Jason Joins the Big Cocktail Lounge in the Sky

Another wonderful Infomaniac Bitch, JASON of Night is half gone has joined our "In Memoriam" sidebar. 

Jason

I never met Jason so let's give the podium to someone who did have that pleasure: Hayward of MSIH. Over to you, Hayward... 

I met Jason at the holiday party of a mutual friend in 2009. We sipped cocktails and traded small talk. He was intelligent, personable and cleverly funny—an ideal guest.  Most of all behind that sharp wit Jason was kind.

We talked about careers, and I remember how he lit up when he spoke of his students. He had me in stitches with tales of their mishaps, but it was clear the stories came from how deeply he cared about their success. He politely listened as I spoke of the riveting world of software engineering, which demonstrates he was a man of extraordinary patience.

The conversation veered to writing, and somehow I got his blog address. That’s how I discovered this crazy world of Infomaniac. It’s his fault, in the best way.  Mostly I’m glad his writings remain, something to keep us connected.

The next year’s holiday party came, then the year after, and the year after that.  Years are now decades.  There were Mardi Gras gatherings here and there too. Seems every time our worlds collided, a cocktail was involved. Pure coincidence, I’m sure.  

His death was unexpected, from natural causes according to our mutual friend. Jason has left a significant void in the hearts of his students and friends.   So I raise my glass to him. Cheers, my friend. Thanks for the laughs. I’ll see you at the great holiday party eventually. Save me a drink—and for God’s sake, make it a good one.

- end of Hayward's tribute - 

Thank you, Hayward.

And now a description from Jason's own lips when asked about himself:

jason is a former international teenage singing sensation of the post-disco era.

After a tragic fall from grace (*allegedly* involving a diet coke bottle and Brooke Shields) found himself dissolute and overfed, earning dimes by teaching young women how to "shake it, but not break it." 

 
He returned to his trailer on the bayou to live out his sad, lonely life, hunting squirrel and alligator.

Here he is in his overfed and dissolute middle age, still drinking diet coke and lamenting the past, clasping that pillow like it was Brooke Shield's pretty head."

Click to enlarge Jason's profile.

 

When asked why he named his blog "Night is half gone" Jason replied:

Why name this journal "night is half gone" you ask?
Well, one because it was the first thing that came to my mind at the ungodly hour of 2:50 am. But it's also a line from one of my favorite poems by the ancient
Greek Poet Sappho:

The Moon and the Pleiades
are set. Night is half
gone and time speeds by.
I lie in bed, alone.  

Thanks, Jason, for all the love and laughter you brought to Infomaniac Bitches and others all over this planet.

Click here to visit or revisit Jason's blog. 

The Infomaniac Bakery

Welcome to the Infomaniac Bakery! Cream pie, anyone?...

[via]

Thanks to Eroswings for the idea of starting up a bakery and to Mistress Maddie for suggesting cream pies as our specialty and to Miss Scarlet who started the ball rolling when she brought up the topic of Killer Women With Pie.

Eldridge Cleaver's Penis Pants

Eldridge Cleaver (1935-1998) was an American writer, political activist, marijuana dealer, crack addict, born-again Christian, Presidential candidate, prisoner, flowerpot maker, and prominent early leader of the Black Panthers.

And the inventor of  penis pants...



Oh, and he was a serial rapist, but more about that later.

His unique trousers were known as "The Cleavers," not to be mistaken for that fictional TV family on the 1960s "Leave it to Beaver"...



Unlike other pants on the market, The Cleavers were tailored to accommodate a man's sex organ.



Jet magazine.

The Cleavers were constructed with two types of eye-catching pouches: one was an oval shaped like a football player's jockey cup and the other featured a tubular shaped extension for the man's penis and an adjoining smaller pouch for his testicles.

"Heat has a decomposing impact on the sperm and traditional pants press the penis underneath the belly. My pants take it back out," Cleaver said.

He enthused that the pants would give men "a chance to assert their masculinity." Did we mention he was a rapist?

Partial transcription of the advertisement text is below the image...

Walking Tall ... Walking Proud ... Walking Softly but Carrying It Big

You'll Be Cock of the Walk with the NEW FALL COLLECTION from ELDRIDGE de PARIS

Life is just a chain of daisies when you slip into (careful, now) these revolutionary hot pants – with their ever-so-daring accent provacateur – just unveiled by famous radical designer Edridge Cleaver of Paris. They’re bad, they’re mad, they’re up front (but never out of sight)... and, of course, they’re for men only… REAL men… the three-fisted variety. ‘There’s no mistaking they are men’s pants,’ says M. Cleaver (seen here modeling a high-waisted two-tone pair of ‘Cleavers’ with side zipper and matching ‘appurtenance.’ ‘The pants that men wear now will be seen as girls’ pants after my models are sold. And don’t forget…heavy on the starch!”

Eldridge Cleaver was introduced to the art of sewing while he was a prisoner in California. There, he was assigned to the clothing factory as a thread snipper. The idea to design his own pants came when he was exiled in Paris.

Cleaver viewed his pants as the ultimate in men's clothing and insisted that in five years they would be the sartorial norm. 

But wait! There's more!...




Photo: Jet magazine.

Although we here at Infomaniac are amused by the Cleaver crotch, we cannot gloss over the fact that Cleaver acknowledged committing acts of rape. He stated that he initially raped black women in the ghetto "for practice" and then embarked on the serial rape of white women. He described these crimes as politically inspired, motivated by a genuine conviction that the rape of white women was "an insurrectionary act".

The pants were never a great commercial success. Eldridge Cleaver later became a Republican and a Mormon. He died in 1998, age 62.

Texas Hold'em

$100 fine for jerking off.


[via]

A Texas state lawmaker introduced Bill 4260 that would fine men who masturbated for committing “an act against an unborn child.”

The Man’s Right to Know Act would set a $100 fine for ‘emissions outside a woman’s vagina’ and require unnecessary medical tests. The bill would require men to wait 24 hours after an “initial health care consultation” to receive an elective vasectomy, colonoscopy or Viagra prescription.

Jessica Farrar, a Democratic representative from Houston, Texas filed the satirical bill to regulate “masturbatory emissions” as a riposte to a slew of anti-abortion measures advocated by the state’s Republican politicians.

Farrar said, “Although HB 4260 is satirical, there is nothing funny about current healthcare restrictions for women and the very real legislation that is proposed every legislative session. Women are not laughing at state-imposed regulations and obstacles that interfere with their ability to legally access safe healthcare, and subject them to fake science and medically unnecessary procedures. Texans deserve to be treated with the same amount of respect when making healthcare decisions, regardless of their gender.”

She goes on to say, “What I would like to see is this make people stop and think. Maybe my colleagues aren’t capable of that, but the people who voted for them, or the people that didn’t vote at all, I hope that it changes their mind and helps them to decide what the priorities are.”

More details here.

Thanks to Infomaniac Bitch Jon in London, England for the news alert.

kabuki zero: Tribute to a Gigastar

2016 has cruelly bitch-slapped us yet again.

In the words of Infomaniac Bitch kabuki zero, “another year can bite Kabuki’s snow white ass.”



Gigastar. Artiste. The Prettiest Ballerina in the World. Kabuki zero has "gone to Fabulon." And we are saddened by our loss.

Kabuki died over the Christmas weekend, following post surgery recovery.


Talk among yourselves, give a good look at that bright eyed youth that was kabuki.

Kabuki penned his brilliant stream of consciousness blog, The man who told the World from the comfort of his double-wide trailer mansion 1970s disco love palace known as "Castle Rock" in the California desert; a home he shared with his dogs and parrots. He was also a fellow contributing beautician at The Hair Hall of Fame.



Kabuki shared (Cher’d?) a birthday with another Gigastar: Cher. Coincidence? We think not. The stars aligned to create fabulosity. Kabuki once exclaimed, “Cher I love you forever. You are my secret girlfriend.”



A quote from kabuki’s long-time (since age 17!) friend, Felix in Hollywood:

"In real life, he (kabuki) is as difficult, uncompromising, kind, brilliant and fabulous as his laser-point, razor-sharp stream of conscious writing indicates."


Felix In Hollywood (left) and Kabuki Zero (right) - 1981

"Who says high fashion is painful? To the best of our collective recollection, when the photo was taken, we had consumed, scotch, michelob, couple hits of speed, a dusting of cocaine, and a 750 placidyl each and were feeling no pain. And it was after the picture was taken that we went out to party."
-Felix


That’s kabuki on the left, Felix in Hollywood on the right, and their trick (one assumes) in between - 1985.

Kabuki remarked that he had a “keen desire to leave a legacy. A mark, a stain, a google, maybe even a scandalous wikipedia entry.”

So we here at Infomaniac wish this post to be a tribute in pictures and in his own words to kabuki zero.



kabuki on kabuki:
I am old. I am young. I am foolish. I am reckless. I am alone. I am in pain. I am funny. I am lovable. I'm an idea man. I am attractive. I am opinionated. I am unique. I am talented. I am not forever. I am searching. I am KABUKI ZERO.



kabuki on Norma:
Norma has always been too much talent for one continent. Rumour has it her CD, 'One Night With Norma' is even on the Mars lander. Talent will out - that's what kabuki always says.

kabuki on Mr. Peenee:
Rice-A-Roni is no longer the San Fransico treat. Naked peenee is, and kabuki would like a double portion. Meow.

kabuki on men:
kabuki -star of both stage AND screen - has had to carry the garbage out since 1986. That is the only reason to have a boyfriend, and that is all I would have him do. Unless I spilled something. "Boyfriend - absorb that spilled mai tai." (Instead of absorbing everything in my refridgerator) PLUS - even megastars get lonely. Or so i have been told.



kabuki on learning to cook:
Kabuki followed classic Julia Child on PBS. Self taught via The Joy of Cooking cookbook. Kabuki can cook the devil out of simple American fare. The women folk in kabuki's family are notoriously bad cooks. For four generations. It must be a curse. Thanks goodness for kabuki's penis.

kabuki on fruit and veg:
kabuki is all for the fruit but has now sworn off vegetables. they make kabuki's ass hurt. kabuki may swear off vegetables but kabuki will never swear off fruit.



Once, twice, three times a lady.
kabuki on sex appeal:
kabuki is the type of woman that wars are fought over. also known as 'a fragile flower'. a rare and unique beauty, kabuki is above all a giving woman. with a penis.



kabuki on Infomaniac’s Filthy Friday:
I smell London
I smell France
I smell other people's underpants

Kabuki is once again appalled. It must be Friday.



kabuki on aging:
If kabuki recognized aging then this could possibly have meaning. But kabuki is timeless, and refuses to acknowledge time's cold grasp. It is good to be kabuki.

Kabuki is ageless, timeless, perfection on a stick.



More kabuki quotes:

I need jazz hands and I need them stat!

i am kabukizero - and you are not

Even in the face of misfortune, I have just enough strength to see the funny.



Mirror mirror on the wall - who is the prettiest ballerina in the world? damn right its kabuki!!!

Have you ever mopped a floor in a silk kimono and white face? Kabuki thought not.



kabuki's week was so particularly unpleasant, kabuki asked it to eat a bag of dicks

Great. Phyllis Diller is in heaven and I am stuck on earth with Sarah Silverman.

I've got to boogie oogie oogie till I just can't boogie no more.



So damn hip. So little time.

And finally, from kabuki to all of us:

i would like to express my gratitude to one and all. I am so very blessed to have found so much love and understanding here in the blog verse. Everyone please have some ice cream, on kabuki.

if you hurry there is still time to fit a little joy into today. Make some rice krispy squares, i dare you. fit some fun into your life, because you may not be able to later.

I'm gonna live, live, live untill I die, die, die. love to all.

Now lets all put on a fez, and party like its 1999.



UPDATE: Read the Find A Grave memorial to Billy aka kabuki zero here, beautifully written by Cookie.

Socks Appeal

Inspired by a photo of men wearing nothing but socks and smiles on Mistress Maddie's recent post, we here at Infomaniac are here to inform you that wearing socks in bed could improve your sex life.



A University of Groningen study found that 80% of people provided with socks to put on were able to orgasm during sex.

That’s compared to just 50% who could achieve orgasm without socks.

Further investigation shows that the people in question were women.

Let's take an informal poll and ask Infomaniac Bitches what you think. Could wearing socks in bed improve your sex life or has it improved your sex life?

A Day of Remembrance

In keeping with Infomaniac’s humble beginnings as a knitting blog, and with a nod to The 2016 Infomaniac Book Challenge, we remember the soldiers of the First World War (1914-1918) with this book…



“Knitting for Tommy: Keeping the Great War Soldier Warm” by Lucinda Gosling, published 2014 by The History Press.

“Tommy” was the name commonly ascribed to British Soldiers.

During World War 1, a knitting craze swept across Britain, as women everywhere wanted to "kit out" their Tommies with socks, mittens, balaclavas, vests, jumpers, and all manner of knitwear.

Millions of socks, for example, were sent from the home front to the front line. Dry socks were imperative to avoid the painful and debilitating condition known as trench foot.




Don'ts to Remember When Making Socks:
Don't forget that a man may not have a chance to change his socks for many days, and a lump or a knot can cause a blister. If the blister breaks, blood-poisoning may result in the loss of a foot or even a life. We cannot afford to lose our men through negligence or ignorance.

Through magazine adverts, postcards, cartoons and photographs of the day, and 40 patterns for all manner of clothing, the book explores the knitting craze that started in Britain and swept through Canada and the United States. The author mentions a similar enthusiasm for knitting in Germany, pointing out that “across the warring nations, and regardless of race, it seemed that knitting was a universal language.”


(click pic to enlarge)

A more detailed review of this book can be found here.

We here at Infomaniac hope you will make time today to remember our fallen war heroes.

The Mistress's Reading List: January-February

On Tuesday, you Bitches will have your turn to tell us what you've been reading during the first two months of The 2016 Infomaniac Book Challenge.

But TODAY, we look at the Mistress's list of books for January and February.

NON-FICTION:

Over the Top and Back: An Autobiography by Tom Jones (published 2015)...



The “Panty Magnet” confessed to bedding 250 women a year at the height of his fame and he had a string of extramarital affairs. But if you're after the juicy details, look elsewhere. This memoir isn’t a kiss and tell. Rather, it’s an enjoyable account of Tom Jones’ journey from a working-class family in a Welsh coal-mining town to becoming an international sex symbol. Anecdotes galore, delivered in a congenial manner will keep you turning the pages.


Maggie Smith: A Biography by Michael Coveney (published 2015)...



Beloved for her role on Downton Abbey as the Dowager Countess, Lady Violet, Dame Maggie Smith's career spans an incredible six decades on stage and screen. This well-researched account of her life shines a light on her remarkable career and talent. It’s a little more difficult to get a handle on her private life as she’s known to be reclusive and doesn’t give interviews. For an actress so illustrious and accomplished, she remains a mystery.


Boys in the Trees: A Memoir by Carly Simon (published 2015)...



"This book is my way of going back through my childhood, my music, my romances, my marriage ... and trying to make sense of it all," Simon says. She shares her deepest desires, fears and regrets as she chronicles her rise to fame, her struggle with low self-esteem, depression and stage fright, and her tumultuous marriage to singer/songwriter James Taylor. For those of you wondering about her "boys in the bed," you'll find accounts of her flings with Cat Stevens, Jack Nicholson, Warren Beatty, Kris Kristofferson, and other lovers.


The Sound of Music Story: How A Beguiling Young Novice, A Handsome Austrian Captain, and Ten Singing von Trapp Children Inspired the Most Beloved Film of All Time by Tom Santopietro (published 2015)...



Since its debut over 50 years ago, The Sound of Music has gained legions of fans the world over.  It's the third highest grossing film of all time, behind only Gone With the Wind and Star Wars. This thorough account chronicles the real-life Maria von Trapp and her family, and delves into the compelling story of the making of the both the Broadway play and the movie. Did you know that Doris Day was considered for the role of Maria before Julie Andrews was chosen? Or that Christopher Plummer so disliked working on the film that he called it, “The Sound of Mucus?” If you’ve enjoyed this iconic film or you’ve faithfully attend sing-a-longs dressed in a dirndl or lederhosen, "I Have Confidence" that this book could become one of your "Favourite Things."


Poison Penmanship: The Gentle Art of Muckraking by Jessica Mitford (published 1988)...



Poison Penmanship collects seventeen of Jessica Mitford’s finest pieces of investigative journalism.  Included are essays regarding her exposés of the funeral business and corruption in the American prison system. The New York Times wrote,  "Mitford's pen is mightier than the sword." An irrepressible writer with rapier wit, Mitford died in 1996 but her legacy lives on through her writing.


The Wild Oats Project: One Woman's Midlife Quest for Passion at Any Cost by Robin Rinaldi (published 2015)...



The self-indulgent true story of how a San Franciscan woman’s extra-marital affairs destroyed her marriage.


My Kitchen Year: 136 Recipes That Saved My Life by Ruth Reichl (published 2015) Thanks to Normadesmond for this recommendation...



When publisher Condé Nast folded Gourmet magazine and laid off its staff, editor Ruth Reichl, at age 62 was at loose ends. She found solace and regeneration in her own home kitchen where she whipped up a tempting array of dishes over the course of a year. The result is this mouth-watering cookbook/memoir. Reichl says, “A good cookbook should make you want to get up and cook." Mission accomplished.


The Future of the Mind: The Scientific Quest to Understand, Enhance, and Empower the Mind by Michio Kaku (published 2014)...



Theoretical physicist, Michio Kaku is The Mistress’s go-to resource for understanding science in a fashion that the layman can understand. In this book, he clearly explains how our brains function and the mind-boggling possibilities that lie ahead for the future of the brain, our third largest organ.



FICTION:

Man at the Helm by Nina Stibbe (published 2014)...



Narrated by 9-year-old Lizzie as she plots to find a husband for her divorced mother. A charming novel that makes me want to read more from this author.


American Housewife by Helen Ellis (published 2016)...



Twelve short stories about the psyche of the American housewife. The Mistress must have a different sense of humour than the venerable Margaret Atwood who called this book, “cackle-making.” Or perhaps I just wasn’t in the mood for this one.


The Piano Maker by Kurt Palka (published 2015)...



Set in a Canadian town in the 1930s, this story follows a mysterious woman with a troubled past. Told in flash-backs, the story is slow-moving but beautifully crafted.


The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald. (published 2013 in Sweden.) Translated from the Swedish by Alice Menzies. (English translation published 2016)...



A young, Swedish woman leaves home for the first time and travels to small-town Iowa to visit her elderly, bibliophile pen-pal. She arrives at the station but no one is there to meet her. What's a girl to do? This delightful debut novel is recommended for readers who like reading books about friendship and for those who like reading books about books. Happy ending guaranteed.


And so ends Part One (January-February) of The Mistress's reading list for the 2016 Infomaniac Book Challenge.

12 books in 2 months! That's thanks to a long, cold Canadian winter. It's unlikely I'll top those numbers for the remainder of the year.


On Tuesday, March 1st, we'll be asking YOU Bitches what you've been reading. Until that time, we hope you've enjoyed browsing The Mistress's choices for January and February.

Backup Singers

Long-time Infomaniac Bitches know that Mistress MJ always wanted to be an Ikette.



Or, failing that, any backup singer from yesteryear. This despite the fact that I haven't the talent but when did THAT ever stop me? I'll be content just to wear the twist fringe.

In any case, if you love backup singers as much as I do, you'll want to see "20 Feet From Stardom," a documentary following such gifted artists as Darlene Love, Claudia Lennear, Judith Hill, Merry Clayton, Lisa Fischer, Táta Vega, Gloria Jones and Jo Lawry, among many others.



Go behind the scenes and see them in action, hear them talk about their experiences and find out where they are today.

It's shocking to think that following her rise to fame, one of the best-known voices, Darlene Love, hit a rough patch. Her career was derailed by Phil Spector and she became a maid, cleaning houses to make ends meet.


The Blossoms (Darlene Love, centre) singing backup for Marvin Gaye.

As Darlene Love tells it...
So I was cleaning this one lady's house in Beverly Hills and I heard "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" on the radio. I said, "That's me singing that. This is ridiculous! People are playing my records. If they want to play my records that means people still want to hear me." I quit that job and decided to go to work. I had never called on any of my friends to give me a helping hand, but at that time I did. I called Lou Adler and told him I needed a little financial help to get back on my feet. I also called Dionne Warwick, and she helped me. It was just to get going again; just to give me a little push. Because you need financial help, I don't care which way you go.

Thankfully, Darlene's made a triumphant comeback. You can't keep a good Diva down.

These backing vocalists (women and men) enhanced the performances of legendary music stars yet until now, they haven't been given the recognition and respect they deserve.

Mick Jagger paying much-deserved respect to backup singer, Lisa Fischer.

There are many more stories in this award-winning documentary. And there's FABULOSITY GALORE.

If my recommendation isn't good enough for you Bitches, take a look at the list of accolades the film has received.

Enjoy!