rustle

never mind

Fehr's Overlook, Bastrop State Park, Bastrop, TX around the corner from home This is more snow than anybody's seen here, ever. and home

Yeah, the word's generally misused, although some of the haters truly are afraid. Many homophobes I've known are, more accurately, xenophobes. Anything beyond their ken is enough to make them shake in their boots. After all, it's a big, scary world out there, and they might get eaten (and not in a good way). The true homophobes often seem to be fighting their own battles inside. They were taught to hate, then figured their own fingers were awfully dirty to be pointing at someone else, but if they yell, "Get him!" loud enough, nobody will notice.

solo: Carlos Santana singer: Adele band: ColdWarKids

He's lived in a bubble the past few years, surrounded by employees he probably confuses with friends. The best things he could do for himself as a human being would be the worst things he could do for his career. His entourage isn't going to recommend he do something to feed his spirit or grow a personality. Unless he does fail, he may not ever learn what it is do be an authentic human being. For his sake, I hope it's a soft landing, and he finds something the other side of fame. And for my sake, I hope it happens soon.

happy birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happ' Burfday, Jordan!

Owl, I'm so sorry. You and your mom will be in my thoughts. I wish you the best, and hope everything settles soon. Thank you very much for letting us know what's going on. rustle

Thanks for the vote for manliness, but I do things because they're fun or interest me. I'm with you on the beer. Wild Turkey or Cuervo Gold, on the rare occasions that I drink.

I'm unable to find links, but ... Waldesrauschen by Liszt Hammerclavier by Beethoven The Firebird Suite by Stravinsky Not strictly classical, I know, but I'm a romantic at heart.

I've been wrestling with this one for most of my life. Finally, I think I'm getting it. I'll never be a manly man. I hate team sports, I don't hunt or fish. But I love to spar with heavy weapons, backpack, and kayak in gator-infested waters. I'll never be a girly man: I hate ballet, I don't dance, and my favorite band is Nine Inch Nails. But I'm great with color and I know how to embroider. I'm left-handed when I write, shoot a gun right-handed, shoot a bow left-handed. The past few years, a whole spectrum of human sexuality and gender has emerged from the shadows. Even as a gay man, I fight the urge to stereotype, to categorize, to label. Every single day. Because it doesn't matter what you wear, what you do, or who you do. It doesn't affect me. Labels are convenient. Labels are crap. --------------------------------------------- To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting. ~e.e. cummings, 1955

For every criterion above, you said you want or would like. That's one side of the envelope. The other is, What do you need?

What I looked for were traditional virtues, first. Trustworthiness was pretty high up there, along with a good mind. Next was plenty of common ground, so we'd have something to talk about, and to share together. Completion, not similitude. Someone to admire and respect. And a tight butt didn't hurt one bit.

Every Sunday after church, Dad would sit down at the piano and play until our little wood frame house was rocking on its foundations. Rachmaninoff and Grieg were his favorites, but he'd throw in a ragtime piece for a change, or learn a new, bombastic, late romantic piece. In college, my friends were all classical musicians or actors, and I learned to listen more carefully. But I also grew more restless, listening to the same genre, if not the same compositions, all the time. Now, I mostly listen to the radio, because I crave the changefulness of the present. It's too tempting to let one's ears (and thinking) fossilize. But for a rare treat, I love to go watch a classical performance. classical music joke - Q: Why did Bach have so many children? A: Because there were no stops on his organ.

My name is rustle, and I don't just sniff books. I sniff, stroke, caress, lick. I love the crinkle of a brand new smythe-sewn, case-bound book, the earthy taste of a vintage all-rag folio edition. There's nothing like an old dictionary with drill indexing. Give me a dust jacket with foil embossing and gloss UV coating. Sorry, too many years with ink under my fingernails and the whiff of toluene in the air.

We met through an art project that turned into a personal ad, and I thought...maybe. Then I met him in person, and I thought MAYBE! and something melted in me. Last October marked 20 years together. Quibble over definitions of love and first sight, if you like, but it's good to leave a little uncertainty in your life. It can leave room for unlikely possibilities to creep in.

When I was 9, my father died. He was 42. I never knew my grandfathers. I always expected to die young. Lachesis measures as she will.

Wenatchee River Valley, Washington State. Surrounded by snow-capped mountains, glacier-fed rivers, and dirt-biking on logging roads all day long. Big Bend National Park. Physically challenging, great hiking trails, with great wildlife and phenomenal geology.

I wouldn't date anybody who hung his nuts (or his truck's) out in public view. A little mystery, please, folks.

Try not to take things so seriously. Not yourself, the other person, or the invitation. if you build it up too much in your mind, things don't go as well. "Hi" can be the toughest thing in the world to say, followed closely by whatever comes next, if you invest too much thought into it. Next time you see an interesting person, too,take a breath and take in your surroundings, walk up to that person, say hi, and talk about what's around you (the band, the monster truck that just exploded, the lighting in the periodicals section of the library, the exhibit presentation, whatever). Say something positive, or ask him or her for an opinion on what's around you. Don't worry about a date - find out if you WANT to go on a date with that person. If something seems to click, ask if he/she would like to go out some time, to do something you now know you'd both probably enjoy. Otherwise, it's just a conversation, right?

just 2 wordsThank you.

Looks are a starting point, like the sound of a voice, or the smell of cologne. First impressions count, whether favorable or not. If you put crappy clothes on Michelangelo's David, or he needed a bath badly, or he had a high squeaky voice, he'd be a turn-off for most of us. After the first look, we search for things we like or don't like. Intellect, personality, the things we DON'T see at first glance. Under most circumstances, we don't look past the gross turn-offs, but once in a while, some intangible can override one criterion not met. It's part of being human to be able to look past one thing to see another, if there's a reason. We're all looking for different things, and in differing degrees at different times, but a sound mind in a sound body, maintained and presented well, goes a long way with most of us.

It's not just you. I have to reread or walk away and let a few chapters accumulate. Or concentrate on a whole book for a while.

Israel and Egypt have had a treaty in place for about 30 years. A stable government in Egypt which honors that treaty is in Israel's interest, so folks over there are probably pretty nervous right now. So are U.S officials, since Mubarak has enforced international stability for decades. Jordan and Yemen, U.S. allies against al qaeda, are undergoing turmoil and turnover right now, too. Watch Saudi Arabia over the next month. A common complaint against the Arab rulers in the middle east is corruption. The ruling families live in splendor while the masses barely have enough to eat, the gap between the wealthy and the poor is growing greater, the middle class is shrinking rapidly. It's not the type of government or the rulers that people revolt against. It's the lack of opportunity to support themselves. They're fighting for individual economic survival. WL makes a good point. (Difficult to comment on current events w/o being political)

I love all kinds of animals, but have two dogs. They seem to be happier in pairs, and this is my fifth pair. These are Anuva and Conor Bear. You can't tell from this picture, but Conor's 2.5X Anuva's size @ 125#.