Make My (Birth)Day

Well, I'm back after a little hiatus, and it's my birthday. (Hey, Buddy, itsyerbirthday, itsyerbirthday, its...!) Nothing could come as a bigger birthday surprise for me than to get -- out of the blue! -- an email from one of the new wave of remixers I idolize so much, Joel Dickinson, known in the schizo-plural as Thee Werq'n B!tches.

Based in Minnesota's Twin Cities, Thee Werq'n B!tches is a diva-centrically divine mixer whose work is dramatic, ironic, camp; but always, always exciting. Using songs classic (Liza, Dolly, Diana) and new, Thee Werq'n B!tches' work is always something I eagerly look forward to.

Joel introduced himself to me on Friday with this message:

"Hey there! It's Joel Dickinson (aka Thee Werq'n B!tches)! I found a bunch of your cds ... in NYC yesterday and was so thrilled to see so many of my mixes featured! Thank you - your support means so much! Would you like me to send you some unreleased and new stuff I've been working on? I'd love to hear your feedback and feel free to include the new stuff (assuming you like it)! Thanks again so much - I am so honored and flattered by your inclusion of my werq! Joel"

How's that? Actually, I'm the one who's thrilled and flattered that a remixer I so admire would seek me out and contact li'l ol' moi! I replied and am now eager to hear back from Joel and to possibly get some of his new mixes to preview. Can't wait (as you can well imagine)!

And, direct from our boys in Afghanistan, comes one of the most-viewed and commented-on amateur videos of late, as they perform their combat-zone-fabulous version of Lady Gaga's "Telephone." Channeling their inner drag queens, these guys have certainly lavished a lot of attention on their choreography and diva moves! And the set for the full-chorus sequence looks like it's right out of Mortville (from John Waters' "Desperate Living").

You can view it (if you haven't seen it by now) on Youtube by cutting and pasting into your browser:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lAHCurdLL8&playnext_from=TL&videos=L0X0fWM3Utg

Sarah Kaufman thoughtfully wrote in The Washington Post: "Despite the distance, despite the exoticism, there's a powerful poignancy to this music video from a war zone, featuring young soldiers who could die tomorrow, who are, perhaps, funneling months – years? – of restlessness, loneliness and pent-up self-expression into a flamboyant 3 1/2-minute escape."

Or, maybe, we are all just big drag queens at heart.

Anyhow, as I said before -- I'm back. And it's my birthday.