{bazima.com}

I first met Dan Rhatigan at Dick's Bar. He said I was vivacious so I said I loved him. Dan (or "Sparky," as you may know him) has been a New Yorker, a homo, and kind of a nerd for considerably longer than he's been a blogger, which is a really, really long time. He's also one third of the white hot WYSIWYG Talent Show team, along with Chris Hampton and mayoral candidate (for serious) Andy Horwitz (who will be spending 7 minutes in heaven with me very soon). Dan designs those fabulous fliers you see every month (I think this one is my fave) and takes spot-lit action shots at the shows with his fancy pro cam.

Here Dan discusses higher education, fashion sense, and full disclosure. He's very sensitive, so please be considerate and keep your heckling to a minimum.

Blaise K: Dan, you have such a smart sense of style from head to toe. I know smart isn't a very descriptive adjective to describe your style, but maybe that's because a sufficient word hasn't been invented yet. If we were in high school and we were both girls, I would totally be over your house going through your closet in search of snatchable fashions and accessories. You would win the Bazima Best Style Award 2005, if ever there was one. (Hey! Hold on to your lovely hat! I think I'm on to something there!) What, or who, inspires you?
Dan Rhatigan: Oh crap -- start with the hard one, why dontcha? I realized a long time ago that I'm actually hopeless when it comes to fashion, so I've just worked out the minutiae of the few things that work for me -- goofy but not really ironic t-shirts, jeans that give needed lift to my shamefully flat ass, and cute sneakers. And really? It's ALL about the cute kicks, 'cuz they can carry a whole outfit by themselves in a pinch.

BK: You always call me a glamourpuss. Do you really think so? I think I'm more like a fabutard.
DR: But isn't "glamourpuss" just another way of saying "bazima"?

BK: You've mentioned that when you tried to get a master's degree in design, you realized that you could be learning the same things on your own. Do you think that's true of a lot of degree programs or isit just because you're magna-smart?
DR: I think it's true of a lot of degree programs that try to fast-track you into a profession. I'm still trying to get back to grad school, but there are only a couple that wouldn't waste the time and money of someone who's been in the trenches as long as I have. The place I went to before definitely didn't offer me much more than what I can figure out by my magna-smart self, or what I already studied over and over and over again before.

BK: Let's talk about blogs for a minute. For a change. You've had yours since 1998. That was before "blog" was a household name. It was before big blogger parties, before Movable Type, before the Gawker empire, the bloggerati, the cewebrities, when we only used simple words like "post" and "hyperlink" and "Jish." I want to know how you've maintained an obsessive interest in blogging (and is it an interest in the blogosphere as a whole)?
DR: Whoa -- my interest is definitely not obsessive. It's more like, "I have no good excuse to give up on seven years of activity, even if I don't have any funny or dirty stories left to tell." Every time I get lazy and want to quit, I remember that ti's totally changed how I relate to people, how I meet people, and how I clear my head of pent-up trivia. When the WYSIWYG Talent Show got a lazy, shitty review recently, I was all mad that the writer made stupid jokes about bloggers being shut-in losers, when in fact it's been a huge part of getting me, and a lot of sexy, sexy people like you, out into the world to get down with other sexy, sexy people what actually have something to say. THAT'S the crack that keeps me coming back.

BK: You've used your blog Ultrasparky to write about a lot of personal stuff too, and as long as I've known you, you've kept your HIV status in your "about" page. Did anyone ever give you hella shit piles for that? (I find that the readers who write and ask you why in the god forsaken world would you ever post something so personal on the internet for anyone to read are often gratuitously hostile.)

DR: Actually, spilling the beans about my HIV status is probably the single best thing I ever did with my blog, and no one has ever been a jerk about it. In fact, I've gotten nothing but praise for being so straightforward about it. Which is great, because it was stupid and onerous to act like it was a secret shame. BY putting it out on the table, it went from being my burden to just another detail in the mix. I'd rather have people figure out their reaction before making me all nervous about it.

BK: Similarly, do people think you're crazy for having the Krispy Kreme logo tattooed on your arm?
DR: Yes. But then they realize that it's just part of an even crazier all-typography theme, and then they worry less about the Marching K and realize that I'm a totally, totally hardcore design nerd.

BK: Think about all of the t-shirts you have. Which is your favorite?
DR: A decrepit old black one that says "BIG MAC LEADER OF THE PACK" on the front, and a scripty "Hank" on the back, both in fuzzy letters. It's perfectly threadbare and comfy and makes me look all lean and lanky, even though I'm soft and short. And people love to rub the fuzzy letters, which is fun at parties.

Test your Sparky senses at Ultrasparky, and Trusty Sidekicks.