March 2011 micro‐content, part II

💬 Wow. Any fan of Wonder Woman should see The Big Beautiful Wonder Woman Blog. http://fatwonderwoman.blogspot.com/ —13 March (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF, FF, MS, FF)

👀 Go for a stroll in my neighborhood and you just may encounter the Jackson Heights robot walking down the street. http://goo.gl/m8XJY —14 March (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF, FF, P, FF)

…bids farewell to beloved singer Nilla Pizzi who died Saturday. http://youtu.be/05SXs73_MpY —14 March (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF, FF)

[Video favorite.] jackson height —15 March (Bz, FF, Fb, MS) ▴ This video is absolute insanity! The camera operator raced down the aisles at Apna Bazar here in Jackson Heights, spinning the camera as he went. Who could even focus on any product?! ▴ Kudos. I cannot even tell if you’re right or wrong beyond the Tilda and the vegetables. Your whole comment reads like the ingredient list of some atrocious recipe.

✾ Both Purim and Novruz will be next weekend as can only occur in a Jewish leap year, though Theodor Gaster wrote Purim was based on Novruz. —16 March (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, MS) ▴ From Encyclopædia Britannica: “The principal monument of Jewish story in the Persian period is the biblical Book of Esther, which is basically a Judaized version of a Persian novella about the shrewdness of harem queens. The story was adapted to account for Purim, a popular festival, which itself is probably a transformation of the Persian New Year. Leading elements of the tale—such as the parade of Mordecai, dressed in royal robes, through the streets, the fight between the Jews and their adversaries, and the hanging of Haman and his sons—seem to reflect customs associated with Purim, such as the ceremonial ride of a common citizen through the capital, the mock combat between two teams representing the Old Year and the New Year, and the execution of the Old Year in effigy.” ▴ But see also: http://www.myjewishlearning.com/holidays/Jewish_Holidays/Purim/History/Origins.shtml

🗾 “Japan is one of the best friends the [US] ever could have to provide support…in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.” http://goo.gl/f7b1W —16 March (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF, FF, MS)

🌻 Od Çərşənbəsi چهارشنبه ‌سوری was yesterday, and now it’s full speed ahead to Purim פורים, Novruz نوروز and Holi ہولی. Happy spring!! —17 March (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, MS)

…bids farewell to songwriter Hugh Martin with a great vocal performance of “The Trolley Song” by Alex Heinen. http://youtu.be/Q8cECc1Vf3I ♫ —17 March (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF, FF, MS)

…bids farewell to songwriter Hugh Martin with this great rendition of “The Trolley Song” by Carol Burnett. http://youtu.be/hHrFZp0OXv0 ♫ —17 March (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF, FF, MS) ‎Of course; that was really my intent. I have a great version on vinyl by Leslie Uggams.

…mourns the loss of Shifra Lerer, legendary Jewish‐Argentine actress and singer in Yiddish theater and cinema. http://youtu.be/2wwdhylniAQ —17 March (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF, FF, MS)

…mourns the loss of Nicholas Kelo Jr. who shot and killed himself in Rittman, Ohio, after relentless anti‐gay bullying. http://goo.gl/NFroe —17 March (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF, FF, MS, FF) Thanks to Brian for the alert.

…cannot fathom the sorrow of Irish Jews when Taʻanit Ester תענית אסתר‎, a fasting day, falls on St. Patrick’s Day, as is the case today. ☘ —17 March (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, MS, FF)

⚔ Homophobes are out for blood. This assault was barely covered by the news until the victim’s friends alerted bloggers. http://goo.gl/AtQIu —17 March (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF, FF, MS, FF)

[Video favorite.] Feed the Rich, Starve the Worker: That's Bullshit... from Madison —18 March (Bz, FF, Fb, MS, FF) Thanks to שמואל for sharing.

📜 For those unfamiliar with the Purim legend, here’s a little synopsis: http://youtu.be/mYGqOMe-DqQ —18 March (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF, FF, MS, FF)

📷 See my pictures of my visit to Florida, including the Columns at Bear Creek, New Port Richey, and dinner at Red Lobster, Spring Hill. http://on.fb.me/hAqNdP —18 March

📷 See more of my pictures of my visit to Florida, including Macy’s in Gulf View Square, dinner at Super Royal Buffet, then Bed Bath and Beyond and Books‐a‐Million, Port Richey; then “The Art of Flight” exhibit, Tampa International Airport. http://on.fb.me/hqI0lU —19 March

💮 With whom better to celebrate Novruz (and Purim) than Leila Forouhar? The equinox approaches. http://youtu.be/2XtU5wbH368 —19 March (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF, FF, MS, FF)

◬ If you didn’t like the previous cartoon synopsis of Purim I posted, try this one out for size. http://youtu.be/3wvrbAa2Onk —19 March (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF, FF, MS, FF) ‎▴ Rehob Sumsum is the Israeli version of Sesame Street in Hebrew, but Shalom Sesame is a sort of blended version of the two aimed at English speakers and featuring Anglophone celebrities. ▴ ‎This cartoon probably originally appeared on RS and was then adapted for Shalom Sesame with an English script.

💲 I just donated to the production of a movie about how the murder of Julio Rivera forever altered Jackson Heights. Might you consider donating too? (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/659926942/julio-of-jackson-heights-documentary-film) —19 March (Fb, FF, FF)

✾ Drink some bhang thandai while you watch this number from the 1981 movie Silsila. This weekend is Holi. http://youtu.be/rm17BPGvZSc —19 March (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF, FF, MS, FF)

📷 See my pictures of the Queens Pride House “Valentine’s Gay Fun‐raiser Party” at the Diversity Center of Queens, Jackson Heights. http://on.fb.me/hqI0lU —20 March

♪ Probably my favorite Purim song of all time, but I prefer Ruth Rubin’s version which I could not find online. http://youtu.be/WMvLi2lF4a8 —20 March (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF, FF, MS, FF)

…is not sure what this has to do with Novruz as he doesn’t know Uyghur or see holiday imagery, but it’s pretty. http://youtu.be/py8RplC9RQ4 —20 March (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF, FF, MS, FF) With it?

…hopes you enjoyed the supermoon and equinox and feel a part of our Solar System. Here’s a great Novruz summary: http://youtu.be/bYRTEjhnopI —21 March (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF, FF, MS, FF) ▴ And if you like, see some of the Novruz videos I posted last year:
• http://elyaqim.jaiku.com/presence/1874d1c69cde45dcafbdbb18a6b05510
• http://www.friendfeed.com/elyaqim/99c2cd6a/
• http://youtu.be/pu6lkz2DqUw‎ ▴ • http://elyaqim.jaiku.com/presence/7fdb47776ac941149facc34e262b3f47

• Last modified 18 March 2010.
• A version of this article is reproduced at webcitation.org/5zfaO3vyA.
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Overweight, Bearded Gay Men, Who Call Themselves Bears

Photograph by Valerie (ucumari), under a Creative Commons license.

Three of my favorite local Queens organizations were mentioned in a New York Times article last week. Unfortunately, it was about how Congressman Anthony Weiner had to cancel appearances at events organized by two of them—the Queens Lesbian & Gay Pride Committee and Queens Pride House—and it referred, unnamed and described rather unflatteringly, to New York Bear Den. Reporter Dan Bilefsky wrote

On Monday evening, Mr. Weiner…canceled an appearance at a forum at Queens Pride House in Jackson Heights on the implications of health care reform for the gay community.

On Sunday, the congressman…did not appear at a gay pride march in Queens.

Pauline Park, President of Pride House, said Mr. Weiner, a proponent of gay rights, would have found a sympathetic crowd at the community center, which has hosted events ranging from Nepalese dance troupes to support groups for H.I.V-positive mothers and fathers and mixers for overweight, bearded gay men, who call themselves bears.

Related

• Dan Bilefsky, “Weiner Cancels Another Public Appearance, at Gay Forum,” section of “Weiner Says He Sent Photos and Lied, but Won’t Resign,” City Room, The New York Times, 6 June 2011.
• Christopher Dufault, “Someone Needs a Bear Hug!,” Internals Plural, 6 June 2011.

• Last modified 31 March 2012.
• A version of this article is reproduced at webcitation.org/5zTas6CGB (and based upon Fb).
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March 2011 micro‐content, part I

📷 See my pictures of the Queens Pride House January community potluck at the Diversity Center of Queens, Jackson Heights. http://on.fb.me/gtzHcz —1 March

[Video favorite.] Little Chicken Shake .mov —1 March (FF, Fb) My online discovery of the night is Jackson Heights’ own Katha Cato of the Department of Positive Commentary (DPC). In this video, she makes an absolutely ghastly dish vegetarians might want to avert their eyes from viewing. In a sense, it’s a variation of the chicken split idea my friends and I came up with many years ago. Fun for the whole family!

📷 See my pictures of the Rockbear January “Underbear” party at Rockbar, Greenwich Village. http://on.fb.me/gtzHcz —2 March

📷 See my pictures of Thai dinner at Spicy Shallot, then “Jaime’s Peter Pan birthday party” at Music Box/Caja Musical, Elmhurst; then Friend’s Tavern, Jackson Heights; then la Abundancia Bakery, Elmhurst. http://on.fb.me/feSsg8 —3–7 March I shop and eat in Little India so frequently the merchants know me and give me special prices. One of these days, I’ll figure out if those prices are lower or higher than what normal customers pay.

• Pakistan’s Minister of Minorities is dead in a “campaign to slaughter every liberal, progressive and humanist voice”! http://goo.gl/KJSto —3 March (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF, FF, MS)

☕ “[T]his be will {sic} remembered as the time…the American people decided to come together [and] confront the plutocracy….” http://goo.gl/M4zcq —4 March (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF, FF, MS)

…is frustrated that the St. Pat’s for All parade and the “Globally Queer” block at the Queens World Film Festival conflict with one another. —6 March (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, MS)

[Video favorite.] ‘America Is NOT Broke’: Michael Moore Speaks in Madison, WI — March 5, 2011 —6 March (FF, Fb) A poignant lesson in economics from Michael Moore that is very easy to understand. Liberals and progressives give us facts while conservatives give us lies and then threats with guns if we don’t believe their lies. Thanks to Leyb Mendl for posting.

[Video favorite.] YouTube Transcribe Audio Fail —7 March (FF, Fb) Some of my friends already noticed it and brought it up on my wall, but my being a linguistics geek got me mention in one of gunnarolla’s videos (beginning at 2:17). Basically, when Google’s automatic transcription of the audio track in one of his earlier videos was unable to make heads or tails of his Canadian English, I accused them of being anti‐Canadian.

📷 See my pictures of Thai lunch from Rumphool in Woodside. http://on.fb.me/hAqNdP —8 March

📷 See my pictures of Richard Shpuntoff’s screening of Julio of Jackson Heights as a work in progress at the Jewish Center of Jackson Heights. http://on.fb.me/hAqNdP —8 March

…found this funny video a few days ago but wonders if it’s appropriate to post on International Women’s Day. http://youtu.be/tJRzBpFjJS8 👩 —8 March (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb, FF, FF, MS)

📷 See my pictures of New York Bear Den at the Diversity Center of Queens, Jackson Heights. http://on.fb.me/hAqNdP —8 March

◬◬◬ Where can I get ozne Haman אזני המן‎ (i.e., Homen taşn המן־טאַשן) in or near Jackson Heights? ◬◬◬ —9 March (Jk, Bz, FF, Fb) ▴ If they’re still there. You’re just making me more frustrated, as well as more hungry. ▴ I’m afraid my worst fears will be confirmed.

📷 See my pictures of my visit to Florida, including lunch at the Ram’s Horn and a visit to Publix, Hudson; dinner at Central City Pizza, New Port Richey; dessert from Walgreens, Hudson. http://on.fb.me/hAqNdP —9 March

[Video favorite.] Teresa Graves & Carol Channing “Soul Sisters” Laugh‐In —11 March (Bz, FF, Fb) This video was shot before Carol Channing came out of the closet as black.

• Last modified 31 March 2012.
• A version of this article is reproduced at webcitation.org/5z8655Cao.
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