A-Twitter

There is been a marked slow-down of blog posts on Blabbeando as of late. It might be related to certain life changing developments that have taken place in the past few months (don't worry, my health is OK), the feeling that one is on a blogging treadmill where - if you don't write everything. right now. at this. very. moment. - you lose momentum. Or the selective attention span of those who might check on the blog from time to time.

Or perhaps it has to do with the natural life-cycle of a blog. Several of my favorite blogs over the last few years have slowed down as well, including Bejata (who expressed a similar sentiment back in September) and The Republic of T (who also expressed similar feelings on June 10th), just to think of two.

It might be a phase, it might not. But here is an alternative: I first joined Friendster because... because... hm, I forget? Then I dug MySpace for the access it gave me to new music from my favorite artists - but I have long abandoned that page. I moved on to Facebook and invited nearly everyone I knew to join my page before I knew how pervasive Facebook was (I am sorry to those who endured my Friend Buying ways early in my Facebook experience).

Now I am Twittering. Just like Barbara Walters and Ophra!

I have had a Twitter account for a while but it took me a while to 'get it'. It took Michael Crawford of Bilerico to launch #SameSexSunday to make me realize the power of Twitter.

Now in full bloom, thanks to the way that it's allowing people in Iran to circumvent government crackdowns on media and communication in the aftermath of last week's election, I've joined those who have changed their online avatar colors to green in support of those who are challenging the official election returns (to access info just follow the #IranElection posts or follow Andrew Sullivan's amazing series of posts on his Daily Dish blog).

So take a look at Twitter and visit me there if you want by adding my Twitter feed. And if it takes you a while to 'get' Twitter please feel free to ask me about it to see if I can make it somewhat clearer for you. Will be blogging again soon. Just don't hold your breath.

Musica: A Matter of Time

As long as we are talking about Argentina, here is a translation of Homostone's "A Matter of Time" (Cuestion de Tiempo) as available on their MySpace page (ps: They are looking for singers):

You always playing the little fagg*t
And you don't even take a little bit inside
You leave the boys all hot and bothered
And they are left with all these questions

What are you looking for?
When you leave your girlfriend hanging and you come to the disco floor to dance
What's behind it?
Behind your feline stare, of your special affinity
For getting close to boys
Who get close to other boys
And only find in a macho man
Happiness

If you're high, the flannel suits you
You are a pampered cub
But if a guy throws his dice
You get all jittery

What is there to do?
To get you to loosen yourself and try it at least once
With so many pieces falling, nobody can now believe
That you won't be overcome by your desires
To do certain things
When you hang up your clothes
You will be able

A matter of time, you will soon fall under
Let things go slowly, it will do you a lot of good
Light the fuse, good things will come later

Don't be afraid, you will learn
Sooner or later, you will lick yourself
I'll be happy if I taste you once

A public confession: I am no longer Latino or Hispanic

So there's something truly shameful that I have been hiding from you. And, yes, I tried to keep it under control but now I feel the need to come clean. I hope you'll be understanding and also be able to forgive me...

It all began a few weeks ago when Jorge Valdivia, the Vice President of the Association for Latino Men in Chicago/ALMA, sent a message to me with a subject that read "Frida Fascination."

I was shocked! I mean, everybody certainly knows ABBA but nobody that I know truly adores ABBA's Anni-Frid Lyngstad, better known as Frida, for her solo work. And I guess I am specifically talking about her 1982 album "Something's Going On" which was produced by the then-great Phil Collins immediately following his first successful bid as a solo artist with 1981's "Face Value" (also a great album). Both albums document the disintegration of each artist's marriages and they also share one song, the beautiful "If Leaving Me is Easy." Collins also provided back-up vocals and drums for several tracks on the Frida album. I recommend it highly.

Anyway, so I'm about to write to Jorge to tell him that I can't believe that he also loves Frida and the moment I open the message I just know my Latino cred has just been shot to hell - maybe forever. Jorge, of course, was sending a note about a successful showing of Mexican artist Frida Khalo paintings or some sort of retrospective, NOT the other Frida. OMG!

The first to react was, well, Jorge himself who said he was ashamed and that I should really consider enrolling in a "Latin American icons 101" class.

Because I needed understanding and support I reached out to others and, well, I got no such thing. Pedro Julio Serrano from New York, Monica Taher from Los Angeles and Lorenzo Herrera y Solano from Austin engaged in cross-country cyberterrorism and plastered images of Frida Khalo on my MySpace page (hm, my MySpace page disappeared this weekend by the way, what's up with that?). So much for friendship.

So, like, am I still Latino?

Musica: Alison Moyet's Turn

Rejoice! The voice is back! Even if she could not make it to New York City the one time I hoped to meet her thanks to Homeland Security, Alison Moyet is set to release her new album "The Turn" in October on w14 Music, a division of Universal Music Group.

As a preview, snippets of four of the album's tracks have been uploaded on Alison's MySpace page. First single "One More Time" seems to be a show-stopper and a showcase for the singer's glorious voice, themes about longing, relationships and desire resurface; "Fire" is plaintive and heartfelt, an indication that the album is a stripped affair without some of the electronic flourishes of the past, just a voice and a guitar; "World Without End" almost sounds like a chamber piece; while "It's Not the Thing, Henry" seems to belong in one of her past albums, namely "Hometime," with it's multiple instrumentation and synth stabs.

All in all great news from the UK.

• Alison Moyet's MySpace page here
• Alison Moyet's official website here
• Alison Moyet's blog here
• w14 Music webiste here (oh my! They also seem to be getting ready to release a new album by Siouxsie Sioux!)
  

Calling all gay and bi Latino frat boyz...

As far as I know, Miguel "Cariño" Ayala, a cute papi who is currently based in DC (pictured), has been pretty much the lead flag-bearer for gay and bi Latino frat bros in the US over the last decade (mostly through an internet e-mail listserv that he set up way back when he was at De Paul University in Chicago and a Sigma Lambda Beta bro to boot).

Now comes word that a Lambda Upsilon Lambda bro and a Nu Alpha Kappa bro have set up a new space that they hope will grow into a "national entity."

So, if you are a Latino gay or bi guy and a current or former fraternity brother please head over to this site (Note: You will need a current MySpace account to join). Maybe, just maybe, they can truly build a national network.

PS: If you are a Latino gay or bi guy and a current or former fraternity brother and would also like to join Miguel's list (which is separate from the site link above), please send me an e-mail at blabbeando@gmail.com and I will forward your request.