Out Spotlight XCIV

Today's Out Spotlight is musician Dee Palmer

Most of the world know Dee as "DP" the dapper dressed, "Sherlock Holmes" style pipe smoking member of rock group Jethro Tull. Dee was born David Palmer was born on July 2, 1937, in London.

Growing up Palmer did what every young man did at the time, joined the army. She learned to play clarinet during a stint in the Royal Horse Guards cavalry regiment to which she was sent. There, she studied at Kneller Hall, the Royal Military School of Music and later studied at the Royal Academy of Music, majoring in composition and winning the Eric Coates Prize.

Starting out her career as a jobbing arranger and conductor of recording sessions, Palmer recorded her first album project, Nicola, in 1967 with Bert Jansch. She was then referred to Terry Ellis, then manager of the early Jethro Tull, which was making its first album at Sound Techniques Studio in Chelsea, London.

At extremely short notice, she came up with arrangements for the horns and strings on the Mick Abraham's composition, "Move on Alone" for Jethro Tull's "This Was" album. This speed of work and professional performance endeared her at once to the band and was soon to visiting the group again in the studio with the brilliant string quartet arrangement to "A Christmas Song".

Palmer would end up officially joining Jethro Tull as keyboardist in 1976, after arranging string, brass, and woodwind parts for the band from the late 1960s and early 1970s. In 1980, leader of Jethro Tull Ian Anderson intended to release a record with other musicians as a solo project (under the name 'Ian Anderson') but was persuaded by his record label to release it instead under 'Jethro Tull' name. Doing so resulted in every member of the group, including Palmer, leaving, except guitarist Martin Barre and Anderson himself. Dee formed a new group, Tallis, with another former Jethro Tull pianist and organist John Evan. The new group was not commercially successful, and Palmer returned to film scoring and session work. And during that time, Palmer produced several albums of orchestral arrangements of the music of his former band Jethro Tull, as well Pink Floyd, Genesis, Yes, the Beatles and Queen.

It was until after turn of the new century, that something changed in Palmer's personal life. After 60's years of living with the secret of feeling a female in a male body. Dur she was . Palmer came to terms with his transgender feelings. Dee had been married to a woman and had not transitioned for practical reasons. When Palmer's wife died, she came to terms with being a transsexual woman and started her transition. In 2003, Palmer's first name was changed to Dee and early in 2004, she announced having undergone sex reassignment surgery as well as having completed a full gender transition to become a woman.


Ian Anderson was one of the people from Jethro Tull to fully accept her, saying "I have known for the past two years of David Palmer’s intention to undergo gender-changing procedures and, like many other people who have known David for three decades as a bearded, pipe-smoking man’s man, I found it difficult to understand at first. But I fully support his decision to undertake a new life as a woman. To the many fans of Jethro Tull, I can only offer that they should accept Dee Palmer for her new persona and hope that they enjoy her musical activities in the future".

A feather and his cap

Most of you have seen a few of the pictures if not all of Austin with Sophia in NYC.

Makes you wonder if Austin going to be able to slip in an out of New York as stealthy as his has in the past. Or will being seen in NYC with friends from the show make it easy for him when he's come back to the city without current co-stars? Will we start to see more pictures of him now that he's a regular? Is that a good thing or double edged sword? And just one thing about his shirt, is giving the wink, like Jake has with his?


There's a lot to be on the look out for in the coming months.

I'm telling Jake that I win best outfit this time.


Don't be like that. I didn't say the feathers were bad, I just don't get the whole bird thing. Thought is all about Blame it on the a-a-a-a-a-alcohol from last night.

Why aren't you saying anything? Don't you like this outfit?

Would post the other pictures, but they are a bit too cheeky. : )

Recycle for the Trees

From Head of the CW Network:

T0: CW Show Promotion Department

RE: Promotional Cost Cooperation

The CW network has been has to take on its share of financial responsibility during these difficult times and makle adjustments to the budgets of every sections. We are asking while he need to put full effort in promoting our two newest show, Melrose Place and that other vampire show that's not Buffy, the rest of the shows will have to share resources and make necessary reductions to their plans.

This is what you get:

Take America's Next Top Model Layout




Give them a theme that means they don't have to use a lot of fonts. Let's make them look like trees. You know Trees - One Tree Hill.

Get a bunch of brown clothes on closeout.


Get a background tree graphic from Olan Mills.

Have the summer students at Parsons to do the photoshop for the final project.



And look what you've got it done for $317. 62



Beat that Fox and Rupert Murdock.

Where would we be without our favorite acorn?

Happy Austin Friday.

Nine ( Nein) Stories

With Jake looking at getting a producing credit on the Untitled Moon Project, (if you haven't seen the article about it check it out, its a good read about where the process is, and commentary about Jake and the role) this might be the first time we see the Nine Stories logo on the screen.
Nine Stories is Jake's long established production come, its name comes from a collection of J.D. Salinger's short stories aptly titled Nine Stories Production.

Jake has affinity and history with Salinger/Salingeresque stories. Of course the first thing you that comes to mind to many is his role in Good Girl, even taken the most famous of Salinger's characters as his own, and clutching to his copy of Catcher in the Rye throughout the film.

Jake has talked about his love of Salinger and his work throughout the years. How he read Catcher in the Rye at 12, on a family vacation to Hawaii after Maggie had given him the book as a gift. And after reading it he read everything Salinger wrote. How he goes back to reread Salinger as mileposts in his life.

What I find most interesting is that Teddy, is his favorite of the Nine Stories collection. To many critics this was the weakess of Salinger's works, he is almost dimissive of it . It is the story of 10 year boy who is a prodigy, who somewhat a mystic, it is cool and detached on the service. Some say that is example of Salinger's transition of spirtualitly to a zen like state. But like others when I read it I saw an unloved, frightened 10-year-old boy reacting defensively to adults and the world around him. Developing a different person, who was a mystic and clairvoyant to gain the love he " desperately needed while at the same time, to distance and protect himself from his uncaring family and the grown-up world."

Also find the comment he made about Salinger in an interview with friend Chelsea Clinton in 2002 (we know the actual interview took place before he went to work on TDAT) particulary intesting as he is rereading Catcher and more Salinger again at 21, as opposed to 12.

"I think now I have an appreciation of the specific more than the broad--the ideas, the sort of Buddhism that pervades all of Salinger's work.

You know, I think it's genius that J.D. Salinger doesn't want anybody to make a movie of his book, because there's no way anyone can play it. it is what it is to everybody. I've met many people who actually dislike it. Especially some women I know."

"Especially the women I know" Don't know about you but doesn't that seem like an odd ending to answer?

Salinger now pretty much a recluse in New Hampshire has unapologetically forbid that any of his work done by Hollywood, after one short story “Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut” was adapted in 1948.

Isn't there a strange irony to the fact that Jake's production company takes its name in an homage to a man who guards so much to protect it.

Salinger's Writing and Film

Two Snaps and a Twist

Art Appreciation today.

Same photographer, two relationships, the head and shoulders aren't the same. Bur are the fingers and the toes?




Interesting that the poses are similar yet a different, what does that mean? Is there some symbolism to who's prominent in the picture and who's not? What is the message the photography is trying to convey?

Phase Three Trials

Seems like Jake has gone undercover since the trip to Martha's Vineyard. Hey does have to work on getting ready to film next month.

Wonder if he used his time in Philly to go to Merck Drugs for a little research in the pharm industry for Love and Other Drugs. I don't know if Pfizer (in Connecticut) is too thrilled about this new movie even if its about their number one product Viagra.

Makes wonder how far he will take his research? And with who? "Come on, I need to know how this works."

But you know what's coming when he does press for it, reporters will ask as so did you do your own research on Viagra? Will it replace "How was it like to kiss a guy" for overasked question? And can you answer that one without incriminating yourself?

But don't know how his research would look.


Trial #1 25 mg. Result: Not effective



Trial #2 50 mg. Results: No reaction


Trial #3 100 mg. Results: No reaction


Control Group with Placebo Results: Immediate reaction



Conculsion: Unsure what to make of trial results, will seriously skew outcomes. Recommendation is to discontinue current trial, and reactivate study regarding subject and the control for placebo effect.

Jean Therapy

There's just something about good jeans. You know when you find great pair of jeans, you wear them all the time, just break them into just right. You getting to hang just the way you like them, or grab your best assets.

Jake goes for the more high end jeans and raw denim ones.



Sometimes he's a Wrangler boy.



While Austin is a tried and true Levi's guy.




Think he's won of few Levi's nights? ; )




Jake Pictures: IHJ
Austin Pictures: Austin Nichols Journal /othforums/othalwaysandforever @ othforums


Update: New Austin pictures... more at Just Jared.




8:06 One More Autstin. Update. Pictures from the set today.