Political PAAAAAARTY!

Monday, Oct. 4: U.S. Senate Debate Event @ Anna Liffey's, New Haven

We're sure feeling political this week! But hey, thanks to years of going to all the right parties, we totally know all of Hartford's hottest alt-pol candidates. Connecticut for Lieberman legit U.S. Senate nominee John Mertens will participate almost-live in Monday night's Blumenthal/McMahon debate via the magic of technology (TeeVee, pause button) from a fun remote venue - New Haven Irish pub Anna Liffey's. Hear the agenda, bask in the validating solidarity of your fellow disenfranchised citizens, throw back a pint. And remember, Linda McMahon is basically a disgusting imitation of a human being: the latest ick.

Jeez, we can't seem to pry the "politics" and "booze" tags away from each other!

The New Silk City

The Silk City Flick Fest is movin' to Hartford. Venues will include The Wadsworth Atheneum, Capitol Community College, City Steam Brewery, Young! Studios, The Hartford Public Library and the CT Science Center. We're pretty excited about not having to cross the river, and to be able to walk between venues, rather than driving aimlessly around Manchester like we did last year. Seriously, that place is a maze.

The schedule is up and there are some intriguing programs planned. We'll give you some highlights, the full schedule is below.

Thursday, Oct. 7, is the Opening Night Reception at The Wadsworth from 5-8pm, followed by a screening of the nominated short Short Breath and the feature film Birthday.

Friday, Oct. 8, is an entire day of horror at Young! Studios. There will be a "Monsters and Gore" Workshop, led by Matt Corrigan. Matt will "teach you how to make all the dead stuff, bloody limbs and gore for your next low budget horror movie." Matt's worked on all sorts of impressive Hollywood movies and he can MacGuyver a bottle of wine like none other.* The day will also include many horror shorts and three feature films including S&man (we totally know them). Also on Friday, Capitol Community College will be featuring student films throughout the day, followed by two nominated features in the evening, Esther's Diary and Safe House.

Saturday, Oct. 9, the festival coincides with The ING Hartford Marathon. Feature documentary Spirit of the Marathon will be shown several times throughout the weekend at The Wadsworth. It's about, well, running marathons. The Wadsworth will also be screening a block of International Short Films several times throughout the weekend and Saturday night they will feature Black Dynamite, a spoof of 70's black exploit movies.

City Steam will hold a series of workshops on Saturday, and the CT Science Center will be screening American Meth, a documentary on the effects of methamphetamine use on a an American family. Young! Studios will be screening shorts all day, followed by a narrative feature from Brooklyn, Apostles of Park Slope.

The festival concludes Sunday, Oct. 10, with a gala and awards ceremony at City Steam from 6-10pm.

*ask us for that story another time.

Ken Krayeske (We totally know him!) Green Party

Wednesday, Sept. 29 (that's today!): Green Party Rally @ Sisson Tavern, Hartford


Oh, hey Ken Krayeske and Connecticut Green Party, way to compete for our affections with Sidewalk Dave tonight. But sure, we guess political alternatives, progressive agendas and unabashed anti-war sentiment are as important as deliciously twangy local indie rock. Maybe we can find some way to merge the two. Actually, the Green deal starts at 7 p.m., so you can probably make both. Sisson Ave.: hot tonight.

Krayeske, former Advocate badboy, local indie journo and famous Rell antagonist, is running for Congress for the Greens. Tonight's event at local dive-y joint the Sisson Tavern will include taping for a TV spot, so attention whores: be there.

Hot or Not?: Yoga Week 3

Notice I didn't say "Bikram," this week, hmmm? Last week I mentioned some non-Bikram practitioner criticisms my newest sweaty hobby. This week I actually made it out to the hot non-hot yoga guy's class at Hartford City Ballet (which is a weekly, open dealie, you can just drop in too!) for a different kind of experience.

Everywhere I go, I seem to interact with other CT celebrities. Open yoga class ended up being just myself, instructor Gabriel, and famous ballet hipster Amy, who leads an open modern dance class at the same venue, which you can try some time (but count the Scenics out, we got no moves). Nice to meet her again! And very nice to meet the venue's resident kitties. OMG LOVE KITTIES!

About the yoga. Gabriel teaches Hatha yoga and incorporates chanting and breathing exercises as well as poses into his class. He also dropped a lot of knowledge and vocabulary about the history and goals of practice and chakras and things, which I won't try and reiterate (maybe we can get an interview). He emphasized that postures should be comfortable and that one should be able to relax in them (in contrast to the "stretch beyond your flexibility... feel pain sensation" emphasis of Bikram).

But I also like the militant/masochism thing! Over the weekend I had another one of those great Bikram sessions, where I was getting deeper into the postures and ended up class feeling invigorated. Of course, I also had mostly classes that felt like torture endurance, so don't get all jealous of my progress or anything now.

Like "standing head-to-knee" always sucks. Here's a nice illustration of the progression of this posture (actually, check out the source, it's informative!).


I struggle to just get my leg up. There's people in class around me that get the elbows and the head down and everything. And they don't all even have the hot yoga body, so apparently that has nothing to do with it (bummer!).

And let's talk about my period! Cause why not. Bikram makes a lot of health claims about the postures and all the body systems and health problems that they can help improve/alleviate. The cobra series says it wants to relieve my menstrual problems. And what do you know? My period practically snuck upon me this month. There's plenty of stuff on the internets about yoga and your period. Well, maybe not your period. Good thing DH isn't writing the yoga series, eh?

Phallic Artistry: International Edition

Maybe we've just been kicking around the same old ground in our home town too restrictively to stumble upon any new "phallic artistry" ourselves lately. And though Jackie and I more or less despair of ever getting to leave the state - much less the country - ever again, the way we used to when we had our youth, decent jobs and health going for us... [sigh] For your amusement and education allow us to strain the scope of our blog a bit and bring you these delightful pictures from our successful adult friends' trip to Mongolia, which have been explained as "dick rock" and "vag hill," a site and sculpture associated with local fertility/virility rituals. I can't seem to find much in the way of official literature on subjects (possibly because they are not actually called dick rock and vag hill), but look, some other blogging adventurers reported pretty much the same.


Got any such monuments erected in your neck of the woods? If you've been holding out on us, why not give us the tip? Hell, we'll take the whole thing.

Sidewalk Dave: We totally love them!

Wednesday, Sept. 29: Sidewalk Dave @ The Half Door, Hartford
Saturday Oct. 16: Sidewalk Dave @ The Half Door, Hartford

Remember back in August when we threw basically the best party ever, and introduced many of you to your newest favorite band (or newest favorite CT band, if you must qualify them so) Sidewalk Dave? Well, we're thrilled to see they've got some dates coming up at the Half Door, one of our regular hangs anyway.

Check out this very rockin music video they made, which even includes footage from our party. Hott:

Let's not go to the movies

A recent interview with the AV Club got me all intrigued about Todd Solondz's newest film, Life During Wartime. He had such interesting things to say about actors and the film-making process. And then I was excited that it was coming to Real Art Ways, because there just haven't been many movies to get excited about during 2010.


Life During Wartime is ostensibly a sequel to Happiness - you remember that beloved indie firecracker about the mild-mannered child rapist dad and the motley crew of hot messes and their associates he married into? The movie with the title that was soooo ironic because the happiest thing was the little boy's triumph at the end in rubbing one out? Life During Wartime catches up with these characters a decade later and with the weird twist that all the roles have been recast with different actors.

We had hoped to re-watch Happiness in advance of screening Life, but didn't manage to procure a copy. But Solondz said this movie would stand on it's own, so we went at it cold. DH had never even seen Happiness, and I haven't seen it in years. We were both pretty lost from the get-go, and the recasting stunt only muddies things more. I was able to pipe in "Oh, this must be the family... the dad got caught raping kids and went to prison, that's what's going on here." Apparently mom told her younger kids their father died, and now she's trying to move on with a new man in a new state.

This could be an intriguing premise if Solondz made any effort to portray people as people are and really explore what this family might act like. But his characters are broad indie cinema caricatures who just exist to have extremely awkward conversations, like the over-the-top moment where mom tells little Timmy that she knows she's in love because she got wet all over when he touched her elbow... and then she dried herself off with a paper towel. Oh and by the way, never let a man touch you. Or when her young daughter is looking for her klonopin to take before "karaoke class" (WTF?!) and she advises her to just take half a Wellbutrin ("they're right next to my percocets, oh just bring me the whole cabinet!"). Get it, these people are fucked up?


Life doesn't hold up very well either as sequel or stand-alone. We got a couple of chuckles out of scenes of children saying appalling things (we hate children); Ally Sheedy (in the Lara Flynne Boyle role) having loud off-camera sex with "Keanu" is kind of funny; and Paul Reubens is welcome to drop by whatever indie drama he feels like. Mostly we appreciated scenes of college-age Billy's bedrooms at home and at school littered with hipster/intellectual signifiers like a copy of The Naked Lunch and posters for Spoon and Neutral Milk Hotel.

If you're a Solondz completist, you'll check this out anyway. You can see it this week at RAW. If you're not uncomfortable enough after that, go see I'm Still Here or whatever.

Divination: The Intuitive Art of H.L. GROEN

HARTFORD, CT- This Saturday night marks the event that has been the talk of the town; opening night for "Divination: The Intuitive Art of H.L. Groen". ArtSpace Hartford will be the place. Expect to see arts patrons in their fine evening attire rub elbows with the Gypsies and Trotskyites. But this is no fashion show, though I'm sure you'll spy a mink stole or two riding above the latest thing from Paris.

H.L. Groen, famous in this bustling metropolis for her art as well as her wild bohemian escapades, will be presenting a collection of new work, said to reflect "spiritual exploration" and her "impulsive nature". Expect a show of mixed media; drawings as well as several pieces of sculpture.

This reporter had an opportunity to visit the artist earlier this summer. On the day in question Groen had set up a huge tent, resembling a Sultan's palace, from which a child sold an exquisite lemonade. Passing carriage drivers gaped in amazement, and many tied up their horses in order to tour the spectacle and purchase refreshment. Those that entered were dazzled by the exotic works of art hanging within those billowing walls. I was offered a drink from a hidden pitcher. I remember remarking on the exotic flavor and aroma, then abruptly found myself wandering half-naked in a farmer's field after dark.

The gallery has informed me that Hors d'oeuvre's and libations will be provided. Additional spirits will be available at a cash bar.

Groen has a fondness for street urchins and ragamuffins. Her considerable talents have rubbed off on many, and the show will feature drawings of H.L. Groen's visual art students from the Hartford Magnet Middle School and original music by high school students Atticus Kelly and Adrian Mojica of the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts.

The opening celebrations begin promptly at 6pm and end at 9. For additional informations click here or post a letter to the artist at hlgroen@yahoo.com

New Hartford's Collinsville Baking Co.

In case you haven't figured it out, we'll pretty much do whatever people tell us to do. Julia told us to go to Rocket. And Rocket told us to go to Collinsville Baking Co. And we were driving right past it anyway on our way through New Hartford (Pine Meadow area). Yes, the name is tricky. There seems to be a lot of Collinsville in New Hartford.

In addition to providing great buns and bread to locals like Rocket, the shop has a lunch menu of deli basics and salads and offers catering. We had just eaten lunch, as you know, so our interests lay elsewhere. Cynthia got a loaf of olive rosemary bread. I was mysteriously drawn to the dessert case. How good do these pumpkin squares look?


I'm a freak about PB & Chocolate so I bought one of these brick sized delights.


I know, I know, you're wondering how I keep my girlish figure eating all these cheeseburgers and giant dessert bars. Well, now that you bring it up - in a word: bulemia. Just kidding! I couldn't bring it up if I wanted to. But maybe you've heard about our fitness tag. We're totally fit here.

Go Team Rocket!

Well, after a morning of surgery (assisting, not receiving!) and an afternoon of shopping, Cynthia and I had worked up an appetite, and before we left Brazen Betties, Julia was all "Have you tried Rocket yet?!" I've heard all about this "Fine Street Food" truck on Facebook and been tantalized by their menu postings, but no, we hadn't tried them yet. Well, Julia made a call to make sure the truck was in it's usual position (outside Oddo's - they also do shifts at UConn in Torrington and Torrington's Saturday farmers market). She told them famous, hungry bloggers were coming, and not to take off. Get it, take off?

Haha. Well, they weren't going anywhere, but we appreciate the VIP treatment. Rocket is all about quality and has a simple menu of comfort-oriented food with sophisticated embellishments - like grilled cheese with gruyere on hearty local bread. They buy local as much as possible and boast some appealing NOs: no high-fructose corn syrup, no trans fats, no hormones, no antibiotics. Cynthia had the fancy grilled cheese. I had a green chile cheeseburger. ("naturally raised angus beef, rocket-roasted green chile sauce, monterrey jack and colby cheese on Collinsveill Baking Company roll.") We were enamored. We each had an Avery soda - another local!


We got all chatty with the proprietors of course. We were impressed with the bread, and they gave us a rap about how they didn't want to go cheap or chintzy with anything. We so admire that. They told us we should totally go visit Collinsville Baking Co. (which is actually in New Hartford). [Spoiler: we totally went there!]