Saturday, December 31, 2005

A most very Happy New Year


Tonight walking through the downtown core, Dustin and I passed at least six very large white rabbits, two hopped across our path and the rest of them stood motionless in the middle of an abandoned lot. Dustin tried to convince me that they were just white grocery bags (he obviously needs to wear glasses worse than I do), however on our way back to his apartment all of them were gone. So I maintain, on New Year's Eve while walking with the Blue Monkey I saw a herd of white bunnies right near the Greyhound. I'm so sure this is very good luck!

Thoughts on Dustin

An excerpt from an email I wrote:

"I guess the big news for 2005 is that I have met someone. Yes, yes, it has finally happened -- I have a boyfriend. His name is Dustin and he lives in Edmonton, which is really going to complicate my life. I'm not sure what I'm going to do about living in NYC since I honestly feel this guy is the one and that we have the potential for a really intensely happy relationship. I'm crazy about him. He's absolutely beautiful, sweet, sexy, considerate, loving, fun, and makes me feel like I'm the most special guy on the planet. How could you not fall for someone like that? So right now I'm considering my options and will more than likely move back to Edmonton to be with him. I'm hoping we can move somewhere else like Vancouver or Montreal. I don't know, it's all up in the air. Regardless, I know I want to be with him because when we are together I feel like I've won the lottery. I'm a very lucky man."

Sunday, December 25, 2005

Christmas Trivia

Since we celebrate the birth of Jesus today, can someone tell me what his initial H. stands for? Some good Catholic should know -- we've all heard the name Jesus H. Christ often enough.

Saturday, December 24, 2005

Merry Christmas - Joyeux Noël - Feliz Navidad

"We make a living by what we do, but we make a life by what we give."
Winston Churchill


May the spirit of the day find its way to your heart.
Give as much love today as you can find it in yourself to give.

I have had a blessed year! This largely due to the love and support of my family (Mom, Dad, Linda, Kyle & Jackson) and more dear friends than someone as evil as I am deserves.

This year has been especially monumental due to one remarkable man who brings me so much happiness -- Dustin, you are my heart.

To my friends abroad, John Hallum, Val Brant (I still haven't had to use the $5), Luc & Vic, and my new amigos Victor, Raul, Rodrigo, Giaco, Raymundo, Hebert, and Leo in Mexico, thank you for making my travels so memorable.

To my my girls Teshonda, Jenny, Jennifer; my truest of old friends; Barb, Dellee, Deb, Kerry, Marky Mark, Carlos; and my NYC roommate Eva (Evil), Richard in Austin, Shaun in Florida, Joe & Tony (Jony & Toe) in DC, and Penelope in the UK, thank you for just being there (year after year)!

To my new friends Daryn, Ian, Katie, and Mark Galindez in NYC, Josh (one in LA & one in Edmonton), JD, Ryan (in TO), Darcy, Alan, Annie, I look forward to us spending more time together and sharing even more laughs.

Also a huge thank you to all those who have moved my career forward: Phil Henricks at Online Buddies in Boston, Gregory T. Angelo at Next Magazine in NYC, David Halpern at Advanced Communications in NYC, Roy Heale at Outlooks Magazine in Calgary, Don Tinling at Frontiers Magazine in LA, Frederique Delacoste at Cleis Press in San Francisco, Peter Sparrow for the Octagon Exhibit in NYC, and the Seattle Erotic Arts Festival, Feierabend Verlag in Berlin for including me among the World's Top 500 erotic websites entitled Erotic Websites.

Life is good.
Live is very, very good.

Thursday, December 22, 2005

Ending on a high note

The day didn't start out all that great, went to the opthamologist and confirmed that the eye infection I had in Puerto Vallarta was, in fact, a re-occurrence of the herpes virus in my left eye. Although at this point that eye is virtually useless to me for photography, reading or anything that requires clear vision, it was still a downer to hear that there is a new lesion/ulcer on the cornea. Another round of medication will stop it but I'm sure there will be even more scarring. I have an appointment with my cornea specialist here in Edmonton, January 9th to discuss a possible cornea transplant. I wonder with this latest attack whether that will improve or decrease my chances.

The Birthday Boy, Ian

Anyhow, the day ended on a much better note after Dustin and I went to my new pal, Ian Marsh's Birthday party at the Blue Plate Diner. Apart from some uppity judgemental faggots at the other end of the table (I won't name names but I should) most of the fun was due in no small part to Daryn Grassick who is truly one of a kind, and is gifted with the most wicked, rapid-fire sense of humor. When joined by his twisted sister, Brian, there's bound to be trouble and it's just great fun to sit back and watch (or get in there and get dirty). I swear to god, I'm going to approach cable TV (we want to swear) with a new reality series called Extreme Bender, hosted by Daryn. After countless laughs, two bars, packs of cigarettes, and maybe one or two drinks, our night ended with Dustin giving Daryn & Brian a VIP tour of SteamWorks (a local bathhouse). Needless to say more laughs ensued. Stamps of approval were received on the new boyfriend for being able to provide such a unique outing.


Don't Dream It, Be It -- Daryn
and a man who literally jingles when he walks Brian.

My kind of Christmas Carols

Christmas Carols
for those with Personality Disorders

1. Schizophrenia --- Do You Hear What I Hear?

2. Multiple Personality Disorder --- We Three Kings Disoriented Are

3. Dementia --- I Think I'll be Home for Christmas

4. Narcissistic --- Hark the Herald Angels Sing About Me

5. Manic --- Deck the Halls and Walls and House and Lawn and Streets and Stores and Office and Town and Cars and Busses and Trucks and Trees and.......

6. Paranoid --- Santa Claus is Coming to Town to Get Me

7. Borderline Personality Disorder --- Thoughts of Roasting on an Open Fire

8. Personality Disorder --- You Better Watch Out, I'm Gonna Cry, I'm gonna Pout, Maybe I'll Tell You Why

9. Attention Deficit Disorder --- Silent night, Holy oooh look at the pretty pretty tree, can I have a chocolate, why is France so far away?

10. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder --- Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells,Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells,Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells.

Wednesday, December 21, 2005

Mandy & VJ -- The Old Dolls Club


After a gruelling afternoon of Christmas shopping (not really, I'm taking is so easy it's kind of scary), it was great to go for drinks with two hot babes, who also happen to be very dear friends -- Mandy and Val. They are wonderful to be around, and I'm so happy that we've managed to keep in contact for all these years. Plus being members of the "Old Dolls Club" they have great stories to tell of debauched druken nights, Christmas parties, hair salons, shredded Donna Karen pantyhose, and snogging. With Mandy & Val it is guaranteed that I'll end up laughing my ass off.

Tuesday, December 20, 2005

Running around

It was one of those days that I spent the vast majority of my time in the car driving from one place to the next. High points would have to be seeing my old and dear friend Jennifer Katz at Starbucks and then waking my boy Dustin up (mmm mmm mmm) to come with me to the airport. I had to go all the way back out there to make a claim in person since Air Canada (as my travel agent Linda says "Scare Canada") damaged my suitcase on the way back from Mexico. In the evening, I did a private commission (family portrait) for the Longworth Family that my sister, Linda, arranged. She quoted way too cheap a price but after it was all done I was happy to have done it. Guess the holiday spirit of giving has got to me too.

And you won't hear me say this often but ... today was one of the very few days that I was glad NOT to be back in NYC. The MTA were on an illegal strike there today -- those money grubbing fuckers -- and basically ground the city to a halt leaving 7,000,000 people that usually ride the subway and buses quite literally out in the cold! Nasty.

Sunday, December 18, 2005

My Little Angel

After a quiet day reviewing photos from Saturday night and having taken my nephew Kyle to Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, I made my way to Buddy's for their annual Christmas Show. Plus my little angel, Dustin, was making his stage debut in nothing but shorts and set of wings. How could I not go??? The show was cute, my boyfriend was cuter!

And ... speaking of cute, here are two discoveries I made while I was there. Hopefully, I'll be shooting both Mat and Denny sometime in the near future while I'm here in Edmonton.


Mat (left) and Denny (right)

How much do I hate George Bush & The Republicans!!!

I watched a shocking PBS program on the financial state of the USA this afternoon. From all the pundits and analysts, this past year is America's worst year financially on the record (that means ever and includes the Depression, and the Civil War). The Republicans in their infinite wisdom, lead by the illustrious idiot George W. Bush, is enacting $50 billion in spending cuts (don't even get me started here because if they just got their meddling asses out of Iraq) while giving $95 billion in tax cuts. And here's how those tax cuts break down (hope you're sitting down):
If your income is under $75,000 your tax break will be $0.00
If your income is between $100,000-$200,000 your tax break is $25
If your income is in excess of $1,000,000 your tax break is $19,000

Someone please tell me how the USA isn't going straight to hell in the fast lane.

Thursday, December 15, 2005

Back at the North Pole

Although this is a slight exaggeration, it is a fact that I am back in Canada. And all I can say is 'BRRRRR' I knew it was going to be cold, going from 20C to -20C, but a drop of 40 degrees in two plane rides and just a few hours is a severe shock to the system. Edmonton, Alberta on an equivalent latitude with Siberia, that should tell you something.

But it is no rest for the wicked -- the moment I landed I had to get on the computer in order to complete my submission for the Seattle Erotic Arts Festival. Today is the deadline. I was selected last year as one of the contributing artists. And both the pieces I had in the show sold so hopefully from the four pieces I'm submitting this year, I'll have at least a couple chosen again.

Here's the 4 photos I have sent for consideration by the jury (some of them you might recognize from recent shoots):


Wednesday, December 14, 2005

Another Photo Shoot with Rodrigo

Yet another incredible day of shooting with the super sexy model, Rodrigo. This time on-location in a forest outside Mexico City at at a remote little place called Ajusco. We found an ideal spot along a dried up river valley, with a stone damn, and the extra bonus of an overturned Volkswagon wreck.

I could shoot this guy for an entire week and maybe never capture how truly handsome and sensual this man is. Too say nothing of what a really great guy Rodrigo is -- he went out of his way to show me around parts of Mexico City I had never seen and introduced me to restaurants and places I would have never found on my own. The definitive host and someone that anyone would be proud to have as a friend. I'm eternally grateful that our paths crossed and am sure that I will have this man in front of my camera again in the very near future.

Thanx Rodrigo for making my time in DF so memorable (and productive).


Tuesday, December 13, 2005

Contributor to Frontiers Magazine

Spent the day coordinating the email channelling of one of my photos, Boys of Summer, so that I could forward it to Frontiers Magazinein LA. It seems sort of crazy that I will receive the photo here in Mexico City from a graphic designer in Edmonton, Alberta and then will forward it on to Los Angeles, California. Talk about going the long way. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to forward the file from my hotel room as the cable connection was too slow so I burned a CD and went to an internet cafe in Zona Rosa. After 10 pesos ($1) and about 30 minutes, I had confirmation it was received. How did people ever conduct business before computers and the internet?

I'm psyched because this is the first time that I'm a contributor to this publication and from what the photo editor, Don Tinling, has been saying this is just the beginning of an on-going association.

Monday, December 12, 2005

Photo Shoot with Rodrigo & Lalo


Have wanted to do a photo shoot like this for years. Finally bought an adult-sized pair of angel wings here for the unbelievable price of 125 pesos ($12.50) and was able to create this image which is inspired by the work of photographer Duane Michaels.

Sunday, December 11, 2005

Photo Shoot with Rodrigo


An amazing photo shoot with Rodrigo here in Mexico City. Beautiful man with a beautiful spirit! More photos to follow, just thought I'd get this one posted for the holiday season. Feliz Navidad.

Photo Shoot with Jose and Lener


I was only planning on photographing Jose on his own, although his boyfriend, Lener came along with him. After about half an hour of shooting, I asked if the two of them were interested in doing a few shots together. What resulted was STEAMY to say the least. When two guys are into each other as much as Jose & Lener are there's no way the camera isn't going to capture that passion and intensity. True romance and I have the film to prove it.

Friday, December 09, 2005

Museo de Arte Moderno

Got off to a late start but had breakfast at my favourite spot in Zona Rosa, Los Biscuits de Obregon which has the most amazing cafe con leche ever. Then headed to the Museo de Arte Moderno (Museum of Modern Art). For only $20 pesos (that's $2 US as opposed to the $20 US the Museum of Modern Art in NYC charges) you could take in an impressive exhibit of Latin American artists including this sculpture by Rogelio Polesello from Argentina which absolutely knocked me out -- talk about the perfect piece of art for creating other pieces of art. All I could think about was how cool it would be to shoot nudes through it.

What really got me excited though was seeing my first Frida Khalo, which is part of their permanent collection. I've seen so many of her paintings in books that it was awe inspiring to see an original up close. And to top it off it's one of the pieces that always intriqued me. I was lucky enough to fire off the shots of the painting before security told me I wasn't to take any pictures --(big smile, "oh really no fotografia, lo siento").


Other features worth noting is the amazing skylight domes in both buildings of the Museum and the sculpture garden which is located between them.

I then walked along Paseo de la Reforma and back through Zona Rosa on my way to the metro. Talk about a trip into the twilight zone: I was propositioned by a woman who told me in spanish that I was very sexy and would I like to go hang out with her, then I stopped in a store to buy a I HEART DF t-shirt and the owner there asked me if I played in a band because I look like a rockstar, finally in the never-ending Americanization of Mexico I was walking by Popeye's (yeah, that's right the chicken place) and inside they had troubadours singing. That was enough for me, I went to Starbucks got my venti skim latte (only $3.40 here as opposed to over $4 in both NYC and Canada, I guess they're closer to where the coffee beans are picked) and headed back to my hotel.

Sunday, December 04, 2005

Speaking of Santa and the propensity for how he's misunderstood in foreign lands ...

This easily has to be the funniest thing ever written about Santa. When I first read it, I laughed out loud so hard people thought I was crazy, and then I couldn't wait to tell my friends that they had to read David Sedaris' new book, DRESS YOUR FAMILY IN CORDUROY AND DENIM and especially the following chapter!

Six To Eight Black Men
By David Sedaris


A heartwarming tale of Christmas in a foreign land where, if you've
been naughty, Saint Nick and his friends give you an ass-whuppin'.

I've never been much for guidebooks, so when trying to get my
bearings in a strange American city, I normally start by asking the
cabdriver or hotel clerk some silly question regarding the latest
census figures. I say silly because I don't really care how many
people live in Olympia, Washington, or Columbus, Ohio. They're
nice enough places, but the numbers mean nothing to me. My second
question might have to do with average annual rainfall, which,
again, doesn't tell me anything about the people who have chosen
to call this place home.

What really interests me are the local gun laws. Can I carry a
concealed weapon, and if so, under what circumstances? What's the
waiting period for a tommy gun? Could I buy a Glock 17 if I were
recently divorced or fired from my job? I've learned from
experience that it's best to lead into this subject as delicately
as possible, especially if you and the local citizen are alone and
enclosed in a relatively small space. Bide your time, though, and
you can walk away with some excellent stories. I've heard, for
example, that the blind can legally hunt in both Texas and
Michigan. They must be accompanied by a sighted companion, but
still, it seems a bit risky. You wouldn't want a blind person
driving a car or piloting a plane, so why hand him a rifle? What
sense does that make? I ask about guns not because I want one of
my own but because the answers vary so widely from state to state.
In a country that's become so homogenous, I'm reassured by these
last touches of regionalism.

Guns aren't really an issue in Europe, so when I'm traveling
abroad, my first question usually relates to barnyard animals.
"What do your roosters say?" is a good icebreaker, as every country
has its own unique interpretation. In Germany, where dogs bark "vow
vow" and both the frog and the duck say "quack," the rooster greets
the dawn with a hearty "kik-a-ricki." Greek roosters crow "kiri-a-
kee," and in France they scream "coco-rico," which sounds like one
of those horrible premixed cocktails with a pirate on the label.
When told that an American rooster says "cock-a-doodle-doo," my
hosts look at me with disbelief and pity.

"When do you open your Christmas presents?" is another good
conversation starter as it explains a lot about national character.
People who traditionally open gifts on Christmas Eve seem a bit
more pious and family oriented than those who wait until Christmas
morning. They go to mass, open presents, eat a late meal, return
to church the following morning, and devote the rest of the day to
eating another big meal. Gifts are generally reserved for
children, and the parents tend not to go overboard. It's nothing
I'd want for myself, but I suppose it's fine for those who prefer
food and family to things of real value.

In France and Germany, gifts are exchanged on Christmas Eve, while
in Holland the children receive presents on December 5, in
celebration of Saint Nicholas Day. It sounded sort of quaint until
I spoke to a man named Oscar, who filled me in on a few of the
details as we walked from my hotel to the Amsterdam train station.

Unlike the jolly, obese American Santa, Saint Nicholas is painfully
thin and dresses not unlike the pope, topping his robes with a tall
hat resembling an embroidered tea cozy. The outfit, I was told, is
a carryover from his former career, when he served as a bishop in
Turkey.

One doesn't want to be too much of a cultural chauvinist, but this
seemed completely wrong to me. For starters, Santa didn't use to
do anything. He's not retired, and, more important, he has
nothing to do with Turkey. The climate's all wrong, and people
wouldn't appreciate him. When asked how he got from Turkey to the
North Pole, Oscar told me with complete conviction that Saint
Nicholas currently resides in Spain, which again is simply not
true. While he could probably live wherever he wanted, Santa chose
the North Pole specifically because it is harsh and isolated. No
one can spy on him, and he doesn't have to worry about people
coming to the door. Anyone can come to the door in Spain, and in
that outfit, he'd most certainly be recognized. On top of that,
aside from a few pleasantries, Santa doesn't speak Spanish. He
knows enough to get by, but he's not fluent, and he certainly
doesn't eat tapas.

While our Santa flies on a sled, Saint Nicholas arrives by boat
and then transfers to a white horse. The event is televised, and
great crowds gather at the waterfront to greet him. I'm not sure
if there's a set date, but he generally docks in late November and
spends a few weeks hanging out and asking people what they want.

"Is it just him alone?" I asked. "Or does he come with backup?"

Oscar's English was close to perfect, but he seemed thrown by a
term normally reserved for police reinforcement.

"Helpers," I said. "Does he have any elves?"

Maybe I'm just overly sensitive, but I couldn't help but feel
personally insulted when Oscar denounced the very idea as grotesque
and unrealistic. "Elves," he said. "They're just so silly."

The words silly and unrealistic were redefined when I learned that
Saint Nicholas travels with what was consistently described as "six
to eight black men." I asked several Dutch people to narrow it
down, but none of them could give me an exact number. It was always
"six to eight," which seems strange, seeing as they've had hundreds
of years to get a decent count.

The six to eight black men were characterized as personal slaves
until the mid-fifties, when the political climate changed and it
was decided that instead of being slaves they were just good
friends. I think history has proven that something usually comes
between slavery and friendship, a period of time marked not by
cookies and quiet times beside the fire but by bloodshed and
mutual hostility. They have such violence in Holland, but rather
than duking it out among themselves, Santa and his former slaves
decided to take it out on the public. In the early years, if a
child was naughty, Saint Nicholas and the six to eight black men
would beat him with what Oscar described as "the small branch of
a tree."

"A switch?"

"Yes," he said. "That's it. They'd kick him and beat him with a
switch. Then, if the youngster was really bad, they'd put him in
a sack and take him back to Spain."

"Saint Nicholas would kick you?"

"Well, not anymore," Oscar said. "Now he just pretends to kick
you."

"And the six to eight black men?"

"Them, too."

He considered this to be progressive, but in a way I think it's
almost more perverse than the original punishment. "I'm going to
hurt you, but not really." How many times have we fallen for that
line? The fake slap invariably makes contact, adding the elements
of shock and betrayal to what had previously been plain, old-
fashioned fear. What kind of Santa spends his time pretending to
kick people before stuffing them into a canvas sack? Then, of
course, you've got the six to eight former slaves who could
potentially go off at any moment. This, I think, is the greatest
difference between us and the Dutch. While a certain segment of
our population might be perfectly happy with the arrangement, if
you told the average white American that six to eight nameless
black men would be sneaking into his house in the middle of the
night, he would barricade the doors and arm himself with whatever
he could get his hands on.

"Six to eight, did you say?"

In the years before central heating, Dutch children would leave
their shoes by the fireplace, the promise being that unless they
planned to beat you, kick you, or stuff you into a sack, Saint
Nicholas and the six to eight black men would fill your clogs
with presents. Aside from the threats of violence and kidnapping,
it's not much different from hanging your stockings from the
mantel. Now that so few people have a working fireplace, Dutch
children are instructed to leave their shoes beside the radiator,
furnace, or space heater. Saint Nicholas and the six to eight black
men arrive on horses, which jump from the yard onto the roof. At
this point, I guess, they either jump back down and use the door,
or they stay put and vaporize through the pipes and electrical
wires. Oscar wasn't too clear about the particulars, but, really,
who can blame him? We have the same problem with our Santa. He's
supposed to use the chimney, but if you don't have one, he still
manages to come through. It's best not to think about it too hard.

While eight flying reindeer are a hard pill to swallow, our
Christmas story remains relatively simple. Santa lives with his
wife in a remote polar village and spends one night a year
traveling around the world. If you're bad, he leaves you coal. If
you're good and live in America, he'll give you just about anything
you want. We tell our children to be good and send them off to bed,
where they lie awake, anticipating their great bounty. A Dutch
parent has a decidedly hairier story to relate, telling his
children, "Listen, you might want to pack a few of your things
together before you go to bed. The former bishop from Turkey will
be coming along with six to eight black men. They might put some
candy in your shoes, they might stuff you in a sack and take you
to Spain, or they might just pretend to kick you. We don't know
for sure, but we want you to be prepared."

This is the reward for living in Holland. As a child you get to
hear this story, and as an adult you get to turn around and repeat
it. As an added bonus, the government has thrown in legalized drugs
and prostitution-so what's not to love about being Dutch?

Oscar finished his story just as we arrived at the station. He was
a polite and interesting guy-very good company-but when he offered
to wait until my train arrived, I begged off, saying I had some
calls to make. Sitting alone in the vast terminal, surrounded by
other polite, seemingly interesting Dutch people, I couldn't help
but feel second-rate. Yes, it was a small country, but it had six
to eight black men and a really good bedtime story. Being a fairly
competitive person, I felt jealous, then bitter, and was edging
toward hostile when I remembered the blind hunter tramping off
into the Michigan forest. He might bag a deer, or he might happily
shoot his sighted companion in the stomach. He may find his way
back to the car, or he may wander around for a week or two before
stumbling through your front door. We don't know for sure, but in
pinning that license to his chest, he inspires the sort of
narrative that ultimately makes me proud to be an American.


Now you see why David Sedaris is one of my favourite authors.

Santa Hates Mexicans?!?

OK, so I get tons of spam and junk mail in my numerous email accounts, but I got one today entitled "Get a letter from Santa Claus" and decided to open it -- just because, maybe yes, I wanted a letter from Santa.

Here's what the ad said:


Now being the old-fashioned kinda guy that I am, I thought check out the Traditional letter (as if I was going to get the Christian version, what with the mess those born-again lunatics have made in US with their political agenda and their very own shove-your-hand-up-his-ass-and-make-his-mouth-move puppet; George W. Bush ) so I hit the link and this rather curt notice popped up:
We're sorry!
This offer is not available in your area.
You will be redirected shortly.
Now if that wasn't rude enough, here's what the redirect had to say:


All I have to say is;
"Dear Santa,
Over the years, many people have accused you of making Christmas a crass, commercial opportunity for consumerism, but your apparent obsession with money ... money ... money is just outright RIDICULOUS! $9.95 for a letter ... you should be ashamed of yourself, you of all people! Sure you have a lot of positive press, but does that justify gouging us for what is undoubtedly just a form letter and not even handwritten at that? And what about the poor people, or are they like the Mexicans and they don't count either? C'mon, you're a millionaire now -- your ad says you've sent over 100,000 letters -- maybe "the season for giving" should start right there at the North Pole. And hey, big guy, free shipping for a letter??? Who do you think you're fooling? But, to add insult to injury, since you don't even "ship" to this part of the world (which I can only assume means that Mexicanos shouldn't be expecting you on Dec. 25 either), did you have to redirect me to a cheesy infomercial site on how to make money? Maybe that's where you came up with this moneymaking scheme and now you're getting a kick back for linking people from your site. Guess I'll keep my almost $10 and start searching somewhere on the internet to see if I can manage to get a phone call from you here instead. Feliz Navidad.
Signed,
Someone, among the many in Mexico, with no letter from Santa"

Saturday, December 03, 2005

50,000 and counting

My photography portfolio, jackson photografix, hit the 50,000 visitors mark early this morning. Here's where the latest hits were from:

December 3, 2005 7:55 am: Denver, Colorado
December 3, 2005 6:59 am: Hamburg, Hamburg
December 3, 2005 6:57 am: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
December 3, 2005 6:45 am: Forest City, Pennsylvania
December 3, 2005 6:40 am: Hameln, Niedersachsen
December 3, 2005 6:24 am: Nantes, Pays De La Loire
December 3, 2005 5:38 am: Miami, Florida
December 3, 2005 3:31 am: Zaragoza, Aragon
December 3, 2005 3:30 am: Uppsala, Uppsala
December 3, 2005 1:39 am: Orlando, Florida
December 3, 2005 1:24 am: Los Angeles, California
December 3, 2005 12:37 am: Sterling, Virginia
December 3, 2005 12:24 am: San Jose, California
December 3, 2005 12:11 am: San Francisco, California
December 2, 2005 10:45 pm: Manassas, Virginia
December 2, 2005 10:39 pm: Olympia, Washington
December 2, 2005 10:07 pm: Kingston, New York
December 2, 2005 10:07 pm: Salt Lake City, Utah
December 2, 2005 10:02 pm: Chicago, Illinois
December 2, 2005 9:46 pm: Gainesville, Florida
December 2, 2005 8:53 pm: Melbourne, Victoria
December 2, 2005 8:46 pm: Lancaster, Pennsylvania
December 2, 2005 6:47 pm: Woodbridge, Virginia
December 2, 2005 5:34 pm: Preston, England
December 2, 2005 4:54 pm: New York, New York
December 2, 2005 4:52 pm: Los Angeles, California
December 2, 2005 2:43 pm: Istanbul, Istanbul

Thursday, December 01, 2005

New recipe

Mix together equal portions of the following:

1/3 NYC - absolutely necessary for the speed junkie. Guaranteed to add depth and inspiration to all creative endeavours, ideal for professional networking, and just outright good ol' fun.

1/3 Canada - for reconnecting with family and old friends (and now a new boyfriend) - the heart smart part of any good diet, bolsters the spiritual elements of self.

1/3 Mexico - for a gentler, warmer way of life (both literally and figuratively) - sun, sand and surf will ensure peace of mind and darkness of skin.

Mmm, mmm, good.

Wednesday, November 30, 2005

You ever have one of those days?

I had an absolutely great day! And here's why:

1) My palm has been itching for the last two days and this usually means I'm coming into money (I know that sounds like a load of crap but it does actually happen to me a lot -- see my post from Monday, April 18, 2005). Well in this instance here's what came my way:
Please accept this as an introduction.
I noticed your work in the LA Shanti advertisement.
I took a look at your website.
You have a strong body of work.
We are running an article on Same Sex Latin couples.
There is an image on your site titled "Boys of Summer"
Perhaps that photo or another one from that session would be an appropriate editorial image for the page.
You can contact me and let me know if you would be interested.
I look forward to hearing from you and putting your work on the pages of Frontiers.
Life is good,
Don
Now it may not mean big bucks at this point but it's one of those golden opportunities for really great exposure in the LA market and I'm very excited at the prospects.

This is the photo he was referring to:


2) My friend Victor took me for coffee tonight here in Queretaro and on our way we stopped at a Christmas store -- I've been hunting for a Santa Claus hat for the past two weeks (life is hell when you have a concept and can't buy the props). Well finally I found it. You'll see why I wanted it when my 2005 Christmas e-card comes out. (smirk) But, if that wasn't good enough ... the same store sold adult size angel wings, for a mere 125 pesos (translated $12.50) I had looked at buying some when I was in NYC but there they were over $100 if I remember correctly. Needless to say, I've already packed them in my suitcase (they just fit) so be watching for some hot photos with models in angel wings.

3) One of my best friends in the whole entire world, Jenny (who now lives in Calgary -- used to be one of my homegirls in NYC) has come up with a crucial bit of information in tracking down my long lost red-headed pal, Annie Given -- who I've been trying to locate for the past two years, for real. I knew Annie was in Calgary, after globetrotting all over the place, but I couldn't remember her married name, she wasn't listed under her maiden name, and her brother (who had changed his name to Malcolm Zanzibar Brekkie) who also used to live in Calgary was not listed. I was stuck ... until tonight! Jenny found out -- by non-devious means -- that Annie works part-time at Williams and Sonoma at Chinook Centre. I'm only one phone call away now from actually having Annie's phone number. Jenny ... guuuuurl, you are the best!

4) My eye is better.

Hate your job?


Then try a little cyber-reality with a job as a waiter/waitress. Go you Diner Dash on yahoo games. It'll show you real quickly how evil a job that is. I got to level 6 and had to quit. LOL.

Customer: "Can I have another fork?"
Me: "Why? Do you have two mouths?"
I love being a photographer!

Sunday, November 20, 2005

Puerto Vallarta


Spent an amazing four days (from Thursday, Nov. 17 to Sunday, Nov. 20) in Puerto Vallarta.


Luc (left) and Victor (right)

the boys in bed (note the beautiful matching wristbands -- awww) Posted by Picasa

I went specifically to meet my buddies, Luc and Victor from Vancouver Island (who I saw just a few weeks back when I was in Vancouver), who were there for a week as early Christmas presents to one another. It was so wonderful to sit with them out on the beach and soak up the sun (and drink a lot of Coronas) -- very therapuetic. Ha Ha. I have to say a huge thank you to both of them, you guys made it so much fun! We did some of the touristy things (hey c'mon it was my first time there), did the rounds at the local bars and clubs, were invited to an art opening, and despite hangovers, sunstroke, an eye infection and overpriced tequila shots, we had a load of laughs in the process.

San Pancho Posted by Picasa


Boca del Naranjo Posted by Picasa
However, the best day I had was when Vic rented a car and the three of us drove to two remote beaches up the coast -- San Pancho aka San Francisco and Boca Del Naranjo. Both places were breathtakingly beautiful and the serenity was overwhelming -- plus it was fun to go swimming nude.



Giaco (left) and Raymundo (right)


the whole gang at Raymundo's studio Posted by Picasa

What made the trip even more spectacular was meeting two local artists from Puerto Vallarta, Raymundo Valencia and Giaco (who also happens to be an incredible dj). These guys gave me a real insiders' view to the city, great local restaurants, affordable hotels, and info/recommendations that only someone who lived there would know. Another big thank you goes out to these two remarkable osos (wink), who I'm thrilled to call my new friends. What I appreciated most was that they steered me clear of all the typical tourist stuff, which I have to admit was a real cultureshock (and not a desirable one) after having spent so much of my time away from the usual American tourists. I have to say that the hotel zone and some parts of the beach were filled with the ignorant and nasty "Y'all" type of travellers. I couldn't get away from them fast enough. And what made it worse is they attract the ugly type of Mexicans that are trying to take advantage of stupid American tourists -- they have and angle on everything and real smart-ass attitudes. My recommendation is stay away from the hotels like Los Pelicanos, that's where Luc & Vic stayed. It was just bad all the way around, expensive, bad food, and worst of all incredibly rude and stringent security and staff -- a total nightmare. I was glad to be staying in the old downtown at a great little place near the Rio Cuale called Belmar Hotel.

Overall I loved Puerto Vallarta. Here's a few photos from my time there, which included being there for the "Day of the Revolution" which had a great little parade along the malecon (oceanside boardwalk). I'm considering maybe heading back there for a few more days before I leave Mexico.




the malecon (l) and a parade participant Posted by Picasa

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