Yearly Archives: 2012

The Real Men of Atlantis

Posted on February 7, 2012 | 4 comments

Atlantis Events is masterful at creating marketing materials depicting men under 30 with less than 2% body fat, perfect sun-kissed skin with no hint of tan lines and a million dollar smile. While the cruise had many who fit this image perfectly, there was a wide range of men of different ages, shapes and sizes.

Here is a random sampling of men who may not appear in an Atlantis Events brochures or videos but who provide an accurate representation.

Chuck and Michael have been married for 5 years and live in Pensacola,  FL. They are regular Atlantis cruise goers and commented that this year’s cruise was far better because it wasn’t sold out so there was more room to move around and easier to enjoy the ships amenities.

Jeff and Abram (from Seattle) once upon a time were a couple but now are best friends.  They were fixtures at this bar on deck 5; always smiling and chatting with everyone. Some of their favorite things about the cruise? People watching (no surprise there).

Theo and Demos live in Cape Town South Africa and have been together for 2.5 years. They are part of a larger group of six other South Africans. They are a very cute couple to watch together and I bumped into them wherever I went.  Their favorite thing about the cruise ship? The shows.

Jie, Jett and Jehd flew down from chilly Toronto to enjoy the Atlantis Cruise. They too were part of a larger group of six friends who planned this trip together. This group of single men were enjoying the company of friends and a reprieve from Canada’s winter.

David and Eric live in New York City and are newlyweds.  When I met them on the ship they were busy signing up for the 2013 Atlantis Cruise to New Zealand and Australia.  Their favorite part of the cruise? Comfortable being themselves since everyone else is gay.

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2012 Atlantis Caribbean Cruise on the Allure

Posted on February 7, 2012 | 7 comments

I’ve recently returned from my first cruise.  There were eight of us in total who joined thousands of gay men from around the world for the Atlantis seven day cruise through the Western Caribbean.

Perhaps you’re curious to see what one of these cruises is like. It’s impossible to capture everything – there is too much to see and do, but here is a quick 5 minute video of my take on the 2012 Atlantis Caribbean Cruise aboard Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas.

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Cruising the Western Caribbean on the Allure of the Seas

Posted on February 6, 2012 | 6 comments

As I’ve mentioned previously, I was away on an Atlantis cruise through the Western Caribbean this past week.  This was the first time I’d ever been on a cruise and the Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas is one of the largest and nicest cruise ships available. The ship can hold more than 5,000 passengers and has more than 2,000 crew. 

Below Left: Cabin & Balcony / Below Right: Bathroom

Overall, I enjoyed the vacation. Aside from the parties Atlantis hosted which resemble giant Pride events, I loved taking midnight dips in the jacuzzi on the 15th deck, taking naps in my room while listening to the crash of the waves, and traveling with the large group of friends who joined me and my partner.

During our trip I was able to see some hilariously funny and well put together shows (thanks to Atlantis Events).  I’ll talk more about the entertainment in another post but suffice it to say – there was a bit of something for everyone.

While I had no desire to sign up for one of Atlantis many upcoming  cruises (notably New Zealand and Australia in 2013), I’d consider going on another in the future, depending on the destination and the friends planning the trip.

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Men of Atlantis

Posted on February 6, 2012 | 6 comments

I’ve just returned from my first Atlantis cruise.  For those not familiar, Atlantis Events is a gay owned events company that produces all-gay cruise and resort vacations around the world.

I’ll talk more about Atlantis and my experience on the cruise ship Allure in future posts, but today I thought I’d suspend my “Men of Twitter” this week and replace it with a “Men of Atlantis” posting. Here are just a few of the guys who joined me on the week long Caribbean cruise.

For those fans of my weekly Men of Twitter postings, thank you for visiting. I hope you like this one-time special “Men of”… and next Monday I’ll return with a brand new Men of Twitter.

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Book review: Boy meets Boy

Posted on February 5, 2012 | 1 comment

Boy Meets Boy by David Leviathan is a quick and funny read about Paul, a high school sophomore and his friends in an unnamed small town.  However, this is not your typical small town (although its one where most gay readers would love to have grown up).  Here the high school cheerleading squad forgoes the use of pom poms opting to ride Harleys on the field, the star quarterback prefers to wear woman’s clothing and doubles as the home coming queen and the town’s local ice cream shop is called the “I Scream Parlor” and plays horror films for its patrons.

Leviathon’s book is a light read, probably best for high school and 20-somethings, but I enjoyed it; it’s the perfect mindless, vacation novel that is guaranteed to give you a chuckle.  Here is an excerpt of what you can expect from this tale of high school drama that unfolds in this very special town.

“In 6th grade, Cody, Joni, a lesbian 4th grader named Laura and I formed our elementary school’s first gay-straight alliance.  Quite honestly, we took one look around and figured the straight kids needed our help.”

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Vacation ends tomorrow

Posted on February 4, 2012 | 4 comments

The Caribbean cruise I’ve been enjoying this week comes to an end tomorrow when we dock in Fort Lauderdale.  I’ll be able to review and approve any comments once I’m back home in freezing Boston.  I hope you have not missed me too much.

I’ll resume blogging as usual on Monday.

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An evening with Elie Wiesel

Posted on February 3, 2012 | 5 comments

I’m currently away celebrating Sergio’s birthday on the Atlantis Caribbean Cruise. While travelling I have no internet connection so I  thought I’d feature some of my favorite and most read posts from the past year. I’ll be back to active blogging when I return in February.

Originally Posted November 2011

For those unfamiliar, Elie Wiesel is an holocaust survivor of Hungarian decent who moved to the US after WWII. He is also an author, political activist, Nobel Laureate and professor at Boston University.

Last night we attended the final of a three part lecture series open to the public by Professor Wiesel.The lecture was entitled, Today: Reflections on Good and Evil. 

Elie Wiesel’s life and experiences could not be more different than mine.   However, one of the reasons I enjoy evenings like this is because I draw a great deal of inspiration and respect listening to a man like Professor Wiesel who is willing to share his thoughts.  The lecture started with an introduction from B.U.’s rabbi that included Anne Frank’s famous quote at the end of her diary.

“It’s really a wonder that I haven’t dropped all my ideals, because they seem so absurd and impossible to carry out. Yet I keep them, because in spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart.”
― Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl

As we all know, Anne Frank’s story is not a happy one and she was ultimately taken to the Nazi death camp, Buchenwald, where Elie Wiesel and his family were.  With her famous quote still ringing in my ears, Professor Wiesel started his lecture on the difference between good and evil. His lecture on good and evil was partly allegory, partly references to other great thinkers, partly theological, and 100% thought provoking.

The lecture closed with an impressive story, which left no doubt in my mind that whatever your religious convictions or feelings are with regards to good and evil in this world, we are all individually empowered to come to our own conclusions.  Despite our incredible differences, despite the incredible atrocities history has recorded as well as ongoing injustice in the world, I share the same conclusion as Elie Wiesel – I believe in the innate “goodness” of all people.

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Brain teaser: Stroop effect

Posted on February 3, 2012 | 1 comment

I’m still away on vacation, but I wanted to leave you with my weekly “brain teaser” posting.   This week’s teaser is known as the Stroop effect.

Try to say the color of the words below, instead of actually reading them. You may find it surprisingly difficult, because the right half of your brain is trying to say the colors, while the left half is trying to say the word. This tests a person’s ability to concentration.  

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What’s love got to do with it

Posted on February 2, 2012 | Leave a comment

I’m currently away celebrating Sergio’s birthday on the Atlantis Caribbean Cruise. While travelling I have no internet connection so I  thought I’d feature some of my favorite and most read posts from the past year. I’ll be back to active blogging when I return in February.

Originally Posted October 2011

David Samuel Levinson writes an interesting article in the current issue of Out Magazine entitled, Are you interested? The article addresses what is salvaged when a relationship you never thought you wanted ends.

The brief article is an interesting read and I couldn’t help but identify with the “untrusting and cynical” single David – I meet various forms of that David (both male and female) here in Boston all the time.

The introspective article addresses how the author does meet someone (not the man of his dreams by the way) and how the relationship evolves.  There is no storybook ending with this particular romance but its hardly a tragedy either. I think many people can personally relate or have witnessed this drama play out with friends and family.  Although there are no real answers provided by the author, it doesn’t detract from the story which concludes:

“But I had become someone else, someone better for knowing Markus. I was finally and, I hoped, inevitably the kind of guy who could look beyond tight black jeans and pink T-shirts — beyond his own bad habits and his gory past — and love.”

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Dinner with Opus One winemaker Michael Silacci

Posted on February 2, 2012 | Leave a comment

I’m currently away celebrating Sergio’s birthday on the Atlantis Caribbean Cruise. While travelling I have no internet connection so I  thought I’d feature some of my favorite and most read posts from the past year. I’ll be back to active blogging when I return in February.

Originally Posted September 2011

Last week I was invited to join my friend at 40-something life blog for a dinner with Opus One winemaker Michael Silacci and France Posener, the winery’s East Coast Sales representative at one of Boston’s premiere restaurants, L’Espalier. I loved the Summer Degustation which we ordered. It included 4 savory courses, followed by their grand fromage, signature sorbet and dessert. All told the 6 plates each accompanied by a different wine took us approximately 5 hours to eat – if you’d like to read in more detail what we ate, please link to my friend Tracey’s blog, here.

However, I would like to write a bit about the dining experience, starting with the exceptional service and attention we received due to Michael Silacci’s presence. The chef and proprietor of L’Espalier, Frank McClelland came over to meet us personally and chatted briefly with France and Michael. After seeing so many raging chefs on these quasi-reality cooking shows, chef McClelland’s calm, polite demeanor was a welcome dose of reality. We were also well tended by the sommelier, Erich Schliebe, who poured a new wine with each course and freely joined in our ongoing dinner repartee. Lastly, the restaurant’s Captain, Daniel Floyd, provided us with the most attentive service I can recall in recent memory. I know this was all for the benefit of the well respected winemaker to my right, but I enjoyed being privy to the opportunity.

One of the reasons Michael and France were in Boston was to premier the Opus One 2008 vintage.  It was pretty cool to be among the first to try this new vintage.  They brought a bottle of the award winning 2007 and the new 2008 and poured both for us to try side-by-side.

Between courses and wine, conversation flowed easily from start to finish. Michael is quite interesting and is equally comfortable talking about subject matter completely unrelated to his areas of interest or expertise. He is an attentive listener and has a dry wit.  One of the things I really enjoyed learning about my dinner companion is that he’s allergic to chocolate – it causes him to sneeze.  He joked the better the chocolate the more he sneezes.  I was able to witness this reaction when dessert was served and it caused all of us to laugh (again).

Dinner was filled with both personal stories from each of us as well as some interesting insights into the Opus One winery. I started my dinner not knowing the two guests who were treating my friend and me to this decadent dinner but left with a deeper appreciation for the work and attention they bring to their wines as well as some interesting insights into what makes them tick.

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Practice random acts of kindness

Posted on February 1, 2012 | 2 comments

I’m currently away celebrating Sergio’s birthday on the Atlantis Caribbean Cruise. While travelling I have no internet connection so I  thought I’d feature some of my favorite and most read posts from the past year. I’ll be back to active blogging when I return in February.

Originally Posted August 2011

Last night I was on the Acela (the US version of high-speed rail) back from New York City to Boston. Upon boarding the train, I sat opposite a woman of similar age or slightly younger than me. We chatted off and on through out the ride vacillating between working and mindless conversation with each other. As we were approaching Boston, a young woman walked over to us and inquired “Are you familiar with Boston?”

Apparently she needed to take the commuter train from Boston’s North Station and was a little distressed she’d miss the train since the Acela from NYC had left 45-minutes late (due to the quake in DC earlier in the day). It sounded like she only had about 15-20minutes tops to get to North Station, purchase her ticket and get on board the train. I suggested that she not wait for the metro and opt for a taxi which would be easy to get and provide her with faster transport to North Station. She looked relieved after I assured her that the taxi ride would only be 5-10 minutes and they would accept her credit cards (apparently she had no cash)…

I thought that was the end of the conversation (and so did the she) until the woman across from me suddenly spoke up and said to the woman visiting, “excuse me – I noticed you said you only had a credit card with you and were afraid you wouldn’t have time to get to an ATM machine”… the young woman who had just turned to go back to her seat looked a bit sheepish and said, “That’s okay – I’ll use my card for the taxi”…

Without skipping a beat the woman across from me pulled out a $10.00 bill and said “please take this to help you with your commuter rail fare. They won’t take credit cards on the commuter train and if you’re running late this will help.” I think the woman visiting from NYC was so taken off guard by the random act of kindness she almost fell over. After a few more minutes of the woman insisting she wanted to give her the extra cash the woman accepted the offer.

It got me to thinking… $10.00 is not a lot of money. However, the gesture was a significant one. It helped this stranger visiting Boston immensely and it reminded me that people do choose to do the right thing. Should a similar situation arise again in the near future – I plan on being the person offering the stranger in need the proverbial $10.00.

How will you react when you find yourself in such a situation in the future?

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This is Him!

Posted on February 1, 2012 | 2 comments

I’m currently away celebrating Sergio’s birthday on the Atlantis Caribbean Cruise. While travelling I have no internet connection so I  thought I’d feature some of my favorite and most read posts from the past year. I’ll be back to active blogging when I return in February.

Originally Posted June 2011

Dan Savage poignant “It Gets Better Campaign” came about because of a grim reality regarding how marginalized gay and lesbian kids feel and the bullying that further isolates them. This past weekend, I was reminded of the happier side of Dan Savage’s campaign – the part that addresses “The Better”…

There is a young man (18 years old to be exact) who lives in my complex. At first glance he looks like a tough city kid. His Boston accent, stocky build which mimics his gigantic father and cigarette permanently hanging from his lips makes him look anything like his friendly, easy-going personality. This kid (let’s call him Adam), comes from a solid blue collar, take no crap kind of family. We’ve been neighbors for a few years now and while I don’t know his whole story, I do know that he’s gay.

As far as I was aware, he was closeted (maybe he still is). However, the other day he told me with quite a bit of pride that his boyfriend was coming to visit him. I was happy for him and told him so, but it wasn’t until I saw him later this weekend that I realized how happy. On Sunday afternoon as my partner and I were driving through the courtyard we looked up and saw Adam with a friend. When Adam recognized us he lit up and started shouting as loud as he could pointing to the other young man. “This is Him!” I think he must have said it 2-3 more times at the top of his lungs. He was so excited and proud. And seeing this young, tough-kid from Boston all excited to be with his boyfriend and to be shouting it for all the world to hear made me think you know what Dan Savage is right, it does get better. And if you’re lucky like Adam – you don’t have to wait that long to realize it.

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When was your gay adolescence

Posted on January 31, 2012 | 2 comments

I’m currently away celebrating Sergio’s birthday on the Atlantis Caribbean Cruise. While travelling I have no internet connection so I  thought I’d feature some of my favorite and most read posts from the past year. I’ll be back to active blogging when I return in February.

Originally Posted June 2011

Have you heard of the movie Beginners directed by Mike Mills and starring Ewan McGregor and Christopher Plummer? The movie is based on Mike Mill’s real life and his relationship with his Dad who at the ripe age of 70 (and 6-mos after his wife’s passing) reveals that he’s gay. The movie chronicles the father’s exuberant embracing of his ‘new gay life’ and Mike’s relationship with his Dad as well as his new girlfriend.

It got me to thinking when I first came out in my late 20s and the ‘exuberance’ or rush that I felt. I could totally relate to this 70 year old man played by Christopher Plummer. Watching an interview with Mike Mills, he referred to the phenomenon as a second or ‘gay adolescence’, which I thought was a perfect term. For many people who come out later in life it does seem like they go through a second adolescence filled with boy crushes, drama and a lot of emotional energy.

Regardless of whether you’ve heard the term second adolescence or gay adolescence. Did you come out after your teenage years? And if so, did you also enjoy an intense second ‘gay adolescence’? Do tell…

Thanks to Jen on twitter who alerted me to a NPR interview of the director you can watch here.

The handsome guy posted at the beginning of the post has nothing to do with the movie but would be just the kind of guy who would have stopped me dead in my tracks. I’ve been looking for an excuse to post this picture and it seems that although my ‘gay adolescence’ is some years behind me now; some things never go away. I like that I remain a bit boy crazy.

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Is it trendy underwear or underoos

Posted on January 31, 2012 | 2 comments

I’m currently away celebrating Sergio’s birthday on the Atlantis Caribbean Cruise. While travelling I have no internet connection so I  thought I’d feature some of my favorite and most read posts from the past year. I’ll be back to active blogging when I return in February.

Originally Posted April 2011

Are you noticing that more gay men and their metrosexual brethren seem to be wearing what I can only refer to as underoos for adults. Whenever I’m at the gym I see men walking around in underwear that resembles the popular children’s brand we all had as kids. I don’t know why, but I find it unnerving to see a grown man at the gym taking off his shirt, tie and dress pants to be standing in some cartoonish boxer briefs discussing his plans for the evening.

Initially I thought it might be an age thing, but today at the gym I saw a guy my own age standing in Hello Kitty underwear. Everyone reading this must think I’m a crumudgeon, but I’m not. I really appreciate whimsy and have a great sense of humor, but this is one fashion trend that definitely escapes me. However, I will admit it was rather fun pulling down these photos from online. Now if only all the men buying this underwear looked like these models maybe it wouldn’t bother me quite so much.

I won’t even bother to comment on underwear that tries to be cute or make a statement, because I will sound like a grumpy old man. However, I may have to revisit this if only to find more photos to rail against in a later post -LoL-.

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NoH8 photo shoot in Boston

Posted on January 30, 2012 | 1 comment

I’m currently away celebrating Sergio’s birthday on the Atlantis Caribbean Cruise. While travelling I have no internet connection so I  thought I’d feature some of my favorite and most read posts from the past year. I’ll be back to active blogging when I return in February.

Originally Posted March 2011

The NOH8 Campaign came to Boston today w/ celebrity photographer Adam Bouska snapping photographs. For a brief while the W Boston Hotel had the vibe of a very friendly Tea Dance with hundreds of people mingling and dancing to great music as DJs entertained everyone. I arrived with my Partner, Sergio, just after 4pm. I quickly found out that I was to be #374 photographed and that they would not photograph more than 700 – glad I was not fashionably late!

It was a fantastic way to spend an afternoon and I enjoyed meeting and chatting with people. My phone really does not take great pictures and Sergio’s phone died early so I’ve only included a handful of pictures from the day. I’ll proudly post the photograph Adam took when I receive it in approximately 6 weeks. Until then, these will have to do.

NOH8 DJs played an excellent mix that made the time fly

Adam snapping photos of people at W Hotel Boston

Everyone was happy to strike a pose

All told it was a fantastic experience. If interested you can visit the NOH8 website to see when Adam will be visiting your home town.

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