Click on the comic strip to enlarge
ADAM & ANDY is set in the fictional New England town of Woodfield, CT. You can learn more about this strip by visiting, adamandandy.com. To see previous Adam and Andy cartoons link here.
Enjoy the weekend and thanks for stopping by to check out my blog.
Did you know that on December 16, 1773 (some 243 years ago) a bunch of fed up colonists from Massachusetts dressed like Native Americans and snuck aboard a ship to dump tea into Boston harbor as a way to protest their frustrations with the British Monarchy?
Although it has nothing to do with the protest, I prefer this image of one of my favorite Presidents, having a tea party of another sort with his daughter. I find both the history of the Tea Party as well as the image of President John Kennedy very inspiring, and these days I’m looking for inspiration wherever I can find it.
Say hello to Matt – this week’s Furry Friday. I’ve included photos of this handsome Bostonian in the past, but I saved this one for the Christmas season.
Source: G Lounge Facebook page
Yesterday Kennethinthe212 blog posted that the popular gay bar G Lounge in Chelsea will be closing at the end of this year. I have some fun memories navigating my way around the bar and was sorry to hear that the popular bar would be closing. Kenneth writes:
I just confirmed this with G Lounge, a gay-bar staple in Chelsea for 20 years. I first heard rumblings about G closing in early 2014, but then was told I was wrong in 2015. Sadly, I wasn’t. The bar — which signed a confident 20-year lease when it opened in 1996 — seemed to remain vibrant as Splash, Rawhide, The Break, Champs, View Bar and others faded away. Sad to hear a place that played such a big role in my life is coming to an end, even if it had ended in my actual life many years ago.
Read this funny conversation Kenneth’s friend had via text when he learned of G Lounge’s imminent closing. I think we can all agree with his friends sentiments.
THE LURE OF PROVINCETOWN
Photography by Midge Battelle and Al Kaplan
Stonewall Gallery 2157 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors FL
This new exhibit at the Stonewall National Museum and Archives in Wilton Manors, FL examines the rich culture and history of Provincetown, MA, as a popular tourist destination for the LGBT community.
This exhibit opens Friday, December 16th. The exhibit is free and open to the public, but a suggested donation of $5 is appreciated. For more information, visit stonewall-museum.org.
Effective today, recreational marijuana is legal in Massachusetts — but it is not readily available. The law allows adults to have limited quantities of marijuana for recreational purposes and grow pot plants in their homes, but for the moment it’s still illegal to sell marijuana in Massachusetts — except to registered medical marijuana patients.
The State has one year to figure out how to license and regulate the sale of marijuana so until January 2017 it looks like Massachusetts could become one of the leaders in homegrown marijuana.
For more information, check out WBUR’s The Legal Do’s and Don’ts to Know.
Much thanks to my friend, Tony, for sharing this week’s submission. As my regular readers know, I dedicate this weekly post, featuring vintage gay photographs, to the men and women who lived in a more critical time where being true to yourself and loving who you want wasn’t always an option and came at a great price.
Do you have a photo you would like to share for a future post? Email me at bosguymail@gmail.com.
Looking for something to do after work? Want to meet new, interesting people in Boston? Why not check out Opus Affair’s monthly cocktail social which takes place after work at Stoddard’s in Downtown Crossing?
There is no cost but Opus Affair does ask people to RSVP if possible so they can keep count and ensure the bar has enough staff – this group is very popular and attracts a large crowd. If you’re thinking of going RSVP – it takes just a minute.
Opus Affair Cocktail Social 6-9PM
Stoddard’s Fine Food & Ale
48 Temple Place, Boston
RSVP – Yes, I’m Going
About: Opus Affair is a mix of artists and art appreciators who get together each month for cocktails and to chat about the arts scene in Boston. Some come for serious networking, others come for fun. There’s no agenda—just a chance to have a few drinks with other like-minded folks. Bring some friends or come make some new ones.
Fruit Fly (\ˈfrüt-flī\adjective)
Definition: a woman who prefers the company of gay men to heterosexual men.
Example: Margaret Cho may be the world’s most famous fruit fly.
Each Wednesday morning I post a photograph and ask readers to offer a funny caption. Hopefully you can do better than my attempt and will share a few of your own by leaving them in the comments section.
Slippery Soap
Too many of us have become addicted to 24-hour news network channels: MSNBC, CNN, FOX, etc… All of these channels have inherent biases.
My pitch for The PBS News Hour – hosted at 6PM daily
I wanted to make a pitch for my favorite news program, PBS News Hour, which covers both national and international news equally (a novelty for any American news program). They open with a 5-minute overview of the leading news stories of the day followed by 4-5 more in depth stories that run approximately 6-8 minutes and include multiple stakeholders (not just those who share a similar bias or who are brought on to provoke outrage). If you find a certain story is not of interest you can quickly fast forward if you watch this on DVR as I do.
PBS News Hour also provides an intelligent political analysis every Friday in a reoccurring discussion called Shields & Brooks, which includes syndicated columnist Mark Shields and New York Times columnist David Brooks. These two men along with the moderator, Judy Woodruff provide an interesting discussion on 3-4 political issues of the week without shouting over each other or calling each other names. One actually walks away with not only a keener understanding of the issues but a better understanding of the opposing view.
If you find that you are getting outraged every time you watch your favorite 24-hour news network then maybe you need to evaluate why you are watching it in the first place. News shouldn’t be sensationalized or dramatic with wild music and graphics designed to elicit an emotional response and get your blood pumping. We are after all talking about news not your favorite reality TV program. Or is that what the news has become for you?
News Hour can be viewed on your local PBS affiliate at 6PM Monday – Friday.
Self Portrait 1980 – Source: clampart.com
Mark Morrisroe (January 10, 1959 – July 24, 1989) was an American performance artist and photographer who was born to a drug-addicted mother in Malden, MA. Due to his unhappy home life (he happened to also be a tenant of Albert DeSalvo, who would become known as the infamous “Boston Strangler”) he moved out at the age of 15 and began hustling to make ends meet.
Despite his hardships, he became known for his performances and photographs, which contributed to the development of the punk scene in Boston in the 1970s and the art world boom of the mid to late 1980s in New York City.
I had never heard about Mark until I learned that there would be an exhibit featuring some of his photos called Mark Morrisroe: Works from 1982 – 85, showing at Alexander & Bonin in NYC through December 22nd. Should you find yourself in NYC and like to see more of this remarkable man’s work, check out the exhibit before it closes next week.
Much thanks to the Seduced by the New blog for this week’s inspiration.
BosGuy 