Every week you see ads he's created in Hot Spots, 411, Buzz, Express, Wire and many other South Florida Publications. You see his work in National publications like Genre and Instinct. He's also the graphic designer behind all of the design elements we use here at Mark's List including our holiday logos and the print ads you see in guides to White Party, Pridefest, Winter Party, Stonewall Street Festival and the myriad of other events that we sponsor. So anyway... a bunch of us got together to say Happy Birthday to Eric Herb last Saturday night at Coliseum. Special thanks to Gary Santis for putting out a first class party spread and to DJ Chris Cox for whipping up a fabulous party. Happy birthday Eric!

This past Monday, November 20, Alex presented the 1^st annual Miss Southern Florida Icon pageant at O’zone. There were 5 very qualified contestants, and in the end the 2^nd runner up was Charisse, the 1^st runner up was Tangela Armani, and the winner was Gina Di’Angelo. Congrats to all for putting on a good pageant. Pictured is Alex on the right and O’Zone doorman Adrian. 

In this heartwarming and illuminating collection of twenty-five original stories of personal experience, Neil Plakcy and Sharon Sakson celebrate the joy, growth, and healing offered to all of us by the dogs in our lives. Touching, powerful, and often humorous, Paws and Reflect explores and celebrates the special bond between gay men and their dogs, yet the universal appeal of unconditional love from man's best friend makes PAWS AND REFLECT a must-read for dog lovers regardless of gender or sexual orientation. Playwright and filmmaker Craig Lucas has written, "A guy I dated didn't like my Dachshund. One of them is gone, and it isn't the Dachshund. As it happens there are two terrific Dachshund essays in this book. Both made me cry and one of them has the best punchline I've come across in a long time. Drink in these real-life stories of dog lovers and devotion." Interviewees include Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Edward Albee, Academy Award-nominated writer Ron Nyswaner, director Jonathan Caouette, actor and playwright Charles Busch, and Animal Planet's David Mizejewski, with contributions from Jay Quinn, and Hal Campbell. The book releases will be at

8:00 pm Saturday December 2, at Borders (2240 E. Sunrise Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale) Neil Plakcy & Jay Quinn will read from & discuss Paws & Reflect. Then at 8:00 pm on Friday December 8 at Murder on the Beach (273 Pineapple Grove Way, Delray Beach) Neil Plakcy will sign & discuss Paws & Reflect. Then at 8 pm on Monday December 11 at Books & Books (265 Aragon Ave, Coral Gables) Neil Plakcy & Jay Quinn will read from & discuss Paws & Reflect. The book is now available at Amazon.com or your favorite bookseller. Visit them on the web at http://www.mahubooks.com/paws to learn more about PAWS AND REFLECT.

Art Expressions Gallery will feature the fine art of noted artist & photographer, Timothy Leistner in a solo exhibition titled, “Incomplete Escape-New Works by Timothy Leistner”.  The gala opening night reception will be on December 2, Saturday evening 7:00-10:00PM at the gallery and will be on display until December 30th.  The artist will be available to discuss his new work. This event is free to the public. The exhibition showcases Timothy Leistner’s new works and highlights his water media paintings.  This is the third solo exhibition Leistner has had at Art Expressions Gallery and his work is continually well received. Timothy Leistner was selected as a State of Florida Residency Artist through the Cultural Arts Division of Florida.  He is included in the Broward Arts in Education Approved Artist Directory.  He has created the cover art for three published books and has contributed art to numerous charitable organizations for posters, logos, and fund raising events. Timothy Leistner plans, develops curriculum, and implements an art distance learning program for the Art & Culture Center of Hollywood and BECON Educational Television. He teaches art to disabled and challenged children through United Cerebral Palsy of Broward, and teaches watercolor painting classes to adults for the City of Fort Lauderdale.  In addition to his work in the arts, Dr. Leistner serves as an adjunct professor for Florida Atlantic University. Timothy Leistner’s art design was selected for a fighter jet helmet art for the McDonald's Air & Sea Show which was on display at The Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport, ArtServe Galleries, Seminole Hard Rock Café, and aboard the USS San Antonio. Other notable items include serving as curator and jurist for art organization; contributing writer for various publications, education in the arts speaker and presenter. 

They also present “Small Wonders” which is a special open theme exhibit of small works (with small price tags) created by established and emerging artist. All Works will be 16" X 16" and under with various media and subject matter. This is a great opportunity for you art lovers to support the arts while taking items off your shopping lists. Art Expressions Gallery proudly invites you to join them on Saturday, December 2nd to meet the artists.  wine and cheese reception will be held that evening from 7:00 P.M. to 10:00 P.M.  Admission is free. This Exhibit runs through December 26.

Art Expressions Gallery is located at 1212 NE 4th Ave in Fort Lauderdale. Gallery Hours: Mon. - Sat. 11:00 am - 7:00 pm. Admission is free. For more info: 954-527-7700.

Sigue abajo para español

The Latin Grammy Awards is the most important night for many in the Latin music industry. For artists, writers, and producers, to be awarded with a Grammy, or even receive a nomination for their art, is to receive one of the highest forms of recognition in music. Guests arrive looking their best as Grammy Fashion has become a trend all its own. Once the biggest names in Latin music have graced the red carpet and taken advantage of countless photo-ops, the show begins. After the awards are presented for the different categories by Celebrity guests, and show-stopping performances by fellow artists have been enjoyed by all, the night comes to an end. Or does it? The end of the elite and grandiose ceremony does not mark the end of the night, but rather a commencement for further celebration and magic. Numerous celebrities, a-list industry executives, and record labels like to throw and host parties to recognize their peers for their musical accomplishments in the past year. Abundant are the parties, yes, but there is only one Official Latin Grammy After- Party. The Metropolitan Ballroom of New York’s Sheraton Hotel & Towers was the venue chosen to host the party of choice. Guests like La 5ta Estacion, Julieta Venega, Rosario, Andy Andy, Banda Recodo, Ivy Queen, Barbara Bermuda from Univision, Ricardo Montaner, Voltio, Ciclon, Grupo Mania, Leila Cobo from Billboard, Jessica Fox, and Mario Andres Moreno from Univision, Raul Demolina from “El Gordo y La Flaca”, renowned producer Gustavo Santolalla and many more chose the Official Latin Grammy’s Party as the place to spend the rest of their night. Rarely does a single party have the power to bring together so many artists of such high caliber, but guests knew what this party had to offer. The forces responsible for bringing together such an impressive entertainment line-up were Joe Granda, President and CEO of Granda Entertainment, who was asked by the Latin Recording Academy to produce the entertainment for the after party; and members of the academy production crew including Ignacio Meyer, who Granda worked very closely with to produce a show absolutely befitting the prestigious awards event. To kick off the night Southbeat Records artist, and 3-time Grammy nominee, Rayito took the stage. He performed several up-tempo songs and wowed the crowd with his guitar skills, leaving nothing to be desired, while his strong melodic voice resounded inside the Metropolitan Ballroom. Following Rayito and in honor of the new Latin Grammy category “Vallenato”, world renowned, Colombian singer Jorge Celedon played for the audience. Joining him for a song was Binomio de Oro, and together they brought the house down.  Next to perform, was Universal Recording Artist, Javier Garcia. Garcia, who is of Cuban and Irish decent kept festivities going with his tropical pop/rock, and reggae rhythms causing renowned Golden Globe and Oscar winning producer, Gustavo Santolalla (producer of Juanes, Molotov, and Garcia), to take to his feet and start to dance along with others who enjoyed the performance. Next to take the Stage and to represent the very unique, new project “Los Cocorocos”, was Zion (from Zion y Lennox) and Domingo Quiñones, who played the Part of Hector Lavoe in the critically acclaimed Broadway musical, “Quien Mato a Hector Lavoe”. Together they performed two tracks from “Los Cocorocos” CD, and also had the opportunity to shine individually. Zion performed impromptu versions of his previous Zion and Lennox hits, as well as new material from his solo project. Domingo Quiñones closed the set and brought the house to frenzy with an incredible medley of Hector Lavoe’s biggest hits. The 2006 Latin Grammy Awards was a magical night which won’t soon be forgotten. It was a night filled with joy, pride, great music, and lots of Latin Flavor.

Rising Action Theatre Company announces the Florida Premiere of the award winning drama Burning Blue at Cinema Paradiso: 503 SE 6th Street in downtown Fort Lauderdale. This is the Florida Premiere of the Olivier Award Winning Play about a witch hunt for gays in the military. It runs one month only--Nov 18- Dec 23; Saturdays at 7 & 10 and Sundays at 5 pm with a special showing Friday Dec 22. There are no shows the weekend of Dec 2 and 3. Tickets are available by calling (954) 567-8550. They are also available at GayMart. David Greer’s Burning Blue won two Olivier Awards in London and played to sold out houses in Los Angeles, San Francisco and London. London’s Eastern Standard called it “the most topical and shocking play in London.” The plot: when two servicemen go into a gay disco in Hong Kong, it gets reported and it triggers an investigation into their personal lives. According to a recent University of California Report, more than 11,000 service members have been discharged since the “don’t ask don’t tell” policy came into effect costing American taxpayers nearly $364 million. Burning Blue is as timely as ever. Burning Blue features Florida acting favorites Frank Rodriguez, Kevin Johnson (Taking of Miss Janie,) Monica Griffin (Respect,) Steve Woollett (The Last Hairdresser,) John Hernandez (Street Theatre,) Ben Feathers, Gabriela Barbargallo and Charles Bonamy (King Hedley.)

From www.NyTimes.com

Parliament on Tuesday voted resoundingly to legalize same-sex marriages in South Africa, making the nation the first in Africa and the fifth in the world to remove legal barriers to them, according to advocates. The nation’s highest court ruled last December that South Africa’s marriage statute violated the Constitution’s guarantee of equal rights.

The court gave the government a year to alter the legal definition of marriage. That left the government with three choices: legalize same-sex marriages, let the court change the law by fiat or alter the Constitution, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Under the proposal approved by Parliament, heterosexual and same-sex couples could register marriages or civil partnerships. In a concession to critics, the law also would allow civil officers to refuse to marry same-sex couples if such marriages conflicted with their conscience. If the measure is to become law, as both sides said they expected, it must be approved by the National Council of Provinces and signed by President Thabo Mbeki. In many African nations, homosexuality is still treated as a crime. Some impose stiffer penalties for homosexual acts than for rape and murder. And African leaders have regularly denounced homosexuality as immoral and a violation of the natural order and African culture.

Melanie Judge, the program manager for OUT, a gay rights advocacy group, said Parliament had taken a courageous stance in the face of strong political pressure. Although some countries recognize civil partnerships between same-sex couples, she said, only the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain and Canada now allow same-sex marriages. Ms. Judge credits South Africa’s liberal Constitution with forcing change. “This has been a litmus test of our constitutional values,” she said. “It forced us to consider: What does equality really mean? What does it look like? Equality does not exist on a sliding scale.”

Religious groups and traditional leaders proposed to nullify the court ruling by amending the Constitution. But their bill to define marriage as being between a man and a woman died in parliamentary committee. Steve Swart, a legislator with the African Christian Democratic Party and a proponent of the constitutional amendment, said the Parliament had ignored the views of ordinary citizens — and international norms. “We are out of step with the rest of Africa and with rest of world,” he said. “The international norm is civil unions, as opposed to same-sex marriages. What happened today conflict with the views of the majority of South Africans.” He attributed the 230-to-41 vote for the measure to whip-cracking by the governing party, the African National Congress. One party leader was quoted this month as saying that the A.N.C. expected its legislators to support the bill, regardless of their personal beliefs. Vytjie Mentor, the party’s caucus chairman, told a South African newspaper, The Sunday Independent, that there was “no such thing as a free vote or a vote of conscience.” “How do you give someone permission to discriminate in the name of the A.N.C.?” he said. “How do you allow for someone to vote against the Constitution and the policies of the A.N.C., which is antidiscrimination?” Still, Ms. Judge, the gay rights advocate, said the new provision allowing civil officers to refuse to marry gay couples was unconstitutional and would provoke legal challenges. “We can’t be in the situation where civil officers can decide who they want to marry and who they don’t want to marry,” she said. “They aren’t able to refuse to marry a black person and a white person. Why are same-sex couples different?”