Sitting here in the ultra-cozy world that is the Key West airport, I contemplate beating the people next to me. Why this sudden possible outburst of ‘ultraviolence’ you might ask? Well, not that her cellular conversation isn’t enlightening, letting everyone on God’s green earth know that she’s got a weather delay and won’t be back in Boston until sometime next week, or the fact that her hubby is so boozed up that he’s not regretting getting married to her anymore, but the air is getting a bit musky and I’m worried her airtime chatter is taking up remaining air in the room. Quite frankly, I’m frightened…

When you spend a good deal of time in airports, you come to realize that little delays are a part of life. From the looks of it, I may be here in Key West until Hell freezes over… Or at the very least, until Gullianni gets the nomination. That frightens me even more.

So I’m sitting here, waiting for this weather delay to lift in Miami, and wondering ‘what ever happened to social nicety?’ Did it ever really exist or have I fallen into this ‘Texas-friendly’ trap that so many tourists talk about when they visit places like the Alamo City? Case-in-point, when dealing with the ticket agent here in EYW to rearrange my flights, she was obviously having a rough day and not what most would call ‘perky.’ Whether it was a personal or professional issue I wasn’t sure, but I did know that a quick smile from her end would have probably apeased my delay. Instead, she threw my ticket at me and told me this was my ‘only option.’

Who took a leak in her Cornflakes? Cripes.

I walked away from things, but it got me thinking: When did people start routinely taking their problems to work, but moreso, when did it become an acceptable practice? ‘The customer is always wrong’ seems more like it nowadays, but more so, how tough is it to crack a smile and take pride in what you’re doing? You don’t always have to love what you do (that would be a bit too idealistic in thinking, even for me), but at the very least find a way to make it bearable.

Even after the check-in from Imelda Marcos, I’m still on cloud nine.

Last night, the San Antonio Spurs played a helluva game against Detroit and took the series back to SA on a high note: Another win. The game went into overtime and the Spurs pulled it off by one friggin point. They couldn’t have done it without Robert Horry, who’s shots from three point territory were dead-on. Duncan was saved a fate worse than death for his lousy FTP. While I’m usually not a yeller when it comes to watching sports on TV, Duncan’s performance forced me to throw rolled up socks at the screen repeatedly. But now it’s all said and done. The Spurs have a chance to win the whole enchillada on Tuesday night when they play back in SA at the SBC Center. Keep yer fingers crossed 😉

Tomorrow I’m headed out to Las Vegas. Big surprise, eh? I’ve got an early flight, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed that this weather delay still allows me to get home, wash some clothes and repack. I’m strangely staying at a new hotel for each day of my trip… Sort of a continental hotel jump, but for what reason I’m not really sure. It sounds like fun, with the only downside being I can’t really unpack. On the upside, I can still add to my hotel shampoo collection. LOL.

I’m not kidding when I say it’s grown to take over almost every drawer in my bathroom. I will NEVER run out of shampoo for as long as I live. If I ever open up my own hotel, I’ll be fine when it comes to the bath supply.

I finished my article for Dan Savage and the upcoming ‘Queer Issue’ of The Stranger. I’m pretty happy with the finished product, but moreso, I’m glad that Dan wanted to include me in his issue. I’ve read his syndicated Q&A; for years, always enjoying his level-headed advice and was verklempt to learn that he was a reader of 15 Minutes. It’s funny how small the world becomes once you go online. Writing this piece was a good reminder of why I started off as a journalism major. As I sat down to draft the article for Savage, I remembered all the things that made me love editing and putting out a publication. Writing this blog has been a small way for me to keep from getting too rusty, but it’s still nothing like editing a whole newspaper. Blogging has made online publishing something that’s 100% photo-ready and instantly informing. It’s changed the way people look at journalism and has made the writing world redefine who they call a journalist.
I just read an article in Time that deals with employers firing their employees for violating company trust policies through online blogging. Basically, these guys were giving away confidential business info on the people they were working for and also going for the throat personally against fellow employees. These canned bloggers then formed a group that would eventually sue their former companies (using the first amendment schpiel way too liberally) and say that they were discriminated against because the company didn’t have an ‘employee blogging policy’ when they were hired.

WHAT THE HELL? A blogging policy? You’re kidding me, right…

At what point does someone take their head out of their ass and realize that when you work for a large cooperation like GM that you don’t go around whistling dixie about their newest (and top-secret) designs? Isn’t that just common sense? Am I missing something?

The tale continues with these jilted former-employees getting new jobs and writing ‘employee blogging policies’ for their current employers. Everyone is happy and these weenies can get back to their blogs which basically describe the total contents of their desk drawers. Real interesting.

On a rather hot and sweaty afternoon yesterday, I decided to walk over to the all-blue gym here in Key West. While it’s not technically called ‘The Blue Gym,’ it’s something of a nickname due to all of their equipment being painted bright blue. It’s tacky, but only in the very best of ways. I had my chest/back day as usual and meandered into the locker room to shower off before toddling back to the house. All was empty. I opened my locker, striping off my sweaty shirt and shorts, finding a towel and stepping into the shower stall. The showers at The Blue are curtain-less, so the exhibitionist in me always takes time to make sure I’m ‘good and clean’ before jumping out.

The door to the locker room swung open and someone opened a locker. I went back to my shower, enjoying the cold water washing over me after a pretty hardcore workout. When I opened my eyes, this guy was standing in the shower stall across from me, wearing nothing but a sly smile and turning on his water. He was about 5’10”, late 20’s, muscular, smooth chest with very hairy legs and tanned from what appeared to be the Key West sun. He looked familiar. It took me a second, but I finally realized that he was a trainer at that gym, as his picture is up on the wall at the front desk.

He began to slowly soap up his body, as he knew I was watching, concentrating on his pecs and working his way down into his crotch. His cock grew thicker and more erect with each stroke. He turned against the wall and slid his soapy finger into his ass. WHEW! I almost lost it right there and was seconds from joining him in his stall when the locker room door opened and I saw an older gent looking for a locker. Strangely enough, Mr. Fingers-in-his-ass was too enraptured with his own body cavity to notice this new person in the area. It’s funny how situations go from highly erotic to uncomfortably sterile in a matter of 5 seconds. I got out of the shower and ran to my locker like a concierge from Russell Crowe, but still don’t know if Rectum-Damn-Near-Killed-Em stopped fingering his hole to n
otice that he had an unlikely audience.

Speaking of the gym: Is it me or is there something hot about the thought of mixing freeweights and hardcore sex? I’m not sure if I could get a good set of weights done while someone was sucking my dick, but I’d sure as hell like to try. Combining squats and someone underneath with a raging errection. The opportunities are endless. I need a cold shower dammit.

So, anyway…

I was browsing through an internet message board the other day and came across a topic that generated quite a bit of response. It dealt with someone going to their local ATM and finding that everything was listed in spanish with an english translation option. Interesting. They didn’t think it was so keen and insisted that ‘here in America, english is what we speak.’ While I don’t contest that particular theory, I do think that for a country founded on mass immigration, we might be a little more careful in thinking what the future holds: The NYTimes recently wrote that the hispanic population will surpass everyone else in the coming 10 years. While this doesn’t mean that we should all immediately learn fluent spanish and impeach Bush in favor of Vincente Fox, it does mean that the face of our melting pot culture is again shifting.

Admittedly, there is another side to me that finds it silly for the US to radically adapt for the sake of being nothing more than politically correct. Now it seems that in any major city, you’ve got signage in not only Spanish, but Chinese, German and French too. Each side of my family have their roots based firmly in immigration to this country, so I’m not against an increase in new citizenship from foreign sources. My father’s side of the family is relatively new to this country, with their hearts still very much in Ireland, where they came from. My mom’s side is just the opposite: A very old family, with descendants traced back on the Mayflower. It’s an interesting mix of people, but moreso, it’s two very different roads taken to the same dream. That’s what still makes this country the most desirable place to live in the world…

God, this is depressing: The only gossip i’m hearing is about Tom Cruise and Taylor Hanson (of the ‘Hanson Brothers’ fame). Here goes nothing…

You know what… The gossip on Taylor Hanson is so stale, that i’m just going to paraphrase. He’s ALLEGEDLY (thanks Kathy G) gay and made it pretty apparent at a recent party thrown for Michelle Branch. Whooptie doo. The only interesting thing seems to be that he most enjoys getting rimmed. One of his tricks talked and let the cat out of the bag.

Would you like some dressing while tossing his salad?

Congrats to little Top Gun for getting engaged to his child bride. Here’s a first-hand account from a pal who’s definitely in-the-know on Hollywood comings and goings:

First is the rumor that she was not the first young starlet “interviewed” to be his future wife. I have been told that at least three other young Hollywood starlets were approached. Second, I am told that a wedding contract was signed on June 7. She gets a cool $5 million for marrying him, the deal is for 5 years, and no sex is required! Others are saying that a child will be bore out of this wedlock, however, all agree that it will be the result of artificial insemination. Finally, isn’t it ironic that he proposed marriage on top of one of the world’s biggest phallic symbols? The Eiffel Tower!

I’ve met two people that swear to his “other” lifestyle. The first was witness to his endearing relationship with another cast member during the filming of a movie. He swears that they were forever locked in his trailer and no one was allowed in, or out, for that matter! The other, was a young Frenchman from Monaco who was in London during one of my trips. We struck up a conversation in one of the pubs in Earls Court. He told me that he was a former boyfriend and the “star” was very cheap! He only allowed him a $10,000 limit on the MasterCard he gave him! The young man was far more complimentary about a certain “Prince” (who recently inherited the throne was his father), who was far more generous to the young man…no credit card limits!

OUCH! What do other have to say about this engagement?

Yeah, so it’s the trash equivilent of the National Enquirer, but the NY Post always makes me smile with their liberal use of alliteration and snappy headlines. Today’s Cindy Adams column ended on a most impressive jab. In regards to the Tom Cruise/Child Bride engagement:

‘Enough with this made in Scientology heaven union. And squeals over the ‘massive’ four carats toothy Tom gave kooky Katie. Four carats is for pretend. It’s the size of a baguette a man who makes 25 mil a picture puts around a real engagement ring.’

She might be older than methusula, but she’s still kicking out some good ol’ fashioned point-of-view. Too bad she didn’t have the deadline to throw out a line or two about Tom’s watergun incident which took place yesterday. He really freaked. Word has it that he was getting interviewed by some pranksters who then in turn shot him with a watergun. Cruise threw down the gauntlet right there on the red carpet and suddenly every media outlet in the world was watching this Jerry Springer-esque staredown.


I’m melting… melting… melting! Oh what a world.

A quick blurb goes out to the new magazine ‘Radar’ for putting out one of the smartest initial issues I’ve ever read. Consider it a nice mesh of pop, politics, gossip and glamour with undercurrents of homoeroticism. I’d subscribe to the magazine for their ads alone: Definitely some nice new flesh from the kids at Calvin Klein to gawk at. Also look for a great in-depth look at anti-gay/pro-moral politicians and their openly gay children. Very well-written.

For some odd reason, i’m having issues with my uploading higher-res images onto my blog, so please stand by for this week’s EYE CANDY posting. I plan on getting it up as soon as this tech glitch is fixed. Your best bet is to refresh this page periodically and see if anything’s been updated. I plan on this being an easy issue to deal with (hopefully). Thanks much.

This week’s FREE WHACKOFF OF THE WEEK is going once again to the pic-posters who make ‘World of Men’ so hot each week. It’s an Ez-Board based site, but is easy to navigate and for anyone who’s into muscles, this is your hotspot. Click HERE for the link.

I road-tripping it this coming week with an end point in Las Vegas. Next week on 15, look for a mini-review and images of new Vegas hotel properties (Wynn, MGM SkyLofts) along with new additions to ‘15’s Fifteen.’ Keep staying tuned for more, more, more. In the meantime, why not check out the backlog of EYE CANDY by clicking here for my yahoo groups site.

Ah, almost forgot: George Romero’s ‘Land of the Dead’ is soon hitting theaters. It’s the final chapter in this horror master’s zombie series and looks to be a fun (and gory) summer flick.

~BN

“I don’t drink as much as I use to could.” — Anna Nicole Smith