Category Archives: Music

December 27, 2013

Baby, It’s Cold Outside

By Joe

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Baby, It’s Cold Outside

I really can’t stay
– But baby it’s cold outside
I’ve got to go away
– But baby it’s cold outside
This evening has been
– Been hoping that you’d drop in
So very nice
– I’ll hold your hands, they’re just like ice
My mother will start to worry
– Beautiful, what’s your hurry?
My father will be pacing the floor
– Listen to the fireplace roar
So really I’d better scurry
– Beautiful, please don’t hurry
Well maybe just a half a drink more
– Put some records on while I pour

The neighbors might think
– Baby, it’s bad out there
Say, what’s in this drink?
– No cabs to be had out there
I wish I knew how
– Your eyes are like starlight
To break the spell
– I’ll take your hat, your hair looks swell
I ought to say no, no, no, sir
– Mind if I move in closer?
At least I’m gonna say that I tried
– What’s the sense in hurting my pride?
I really can’t stay
– Baby don’t hold out
Oh, but it’s cold outside

I simply must go
– But, baby, it’s cold outside.
The answer is no
– But, baby, it’s cold outside.
This welcome has been
– How lucky that you dropped in.
So nice and warm
– Look out the window at that storm.
My sister will be suspicious
– Gosh, your lips look delicious.
My brother will be there at the door
– Waves upon a tropical storm.
My maiden aunt’s mind is vicious
– Oh, your lips are delicious.
Maybe just a cigarette more
– Never such a blizzard before.

I’ve got to go home
– But, baby, you’ll freeze out there
Say, lend me your coat
– It’s up to your knees out there
You’ve really been grand
– I’m thrilled when you touch my hand
But don’t you see
– How can you do this thing to me?
ByThere’s bound to be talk tomorrow
– Think of my life long sorrow
At least there will be plenty implied
– If you caught pneumonia and died
I really can’t stay
– Get over that hold out
Ohhh, baby it’s cold outside

The lyrics in this duet are designed to be heard as a conversation between two people, marked as “mouse” and “wolf” on the printed score; they have returned to the “wolf’s” home after a date, and the “mouse” decides it’s time to go home, but the “wolf” flirtatiously invites her to stay as it is late and “it’s cold outside.” Every line in the song features a statement from the “mouse” followed by a response from the “wolf”. Usually the “wolf” part is sung by a male and the “mouse” by a female.

Criticisms of the song stem from a reading of the lyrics not as the “mouse” wanting to stay and only putting up a token protest for the sake of appearance as supported by lyrics such as “The neighbors might think…”, “My father will be pacing the floor”, but instead as the “mouse” genuinely wanting to leave but being stopped by the “wolf” being coercive in his pleading with the mouse. Examples of questionable lyrics in this regard include, “I simply must go”, “The answer is no”, “I’ve got to go home”. There is also the line “Hey, what’s in this drink”, which with current interpretation could be taken to sound suspiciously like the “mouse” has been drugged. Many movies, at the time the song was written, used a similar line to refer to someone behaving in a different manner than they expected and blaming it on the alcohol.

P.S. The veterinarian’s office was closed yesterday, so as soon as I can take HRH to the vet today, I will give a short post on what I find out. She’s still not acting like she feels well, so hopefully the vet can tell me what’s wrong with my lovely little 15 year old feline friend.

2 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , | posted in Music

November 19, 2013

Chances

By Joe

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Chances
by Gregg Wattenberg and John Ondrasik

Chances are when said and done
Who’ll be the lucky ones who make it all the way?
Though you say I could be your answer
Nothing lasts forever no matter how it feels today

Chances are we’ll find a new equation
Chances roll away from me
Chances are all they hope to be

Don’t get me wrong I’d never say never
‘Cause though love can change the weather
No act of God can pull me away from you

I’m just a realistic man, a bottle filled with shells and sand
Afraid to love beyond what I can lose when it comes to you
And though I see us through, yeah

Chances are we’ll find two destinations
Chances roll away from me
Still chances are more than expectations
The possibilities over me

It’s a fight with two to one, lay your money on the sun
Until you crash what have you done? Is there a better bet than love?
What you are is what you breathe, you gotta cry before you sing

Chances, chances
Chances lost are hope’s torn up pages
Maybe this time

Chances are we’ll be the combination
Chances come and carry me
Chances are waiting to be taken, and I can see

Chances are the fascinations
Chances won’t escape from me
Chances are only what we make them and all I need

A friend of mine suggested that I listen to this song, and I instantly fell in love with it. In fact from what I can tell, he has great taste in music, far better than I do. I love music, but I often listen to NPR on the radio in the mornings going to work, and most of the times on the way home. If I’m not listening to NPR or an audiobook. I don’t often listen to music on the radio because we have crappy stations around here. Too bad I don’t have Sirius/XM satellite radio. If I did, I’d probably listen to more music. The music I hear from my students is often ear shatteringly bad, so it’s nice when someone introduces me to some new music, especially when they have great tastes. This song was just the beginning on a journey of great music from this particular friend of mine.

Every once in a while, I enjoy featuring a song instead of a poem on Tuesdays. Songs really is poetry set to music, especially a good song. “Chances” is the title of a song written by Gregg Wattenberg and John Ondrasik, and recorded by Ondrasik under his stage name Five for Fighting. The song was released on July 21, 2009, as the first single from the band’s 2009 album, Slice. The song was the band’s fourth single to chart on the Billboard Hot 100.

If you are interested in listening to the song and watching the video, check out http://youtu.be/n8cfbBgXIow. Interestingly, the video was filmed at Singing Springs Movie ranch a week before the Station Fire burned 250 square miles in the Angeles National Forest. All structures and vegetation seen in the video were destroyed.

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October 29, 2013

Follow Your Arrow

By Joe

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“Follow Your Arrow”
Kacey Musgraves

If you save yourself for marriage
You’re a bore
If you don’t save yourself for marriage
You’re a horr…ible person
If you won’t have a drink
Then you’re a prude
But they’ll call you a drunk
As soon as you down the first one

If you can’t lose the weight
Then you’re just fat
But if you lose too much
Then you’re on crack
You’re damned if you do
And you’re damned if you don’t
So you might as well just do
Whatever you want
So

Make lots of noise
Kiss lots of boys
Or kiss lots of girls
If that’s something you’re into
When the straight and narrow
Gets a little too straight
Roll up a joint, or don’t
Just follow your arrow
Wherever it points, yeah
Follow your arrow
Wherever it points

If you don’t go to church
You’ll go to hell
If you’re the first one
On the front row
You’re self-righteous
Son of a-
Can’t win for losing
You’ll just disappoint ’em
Just ’cause you can’t beat ’em
Don’t mean you should join ’em

So make lots of noise
Kiss lots of boys
Or kiss lots of girls
If that’s something you’re into
When the straight and narrow
Gets a little too straight
Roll up a joint, or don’t
Just follow your arrow
Wherever it points, yeah
Follow your arrow
Wherever it points

Say what you think
Love who you love
‘Cause you just get
So many trips ’round the sun
Yeah, you only
Only live once

So make lots of noise
Kiss lots of boys
Or kiss lots of girls
If that’s what you’re into
When the straight and narrow
Gets a little too straight
Roll up a joint, I would
And follow your arrow
Wherever it points, yeah
Follow your arrow
Wherever it points

Sometimes a song really resonates with me and as I thing music should be it is also beautiful poetry. I came across this song as a free download from my Starbucks app. One listen, and I was hooked. After listening to “Follow Your Arrow” from Musgraves’ Same Trailer Different Park! the Nashville-based singer-songwriter’s first album for Mercury Records, it’s clear that this is a girl who has something to say. A true language artist, Kacey nimbly spins webs of words to create the quirky puns, shrewd metaphors, and steely ironies that fill the record.

On “Follow Your Arrow,” she points out the hypocrisies that society imposes on even the most conservative among us (If you save yourself for marriage you’re a bore/If you don’t save yourself for marriage you’re a horr…ible person) which she balances with a chorus that preaches throwing caution and propriety to the wind: (Make lots of noise/Kiss lots of boys/Or kiss lots of girls if that’s something your into/When the straight and narrow gets a little too straight/Roll up a joint/Or don’t/Follow your arrow wherever it points.) Her message is clear: Be yourself and be happy.

Here’s the song if your interested in listening:

http://vimeo.com/60697460

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September 3, 2013

Same Love

By Joe

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I have to admit that I am behind the times on this. I had heard about this song (which will be the poem for today), but I had not heard it. I could have easily listened to it on YouTube, but I hadn’t taken the time. On my way home Friday night, I felt like my local Top 40 station was having a gay night. It started with this song, several commercials for the local gay club (or alternative nightspot, as they called it), and then numerous songs about being yourself. It was actually a lot of great music. It was also a bit surreal considering that they kept updating the Friday night football scores as well. Though I am not a fan of rap music in the least, I have to admit that the words to Macklemore’s “Same Love” are quite poetic and meaningful. Besides isn’t tap supposed to be urban poetry?

“Same Love” is the fourth single released by Seattle-based rapper Macklemore and producer Ryan Lewis from their 2012 debut studio album, The Heist. The track, featuring vocals by Mary Lambert, talks about legalizing same-sex marriage and was recorded during the campaign for Washington Referendum 74, which, upon approval in 2012, legalized same-sex marriages in Washington state. The song has so far reached number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States and reached number 1 in both New Zealand and Australia.

The cover artwork for the single shows a photograph of Macklemore’s uncle, John Haggerty, and his partner, Sean.

The song was featured as a part of YouTube’s Pride Week (http://youtu.be/OQngzapK5dM).

“Same Love”
Macklemore with Ryan Lewis featuring Mary Lambert
By Ben Haggerty (Macklemore), Ryan Lewis, Mary Lambert, Curtis Mayfield

When I was in the third grade I thought that I was gay,
‘Cause I could draw, my uncle was, and I kept my room straight.
I told my mom, tears rushing down my face
She’s like “Ben you’ve loved girls since before pre-k, trippin’ ”
Yeah, I guess she had a point, didn’t she?
Bunch of stereotypes all in my head.
I remember doing the math like, “Yeah, I’m good at little league”
A preconceived idea of what it all meant
For those that liked the same sex
Had the characteristics
The right wing conservatives think it’s a decision
And you can be cured with some treatment and religion
Man-made rewiring of a predisposition
Playing God, aw nah here we go
America the brave still fears what we don’t know
And God loves all his children, is somehow forgotten
But we paraphrase a book written thirty-five-hundred years ago
I don’t know

And I can’t change
Even if I tried
Even if I wanted to
And I can’t change
Even if I tried
Even if I wanted to
My love
My love
My love
She keeps me warm
She keeps me warm
She keeps me warm
She keeps me warm

If I was gay, I would think hip-hop hates me
Have you read the YouTube comments lately?
“Man, that’s gay” gets dropped on the daily
We become so numb to what we’re saying
A culture founded from oppression
Yet we don’t have acceptance for ’em
Call each other faggots behind the keys of a message board
A word rooted in hate, yet our genre still ignores it
Gay is synonymous with the lesser
It’s the same hate that’s caused wars from religion
Gender to skin color, the complexion of your pigment
The same fight that led people to walk outs and sit ins
It’s human rights for everybody, there is no difference!
Live on and be yourself
When I was at church they taught me something else
If you preach hate at the service those words aren’t anointed
That holy water that you soak in has been poisoned
When everyone else is more comfortable remaining voiceless
Rather than fighting for humans that have had their rights stolen
I might not be the same, but that’s not important
No freedom till we’re equal, damn right I support it

(I don’t know)

And I can’t change
Even if I tried
Even if I wanted to
My love
My love
My love
She keeps me warm
She keeps me warm
She keeps me warm
She keeps me warm

We press play, don’t press pause
Progress, march on
With the veil over our eyes
We turn our back on the cause
Till the day that my uncles can be united by law
When kids are walking ’round the hallway plagued by pain in their heart
A world so hateful some would rather die than be who they are
And a certificate on paper isn’t gonna solve it all
But it’s a damn good place to start
No law is gonna change us
We have to change us
Whatever God you believe in
We come from the same one
Strip away the fear
Underneath it’s all the same love
About time that we raised up… sex

And I can’t change
Even if I tried
Even if I wanted to
And I can’t change
Even if I tried
Even if I wanted to
My love
My love
My love
She keeps me warm
She keeps me warm
She keeps me warm
She keeps me warm

Love is patient
Love is kind
Love is patient
Love is kind
(not crying on Sundays)
Love is patient
(not crying on Sundays)
Love is kind
(I’m not crying on Sundays)
Love is patient
(not crying on Sundays)
Love is kind
(I’m not crying on Sundays)
Love is patient
(not crying on Sundays)
Love is kind
(I’m not crying on Sundays)
Love is patient
Love is kind

PS I hope you will all wish me luck today as I go to court to fight a speeding ticket. My cruise control was set at 65 mph, but the state trooper said he clocked me going 85 mph. Cars were passing me left and right, including a similar model to my car that was the same color. If I had been speeding, I’d just pay it, but I wasn’t, so I’m going to court.

1 Comment   |  tags: , , , , , , , | posted in Music, Poetry

July 8, 2013

Country Music

By Joe

Country music has been the buzz on many gay sites and blogs because of the hot little number by Steve Grand, which I posted about on Friday.  As I mentioned on Friday, I went to an Alabama concert on Friday night.  Alabama has been around for forty years, and my aunt, who I went with has been seeing them in concert, every time they come around, for thirty of those years.  To say she’s a fan might be an understatement.  I have one more concert to go to with my aunt on Thursday, more on that in a moment.  My aunt s a huge country music fan, and I have, since I was a kid, went along to concerts with her so she didn’t go alone.  My aunt is a wonderful woman, who always took my sister and I on different vacations each summer.  She is keeping pretty busy this month, and it often means me going along.  There is a reason for this.  You see tomorrow will be a year since her mother and my Grandmama died.  Her father and my Granddaddy died at the end of July twelve years ago.  For these reasons, July is a difficult month for my family, and especially for my aunt, who took care of my grandparents in their waning years.  When I started writing this post, I had not meant for it to be such a downer, so I am going to make a radical shift back to the topic of country music.

The Alabama concert was a wonderful and surprising event.  I was surprised by the number of young people at the concert.  Alabama hasn’t toured in years, and it has been quite a while since they put out an album, but the teenagers and twenty-somethings seem to love them.  Three cute teenage boys were sitting behind us.  One of them knew the words and sang along to every song that Alabama sang.  I was impressed.  (If I were one to have a foot fetish, his bare feet propped next to me for a good part of the night probably would have caused a spontaneous orgasm, lol.)  One other surprise that I noticed in the crowd was a hot guy in cut-off jean shorts (Daisy Duke short), button down shirt with the sleeves ripped off, boots and a cowboy hat.  He was smokin’ hot in a slutty gay boy kind of way.  Whether he was gay, lost a bet, or just has a quirky sense of fashion, this hot little number was quite the looker.  I’d loved to have snuck off with him and had my way with him, but alas, I only got to admire him from afar.

The opening act was another surprise.  Aaron Parker, who incidentally I had never heard of, was the hot little cowboy who opened up for Alabama.   His picture is above.  Be forewarned, my description of him might be a little raunchy.  First of all, Mr. Parker is packing some major meat.  His bulge was big enough to be noticeable from where I was sitting on the second level, maybe two hundred yards away. He also had a tight little butt that was drool worthy.  It was definitely fun to watch him continuously bump and grind one of his band mates, see picture above.  His music was okay, and with Alabama’s help, he might have a good career ahead of him.  Being the opening act for a band like Alabama has to be difficult considering how great of a band they are and that people were there to see them and not him, but he was fun to watch.  Most likely, he was chosen because of his song, “Anything Alabama.”

Alabama came on afterward and were fantastic.  They sang “Love in the First Degree,” “The Closer You Get,” “High Cotton,” “Feels So Right,” “Roll On (Eighteen Wheeler),” “Song of the South,” “The Fans,” “Tennessee River,” “Dancin’, Shaggin’ on the Boulevard,” and of course, no night would be complete without “Mountain Music” and “My Home’s in Alabama.”  Their song list was no surprise, but it was what everyone came to see.  The biggest surprise of the night was yet to come.  Randy Owens, the lead singer of Alabama, announced that they would have a new album coming out soon.  It will be the first studio album since 2001.  Yet that was really not what caused to crowd to go wild.  That was when Owens announced that he was bringing out someone who he had been told several years ago would be a star.  He then welcomed to the stage Luke Bryan, the CMA Entertainer of the Year.  I happen to be a big fan of Luke Bryan.  I think that he is incredibly sexy.  I stood and cheered like everyone else, and “Little Joe” stood up at attention as well, if you know what I mean, lol.
The concert I will be going to Thursday night is a Luke Bryan concert in Birmingham.  I can’t wait to see this sexy man in action again.  I fell in love with Luke Bryan the first time I saw his video for “All My Friends Say.”  I’ve been a fan ever since and have wanted to see him in concert.  He came to Montgomery a few years ago, but because of the circumstances at the time, I was not able to go.  Now I am finally able to go, and I can’t wait.  Georgia-Florida Line and Thompson Square will be the opening acts on Thursday night.


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July 5, 2013

All-American Boy

By Joe

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A friend of mine sent me a link to the video below, and I think it’s pretty fantastic.  I was raised on country music, in fact I’m going to a concert tonight (the group Alabama).  I wouldn’t say I’m a huge country music fan, because I tend to like older country music.  Most of the time when I listen to the radio in the car, I am listening to NPR, not music.  I tend to like funky alternative rock more, but I do like some country music.  When my friend sent me this video, he said, “Since you like country music you are going to enjoy this video.  It’s got a surprise twist.  And the singer is so damn gorgeous and so aptly named.  It is making its rounds on gay sites so you might have seen it already.”  I had not seen it, but I couldn’t pass up an introduction like that.  You guys may have already seen it, if not I hope you will watch it.  Let me know what you think.
Steve Grand  is out to be a country music star, and an out one at that. He’s got the whole package – great voice, musically talented, incredibly hot, and fearless, as you can see in his video for “All American Boy” which he created out of pocket, as he doesn’t have a label yet. The hopelessly romantic singer falls for a guy in a heterosexual relationship in the video. The two spend time together leading to skinny-dipping in a river and a kiss. Unfortunately, the attraction is only held by one of the characters. His lyrics are quite dreamy for his crush “He smiles, his arms around her but his eyes are holding me, just a captive to his wonder, ohh I say we go this road tonight.” Steve produced all his own music, as he does not have a manager or label. He raised funds to pay for everything on his own by playing piano at a local joint and at a church. 
 
He’s ready to be upfront and honest from the start of his career, “time to be brave. the world does not see change until it sees honesty. I am taking a risk here in many ways, but really there is no choice but to be brave. To not tell this story is to let my soul die. It is all I believe in. It is all I hold dear. We have all longed for someone we can never have… we all have felt that ache for our ‎#allamericanboy.”

 

Gay country music artists do not have a good track record.  Josey Greenwell ended up recording a pop song, and k.d. lang left country music, at least for the most part.  I love to hear all of them sing, but I love k.d. more as a jazz artist.  She has a beautiful voice.  I hope Josey goes back to his country music roots and finds success, just as I hope Steve Grand has success.


Thank you, Steve Grand, for having the courage to make the music you want and to be a voice for thousands, in a music genre that may not support you. 

5 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , , | posted in Music, Video

February 22, 2012

Red-Faced Jazz

By Joe

A U.K.-based radio station’s programmers are understandably red-faced after they inadvertently aired five minutes of a gay porn soundtrack.

Pink News reports that Jazz FM, which focuses on light jazz, standards and occasional blues numbers, aired a recording of what sounded like “two British men in a mostly wordless, but fairly graphic, exchange” on Sunday.

You can listen to a recording of the broadcast here (WARNING: contains graphic language).

Mike Vitti, the station’s head of programming, has issued a statement apologizing for the gaffe: “Unfortunately we had an unauthorized access to the live feed this evening which resulted in a highly regrettable incident. Please accept our profound and sincere apologies for any offence that may have been caused.”

Mike Vitti, station programme director, said disciplinary action would follow.

A spokesman for the broadcasting regulator Ofcom told PinkNews.co.uk that it has “received a small number of complaints and is currently assessing whether the broadcast broke the Broadcasting Code”. If found in breach, broadcasters can receive a fine or the loss of a license although this is thought highly unlikely in this case.

PinkNews.co.uk wrote that a broadcast assistant was watching pornography while the recorded show was being broadcast and that they accidentally transmitted the audio of the porn to the nation because their microphone was erroneously active.

4 Comments | posted in Funny, Miscellaneous, Music, Uncategorized

February 18, 2012

Moment of Zen: Music

By Joe

Music can be very therapeutic. Music therapy is an interpersonal process in which the therapist uses music and all of its facets-physical, emotional, mental, social, aesthetic, and spiritual-to help clients to improve or maintain their health. Music has been used as a healing force for centuries. Music therapy goes back to biblical times, when David played the harp to rid King Saul of a bad spirit. As early as 400 B.C., Hippocrates, Greek father of medicine, played music for his mental patients. Aristotle described music as a force that purified the emotions. In the thirteenth century, Arab hospitals contained music-rooms for the benefit of the patients. In the United States, Native American medicine men often employed chants and dances as a method of healing patients. Music therapy as we know it began in the aftermath of World Wars I and II. Musicians would travel to hospitals, particularly in the United Kingdom, and play music for soldiers suffering from war-related emotional and physical trauma.

3 Comments | posted in Moment of Zen, Music, Nudity

December 29, 2011

What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?

By Joe
Backed by the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, the Canadian-born vocalist Diana Krall fills up the tempo of the song with holiday cheer. Her sound so intimate that you might swear the sexy singer is crooning exclusively for you at midnight on Christmas Eve. Krall excels with an approach mastered long ago: elegant delivery that gives extra polish to a very familiar global favorite. This segment takes you through a Diane Krall performance of “What Are You Doing New Years Eve”. Credits: http://www.dianakrall.com
I happen to love Diana Krall.  I could listen to her husky, sensuous voice all day.  I guess this post is a bit of a short cut for me, but I have been getting ready for a trip to New Orleans today and will be gone until Saturday.  Don’t worry, I have scheduled posts for the time that I will be gone, as I don’t really know if I would have the time to post while I am in New Orleans.

So as the song says:

Maybe it’s much too early in the game
Ah, but I thought I’d ask you just the same
What are you doing New Year’s
New Year’s Eve?

I will be driving back from New Orleans some time on New Year’s Eve, so I will probably get home and ring in the New Year by myself.  I have a bottle of champagne just waiting for me when I get back.  I’d love to hear what you guys are doing for New Year’s Eve.  Anything exciting?

9 Comments | posted in Music, Video

August 1, 2011

Frolic like an Egyptian

By Joe
funny pictures history - Frolic like an Egyptian.
see more Historic LOL

I never have been much for Eighties music, but I always loved the Bangles song, “Walk Like an Egyptian.”  I don’t know why, because it was always kind of goofy, but that’s me I guess.  I saw this picture on Historic LOLs and it made me laugh, maybe you will too.

Is there a goofy song from your past that you always loved, but hate to admit?

You may have noticed that I changed my blog layout a little.  Part of that is because of a few new features that I have added.  One of those features is a list of suggested readings that are listed on the right.  All are available from Amazon.com.  

Also, on the left, I added some polls.  I have been running this blog for over a year now and though I have gotten to know some of you, I know that most of you do not comment, so I haven’t had a chance to get to know you.  There are two polls I have added so that I can get to know you better.  One asks what your profession is.  I really wanted to know how many teachers and students that I have reading my blog, but I thought I might try to be more inclusive.  The other poll is for those teachers and students of the humanities.  I would like to know what your discipline is.  I hope you will take a second to click on your answers and submit.  I would greatly appreciate. 

One last thing, I am just a few votes shy of being featured on Best Male Blogs‘ Top Rated Up and Coming Blogs, so if you haven’t voted, I hope you will consider voting for me. I hope you enjoy this blog enough to vote 5 starts.  

Best Male Blogs - naked men, gay porn, homo culture, queer blogs


Feel free to tell me what you think of the new layout.  Thanks for reading, thanks for voting, and thanks for stopping by.  I hope you guys have a wonderful day.

7 Comments | posted in Funny, Music