The Mirror: v11 iss4

PRE-WEDDING PLANNING: TO MARRY OR NOT TO MARRY?

PRENUPTIAL AND POSTNUPTIAL AGREEMENTS

Most of us believe it won’t be us - but, statistics say approximately half of marriages end in divorce. In the absence of a legally binding pre-nuptial agreement, should your marriage end in divorce, your assets (real property, personal property, bank accounts, brokerage accounts, and retirement savings accounts) may be subject to being divided between you and your ex by Florida’s rule of equitable distribution. In order to avoid that potentially devastating outcome, many couples agree in writing to give up all or most of the rights to the other’s separately acquired assets, retirement plans, and assets earned during the marriage. The agreement can be entered into either before the wedding - a “pre-nuptial” agreement, or after the wedding - “post-nuptial” - but, should comply with some basic rules that ensure it won’t be overturned in a nasty divorce. For example, both parties should be represented by an attorney so that neither can assert that she didn’t realize the legal implications of signing the document, that the document wasn’t presented on the “eve” of the wedding, avoiding the argument that it was presented at the last minute and that it was signed under the pressure of the imminent nuptials.

Pre-nuptial Agreements are regarded by many as a very unromantic proposal to make upon the acceptance of the marriage proposal. However, the effect of entering into the agreement in advance of a possible divorce, is that your behavior when you are at your worst, that is, at the divorce settlement table, will be governed by your agreements made when you were feeling sane, in love and respectful of your spouse to be. Marriage shouldn’t be encumbered by a coerced financial liability to your spouse, but, should be a consensual union based upon mutual love and respect. That being said, the decision to create a “pre-nupt” should be jointly reached and not coerced and negotiated with love and mutual regard. For example, if you intend to be the working spouse and your betrothed the stay-at-home parent, then, your agreement should include provisions assuring that your partner who is forgoing advancing his or her career, etc., be compensated for his “sacrifice” to your joint marital plan.

As for planning for disability and death, essential documents are still needed. First, a will and or a revocable living trust to ensure that your assets are managed according to your wishes upon your death. Marriage provides some inheritance rights, but, does not ensure that your spouse will inherit as you both might imagine. To assure that your

wishes be carried out in the event of disability, a Durable Power of Attorney (for finances), a Living Will, a Designation of Healthcare Surrogate, and a Preneed Guardian Designation, may be prepared.

DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIP

Domestic Partnership is a subject close to my heart: I worked on the Los Angeles County Domestic Partnership legislation with Tom Coleman in the 1980s and, with his blessings, I imported it to Broward County in 1997. The rise of the importance of domestic partnership as a status for unmarried committed couples reflects the sea change in the way people live and configure their families in the United States. In the fifties, 78% of households in the US were headed by married couples. Now more than 50% of all households in the US are headed by unmarried people. 42% of the workforce is unmarried. Across the US we have seen a trend towards inclusive domestic partnership benefit packages provided by employers, that is, gender-neutral, encompassing both gay and straight domestic partnerships. To say that “you must marry” in order to obtain equal treatment at work, including pay, family leave, insurance, taxation, is just wrong. I think the current debate over the demise of domestic

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

JINKX MONSOON Page 14

GREAT GIFTS FOR FOODIES Page 20

‘BROS’ WASN’T THE FIRST GAY ROM-COM Page 26

THE GIFT OF WORDS Page 30

GARY BURTON Page 34

QMUSIC Page 38

DECEMBER 2022 - JANUARY 2023

ROBIN BODIFORD LAW

BROWARD CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

BROWARD TEACHERS UNION

CAN COMMUNITY HEALTH

CASTELLI REAL ESTATE

COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF BROWARD COUNTY

FL DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

FORT LAUDERDALE BRIDGE CLUB

GAY MEN’S CHORUS OF SOUTH FLORIDA

ISLAND CITY SMILES

JM LEXUS

JOE GRANO REAL ESTATE

LAKE WORTH PLAYHOUSE

LATINOS SALUD

OAKLAND PARK DENTAL

PALLANT/NSI INSURANCE AGENCY

POVERELLO CENTER

PRIDE CENTER AT EQUALITY PARK

STEVIE MOON TATTOO

WELLS FARGO WILTON MANORS

WORLD AIDS MUSEUM

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‘ALL STARS 7’ WINNER JINKX MONSOON

Drag Is Where I Live Out My Fantasies As An Actor

BY MICHAEL COOK

A

s the winner of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” Season 5, Jinkx Monsoon was a consistent fan favorite. Perhaps it was their underdog perspective or signature phrase “water off a duck’s back,” but Monsoon was a kindred spirit to the millions of fans that fell in love with them. As Monsoon returned to the Drag Race werk room for “All Stars 7,” they were more than prepared to battle it out with fellow winners to be crowned “Queen Of All Queens.” After a star turn during the “Snatch Game” (as Judy Garland) and a side-splitting roast, Monsoon found themself crowned once again as the winner of “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 7.” I sat down for an exclusive chat with Jinx where we discussed their “All Stars 7” experience, when they knew during the competition that there was a shift, and what today’s Jinkx would tell the Jinkx that won all those years ago.

MICHAEL COOK: Could you have ever dreamed that walking into that werk room this year on RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 7, you would emerge this season as the winner and the true “Queen of All Queens”?

JINKX MONSOON: Well I don’t like to plan too far into advance and I like to take the moments as they come. I definitely wanted it, but I wasn’t counting my chickens until the very end.

MC: Once again, we got to see a true evolution of Jinkx Monsoon throughout the competition, similarly to how we did throughout Season 4. Viewers suddenly saw a shift in the competition where you were most definitely, a proven force to be reckoned with. Did you feel that shift while in the competition?

JM: I was always so focused on what was coming next, I don’t know if I ever really felt a shift really. The cast is so talented, none of us ever really relaxed. The only time I ever really relaxed during the whole filming process was in the second to last episode when we did the math and knew that I was going to the finale. Then it was like watching a really fun talent show now! The most frustrating thing was how much math and statistics I had to do all season (laughs)!

MC: Your talent has always stemmed from a raw set of abilities that you inherently have as a performer. This season, you truly elevated not just your performances, but your runway looks truly were out of this world. Where do you get a great deal of influence for what you presented throughout the season?

JM: I have to give the credit to my designers, I work with amazing designers. Diego Montoya designed the dress you were just talking about, he has designed a few things for me throughout the years. My designer Dallas Coulter aka the Lady Hyde, we have been working together since Season 5 and it was so much fun to showcase our collaborations this season. I get most of my ideas for the looks that I want to present from cartoons, video games, superheroes and fantasy movies. Drag has always been where I live out my fantasies as an actor. I often base looks on my dream roles in movies and Broadway shows. My fashion is a way for me to be living out some sort of fantasy that I have.

MC: What moment did you share with a fellow competitor during All Stars 7 that truly means the most?

JM: So much of drag is getting ready. A very significant point of your day as a drag queen is doing your makeup. Just like during Season 5, I did my makeup next to Alaska and we were really really close at the

end of the season, just due to all of our conversations in the makeup mirror. This season, I was getting ready next to Monét (X Change) and by the end of the season we were so close and we had had so many candid conversations and she was a really good friend to have throughout the conversation. I think that is something that I cherish from this experience.

MC: If there is another All Winners season, what advice would you give that fellow winner on how to navigate a unique competition like this alone?

JM: I think just go in with a very strong sense of self. Don’t be afraid to put your best foot forward with whatever the challenge is. Ru says every season, “find a way to make the challenge work for you and the kind of drag you do.” I think All Stars is a perfect chance to flex those muscles.

MC: A season of All Winners was rumored for many years and finally came to fruition. Was there ever a time you said to yourself that you would not return for an All Winners season?

JM: I actually often said that I wouldn’t go back and do it again because I was really happy with what I put down for Season 5. I think the reason that I decided to go back and do it again was really because of where I was in life when they called me. By the time they called me, I was two years sober from alcohol and that was a really significant part of my life journey in the last few years. I’ve done so much work with BenDeLaCreme that I am super proud of. I was just feeling really honed in and If I was ever going to compete again, now would be the time.

MC: What would the performer that was just crowned “Queen of all Queens” tell the person that was crowned in Season 5 in front of the world?

JM: I guess older Jinx would tell younger Jinx to chill the fuck out and relax. Don’t let your stress about what is going to happen next stand in the way of what is happening right now.

Photo credit: Alec White.

Photo credit: Alec White.

LESS THAN $50 Great Gifts for Foodies for

BY RICK KARLIN

No matter what your politics, we can all agree that our wallets took a

will be attending holiday gatherings

Photo via Amazon.com.

The only way to get a restaurant quality pizza at home is to use a pizza stone. A RITUAL LIFE PIZZA SET includes a 15”x12” stone for oven or grill use, with wooden pizza peel paddle and a mezzaluna cutter with detachable serving handles. The set is $36.96 at rituallifestore.com

A WILLOW & EVERETT WOK features a stainless-steel stir fry pan with domed lid & bamboo spatula. It is scratch-proof and suitable for gas, induction or electric stoves. It will become the go-to pan for anybody into Asian cuisine. Available from Willow & Everett or on Amazon, for a bargain-priced $24.

Photo via Amazon.com.

hit this year. This may also be the first year that many of us

and exchanging gifts with more folks than we did during the pandemic. More gift-giving and a tighter budget combined call for putting some thought into those gifts for the foodies in your life. Wow them with your creativity from this baker’s dozen gifts, suitable for bakers, soup-makers and BBQ wizards alike, and all priced less than $50.

It’s so annoying when you’re working at your desk and your coffee or tea gets cold. Help that workaholic keep their beverages toasty warm with this cleverly designed VINYL RECORD USB CUP WARMER for $12.99 at World Market.

Photo via WorldMarket.com.

Photo via Amazon.com.

The baker in your life will never have to measure parchment paper for cake pans again with the SILPAT ROUND CAKE LINER. It comes in eight and nine-inch rounds that fit cake pans perfectly, ensuring easy removal. They are $16.49 at Amazon.

GIFTS FOR THE 2022 HOLIDAYS

It’s easy as pie to make fancy crusts with the WILLIAMS-SONOMA ROLLING PIE CRUST IMPRESSION MOLD. Only $20 for a tool that they’ll soon wonder how they got along without it. At Williams-Sonoma.com.

Photo via Williams-Sonoma.com.

For your cake decorating king (or queen!). The WILTON 50-PIECE CAKE DECORATING KIT has everything needed for cake, cupcake or cookie decorating. The kit is priced at $39.95 on the Wilton site, but I found it for $28 on Amazon.

Photo via Amazon.com.

Photo via Target.com.

The coffee aficionado will love the OXO FOUR-CUP COLD BREW COFFEEMAKER, which features a glass carafe with a filter above it. All they have to do is add grounds and water for seven cups of their favorite brew. It’s just $35 at Target stores or online.

Photo via ParachuteHome.com.

Want to butch it up and still set an elegant dinner able? Check out these LEATHER NAPKIN RINGS FROM Parachutehome. com. At only $8 each, you can buy a set of four, and still have money left for a set of napkins.

GIFTS FOR THE 2022 HOLIDAYS

Dutch ovens make great gifts, they’re a kitchen staple that people will find themselves using again and again. It works well on top of the stove, in the oven or on the grill.

Photo via CafeDuMonde.com.

The LODGE FIVE-QUART DUTCH OVEN is among the tops in the field. It’s $69.88 from the manufacturer, but just $48 from Amazon.

Photo via Amazon.com.

Bring back memories of a trip to New Orleans with a CARROLLTON GIFT BASKET FROM CAFE DU MONDE. It comes with everything they need to make and enjoy a batch of the eatery’s puffy and pillowy beignets right at home, including a box of mix, a box of powdered sugar and a canister full of ground chicory-flavored coffee. There’s also a tumbler featuring a cartoon illustration of a beignet. Available for $40.76 from cafedumonde.com

Photo via Williams-Sonoma.com.

Is there anyone sweeter than Dolly Parton? I think not! Your gift recipient will have a jolly Dolly holiday with a package of DOLLY PARTON SUGAR COOKIE MIX

Just in time for the season, Miss Dolly is sharing her family sugar cookie recipe in a convenient mix, so you don’t have to work 9-to-5 for a sweet treat. A package is $16.95 at Williams-Sonoma.com.

Photo via Anthropologie.com.

These cute little markers are meant for use as CHEESE BOARD PICKS, but they could also be used to stake out men on the patio at Ramrod. Either way, this cheeky charcuterie board accessory set is both functional and amusing. $32 at Anthropologie.

Photo via Canvastry.com.

Everyone has family recipe cards that have been passed from generation to generation. The problem is, we often can’t find them. Have them printed on canvas dish towels, so they’re always at hand. CANVASTRY RECIPE DISH TOWELS take the recipe card from grandma (or aunt, cousin, etc.) and prints it onto a dish towel in its true form (so you can capture their handwriting, too!) It makes this one of the most meaningful personalized gifts out there, $20 at canvastry.com.

Cruise Responsibly

cancommunityhealth.org/ clinics-south-florida

‘BROS’ Wasn’t the First Gay Rom-Com

BY DAVID-ELIJAH NAHMOD

Though the recent film “Bros” tanked at the box office, it did garner a lot of attention for touting itself as the first gay rom-com produced by a major Hollywood studio. However, “Bros” was not the first in its genre. Over the years there were a number of independently produced rom-coms with queer characters in the lead.

Here are a few examples.

Here’s something you don’t see every day: a romantic comedy about AIDS! Steven Weber stars as Jeffrey, a handsome young gay man in New York who gives up sex out of fear of HIV (this film was made a year before the drug cocktails became available, and long before PrEP.) Then he meets Steve, aka Mr. Right (hunky Michael T. Weiss) who happens to be HIV positive. Will Jeffrey’s fear of AIDS sabotage their road to romance?

A witty screenplay by gay writer Paul Rudnick, based on his stage play, “Jeffrey” tackles some very serious topics with good humor. The film features a plethora of celebrities. Patrick Stewart of “Star Trek” is hilarious as Sterling, a flamboyant interior designer who encourages Jeffrey to follow his heart. Oscar nominee Sigourney Weaver is equally funny

as an over-the top motivational speaker, and Oscar winner Olympia Dukakis is wonderful as an overbearing Italian mom coming to terms with her trans daughter.

Though much of the film focuses on Jeffrey and Steve’s rocky road to true love played for comedy, there are serious moments. In one moving scene Steve speaks eloquently about how much he’d like to forget that he’s a person with AIDS. And things take a very sad turn when Sterling’s partner (Bryan Batt) dies of AIDS.

“Jeffrey” is a charming film, a funny film, and a thought-provoking film. It now stands as a time capsule of what it may have been like to date during the height of the AIDS crisis. It is definitely worth seeing.

Bros. Universal Pictures.

“BUT I’M A CHEERLEADER” (1999)

A groundbreaking film that serves as a romcom and as a satire of conversion therapy. Natasha Lyonne stars as Megan, a high schooler who doesn’t know she’s a lesbian, but everyone around her does. Megan’s parents (Mink Stole, Bud Cort) send her to a conversion therapy camp where one of the counsellors is an out of drag RuPaul! While undergoing her “de-programming,” Megan finds herself being drawn closer and closer to fellow camper Graham (Clea DuVall), a young woman who thinks that the camp’s mission is a load of BS.

The film is loaded with hilarious humor, like the camp’s dress code: boys dress in

blue, while girls dress in pink. The “therapy” obviously isn’t working: one night several campers sneak out and go to a gay bar called C***sucker!

Cathy Moriarty is delightfully over the top as Mary, the woman who runs the camp and who can’t see that her own son (Eddie Cibrian) is a flaming queer! But the film really belongs to Lyonne and DuVall, an attractive lesbian couple who find their way onto the road of love in spite of Mary’s intentions.

“But I’m a Cheerleader” is a really good film. See it!

BROKEN HEARTS CLUB: A ROMANTIC COMEDY” (2000)

Prolific TV writer/producer Greg Berlanti (Dawson’s Creek, Riverdale, Everwood, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) made his feature debut as a director with this charming comedy-drama about a group of gay friends looking for love in the gay city of West Hollywood. The film was very well received upon its initial release over two decades ago for what was then considered a groundbreaking portrayal of gay men: the characters herein are presented as ordinary people and not in any of the stereotypical ways gay men were seen in films up to that time. There are no “coming outs” in the film, the characters have all accepted themselves and each other for who they are long ago.

The story begins as Dennis, a photographer, prepares to celebrate his 28th birthday. He wonders if his friends are the best or worst thing that ever happened to him. There’s

Benji, in search of the perfect body, Howie, a psychology student who tends to overthink things, Cole, an actor who always seems to end up with other people’s boyfriends, and Patrick, the cynic of the group. Then there’s Jack, an older man who’s the patriarch of the group.

The characters are likable, as is the cast, many of whom will be familiar to moviegoers, like Zach Braff, Timothy Olyphant and John Mahoney. The film also includes early appearances by two actors who have since become gay icons: Billy Porter and Jennifer Coolidge.

A sweet film filled with good humor and pathos, “The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy” is a fine film worth seeing. It streams at Amazon Prime and can be purchased on DVD.

“THE

“ALL OVER THE GUY” (2001)

Gay actor Dan Bucatinsky wrote and starred in this film which is similar to “Bros” story wise, though “Bros” was much raunchier. Bucatinsky plays Eli, a gay man in Los Angeles who’s looking for Mr. Right. Eli agrees to go on a blind date with Tom (sexy Richard Ruccolo), the two are set up by their best friends (Sasha Alexander, Adam Goldberg) who think they’re perfect for each other. And they are, though neither one of them can see it.

The story is told mainly in flashback. Eli tells his side of the story to Esther (Doris Roberts) a kindly receptionist at an HIV clinic, while Tom pours his heart out to a guy he meets at an AA meeting. Through insightful good humor, the film shows them breaking up and

getting back together several times over, with Tom being the more hesitant of the two. After one final breakup, they’re brought together at the wedding of the two friends who introduced them. Will they find their way back to each other?

“All Over the Guy” is a likable film, easy to watch, featuring two attractive and appealing leads. There are some good laughs along the way, mixed in with some serious moments. There’s also an amusing cameo from Friends star Lisa Kudrow, who always shows a great flair for comedy.

Definitely worth a look, the film can currently be found at YouTube.

“LOVE, SIMON” (2018)

“Bros” touted itself as the first gay rom-com to be produced by a major Hollywood studio. They exaggerate. “Love, Simon” came from 20th Century Fox and beat “Bros” by four years.

Nick Robinson is absolutely delightful as Simon, a closeted, socially awkward teenager who begins an email correspondence with an anonymous gay teenager who calls himself Blue. The two form a connection until the emails are discovered by a straight student who wants to date Nick’s close friend.

Simon spends much of the film trying to find out who Blue is, which leads to a variety of amusing situations. Eventually Simon comes out to his surprised but supportive parents. Finally, Blue reveals himself to Simon and the two begin a relationship.

BY GREGG SHAPIRO

Gary Burton. Image courtesy of Steve Rothaus.

SEVEN-TIME GRAMMY WINNER IS SOUTH FLORIDA PRIDE WIND ENSEMBLE’S BIGGEST CHEERLEADER

When superstar vibraphonist Gary Burton retired five years ago to a quiet life in Fort Lauderdale, he meant it. No more international touring, no more performing – not even at home.

The seven-time Grammy winner – a self-described “gay guy who happens to be a jazz musician” – actually gave away his vibes, “to a very promising student from Slovenia.”

“I said he would get great use out of it. Otherwise, it’s going to sit in my garage in the boxes collecting dust,” said Burton, 79, who about 18 months ago moved from the Poinsettia Heights neighborhood to Wilton Manors with partner Dustin Le.

“I still have my piano and I sit down about once a month and noodle a tune or two for the heck of it,” said Burton, who also spent more than 30 years as a teacher and executive at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. “But I don’t feel a compulsion to get really active at it, or anything.”

Not quite. He now enjoys a non-performing gig with the 65-member South Florida Pride Wind Ensemble. “I’m the only member of the board that isn’t a member of the band,” he said.

Burton has also become the ensemble’s big-name cheerleader, promoting the LGBTQ musical group’s three 2022-23 season concerts. The first, “Beyond Borders 2,” took place Nov. 6, at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts.

“It’s got a lot of guest people because it’s music of different cultures,” Burton said. “We have Japanese drummers, we have a marimba group that I knew nothing about, but now I’m fascinated to see what they do. That was the instrument I started with as a kid.”

Burton first became acquainted with the ensemble when he

and then-husband Jonathan Chong lived down the street from Dan Bassett, the group’s artistic director.

Bassett, 49, who is head of middle school at St. Mark’s Episcopal School in Fort Lauderdale, originally joined the ensemble as a trumpeter in 1996 when he relocated here from Upstate New York. Seventeen years ago, he moved into his current role.

“We’re a community band, so for the full ensemble, anyone who wants to join can come and play with us. There are members who haven’t played for 30-plus years. They pick up their instrument again and join us,” Bassett said. “There’s no audition process. It is pretty open. We do require a minimum number of rehearsals.”

More than a decade ago, Bassett and then-ensemble President Adam DeRosa added a “youth component” to the organization.

“I said, ‘Wouldn’t it be great to give a safe space for youth?’” Bassett recalled. “You know, band kids are picked on quite often and we all went through it in high school, wouldn’t it be a great space for kids who are in band, who are either LGBTQ or allies of those students, to come in and play alongside our band – which of course is predominately LGBTQ – and be able to make music together?”

He added it was around that time in which both the Trevor Project, and anti-bullying campaigns, were really starting to make an impact.

“We thought that that would be a great focus for us,” he said.

In June 2011, the Community Foundation of Broward gave the ensemble $5,000 to launch a youth band. The next year, 23 students participated in a three-week program and the Ensemble awarded five $1,000 college scholarships.

SPECIAL TO THE MIRROR: STEVE ROTHAUS

South Florida Pride Wind Ensemble at their Beyond Borders 2 Concert. Photo credit: Brett Hufziger.

Since then, the 37-year-old ensemble has awarded about $153,000 in scholarships, Bassett said.

Erick Cruz joined the youth band in 2012 and won a college scholarship soon after.

“I was so excited,” said Cruz, who at the time attended Dr. Michael M. Krop Senior High School in Northeast MiamiDade County. “It definitely helped me with my first semester at college. I went to Miami Dade College and then I went to Florida International University. That money helped kickstart my eventual college career. As of now, I already have my degree. I have a bachelor in science and biomedical engineering.”

Cruz, who plays the flute and oboe, said that back then, “there was nothing like” the ensemble, “an honors band for people being queer identified.”

He noted that you don’t have to be queer to be part of the ensemble.

“If you were, the word was out you should do this. It was something really cool to be involved in. It made me feel, not appreciated, but validated,” he said. “Of course, the music was challenging, which made it all the more important.”

He said playing alongside the adult members really set this ensemble a part from others, “It felt really cool to be playing the same music with them, to learn from them and what they played, their musicality and whatever knowledge they had to impart,” he said.

Cruz, now 27 and a biomedical technician at Baptist Health Miami Cancer Institute, recently re-joined the ensemble as an adult.

Stephanie Colman said she, her wife Rena Sydel and their son, Jonathan, are ensemble members.

“My son and I and my wife are all lifelong musicians since childhood,” said Colman, 69. “My wife and I were both music teachers for 35 years. We met in college as music majors. I was a pianist, she was a violinist.”

For Colman there is nothing quite like the camaraderie an ensemble offers to its members.

“Playing music is our whole lives. And bonding with the people in your ensembles – it’s almost like a baseball team – you can’t survive without everyone, even though everyone has a different role.”

Burton said he’s looking forward to the ensemble’s second concert this season on Feb. 26. This one will feature the current Youth Pride Band (the first new group of students since before the Covid pandemic) and guest conductor Julie Giroux, who also scored a recent film documentary about Planet Earth titled “The Blue Marble.”

Since Burton’s retirement, the ensemble has been his “musical outlet.” He stopped performing in 2017 after beginning to have “memory issues.”

“I would blank out in the middle of the song and forget what I was playing and where I was,” he said. “A few times it would actually be embarrassing to me in the middle of an important concert that I would mess up. I just wasn’t used to that kind of thing happening to me at my level of performance.

“I always said, ‘When you get the first signs of anything that’s not keeping you at that high level – whether it’s physical (you know your arms don’t work as well), or your brain doesn’t work as well, it’s time to step back.’”

After Burton stopped performing, two old friends – both also jazz royalty – tried to coax him back on stage and into the recording studio.

“Chick Corea used to call me every year and say, ‘Come on, let’s get the duo going again. Let’s do some concerts, let’s make another record.’ I said, ‘Chick, I haven’t touched it in two years. I’d have to start from scratch to get back into shape.’ And I still am having trouble reading music and so on because of this memory problem. I said no, it’s not going to happen. But he never gave up.”

Corea, 79, died of cancer at his home in Tampa on Feb. 9, 2021. “Even the last time I heard from him – about two months before he died – he was still pushing. ‘Give it a thought. Think about it. We can do this.’”

Burton said that when he and Corea were younger men, they agreed “when something happens and we get the signal, that’s the time to stop.”

Burton continued: “And I knew that he would have more trouble doing that than I would. So when I said I’m stopping, he was upset and tried to talk me out of it. And I said, ‘No, I’m convinced.’”

Jazz legend Pat Metheny also tried to talk Burton out of retirement. “They were my two closest friends among the jazz scene, but I stuck to my guns. And afterward, Pat said, ‘I know you did the right thing. And eventually it will be a message to the rest of us when the time comes.’”

Burton is grateful that since he retired, his memory problems haven’t gotten significantly worse.

“I have the same ones that everybody has when they get older. They can’t remember phone numbers, they forget where they left the car keys and so on. The problem is, when you’re playing, it’s like you’re doing brain surgery (although no one’s going to die if you fail.) But there are so many moving parts that your brain has to deal with that forgetting where the keys are is not an option.”

Journalist Steve Rothaus covered LGBTQ issues for 22 years at the Miami Herald. @SteveRothaus on Twitter.

Dan Bassett conducting the orchestra. Photo credit: Connor Wilkinson.

If you are a person with HIV (PWH), you have the power and responsibility to shape your care. Results from previous surveys guided patient care lead agencies and planning councils in prioritizing community unmet needs and determining where to distribute financial resources.

The survey is available online and will remain open through December 31, 2022. All responses are confidential.

To access the survey, scan the QR code below or visit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RL5FPGP

Q-MUSIC

The Gift of Music 2022

With the winter holiday season rapidly approaching, everyone wants to get a head start on buying the right gifts. Music is always a popular and appreciated gift, and with some recent exciting reissues from which to choose there’s virtually something for everybody on your list.

GIFTS FOR THE 2022 HOLIDAYS

BY GREGG SHAPIRO

People are still talking about Joni Mitchell’s surprise appearance at the 2022 Newport Folk Festival, performing with Brandi Carlile and others. In her first public appearance in 20 years, following years of serious health problems, Mitchell stole the show and demonstrated why she is the ultimate diva goddess. Further reminders of that fact can be found in the latest “The Definitive Albums”

box set reissue “The Asylum Albums (19721975)” (Rhino/Asylum). Featuring a note by Neil Young, remastering by Bernie Grundman, and a cover painting by Joni, the set includes “For the Roses” (1972), “Court and Spark” (1974), the live album “Miles of Aisles” (1974),” and “The Hissing of Summer Lawns” (1975). The significance of the three studio albums can’t be emphasized enough. In addition to being audio illustrations of Mitchell’s growth as a singer/songwriter, these records also featured commercial breakthroughs includ ing hit singles “You Turn Me on I’m A Radio” (from “For the Roses”) and “Help Me” (from “Court and Spark”). Mitchell also won her second Grammy for “Court and Spark.” Also worth noting is Mitchell’s turn toward jazz arrangements which reached its fruition on “The Hissing of Summer Lawns.” Mitchell fans are also sure to love the way the CD box set recreates some of the distinctive as pects of the original artwork, including the matte finish of “Court and Spark” and the raised graphics of “The Hissing of Summer Lawns.”

Before we get to the musical creatures on the delayed 2022 reissue of the 2018 James Guthrie remix of prog rock deity Pink Floyd’s 1977 album “Animals” (Pink Floyd Music/Sony), it’s best to address the elephant in the room. Roger Waters is a damaged genius. Who else could have helped create dark masterworks such as “The Wall,” “Wish You Were Here,” and “Dark Side of

the Moon?” As of this writing, Waters is once again in, well, hot water for saying something inappropriate. This time it was pro-Russia/antiUkraine comments that forced him to cancel concerts in Poland. Of course, anyone the least bit familiar with “Animals” in particular, is wellaware of Waters’ political leanings. A concept album based loosely on George Orwell’s “Ani mal Farm,” the five songs, with three clocking in between 10:20 and 17:04 a piece, are serious indictments of capitalism (which is humorous considering how well-off the members of Pink Floyd were by 1977). Nevertheless, the album, available in a variety of formats, holds up well 45 years after its release, with the band’s members at peak musicianship. It’s also worth noting that, at the time that “Animals” initially came out, prog rock had fallen out of favor and the first-wave of punk rock was the rage. While there may not be much punk in Pink Floyd’s music, the angry messages could clearly be seen as such. Additionally, there are a few funky mo ments on the album that can be read as nods to the disco sound of the period.

GIFTS FOR THE 2022 HOLIDAYS

San Francisco punk band Dead Kennedys formed in 1978 (a year after PF’s “Animals” was released). Led by Jello Biafra, Dead Kennedys released its debut album “Fresh Fruit for Rot ting Vegetables” (Manifesto), newly reissued with a Chris Lord-Alge remix and a new 28page booklet. Propelled by political outrage shared by their British brethren, nothing was sacred to the DKs as you can hear on

songs such as “Kill the Poor,” “Let’s Lynch the Landlord,” “Stealing People’s Mail,” and of course “California Über Alles,” all of which earned them a subversive reputation, as well as gaining them a large following. Dead Kennedys even had something of a hit single with “Holiday in Cambodia.” You can hear the DKs influence on a cross-section of bands, from Rage Against the Machine to Pansy Division.

It’s hard to believe that this Christmas, George Michael will be gone six years. Almost as hard to fathom is that Michael only re leased four studio albums of original mate rial during a solo career that began in 1987. “Older” (Epic/Legacy/ÆGEAN), the latest in the ongoing series of George Michael reissues that began in 2010 with “Faith” and continued in 2017 with “Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1/ MTV Unplugged,” shines a spotlight on the 1996 album available in various expanded for mats. The original album, for which Michael kept fans waiting six years (due to a legal

battle with a record label), opens with the ballad (and first single) “Jesus to a Child.” The song was a good indication of the direction in which Michael was moving, as much of the album moves at a slower place, including the dance tunes (second single “Fast Love” is a good example). Jazz and Brazilian influences dominate, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a George Michael. On the contrary, his voice remains the impressive instrument it always ways, it’s just that “Older” requires a little more patience, which was fittingly the name of his next album, released in 2004.

If ever there was a perfect example of the idiocy and ignorance of the “suits” who run major record labels, it would have to be the bungling of “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot” (Nonesuch) by Wilco. Rising from the ashes of alt-country band Uncle Tupelo, Wilco stuck with that genre’s sound on its 1995 major label debut “A.M.” But on the albums that followed, especially 1999’s poppy “Summerteeth,” it was obvious that Jeff Tweedy and company were interested in greatly expanding their musical horizons. The stunning “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot,” suc ceeded in doing that, earning a Wilco a 10 out 10 from prickly Pitchfork, and garnering

the band almost universal acclaim. But this also resulted in the band leaving Reprise, which was in flux and being run by fools, for the more welcoming Nonesuch. Now available in a super deluxe edition featuring the remastered original album and includ ing 82 previously unreleased tracks, such as alternates, outtakes, and demos, as well as a deep dive into the making of the record. “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot” stands the test of time, from the stunning album opener “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” to the radiofriendly pop of “War on War” and “Heavy Metal Drummer” to the retro rock of “I’m the Man Who Loves You.”

After three years of living on the road, Solgaard’s founder realized that keeping a tidy room was impossible.

So he designed the perfect suitcase.

The Carry-On Closet has a patented, six-shelf closet to keep you organized anywhere, it also acts as compression cubes to help you save space.

The Carry-On Closet was recognized by TIME Magazine as the Best Travel Invention of the year.

BY PIER ANGELO

Images courtesy of Solgaard.

NAVIGATING FINANCIAL MARKET TURMOIL

BY RIC REILY

F

inancial markets do what financial markets do. They go up, and they go down. Sometimes they go way up, like the past decade. Sometimes way down, like this year.

My partner did well in a tech company startup, yet he didn’t come from much. As one might expect from such beginnings he held his wealth conservatively.

Neither of us are gainfully employed, neither of us needs to be, living our simple comfortable lifestyle. It is not my business how he manages his wealth but living with me you can imagine he hears a bit about money management. One day he announced it’s time to put his money to work.

With his decision I hooked him up with my low-cost manager. You know I use a low-cost manager because I’ve always held that the greatest threats to wealth are taxes and fees, not market movement. Remember that, not market movement.

One day in 2022, take your pick it doesn’t matter which as they’ve mostly been bad in the financial markets, he puts his wealth to work. Those very markets quickly carve off 20% of his assets. I’m certain he’s sitting in the corner under a reading lamp thinking he should have kept his money in a checking account. And he isn’t all wrong. Though he is mostly wrong.

I know from market history, and personal experience, that markets move with time. Sometimes they move fast and require a breather. Sometimes they move high and have to settle back to a norm. Some times investors flee in abject fear and valuations fall steeply. Some times markets are late out of the gate and can only find their way up.

Many years ago I managed my portfolio on a 200-day moving average basis and in 2008 it signaled an imminent financial market

downturn. I got out whole. Such a winner. After I managed to bail moments before the 2008 market drop, escaping with everything, I missed the latter stage.

Failing to get back in, I missed the big up turn. Fully in cash and afraid, certain markets would remain bad I missed much of the best financial market up move in history. By the time I reinvested I had left too many percentages gain on the table. These few years later I’ve re alized double digit returns over several years that made me financially whole. But at what cost?

Since that experience I don’t play the game. I’m an investor, not a gambler. As is my partner who ignores asset value and focuses on his earnings being reinvested in new shares at on sale prices. When the markets eventually turn up he will own more shares than he once did, acquired at discount prices. All of which will be revaluing upward bringing him back first to parity and then on to asset appreciation.

Generally the rule I follow is buy always, or whenever you can. Time will take care of the rest.

In 2022 I didn’t flinch. Russia invaded Ukraine, inflation is the highest in generations, supply chain issues related to COVID-19 have limited the flow of goods. Everything imaginable has hit financial markets at once sending market averages into bear terri tory.

Keep in mind my partner invested his wealth pre-Armageddon. Being as he relies on me at least tacitly in the finance department my caution has been and remains, stay the course. You are not selling to eat, or finance a new venture. Leave it alone and let‘s go to the beach. Financial markets move. That is what they do. Let them do it. The sun is shining.

Ric Reily is the author of ‘Money Is The Root Of All - Skip The Debt Habit’, and writes financial, gay camping and feature articles for SFGN. An advocate of debt free simple living and stigma free social equality he lives in Central Florida and Western NY with his partner Steven. You can reach Ric at ricreily@gmail.com

YOU CAN BE BOLD, LIKE PHILANTHROPIST MONA PITTENGER

“Partnering with the Community Foundation of Broward empowers me to make a BOLD impact for the community I love. As a longtime philanthropist and LGBTQ activist, my new endowed charitable funds at the Community Foundation are broadening the scope and amplifying the impact of my giving. Grants in my name develop future leaders, break down barriers to success and shape a community where everyone is treated with equity. I love that my endowed support is the gift that keeps on giving, long after I’m gone. With the Community Foundation as a partner, my BOLD impact never ends.”

BY LARRY PRINTZ

MASERATI GRECALE 20 23

We’ve all dated someone dumber than a box of rocks. But gorgeous? Hell yeah. And the sex? Everything their looks promise. But then you talk to them the next morning, and suddenly you realize you’re dating someone with an intellect of a houseplant. But eventually, such relationships end, becoming a beautiful memory. Relationships like this rarely last, but they’re fun while they do.

Until now, this could describe Maseratis. Tragically beautiful, genuinely enticing and exotic, but sold as if they were bargain lots at a sample sale. Such sales tactics robbed Maserati of its specialness. It’s like Chinese-made Ralph Lauren polos. When everyone wears them, they’re not luxuries; they’re commodities. And Maserati risked becoming just that, as it was competing on volume and price. So, the

company has regrouped, reworking its products, limiting production and not competing on price, like a true luxury item.

Their new approach is signaled by the MC20 supercar, and continues with the Grecale, the brand’s first compact SUV.

The Grecale’s sleek shape and athletic stance promise driving sin with the sensual pleasure you expect of a pure-bred Italian. It co-opts the larger Levante SUV’s appearance, but has its own persona. You understand once you climb inside, where you’re greeted by matte open pore wood and sumptuously stitched leather with an intoxicating aroma that should be bottled as cologne.

And there are four screens, including a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and a clock does double duty as a compass, or other readouts.

True Italian luxury and sport in a compact SUV? Bravo Maserati.

Images courtesy of Maserati.

Below it, dual screens reside on an angled base that also houses the transmission buttons. There’s ample storage space on the center console for a wireless charger, covered bins and cupholders.

If that’s not enough to move you, what’s under the hood will; it always does.

Base GT and mid-level Modena trims get a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder hybrid powertrain that develops 300 horsepower in the GT, and 330 horsepower in the Modena. It’s a classic GT; athletic and quick when you need it, quietly comfortable when you don’t. It’s agreeably indulgent and fast without being over-the-top.

Top-of-the-line Trofeos are a different beast. Using the MC20’s six-cylinder engine, its 3.0-liter twin-turbo six produces a whopping 530 horsepower. Growling and burbling, it delivers fierce speed at the merest tap of the throttle. Reaching 60 mph takes 3.6 seconds,

2023 MASERATI GRECALE MODENA SPECIFICATIONS

Weight: 4,123 pounds

Powertrain: 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder mild hybrid, 8-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive

about 1.5 seconds quicker than its siblings, and its ride is noticeably firmer and less forgiving. An eight-speed automatic and all-wheel drive are standard. Expect 25 mpg on hybrid models, 20 mpg on the Trofeo, using premium fuel. Sound low? Hey, just because it’s a hybrid, don’t expect Toyota Priuslike mileage. After all, it doesn’t drive like one – thank God.

But either model possess accurate, communicative, well weighted steering that’s engaging enough to make you want to manually shift using its column-mounted shift paddles. There are also five selectable drive mode settings that significantly affect this vehicle’s personality more than a bad date. Credit the air suspension and adaptive dampers. Pop it into Sport mode and you’ll find the all-wheel-drive system favors the rear wheels, so you can make the tail wag. And who doesn’t like that?

Dimensions: L: 190.8 inches/W: 77.9 inches/H: 65.6 inches

Wheelbase: 114.2 inches

Fuel Economy: 25 mpg (combined city/highway)

Performance Specs: 330 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque Base price: $64,995, including $1,495 destination charge