Sad news..

I'm going home this weekend to help my family accept the death of our beloved dog, Lilly.

We've had 5 dogs during my lifetime. The first, my father's poodle, bit me when I was a baby. So, my parents got rid of it. The second dog, a beagle, died young. When I left the house after high school, my 15-year hold Cocker Spaniel named "Fred" had died a year earlier. Fred was a good dog, but a little schitzo (he used to have nightmares, wake up and bite me when I was young . . . it was when I first used swear words with great pride "Fucking dog"). Fred was our third dog and my favorite childhood pet. However, upon Fred's death and my subsequent departure from home, my parents got 2 purebread miniature poodles. Mini poodles are the mid sized dogs 20-30 lbs. They aren't the "toy" dogs, but are much smaller than standard.

The first poodle, Claude, at 25lbs, became a brute poodle. He was a bad bad dog. He would hunt wild animals and kill them. If you made the mistake of letting him outside, he'd bolt on you and would only come back if you held Land-o-Lakes white American Cheese out to him. Often, he'd have another animal in his mouth and you'd have to turn the hose on him. Sometimes that didn't even work. Once, he had the neighbors cat stuck under the porch and was approaching to do it in. I had to climb under the porch (ruining my suit) to get the dog off the cat. The dog bit me seriously. When we got out, the dog was bloody, I was bloody, but the cat was unharmed. Othertimes, he'd kill larger animals like racoons. He killed skunks twice a year, which meant the house stunk like skunk two months out of each year.

Claude died last year after a seizure. It was a traumatic death for a crazy dog. He really hasn't been missed. He was old before his time with arthritis and kidney problems. Upon spreading his ashes, my mom reports, all that my father said was, "Claude was a bad bad dog" as he shook his head. Claude was 14.

Lilly, on the other hand, was a great poodle. Lilly (Or "Lily" as it was written on her tag probably because you paid per letter) was our second poodle. Lilly had a great nature, a glowing spirit and was an affectionate loving dog. Given a tennis ball, she was a terror. She'd fetch for hours and wouldn't leave you alone. However, once you hid the ball, Lilly became a little lady, a consummate couch dog and a loving companion. She would lie with great poise with her front legs crossed delicately in front of her. She would resist Claude's brutish sexual advances with great poise. When Claude's interest in the "ball" peaked, just because Lilly was playing, he's let him have it until he became uninterested and dropped it. It would give the thrower (usually one of my friends) a chance to relax. Once Claude dropped the ball, however, she'd get it back instantly and bring it back.

Lilly is home and on pain killers. She had a toe amputated last month for a type of squamus cell cancer, which metasticized. She is expected to last another week.

Unfortunately, my father had to tell my mom about Lilly while she was on the road, in Denver, for business. Not good. Tomorrow, though, we'll all be home playing with Lilly.

FRIDAY ROUNDUP – a few of the things that fell through the cracks

GAY

1. The official registration of China's first gay student group at a university in southern China has been hailed by academics and denounced by some parents
2. As Massachusetts’s legislators postpone vote on gay marriage amendment, opponents of gay marriage there appear to be running out of legislative steam — at least for now
3. In asking whether Republicans will continue to “gay bait” their constituency, Gay City News says the appointment of anti-gay senator Mel Martinez as RNC chair shows how the HRC failed to learn one key lesson from the 2006 Midterm elections -- gay bashing is out of style
4. A first-ever museum display, "Against Nature?," which opened last month at the University of Oslo's Natural History Museum in Norway, presents 51 species of animals exhibiting homosexuality
5. Self-pronounced “gay man” Williams Sled, a 23 year old from Kentucky, provides some pretty fun and funny fashion advice with his hag co-host. Back off the carpenter jeans, boy! Nothing says “nice ass” like a well fitting pair of Carhartts
   

YACHTS

1. 5 boats in the 5 Ocean race have crossed the equator. The single-handed round the world fleet left Bilbao, Spain with a dicey start on October 22nd. Back on track, they compete to finish the first leg in Australia
2. Killing someone for $$ to make improvements on your yacht is rarely a good idea
3. Innovative new 300 ft. mega-yacht from Douglas Ship Design blends expedition style with sport fishing capabilities
4. Brrr, sailing down under: With a return to winter in Sydney today, crews contesting the Bavaria Yachts International Youth Match Racing Regatta braved the icy winds, rain and even hail until mid morning when the Race Committee called it a day
5. Jurors are considering whether to convict a woman of murder in connection with the theft of a yacht and the deaths of a wealthy Newport Beach couple by drowning. It is alleged that the couple were thrown off their boat connected to an anchor

Life Experience

1. It’s okay to take huge risks in life, especially when the benefit you see could be incredible. You have to try when your heart will accept nothing else. Even if you fall on your face or make a mistake in the process, you’ll have learned something valuable in the end. Nothing is all or nothing.
2. Gay men who dislike straight people (a way to common and annoying phenomenon in NYC) are no better than homophobes.
3. I really could live in tons of different places. When I left the city for the marina, I found quiet. The next place I live will have fewer people and cleaner air.
4. To me, an hour working on my boat is better than any therapy in the world. An hour sailing my boat is even better than that.
5. Many people romanticize living on a boat and sail off cruising someday. Not many people have what it takes to endure the challenges to make it a reality.

Boat of the Week: "The Empty Vessel Project" - you just can't make this shit up.

I think I've found the perfect boat. Granted, it has no engine or steering. Maybe that is what makes it great. The idea of making an ex military vessel into a hippie commune behind a warehouse along the Gawanis has reached it's day. After all, after Shortbus aren't we all looking for our own utopian society? Do yourself a HUGE favor and look at these pictures of life at the art house and boat sustainability project that is: the empty vessel project.

Grizzly Bear Gets Robbed! From the 'that sucks' file

Grizzly Bear have announced they are cancelling the remainder of their European Tour after their tour bus was cleaned out in Brussels last night.

Sadly, there is news on the band's site about the illness of a band member's(Dan) dad, too.

These guys are a great Brooklyn band started by gay band member Ed Droste. Click on them in the featured artists to the left (or here) to check them out and hear there stuff. Their website is here.

You Learn Something New Every Day

If you drink your diet coke with a lime in it, no one knows you're not boozing right along.

What would you do if . . . ?

Okay, so, awhile back I became acquainted with a group of guys, one of whom (Matt) is closely affiliated with one of the country's most powerful gay pop media moguls. While this mogul is known to be gay, and has been out in certain circles, he still is closeted in most of the public eye (i.e.: Outside the gay gossip rags and outside New York). It never really occurred to me that this could be a problem, until.....

Today I sent Matt a casual e-mail asking him if he wanted to hang out on his boat and that I had become largely disenchanted with a certain "gay scene" in New York. I got a very pointed e-mail from a magazine executive (who wasn't the recipient of the e-mail) stating that I needed to "be careful" of the language I use. The only word in my e-mail that could remotely warrant such an observation was the word gay.

Now, I'm not into outing anyone, even if they're already out. I'm a pretty respectful guy. That's why this post states no names and can't be searched. Yet, if you're going to put yourself in the public eye with your partner, don't chastise me for telling your obviously gay young blond ex-model friend (with a mini-dog on his arm) .

From the 'thank god I don't live there' file..

A gay Iranian man was hanged in public on Tuesday in the western city of Kermanshah on the charge of sodomy.

Wanderlust...

Whenever I feel like rambling, I just ramble.

Last week, I travelled to the charming Cherry capital, Traverse City. Two words describe the region perfectly: "unbelievably beautiful." I plan to have a post up about my journey detailing the city, countryside, farms, barns, bluffs, lake and kit houses that make region so beautiful. There seem to be many great people up there who know how to live life on great terms.

Yet, home again, my wanderlust and need to "get out of dodge" continues. Totally feeling in sober control and having no need to head out to my local boozy NY haunts anytime soon, I've accepted an invite from a good ol' friend to take a long weekend road trip.

"Long drives are good for the soul, Toby." - How could i refuse.

Where shall we go? I don't yet know. I'm pushing for P-town or Montreal where we can stay for free, but I don't necessarily have the final word. There is a small possibility we'll drive down to Annapolis and deliver a Bruckman 50 (sistership) from there to Charleston, but that would have to be timed perfectly between trials for me to take more time off this fall. He's saying Vermont. I'd better get those skiis tuned up or rent a snowboard. That sounds good, too.

Roll the dice and see where they land. I'm game for anything.

Those pesky film folk.

Okay. So, it isn't like I make it a habit to stalk film sets.

Sure, I was enthralled when Tobey McGuire was filming the new Spiderman in mounds of fake snow produced in 90 degree weather 3-blocks from my work. Generally, though, filming is somewhat annoying and in the way. When I lived in Harlem, my street was closed twice for music videos being under the long 12th street overpass by Fairway. Annoying. Then, over a year ago, the Devil Wears Prada shot for a week on Soho and Broome.

"Sorry, sir, you can't get by"
"My office is right there"
"Well, you'll have to wait about 20 minutes"
"They're not shooting for 20 minutes and you wont let me past?"
"They could be shooting anytime between now and then."
"Fuck that. They pay me, you don't." - I break through and go to work. It's not like The Devil Wear's Prada is paying me.

Of course, when I get to my office everyone is congregated at the window to watch Anne Hathaway walk out of the subway 15 times. I soon am too.

Today, however, my attitude for movies changed. Why? Walking back to my office from court I saw the gorgeous (and allegedly bi) Hugh Jackman. Wholly fuck! He's up on Reade street filming The Tourist.

I have bumped into Julianne Moore in the coffee shop, Kate Hudson on Hudson Street and the amazingly dreamy Justin Theroux on Prince within the past year. Eh, no big deal (well, except for Theroux who is the hottest celeb ever).

Hugh.. sigh... I know where I'm lunching for the rest of this shoot.
If I can just sink back into my little fantasy for one moment:

J U S T I N

T H E R O U X

Okay, that's nice.

UPDATE: Ewen McGreggor is also on location. His trailer is much bigger than Hugh's half-trailer.