Patrick Garvin’s Favorite Tracks of 2010

Posted on December 20, 2010 by Patrick Garvin

I finally did it. After a year of listening to music and making predictions, I have finally picked my 18 favorite tracks of 2010 to make my annual mix CD. If you want a copy, I can send you the link.

Ted Leo And The Pharmacists Bottled In Cork
Tokyo Police Club Wait Up (Boots Of Danger)
Jens Lekman The End Of The World Is Bigger Than Love
The Like Release Me
Janelle Monae (Featuring Big Boi) Tightrope
Onra (Featuring Reggie B.) High Hopes
Mark Ronson & The Business Intl. (Featuring Q-Tip and MNDR) Bang Bang Bang
Ke$ha Tik Tok
The-Dream Yamaha
Big Boi Shutterbugg
Robyn Dancing On My Own
Diamond Rings Show Me Your Stuff
Lemonade Lifted (Le Chev Reunion Tour Remix)
Warpaint Undertow
Vampire Weekend Horchata
Marina And The Diamonds I Am Not A Robot
Evelyn Evelyn My Space
Hooray For Earth Comfortable, Comparable

——

AMONG THE SONGS THAT ALMOST MADE IT

Best Coast Girlfriend
The New Pornographers Moves
The Vaselines I Hate The ’80s
Crystal Castles (featuring Robert Smith) Not In Love
Royksopp I Wanna Know
Arcade Fire We Used To Wait
The National Bloodbuzz Ohio
Kylie Minogue Get Outta My Way
Ciara Gimme Dat
Ra Ra Riot Boy
Nicki Minaj (featuring Kanye West) Blazin’

ABOUT THIS MIX

These are in the order they appear on the playlist, not an order counting down or up.
These are my favorite tracks of 2010, not my judgment of the “best.”
The ones that didn’t make it were not inferior to the ones that did.
These all were released in 2010 as either singles, on albums (or via Internet downloads). So, even though the Ke$ha single came out in 2009, it was on an album released in 2010.
This was extremely difficult to narrow down to 18 tracks. Several good tracks didn’t make it.
The ones that made it were the ones I didn’t fast-forwarding to the track, and sometimes listened to on loop.
I’m like a John Hughes character: nostalgia and personal connections always influence me.

Florida to Boston: The Tally

Posted on November 15, 2010 by Patrick Garvin

My dad flew to Jacksonville from St. Louis on Wednesday. On Thursday, we finished packing, loaded the truck and cleaned the apartment. Friday, we did the final inspection of the apartment with the landlord. And then, as they say, we were off and up out.

Friday: Jacksonville to Fayetteville, N.C.
Saturday: Fayetteville, N.C., to Norwalk, Conn.
Sunday: Norwalk, Conn., to Medford, Mass.

Dad and I had one companion throughout the trip: the GPS. She was dubbed “Pam” a few years ago by my nephew, who liked Pam from “The Office.” That character, though, was well-liked. Pam, the GPS, did not receive as glowing a review. Particularly on the George Washington Bridge. The AAA Trip-Tik underwent a redesign since the last time we used one, though, so we didn’t use that as much. But, we got here, and that’s the most important thing.

The important stats between Florida and Massachusetts are as follows:

Those dead deer were deer we saw, already dead, mind you. The truck was a peaceful truck, though energetic. Not unlike a Springer Spaniel, we decided.

Other noteworthy observations Dad and I made:

1 firetruck graveyard (Off I-95 in N.C.)
1 lot full of swimming pool inserts (Again, off I-95 in N.C.)
2 signs for the Pee Dee River (or creek or whatever, in S.C.)
1 frost on the windshield! (Saturday morning, in N.C.)
4 irreplaceable friends awaiting us at storage unit
Countless new adventures

I Can Haz a Facebook Fan Page!

Posted on October 25, 2010 by Patrick Garvin

I’ve created a fan page for the website and blog on Facebook. Why? So that the people who follow this blog who aren’t friends with me on Facebook can find out when I post new web comics and lolz. And I’ve seen the Google Analytics maps. There are people from Canada, England, India and other places who check in.

So, to become a fan on Facebook, look up “Patrick Garvin’s site/blog.”

See? I posted a web comic in a web comic. That way, you could LOL while you LOL.

And, as I posted yesterday, I’ve added to my portfolio on the website, specifically in these categories:

So, enjoy the new portfolio pieces, and for all you people from Canada, India, Salina, Dagobah, Endor, etc., I look forward to your “likes.”

How much federal funding does NPR receive?

Posted on October 24, 2010 by Patrick Garvin

In the days since Juan Williams’ firing, people have begun calling for a “de-funding” of NPR. But how much federal money actually goes to NPR? Andrew Phelps of WBUR posted on Hubbub a chart of NPR’s funding sources:

Click for a larger view.

Phelps writes:

I said it before, but I’ll say it again: NPR receives no direct funding from the federal government for operations…

The largest share of NPR funding comes from its member stations (including WBUR).

The local stations receive some funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a taxpayer-funded, nonprofit, private corporation, created by Congress in 1967. (Think of it like the Red Cross.)

NPR does receive grants from CPB for special projects, but that funding is not included as part of the network’s operations budget.

So while federal dollars do flow to NPR, the connection is indirect. It may be a fine point, but it’s an important distinction. The federal government can’t “defund” NPR. What Congress can do is cut CPB funding — which has diminished over the years and has, at times, been threatened.

For more Hubbub, go here. For Andrew Phelps’ personal page, go here.

Reading Rainbows, an LGBT-themed book club in Jacksonville, Fla.

Posted on October 12, 2010 by Patrick Garvin

As we are in the same week as Coming Out Day, I figured it would be great timing to mention that my friend Jimmy and I have formed an LGBT-themed book club for Jacksonville. We are… The Reading Rainbows! Credit for the name goes to Jimmy and Nash. Look up “Reading Rainbows” on Facebook.

I have been thinking about an LGBT-themed book club for a while. A few years ago, I went through a bout of apathy and thought I could be happier anywhere but Jacksonville. I started looking at cities on my bucket list, and found that one of the things they all had in common was a variety of opportunities for the LGBT community. There are certain things that will be tougher to change, but I could feasibly bring some of the aspects of those other cities to Jacksonville. And one of the things I liked in those cities were that they had several options for LGBT-identified people who didn’t like going to bars or clubs. They had gay coffee shops, bookstores, community centers and… LGBT-themed reading groups.

As Jacksonville’s gay community has grown, many of those things are starting here, too. Inspired by the efforts of others here, I thought the time was right to suggest the book club and see if there would be any interest. There has been, and I’m hoping to generate more. If you know of anyone in Jacksonville who might be interested in something like this, let them know and have them contact me. The more the merrier. This is an open group. Look up “Reading Rainbows” on Facebook.

Our first book is Alan Downs’ “The Velvet Rage: Overcoming the Pain of Growing Up Gay in a Straight Man’s World.” On an episode of Oprah after the book came out, Downs defined velvet rage as “the anger that develops inside when you have something inside yourself that you have to hide: a core secret.”

From the beginning of the book:

“…We have among the highest rates of depression and suicide, not to mention sexually transmitted diseases. As a group, we tend to be more emotionally expressive than other men, and yet our relationships are far shorter on average than those of straight men. We have more expendable income, more expensive houses, more fashionable cars, clothes, furniture than just about any other cultural group. But are we truly happier?”

This is a book that was recommended by other gay book clubs. We’ll be discussing this Saturday, Nov. 6. For more information, look us up on Facebook, send me an e-mail or leave a comment.

Celebrities reaching out to LGBT youth

Posted on October 3, 2010 by Patrick Garvin

By now you’ve heard about 18-year-old Tyler Clementi, but just in case you haven’t, he was outed as gay on the Internet and subsequently jumped off the George Washington Bridge to his death.

A few weeks ago, I blogged about Dan Savage’s “It Gets Better” project. That was triggered by Billy Lucas’ suicide, which was one of a few in the last few weeks. Just this past week, even after the news of Clementi’s death, another gay youth’s suicide was reported.

Ellen DeGeneres felt moved enough to record a video about these events:

Her last line echoes the sentiments of Savage’s “It Gets Better” project:

“Things will get easier, people’s minds will change, and you should be alive to see it.”

Savage created “It Gets Better” for LGBT adults to create videos to let the youth know that no matter how shitty it might be now, “it gets better.” When I posted about it a few weeks ago, Dan and his husband Terry were the only ones to have posted a video. Now there are several videos. Take a look, as they are quite encouraging and representative of the richly diverse possibilities you can have as an LGBT adult. But, you need to be alive to see it.

Elsewhere on the Internet, I found this ad from the “Give A Damn” campaign:

The “Give A Damn” project has an impressive roster of celebrities — gay and straight — who are lending their name and time to this cause. From the website:

The Give a Damn Campaign is for everybody who cares about gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender equality.

But, it’s especially for all you straight people out there! Whether you’re already an active supporter, want to show your support for the first time, or hadn’t given equality a lot of thought before and now want to learn more, we are here to help you get informed about the issues and get involved, at a pace that works for you.

You’ll find a lot of useful information throughout this site—information that’ll engage you, surprise you and move you. You will also find a bunch of ways to get involved and show your support and encourage your straight peers to show theirs as well.

For all you gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender folks—we need and want you here, too! Because this site is also for you. Not only will you learn new things that might surprise and interest you, you’ll also find a lot of useful tools and resources that will help you encourage the straight people in your life to give a damn.

And then, through my friend Greg, I found this PSA on behalf of the Trevor Project:

If you’re in Jacksonville, Fla., the Jacksonville Area Sexual Minority Youth Network can be reached at (904) 389-0089. Nationally, the Trevor Lifeline can be reached at 866-4-U-TREVOR (866-488-7386), where youth can speak with a trained volunteer counselor.

I know firsthand how it can suck to be an LGBT youth, but it gets better, and we need you around to see it.

SND in St. Louis only a year away!

Posted on September 27, 2010 by Patrick Garvin

So, you probably already saw this, but in case you didn’t…

The promotional video for next year’s Society for News Design annual workshop in St. Louis has been posted, and it’s super adorable. Credit goes to St. Louis Post-Dispatch staffers Brian Williamson (animated illustrations) and Christopher Ave (music).

I’ve been excited about this workshop ever since I found out about it a few years ago. I’m from a suburb of St. Louis, and will never turn down an opportunity to return to my hometown. My parents, aunts and uncles are all still there, as are some of my closest friends from high school.

As someone who knows St. Louis, I find this video particularly rewarding. All of the things you see in there are based on real landmarks. That “Design” sign in the style of the Amoco logo? That’s based on the Amoco sign near Forest Park. The original Amoco sign in the location was built by my great-grandfather’s company. The thing in the video that looks like a power plant is the original St. Louis Science Center, which is connected to the “new” Science Center via a bridge on the highway. (The “new” Science Center is more at least 15 years old by now, but then again, the “new” cathedral is way older than than that, and is still called “new.”) And even the Schafly Bottleworks is referenced in this video. If you go to SND in St. Louis, a trip to the Bottleworks is in order. And the Taproom, which will be closer to the workshop.

I could go on and on, but the point is this: this workshop looks like it will be a lot of fun, and will be worth checking out because of its connection to Brian Williamson and Erica Smith alone, not to mention all the other great things sure to be there. It’s a year away, but you can be sure I’ll give you suggestions between now and then. And maybe a few web comics on the topic.

“It Gets Better”: Being A Gay Teenager

Posted on September 21, 2010 by Patrick Garvin

Sex columnist and gay icon Dan Savage has created a project to let LGBT teenagers know that while life may be difficult now, “it gets better.”

Savage started the “It Gets Better” project after 15-year-old Indiana teenager Billy Lucas hanged himself in his family’s barn after enduring bullying from his classmates. In the weeks since Billy’s death, Savage has written about the incident in his Slog, inspiring multiple comments.

One comment struck a chord with Savage: the commenter expressed regret at not being able to tell Billy that things get better for gays and lesbians after high school. Savage explained on his podcast how this inspired him and his husband to create a video. They wanted to share their stories of how they were able to experience happiness as openly gay adults, despite the bullying they received as kids. Their hope is that other gay and lesbian adults will upload similar videos so that LGBT youth can know that despite how tough things might be now, it gets better.

I hope more LGBT adults will post videos to the “It Gets Better” channel. I’ve always said that it’s incredibly helpful for people to be open and accepting so that others will feel less isolated. Dan and Terry endured some difficult things in high school, but they got through it, found each other and have great lives. Hell, even I was inspired by their stories, and I had a good high school experience and come from a very accepting family. I can only imagine how helpful this could be for someone whose high school experience and family sucked.

Side note: If you’re a longtime Dan Savage devotee and groupie (like me), then you’ll relish the opportunity to finally see Terry. I’ve read almost every Dan Savage book, so I feel like I know Terry, D.J., Judy and the rest of Dan’s family. Terry looks nothing like how I pictured him to look.

Anywho, check it out. It’s an interesting use of the Internet and a hopeful event in an otherwise sad story.

Patrick Garvin: Blog

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