OK, while I was going through some more house "stuff" to throw out, I came across three items of nostalgia. Before I talk about those items, I want to state that I hope I do not start sounding like some over the hill queen who says, "well back in my day before Stonewall ......" Geez, I'm only 38 ...... Anyway the three items ..

1. A VHS copy of the movie, MAKING LOVE, with Harry Hamlin and Kate Jackson. Ohh this movie was one of my first introductions to [in a movie] the gay "lifestyle," not to mention a very "G" rated version of gay sex. I watched the scenes of Harry alone with the confused husband, played by Michael Ontkean, again and again. I loved Harry's house in this movie as well. This and TORCH SONG TRILOGY began it all.

2. Issue number 1 of OUT magazine! I was going to grad school in Nacogdoches, Texas, when I found this magazine hidden in the back of the magazine stand at Krogers [that was pretty racy for Krogers considering the time and location]. Like DEEE-LITE, who I've mentioned before and who were featured in OUT's second issue, the magazine felt subversive, campy, over the top, and full of style, style, style. Unlike the ADVOCATE, OUT seemed fun. They were interviewing groups like DEEE-LITE, movies such as EVEN COWGIRLS GET THE BLUES, etc. I continued to buy and the subscribe to OUT for over 10 years. By that time, they had been taken over by the ADVOCATE, and I felt that they lost a lot of that "style" found in the first issues. Still, I will hold on to issues #1-10 for nostalgia.

3. Issue number 18 of BEAR magazine. I'm surprised that this document is still readable for as many times as I read it [and did "other" things]. Like OUT, which I found the same year, BEAR seemed even more under the radar. It featured my type of men. All of the print was in black and white, except for the covers. I discovered BEAR at a bookstore in Greensboro, North Carolina called The White Rabbit. For at least 2 to 3 years after discovering BEAR, no other gay porno mag featured those hairy masculine men. Then came AMERICAN BEAR and later BEEF. Now Bears seem like another gay market. Oh well, there was issue number 18!

Enough of the nostalgia for today.

ALL THAT AND A BOX OF SNACKWELLS!