ellen’s

Best Dance Bar – S4

Best Cabaret/Piano Bar – Bill’s Hideaway

Best C&W Bar – The Round-Up Saloon

Sexiest Bar Staff – Rocket Bar

Best DJ – Mickey’s

Best Off the Beaten Path Bar – Barbara’s Pavilion

Best Happy Hour – Alexandre’s

Best Martini – Martini Ranch

Best Theme Night – The Rose Room’s 80′s Night

Best Drag Show – The Rose Room

Best After Hours Bar – Throckmorton Mining Company

Best Place to Shoot Pool – The Round-Up Saloon

Best Straight Bar – Ghost Bar

Best Pet Supply Store – PetSmart

Best Pet Adoption – SPCA

Best Video Rental Store – Tapelenders

Best Adult Video Rental Store – Alternatives New Fine Arts

Best Bookstore – Crossroads Market

Best Furniture Store – IKEA

Best Apparel Store – Union Jack

Best Piercing/Tattoo Parlor – Obscurities Trilogy

Best Gift Boutique – Nuvo

Best Adult Toy Store – Condom Sense

Best Consignment Store – Buffalo Exchange

Best Grocery Store – Kroger Cedar Springs

Best Antique Shopping – Love Field Antique Mall

Best High Tech Store – Apple Store TM

Best Jewelry Store – Ice House Jewelers

Best Nutritional/Health Foods – Whole Foods

Best Leather Shop – Shades of Grey

Best Liquor Store – Goody Goody Liquor

Best Tux Rental – Ascot Tuxedo

Best Athletic Apparel – Luke’s Locker

Best Cellular Service – Cingular Wireless

Best Auto Dealer – Park Place Dealerships

Best Eyewear/Optical – Uptown Vision

Best Music Store – Virgin Megastore

Best Bed & Breakfast – Daisy Polk Inn

Best Weekend Getaway – Rainbow Ranch

Best Neighborhood – Kessler Park

Best Park – White Rock Lake Park

Best Biking/Hiking Trail – Katy Trail

Best Hotel – The W

Best Hair Salon – Mark Woodruff Salon

Best Massage – Joe Andrews, CORE Health

Best Gym – Performance Playground

Best Personal Trainer – Brian Hall

Best Medical Practitioner – Dr. Jamie Vasquez

Best Dentist – Dr. Alan Maedgen, Maedgen Smile Designs

Best Plastic Surgeon – David E. Martin, M.D. – Medical City

Best Chiropractor – Dr. Steven Tutt

Best Veterinarian – City Vet

Best Mechanic Services – Park Place Dealerships

Best Mortgage Company – CTX Mortgage

Best Insurance Agency/Agent – Scott Beseda, State Farm

Best Real Estate Agency – Hewitt & Habgood Realty Group

Best Real Estate Agent – Lory Masters, Master Realtors

Best Travel Agency – American Express Travel

Best Airline – American Airlines

Best Florist – Bishop Arts Floral

Best Apartment Locator – UmoveFREE.com

Best Attorney – Rebecca Covell

Best Bank – Bank of America

Best Fundraiser – Dallas – Fort Worth Black Tie Dinner

Best GLBT Role Model – Michael Doughman

Best GLBT Organization – The Resource Center of Dallas

Best Thing to Happen to GLBT Community – Oak Lawn Triangle

Worst Thing to Happen to GLBT Community – President George W. Bush

Best Local Official – Mayor Laura Miller

Best State Official – State Representative Rafael Anchia

Best Place of Worship – Cathedral of Hope

Best Radio General – 106.1 KISS FM

Best GLBT Friendly Radio – KERA 90.1 FM

Best TV General – NBC 5

Best GLBT Friendly TV – LOGO

Best Indie Film Theatre – The Magnolia

Best Local Stage Production – Pageant – Uptown Players

Best Touring Production – Sordid Lives

Best Entertainer Drag – Krystal Summers

Best Entertainer Other – Denise Lee

Best Art Gallery/Museum – Nasher Sculpture Center

Best Live Music Venue – NOKIA LIVE Theatre

Best Festival – Alan Ross Texas Freedom Parade

Best Tourist Destination – Sixth Floor Museum

Best Local Sports Team – Dallas Mavericks

Best GLBT Family Website – DallasVoice.com

Best GLBT Adult Website – Manhunt.net

Best Place to Meet Someone – Crossroads Market

Best Beer – Bud Light

Best Liquor – Grey Goose Vodka

Best Soft Drink – Diet Coke, The Coca-Cola Company

Best Non-Alcoholic Drink – Water, Various Brands

Best Energy Drink – Monster

This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition, December 1, 2006.

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Holiday Gift Guide 2006

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*

1- Fido comes first
Let’s face it: In the gay community during Christmastime, it’s the dogs and cats who make out like bandits. We treat our four-legged furry friends like full-fledged members of the family, albeit ones with wet noses who can lick themselves. So tops on any shopping list has to be a luxury only Princess or Rex can enjoy. A Brandy Pets dog bed is a sure way to make sure at least someone opening a present won’t run off to return it on Dec. 26. And what could be more adorable than that?
Petropolitan, 408 S. Harwood St.,
214-741-4100. $99.

2 – Ready for action
Kids play with toys; adults collect them. Nothing will make that special someone in your life feel like a kid as much as an action figure. Not just those Mego superheroes and G.I. Joes, either you can now find an 18-inch Freddie Mercury doll that plays a medley of classic Queen songs, or go ultra-fancy with a 1/6th scale vinyl model of Superman by Kotbukya, complete with stand. Up, up and away!
Zeus Comics, 3878 Oak Lawn Ave.,
Suite 100E, 214-219-8697. $39.99-$99.99.

3 – A sculpted body
Dallas artist Manuel Sarmiento takes recycled materials and turn them into art. He sculpts with a variety of media, producing interesting, abstract human figures like these, which are nearly two feet tall. Small, arty statuary like these are perfect housewarming gifts for new couples or just art lovers.
Lofty Concepts, 1135 Dragon St.,
214-747-8000. Assorted sized, styles
and prices; as shown, $200.

4 – TeXas long necks
It’s a clich? that women like to get jewelry, but what about men? Nothing captures the eye like a sparkling men’s necklace from Union Jack. From the Phoenix Rising a sterling silver necklace on leather cord to a fused glass and sterling Italian horn, there is a style for everyone on your list.
Union Jack, 3920 Cedar Springs Road,
214-528-9600. $75-$95.

5 – boots SCOOTIN’
No wardrobe in Texas is complete without a pair of kickin’ cowboy boots. But Gender puts a spin on the traditional cut with the Frye harness boots. These winter favorites differ from the classic styling in that they come in an unfinished split leather with a rich mahogany color.
Gender in the West Village. $245.

6 – Pinned down
Have a friend who’s recently had a nasty break-up? Or do you just like to joke around with your significant other? There’s no better way to soften discords during the holidays than with a voodoo doll. A hilarious gag gift, the doll “commands” the offending party to make dinner, pay attention or a dozen other romantic things to make that zero a hero.
Tapelenders, 3926 Cedar Springs Road,
214-528-6344. $8.99.

7 – Rack ‘em UP
For the person who subscribes to a lot of magazines, a rack to hold them all is a godsend. But rather than some ordinary piece of wicker or cheap brass, give them this arrestingly elegant and contemporary rack in steel and leather from Natuzzi Dallas.
Natuzzi Dallas, 11700 Preston Road, #737, 214-363-7070. $136.50.

8 – Cat scratch fever
The ’50s were a decade full of cool cats, but hipsters are harder to come by these days. One way you can make a favorite person in your life (or maybe even yourself) feel as swingin’ as Sinatra is with this leopard-print living room set with chair and radical round sofa. Upholstered in the dotted pelt and an awesome aqua-and-black contrasting vinyl, this was made for the home of that person who has everything but still needs more.
Lula B’s Antique Mall, 2004 Greenville Ave.,
214-824-2185. $2,200 (for the set).

9 – Cheers!
There’s no better way to toast the new year than with exquisite glassware. The Paris Fair sloping champagne bucket in mouth-blown molded glass makes chilling a bottle of bubbly an elegant affair. And if you go all out for the pail, why not complement it with a set of flutes shaped to resemble an inverted, truncated pyramid.
Ligne Roset, 4516 McKinney Ave.,
214-526-2220. (Also at 1617 Hi Line Drive,
214-742-2300.) Bucket, $95; flutes
(set of six), $185.

10 – Watch this
Todd Brown’s unique, over-the-top style expresses individuality combined with functionality. His handsome accessories, including his collection of retro-vintage chronometers (somehow, they seem like more than “watches”), will tell that person on your list that he’s stylish and special.
Outlines, 3906 Cedar Springs Road,
214-528-1955. $85-$95.

11 – Throw in the pillow
You’re grown up now if you want to have a pillow fight, do it with something tasteful. Designer pillows from Jordan McMillan aren’t just good for pummeling your significant other they look great on any bed or chair. Filled with real feather down, each pillow can be customized to your d?cor with you-choose ribbons that accent any style.
Jones Walker, 3317 McKinney Ave.,
469-916-5500. $186.

12 – Grab a seat
There are ordinary bar stools, and then there are Pam Stools. These shockingly colorful pieces of furniture with translucent seats are sure to garner you enthusiastic “thank-yous.” In a matt-chromed metal frame with brilliant footrest, the stools adjust more than 10 inches via a gas piston to fit any sized bar area or stand alone in a room.
Ligne Roset, 4516 McKinney Ave.,
214-526-2220. (Also at 1617 Hi Line Drive,
214-742-2300.) $435.

13 – I love my calendar, girl!
If you have to get older, you might as well enjoy each day of it, and there’s no better way to do that than with a 2007 wall calendar. Choose from among many offerings from 10% Products, appealing to every taste, including pets (Fiona in All Her Finest), muscle hunks (Frat Guys) and sexy nudes male (the Provocateur series) and female (Sirens). If anyone in your life has a “type,” there’s a calendar for them.
Available online at area retailers such as
Crossroads Market, 3930 Cedar Springs Road, 214-521-8919, and Tapelenders,
2936 Cedar Springs Rd., 214-528-6344. $14.95-$15.95.

14 – Truth in beauty
Bath and beauty products can make for provocative yet ambiguous gifts. They are intimate but social, suggestive but necessary in other words, you can’t go wrong with some nice bath salts and body wash, no matter what message you want to send. Try a selection from Garner Franklin Klein, which are rich in fragrance and nourishing anti-oxidants.
Garner Franklin Klein, 1112 S. Akard St.,
214-207-4320. Individual items from $3.

15 – Nice piece of glass
Probably no gift elicits more oohs and ahs than a gorgeous piece of art glass. Shown are some breathtaking burnt-red-and-midnight Glass Santorum collectibles imported from Germany, but there are many styles and colors available to suit any decor.
Jones Walker, 3317 McKinney Ave.,
469-916-5500. $56-$100 .

16 – Food for thought
What’s the perfect gift? One that you can give twice. Litz the Baker offers that opportunity at his online bakery. First, you buy one of the rich, homemade cheesecakes (in classic New York style, red velvet and chocolate swirl). Then Litz donates $5 for every cake sold to the registered charity of your choice. The local, gay-owned kitchen isn’t just charitable, but talented: Who doesn’t want a gift of dessert?
Online at Fundraiserbakery.com. $33.50.

17 – Flower power
What is Christmas without the vibrant color of a poinsettia? Don’t go to a party empty-handed bring along these beautiful, resilient flowers. And why not mix it up? In addition to the traditional red, consider pink or even new varieties like “cinnamon star” and “strawberries and cream.” Each purchase comes with a care sheet so that the beauty continues for months.
North Haven Gardens, 7700 Northaven Road,
214-363-5316. $9.99-$24.99.


*18 – It’s in the bag
Considering how many functions they serve from wallet holders to fashion accessories to repositories of all things feminine every woman appreciates a new handbag. And when they come as chic as these from Le Chic (available at Gender), they’re easy to covet. Offered in tear drop shape or with an Egyptian print, they come in two colors and styles.
Gender in the West Village. $39.

19 – In good spirits
The idea is clear: Help your friends toast the holidays with a spirited clear liquor. Who doesn’t like premium vodka for their Christmas soirees? SKYY90′s gift set, which comes with a pair of elegantly-crafted glasses from Molo, delivers Skyy’s famously smooth texture. A gift box of Belvedere Polish vodka delivers a crisp, velvety taste with a mild aroma. Or try Ciroc vodka, made from grapes, in a set with hand-blown martini glasses.
Majestic Liquors, 3610 Oak Lawn Ave.,
214-559-3177. Prices from $29.99.

20 – Good wreath!
Nothing bespeaks the holidays quite so warmly as a splashy wreath, and All Occasions Florist has a variety of pre-decorated ones. These items, festively festooned with glamorous touches, will brighten any door.
All Occasions Florist, 3428 Oak Lawn Ave., 214-528-0898. $70-$150.

21 – Kickin’ it
Whether your friends with a fabulous woman or an even more fabulous drag queen, some sexy, outrageous footwear makes a great treat on Christmas morn. A three-inch platform pump with seven-inch heel and adjustable ankle strap makes a real statement, while a Santa go-go boot in stretch velvet is holiday-rific.
Electric Boutique, several area locations, Electricboutique.com. $39.99-$49.99.

22 – ThankS for the music
There’s tons of music for all tastes available during the holidays. Tower Records celebrates its going-out-of-business sale with 40 percent discounts and more on everything from DVDs to singles to classical. Crossroads Market hopes to fill in the gap eventually, offering dance music for those club kids on your list. And you can find tons of show tunes, including a new salute to Sondheim, on Amazon.com
Available online at Amazon.com. Tower Records, 3707 Cedar Springs Road. 214-252-0200. Crossroads Market, 3930 Cedar Springs Road, 214-521-8919.

23 – Take a shot
O.K., so these aren’t exactly the ideal gifts for Mom, but the right person will really appreciate your sense of fun. This set of six shot-glasses, each of which holds 3.5 oz. of fluid, are hilariously inappropriate but also great conversation starters for any adult Christmas party.
Tapelenders, 3926 Cedar Springs Road,
214-528-6344. From $19.99.

24 – Buckle up
We do live in Texas, after all everybody needs a belt buckle that makes a statement. Skivvies offers a series of new classic buckles designed to accompany any ensemble or personality try a Superman logo, a skull, the crown jewels or any of numerous other designs. And while you’re there, buy the strap to go with it.
Skivvies, 4001 Cedar Springs Road,
214-559-4955. $21.

25 – A trip to the past
Whether you prefer Egyptian art or Greek, An Occasional Piece has a variety of reproductions of the ultimate in antiquities. The kouros or male form was a preoccupation of Athenians, and this imported torso tells you why. Over in Egypt, they preferred to revere cats (go figure) and also designed the pyramids, including the obelisk style shown. Any would find a welcome home on a mantelpiece.
An Occasional Piece, 3922 Cedar Springs Road, 214-520-0898. Obeklisk, $18.50-$55.50; cat, $28-$64; torso, $225.

26 – Problem solved
It’s O.K. to want to look good and be pampered, and Miss Oops has the tools you need. This line of beauty saving products range from Pedicure in a Bottle (which exfoliates, smoothes and hydrates feet with one all-in-one product) to sponges that help remove deodorant, powder and makeup from clothing.
Jean Connection at Preston Center,
214-691-7594. $13.

27 – DRESS TO IMPRESS
We all have a fashion-challenged friend who shouldn’t be allowed to pick out his own wardrobe, and the holidays are the perfect time to dress him well without seeming too pushy. Try some fashionable hipwear from Counter Culture, like a green apple tree T, RVCA jeans, some still-snazzy aviator shades or a vintage button-down shirt. Let’s face it: He can use all of ‘em.
Counter Culture at Mockingbird Station.
Sunglasses, $15; garments starting at $26.95.

28 – leather LOVE
In the right relationship, a gift of leather can be a tremendously romantic gesture. Consider the message sent by getting your leather daddy a holster harness or laceback vest from Leather Masters, or a handmade balanced flogger or traditional biker’s cap.
Leather Masters, 2525 Wycliff Ave. #124,
214-528-3865. Harness, $89.95; vest,
$159.95. Shades of Grey, 3930A Cedar
Springs Road., 214-521-4739. Cap, $70,
flogger, $189.95.


*29 – Quit your wining
You can grab a bottle of nondescript wine and throw it in a paper bag, or you can show someone you care with
a lovely set of Trumpeter wine from Goody Goody. In addition to two bottles a white chardonnay and a red malbec-syrah blend the package includes a waiter’s corkscrew, two types of crackers, a chocolate bar and spices for mulled wine, all in a charming basket.
Goody Goody, 3316 Oak Lawn Ave. (and other locations), 214-252-0801. $39.99.

30 – Bamboo steamier
The new Bamboo Collection by C-IN2 is one of the season’s hottest items in men’s fashion underwear. The bamboo fiber, woven into a surprisingly soft fabric, is naturally antibacterial and cut in sexy, shape-flattering designs. And remember: You may be giving it to him, but it’s really for you.
Skivvies, 4001 Cedar Springs Road,
214-559-4955. $19.50.

31 – Read any good books?
The winter is a great time to snuggle up with a book and cup of warm cocoa and lose yourself. Crossroads Market offers many of interest to the queer Texan, from Olympian Mark Tewksbury’s “Inside Out” about being a gay athlete to a photo history of Big D, “Dallas Then & Now” to hilarious tomes like “Conversations and Cosmopolitans.”
Crossroads Market, 3930 Cedar Springs Road, 214-521-8919.

32 – Diamonds are any one’s best friend
December Diamonds aren’t gemstones, but stand-alone ornaments perfect for the holiday season. Available in a variety of styles, these work year-round to make any mantel all the more festive.
Tapelenders, 3926 Cedar Springs Road.,
214-528-6344. $11.99-$39.99.

33 – Trivial Pursuit for gays
It was only a matter of time before someone decided to make coming out of the closet a game well, other than Clay Aiken. Homogenius is a board game where contestants weave their way out of a closet by answering questions about gay culture. If you can overlook the typos on the 350-plus question cards, there are all sorts of challenging trivia questions. The winner gets a toaster oven. (Not really.)
Available online at Homogeniusthegame.com.
$25.99.

34 – Happy alt-Christmas
Some people are all about wreaths and tinsel on the tree; others like to mix up their holidays. A leather stocking gives the BDSM person something sensual to stuff, and colorfully festive wrist restraints make Santa happy! Or party with a tartan belted kilt (with safety pin).
Shades of Grey, 3930A Cedar Springs Road,
214-521-4739. Kilt, $60. Leather Masters,
2525 Wycliff Ave. #124, 214-528-3865.
Stocking, $44.95, wrist restraints, $46.95.

35 – Men love Mango!
You don’t need to be Chris Kattan to love Mango! We’re not talking about the weirdly asexual performance artist or the juicy fruit, but rather the hardwood from the mango tree. These rich brown woods, shaped into many interesting vases and containers, make an ideal gift.
Lofty Concepts, 1135 Dragon St.
214-747-8000. $10-$125. Jones Walker,
3317 McKinney Ave. $92-$142.

36 – Deck the halls
Spread the holiday spirit with the ultimate Christmas gift: A charming tree ornament. Choose from a selections crafted glass ornaments at Crossroads Market, ranging from under $5 to more elaborate, boy-does-he-care extravagance. Or you can do something for the gay community by buying the limited edition Christopher Radko design exclusively made for the Human Rights Campaign.
Crossroads Market, 3930 Cedar Springs Road.,214.521.8919. $4.99-$34.99. Radko orna-
ment available online at HRC.org., from $19.99.

37 – Pimp that bedroom
Some gifts you just want to give yourself. That’s true of the ultimate pimp-o-riffic round party bed. The headboard is upholstered in tufted blue velvet and comes with a silk bench, drapes, mattress and pillows to match. It’s big enough to hold more than you and the TV remote, so have a party and ring in the new year!
Lula B’s Antique Mall, 2004 Greenville Ave.
214-824-2185. $2,800 (for the set).

38 – TrickS or treatS
Dogs are like boyfriends: Train ‘em right when they’re young, and you can control them for life with simple voice commands. And there’s no better way to do that than with flavored treats, housed in these attractive, whimsical canisters. The bubble jar fish bowls and containers keep kibble food safely stored and bring a little color to the laundry room or porch.
Petropolitan, 408 S. Harwood St.
214-741-4100. $42.99.

39 – Garden party
Your favorite green thumb may be feeling withdrawal during the winter, not able to forage through his or her mulch and flowers. Help combat that with year-round garden art and statuary. Whimsical creatures like these frogs, or chic, comforting waterfalls from elaborate stone fountains, can turn a backyard into an oasis with charm and personality. (And they work just as well indoors!)
North Haven Gardens, 7700 Northaven Road,
214-363-5316. Garden art, $22-$175; foun-
tains, $369-$1,200 (delivery available).

—  admin

Crazy, lazy and looking for nookie

Posted on
By Jen Sincero – Sex Expert


I want a girlfriend, and I want her now!

Dear Jen,

I’m a 32-year-old lesbian, and I’ve been single for most of my life.

I really want to meet someone, but I can’t stand going to bars. And almost all my friends are straight. Every once in a while, I get set up on dates. But it’s usually with some girl who happens to be queer not anyone who happens to have anything in common with me.

My straight friends mean well, but it’s frustrating.

Also, I don’t think I fit in to the lesbian community so well. I’m not political or very “lesbian identified.” I’m just a woman who likes other women.

What can I do to put myself in a better position to meet someone without making myself miserable?

Fish Out of Water

Dear Fish,

Girlfriend, I know what you mean.

I really want to get in shape. But instead of doing sit-ups, I like to lay in bed and play with my stomach roll. I’d also like to have a buttload of money. But work for it? No way that’s a vacation to Boresville.

To get what we want, we all have to do things we don’t necessarily enjoy.
Who said finding someone to love was going to be a barrel of fun? And why is it your friends’ responsibility to do this for you?

Get off your lazy, Bring-Me-Some-Hot-Lesbian-Booty-Now ass, and go find yourself someone.

Take some classes. Go out for a beer. Volunteer. Get online. And most importantly, stop whining!

Your straight friends are better lesbians than you are: At least they’re out there meeting the queer ladies. Figure out how they do it. And next time they bring back someone you’re not interested in snuggling with, try being friends with her instead. Or friends with her friends.

You have a much better chance of meeting a girlfriend if you hang out with your tribe. Writing off the entire lesbian population as too political or too lesbian identified or whatever you’ve labeled them is a convenient way to keep yourself single and miserable.

Stop your sobbing, woman. And get on with it!

My love life is a lemon

Dear Jen,

I’m constantly attracting guys who are really screwed up. My last boyfriend was suicidal when I met him. And by the time I left, he was addicted to heroin.

Others have been severely depressed and some barely functional can’t keep a job, no friends, etc. I’m a fairly happy person: My family loves me. I got a good job, friends

Why can’t I find someone like myself?

Why do I keep ending up with these head cases? It’s not like I seek them out because at first, they all seem perfectly normal. But once we’ve been dating for a while, sure enough, the craziness starts to seep out.

What am I doing wrong?

Crazy About the Crazies

Dear Crazy,

About a year ago, I bought a car from this auto mechanic. Before giving him the money, I stopped at a different grease-monkey shop a few blocks away so they could look under the hood and kick the tires.

Coincidentally, all the guys at this place knew the mechanic I was buying it from.

“Hey, isn’t this Ray’s car? He’s a standup guy, that Ray. Look how clean the engine is. Looks like Ray went at it with a toothbrush.”

Instead of giving it the once over, they regaled me with stories about Ray’s kids and that one time how Ray let them borrow his air drill.

My regular mechanic couldn’t see it for a few more days, and I was scared I was going to lose the car. So I figured, “What the hell? Ray’s a mechanic, I’m sure he took great care of it. I’d just buy it and trust that Ray was as stand up as they said he was.”

Four-thousand dollars of crapped out batteries, leaky radiators, oil pans, power steering systems and faulty brakes later, I realized I’d been duped.

Ray sold me a turd. But it’s my own dumb fault.

When we sealed the deal, Ray wouldn’t look me in they eye. And I’ve gotten stronger handshakes from week-old babies. In my gut, I knew I was getting into something real bad. But I did it anyway, because you should’ve seen how sexy that car looked.

When it comes to your mental-ward full of exes, you pretend that you’re clueless.

But I can’t pretend.

You know that you know you just don’t want to admit it. Because you should’ve seen how sexy he looked in those jeans.

I have a theory that people tell you everything you need to know the first week you meet them. Sometimes you get it all on the first date.

For some reason, they can’t help but puke up their little confessional hairballs right there on the candle-lit table.

Here’s how it goes:

Him: I sort of cheat on all my boyfriends.

Your Brain: It’ll be different with us. Look how much he’s opening up to me already!

Him: I hate myself and want to die.

Your Brain: That’s only because he hasn’t gotten a piece of me yet.
Him: I have a tiny addiction problem.

Your Brain: I can change you. I will change you. I can’t wait to change you.

I promise you, it’s all there. You’ve just decided not to notice it.

It’s uncanny how we keep attracting the same types of people over and over. But choosing to go forward with them is a different story.

Next time you’re attracted to someone, don’t leap into a relationship?
Instead, listen carefully to what he says. Pay attention to the fact that his eyes look like plate-glass windows when he comes back from the bathroom. Don’t pretend that he’s uncontrollably sobbing just because he feels comfortable opening up to you.

Once you start watching, you can make changes. All it takes is really wanting to.

Jen Sincero lives in the Venice Beach district of Los Angeles. She’s a syndicated columnist and the author of “Don’t Sleep with Your Drummer” (MTV Books) and “The Straight Girls Guide to Sleeping with Chicks” (Fireside).
www.JenSincero.com.

E-mail: advice@jensincero.com

This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition, December 1, 2006.

—  admin

Not just for pimps and hip-hoppers

Posted on
By Casey Williams – Auto Reviewer

Cruising in a Cadillac DTS is about living large and roomy luxury



Full-size luxury sedan: Cadillac applies its contemporary design vocabulary to the DTS.

2007 Cadillac DTS

Whether heading toward you with stacked night-enlightening Xenon headlamps, wafting by in a long side profile, or dashing away with its twin LED tailfins in full view, the DTS is obviously a Cadillac.

Restyled for 2006, the car wears a eggcrate grille, sharp creases, vertical tail lamps and a formal roofline. It looks elegant while connecting the DTS to hip stablemates like the CTS, STS, XLR and SRX. Unlike the outgoing model’s frumpy styling, the DTS is recognizable as a member of a very prestigious family.

Few changes come for 2007. There are new exterior colors: mystic gray, gold mist, white diamond, cognac frost and Mary Kay V. Other upgrades include Cocoa-colored interior, center wheel caps with a colored wreath and crest, and a Cadillac-specific key fob. If you’re a globetrotter, the navigation system now includes Korea and Taiwan.

As the most traditional Cadillac, the DTS’ interior is like your living room, only more comfortable. Heated and cooled power-adjustable front leather seats complement a heated leather-wrapped steering wheel.

All gauges and controls are lit in clean white. The chrome trim is applied with restraint. A six-disc in-dash CD changer sounded great. Rear seat legroom is beyond reproach the roomy trunkspace is like an extra garage.

What also works great is Cadillac’s 4.6-litre Northstar V8, which produces 275 horsepower and 292 lb.-ft. of torque to surge away from traffic on the open road. The four-speed automatic transmission briskly steps down when commanded to blow slower drivers into the weeds. From the interior, the only thing you’ll hear is a refined throaty rumble and hushed wind whisping by. Provided you can resist from mashing the gas pedal into the DTS’ thick-pile carpeting, expect to get 17/25-MPG city/highway.

On Thanksgiving, I drove a DTS to visit the parents. The car was smoother than a Lexus and as controlled as a Mercedes. At almost any speed, the Northstar V8 has an unyielding power curve. With the exception of confusing windshield washers, the car couldn’t be easier to drive. I’d rather own a DTS than either the CTS or STS (excluding the amazing V-Series, of course).

Once ridiculed for being out of date, the DTS still inspires envy. Many teenagers and twenty-somethings, who undoubtedly awoke to Cadillac through Escalades in hip-hop videos, admired the car at gas stations and coffee shops.

No wire wheels, tufted upholstery or padded roofs just a world class sedan. With an as tested price of $47,575, the DTS makes tough competition for the Infiniti Q45, Chrysler 300C, Acura RL, and Lincoln Town Car.



DRIVER’S SEAT

Who: Trent Hagler

Day job: Residential Real Estate agent

I drive: 2001 BMW 525i.

Purchased from: Classic BMW

Were you a tough negotiator? Absolutely.

Insurance agent: State Farm

Insurance rate: $154 a month. But that’s for full coverage on two cars

Why this car? It’s hot.

Favorite feature: Halo light: A thin ring around the headlight that looks way cool.

Anything interesting in your glove box? Nope, it’s the one place I keep a mess.

Buff sound system? Its ok. I scrapped the six-CD changer for my iPod.

Car nicknames: None.


Describe your car’s personality? Sporty and athletic.

Previous vehicles: Lexus SC400, Acura Legend Coupe and Acura Legend Sedan.

Least favorite car: Yugo.

Ultimate dream car: Still thinking on this one. In 2007, I’ll be getting something new.

Worst speeding story: Forty miles over the speed limit, which resulted in a $300 ticket. The weekend before, I had just finished driver’s defense for another infraction.

Worst flat tire: Blowout tire of a passenger car in front of me scared the @$%# out me and my 3 passengers when I swerved to miss the flying shrapnel.

Dallas’ worst intersection: Too many to count

Best road trip: Don’t like them. Get me there fast by plane.

Worst auto trip: Any trips over four hours.

Been “taken for a ride” by an auto mechanic? Yes. And then he received a letter threatening legal action. And all of a sudden the job was gratis.

Most ridiculous car repair: Most anything out of warranty at the BMW dealership.

If your car was destroyed and you had to buy a new one, what would it be? Probably another BMW. Or a Mercedes. Hmmm must be something about those Germans.

Thought that races through my head when I’m going through a yellow light: Okay, just this one time.

Sexiest car on the road: Mine because I’m in it.

Best car memory: Driving off the lot with my former dream car, the Lexus SC 400.



Who Killed the Electric Car?

Conspiracy theorists will applaud Chris Paine’s docu-mystery “Who Killed the Electric Car?” (Sony Pictures, $26.96) Like a certain Agatha Christie whodunit involving a train, almost everyone turns out to be guilty.

In terms of lavishing entertainment value on his documentary, Paine isn’t yet in a league with Michael Moore, Errol Morris or Morgan Spurlock. But there are celebrity appearances and natural, mostly ironic humor emerges from the story.

Narrator Martin Sheen relates how electric cars were left in the dust a century ago when their gas-burning brothers hit the assembly line. In 1987, the concept was revived because of concerns about global warming, health hazards and dependence on foreign oil. General Motors and other companies built them and the California Air Control Board mandated that a growing percentage of cars sold in the state would produce zero emissions.

GM worked against the mandate while unenthusiastically marketing the EV-1 (EV = electric vehicle), which it would eventually recall and destroy. While lamenting the death of the electric car Paine offers the plug-in hybrid as our current best hope. (There’s no mention of ethanol fuels.)

Raising the electric car’s profile won’t solve anything, but people who see this movie will know a viable alternative exists.

Steve Warren

Grade: B

This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition, December 1, 2006.

—  admin

National Briefs

Posted on
By Staff and Wire Reports

Brownback may stop blocking appointment of nominee who attended lesbian wedding

WASHINGTON A conservative Republican lawmaker is considering whether to stop blocking a judicial nominee over concerns her appearance at a lesbian commitment ceremony betrayed her legal views on gay marriage.

Sen. Sam Brownback, a potential presidential candidate in 2008, said Michigan Court of Appeals Judge Janet T. Neff should not be disqualified automatically for having attended the ceremony. But Brownback made clear it raised doubts in his mind. “But what I want to know is what does it do to her look at the law? What does she consider the law on same-sex marriage, on civil unions, and I’d want to consider that,” Brownback said.

President George W. Bush nominated Neff, to be a U.S. District Court judge as part of a compromise struck with Democrats. Neff’s nomination is pending before the full Senate; Brownback has stalled it because of her attendance at the 2002 ceremony in Massachusetts.

Neff has said she attended as a friend of one of the two women, a longtime neighbor. She has declined to answer Brownback’s queries on whether the Constitution guarantees a right to same-sex marriage or civil unions, saying it would be improper to address questions that might come before her as a federal judge.

Episcopal task force monitoring “‘problem’ dioceses for possible property disputes

CHICAGO The Episcopal task force on property disputes related to the church fight over the Bible and sexuality is monitoring the Pittsburgh diocese and others it considers “problems” for the church.

Bishop Stacy Sauls, head of the House of Bishops Task Force on Property Disputes, says his panel is maintaining contact with Episcopalians in those dioceses who wish to “remain loyal to The Episcopal Church.”

Since the 2003 consecration of the first openly gay Episcopal bishop, V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire, some traditionalist parishes have split from the U.S. denomination. Church leaders are trying to prepare for any legal fights over the properties.

Sauls says that lawyers, including several diocesan chancellors and a judge on the 11th U.S. District Court of Appeals, are helping the bishops prepare.

The task force has developed a “brief bank” of court filings and legal research to help dioceses with litigation and has also identified potential expert witnesses. The panel is also working on a position paper “setting forth possible common grounds which could be sought so that the split in The Episcopal Church which is feared by the task force might be avoided.”

This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition, December 1, 2006.

—  admin