First light
I was up with this sun this morning in East Hampton and caught this shot of a few boats in Acabonack Harbor. While the Hamptons may look like many New England summer colonies, the vibe is anything but -- especially with East Hampton's Main Street chock-a-block with Gucci, Tiffany & Co., and Elie Tahari.
As Hamptons Author Steve Gaines told the New York Observer this summer in a piece about the changing face of the East End -- especially all the new McMansions going up in former potato fields:
"Money validates you in the Hamptons, money makes you a big man. And the more insecure you are in real life, the more important these kinds of representations are in the Hamptons. It’s like a guy who has a small penis who has to drive a flashy sports car."
"This is what the Hamptons are, and I make no apology for it, nor is one entitled to make an apology for it. If you don’t want a peacock walk, where people are driving expensive cars and people have houses that are inappropriately big, you should go somewhere else. This is what the Hamptons are, and this is what people enjoy out here. It’s a stage where nouveau society can show itself."
Posted by Sebastian / Hamptons / September 29, 2007 /
Last light
I'm out in the Hamptons for a quick trip to hang out with friends, play silly parlor games, drink a few beers, and also help out at Saturday's inaugural Hamptons Marathon. I snapped this shot Friday evening around 7 p.m. on the roof of the house we got for the weekend -- it was actually quite dark out, but I set my camera for a long exposure, and it sucked in all the day's remaining light for a cool blue photo. The view here is looking south out into the Atlantic.
Posted by Sebastian / Hamptons / September 29, 2007 /
Quotable
"Bizarre"
-Delaware senator and Democratic presidential nominee, Joe Biden's response when asked what he thinks about the military's current "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.
Full story.
(Full disclosure: Thanks to Servicemember Legal Defense Network's e-newsletter for pointing this out.)
Posted by Sebastian / Politics / September 27, 2007 /
Colors of Chinatown
This morning in San Francisco I wandered through Chinatown where the streets were even more packed than usual with the Autumn Moon Festival in full swing. Although there is a sketch factor that one must overcome while passing through any Chinatown — I'm not much for full cooked ducks hanging in restaurant or market windows — there are always delights and intrigues to be found. For cheap.
Posted by Sebastian / SF / September 23, 2007 /
Spotted in Nob Hill
There's a lot of male nakedness to be found in San Francisco, and I'm not just talking about the corner of 18th and Castro. I was walking down the California Street hill today when I came upon this surprise...
Posted by Sebastian / SF / September 22, 2007 /
$1 CDN = $1 US
OMG, I'm in disbelief: "The Canadian dollar reached parity with the U.S. greenback on Thursday for the first time in almost 31 years, capping a spectacular run that has seen it rise 62 per cent since 2002."
Posted by Sebastian / Canada / September 20, 2007 /
My name is Sebastian and I have an addiction
A couple weeks ago I was in the American Riviera (yes, some people call Orange County that, ditto for Santa Barbara), and realized I hadn't yet blogged about one of its most spectacular exports: MTV's "Newport Harbor: The Real Orange County", the show featuring a group of kids from Newport Beach High School and my new addiction.
To understand the depth of my addiction to said reality show, you must first understand that it's the one and only show (well, besides Kathy Griffin's "My Life on the D List") that I watch. I will literally not turn my TV for a week at a time, but when Wednesday night rolls around I'm primed or at least my TiVo is.
Variety mag called Newport's reality TV-twin ("The Hills") "an exercise in unrelenting vacuity...that's like 'The Simple Life'...but with less substance"...and I agree. The Hills is pure ridiculousness. Blonde girls in Benzes in Beverly Hills working fake jobs at Teen Vogue. Who can relate. Newport Harbor is different! At least the high school kids of Newport Harbor are only driving Bimmers and are not pretending to have jobs. They surf and play tennis and throw fabulous parties in their fabulous town and let their parents foot the bill without hiding it.
Last week's prom episode almost made me cry. (Of course, "Pretty Woman" kills me every time I see it, too, so clearly I'm a sap.) But anyway, the prom featured an amazing Maroon 5 song that I've now been playing on loop for days: "Not Falling Apart...download it! Gotta go...episode six is on at 10:30 tonight!
Related: Heidi from "The Hills" gets called out for her bitchy ways
Posted by Sebastian / TV / September 19, 2007 /
Height envy in Toronto
Toronto has long been a city of superlatives, but this week it lost one of its proudest claims: the city is no longer home to the world's tallest freestanding structure. No, the syringe-shaped CN Tower has not fallen; it's just been one-upped by the Burj Dubai. Construction on the desert skyscraper this week slipped past the CN's height of 553 meters, on the way to its final height of 800 meters, or 165 floors. Still, the observatory on the CN will remain taller than the observatory in Dubai. No word if the emirate is going to opt for a vertigo-inducing glass floor like Toronto did.
Posted by Sebastian / Toronto / September 16, 2007 /
Greening the earth, one purchase at a time
 My fav columnist, Margaret Wente, has a laugh-out-loud piece in today's Globe and Mail about Lululemon and the culture of consumerism that has sprung from yoga, new-agism and the environmental movement. Lululemon, of course, is the trendy Vancouver yoga gear company that started in the once hippy-dippy Kitsilano section of town but that has become a popular brand everywhere (with outlets in Boston and New York, too!).
Lululemon, like the best of brands, has succeeded in convincing consumers that when you buy one of their products, you're not just getting more "stuff" to throw out later -- you're getting closer to living a centered lifestyle. Lululemon's web site says that one of their company's goals has always been to "train our people so well that they could in fact positively influence their families, communities and the people walking into our stores." Oh my, and I thought I was just stopping in for a t-shirt made of the recycled soda bottle I tossed out yesterday.
Wente points out, "Like Anita Roddick, the late, lamented genius behind The Body Shop, [Lululemon founder] Chip Wilson understands how to tap into the most significant retailing trend of our time - green consumer capitalism. The way you do it is to never, ever mention money. You are not selling merchandise. You are creating values. Your vision (according to Mr. Wilson) is to elevate the world from mediocrity to greatness, and your customers (a word you never use) are partners in that vision. They feel that when they buy from you, they're becoming better people too."
So this afternoon I went out and did my part by buying the ironic t-shirt pictured above (that's my new Angela Adams Mammy poster in the background, thank you very much).
Posted by Sebastian / Etceteras / September 15, 2007 /
Dogs In Stores
 I like dogs, I really do. It's dog owners I can't stand. They're the only people I consistently roll my eyes at and give dirty look to in public. Lately I've been noticing an uptick in the number of dog owners who feel it's appropriate to bring their dogs everywhere--stores, cafes, restaurants, and airport terminals. Having to put up with one dog in a store is bad enough, but just yesterday I witnessed two dogs -- a whippet and a golden retriever -- going at it in a clothing store as their owners waited in line to check out. The barks were not amusing, especially not to the clerk who finally yelled, "What is going on in here?!?" It's your store, you tell me.
This morning I noticed my neighborhood Tasti-D-Lite just added a polite reminder, "NO DOGS" on their door. I wish everyone would do the same, but I don't think it's going to solve the problem, which is the truly mind-boggling sense of entitlement many dog owners have.
Posted by Sebastian / Etceteras / September 15, 2007 /
Toronto: A metaphor for a country in decline
 I've been meaning to mention this article for weeks. Toronto Star columnist Chirstopher Hume takes on complacency in Canada's biggest city, a place plagued by chronic government underfunding with the scathing but true commentary:
"Democracy boasts many virtues, but it also has serious weaknesses, including the fact that it allows citizens to vote thoughtlessly and without regard to reality. Indeed, look at who gets elected to see just how irrational, even moronic, the process has become.
"One of the truths the politicians would like us to forget is that you get what you pay for. Civilization costs money. If the city's going to remove snow, pick up garbage, pay the province's social services bill, fill potholes and so on, it must be able to cover these costs.
"Instead of voting for councillors who promise we can remain forever in dreamland, where taxes never go up and roads are free, we should think first and ask whether they are able to do the opposite, i.e., insist we return to the real world. It, of course, is not such a nice place.
"Toronto, like all of Canada, is based largely on myths that border on lies. We like to think that the city is among the greatest and the country a respected world citizen. We may be a middling power, but always sensible and responsible.
"We continue to demand European-style public services on American-level taxes. As we Torontonians are finding out, it doesn't work that way."
Posted by Sebastian / Toronto / September 14, 2007 /
Oh man!
The Canadian dollar hit a new high of 96 cents US today, making that $12 cocktail at 1181, well, $11.50. Is parity next? So much for cheap Canadian getaways...
Posted by Sebastian / Canada / September 11, 2007 /
Selfish & Perverse
 Last night I had the pleasure of attending a risible reading of comedian Bob Smith's new book, "Selfish & Perverse." Although I'm not one to recommend a book without having read it, I can almost guarantee this one will be a page turner -- if his reading last night, and his track record...his "Openly Bob" was one of the funniest books I've ever read (so funny, in fact, I've read it four times)....are any indication. That said, I bought the book and started reading it this morning. I'll let you know how it was!
The highlight of the reading was certainly getting to meet his mom, who jetted in from Buffalo for the event. She was just as Buffalo as I'd pictured after reading about her in the opening of "Openly Bob."
Posted by Sebastian / Books / September 11, 2007 /
Silly signs in Vancouver
Posted by Sebastian / Vancouver / Sept. 6, 2007 /
Seen around Vancouver
Fall seems to have come early to Vancouver. In 2006, summer was a three-month affair, but not this year. Check out the leaves in Coal Harbour this morning!
Check out this bird I caught in mid-flight!
Posted by Sebastian / Vancouver / Sept. 3, 2007 /
Aboard Air Canada
I was flying up the west coast today when I accidentally snapped this shot of my very smudged water glass as I played with my tray table. I love the tiny etched Maple Leaf. The shot came out almost perfectly!
Lake Tahoe from AC555, LAX to YVR.
Posted by Sebastian / Aviation / Sept. 2, 2007 /
San Diego
Last night during the closeout of the NLGJA convention, the Canadian Tourism Commission threw a fab ending party replete with white feather boas, (gay) Mounties, and "Torontinis": 2 ounces vodka, 1 ounce blue Curacao, and a splash of white cranberry juice -- delish! Best of all, the Torontinis came dripping out of an ice sculpture in the shape of a British Columbia Orca whale. Together with Matt and Jason, we cornered the Mounties and snapped this all-feathered-out shot.
This is what trouble looks like...
Everyone's fav girl: Yo from Vancouver...love you honey!
Brandy and Jason (not visible: the girls) showing off their perfect pearly whites.
This was my sixth NLGJA convention and it was by far the worst. And it wasn't just the water spots on my hotel room carpet, the slow under-reno elevators, and the no-A/C exhibit hall that made it all less than appealing! It felt like the organization has had its energy sucked out of it. NLGJA was founded largely to fight for equal benefits and non-discrimination policies for gay journalists in the workplace. Now that those goals have been largely achieved, the group has moved its mission toward promoting fair and equal coverage in the media. Certainly a great goal, but there does not seem to be the same energy that was there five years ago. People have understandably become more complacent. That said, NLGJA plays a crucial role in bringing together journalists and media people of all ages and from communities of all sizes, who might not otherwise know others like them...and to me, that alone makes its annual convention worthwhile.
Posted by Sebastian / San Diego / Sept. 2, 2007 /
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