Archive for 2008

I Voted, Handling Registration Issues & Free Gifts

by Amelia G : November 4th, 2008

So I just got back from voting. I went to the polling place where I voted in the primaries and I wasn’t on the roster. They gave me a provisional ballot, but I find those things alarming. They also gave me a slip of paper with a list of phone numbers to call to find out what was up with my voter registration. I thought that perhaps my polling place had been changed to my work address from my home address or something like that. Basically, I did not want to submit a provisional ballot, if I could drive across town to another polling place and do a normal one.

The poll workers told me that I did not need to call because my vote would absolutely, definitely, no-question be counted. I called the registrar election day number anyway. A nice woman named Karen went over everything and told me that actually she couldn’t find me in the voter rolls. She gave me a more official State of California Registrar of Voters number to call and told me I should definitely call next week to get it all straight, but that it was doubtful I’d get through calling today.

I was literally shaking at the idea that my vote might not count, so I was going to be sitting in front of the polling place, with one eye on my ballot inside and the other on my finger hitting redial on my Blackberry, until I got through. There was no cell phone reception inside the polling place and it is illegal to remove the ballot from the polling location. Happily, the voice prompts and wait time for the California number were user-friendly and pretty prompt, given that it is election day . . .

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Get your ballot! Street Address: Zip Code: Your address is confidential. From the League of Women Voters of California

If you live in a state other than California, New York, Ohio, or Pennsylvania, key in just your zip code or state postal code and it will return information about election information for your state. If you live in California, New York, Ohio, or Pennsylvania, use the Smart Voter form above. Zip code:

I know Blue Blood members are from all over the world, so this won’t apply to everyone. But, if you are an American, it is your patriotic and civic responsibility to vote. Please don’t forget. With the current state of the American economy, how you vote for both candidates and issues will impact you directly. This is not an election where you can just think one vote does not matter or assume that the outcome will only impact strangers in foreign lands. Whether you will be able to take care of yourself personally is on the line.

This year, in addition to the much bally-hooed presidential race, there are many really important referendums on many state ballots. In California, the fight over Prop 8 has been a more expensive campaign than any other campaign in 2008, except for the presidential race. This includes senate seats and everything. Proposition 8 is “Shall the California Constitution be changed to eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry providing that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California?” Personally, I tend to be opposed to just about anything which includes anything about changing the Constitution of either the USA or California. I do not believe the government should be involved in defining the spiritual aspects of civil unions, so I think, as far as the government is concerned, all legally-binding romantic partnerships should be civil unions. Whether specific couples are a particular combination of genders or religions should be none of the state’s business. Nonetheless, one has to vote on the referendum one is offered.

Please read your local referendums carefully. Sometimes, it may be obvious to you what your position is on a hot-button issue like abortion or animal cruelty, but you need to parse out whether that means you want to vote NO or YES. If, like me, you fervently support the right of same-sex couples to marry, for example, then you need to vote NO on Prop 8.

You can confidentially type your street address and zip code into the box at the right to find out what is on your local ballot. The League of Women Voters have provided a site which lists off what is on each ballot. By looking at this site, and also reviewing more sites with information on issues important to you, you can determine how you wish to vote before you arrive at the polls today. Most polls are open from 7am to 8pm in your local time zone’s time. Don’t forget about daylight savings time having happened over the weekend. You can find your voting location via a link off your ballot page on the Smart Voter site provided by the League of Women Voters. For states not listed on the Smart Voter site, Vote Smart has a lot of state referendums listed on their useful ballot measures page too.

• 15:40 At WaMu or whatever bank. People must expect apocalypse. Line insane. #

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Don’t make me get Primeval on your ass!

by Amelia G : November 2nd, 2008

Primeval is more science fiction thriller fare from BBC America. The real stars of the show are the creatures created for it, particularly Rex, the adorable flying lizard thingie-ma-bob. The series comes from the fine folks who created Walking with Dinosaurs. Walking with Dinosaurs was a documentary about prehistoric animals which presented the film more like something you’d see in a modern nature film, rather than like a history show. Walking with Dinosaurs won a whole passel of awards, including a bunch of Emmies (Emmys?), mostly of course for the impressive visual effects. Walking with Dinosaurs is now touring the USA as a live show with giant in-person dinosaurs and I’m really bummed I missed it when it came through Los Angeles. On Primeval, it is also fun to watch the behind the scenes bits about how they do the effects with a combination of animatronics, cg, and really cutting edge new technology.

With Primeval, the FX team brings their considerable talents to a show with more of a storyline presentation. When first we meet our heroes, biology history Professor Nick Cutter played by Douglas Henshall, and his pretty boy badass hunter assistant Steven played by James Murray, are going about their academic lives, although Nick is haunted by his dead wife Helen and her research into oddities, including a fish, thought prehistorically extinct, which appeared in a modern body of water. Turns out Helen is not so dead after all. She is ably played by Juliet Aubrey and has just spent the past eight years time-traveling without a lot of concern for her husband’s feelings. But, after all that time, she felt like getting laid by someone who understood what was so cool about time travel, from a research . . .

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True Blood

by Amelia G : October 27th, 2008

Given the huge ad campaign HBO’s True Blood ran just about everywhere, including this site, you have probably heard that there is a new vampire show of some sort on cable television. I actually had planned to do a feature article about the brilliant ad campaign for the show, but it was one of those times when pesky life gets in the way of writing. True Blood had some damn sexy billboards, posters, and bus adverts and, of course, banners on targeted sites like Blue Blood, and some sort of sweepstakes. The show takes place in a world where vampires have “come out of the coffin” and are looking for equal rights, opposed by the expected fundamentalists, and assisted by a mysterious Japanese company which has produced a synthetic blood substitute called Tru Blood. We’ve actually still got some great background videos explaining the setting of True Blood which I’ll see about posting after the hectic rush of Halloween is past.

But the really cool thing about True Blood is that the storylines are character-driven, the themes are righteous, the sex is in-your-face varied, and the lighting and cinematography are really beautiful. The series was developed by Alan Ball, award-winning writer of American Beauty and creator of Six Feet Under, based on the Charlaine Harris Southern Vampire Mysteries. The sort of focus character is the telepathic Sookie Stackhouse played by a perky yet strong Anna Paquin, the Oscar-winner best known to dorkdom for her recurring role as Rogue in the X-Men movies. Her character would probably come across as more feisty if not for her balls-to-the-wall best friend Tara Thornton, played by powerful newcomer Rutina Wesley. I don’t know where they found Rutina Wesley, but I love everything from . . .

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• 16:58 Ya know how drunk drivers have to breathe into a machine b4 driving? I should have to prove to my keyboard I’ve had an iced latte b4 posting #

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• 22:22 Want something fun tonight which doesn’t feel like work. This eliminates options I was considering. Anyone got fun in LA for me tonight? #
• 00:04 drinking sparkling water at cool coffeehouse! #

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Want something fun tonight which doesn’t feel like work. This eliminates options I was considering. Anyone got fun in LA for me now?

Dear friends, I feel like hanging out and being sociable, so contact me on here or text my phone if you have my cell. But I mean actually sociable, like enjoy your company sociable, and not listen to your business pitch or show off sociable.

I make no promises on whether or not I will bring any sort of photographic equipment with me or whether or not I will use it if I do.

Things which would feel a lot like extending the workday include:

— clubs where largely naked women try to impress me (or anyone else)
— parties where everyone feels obliged to have sex in public with nonspecific partners
— clubs where you and I have to try to impress the doorman (or anyone else) to get service, unless you are already 100% VIP there
— any place it would take me more than 30 minutes to get ready to go
— places too loud to converse aloud where we’d have to text on our phones
— anywhere people will feel compelled to ask me if I am shooting tonight and will I shoot them
— locations it would take me more than an hour to get to or more than $25 to park at

Down for a good live band. Down for a late night dining or coffee or yogurt place. Down for a chill bar with a good jukebox. Down for people-watching some place peculiar.

Will bring witty banter, good anecdotes, warm smile, brilliant insights into the world we live in, and bad attitude.

• 14:16 Halloween Interview with Natalie Addams tinyurl.com/5u4pdg w/photo gallery #
• 14:35 @AleckzG Yup tweet text. #
• 14:35 Retweet LOL @chickgonebad Famous Atlantic City exchange: "Where’s my bra?" "It’s over there, where the dwarf’s body was laying before." #
• 14:48 Halloween Celebration Tips Interview with Dana Dark tinyurl.com/5lg6ev w/photo gallery #

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Halloween Celebration Tips Interview with Dana Dark

by Amelia G : October 31st, 2008

Dana Dark is one of Blue Blood’s online OGs. It was after staying at her beautifully-appointed home in Houston for a week that Blue Blood launched its first membership site. Dana creates beauty and warmth in every little nook and cranny of her home. Like, if there is some tiny square of wall in the bathroom, she will think of the perfect antique frame or something like that to dress it up. There are now twenty-seven photo sets featuring Dana Dark in the Blue Blood VIP area.

I’ve spent more than one holiday with Dana and there is seriously nobody who does up holiday cheer better than she does. She really gets into the festive spirit, she is fabulous at decorating, she cooks, and she is starting her own clothing line. When my guy friends look at photos of Dana, she is always the girl they fantasize about marrying.

Amelia G: What are your favorite holidays?

Dana Dark: For me it would be Halloween, Christmas and Easter but I think holidays in general can help us forget about the worriments of our lives and connect us with others – even if it’s for only a day.

Amelia G: What are your favorite kinds of Halloween treats?

Dana Dark: As I look back of past young Halloween nights, longing of warm caramel popcorn balls and rice crispy treats still haunts me today. Another favorite of mine are homemade, moist, thick, Halloween sugar cookies with vivid icing and spooky sprinkles. Also a must have beloved treat for this season’s spell is a visit to my local Panaderia (a Mexican bakery) for Dia de Muertos Sweet Bread and autumn spiced pastries.

Amelia G: What kinds of Halloween decorations did you . . .

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Halloween Interview with Natalie Addams

by Amelia G : October 30th, 2008

As part of the Halloween festivities, a series called spiderwebs, featuring Natalie Addams shot by Matthew Cooke just posted to the Blue Blood VIP members area. (I actually meant for it to post tomorrow, but I’m a little distracted with the Halloween holiday celebration, so y’all get it a day early.) Natalie Addams busted out the gothic cobwebs beautifully for this. These sexy spooky images are the eighth Blue Blood set of Natalie Addams and mark photographer Matthew Cooke’s first set for Blue Blood. Forrest Black and I have shared a house with him before, but this is his first Blue Blood appearance, although you should expect many more. Let’s make him feel welcome! Although I promise Natalie is delightfully nude on BlueBlood.com, we can’t show you any nudity here on BlueBlood.net, but you can check out a very hot preview in this free Natalie Addams Halloween gallery. Some of Natalie’s other credits include magazine appearances in Marquis, Sonic Seducer, Rue Morgue, Bizarre, Gothic Beauty, Tattoo Savage, DDI, Drum Pro, and Secret. Blue Blood superstar hotties do tend to get immortalized in print. And now, I’d like to share the sensually artistic Natalie’s thoughts on Halloween with you all.

Amelia G: What are your favorite kinds of Halloween treats?

Natalie Addams: Vegan Candies!! peanut chews, pumpkin pie.

Amelia G: How do you like to spend Halloween in general and do you have any special plans for Halloween this year?

Natalie Addams: I love dressing up, and of course halloween seems like it’s everyday to us goths 😉 I usually like to go out and strut my costume on halloween, and see everyone’s costume creations. This year I am in New York filming some amazing zombie footage for the . . .

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• 11:06 Awake. Grumpy. Hope coffee is the answer. Need to summon strength to make iced soy latte. #
• 11:09 @funkatron What did you disagree with on Kurt Cobain story? Nirvana was innovative, driven + backed by major. + tormented which he left out #
• 11:10 @Halcyon You could always ebay it if it pains you. What I did when Globill scampered with all the dough. #
• 11:38 Feeling disgusted with supposedly independent people’s ability to seek out exploitation & pass up good opportunity. Must need coffee badly. #
• 18:13 @Weebeasty The supreme deity is finicky that way. #
• 18:39 Internet rap radio is AWESOME! #
• 18:54 I want to tweet a lot of really really inappropriate rap lyrics now. #
• 19:53 Natalie Addams Halloween spiderwebs photo gallery tinyurl.com/5sz3ng #
• 23:40 Can’t find my bra. Sometimes I wish I were tidy. #
• 03:09 Dana Dark Halloween celebration photo gallery tinyurl.com/5uny7r #

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• 17:56 Spent over 2hrs in car driving to haircut. Accident not even on my side of Hwy #
• 17:58 Lucky I am loyal + went to same hairdresser since 1997, so will still do me. #
• 23:42 My hair looks spectacular today. #

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