A Picture and a Story

I've decided to start a new series of blog posts naming them 'a picture and a story'. My idea is select a picture and write something about the circumstances of the picture or anything else that comes to mind.

One of the reasons why I really like this picture is that it makes me look far more daring that I actually am. This picture was taken in Barcelona in June '09. Just beyond the bushes on the right, there are lots of people naked on the beach. In fact the people that are walking behind me will have a perfect and unobstructed view of all the nude people on the beach if they keep waling just about 20 feet. That said, in all the days I went to the beach, I never saw anyone walk off the beach or come nearly as far as I did nude. I did this as part of a dare that I made to a friend from DC that was visiting me there. He took the picture, but took about 2 steps off the beach before quickly putting his clothes on.

Kisses for Chistmas

I finally figured out what I want!

2010...

I’m not big on New Year’s resolutions because I believe that we make a thousand little decisions everyday that, when combined, constitute our lives. So instead of resolutions, I’ll share some desires, wishes and goals for the next year.


• The BF and I will celebrate our 17th year together and I want this next year to bring us even closer together.

• I love my family and friends and sometimes I think that I don’t tell them enough just what they mean to me. I hope to tell them that I love them more often.

• I want to not fear making myself more vulnerable in front of others. I want to reach out with kindness to people I don’t even know only because that’s the kind of person I want to be. Some will certainly reject the gesture unsure of what I want and yet others will reject me, but that should not stop me.

• I want to travel. I want to go to Ft Lauderdale, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, Dore, Berlin and the naked gatherings hosted by GNI and IMEN as well as other not yet determined places.

• I would like to figure out a way to go to Burning Man. This will be difficult especially since I’ll be away from home the entire week prior for the GNI Naked Gathering. If I am to attend I’ll have to find a way to get home from Pennsylvania, gather everything I’d need for a week in the middle of nowhere (think tent and 12 gallons of water!), fly to Reno, etc. Seems overwhelming, but I’m still hoping to find a partner in crime. The BF has already said, “Absolutely not.”

• I’d like to be nude and participate in nude activities as much as possible including lots of time at nude beaches.

• I want to play lots of tennis, preferably 4+ times per week. I want to engage in other activities as well such as bicycling and exploring DC and other locales.

• I want to increase my Spanish language proficiency.

• I want to be positive.

• I want to put a smile on people’s faces.

• I want to replace the back deck of my apartment.

• I want to fulfill my obligations at home and at work.

Avatar

When I first saw the preview for this movie, I flagged it as a move to definitely avoid. The whole premise seemed to me like a kid playing a video game and wishing it were all real. It was only after hearing so many good things about the movie over the past few weeks from critics and viewers alike that I decided that I had to see it. Well tonight was the night.

I bought my tickets online and on the confirmation page I noticed the unusually high price. So I went back to figure out why. It turns out there the movie is in 3D. The BF said that his eyes have problems with 3D so we tried to find a regular showing, but none would fit into our timeframe. In the end we went to the 3D showing.

WOW!!! I'm so glad we say the 3D version! I tend to be very critical of stupid movies, which is why I thought I wouldn't like this one, but there was nothing stupid about it. The acting was good, the plot was interesting and visuals were fantastic.

On the technology front (only because I'm a geek), I can't believe how much better 3D movies have gotten since I've last seen one. This was the first 3D movie I've ever seen where the 3D was not either a gimmick or a distraction, but rather fit naturally and seamlessly into the move. The other thing that amazed me was the special effects. I have no idea how the graphically created the natives, but man was it impressive and completely believable.

Disgusting

I ran across this ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING chart today and had to repost. If there's any wonder about how absolutely fucked up our healthcare system really is, this chart dispells it all. Click the picture to view full-size.

A Look Forward

I had a friend post the following to his facebook page the other day:

If I had a dime for every time I heard someone say to me ... "You're gay!!! Homo!!!!!!" ... Like its some sort of newsflash, I'd be rich. Am I THAT fabulous really? Or are they just stupid idiots with no respect? I think the latter AND the former are both correct.

The friend is a beautiful and sexy, 24 year old black guy. Truth is that I really never had to endure name-calling like this. As a kid I was the typical sports-oriented boy with a secret. Although I never had girlfriends, but somehow no one ever suspected me of being gay. At this point in my life I've reached a point where I really don't care what people say or think too much. I've come to set my own standards based on principles that I think are important such as treating all people with respect and not littering, but I could care less if someone doesn't like the hot pink pants that I'm wearing (for the record I don't own said pants, but if I did...).

But it pains me that my friend, or anyone for that matter, has to ensure this. It pains me that the world could be so cruel. Is it any wonder that so many of us are slightly damaged? Be who you are and never forget that love cannot make you less of a person.

Burning Man

I've always heard of Burning Man and wanted to go. The past 5 years of my life I've forced myself wish less and do more so I really considered going in 2010. That said it seems like such a daunting task because:

• The GNI Naked Gathering is the week prior so I'll already be out of work and vacationing for a week prior to Burning Man. The biggest issue however is rushing to get back to DC, get all my stuff in order and fly out west the very next day.
• Since you have to take everything you need with you, I'd have to bring all my food, clothing and 12 gallons of water. How do I even carry 12 gallons of water without a car?
• I like the idea of 'surviving' the wild, but let's face it I'm a native-NYC boy. Now I went camping as a boy on several occasions but I'd feel much better doing such a large thing like this with someone else for support.

For these reasons I'm beginning to doubt whether I'll be going next year. This wouldn't be too terrible since I have a friend in Baton Rouge that has been trying to get me down to New Orleans for Southern Decadence during that same weekend. Besides, New Orleans wouldn't be bad at all since every time I've been with him has always been tremendously fun in the absolute worst kind of way.

Feeling Better

So I've been kind of down on how the healthcare debate has been going and what it says about our country and our political system's ability to get anything done. I wrote about it a little bit here. I began to wonder if the healthcare bill as passed by the Senate was even worth it or whether we should scap it and fight for something better. Well, now that passage seems imminent, I realized that I over-reacted and now feel much better. There's a lot in this bill that will help us as a nation.

I'll be honest though. I think that this bill may cause some problems. The problems will arise when people are forced to purchase health insurance out of their own pockets if the cost of healthcare is not affordable. One of three things I could see happening at that point:

1. Congress makes further changes to the system and implement the public option or something similar,
2. Congress takes away the requirement that everyone must have health insurance or be fined, or
3. Nothing happens, people suffer, and people blame the Democrats and elect Republicans.

Obviously I'm hoping for number 1.

Political Despair...

So I think I've finally figured something out... and it is not good. I've determined that people (as in "we" as opposed to "them") are fundamentally flawed. Ready for my grand revelation? It's that we're fundamentally selfish. Don't get me wrong because I'm not trying to be negative, but am coming to accept the nature that evolution has given us.

We are by nature communal creatures. However our interest in community fundamentally conflicts with our strong instinct for preservation of self. I guess I would've liked to believe that we've evolved more than we have. I wish it was like it was Star Trek (original series) when mankind almost blew itself up at the end of the 20th century and then collectively realized that war works in our mutual dis-benefit. But we're not there yet and probably never will be.

So what led to this revelation?

• The completely asinine statements by Republicans against any kind of meaningful healthcare reform. The truth is that they're really against any healthcare reform that it is not completely either (a) remove lawsuits or (b) reduce taxes and public programs. What's even more disheartening is that even this is trumped by their real goal... to see the Democratic president fail at any cost.
• Real life is complex. I haven't met a single person that resembles the caricatures that we try to make them out to be sometimes. Real problems require hard thought with trade-offs and determined follow through. It would be nice if our national discourse were moving in a direction that realizes this and values thoughtfulness. However, I'm realizing that sound bites and one-liners trumps the complexity of truth and reason. Unfortunately with all the good associated with the advent of television and the subsequently the Internet, these new technologies have also enabled the stupid statements such as "death panels".

Return of Super Nekkid Saturday

Super nekkid Saturday are those weekends when multiple nude parties occur on the same day. Of course I love the chance to bare all for (nearly) the entire day. I've written about prior super nekkid Saturdays here and here.

This particular Saturday started with us going to a baby shower. A gay couple that are friends of ours have been working to adopt/surrogate for at least over a year now. Well, just about a month ago their baby girl was born and she's is absolutely adorable. The funny thing is in all of their pictures they look completely haggard and utterly frightened. That said, I think gay couples are generally way more prepared for children then straight couples because they have to work at it so long and hard. All I'm saying is generally speaking most gay couples don't have "accidents".

After the shower was the naked cocktails. I can say how glad I am that these monthly events have returned to DC. Once again we had about 100 naked guys there on a Saturday afternoon. Anyone who's ever thinking of participating in a naked event, but is feeling apprehensive, this is a great event to come to.

Directly from naked cocktails we went to a naked holiday party hosted by one of the members up in southern Maryland. He has a terrific place nicely on a nicely secluded lot. About 100 guys showed up there too. I've been to two other parties that he's hosted before, but they were typically smaller parties of 30 or so where he only invited people he knew. This party was open to the full membership of one of the local nudist groups. There was light food, a great selection of wines, beers and spirits. Have I mentioned the naked men?

Why do I love being naked with others so much? Well, aside from the obvious reasons I'd like to share a message that was posted on the message board of one of the nudist groups I belong to (identity removed). This was submitted in response to an open question regarding the gay communities tendency to treat each other harshly based on appearance or perceived worth or lack there of. Here's the response:

It's a funny thing about looks and how people judge us. I'm not a horrible looking guy. But I'm certainly not great looking. Am also 45, hairy and about 50 pounds overweight. Have I encountered rejection in clothed social situations? YES. Many times. I do feel I look better clothed than naked.


In clothes free situations, I experience rejection far less. This is true of a variety of clothes free groups. Why? Have no idea.

My sentiments exactly. At both of the parties as well as in Key West and every other naked party everyone intermingles far more than I see at almost any other open gathering of people. The young with the old, the trim with the rotund. This is community at its best.

Naked in Key West

The BF, a good friend and I all went down to Key West for the Bone Island Bare It All Weekend. We had gone last year and enjoyed it so we decided to go again this year. We flew into Miami airport since for some reason flying directly into Key West always seems to be twice as expensive. So we rented a car and drove the 3 hours or so from Miami through the Keys. It's actually a pretty drive once you get onto the Overseas Highway and out of traffic.
This year we stayed at the Island House and were pretty much naked as often as possible. We met quite a few people that we had met last year as well as people that we met at the GNI Gathering in Pennsylvania. Interestingly enough we also ran into several people from DC, some of which we knew and others that we were meeting for the first time.

Highlights of the weekend included:

• Welcome party at the Island House (naked)
• Naked event at 801 Bourbon. Activities included things that would get you arrested in DC. Of course I participated.
• Lunch at the Blue Heaven amongst the cats, roosters and chickens. One of the cats popped a squat 4 feet from our table, but diligently covered it up.
• Playing tourist at the southernmost tip of the continental US.
• Taking a pedicab from the most beautiful Croatia guy. Interestingly enough he first said Romania. I'm always interested in how people regard themselves.
• Pool party at the Equator Guest House (naked)
• Dance party at the Aqua (naked).
• Night at Bourbon Street Pub (naked). The foam machine was so much fun last year, but this year it got cold on Saturday night so we didn't get the chance to enjoy the foam.
• And of course all the time and events at the Island House.

I came across these words from the Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell today...

"I've got a cheerful, upbeat, optimistic team ready to go to battle over what most of my members, if not all of them, believe may well be the most important issue they will ever deal with in their time in Congress -- this effort to transform the American health care system into a European type system," he said. "So we are anxious for the debate and are going to give it our best shot. And I don't know how it's going to turn out."

I believe that people reveal themselves in the little things they say. That is, I believe that if you observe someone closely enough you can get peeks into what motivates them. What I get from this short quote is that he's not sure if he'll win what he describes as the most important issue he'll ever face, but yet he is happy because he thinks he'll get a couple of extra seats in the senate out of it. Can there any more glaring example of putting politics way ahead of policy?

The other thing that strikes me about this is the long-standing theme that Republicans have espoused that say that anything European is anti-American. If they really want to insult something/someone, they'll say it's French even.

Well having been there a few times I can tell you that we have much to learn from Europeans. Don't misunderstand me now... because they have much to learn from us too. But to refuse to learn from another's successes and failures is just plain stupid.

Weekend Wrap Up

This weekend felt like old times. On Friday I just hung out with a good friend of mine at the Eagle. At his suggestion we stripped down to our jockstraps (what a coincidence that we both were wearing one) and just talked for a good time. I really enjoy times like these when you can just connect with people on a personal level.

Saturday afternoon was our second naked cocktail gathering. About 112 people showed up, dwarfing the size of our first gathering last month and showing just how much people really do love this event. As normal, it was completely non-sexual. We just talked to old friends and met new ones. I had invited a Latino friend of mine that is almost 40 but still has one foot firmly in the closet due to an intense fear of his self-admitted, homophobic family. He's never had close gay friends or allowed himself a real boyfriend, but has replaced these meaningful relationships with random sex. Partly I invited him just to get him into a specifically social and non-sexual event. He was very timid in the beginning, but warmed up to the atmosphere after a little while and had a really good time.

Later we went out to a couple's house that was having a clothing-optional party and invited the group that attended the naked cocktails to join them. Given that there were several things going on that evening that I knew about, I was surprised by how many people showed up. As always, we had a fantastic time and it was a wonderful way to complete our weekend.

In Memory of ...

In memory of Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado, a life taken from us way too soon and because no one should have to suffer through this.

On Racism and Discrmination

I recently heard someone spout racist remarks about people of another ethnicity. Their ire was neither directed at me nor blacks nor gays nor any other group to which I consider myself and yet still it bothered me. There are characteristics that I hold in very, very high esteem and among these are how do we treat our fellow human, do we respect others, and are we nice and caring. To me racism and discrimination directly indicates the exact opposite to an entire group of people based solely on the circumstances of their birth.

Truth be told, there are two kinds of racism out there. There's the overt racism in which the person understands that they have a preference for some over others. Then there's the more insidious racism of those that tell ourselves that we are not racists, but our actions still hurt or disadvantage others along arbitrary lines.

So how is it that some of are so sure that this insidious form of racism is so wide-spread whereas others are equally sure that it is not? How can these points of view be so far apart? The answer is hard to accept and lies deep within the nature of our species. We humans naturally define concentric circles of "us versus them" in which we almost always favor the inner circle when compared to an outer circle. We tend to lookout for our own interest before another; our own family before strangers; and our village before the world.

This very natural act that has been fruitful in binding communities together for millenia is also the root of racism and other forms discrimination. It defines "us" and skews our mind's perception of what is good so to benefit the "us". It is why we'll fight for our friends, family, village, tribe or country even if something deep inside of us knows that we are in the wrong. Want and example of this? Think of any movie in which the main character is obviously in the wrong and yet by the director showing us the movie from this character's perspective we are drawn into sympathizing and even routing for him to win. The director has succeeded in making the bad guy one of "us". It is part of our survival and self-preservation instinct.

What does this mean? That we're all racists to some extent. Understanding and accepting this is critical to overcoming the problems of racism and discrimination. It is only when we understand our natural tendencies to choose others like us over those that are different that we can free ourselves from its ill-effects.

So the next question is "why"? Why should we even fight these natural tendencies if they have served us so well throughout time? The answer is because our world has changed. No longer do we live in villages where everyone looks like us and acts like us. No longer are the actions of one village divorced from ramifications on the other side of the planet. Today, our village is multi-racial, multi-ethnic and diverse and therefore even this low-grade, insidious racism destroys the fabric of our community.

Dang Mormons

Although I am not a fan of the Mormon Church, I do not view them much differently than any other. There are many reasons for me dislike this church including their long history of intense discrimination against blacks and the current crusade against gay marriage in California.

But in spite of all of this I like to give credit where credit is due. The Mormon Church recently supported a bill giving gays protection against discrimination in housing and employment. One might interpret this as a tactical move on their part to counter the criticism they received after the California ballot initiative, but I'm skeptical. It seems to me that the bill actually has too much meaning to be just symbolic.

I've stated in the past about how I couldn't possibly trust a Republican on health care, race and gay issues because they've never done anything proactively in those areas. They only throw stones at Democratic attempts to move the ball forward. If they think that current gay legislation goes too far or is somehow flawed, then I want to see them put forward a bill that guarantees the dignity of gay people in what they see as the "right" way. And I don't want to see it as a response to water-down a Democratic initiative. I want to see it originate from them as something they believe in. If they say that they think health care should be affordable for all and that gay people should be able to visit each other in hospitals, then let them do something to show it rather than just say it as they vote "no".

Well, kudos to the Mormon Church because at least they took a step in that direction. Tomorrow something may happen that will change my mind, but at least today I'll take their word at face value.

Burning Man or Bust

The world seems to be becoming so homogeneous. One of the inevitable side-effect of globalization is that cultures tend to become more and more like each other. I've even seen the homogenization of of New York where I was born as well as my new hometown of Washington DC. That which makes us unique is evaporating and I mourn its passing.

That's why I jump at any opportunity to experience cultural or geographical uniqueness before it is gone. One such event that I've wanted to attend for quite a while, but have not yet had the chance is Burning Man. It's always seemed such a daunting event to participate in, but I think I am ready to do it.

It takes place on the weekend before Labor Day. Scheduling is going to be a little challenging though since it happens just after GNI, to which I am definitely going, and during the same period as Southern Decadence. I've also never been to Decadence, but obviously I wouldn't be able to do both Decadence and BM in the same year.

Anyway, if anyone has any recommendations or stories on BM, I'd love to hear them. I also wouldn't mind meeting up to go since the BF has made it quite clear that being in an empty desert for a week is definitely not up his alley.

Ending quote "Now I hope you parents at home with faggy-acting little boys have been taking notes because we've gotten a lot of good advice here."

How To Find A Masculine Halloween Costume For Your Effeminate Son

White Americans Are Losing Their Country

Black Americans have shed blood in every American war since the Revolution. This country, even the very Capitol building in which today's legislators now demand to see the birth certificate of the first black president, was built on the sweat and sinew of slaves. Before we were people in the eyes of the law, before we had the right to vote, before we had a black president, we were here, helping make this country as it is today. We are as American as it gets. And frankly, the time of people who think otherwise is passing. If that's the country Buchanan wants to hold onto, well, he's right, he is losing it.

I came across this blog entry today and just had to post a piece of it. Specifically it is meant to confront the Pat Buchanan's statement that white people are losing their country. However, it reaches me at a much deeper level. To me, it does not stoke defiance and rage but rather truth, pride and a certain strength that this truth displays about where we come from, where we are and where we are heading. Amen.

Unhappiness

I read this article today from HuffingtonPost.com. Originally, they had written an article last week about the declining happiness of women, which they were supposed to follow up with major keys to increased happiness. I guess the responses to the first article made such an impact that they decided to postpone talking about the keys to happiness to instead broaden the topic to include men and share some of the thoughts of people that wrote in.

The idea of happiness is one that I have a lot of opinions on and have written about several times. Although I love much about our way of life, there is something severely warped about it all and chief amongst this is our incredible materialism. I especially loved the words of one person that wrote in about this:

I read (the) article you wrote titled, "Women Are Unhappy? And You're Surprised?" Great job! I was one of the unhappy 10 years ago. I had a great job, good marriage, nice house, kids, maids, etc, etc, but I was terribly unhappy. I began a journey that has brought me to where I am today (very happy and fulfilled). Funny thing is, I do not have any of the material crap that I had 10 years ago. I mean, I still have the kids, of course, but not the fancy corporate job with the stable paycheck and not the husband that looked good, but was not good for me. I now live in the country as a single Mom of 3 kids with no child support, scratching out her survival and I am the happiest I have ever been in my life. I wrote a book to try and encourage more people to do as I have, but I think it will appeal to women more than men. I am curious, as a man, do you think only women are unfulfilled with the empty material possessions we were told would make us happy? See, I think men are just as unhappy. Maybe not all of them, but I think a lot of the younger ones are. Perhaps you could do a follow-up article on the impact to men? Just a thought.

It reminds me of the conversation between the mythical creature Grendal and the dragon that was suggested after expounding on the futility and meaninglessness of life, “See out gold and sit on it.” This too is what our culture has taught us and yet it is equally unsatisfying.

The Oppression of Culture

A friend of mine once told me about his situation. He originally comes from a country with a very strict, religious culture located in the middle-east. A few years ago he met a beautiful girl while visiting in his home country and married. Although he says that in the beginning he was completely in love, the marriage quickly went south. I'll relay his explanations of what went wrong in a moment, but before I do let me say that my friend is gay. He say that his wife became verbally and physically abusive shortly after marriage and that this is what killed his love for her. He said that she would throw tantrums and begin beating him in public. He says that she continually berates him. Since then he's moved back to the states and she remains in his country. They still talk by phone everyday, but really they argue much more than talk.

He says that even worse of berating him, she talks bad about his family. So about a week ago he decided to give her some of her own medicine and be equally cutting. The response was quick. She's now talking divorce, which I think is best thing that could happen to this disaster.

Here's the interesting part... In spite of his experiences, he says he still thinks that if he found the right girl, that he'd fall completely in love and stay happy and faithful for the rest of his life. I doubt it, but who am I say "no"?

We talked about his desire to have natural-born children. What struck me most was his question of what is the motivation for living in the absence of children. Well, I can think of a lot and began to give him specific things that make life glorious and worth living... no... worth relishing.

He's had relationships with guys before: one for four years and one for 7. But he's convinced that healthy relationships in America are nearly impossible because there's too much opportunity. He says that he even feels his own eyes and desires wander while here. These past few months he's become celibate after an HIV scare earlier this year. He's cut ties from all of his gay friends and never goes out. As a result his entire cadre of acquaintances are people from his country. As he puts it, they're all married and have children or are expecting. He says that he has no friends.

Of course we have to understand the extraordinary pressure that culture and family places upon people in these situations. I remember how impossible it all seemed for me in the beginning and can't begin to imagine how much more hopeless it would've seemed if I were in his situation. Therefore I cast no stones, but still it touches me.

Of course his story is not unique. I have another friend (latino) in much the same situation. No, he's neither married nor looking to marry. This one is over 40 and has progressed to the stage where he believes life remains completely out of reach. He feels sad and alone and tries to substitute anonymous sex for things we wants, but believes are out of reach. His problem is that he's sure that his family would disown him if they found out and he feels that he's grown up to close to them to lose them.

Struggle

Before I begin let me say that by trade I am a technologist. I program computers for a living. It's something I began doing long before I knew that anyone would ever pay me for it and I continue to love it until this day.

That said, I think that there is something seriously twisted with our society and what we call progress. Progress is almost always associated with clever inventions and productivity increases. It's kind of like those TV commercials that proclaim if only you had this type of soap or that kind of gadget that our lives would be finally complete. In a way we all know that it's a scam and yet in a broader sense we've all bought into this line of thinking.

I believe that we were made to struggle and that that struggle is an inseparable part of our existance. I believe that we without challenges of all types, we cease to grow and in a very real way we start to die. We must labor in spirit and mind and body. Yes... and to some extent we must even suffer inconvenience and discomfort, but rather than these being negative things they are a part of what makes life beautiful and full. Although I'd never walk knowlingly head first into a door, I believe that we have gone way too far in our pursuit to eradicate even the slightest bit of discomfort from our lives.

Somehow we've come to believe that the ultimate goal of progress is to... to... well to not do anything. We attempt to invent and then purchase these things to do everything for us. The sad reality is that we have become indentured to the maintenance and care of the very things that we thought would free us in the first place. But free us from what? Life?

Life is about living and loving and sharing of one's self. Life is to be experienced. Rather than becoming hermetically sealed perhaps we should be playing in the dirt just a little more.

So what is real progress? Real progress is using the vast creativity of the human spirit to alleviate true suffering such as hunger and disease. True progress is to prevent murder and rape and to provide an opportunities for happiness to all. And in these ways our progress as a species has been spotty at best.

But until we achieve true progress, I'll keep my day job of programming computers so that they can make us a cup of coffee without us having to lift a single finger.

We Are Beautiful

If ever there was a theme song made just for me, this is it. The truth is that I believe that I am unique and special and yes... beautiful. But the real miracle is that so is everyone else. We all are beautiful. Sure there are some that have covered their beauty with ugliness, but the majority of us retain the beauty of our creation. I love this song because it reminds us of who we are.

We're On!

Naked cocktails are back! To recap, a local group ran bi-monthly naked cocktails at a local bar, which was absolutely fabulous. I was terribly disappointed when it all abruptly ended. Recently a fellow nudist took it upon himself to help revive it at a new location. Well, this Saturday was our first event and being the first event we knew the bar would be watching to determine if they would allow us to meet again.

Well it went fantastically! There were 82 naked gay guys there. I'm sure holding on the same weekend as the Equality March didn't hurt our numbers. Everyone was on their best behavior. Thankfully, the vibe was similar to the naked cocktails of old. I was pleasantly surprised to see a few guys who attended GNI (naked camping) who were visiting from out of state.

It was just a beautiful time spent with fellow nudists in a comfortable environment. I hadn't realized just how much I had missed this event. Thanks to the guys that helped make this possible.

Fox News on Healthcare

I hate Fox news so I can't believe I'm going to post a video from them. Nonetheless, here I go...

This video shows a slither of objectivity from Fox. It also shows the completely incoherent arguments made by the GOP Sentor Shep Smith. When his inaccurate statements are debunked, Smith changes the subject. He also makes intellectually inconsistant arguments. For example, he states that he thinks we should be looking for how to reduce waste fraud and abuse in Medicare. Of course this is exactly what Obama said, but earlier Smith characterized Obama statements that we need to reduce waste, fraud and abuse in Medicare as cutting Medicare and hurting our seniors. He then goes on to state that the Government is incapable of reducing waste, fraud and abuse. Er... so then how can that be part of his prescription to control healthcare costs? Confused?

This goes to the larger issue. The Republicans. They're not even slightly interested in solving our healthcare crisis. The only reason they're even offering what anemic suggestions that they are offering is because some of them think that they have to say anything. Most of them are just sticking to the "say nothing" party line anyway.

When has a Republican or a Republican-led arm of Government ever tried to improve healthcare? NEVER! So why would we believe them now? If healthcare dies this year do you think they're going to bring it up when they're in control? Not a chance in hell.

Smoking is Gay

First I was "hmmf", then was like "WTF", then I realized it was way over the top. Finally I realized it was from The Onion.


New Anti-Smoking Ads Warn Teens 'It's Gay To Smoke'

Naked Cocktails Have Returned

Woohoo! The Washington area had had a naked cocktail social at the Green Lantern for quite a while. At first it was once a month, then moved to twice a month. On a slow day there would be about 60 naked guys. On a good day, we would have double that.

Well in February of this year naked cocktails ceased to be. Well, thanks to the hard work of several people, naked cocktails has returned! The venue has changed, but the spirit will be the same. Our first party will be held next week and of course I am greatly looking forward to it.

There is talk about it possibly moving to a twice monthly schedule, but that'll be determined in the future. For now, I am just happy that there is always a naked event on the calendar. A little something to look forward to. A place where we can relax, see old friends and meet new ones.

Folsom

Woohoo! Just got back from Folsom Street Fair and had a great time. Of course in keeping with the primary topic of this blog, I love Folsom mostly because of the opportunity for legal public nudity. Of course there are many other reasons too.

This time it was just me and the BF. We met up with two guys we had met at Folsom the year before that we've maintained contact with. One of them lives in Ft. Lauderdale and we've seen him once last year in FTL, once in Key West and twice while he was visiting and later passing through DC. The other one is from New Orleans. Although we hadn't seen him before, we had kept in touch. Once of them travels constantly and got a free room so we all stayed in the same room along with one other guy from New Orleans just a few blocks from the fair.

I love Folsom for the craziness. I love all the people we meet and get to know. I love the parties even though I'm not really into the circuit party thing. I love just meeting people in the bars south of Market like Powerhouse, Ramrod and the Eagle. I love the leather dress up and underwear (or not) dress down. I love walking naked in the streets.

Tennis Porn

Of course I love tennis and what could possibly be better than playing naked. Was very disappointed that weather at naked camping this year didn't allow me to play. I'll just have to keep looking at these pics to hold me over 'til next year.

Yannik Noah: Black french player from the 80s. I love this pic, because his cock is peeking around the corner ever so slightly:

The cutest of them all, Rafael Nadal of Spain getting a massage:

Carlos Moya of Spain:

Juan Carlos Fererro of Spain. He was number one for a while I believe back in the late 90s or early 2000s. Still playing today:

Feliciano Lopez of Spain:

Tommy Robredo of Spain:

Tommy Robredo again:

Masturbating Rats

I came across this article about research into a rub-on, Viagra-like drug that is in the works. What struck me about the article was when it mentioned that research had been successful on rats. I'm not one for rats, but I can't help but laugh at the idea of someone rubbing on some salve onto a rat's dick and then somehow exciting it enough to see if gets harder more often that when the play with the rat's little thingy under normal conditions. Can I even use the word normal here?

One Week to Folsom

I'm really looking forward to going back to Folsom Street Fair next week. We'll be leaving early Friday and returning on Monday. The main events for the weekend will be walking nude in the main fair and of course the Magnitude party. In anticipation of next week, I posted some of my photos from last year...

Signs of Life

I haven't posted for a while and it wasn't for any reason that I am aware of. After all, I'm still living, going naked and thinking about the world around me.

Last week we went to the Gay Naturist International (GNI) gathering in Pennsylvania. I really, really wanted to go for the full week, but I have taken too many vacations already this year and could only get away for the half week option. So we were there from Wednesday through Sunday. We winded up staying in a cabin with 6 good friends, which was very cool because I love all of them and we get along so well. A friend in the cabin next door also arranged for us to be part of his group, so we even dressed up for all of the themed events. You have no idea what a stir 20 naked men dressed in nothing but rainbow colored balloons can make.

Last night we went to a Labor Day naked pool party and afterward we accompanied a friend to a new, once-a-month leather party, which gave me my first excuse to wear my latex jock strap that I bought in May. The party was actually pretty fun, but I couldn't help comparing it to some of the places in Europe.

On politics.... I've completely lost all faith in the human race. At this point I'm dubious that we'll get health care reform, which I think is the most important new initiative we could possible undertake. But beyond that, having a black president has shown me just how much some of the country hates us and I find that depressing. Perhaps I was just a little too optimistic in the first place. Oh well.

Going Negative

I hate complaining, but this has been on my mind these past few days. Those of you that have read my blog before have probably seen me celebrating life, thinking positive, contemplating the universe or just having non-destructive fun. But not today...

Some of you will say "duh" and think how late I am to realize the obvious. Perhaps that's because I am an optimist. Nevertheless, I am where I am.

I despise the Republicans! Not the people because that would be an over-generalization, but the party. Some thoughts...

1. On many occasions, they've attacked Obama on substantive issues. They've even exaggerated a little in making their point. I have no problem with this since this is how real arguments are made and disagreements are voiced.


2. On other occasions, they've played politics. They've opposed issues not because they've disagreed, but rather because they want to be contrary to whatever the Democrats and Obama are advocating. This bothers me only slightly more than the first. Inevitably people will pick sides in fights because there's strength in numbers. Politics is politics after all. It only becomes egregious when you sacrifice your true beliefs (i.e. soul) or knowingly and recklessly cause harm to others (see below) in the process. Otherwise, this just an unfortunate side-effect of a well-functioning process.


3. On yet other occasions, the deliberately and bold-facedly lie. The compromise ideals close to their hearts for political gain. The knowingly put politics ahead of the interest of those they are elected to serve and represent. This is horrible politics at its (near) worst! One recent examples of this include Republican governors rejecting extended unemployment benefits for their own, suffering people.

But this is not the worst! Nor is it the reason why I can't see my self voting for any Republican no matter how good he/she is for a long time to come...

The modern Republican party was built on opposition to the civil rights movement. The south used to be predominately Democrat up until 1960. During the civil rights movement, the Republicans stood firmly behind the American-apartheid system and have held the south ever since. See for yourself. Look at this map that I posted before and note how abruptly the south changes from before 1960 and after 1960. The change is startling.

But even that didn't bother me. As an optimist I look toward the future. Sure I remember the past for its valuable lessons, but not assign blame and the country has changed a lot since 1964. Not even the Republican party believes in the inequality they defended in the 1960s right?

But today as I look at the last category of attacks on Barak Obama I am appalled. They tell us (blacks) that we should aspire to be more. They tell us that society should provide "equal opportunity" without any special help and that we minorities should compete and take advantage of this. And yet, the minute the result is not to their liking, they attempt to use race to destroy us. Attacks on Obama are expected. A racial attack on Obama is an attack on me.

Even still this only bothers me a little. Why would I be bothered that there are racists in this country? I already knew that. After all, we may be on a path to a post-racial society but we certainly aren't there yet and I celebrate how far on the path we've actually come.

What really bothers me is the Republican leadership and other elected and party officials. They've thrown us under the bus as they've sat back and allowed, and in some cases condoned or stoked, these racial attacks and hatred. They see my life as political collateral damage. So what if Black-Americans are set back 20 years? So what if little Black have less hope as long as it helps them in the 2010 elections? Some things are worth standing up for. With their (in)actions, they've shown me what I and my life mean to them.

So I say Fuck Em. It'll be a very long time I'd consider voting Republican again even if Jesus himself was in the running.

BTW: I may have talked mostly about Obama, but the treatment of Sotomayor has been equally egregious and upsetting. Latinos are considered collateral damage as well. And it's not just Blacks and Latinos, but any ethnic group that they think will stir up their base and get them a few more votes.

I'll consider Republican arguments and candidates again when they clearly show that they value as a Black/American and when I hear them decry white-on-black racism and preferential treatments of whites at least as much as I hear them decry black-on-white racism and preferential treatment of blacks. Listening to them, you would think that Black America had enslaved Whites for 200 years followed by another 100 years of continued oppression.

OK, I'm done.

Thoughts on the Gates Jr Incident

I'm sure there are at least as many opinions on this as their are people, but I thought I'd share my two cents...

After following this for a while, it really doesn't seem like a clear, racial confrontation to me. To me it speaks more to police's demand that you show the man some respect. I understand why they want and need respect. The police's weapon of first choice to maintain peace and order is to display authority, which is much more preferable all around than resorting to tazers, guns, arrests and billy clubs. Interestingly enough, there was another recent and related event that occurred in my hometown just a couple of days ago.

It seems to me that both parties over-reacted a little and escalated what should have been a fairly benign event.

1. The 911 caller didn't even report Gates ethnicity at first and even when asked, was unsure.
2. Gates was probably a little indignant since he was in his own home. That said, it's actually a good thing to know that if someone is breaking down your door that the police are going to come and ask a few questions.
3. Once the Gates did identify himself, the police shouldn't have lured him outside with the intent of "teaching him a lesson".

I'll take Obama one step further, there was stupidly all around on this one.

That said, I thought this video from David Chappelle was funny. But beyond that, it speaks to a real truth... Whether or not this was a racial incident or not, it was exacerbated by the racial non-equality that persists until this day.




The issue is real. Switching to politics for a moment... when the Republicans demonize Obama as racist or characterize him using racial overtones, I don't think they have no idea how they are alienating blacks and probably other ethnic groups from their party. Instead of building bridges they're blowing them up. They're also doing the same thing with Sotomayor and the Latinos. To listen to them you would think that almost all minorities are inherently non-American and have alternative agendas. That they all put race above justice and what is right. And yet they can find no cases of prejudice exhibited by the hundreds and thousands of white politicians.

Home

I arrived back in Washington DC just a few days ago. This of course was my second, extended stay in Barcelona. I loved it so much the first time that I chose to spend a second extended stay there instead of using the time to visit places I had never been. All I can say is that I wouldn't have thought it possible to have enjoyed it more than the 1st time, but indeed I did.

My trip was all I wanted and more. Of course I love the language study and just the fact of being in a foreign place that I love. Of course I loved the beaches. But above all else, I loved getting to know the people there. I mean really talking to and getting know the people that live everyday of their lives there. The people opened their arms and accepted me in to their lives if only for a short while and I have no doubt that a few of them will remain friends for many years to come.

Having been gone from work for so long, I started to become anxious about the crises and catastrophes that would await me. I was pleasantly pleased to find that all was in order. Sure my inbox was overflowing and it'll take a couple of weeks just to unbury myself, but all was ok.

But most of all, I'm happy to be reunited the BF and my little doggie. These past few days at home have just felt so right and joyful that I couldn't imagine myself anywhere else for a long period of time. I love Barcelona and definitely plan to return within the next year or two. But my home is and always will be wherever the BF is.

Gay Pride

I've only ever seen these in Europe, but think that they're so logical. They were perfect for gay pride and I used them quite a few times since I was drinking beer.

Almost nude.

The dragon was hilarious mostly because it was obviously so dangerous. See the wires protruding from the font? Every once in a while, they'd put these huge firework things on them, which would then shoot sparks up to 30 feet in all directions and send the crowd running for their lives. At the end they exploded with M80 like power. I was shocked that no one got hurt.

The picture doesn't do this guy justice. He as just completely hot!

Updates

This past Sunday was Barcelona gay pride day. Normally BCN is known to have very small gay pride festival relative to the size of the city, but this time they went all out. This was the second major celebration that occurred during my trip which I was unaware of when I first planned it.

My first two visiting friends from Washington have now departed. The first left on Sunday. He left just in time because he was just starting to become immune to Red Bull and seriously needed to catch up on lost sleep. The second departed just this past Wednesday morning. Today the second pair of friends arrived and we're looking forward to a great time together.

What's been going on?

• An older Catalan guy named Jose Luis drove us down to Sitges where we had an absolutely fabulous dinner. We then headed over to a bar to watch a show with 60 year old men in drag, which was very entertaining.
• Went back to beach la Playa Mar Bella several times where I met a slightly crazy named Nicolas. We had several beers in bar by the beach, then ordered tapas at another restaurant. Later that evening we met up at Punto.
• Attended the pride parade and the festivities afterwards at Plaza Espanya. While there I ran into Juan, and older guy and friend of Jose Luis, Jonan, a very cute and affectionate guy I met my first week here and Gabriel a very sexy student in language school.
• Spent quite a bit of time talking to a black immigrant from Columbia. He's a very good looking guy that I had met a few times before in Punto. He talked about how much he loves the openness of the city. Of course I agreed.
• Spent time with Jose Luis and Carlos and met Carlos's brother.
  Met a guy from Malaga who now lives in BCN. His name is Francisco.

Pictures

I'm not as good about taking pictures as the BF, but I have managed to get a couple.

Outside the language school:
In the stairwell of my apartment building:

It says "Dangerous Bottom", but don't believe everything you read:

In the apartment:

Stayed nude as I left the beach area on a dare:

Week in Review

Picture of the small square/plaza just steps from my apartment.

The first friend from back home arrived yesterday about 6 hours after the scheduled time due to weather problems, mechanical issues and just about everything else. He was pretty wiped out. For our first day, we walked around the city quite a bit, ate at a great pizza place (don't say it, I know) that I like and had a drink. Later that evening we went to Punto and Dietrich for drinks where we met a sweet guy named Max. Later Max accompanied us to Arena, where I was supposed to meet up with Jesi, a guy I had met at the beach. We got home at 4am and slept in until 2pm. I'm thinking we'll probably go to the beach today.

Other people I've met in the past few days...

On Sunday I met up with a guy I had met named Jose Luis at Punto. I stayed there we chatted with his group of friends. He insisted on driving me home, probably at an attempt to preserve my purity, but I declined. After an internal debate, I decided to go to Open Mind. I entered and got naked. It wasn't naked night, but nudity is always part of the dress code there. It was a lot more fun that I would've expected for a Sunday night. I met a beautiful, thin Spanish boy as well as a visiting French/Irish/English guy named Hakim. Hakim is gorgeous and fairly kinky. We put on a show at Open Mind and left together. We walked around for a bit looking for some place to get a beer. We didn't find any place, but honestly our search was lack luster since we were really just talking. At the end, we went to his hotel, which was on Avenida de Roma and just a block and a half from my school. It was daylight by the time we went to sleep. When my alarm rang in the morning, I got up to turn it off and got right back into bed missing school. Later, around noon, we left together in search of food. Afterwards he came to my place for another round. He left around 4pm because I desperately had to work. He called later that evening. Since he was leaving the next day, he wanted me to stop by on way to school.

On Tuesday I met a guy named Xavi. Xavi is a tall, good-looking and well-gifted Catalan guy although he didn't grow up in the city. We met a Boyberry, which is a story in itself. Afterwards, we left together and walked the city talking. Then we ate and had a few drinks at a quite outdoor cafe in the gay district. Xavi is full of depressing life stories. I told him that he owes me some happy stories. At the end of the evening he walked me home and stayed the night.

On Wednesday I went to naked night at La Base, which was fun as usual. I had worn my leather football pants that I had bought at IML. As if being black in this city doesn't already make me stand out, you have to imagine me taking the metro and walking the street in these things. I got stopped in the streets twice this night by people trying to pick me up. The first one was a guy named Alberto who felt me up, pinched my nipples and gave me his card. The second approached me as I left La Base at 2 AM. He said he lived across the street and invited me up. I said I shouldn't, but did. His apartment was extremely luxurious and very large. He was an Irishman living and working in Barcelona for the past 10 years.

On Thursday I met Daro. He is an incredibly cute 23 year old medical student from Venezuela. We caught a cab back to my apartment and he stayed the night. When the alarm clock rang the next morning for school, I really wasn't feeling up to it so I missed classes for the second day this week.

Germany Update: So far I have been able to find cheap tickets to Franfurt, but nothing to Berlin for under 300 Euros.