Monthly Archives: October 2006

Big Lug Opens October 24

Alfredo Troche’s crazy-fun and long-running East Village bar night, Big Lug, is leaving its once-a-week gig at Nowhere Bar and morphing into a full-time bear bar in its own space on Avenue A. I’ve been known to drop in at Nowhere for the weekly event and I’m looking forward to seeing what my DJ pals Paul & Damien have up …

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Cab Wars On The UES

Yesterday afternoon I got in the middle of a fight between two cabbies arguing over who had the right to pick me up. I’d stuck my hand up on 2nd Avenue and both cabs jerked over to get me, one of them from the middle lane, one from the curb lane. The middle-lane guy accelerated to pass the curb-lane guy, …

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The Mark Of Kane

Over on The Mark Of Kane, my dear friend Mark has turned in another heartripping episode of his NYC life during the plague years. If you are under 30 (and even if you aren’t) do yourself a favor and read his elegial story, My Best Friend. If the last line doesn’t rip your heart out, it’s entirely possible you never …

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Morning View – The Puck

Soho’s Puck Building went up in 1885 to house Puck Magazine, which went under in 1916. You might recognize it as the home of Grace Adler Designs, as it was used for the exterior shots on Will & Grace. Today the Puck contains office space as well as massive grand ballrooms used for corporate events. This photo I took Saturday …

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Rock Rink

Leaving Radio City last night, Aaron and I strolled through Rockefeller Center where we were rather surprised to find the skating rink packed already, in mid-October. What happened to fall?

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“And We Are *Still* The Pet Shop Boys!”

Above, Neil Tennant’s final words to tonight’s sold-out crowd of almost 100% middle-aged gay men at Radio City Music Hall. And indeed they are. An amazing show that took us far back into their catalog, tossing out old, unexpected gems that we’ve never heard in concert before. My oldie highlight: Domino Dancing. From the latest album, Fundamental, we heard: Psychological, …

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Gerry Studds, 69

Gerry Studds, America’s first openly gay Congressman, has died in Boston at age 69, due to a blood clot in his lung. Studds had been in the news recently, even though he retired from Congress in 1997, as he too had been involved in a page scandal, back in 1983. Studds leaves his husband, Dean Dara, whom he married shortly …

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Stuck

During Open House New York, our “tour” of the Chrysler Building turned out to be a rather boring lobby lecture on the history of skyscrapers. We were told when we got there that contrary to expectations, we would get no further than the inside of the elevator parked on the ground floor. Oh, but we were welcome to take pictures …

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Saturday Night

I hate having to make the call between Blowoff and Pet Shop Boys, but since the Boys only come around every three years or so, I’ll be at Radio City Music Hall. Those that can get to DC, should definitely not miss Blowoff at the 9:30 Club.

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Sirius Out Q, Monday 10AM

Listen for me on Sirius Out Q In The Morning, with Larry Flick, Monday at 10am, 7am for you left-coasties. I never know what we’re going to talk about, but you can stream the show live here. I’ll try to provide an MP3 of the show afterwards as well, it’s always a blast.

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Hic-Hic…Oooh, Thank You, Baby

Among the winners of this year’s Ig-Noble Awards, a prize given annually to scientists who used bizarre or unconventional methods to make legitimately useful discoveries, is Dr. Francis Fesmire of Chattanooga, Tennessee, whose cure for the hiccups has been corroborated by a team of Israeli reseachers. Dr. Fesmire’s cure? A slow, probing, circular rectal massage using the index finger. True …

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Things To Be Happy About

1. Scrotum stubble.2. Simultaneously loathing and pitying self-hating closeted homos.3. Gravy Train and daisies, but not in the same bowl.4. Passing smug silent judgment on intergenerational relationships.5. A perfectly ripe “monogamist”. Here’s some other things to be happy about. We call it “sharing”. It’s a clear, crisp day here in “NYC”. Always be true in your “heart” to your partner/trick/polyamorous …

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Morning View – 5th & 41st

As a giant “Fuck You!” to those continuing to cry out against scaffolding advertising, Lufthansa drops this billboard-sized adscreen across the building facing the Main Library. The lions are pissed.

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Sentences: Redux

Gentle readers, the subject of one of my earliest short stories, my third grade teacher, Mrs. Shireman, has found my story about her here on JMG, through some self-googling. We’ve had a delightful and delighted email exchange, and with her gracious permission, I am reposting the story today, almost 40 years after its setting, rural North Carolina, 1967. Today Mrs. …

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Two Great Do’s

The woman on the left was the absolute best find of our Open House New York picture excursion. She was on duty at the Main Library and Father Tony and I almost dropped our cameras in awe and amazement at her elaborate Cyclonesque hair-do. She graciously smiled and twirled while we snapped away. On the right is a pic of …

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Open Thread Thursday

Decades ago, I used to dream of opening my own gay bar. I had it all planned out in my head. I envisioned a little local saloon, downtown Fort Lauderdale, somewhere on the beachside of the Intracoastal. I had it all mapped out, the floorplan, the decor, the music, the beers on tap. But the one thing I could never …

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Short Day

Midtown has erupted into sirens. A plane has crashed into a high-rise. Appears to be my apartment block. Well, guess I’ll be heading home early today. UPDATE: The building is at 72nd & York, at least 1000 feet from mine. The fire looks quite bad. At this time of day, the only people likely to be home in that building …

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(Sally Field Joke Here)

You are kind and obedient, my virtual army of lovers. Embiggen the pic for the list of gay blogs most liked by Advocate readers. Many of my own personal favorites are on there: Andrew Sullivan, Towleroad, BlogActive, Keith Boykin, all of which are down there on my blogroll. Thanks very much to our own Foxy for providing the scan. (Post …

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Manhunters Beware

A gay Brooklyn man is on life-support with probable permanent brain damage, after being lured to Plumb Beach for sex by four straight young men who contacted him on what police are calling a “popular internet chat line”. Michael Sandy, 29, fled his attackers by running onto the Belt Highway where he was struck by a car, which left the …

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Evil Old Queen.

Thanks to everybody for all the birthday wishes yesterday. I celebrated by dragging my enfeebled, liver-spotted carcass into bed at 8PM, falling asleep before they even found the body on Law & Order. Celebration was made, however, on Sunday night, on my usual round of beer busts, where multiple shots of Jager were handed to me over the course of …

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