My reading is tonight!

Dear friends and readers,

The excerpt's been chosen, the restaurant reserved, and everything is ready for tonight. I can't wait to see all you guys for my first official reading since moving down to LA.

A few last minute notes:
--We'll be out on the patio, so bring a sweater.
--I'm reading last, so if you think you might be a little late, that's ok. Still come!

Reading Special:
Preorder Spork 9.1 and receive ENCANTADO, Chapter 1 at http://steventagle.com/store

After the reading, join me across the street for appetizers (sweet potato fritters, calamari, cheese and charcuterie) and drinks (Sprite or stronger!) at the charming Allston Yacht Club.

Homo-Centric Reading Series @ Stories Books and Cafe
Thursday, March 18 at 7:30pm
Stories Books and Cafe
1716 Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90026
213-413-3733
http://storiesla.com

Afterparty @ Allston Yacht Club
Thursday, March 18 at 9:30pm
Allston Yacht Club
1320 Echo Park Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90026
213-481-0454
http://allstonyachtclub.com

Thank you everyone for your support. I can't wait for tonight!

Best,
Steven

LeechBlock and Gimpix

Two great finds this morning while writing:



First, LeechBlock, a Firefox add-on designed to block those time-wasting sites that can suck the life out of your working day. All you need to do is specify which sites to block and when to block them.

This add-on has a ton of customizable features, allowing you to block groups of sites during specific days and time periods. You can even limit access to application's preferences to keep yourself honest during an unauthorized Facebook craving.

Thank you, James Anderson, for this gift to writers. Goodbye Facebook, hello productivity!



Second, my research on long leg casts led me to this peculiar, possibly NSFW site. Gimpix is a site dedicated to "exploring the sexuality of an attractive woman in a plaster of Paris leg cast."

The author of Gimpix explains his site in a 9-point "Rationale" section. Some highlights:

"My pulse quickens and I receive a powerful stimulation whenever I see a pretty woman with her leg in a plaster cast, either hobbling on crutches or staggering along in a walking cast!"

"Of the many orthopedic devices that exist, only plaster leg casts have such charisma."

"Watching a woman wiggling her toes is very seductive whether they are in a cast or not. But seeing them sticking out of plaster intensifies the allure."

"Also sometimes pleasurable for women is the warm feeling provided by the exothermic chemical reaction of the setting plaster, although one must be cautious to avoid high water temperatures, and consequently risk of burning."

Thank you, the Internet! My gift to you this Monday morning.

Upscale Restaurants to Try

grace
http://gracerestaurant.com/
http://www.yelp.com/biz/grace-restaurant-los-angeles

buffalo club
http://www.thebuffaloclub.com/
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-buffalo-club-santa-monica

akasha
http://www.yelp.com/biz/akasha-culver-city
http://www.akasharestaurant.com

the little next door
http://www.thelittledoor.com/tldhome.html
http://www.yelp.com/biz/little-next-door-los-angeles

tanner's coffee
http://www.yelp.com/biz/tanners-coffee-co-culver-city

king's cafe
http://www.yelp.com/biz/kings-cafe-culver-city

New Cafe List

SANTA MONICA
infuzion cafe
http://www.infuzioncafe.com/

VENICE
joni's coffee
http://www.joniscoffee.com/

cow's end
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-cows-end-venice

dola

BRENTWOOD
Brew N Beans
http://www.yelp.com/biz/brew-n-beans-los-angeles
sat 8-3

CULVER CITY
Westsubs
http://www.yelp.com/biz/westsubs-culver-city

Try out SpiritClips...

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Please vote for "A Friend's Take" on Vimeo!

Dear friends:
Please take a second to sign up on Vimeo and vote for my video, "A Friend's Take" in the Project Pushback contest!

http://vimeo.com/4957872

A Friend's Take from Project Pushback on Vimeo.

Every Little Step

Just watched Every Little Step at the Arclight, a documentary about dancers auditioning for a show about dancers auditioning for a show. I saw a community theater version of A Chorus Line with Catherine Ho in high school. I left the theater and ran to the Borders across the street hunting for the CD.

The most interesting thing about the film, I thought, was how it revealed the lineage of each character in the show as auditionees attempted to capture the essence of the roles. One thing I didn't know about A Chorus Line was that it began as a taped interview, Michael Bennett assembling a group of dancers one night to talk about their lives.

All great theatre is an experiment. A Chorus Line was based on the lives of real dancers, and in the original, those dancers played themselves. So what's interesting about the revival is how the auditionees are vying for roles that were originally created from and inhabited by other real dancers. Asian-American dancers auditioned for Baayork Lee--not just the original "Connie Wong," but the woman on whom "Connie Wong" is based. "Cassie" hopefuls danced to "The Music and the Mirror," a song tailored to Donna McKechnie's unusually large range.

What I liked about the film was its communion with the past, with the original actors and the actors who reprized their roles.