Archive for the ‘2009 December’ Category
Cocktail: Blackberry Bellini
Blackberry Bellini
10 Blackberries.
Bottle of Champagne or Sparkling Wine(whatever is left over from New Years).
Simple Syrup.(heat equal sugar to water in sauce pan until sugar is dissolved)
Muddle blackberries and sugar in bowl until liquid forms.
Pour tablespoon of simple syrup in bottom of glass.
Scoop a tablespoon of blackberry mixture in flute first then slowly pour in Champagne.
Mike Ruiz: Gay Superhero
Mike Ruiz: Gay Superhero
By: Joey Grant
Mike Ruiz, a muscled photographer, director, and gay superhero that has become a must have in the world of celebrities. Mike migrated from Toronto, Canada, to Los Angeles to expand his work in modeling and dip his feet into the acting industry. Acting was not originally his passion, but one Christmas, at the age of 28, he was gifted a camera. Mike was enamored and obsessed with taking pictures of just about anything. He toted his camera to all of his shoots all over the world and started taking his own photos on sets.
Agents started requesting these outtakes for the models books in addition to having Ruiz shoot some on his own. Mike soon realized he could turn his photography into a more serious job. On a trip to London, Mike was staring at a newsstand and decided to contact every magazine that appealed to him. "Most of them hung up on me, of course, but a couple of them responded, and I ended up shooting a couple of editorials." He even surprised himself at just how easy this was.
Dear Reader: December
The Pin-Up Boys of Burlesque: The Stage Door Johnnies
The Pin-Up Boys of Burlesque
by: Eric William Green
"The trouble with the burlesque show, from beginning to end, is either that it has been too dirty — or that it hasn't been dirty enough."
-Irving Zeidman, The American Burlesque Show, 1967
When it comes to getting dirty,?Stage Door Johnnies, the all male burlesque group from Chicago, are in the business of getting it just right. Drawing their inspiration from a time when "men were men and women were women," their performances are a wonderful celebration of how those roles have changed. They are also taking the time to get it right. ?The three members, Ray Gunn, Jett Adore and Bazooka Joe were first revealed on the scene as back-up dancers for the very talented Hot Toddy, Chicago's original male burlesque performer and co-producer of Chicago Takes Off, an artful and sexy annual charity event for Test Positive Aware Network. One particular eve, Mr. Toddy gathered the boys together, instructed them all to create stage personas and solo acts, and to be prepared for a photo shoot in less than week.
Their first chance to bare it all was during a performance with the fierce female entertainers Frenchy Kiss and Fanny Tastic at Waterhouse tavern in Roscoe Village for an audience that is reported to consist mainly of ladies, their boyfriends, and Bazooka Joe's mom. They apparently had no trouble winning the crowd over for they have gone on to do shows in at least a dozen other venues around the area including Park West Theater, Circuit Nightclub, Spin, the Viaduct Theater and Shank Hall in Milwaukee.
While male performers may be Burlesque's new talk of the town, Chicago is no stranger to this style of entertainment. From the 1933 World's Fair to the now demolished Rialto Theater, a part of Billy Minsky's once famous burlesque circuit, there is a rich history to be found in this city. However, until recently, there has not been a decent show in decades.? Once a thriving art form filled with elaborate sets, beautiful costumes, fun-poking social and political commentaries, and talent who knew just when to show just enough skin, burlesque unfortunately did not survive past the fifties. A combination of fierce competition due to hard times during the prohibition and depression eras and the always unwelcome prodding of ignorant and busy-bodied "concerned citizens groups" turned these acts into artless strip shows hosted at venues that were even less inviting. And it stayed that way for the most part until the nineties.
Fortunately for everyone the Internet came along. This (then) new tool allowed the resurgence of small burlesque groups around the country to come together and form a community, paving the way for this strip-teasing trio to shake their "assets." It also brought to the stage the opportunity to mix new ideas with old traditions. ?In one of these mixtures, Ray Gunn delivers a stellar sci-fi performance as a back-flipping, stripping version of Morpheus from the Matrix. As flexible and graceful as he is tempting, he shows the audience that the blue pill not only frees his mind from deceit, but also his body from his jacket, vest, pants and eventually his shiny, black briefs.
Another pop-culture collaboration is Jett Adore's Zorro number. It is the kind of Zorro that you have always wanted to see — the eventually naked kind. With a cape instead of big feather fans, Jett illustrates a mastery of the art of tease and surprise reveals that gave burlesque its original appeal. Its purpose: leaving the audience always wanting more and giving what you do give them just when they think they are not going to get it. ?Equally as tantalizing is Bazooka Joe's Steam Heat routine where he swaggers up in what looks to be just a towel. Every time the audience thinks they are going to get a look at the goods, he strips off one towel to reveal a smaller one underneath. Fortunately for the audience, towels can only be made so small. ?With this type of talent, the Stage Door Johnnies have solidified themselves as major players in the world of Chicago burlesque and plan to travel to Las Vegas in June for the 2010 Miss Exotic World burlesque competition. It seems that no matter what theme these three pin-up boys bring to the stage, an obvious dedication to the roots of this style will always be at the forefront of their acts.
Upcoming shows:
Delight Before Christmas (Girlie-Q Productions)
Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays nights at 8:30 pm
November 27th through December 19th
Theatre Building Chicago
Hot Toddy's Christmas Striptacular
Wednesday, December 9th
Scarlet Nightclub
Vaudezilla
Thursday, December 17th
Exit Chicago
Rebellious Mondays
Every Monday night starting in 2010
Hydrate Nightclub
The Wall (Viva La Muerte Productions)
January 8th, 9th, 15th & 16th
Viaduct Theater
Festival of Flesh (Arkham Noise Productions)
Every last Thursday of the month
Lucky Number Grill
Featured Artist: Atom Basham
He recently attended "The Addams Family" on stage and left with mixed feelings about the show, but with nostalgic thoughts of what first inspired his monster making. American cartoonist Charles Addams, the original creator of "The Addams Family", made Basham realize that "art can push out of the box". Basham shows immense creativity and we are excited to watch him grow and expand upon his art. ?The future is bright for this artist, who has his eyes set on one day owning a gallery and workplace, developing toy monsters, and even work on some stop motion films.
New Hope in AIDS Vaccine
New Hope in Aids Vaccine
By Joseph R?Yates, MD, FACEP
World AIDS Day was observed on December 1st of this year.? If you just read this, you missed it!? But you can certainly still help and it is never too late to make a difference. Between 1981 and 2007, AIDS killed more than 25 million people.? As of 2007, 33.2 million people on our planet live with the disease.
Amazingly, I meet people in the emergency department every day who tell me they're not concerned about getting AIDS.? They consider condoms an inconvenience, and they haven't seen large numbers of friends suffering or dying with the disease. ?Because there are available treatments which help people look healthy and live longer, young people are often not afraid of the disease! For relative safeness of various sex acts, please see my November article in the archives of MintMaleMagazine (MMM).
AIDS is very complicated, as are the treatments and medications that follow. Luckily, in modern times, we have the treatments which to keep many victims alive and healthy.? But it's still very deadly.? In addition, exposure to AIDS also dramatically increases your risks of contracting hepatitis, syphilis and the whole gamut of sexually transmitted diseases.
We recommend, at least, these five ways to stay healthy and avoid diseases:
1. Subscribe to Mint Male by emailing Mintmale@mintmale.com, so you can receive the latest copy every month. We always have an assortment of sexy men and fun -to-read articles, but a priority of ours is to keep YOU healthy.
2. "Practice celibacy" has been a national moral and religious campaign for years. Here at Mint Male Magazine?we don't realistically expect, or even wish that for readers who choose otherwise.? We do advise to "wrap it up," especially during the riskiest behavior – anal sex.
3. I am a professional and experienced doctor.? I am here to answer those questions you may not always want to ask. So you can send me an email at DocYates@mintmale.com
4 Be Honest. You should tell your partners your status, and what you may have. Also, get tested every six months.? There is no reason not to,? with websites like http://www.hivtest.org, that make your life that much easier by helping you find places to get tested.
5. A glimmer of hope to cure AIDS has begun and here is how to get involved.? Contact www.HopeTakesAction.org.
Read further about the reason for renewed hope in this battle against AIDS:
At the end of this summer, a six year study on 16,000 volunteers in Thailand ended, showing some success for the first time in the history of AIDS vaccine research. ?The study, funded by the US Army and the National Institutes of Health, showed that by combining two previously-failed vaccines, the number of people in the vaccinated group was one-third less likely to contract the virus during the study period.
This isn't a cure.? Not even a successful enough vaccine to be initiated into the general population.?? What it is, is the first successful trial, meaning there is hope in what was previously looking like a dead end ? the hunt for a vaccine that meaningfully reduces the risk of disease transmission.? New life will be injected into ongoing researchers' efforts.? New money may be provided for research in light of the prospect that a vaccine is coming along now.
In our own community, Dr. Novak and the University of Illinois at Chicago are participating in the development of a different kind of vaccine.? They need you and your contacts to spread the word.? Volunteers are needed to participate in the study of a vaccine directed toward reduction of the effect of the virus in people who contract it.
The vaccine being studied here is simultaneously being studied in at least twelve cities around the United States.? A vaccine will be administered to the study group, which will be comprised of over a thousand 18 to 45 year-old men who have sex with men.? It is a fact that some of these men, despite being re-educated about risk avoidance during the trial, will convert their status to HIV positive.? The vaccine, it is hoped, will reduce the viral load and the effects of the disease in those who do convert. This is different from the vaccine being used in the Thailand study in that it does not prevent the development of antibodies.? It theoretically reduces the effect of the virus on the person who becomes HIV-positive.
What you can do:
If you're a circumcised man who has sex with men and are between the ages of 18 and 45, please go to www.HopeTakesAction.org. ?In addition to Chicago, the trial is looking for men in:?Atlanta, Birmingham (Ala.), Boston (Fenway and Brigham & Young), Los Angeles, Nashville (Tenn.), New York City (Columbia U. and NY Blood Center), Philadelphia (U. Penn.), Rochester (NY), San Francisco, and Seattle.
Project WISH
University of Illinois at Chicago
840 S. Wood Street Room B39
Chicago, IL 60612
(312) 413-5897
(800) 575-5758 (Illinois only)
If you don't fall into the study eligibility category, talk it up! ?You know people who are eligible, so let them know how much our community will be indebted to those who help us make progress in the fight.
Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony
Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony
by:?Michael Gonsiorek
As a gay video gamer, it is hard to find representation that has an air of dignity.? While there have been gay video game characters, they have mostly been thrown in for a quick, low blow laugh.? While "The Ballad of Gay Tony" makes certain strides, this game is not in the market to change that.? At least not completely.
The first thing to note is that the player does not control Gay Tony, but controls his partner in everything?but?life, Louis Lopez.? While Tony is a bit of a stereotype at times, the relationship he has with Louis is tender.? Louis was a kid on the wrong path.? Even though Tony does things he is not supposed to, Louis feels he is obligated to help him out.
Tony owns two of Liberty City's hottest night clubs, one straight and the other gay.? The player learns that Tony owes a few favors to people, and Lopez is sent out to take care of them.? "The Ballad of Gay Tony" has not strayed far from the "GTAIV" formula.? If that game felt comfortable, then there is not much that has been tweaked in this version.? The missions feel a bit more over-the-top, but that isn't a bad thing.? One of the complaints of GTAIV was that it can be a bit too serious.
The game is an equal opportunity offender; this is not a problem as all of the Grand Theft Auto games have made every single group in the world look bad.? It comes as no surprise that other characters will often refer to Tony as a 'faggot.'? It is in these moments where I found Louis to be very likable because he always sticks up for Tony.? It is established that Louis is straight, but it's not a problem as he represents a forward thinking man, and hopefully this will rub off on the kids who play this game.
Green Heart:Gifts from the Heart
Gifts from the Heart
by Joey Grant
GreenHeart empowers consumers by giving them the opportunity to make a positive impact on the planet and mankind with their purchases.? This holiday season, make your gifts mean more and give more.? Buying fair-trade, eco-friendly and from social enterprises has such a greater impact than scouring through over-sized department stores.? Usually, when buying these types of gifts, you assume the hefty price tag.? However, at GreenHeart, they have gifts available on any budget, and some items are surprisingly affordable considering their origin and the quality of the products.? The store has an abundance of jewelry, clothing, food, home decor and much more.? Did we mention GreenHeart is non-profit?? They exist so that we can have somewhere to go and buy these items that are so important to our economy and to social justice.? It's so important because it is more humane and responsible to the environment. The point is, while your buying a product for yourself or another, you're also recycling, giving to the underprivileged, and supporting social enterprises all at the same time!
Grooming: Malin + Goetz
Since launching in 2004, (MALIN+GOETZ) has become a household beauty brand. Matthew Malin and Andrew Goetz started the family owned and operated skincare line with 11 products and have grown to over 50 products in only 5 years. This all due to having a belief in their brand. Matthew's background is in beauty and Andrew's in marketing. Matthew started his career in the Executive Training Program at Saks Fifth Avenue following University in 1991. After two years there, Matthew worked for three years as a cosmetic buyer at the privately owned Barneys New York. For the next five years, Matthew oversaw global distribution and sales development for the family operated Kiehl's. After Kiehl's sale to L'Oreal, Matthew accepted a position with Prada to develop and manage the Helmut Lang Parfums Division and licensing agreement with P&G. Two years later, Matthew and Andrew began developing a business plan for (MALIN+GOETZ). For ten years preceding the launch of (MALIN+GOETZ), Andrew worked as Marketing Director for family owned Vitra, a Swiss-based design manufacturer. Andrew's responsibilities included finding and cultivating the architects and industrial designers whose careers Vitra is known to begin. Both the New York flagship (MALIN+GOETZ) architect and graphic team behind the (MALIN+GOETZ) packaging were organic extensions of previous collaborations and relationships. Utilizing his creative expertise for (MALIN+GOETZ), Andrew has also established himself as chef for a monthly dinner party that March 2006 Food & Wine Magazine call one of Manhattan's "best." *Taken from www.malinandgoetz.com
