hello! i am still alive, i have just have been very busy in the latest couple of weeks and also a bit sick.
nothing better for being back than posting one of my fave pics ever of my old love amanda moore. that shot must be taken from a 2001-2002 editorial for italian mag ‘la repubblia delle donne’ and shows amanda at her best, a tender fierce tomboy. too bad that later she cut her hair and ended up in a too masculine side for my tastes. no need to spend too many words on the fact that she was the first proper gay model i heard about, one of the few outed.

i think today i have lost oine of the few left reason to watch nowadays women’s tennis: amélie mauresmo (born 1979), the last romantic, announced her retirement from tennis circuit. her career had slowly fallen down in the latest years, due to various injuries, and she hasn’t won as much as she could do, also due to her long-lasting fragility, but her tennis style has always been magnificent, a triumph of classic elegance in this era of unstylish monotonous ball-beaters (<– does it sound as double meaning?!). moreover, she has always been a proudly outed lesbian, an example for everybody. vive la mauresmo!!

as i promised, here i am writing about this 2009 italian L-movie that has been rather successful and for the first time has shown love – and sex – between 2 women to a wide audience in italian theaters.

the movie was presented at the rome film festival last october and it got a good promotion also because one of the producers is a very famous sex-symbol in italy, so her name is enough for catching the attention of media: maria grazia cucinotta, a nice gay-friendly person which i find a bit difficult to define as an actress though… :S)

here comes the plot taken from a intramovies pdf file where you can also read more on the movie crew:

viola di mare (sea purple [or sea violet? i would get the flower insetad of the bare colour?!] ) is a story about the love of two young women, Angela [Sovarino] and Sara [Ragonese],who have both grown up in the same historical microcosm surrounded by hauntingly beautiful scenery. the plot is based on real events that took place on one of the islands near sicily in the second half of the 19th century [...]. viola di mare is a story about a love that is as intense and compelling as only young love can be, but it also speaks about challenging the rules of society. the film shows up abuses, social injustices and the age-long oppression of women, everything the protagonist Angela staunchly fights against. yet just as staunchly she besieges Sara, sometimes frantically, sometimes with tenderness, and she will not cease until sara gives in to her passion. [...] the forces which she fights against will exact a high price but Angela is ready to pay it. she agrees to completely change her outward appearance, disguising herself as a man, but in her heart she never denies her identity as a woman. in the film, the various stages of their passion, the moments of awareness, of joy, happiness and sorrow, are interwoven with the seasons of nature and its patterns, sometimes radiant and peaceful, sometimes raging, and these give a rhythm to the unfolding of the story. the narrative structure finds unexpected closure which, though painful, serves to reaffirm the heroine’s identity and give meaning to the law of desire, the only law, Angela seems to say, for which it is worth paying the final price.

you see that the story is suggestive and charming. too bad that the realisation isn’t as good as the plot: script is even ridicolous in some points, especially when angela turns into angelo; direction and post-production are rather clumsy, with wanna-be-artistic insertions that are a pain; soundtrack is invadent in some points and less than refined, since it was made by that gianna nannini who is a butchie also musically… yet, this movie is going to be a cult, one of those movies that are beyond evil and good… because it has some good points too, like the wonderful chemistry between the 2 protagonists. you can’t help asking yourself if they experimented their harmony in some unsaid way… cos, really, the sex scenes are really really beautiul, sapphic and passionate, very realistic about how 2 women in love make love. and it’s beautiful how not only (tomboy) angela/o never forgets that she is a woman even when she is forced to act like a man, but also sara never forgets she loves a woman.

i will post more pics in the sapphic section, meanwhile enjoy the trailer… time to learn some italian!!

italian actresses valeria solarino & isabella ragonese kissing on the red carpet of roma film festival, october 2009

wow,  i have got more than 100 hits in the first 12 hours of public life of this blog! i am amazed and very happy! and i see that my loyal bunch of e-groupies is back! so hopefully it’s the new beginning of new shared fun!

i thought you deserved a prize… so here comes this lovely pics of the protagonists of the italian movie viola di mare (sea violet) taken from the red carpet of the premiere in rome film festival last october. more on this L-movie and on the 2 beautiful protagonists soon, especially on solarino, a rare mix of beauty, intelligence and shyness. and she is a tomboy too!

Idag avslutade vi vårt L-word-maraton! Vi började i Onsdags, Mika, Frida, Elin, Amanda och jag. Under dagarna har deltagarna bytts ut, men jag, Mika och Frida har hängt kvar, maratonet var ju faktiskt hos Frida! Men vi har fuskat liiiite, hoppade över första säsongen och såg inte klart på 5e säsongen, hehe.

Jag har inte ätit någon riktig mat på tre dagar, förutom EN pannkaka. Men jag har ätit en massa onyttigheter, ungefär lika mycket som jag äter totalt på 1-2 månader! HJÄLP. Födan har bestått av bla Ben & Jerrys, chips, lösgodis, choklad, men också massa musli, yoghurt och rostmackor. Gott har det varit men nu känner jag mig som en riktigt stor plufs!

Nu sitter jag hemma hos Frida, men hon är inte här utan på fest, min familj är bortrest så jag kan inte ta mig hem. Väldigt jobbigt, men imorgon åker jag till mormor i Söderhamn och sover där, ska jobba på Söndag. Mika har också dragit och jag saknar henne som en tok! Ikväll kanske det blir utgång här i Uppsala, vi får se, vore kul!

Vi ses i dimmaaaaan..

Nubbly.

according to variety:

‘L Word’ is now a reality
Showtime to revive show as reality series

By MICHAEL SCHNEIDER

Showtime is reviving “The L Word” — but this time as a reality series.

Pay cabler has greenlit nine episodes of “The Real L Word: Los Angeles,” from “L Word” creator Ilene Chaiken and reality producers Magical Elves (“Top Chef”).

Show will follow six lesbians in Los Angeles as they go about their lives — a lesbian answer to Bravo’s “Real Housewives” franchise. Project is dependent on casting, the net said; if all goes as planned, “The Real L Word” would debut sometime next year.

“The L Word,” which ran for six seasons on Showtime, wrapped up earlier this year. Series, which starred Jennifer Beals, Mia Kirshner and Laurel Holloman, among others, centered on a fictional group of women, both gay and straight, in Los Angeles.

“Even though we concluded our sixth season of ‘The L Word’ on Showtime this past March, I believe we are not nearly finished telling our ‘L Word’ stories,” Chaiken said. “Showtime has yet again come forward to continue with us this mission to entertain and enlighten and bring more ‘L’ to the world.”

Chaiken, who exec produced “L Word,” will also EP “The Real L Word,” along with Magical Elves’ Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz.

“We love to tell authentic stories about complex characters and feel like this is an area that has yet to be explored in reality television,” Lipsitz said.

“Real L Word” is the latest in a string of series orders for Showtime, which last week greenlit the Laura Linney starrer “The C Word.” Cabler also has “Oliver Stone’s Secret History of America” on tap.

“The Real L Word” is the second spinoff for Chaiken. The exec producer was behind the scripted spinoff “The Farm,” which starred “The L Word’s” Leisha Hailey. That project wasn’t picked up to series, however.

Added Cutforth: “We’re ready to take on the challenge of living up to the groundbreaking drama of the original ‘L-Word’.”

John LaRosa

by John LaRosa

This post is inspired by the brilliance of  Matt Cheuvront.  Matt runs a sweet and utterly awesome blog called Life Without Pants.  Go lose yourself over there for a bit, you won’t be disappointed.  

Matt recently posed the question, “Do you need to LOVE your job to be happy”, which sprung an impressive debate between many Gen Y minds.   In three sentences I’ll try to summarize mattChevy’s thoughts, but before reading further it may be best you spend a couple minutes and read what he wrote.

Basically, Matt thinks the big “L” word may be a bit too strong when considering work.  He insists that maybe love should be saved for your spouse, kids, or even your dog.  When it comes down to it, Matt hopes you “Enjoy the journey”, and to “Let life be about the living.”  Well said, and I should say that I do agree with you.  

When reading the post my HR mind immediately thought of two things — Work/Life Balance and Employee Engagement.  The level of employee engagement can many times be from the result of work/life balance.  My opinion is that most people won’t say they love their job, but that in itself doesn’t mean they aren’t happy.  This is where a strong work/life balance program comes into play.  When a company enforces a top notch WLB program, employees can enjoy flexible schedules, higher than average paid vacation, and maybe most important know that their employer actually does CARE ABOUT EMPLOYEES.  Knowing and feeling that is powerful, I speak from experience.

Most HR pro’s will point out two levels of employee engagement — being engaged and disengaged.  My theory of employee engagement actually contains three levels.  

Level 1 – Extreme Employee Disengagement - In this level, job satisfaction is terribly low, causing job stress to impose on outside personal relationships.  A strong work/life balance program won’t help the employee in most cases.  An employee in Level 1 absolutely hates their job, and is probably a current job seeker.  They need out, and the employer most likely wants them out as well considering their tasks and duties are never completed.

Level 2 – Engagement – In this level, employees are satisfied with their position for the most part.  These employees might not love their job, or have the most passion, but they have no problem working hard to complete tasks and generally are content with their job.  A strong work/life balance program helps to retain employees in this category.   Level 2 employees have their ups and downs in regards to job satisfaction, but overall feel pretty good. Most people are in Level 2.

Level 3 – Extreme Employee Engagement – In this level, employees are extremely passionate  and committed to work. These employees may be surrounded by work even when outside of work.  Hard work = success and happiness to these employees.  Many of these employees may not take advantage of WLB programs.  Work may get in the way of personal relationships for some, which can create stressful situations outside of work.  

I understand that not every working individual can be categories as a Level 1, 2, or 3 employee, but hey it’s my theory.  My thoughts are that most successful people fall into Level 2 and Level 3.

So, does knowing what you love = an opportunity for happiness?

What I mean by this is if you KNOW your true LOVE comes from a hobby or activity that is not related to work, than maybe you should look for employers that value providing a balance of work and life to their employees.  Maybe you love spending ample time with family, long-weekend fishing trips, committing to a 6 day per-week meat head gym routine, or even watching Oprah every single day.  Or, maybe what you love is work.    Once you know what you love, and what makes you happy, you can decide just how important work/life balance programs are for you.

My last point is that obviously life is not all fun and games.  Those in Level 2 need to realize when outside employees should be cut back, and turn up the heat in the work place.  Besides, money is needed for most activities that bring happiness.  The other side of this is that people in Level 3 that strive on constant work should know when to take a step back and relax – cool down the work friend and enjoy life.  Or as my new friend Matt says, “Let life be about living.”

But neither Matt nor I are going to tell you what to do.  It’s your life, love what you do and ______ the rest.  

Quiz – the last sentence is a quote from what movie?  If you know the movie, then you also know why I kept it blank.

 What level of engagement are you currently in, and how does your (if they have one) employers work/life balance program play into things?  Let me hear from you!

Photo Credit – Johnny Colino

SheWired did a write up on Laurel Holloman back on September 22, 2009

Please go to http://www.shewired.com/Article.cfm?Section=2&ID=23626 to read the entire article !

There have been many speculations about the L Word creating a reality t.v. show after the ending of season 6. Is this true? Research is pointing to yes. According to Variety magazine and Nydailynews, Ilene Chaiken has been green lit for a reality show and the producers of “Project Runway” and “Top Chef” will be producing the series. The show will be based around the lives of 6 lesbians and the way they live there lives, date and love. The show is scheduled to air next year and has been greenlit of 9 episodes. Femme fans get excited!

Click Here for link

That right L Word fans! The Season 6 dvd series is scheduled to be released on October 20th! Make sure you go purchase the series the day it comes out and keep an eye open for an L word movie release date and spoilers!

I can’t decide if I’m disappointed or relieved by the lack of lesbian visibility on television. Don’t misunderstand me, I am completely sick and tired of the heterosexually-structured norms that have been fueling television romances and story lines for the last half-century. I think it’s sad that our media is so obviously LGBT-deficient. But, at the same time, if I hear another fucking girl compare  me to a character on The L Word, I am going to kidnap Ilene Chaiken and expose her to rabies.

Don’t get me wrong, I loved The L Word. It was groundbreaking and provocative. For six years, I fell in and out of love with those women. But, all the while, I understood that The L Word was a fabrication, a glossed-over crock of shit. It was beautiful, but it wasn’t real. Sadly, due largely to the fact that most people can’t help but become entirely brainwashed by pretty things in the media, I feel like I have dated far too many women who have not yet gotten passed the illusion of The L Word. And since it is one of the lesbian community’s few options on television, they tend to really live by happenings of these fictional characters.

I am opinionated, aggressive, and have a degree in Art History. I direct a gallery, collect art, and like fashion. Those things combined do not make me Bette Porter. Yet still, too many women treat me like I’m her. Some of my flings were always waiting to catch me cheating on them, surely due to Bette’s infidelity. One girl went as far as to assume that I was half black. And, by god, if I grab dinner with another “Tina,” I am going to scream.

Once, after successfully convincing one girl that I was not at all like Bette, I mentioned that I wasn’t really looking to be part of a monogamous relationship and her exact reply was, “So, you’re more like Shane.” Are you fucking kidding me?

Trust me, being around people who insist on diagnosing you with Bette Porter Syndrome is far worse than actually having Carrie Bradshaw Syndrome. I’ve heard that Showtime will soon be releasing a reality-version of The L Word, again, I’m not sure if I’m excited or scared.

L word fanatics and Bette Porter fans look who I found! The Lovely Jennifer Beals is back on t.v. on a new prime time starring in a show called “Lie to Me”. Beals plays the ex wife of one of the main characters and is looking as beautiful as ever. Make sure you catch her on prime time and support the L word cast!

Click here for link to show schedule

Over the summer when I was staying with my family in Connecticut, my sister and I would always get hungry at the same time every afternoon. The women in my family share uncanny similarities in cravings and body type: for example, each one from my grandmother to my sister (myself included) craves ice-cold water first thing in the morning. Strange how certain things can be passed down.

Anyway, I’d been interested in cooking with asparagus, and decided to try it one July afternoon. Because it wasn’t asparagus season anymore, we added red peppers to counteract the bitterness of the asparagus. The best asparagus is harvested around April. It’s a good idea to stock up on locally grown, pesticide-free asparagus in April and freeze it right away. It will keep, and if you use frozen asparagus, you can snap the spears into pieces and throw them right into the pan; you don’t have to worry about letting them thaw!

May is a great time of year for this dish because it welcomes summer in a great way as a before-dinner snack or a meal’s side dish (try pairing it with chicken or another light meat, and remember, meat should be treated as a side dish rather than the main course.) Of course, during this time of year, there’s no better way to greet an Indian summer!

Recipe after the jump…

BUY THESE:

6 – 8 spears asparagus

approx. 15 green beans

1 fresh red pepper

2 garlic cloves (minced)

extra virgin olive oil

butter 

a handful or two of unsalted cashews (for garnishing)

freshly grated Parmesan cheese (for garnishing)

1 bottle white wine, chilled

DO THIS:

1. Chop asparagus and green beans into bite-size pieces. Meanwhile, heat the oil and a few pats of butter in a frying pan. 

2.Chop the red pepper pretty finely. There shouldn’t be <italic>too</italic> much; just enough to add exciting color to all that green. Also, mince the garlic, and then toss everything you just chopped into the heated oil and butter. 

3. While that simmers over low heat, put a handful of unsalted cashews into a Ziploc bag, sealing it tightly. Make sure there aren’t any air pockets. Using a corked bottle of white wine, crush the cashews finely by rolling the bottle over the Ziploc bag, like a rolling pin (a la that girl Tasha and Alice had a joint crush on in Season 6 of ‘The L Word.’ A genius and a hottie!) Yes, yes, you could technically use an actual rolling pin, but this way you get to drink the wine afterward!

4. <italic>Smell</italic> what’s cooking in the pan to figure out what else it needs. More butter? More garlic? Trust your nose and add ingredients accordingly.

5. When the veggies are <italic>just barely</italic> soft — and very brightly colored — sprinkle half of the crushed cashews over the mixture and let it sit for a minute or two, turning a couple of times. Don’t leave them alone for too long, however; you don’t want the cashew pieces to get soft. 

6. Serve hot! Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese. Keep the Parm and crushed cashews nearby; it’s nice to have more halfway through.

Season 2 actually, it’s the only one of Netflix close to season one.  I haven’t seen it before.  Seeing if it’s regular drama TV or actually an innovative show.  I’m into episode 1, still on the fence.  Kinda like that everyone is ‘older’ and not just hot youngsters fucking all the time.  Honestly, as hot as that is, it’s soo overdone.  I’ve finally lived through a fad, well a big fad.  I’ve lived through plenty fo little fads.  But the young hot steamy romance watching little kiddies make out on the TV is no longer appealing.  It was when I was a little kiddie, and mind you, when I say kiddie I mean teenager to mid 20’s! I’m no Pedo bear.  I’m engaged, in a serious relationship, that young romance shit just doesn’t really appeal anymore.  There’s just so much more past that, it no longer has that pull.

Peskebots out

Für alle die Shane (Kate Moenning) vermissen. Sie hat einen Twitteracount

The L Word dreht sich um Leben und Lieben einer Clique von lesbischen, bisexuellen, heterosexuellen und transsexuellen Freundinnen im Nobelviertel West Hollywood in Los Angeles und behandelt Themen wie lesbische Elternschaft, künstliche Befruchtung oder Coming Out, aber auch Drogenmissbrauch und viele andere soziale Schwierigkeiten.

Vielleicht kann man L Word als lesbische Version von Sex and the City bezeichnen, nur ohne nerviges Gezappel und Geplapper. Das hängt aber damit zusammen, dass mir Sex and the City persönlich überhaupt nicht gefällt.

Die Serie besticht durch zahlreiche, sehr ästhetische und erotische, Sexszenen. Gut für`s Auge, gut für die Phantasie – aber für Pro7 offenbar zu heiß. Der Sender verlegte die Sendung ins Nachtprogramm.

Wer sich dazu entschließen kann, die Serie anzuschauen, sollte unbedingt eine Möglichkeit finden, sie von der 1.Staffel an zu schauen.

It’s Saturday night. Soho is bustling with crowds, all jostling down the cobbles, flashes of colour and lots more besides.

I’m sitting with Vernon Kay and wondering what his wife is like is in bed.

No, not another of my warped dreams, it is in fact, a reality. The Bolton Wanderer is on the TV and the images of Soho are a distant memory in the back of my mind.

It’s Saturday night, and I am sitting in, playing along with a gameshow that used to be on when I was 12. It’s like one elongated menstrual cycle with lots of pain.

Flicking through the TV guide (the printed one, I am rejecting digital until they force it on me in 2012), I see Graham Norton, people jumping over a giant totem pole in lycra, John fucking Barrowman, Graham Norton, Little Britain, more lycra, and did I mention Graham Norton?… I mean, no wonder I am thinking about Tess Daly in a gimp suit (joke, honestly).

But seriously, what the hell am I supposed to do? If I want to see another lesbian, it’s either hop in a cab, watch Bad Girls for some pretend ones, or that increasingly all-too-familiar friend, the internet.

Now, maybe if I did have cable, then I could watch The Ellen Show on repeat or catch a glimpse of a lesbian in Gray’s Anatomy, but I don’t. And I won’t for that matter – it’s a completely baseless point of principle, so don’t ask me to explain, I just like to feel outraged from time to time.

Am I asking too much? In a word, no. Lesbians aren’t an endangered species, but I am more likely to spy one up a mountain, right behind the snow leopard on the BBC’s Planet Earth. So where the hell are we on the small screen?

I’m not talking about the fake ones either – in Hollyoaks, Eastenders etc. I mean, I don’t turn up my nose at these, but it’s a bit like booking a magician for your birthday and ending up with Derren Brown.

What about good old Rhona Cameron I hear you cry? She’s been holding up the entire UK lesbian quota for the past decade it seems, and even she has disappeared down a big L-shaped hole of late. Christ, the poor woman is probably in The Priory for exhaustion.

So who else does that leave representing Britain? Like UHU, I’m stuck. Answers written on the back of a postcard, or maybe a stamp, please.

This really is a national disgrace.

Gay men get on TV more easily than dust. They present primetime TV shows and although they are usually made to come across like crotchless Action Men – gay in spirit, humour and manner, just not in bed – at least they get a look in.

Children growing up, exploring their feelings, look up to people on television as role models. So who are our young lesbians looking up to? Pat Butcher? Now I’m not saying life wouldn’t be easier if all lesbians didn’t wear pink earrings and bitch slap Babs Windsor for a laugh – it would certainly make them easier to spot – but this is a serious issue and one that broadcasters should be taking head on.

It is great when big TV dramas include lesbian storylines, but why not use some gay actors for once? Why are they always straight and pretending? It shouldn’t make a huge difference, and if we were represented substantially, I wouldn’t even be making this point, but we’re not, and it sucks.

Maybe we like to hide our lights under our (ahem) bushells, but why are we not doing something on our television screens regularly, and why when it is, is it always sexual? I mean Christ, there must be a few cat lovers willing to go on Pet Rescue or something.

By sitting back and watching on in silence, we are driving our lesbian youngsters underground; forcing them to seek their only solace in YouTube clips, blush in front of an Emmerdale liplock with their Mum watching on, steal copies of Diva off the top shelf, and have to laugh at silly films by silly boys about vampires.

So unless Tess Daly is about to come out live on the lottery, which is about as likely as my numbers coming in (or Derren Brown predicting his own demise), things aren’t looking promising for my night in. As some bloke called Simon Cowell said recently, Britain has got talent – let us remember, that some of it is, in fact, lesbian.

So a round of applause to that Cowell bloke for taking on America’s most recognised gay woman, Ellen DeGeneres, and giving her a judging role on the biggest TV show in the land, American Idol. Sexuality aside, I am sure she will be a great judge and make a very humorous contribution.

Shit, is American actually becoming the land of the free? Black presidents and gay women on American Idol? With Cameron waiting in the UK government’s wings like Fagan with a hard on, ready to steal our money and our morality, Britain runs the risk of going back to the Stone Ages. As much as it pains me to say it, we should follow America’s example and promote minorities (especially good looking ones – joke) as beacons of hope for the rest of us, who are sat at home in their pyjamas, plotting to kill Graham Norton in despair of it all.

Laurel has a guest role on the first episode of the second season of ABC’s tv series Castle, to air on 21st September 2009. Her character’s name is Sandy Allen and she plays the wife of a dead man.

If you are a fan of the Showtime’s The L Word (that dopey show about lesbians), then you might like this news. A reality show, which will give us a glimpse into the lives of six lesbians living in LA, will be hitting your TV screen in 2010.  The creative title: The Real L Word: Los Angeles. My prediction – this show is going to be gay.

Mr. Skin reports on his blog:

This announcement comes on the disappointing heels of Showtime’s passing on The Farm, a women-in-prison L Word spin-off. The Real L Word: Los Angeles has commenced casting and is set to debut on Showtime in 2010.

I’m all for seeing chicks going at it, but I am willing to bet that these women will be about as disgusting (and annoying) as it gets.  If I wanted to see a show where people eat fish, I’d watch Anthony Bourdain.

Just when you thought it was finally over.

Showtime announced today that Ilene Chaiken creator of the L word, is now co-exectutive producer for a new reality show. The L Word: Los Angeles; why visit anywhere else? We already have Gimme Sugar, I gave it a try but couldn’t get into it. I’m all for more visibility but this trend can’t be good, or can it?

Good news is that Magical Elves Inc development and production company have signed on.  They are behind some successful reality TV I do enjoy, popular shows like Top Chef and Project Runway.

No news on the possible movie but rumors are still swirling. I have read that Chaiken is working on a script but have not found a source to confirm it has studio backing.

I won’t want to but you know I’ll be watching both, sigh.