Monday’s Workout

As much as I enjoy running along the river in the early morning hours, I’ve been inside the gym lately. It’s been too cold to be outside, and even on these warmer mornings we’ve been having, I figure I might as well get used to being inside until sometime in March or April. Plus, I’m lifting more. When I’m away from the cable pulls, dumbbells, and plates I forget how much I totally enjoy pulling on the lifting gloves and moving a few tons around before I start my work day.

There’s another advantage as well. There are other people. And lately there are some really hunky, compact guys who are shorter than me — a fetish pleaser if ever there was one. I suppose it was a little obvious that I was interested when I damned near walked into a one of the bright purple ceiling support columns watching him walk. Yeah, Jack’s back in the high life.

Folsom Street Fair

For a number of reasons, I wasn’t able to make the trek to Fog City for Folsom this year. I’ll think of it often and my Spirit will certainly be there. I might just need to make the travel arrangements early next year — like February. That should ensure I won’t be sitting in Falls City with my heart in San Francisco.

And the thing is, my boots really need the tender attentions of a dedicated — and hopefully uncollared — bootblack who will give them the love, attention, and matte finish they deserve. He can give the soles a good shine, make sure the 0-rings on the straps have that fine, nickle shine to them…Okay, before I start into a fantasy from which I won’t easily recover, I’ll change the subject — sort of.

The thing I’ve always found at leather events, is that you’re accepted for who you are — well inked bear who’s into much kink or pretty vanilla twink. That doesn’t mean that everyone there desires you — or you everyone else. It simply means accepted for who and what you are. “She’s a bisexual dominatrix, vegan, ex-nun from the Bronx, and he’s a gay muscle Dom — complete bottom sexually though.” It’s all good.

And as I often am wont to do, I wonder why the rest of the world can’t learn these lessons. “So what if they do,” should be everyone’s point of view.

Bound

he calls
    his soft hard
       uncertainty 
     cures my Aching
 shackled by His design
     imprisoned by His touch
         my pleasure is pain
     on the Rocks

Bear Pride

 Where would Pride be without the Bears? Probably it would be okay, but Bears bring such a different sense of life to the party. We love to eat, drink, and make merry. Most of us are a little larger than the average Twink, have some fur going, and like guy stuff.

Within our subculture, there are Cubs, Muscle Bears, Leather Bears, and various kinds of other Bears — from Polar to Grizzly. Then there are the Wolves, Otters, and Raccoons. Hell, we’ll even let straights and lesbians join the feast. At the Bears’ vast table, there really is room for everyone.

Up Your Alley

Up Your Alley® – It’s “Folsom Street Fair’s filthier younger brother” – presenting sponsored by Recon

Up Your Alley is nothing like you’ve ever experienced: hot fun, frolic and fetish in the San Francisco sun. Only for real players, and not for the faint of heart. See what everyone’s been talking about!

Located in front of the historic Powerhouse bar, over 12,000 fellow leather and fetish enthusiasts get into punching, tasers, flogging, heavy bondage, and much more – right on the street! This is a true San Francisco original that is not to be missed.

For more details on UYA, check out Folsom Street Fair/Up Your Alley.

Fun Frolic Fetish

It’s September’s last Saturday, so tomorrow must be The 25th annual Folsom Street Fair. While Jack will be at the opera on Main Street in Louisville instead of at the festivities on Folsom Street, he will be up for all of the fun, frolic, and fetish. Of course he would like to be at the 12th Street Stage at 1700 for Shiny Toy Guns, but alas, it isn’t quite possible.

One important thing that I’ve learned being part of the Fetish Community is that respect is the biggest part of what we do. I know that’s hard to understand when you see a guy in a pup hood and paws being ordered around or a woman being spanked while a crowd watches. It’s difficult for the vanilla to realize that these relationships are actually quite healthy. RACK or SSC both participants are aware and accepting of what’s happening between them. They’ve established their boundaries and set their limits. While human toilets and electro-stim are not my thing, finding a 6′2″ bear pipe with size 12 feet and making him mine is something I can get into — totally.

Are we freaks better than the vanilla? Nope. We just need more intensity (in some cases considerably more), realize our need, and are willing to work to have it. Like a Gay Pride event, Folsom (or any leather pride event) is a place to be one’s self — something we can’t always be — without fear. Within those confines we can follow Chuck Berry’s advice: “Live like you want to live — ain’t nobody gonna knock it.” It’s too bad we can’t have that sentiment in all places in the world.

The art I used in this entry is one of the 2008 Poster Competition Finalists.  The artist is Christopher Meand of Long Beach California and entitled: Folsom Poster #5.

Arrangement in D#

I love you. You love me.
It’s time for cakes and sodomy.
With the crack of a whip
that goes from me to you,
Won’t you say you love me too.

I love you. You love me.
We’re best friends with benefits.
Analingus, golden showers and fellatio
At my condo in WeHo.

I love you. You love me.
You’re the sub and I’m the Dom.
I’ll tie you up and spank you too
Just to prove my love is true.

meupareunia

pleasure and pain
           crack the whip
                  at me again
         instruct exactly
   how to please
                wanting only
              to appease
     flesh to latex
  rubber skin
             touch of passion
                 my head spins
                    bottle tops
      and drinks of gin
    hear passion
              escape again
      front and back
    leather lace
    thrice tonight
        i met your pace
               on the sheets
                     your love a glow 
               as i top you
                     from below

Delts & Lats

I don’t think I’ve talked much about how much I’m coming to enjoy the cross cable machines at the gym. They give me more freedom and varietythan the fixed range machines, they offer better balance training as a positive side-effect, and I’m more comfortable with them than with free weights. Now my biceps, triceps, lats, and delts have that wonderfully worked feeling. After talking to the trainer, I have some exercises for my brachioradialis to strengthen them — especially the left that hurts during lat pulldowns.

I think that instead of becoming a gym rat, I am one.

 

Folsom & Dore

 

‘Degredation is the subtlest drug, the most insinuating.’

Angela Carter,
The Passion of New Eve

Friday evening I was in a meeting and tried on several occasions to find a good word that covered my world. One person suggested simply calling it “Jack’s World,” and while I’m egotistical enough to like it, I also know that it won’t work. Jack’s World might be Shangrila for many people, but it isn’t an all inclusive land. It might be right for you, and I respect and honour that, but it’s not right for me, and therefore not part of my world. BDSM is my preferred term, but it has a narrow scope as well. Even though it’s hackneyed to a degree, I kept coming back to kink as my default. I want something freshly flavorful — like Nueve York. Something that people will understand without having it explained to them.

There’s a concern in the gay community about what to call the other person in your life. Gay men often reject Husband because it’s a het term and because people think that if he’s the husband you’re the wife. I’ve written recently about my change to sub instead of boyfriend (a term I find despicable for anyone of drinking age). He would call me his Dom, by-the-bye. Maybe an inability to find a label means that I should stop trying. After all, I don’t like the idea of putting people into little boxes and making them stay put — puppy crates excepted.

Maybe that’s also why there’s a plethora of flags: Pony Pride, Leather Girl,  Bisexual, Ownership, International Bear Brotherhood, Leather Boy, Bootblack, Transgender, Heterosexual, Puppy, and (my favorite) Leather Pride. The list does go on. The one thing they all have in common is that they show a diversity of sexuality and interest. My kink might be past your extreme. That’s fine as long as you understand that what’s over the top for you might be pretty vanilla for me. In all honestly, I don’t get some things I know people do. It’s not my place to. My role is to be who I am, keep my sub in his place, and respect that everyone is different.

So I’ll use whatever term comes to mind first with the hope that people will understand what I mean — or will ask for clarification. Masters and puppies, Doms and subs, you are all welcome in Jack’s World where respect — even in degradation — is the law of the land.