The New Apple iPod Shuffle and Apple In-Ear Earbuds

I have been away from the blog for a couple of weeks now. Work has been kicking my ass, so I’ve had to focus on that. I’ve found sometimes it helps to listen to music to focus on work. I recently heard about Apple’s new iPod Shuffle, so I thought I’d pay a visit to the Apple store to look at the old shuffles before they went away. I kind of like the old Product (RED) iPod Shuffle, but had put off getting it. When I got to the store, they already had the new $79 shuffles in stock, so I took one for a test drive. I loved it and immediately bought one of the new ones. Here’s my review.

Here’s why I bought it:

It’s tiny. I keep my earbuds in a bag on my keychain, and this will fit in with them without adding any bulk. It’s like I’m carrying nothing at all. This allows me to free up space on my iPhone for video, photos, apps. etc. Or it lets me keep special playlists handy for special occasions (like my “Friday is almost over and it’s time for the weekend” playlist) or things I don’t listen to often but like to have handy, or podcasts or audiobooks.

The controls and the Voiceover is cool. I love being able to change the song with just a click from my chin. As always with Apple, the use is natural highly intuitive once you browse it for a bit. The Voiceover feature - the feature that allows you to gently hear the name of the song or playlist over the playing music - works great as a simple way to navigate without a screen. I can also use the headphones on my iPhone. Though the controls don’t work 100% the same on the iPhone, they still are useful.  (With the iPhone, you have to activate the phone by clicking the phone’s home button first. Once you do that, you can use the headset to start the iPod program, advance songs, fast-forward, go back,  and rewind.)

The New Apple iPod Shuffle in silver and charcoal

Apple haters are hating on the new iPod Shuffle because of a variety of reasons, all of which are nonsense.

Haters: “The controls are in the headset. What a stupid idea. Fail.” You must realize the headphones are not just a swappable accessory with the new Shuffle, they are part of the core product. These new remote-controlled earbuds have been around now for a few months in the form of Apple’s new two-driver in-ear earbuds available for $79 (pictured below right). They were introduced for use with iPod Classics, iPod Touches, and iPod Nanos.They allow the user to click a few buttons on the earbud in order to control the playback and volume level of the iPod. This means no more fishing into your pocket to advance to the next song, rewind, or change the volume. Until now, these controls have been a happy bonus accessory. The primary controls were still on the iPod, but the new earbuds gave you additional controls.

New Apple In-ear Earbuds

The new Shuffle, however, takes this one natural step further by removing the controls from the iPod while keeping them on the headset. For a compact iPod like the Shuffle, this is perfect. This allows the Shuffle to be unbelievably tiny in size and weight. It also has a strong durable clip on the back making it a handy iPod for clipping on and forgetting - perfect for commuting, running, working, etc. The controls on the earbud cable make this all possible.

Haters: “But I have a pair of ‘favorite’ earbuds that I can’t live without.” A remote control accessory will be available soon, if you must have a Shuffle. Don’t complain, either. If you can afford to commute with $300 earbuds, is a $30 remote really gonna kill you?

Haters: “But I shouldn’t have to have a remote.” And you don’t “have” to have a Shuffle either. But if you want a new Shuffle and you want your existing earbuds, you gotta make a choice. Or stop complaining and buy something better suited to your needs.

Haters: “Apple is just trying to make extra money. Third party manufacturers will have to pay for a chip.” Apple is innovating. They are creating something new. It’s unique, and that is why the haters hate and even feared it.  Nobody is “forcing” you to buy a Shuffle. And if you do nobody is “forcing” you to buy another set of headphones. Apple isn’t “forcing” any headphone manufacturer to make headphones for its products. If a headphone manufacturer wants to create a set of remote controlled headphones that can be fully used with the Apple iPod Shuffle, it only seems fair that they pay for the technology that makes it work. When you go to work each day, don’t you want to get paid for your innovation? Apple has had this technology public for months now. But with the introduction of the Shuffle, the demand for it has finally enticed headphone manufacturers to get on the ball.

Haters: “The controls are too confusing.” When you want to try the next song, you simply reach for your chin and double-click. Fast-Forward? Double-click-hold. Back? Triple-click.  Rewind? Triple-click-hold. Pause? Click. Want to know what you are listening to? Click and hold. As I said earlier, the use is natural and highly intuitive once you use it for a bit. Haters using this excuse are just looking for drama. Sure the controls aren’t ideal for navigating a huge library or constantly looking for a specific song. If these are what you want an iPod for, you should get something with better nav controls and a screen like a Nano or Classic. A Shuffle is for simple playlists and simple continuous use.

Haters: “It’s not the perfect player for everybody.” It’s not supposed to be. Your 80-year-old grandmother or dumbass uncle with fat fingers may not be able to use this particular product with ease.

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The new iPod Shuffle has other benefits, too, that you don’t read much about.

Now it’s just a module. What I haven’t seen much of on the Web is talk about how the new Shuffle size and external controls will revolutionize the iPod accessory market. Now you can create a set of headphones that are just headphones - no cord, barely a player. Just plug in the tiny iPod Shuffle and it sits lightweight on your ears. (I know this exists for the old Shuffle, too, but in my opinion that was too bulky. This will be like nothing at all.)  Or you could create a small high-quality stereo amplifier or clock radio with the iPod controls built in - all you’ll need to do is swap out your iPod Shuffle for different playlists (this would be perfect for an office desk). Or someone can create a dock with a remote control to use the new voiceover feature so you can plug it into your stereo or car.  Will there be some way to visually read the playlists within an accessory? The tiny size and external controls makes it more of a module component for use in other products. This opens up countless ingenious possibilities.

The ipod Shuffle automatically compresses your high-quality files for use on the Shuffle. This I love. I want higher quality files in my iTunes library so when I play it on the stereo or make CDs, it has a better file. But that better file takes up more space. I don’t necessarily need these high-quality files for my commuter music. The new Shuffle will (if I choose) automatically reduce my files to 128 kbps AAC upon the transfer to the Shuffle. This leaves the files in my library at a high quality while allowing me to max out the space on my Shuffle (with perfectly-fine if not high-quality files).  This is really cool. I hope Apple retrofits 1st gen iPhone software so it will do the same. As of now, it does not.

You can skip through the names of songs and playlists, even when paused. When you are listening to the voiceover, you can tap the volume buttons to move bewteen and quickly hear playlists or song names. There is no need to listen to the whole name of the playlist in order to move to the next. Just click. You dont even need to be playing the song to use the voiceover. It works when paused too.

It’s an iPod for the blind. Voiceover isn’t perfect, but it works pretty well.

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The new iPod Shuffle has a few drawbacks.

Remember: It’s not ideal as your primary player. It’s best used as a secondary player or for commuting, jogging, etc. when listening to your favorite playlists.

It doesn’t stop. You can only listen in “shuffle” or “loop” mode. This is fine for continuous use, but if you wanted to just plug and play an album or playlist and stop when complete, you can’t. To stop, click once to pause or flip the power switch on the Shuffle.

You can’t browse by album, artist, genre, etc. But then again you’re not really meant to on the Shuffle. It’s not an iPod to browse; it’s an iPod to plug, play, and forget. You browse by playlist though, so you can always just create a playlist in advance for a specific album.

Switching on and off to hear the battery level isn’t all that easy. It works, but it’s not simple. And you may have to try it a few times to get it right.

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Ultimately I decided that the Shuffle was pretty cool and will come in handy provided I don’t lose it. I ended up splurging on the in-ear earbuds too because they fit better (and I needed better quality buds anyway since my Sennheiser IE4s died). They sound at least as good as the $50 Sonys I’ve had that melted four months into owning them, plus they have the new controls that will work with the Shuffle and my phone and a microphone for use with the phone and the voice recording feature in some iPods.

Jesus Christ, Still a Superstar

“Wow, Jesus is really old.”

This was one of the first thoughts in my head as I sat in the audience while the national tour of Jesus Christ Superstar began its show last night at the Warner Theatre. Shortly followed by:

“Oh good, Jesus is going to heal that hot Bearcub that just got stabbed by the Roman Guard.”

It turns out that hot Bearcub was Simon Zealot, one of Jesus apostles, and he would thankfully be seen onstage often - which is a good thing because he was totally gorgeous while Jesus was really old. I mean like so old I couldn’t even look at him. But then again we were in the 3rd row - pretty close. I often found myself blocking the always-brightly-lit Jesus behind the head of the man sitting in front of me. But between Simon and a handful of other muppet actors on stage, I had some nice things to look at.

OK, I’m being a little unkind to Jesus. Jesus was played by Ted Neeley, who famously played the part in the original tour and the 1973 film when he was 30. He’s still got great talent, but this was more of a reprise role. Seeing a performer who is so famous for a part but should no longer be playing it is kind of like going to an old-timer’s baseball game: You’re not necessarily going to get the best show, but you get to experience at least some of the glory that shines through the famous faces on the field. And you can always say “I saw him play that part.” Neeley is talented, no doubt about that. But at 65, Neeley is also likely twice the age of the next oldest cast member, not to mention twice Jesus’ age at his crucifixion.

The production is a bit haphazard. The show book and score itself was laughable, sorry. It doesn’t help that I’m not an Andrew Lloyd-Webber fan, but I knew what I was getting into. I had never seen JCS before, but I enjoyed it for what it was. Really, some of the lyrics were so basic that I’ve lost a little respect for Tim Rice. My ears desperately long for “A Little Night Music” to soothe the assault from last night’s bombardment of sound.

But back to the Bearcub. He is Matthew G. Meyers. A tenor, he’s about 30, not a big bear but a strong stocky build, brown hair and light beard, and cute pug nose. He was actually one of the better performers on the stage, bringing more life even in his background parts than most of the cast. His performance singing Simon’s song was excellent. He also acts as the understudy to Judas, as well as some management parts on stage (I forget the titles; my Playbill isn’t here next to me). Looking at Meyers’ bio in the Playbill though, Dave noticed that he won the Best Actor in a Musical in “NYC’s Fresh Fruit Award.”

Hmmm. “Fresh fruit.” In NYC? Sounds kinda gay. Sure enough, it is! A little Googling will find a lovely photo of Matthew with his husband at Disneyworld (or land) in front of Cinderella’s castle. So this is one of the few times I’ve seen a hot bearcub actor who actually turns out to be family.

I’d include a photo for you here, but I didn’t find any publicly online that does him justice in his Bear-esque look. In his headshot he looks way too pretty and thin. I find that to be a problem with hot bearish actors. Their headshots make them look too much like “actors” than people.

It was a welcome change to see a cast that didn’t all look like buff chorus-line dancers in period costume. On the flip side, they looked like they were still in high school or college - with Jesus as this kind of creepy old janitor that shuffled along with them. The high energy that the cast shows compares strikingly to the low energy Neeley brings as Jesus, making him appear that much older.

I enjoyed the show for what it was. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it unless you want to see Neeley reprise the role for which he is famous. The staging looks inspired by Les Miserables, with the arched bridge set and the chorus blocking. Even the actor who plays James looks like he should be playing Jean Valjean. If you have a need for bombastic sound and incomprehensible material that takes itself too seriously, JCS might do until the next tour of The Phantom of the Opera comes to Wolftrap. If you want to see a hot Bearcub on stage, see if you can get cheap walkup one-off front-row seats a half hour before curtain. (Not sure if you can.) The show is at the Warner til Sunday.

I am thinking of starting “phallology”

Send me a picture of your penis and $125 and I’ll tell your future.

Here’s a piece on “Rumpology.”

Stallone claims that the left and right butt cheeks reveal a person’s past and future, respectively. She says she has a degree in chemistry, but she must not have studied anatomy or physiology. She claims any doctor will tell you that the body is like a warehouse which stores everything. She thinks that the right buttocks represents the left cerebral hemisphere of the brain, while the left buttocks represents the right hemisphere. Her rump report, she says, can tell you “whether you are going ass-backwards (into that little closet called the left brain)” or are going forward with the right brain.

She even teaches others how to read the future by looking at behinds. José Miranda, for example, learned rumpology from Stallone. The Little Havana (Miami) soothsayer became a hit on the “phenomenally popular and raunchy late-night talk show ‘La Cosa Nostra’ on Spanish-language WJAN-TV Channel 41.”*

Miranda says that rump reading is “no different than reading a palm or someone’s eyes.” That’s no exaggeration. Rumpology works the same way as astrology, cartomancy, metoposcopy, palmistry, and getting messages from ghosts. Although Miranda’s live readings of scantily clad models adds a new dimension to the expressions cold reading, subjective validation, and sympathetic magic.

via rumpology - The Skeptic’s Dictionary - Skepdic.com.

NCAA Madness - Great, Now Who Do I Root For?

I’ve heard that today is the least productive work day in America. This is the day that college basketball fans huddle around these things called “brackets” and flip coins to come up with the magical formula that puts their favorite team in the “Champion” box in the middle. It sounds like fun - kind of like judging a reality show for sports fans. The trick would be coming up with the funny catch phrases needed when booting a team from the tournament like “The Madness has Spoken…” or “Pack your balls and sashay…away.”

I recently returned from a weekend trip with Dave and met a ton of his friends from school, who are now my friends. It almost feels like I went to school with them. I got to spend some time in Lawrence and was on the University of Kansas campus during the Jayhawks final victory of the season. I got a t-shirt, but I still don’t quite understand the endearing aspects of the phrase “Rock Chalk.”

Over Lunch at Buffalo Bob’s BBQ Smokehouse I thought about my two schools - The University of Cincinnati (UC) and Temple University. I suppose if I were to root for a team, it would be Cincinnati. I enjoyed the school and often regret leaving it to go to Temple. Even the school mascot is a Bearcat, which means my being a Bearcat predated my being a Bear by about 5 years. If I recall correctly UC had a pretty decent basketball team (historically - I think they sucked while I was there).

Looking at the brackets, I see that KU is in there of course. But no UC. I don’t even know how well they play anyway, and couldn’t tell you if they are worthy. But wait, here’s Akron. I grew up next to Akron, and while I skipped going there I still had a good number of college experiences, including being part of the Gay and Lesbian alliance. I’m not really a big Akron sports fan, but the “Zips” are one of the few teams I’d know by name without taking to Google.

Temple is also in the brackets. I’m torn about this one. While I went to Temple, I also credit the school’s lack of life with my growing disinterest in college while I attended. Like I said, I regret leaving Cincinnati. When I was there, I felt like I was at school. At Temple, I just felt like I lived in Philadelphia. I loved Philadelphia, but it wasn’t school. Philadelphia taught me an independent city-living life. But it robbed me of feeling like I belonged to a university. I last felt that at Cincinnati.

It’s tough being indifferent when March Madness rolls around. I guess it doesn’t really matter. Everyone has their favorites, but I’m not really a big basketball fan. So I’m not really rooting for a team, but Akron and KU will be my picks in case I’m stranded next to a water cooler with nothing to talk about except the Daily Show/MSNBC feud or how I missed the last Bear Tea Dance because I was in Lawrence, Kansas learning the Jayhawk chant.

Penn presses for a Harvey Milk Day

As anticipation builds toward a high court hearing on gay marriage, actor Sean Penn added drama Tuesday by urging Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger – a fellow actor – to reverse his opposition to a day honoring slain gay activist Harvey Milk.

“I trust that Governor Schwarzenegger is an increasingly reasonable man, and that he understands that passing on prejudices as surround this issue and so many others is poisonous to future generations,” said Penn, according to a video of his appearance. The actor won an Oscar last month for his portrayal of Milk in a film.

Penn appeared at a press conference in San Francisco with state Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, who is reviving a bill the governor vetoed last year that would have declared May 22 as Harvey Milk Day.

via Actor presses for a Harvey Milk Day - Sacramento Politics - California Politics | Sacramento Bee.

Patricia Redlich responds to ‘Devastated’ parents in Ireland

“WE are shattered. We are devastated” writes:

I am distressed, crying bitterly, and full of guilty questions like where did we go wrong. What did we do, or fail to do? I cannot close my eyes at night without crying out loud and wondering and worrying about him. How can we relieve this situation?

We have not discussed the issue with friends, although some close relations are aware of it. We feel we have to sell our small business and move away from here. I don’t think I can bear this any longer. Yes, we think of the anguish our son must have gone through/must still be going through, his loneliness and isolation. Yet he is happy to visit gay clubs and meet with other men.

We have talked, insofar as we are able. Yet he seems to jolly the whole thing along as if it were the ‘hip’ thing to do to be homosexual. It’s almost as if he’s delighted to say “I’m gay”.

Patricia responds:

You’ve reached an uncomfortable milestone in your life. Deal with it, like adults. This is your son you’re talking about. Irrespective of how he’s handling it — and it sounds like he has gone the somewhat brazen route — he needs his parents to be mature. It’s not just your dignity that’s at stake. Your son needs intelligent support.

This is no time for social philosophy either. We’ll talk some other time about the broader issues around homosexuality. The shock is surely receding now. Get a grip. Put your arms around your son and talk to him. His brazenness after all may well be no more than a defiant and desperate attempt to stay afloat.

via Devastated because our only son says he’s homosexual - Lifestyle, Frontpage - Independent.ie.

I’ve got a fever

Where have all the Cowbells Gone?

Hmm. I’ve been listening to my playlist a bit now, but haven’t heard another cowbell. I find my lack of cowbell a bit disturbing. Here are a few songs that I’ve heard that could be spruced up with a little cowbell:

• Shiny Happy People
• It the Summertime
• The Night Chicago Died
• Seven Nation Army
• Son’s Gonna Rise
• Ball of Confusion
• Dashboard
• She’s Not There
• Eye of the Tiger

OK Cows! Let’s get on it!

Carbon Leaf and BNL

Barry from Carbon Leaf

I’m sorry Barenaked Ladies, but Carbon Leaf is my favorite band now. Oh no, it didn’t happen with the recent resignation of BNL’s longtime voice Steve Page.

No, the realization moment was when I thought I was about to miss the first 30 minutes of a BNL show during Ships & Dip III last year because  I was at the last 30 minutes of a Carbon Leaf show. I wouldn’t leave. I’ve rarely felt as much joy as I did on the Lido deck listening to Carbon Leaf, who I’ve been a fan of now for about six years.

It turned out I was wrong about the timing. The concerts were scheduled properly and I saw the whole of both shows. But I knew then who I couldn’t bear to miss. I knew Carbon Leaf was my favorite band now.

The BNL "When I Fall" encore

I went on to the BNL show. The end of that show - a true demanded encore of “When I Fall” complete with full audience participation (pictured right) - was arguably one of the most incredible musical moments in the history of the band. And it would turn out to be the last time I would ever see BNL with the core group I’ve come to know.

Carter from Carbon Leaf

Carbon Leaf is performing tonight and tomorrow in Annapolis. We’ll be at the show tomorrow afternoon. The band has shed two of its members since I first found them, but three of the core members are going strong plus new musicians. They are a fun group of guys, and very talented.  I hope you check out Carbon Leaf. And I hope they realize how much their music means to people.

Rent: Oh the Drama!

Really can we all please just take a pill now? He said this; she said that. I fell like we’re back in high school… er, wait…

Martin says Asrani and the school board then opted to cancel the play. Asrani says the decision was Martin’s.

When students were told the production had been canceled, their outreach quickly led to mass media attention. Gay activists and alumni of the high school charged that the play’s cancellation was a form of intolerance and homophobia.

Martin in turn requested a rush copy of a toned-down version of the script, which he submitted to Asrani for approval.

via Canceled High School Production of Rent Back On  | News | Advocate.com.

Remember. When I was in high school we had a gay-straight alliance. It was called drama club.

More Cowbell: If you start me up, I’ll never stop

I’ve got a playlist going that I made a long time ago. I forget what’s on it. But today whenever I hear a cowbell, I’m going to post.

The first song in today’s playlist featuring a cowbell is “Start Me Up” by the Rolling Stones.

Super Heroes officially Jump the Shark

The superhero resurgence will be coming to an end soon. Here is evidence that it has jumped the shark:

A musical based on the Marvel comic book hero Spider-Man will open on Broadway in 2010.

Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark will include the story of the superhero’s origins and will feature music and lyrics by U2 members Bono and The Edge.

via BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Spider-Man musical set for 2010.

Steele on Emancipation: ‘Are you crazy?’

“Why would we backslide on a core, founding value of this country?”

In response to a question from radio host Mike Gallagher today, RNC chairman Michael Steele used took a hard, dismissive line against slave emancipation.

“Do you favor slave emancipation?” Gallagher asked:

STEELE: No, no no. What would we do that for? What are you crazy? No. Why would we backslide on a core, founding value of this country? I mean this isn’t something that you just kind of like, “Oh well, today I feel, you know, loosey-goosey on slaves.” I mean, this is a foundational principle of this country. It is a foundational principle of organized society. It isn’t something that, you know, in America we decided, “Let’s have slavery; oh well now, let’s change our mind and make them whole persons and allow them the vote.” No.

Ben Smith’s Blog: Steele on civil unions: ‘Are you crazy?’ - POLITICO.com.

Steven Page Leaves BNL

I was wondering when this day would come. I was hoping BNL would have been one of the few band that stuck together forever, but Steven page is leaving the group. I can’t say I’m not surprised. Steve seems to have been wandering for the last few years. Between splitting with his wife and family, and getting caught with a stash of coke in his new girlfriend’s place while the band was selling a kids album, I’m sorry but Steve has just wreaked of drama.

Sure there’s a part of me that’s pissed. But really Steve, Ed, Tyler, Jim and Kevin don’t owe me anything. Who am I to judge his life and relationships? I’m a fan - a good fan. But I know that the music comes from life. Life has to be lived or the music cannot exist.

So while I’m sad and pissed, I do wish him the best. Life goes on.

By mutual agreement, Steven Page will be parting company with the remaining members of Barenaked Ladies. Jim Creeggan, Kevin Hearn, Ed Robertson, and Tyler Stewart will continue recording and touring together as Barenaked Ladies. Steven Page will pursue solo projects including theatrical opportunities while the band enters the studio in April 2009, and hits the road in the fall.

via BNL :: Barenaked Ladies Official Website.

Ed sings, “Thanks, That was fun. Don’t forget. No regrets.”

Yeah, ok I’m crying now.

Sean Penn Oscar Acceptance Speech for “Milk”

Sean Penn Oscar Acceptance Speech for Best Actor in “Milk”

Are we really surprised at this when we have prisons for profit?

Mark Ciavarella and Michael Conahan, two judges in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, pled guilty to receiving cash kickbacks for sending minor juvenile offenders to youth detention centers and camps that are run for profit by Mid Atlantic Youth Services Corp. One of the “youth offenders” was Hillary Transue, a 15-year-old girl who mocked her principal on the Internet. She was sent away to wilderness camp.

Let me repeat this: A 15-year old girl was taken from her parents and sent to a wilderness detention camp for writing something on MySpace.

Are we really surprised by this? Our for-profit criminal justice system trains more criminals each year than it rehabilitates. We invent crimes - including drug prohibition - to lock people up.  When every inmate is a dollar sign, children, like all citizens, become raw materials to be destroyed in the name of profit.

About 50 percent of the children who waived counsel before Ciavarella were sent to some kind of placement, the Philadelphia-based Juvenile Law Center reports. In comparison, the Juvenile Court Judges’ Commission in Pennsylvania found that 8.4 percent of juveniles across the state wind up in placement.

via Pennsylvania rocked by ‘jailing kids for cash’ scandal - CNN.com.

We need change.

Top 10 Republican Hip-Hop Songs

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael S. Steele

Newly elected Republican National Committee Chairman Michael S. Steele plans an “off the hook” public relations offensive to attract younger voters, especially blacks and Hispanics, by applying the party’s principles to “urban-suburban hip-hop settings.”

via Washington Times - Steele: GOP needs ‘hip-hop’ makeover.

Presenting the top 10 all-time Republican hip-hop songs:

“Liberals Ain’t Shit” - Snoop Dogg DeLay
“De-Regulate” - Warren B
“Lobbyists Paradise” - Koolio
“Be the Power” - Public Enema
“Straigh outta the O.C.” - R.N.C.
“Strom” - Reaganem
“GOPP” - Corrupt by Nature
“Homos Just Don’t Understand” - Tearoom Jizzy Craig & the Foley Prince
“Nuthin’ But a “G.O.P.” Thang” - Snoop Dogg DeLay
“Republican’s Delight” - The Capitol Hill Gang

Read this Blog: Diary of a Gay Soldier’s Husband

A Gay Man in the Military: First Post

It’s hard for people to understand why a gay man would join the military. In Clay’s case, he had been a civilian for many years and then rejoined in his thirties. We were out working in the yard one afternoon and he told me he wanted to enlist again. I thought he was crazy. We had been together for 10 years then.

via Diary of a Gay Soldier’s Husband: A Gay Man in the Military: First Post.

Who do you believe in the “Rent” controversy? Why?

A high-school production of Rent has been shut down over concerns with the show’s “adult content.”

Corona Del Mar High School students found out last week from their drama teacher that after a meeting with the school’s principal Fal Asrani and a union representative, the play was canceled due to objections about the ‘gay characters.’

via High School Production of Rent Cancelled for Gay Content?  | News | Advocate.com.

Agreed facts: The script was requested for review. The decision to cancel the play was made by the teacher (however, they disagree about why).

Rent Script

The principal says (paraphrasing): “I wanted to review the script, something that is my responsibility. When I asked for it, the teacher canceled the play.”

The teacher says (again paraphrasing): “I was asked to provide a script because of gay characters. But I haven’t ordered scripts yet and they wont be here for two weeks. The principal told me we won’t have time to revise the scripts before the show starts April 23, and that she won’t like gay characters, so I’m canceling the play and doing something safe instead.”

I dunno, I don’t think it is a smart idea to start crying “homophobia” here. “Rent” has an implied group sex scene, lots of shown adult sexuality, and plenty of cursing. It seems perfectly responsible that a principal would request to see the revised script as offered by the licensing company. I”m not convinced bigotry is at play here.

This is one person’s word against another’s. And I’ve learned in the world of blogging to never make a homophobia judgment based on a stranger’s word. (I’ll call it the “Die fags” theory, based on the douchebag homos who vandalized their own place with “Die Fags” graffiti, blamed homophobia, and reported a hate crime.) The principal’s story seems lacking detail, but the teacher’s story seems hysterical.

The writers at Queerty, who automatically assumes homophobia, point to the students for help but the students only repeat what the teacher told them. That’s just hearsay.

So who do you believe? The teacher, or the principal? Why? Are you sure your opinion is objective? Or are you just instinctively crying homophobia?

In 1964, it was dangerous to even know a homo, especially with one in charge of the FBI

WASHINGTON - When Beltway insider Jack Valenti died two years ago at age 85, he was playing the role of intermediary between Washington and Hollywood as the theatrical, snowy-haired president of the Motion Picture Association of America.

But back in 1964, Valenti was a Houston ad executive newly installed at the White House as a top aide to President Lyndon B. Johnson. And J. Edgar Hoover’s FBI found itself quietly consumed with the vexing question of whether Valenti was gay.

Previously confidential FBI files show that Hoover’s deputies set out to determine whether Valenti, who had married two years earlier, maintained a relationship with a male commercial photographer.

via FBI probed sexuality of LBJ aide Valenti - Washington Post- msnbc.com.