The Fires This Time Around

The local fires are all in the news and since Steve and I live in slight fire territory we've been keeping an eye out. Please don't panic-- unless you hear a fire is by Dodger Stadium we're in pretty good shape.

But yesterday after trapeze class we were driving home and saw this crazy sight.
The winds we normally face during fire season are (thankfully) not blowing so the smoke plume is rising straight into the air like a bomb went off.
That's the Griffith Observatory, right at the top of the hillside. The fire is actually some distance from there, but it's still a little insane to see.

This morning the sunrise was orange and the air smelled heavy with smoke. We don't have ash on our cars, though the intense heat of the day makes it feel like we're on the edge of bursting into flames. But we're the lucky ones because we are so far from the danger.

Send out some good thoughts for the familiar who live closer to the blaze; they're the ones needing all the help they can get right now.

Don't Gasp During Trapeze Tricks

I was on the silks in class working on a fairly new move for me. You split the fabric, hang upside down, and crochet a piece around each leg. Then you cross the fabric behind your back, bring the fabric straps to the front of your body and bend your knees. You then reach up, grab the fabric above your knees and pull yourself up and through that hole. Now sitting right side up, you cross the fabric in front of your chest and bring your knees over your head.

Confusing to describe, I know. But the point is that after you wrap yourself up in this big old knot, you straighten your legs and drop about 4 feet down and stop when the backs of your knees rehook on the fabric.

So I did the wrap, did the drop... and immediately felt a rush of hair hit my junk. And by junk I mean penis and testies and legs. So I gasped because I'm positive in that 1/4 second I dropped, that I've somehow ripped my tights off and my business is hanging out and exposed to the entire gym.

Immediately the trainer rushes over, thinking in my drop that I've hurt myself. But then he sees me staring up at my crotch, wide-eyed.

Turns out that the fabric did catch the top of my tights and they poofed out, but they didn't yank off. And the only person who can see my junk is me, because I'm looking up at how the top of my tights is poofed out and my jewels are there staring back at me.

Needless to say, I was lectured by a stressed coach about not freaking out over silly things. As he said, "Rick, it's not like we all haven't seen that kind of thing before anyway. So don't scream like that."

So don't gasp unless there's a real injury. Got it? Good.

Last Night's Party & My New Phone

"Wassup TigerHEAT?! How you all doin' toNIGHT?!"

That is the crap I yelled from the stage last night at Tigerheat, the 18 and over dance club in Hollywood, that is a super popular Thursday night event where I felt extremely old. It was the Freshmen of the Year party and I was announcing the winner (Zack Randall, pictured here), and for some reason when I get up on a stage in front of a crowd I become that big announcer guy who kind of sounds like a frat guy but gets the audience cheering and laughing anyway.

I don't actually remember much, except that I swore a lot about how f-ing hot the audience was, how f-ing awesome the magazine was, and how f-ing sexy our Freshmen of the Year is. I swear like that when I get nervous. I also made some joke about our runners up having gay porn sounding names, like Kirk Cummings. Yeah. Do the math.

Anyway, I'm told I was entertaining. And I made it fast because I know what it's like to be on the dance floor and have your good time interrupted by some queen with a microphone. So it was fast and hot.

Yay me! If you want to see photos of porn stars who attended, check out Unzipped.net.

However, coming home last night without Steve (at 1am, which is WAY past my bedtime and left me feeling exhausted the entire day) and sleeping alone was quite sad. The house is lonely without him. Everything in our normally cheery house just feels slow, sluggish, and missing part of its life. I literally patted the wall this morning and said, "He'll be back Sunday."

IN OTHER NEWS...
I bought an i-Phone tonight. I've needed a new phone for over a year but between the wedding, paying off Steve's car, trips and various other excuses I've always put it off. But now it keeps shutting off mid-conversation, saying "Insert SIM" when the SIM card is in there, I have to use the speaker phone because I don't have a headset anymore and I can't hear anything out of the phone itself, and it just annoys me on every level.

Like today, I couldn't have a whole conversation with Steve today because we'd get 30-second spurts before it would shut off. And besides, this job requires it (or at least that's what I'm telling myself).

So I ordered it a minute ago and it should come next week. I'm very excited.

Now it's time to make dinner, call Anna Marie who left a note that I could call her if I got lonely, and make dinner. I'm actually really excited about chatting and then going to bed early. It could be a restful night after all.

I'm on TV, on the Radio, and Missing Steve

Last night I got a call from my publisher. He was watching The Insider on CBS and suddenly heard one of our magazines being mentioned. And there, on the screen, is my name and my quote offering Levi Johnston to pose nude in our magazine.

Watch the clip on Unzipped.net.

As for being on the radio, some of you know that I'm friends with Doria Biddle (producer) and Frank DeCaro (host) of The Frank DeCaro show on Sirius Out Q. Well, now that I'm in this fancy position I have more opportunities to go on the air and talk about the fun stuff we're doing at the magazines and websites.

Tomorrow, Thursday August 20th, I'll be on at approx. 10:15am WC/ 1:15pm EC (probably a bit later) with Freshman Magazine's 2009 Freshmen of the Year, Zack Randall. We'll be talking about the Freshmen of the Year party we're hosting tomorrow night at Tiger Heat in Hollywood and all the things (and people) Zack is doing right now. Doria and I both believe we will just be sitting there smiling at one another in silence since no one (including Frank) really cares about an editor, they care about the young porn star. So Frank and Zack can chat it up while Doria and I look longingly into each others eyes.

Want to listen? You can get a free trial of Sirius Radio on your computer.

On a sad note...
This was originally supposed to be a fun post, but Steve's grandmother passed away today. He's flying out to Michigan tomorrow morning with his brother to attend the funeral. As such, he's missing all the stuff going on here in LA this weekend, and I'm attending events and trying to be chipper without him and his support.

Keep him, his mother and family in your thoughts and prayers this weekend. Thanks.

Crazy Busy Saturday part 2

Yes, that is a zombie. A zombie Trekkie to be exact.

After Ryan's birthday, and then a farewell party for a former coworker, Steve and I went to Industry at Club 11 in Los Angeles. This is the big night when people in the porn industry (hence the name) come out to go go dance and mingle. I was there for my job to interview porn stars for the website.

As we waited for the camera crew to show up (and by "crew" I mean Sean, the one guy who shoots everything for the site), a zombie parade went past. People dressed in various costumes like firemen, Mario Bros., Marilyn Monroe, etc. One person heard it had something to do with a school raising money because they couldn't buy books and supplies, but we never saw anyone collecting money or actually handing out info on it, so we think that was a lie.

A zombie lie, no less.

But here, have a look at the strangeness. You have zombies in the front, go go dancing porn stars in the background.
Porn star butt in the front, zombies in the back.
Here I am interviewing the always adorable Cameron Marshall who was dancing on a box.
And here I am interviewing the very funny Wolf Hudson.
The videos from tonight will be posted in the coming weeks.
But here's a cute pic of friends Matt and Shamaa who tagged along to this last part of the evening.

Oh, and I was kind of on the CBS entertainment show "The Insider" last night. We're trying to get the video now. Once we get it, I'll post it here.

Busiest Day EVER

There are times when I wonder why Steve stays with me. This happen when my packed schedule suddenly becomes his packed schedule, and it leaves the two of us exhausted from endless running around.

Saturday was one of those days. It started with a trapeze class (okay, Steve wanted to hit that so we share blame there). But then we had a 1 year old birthday party with our friend Amy (above, tearing up the birthday cake) for our friends Kurt and Robert's baby boy Ryan. Steve wanted to go to this as well, but afterward we had a farewell party for a former coworker of mine, then I had to interview more porn stars at Industry night in West Hollywood, and then we'd need dinner.

Busy much? I'm so exhausted right now (and I got 8+ hours of sleep) that I could barely type all that.

Robert and Kurt recently got baby Ryan and he's a dream of a child, but the party was filled with kids and family and noise and if you've ever been to one of these kinds of things you know just how exhausting being around that many children can be.

I think Steve's already starting to fall asleep in this pic of him with Robert, our friend Andy, and Amy. However, it was a great time with lots of fun. Here are the highlights.
Ryan tries figuring out how to blow out his first candle, rather than grabbing it with his hand (which I think was the preferred method).
He's very excited with gifts.
My favorite pic of the bunch.

I also had a lot of time playing with baby Hudson-- who was fascinated by all the cartoon noises I could make-- but we didn't think to snap pics of this. We had to dash, after all.

And for the record, Amy was initially attending the porn party with us, but after Ryan's party she was too exhausted to do anything, either. But Steve and I made it. More on that tomorrow.

Want to See Levi's Johnson?

Okay, so my job is crazy. I know. But here's what happened today, Friday.

Unzipped Media Offers to Unzip Levi Johnston

Top-selling nude men’s magazine offers the father of
Sarah Palin’s grandson an opportunity to pose nude.

August 14, 2009 (LOS ANGELES) -- Unzipped Media, publishers of the world’s top-selling erotic men’s magazines Men, Freshmen, and Unzipped, as well as the highly trafficked website Unzipped.net, is extending an official invitation to Levi Johnston, father of former vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin's grandson, for a cover story and a full nude photo layout in the pages of Unzipped magazine.

“We’re thrilled by the opportunity of having Levi Johnston pose for Unzipped magazine,” says Rick Andreoli, Executive Editor for Unzipped Media. “The gay community's outpouring of support and adoration for Levi Johnston has been loud and clear since he burst onto the political scene last fall. Now having learned of his desire to bare all for his fans and admirers, we’ve sent an official offer letter to his manager, Tank Jones, and eagerly await their response.”

The revelation of Johnston having a strong gay following is no surprise to those who have seen his rugged everyman physique or been following popular culture. Gay blogger Andy Towle referred to him as a gay icon, while the popular website Gawker featured an entire article on Johnston’s gay fan base. However, when Johnston revealed on Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live that he would pose nude if the money were right, the executives at Unzipped jumped.

“As the top-selling nude men’s magazine, Levi will receive a level of quality in his shoot that can’t be found anywhere else,” Andreoli says. “Likewise, as evidenced by our May 2009 cover story featuring a nude Beau Breedlove discussing his affair with Portland, Oregon mayor Sam Adams, we also offer models a unique opportunity to share their side of the story. This could clearly be a win-win for all involved.”

About Unzipped Media

Founded in 1984 and based in Los Angeles, Unzipped Media is an established institution in adult entertainment. Formerly known as Specialty Publications, Unzipped Media consists of the most recognized multi-platform brands in the gay adult industry, including Men, Freshmen, and Unzipped. These titles boast the highest quality content in gay erotic media. Offering a wide reach via subscription-based circulation and newsstand sales, the Unzipped Media brands can also be found on the shelves of retailers including Barnes & Noble, Waldenbooks, and Borders bookstores.

For more information about Unzipped Media, please visit www.unzippedmedia.com.


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More Randy Blue Porn Interviews

Oh yeah. Another one. This is with Reese Rideout, who is shirtless and pretty and pretty hysterical. This time there's no pubes so you can watch it at work, but with the volume down or headphones because there's some swearing involved.

BTW, ladies, he's supposed to be gay-for-pay. Which means he self-identifies as straight. I think. I can't really keep track of these guys and their lives.

Family, I don't know if you'll care to watch it. There's nothing offensive and I try to be funny, but we do talk about gay sex, there is some swearing and some blurred images. So it's up to you.

My First Porn Appearance

Here's the deal: my new job has a certain element of adult content in it. Not all of the magazines and websites, but some of them.

Part of the job also involves creating original video content for Unzipped.net. Right now Unzipped.net is in a blog format but in the coming weeks we're launching a new version that will contain both the blog as well as news and feature articles and other cool stuff.

So last week I attended a Randy Blue event. Randy Blue (whom Steve and I knew before he was "Randy Blue") is a porn director/producer, and I had to interview Randy and various performers. This is the first edited version of me with Xander Scott.

If you're in the family-- you don't need to watch this. Trust me on that...

If you're watching at work, wear headphones. If people can see your computer screen, there's a pube moment. Look, I'm just warning you. But it's kind of funny and you can fill in the thought bubbles running through my head as you watch.

Steve's Post-Birthday Cocktails, Baby Fun, & Vodka

This past weekend also saw a fun day of us having drinks with friends to celebrate Steve's birthday.

We started at The Abbey in West Hollywood because we knew we'd have a lot of Steve's straight friends from work joining us. Here we are with Jon, Larry, Mike, Steve and Chris. I'd say how we know each of them, but it's a long story and right now I'm too tired. But they're all lovely people-- trust me.

Below is a pic of more people in the mix. Steve and I, Jon behind us, Chris from the Stephanie Miller show, Dave (big time music publicist) peeking out in the back, the always funny BD in front, and adorable Gizicki in back who is now dating someone. Sorry boys, you missed you chance.
At one point, however, I was pulled from the party because I found out friends Kurt and Robert were in the park with their new baby, Ryan. He is the most adorable little pudgy thing and I love him to pieces (I love him... We ALL love him!). He was a bit cranky today-- hungry, ya see-- but he was kind enough to pose with me.
And with funny lady Amy Witry. Try as we might, he refused to look at the camera.

He did get into this photo, though his sad face only increased. Here is Daddy Robert, Amy, Daddy Kurt, and friend Andy
Here is Amy and famous music publicist Dave, doing their sexy eyes for the camera.
And here I am with Nicole and Letti and a bottle of vodka.

Prior to Proposition 8 being passed, I quickly married the two lovely ladies in a civil ceremony. Life moved on and we never got to see one another until tonight, when Amy told them we would be out.

So as a thank you gift, the girls bought me this lovely bottle of Grey Goose vodka as a thank you gift.

Um, just to let everyone know, that is the BEST GIFT EVER if you have a preacher who likes a little vodka. It's both thoughtful, AND useful. And it was the biggest bottle I've ever had in my entire life.

Good times.

Symphony and Circus Saturday

On Saturday, Steve and I took off for San Diego for my mom and sister's birthdays. Our friend and aerial coach, Aloysia, was performing in the San Diego Symphony's Summer Pops series. This is where you sit next to the water, out under the stars, and watch the symphony play. But there's this special night called Cirque de la Symphonie and Aloysia (pictured here) twirls around on her hoop above the orchestra.

It was an amazing show, especially because we've never seen Aloysia do a full aerial performance. Plus, the other performers were equally skilled in their own art forms (silks, contortion, partner balancing, clowning, etc.) and we got to meet them all afterword.
Here Steve is with my niece, Haylee. He's holding a Disney book my mom bought him for his birthday.
Here we both are with Haylee, who is proudly showing off her missing 5 teeth.

We came back to LA on Sunday morning and spent the afternoon celebrating Steve's birthday with friends. More of those pics tomorrow.