9/13/06

R.I.P. Willi Ninja




It was the summer of '89 and Willi was sashaying up the hill to Schloss Neuschwanstein, that overly campy castle in the Bavarian mountains, which became the blueprint for the castle in Disney's Cinderella and subsequent corproate logo. Those Bavarians didn't quite know what to make of the King of Vogue who upstaged King Ludwig's castle that day. That glamorous charisma was the reason, why Malcom McLaren gave him center stage and Madonna just stole his dancers. Which (ever the den mother of the House of Ninja) he took in stride. After all, his protegees got to travel the world and dance in 'Truth or Dare' and the video for 'Vogue', while he went on to teach Naomi and Paris and dance in highbrow productions.

He'll be missed,

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There's a tribute to Willi Ninja with a list of links

There's also a video tribute to him on YouTube

Willi leading the house at the Love Ball

9/12/06

Hot Blooded


Hackers got into Governor Schwarzenegger's computer and published a recording , which was made during a speechwriting session with Schwarzenegger and his chief of staff, Susan Kennedy. They speculate about the ethnic background of state Assemblywoman Bonnie Garcia. After ruminating if she was Cuban or Puerto Rican, Schwarzenegger says:"They are all very hot. They have the, you know, part of the black blood in them and part of the Latino blood in them that together makes it."

This should come as no surprise to historians. Another one of Schwarzenegger's timeless appreciations of Latin traits comes from his documentaryCarnival in Rio, which he shot for the Playboy Channel in 1983. While observing some scantily clad Samba dancers at Club Oba Oba in Rio Schwarzenegger muses: „You know something, after watching the mulatas shake it, I can absolutely understand why Brazil is totally devoted to my favorite body part: the ass."

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Time for a repost - watch Arnold in Rio

9/7/06

Way Down South



If you know our best man Rich you probably know that he's way down South in Antarctica doing sound on a film with director Anne Aghion and cinematographer Sylvestre Guidi. Even if you don't - he's been writing a blog about his days in the ice, which might be one of the best blogs around. Because it's brillant writing, not random blogging. From a place few ever get to go.

Photos by Richard Fleming (hills near McMurdo) and Anne Aghion (Rich On Ice).

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Read A Brooklynite On Ice

Official film site