Category Archives: blogging

Leather Suit Goes To The Prom

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It’s interesting as well as somewhat amusing to me that my blog post yesterday about “smart leather” and the leather suit I assembled out of leather garments I had in my leather gear collection generated a flurry of visitors to my blog. (It is also amazing and somewhat scary to me how fast Google works, but then again, Blogger is owned by Google, so content on my blog is autoindexed or something like that… but I digress.)

Yesterday, over 500 unique visitors viewed one or more pages of my blog — over 1,700 pages in all were viewed (perhaps even read?) — by visitors from all over the world. That’s a new record.

Someone who told me that he googled “full black leather dress suit” wrote an email to me that said this:

“I read your blog and looked at your website where you described a leather suit. I really want one of those. I think it’s cool. I am going to my high school prom in a few weeks. I want to be the guy who shows up in a full leather suit or tux. Do you know where I can rent one?“

I exchanged several email messages with this guy. I described for him how and where to get the gear that would compose a full leather suit, from the garments to the boots to the gloves. However, I told him that he would probably have to buy all the leather gear because I didn’t think he could rent dress leather pants, as well as a leather shirt, tie, and jacket. I suggested that he discuss his dream with his parents, because “going leather for the prom” would be much more expensive than just renting a tux and buying a corsage for his date. He seemed disappointed, but thanked me profusely for the information.

I thought that was the end of it, when lo and behold I received another email from him. He said that he talked with his father, who agreed to get him the gear if he really wanted it. He said that his father understood the practical and ongoing value of durable leather gear. (This kid has a really cool Dad!)

What caused me to have the biggest smile was the closing of his last email to me:

“Thanks for all those recommendations. My Dad said that I could get the leather clothes to make a full leather suit if I promised to wear it more than just to the prom. I really want to. I like it. I think it’s cool. Like you.”

Aw shucks. I’m just trying to help out an emerging leather dude. Hey, Straightjacketed: see what you started over on your blog? Great going! We’ve got more guys emerging in their leather in public from our mutual efforts. Who would have thought that would happen as a result of a few blog posts?

Life is short: wear your leather!

Re-Doin’ the Blog – Updated

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Hey, you’ve noticed that the appearance of this blog is quite different. I finally took the plunge to update the template of this blog so that I could use some of the newer features of Blogger. All my stuff is still here, but over the next few days and weeks, you may see some more minor tweaks here and there to colors, fonts, and layouts.

I decided to change the color scheme in a major way, after receiving the third complaint in as many weeks that reading white letters on black background was hard for some to see. That’s gone. Anything else? Let me know.

Update: How do you like the new header? That’s ME! One of the many new features available to me now by updating the Blogger template. Just wait… more to come over time.

OMG its SNF!

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Yep, this is how I am feeling. I have a serious case of “social network fatigue” or SNF. I didn’t even know this was a real “syndrome” until I looked it up, and found an interesting article about it.

The article states just how I am feeling about participating in social networking sites: you hear about something that sounds interesting, you sign up, then soon enough the interest fades and you forget about it and you’re occasionally reminded of the pain spent in managing connections instead of enjoying being connected.

BHD has participated in social networks including Boots on Line, Gearfetish, Recon, BLUF, and even MySpace. He’s been invited to join Facebook countless times (but has resisted). He once was on other boot-related networks on ning and still belongs to the “abootfetish2” yahoo group, though it doesn’t do anything for him any more. And he’s forgotten already about two dozen other one-time wonder networks and yahoo groups that he had signed up for, looked at for a little while, the forgot about.

BHD’s professional side belongs to LinkedIn, about 20 yahoo and google groups, and six listservs set up by professional organizations or societies.

All these things take a lot of time to manage, and get exhausting.

Interestingly, Bill — the husband of Larry of “hotboots” fame — suggested recently that I examine just what participation in these social network sites and email groups “does for me.” And you know, he’s right, it doesn’t do much for me any more. I’ve made my friends. The hassle of dealing with occasional bozos who have harassed me through these sites (and getting it cleaned up) is more trouble than it’s worth to continue to participate, and I’m sure is annoying to webmasters who have to deal with goofball matters like this. And frankly, I’m just tired of the same-old, same-old boring stuff I see on these sites. After a while, it all blends in to a general jumbled visual mush and is rendered meaningless.

That doesn’t mean that I have lost interest in maintaining and building my friendships developed through connections initially made through these sites. It just means that I have enough now already and the men I have added to my life with whom I regularly communicate are great. But as my Nonna would say, “Basta!” — enough is enough.

Good friends have expressed similar feelings lately. AZ, JohnSmith, Bama, Clay, Maf, and several others — we’re all expressing the fatigue of keeping up with all the clutter of networking, instead of actually networking with those with whom we have made a connection. Funny, it was Bama who expressed what I was observing, “all the cool guys are gone….” (though I am honored that such a cool guy would refer to me by that term, but I digress.)

No worries, fellas, I’ll still be around. I will continue to maintain, update, and refresh my website, post regularly on this blog, and keep an eye on other things, but my active participation on BOL, abootfetish, etc., etc., is of less interest and value to me.

Anyone else suffering from SNF? It seems to be a growing syndrome that the younger set can teach us older guys about.

Pennsylvania Connections

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My partner loves to sit in our gardens in the back yard and relax. He watches the birds flutter around the feeder, the squirrels play “catch me if you can,” and soak in the marvels of Mother Nature in her glory. He worked very hard to make our backyard retreat the quiet, soothing, comfortable place that it is. He says that in some ways, it reminds him of “backwoods” where he grew up, in Western Pennsylvania.

I joined him on a bench back in our backyard retreat the other day. This was one of those times where we sat, relaxed, and had a quiet conversation. During that particular chat, I spoke about some guys I have gotten to know who also have connections with his home state.

My best friend, AZ, was born in the same hospital where my partner was (albeit a decade later), and lived in Pennsylvania for quite a while until he moved for a new start on a new life in Arizona, where he is well-settled and happy. My partner knows all about AZ, as we have talked about him and our friendship a lot. My partner appreciates that AZ and I have such a strong bond of friendship, because he knows that AZ is a quality man.

Within the last year, I have “met” (via email) two other fine men from Pennsylvania. I choose not to reveal too much about them out of respect for their privacy. But I can say a little bit.

One guy lives and works in the central part of the state. He has a responsible position with a well-respected employer. He travels a lot. He likes boots, but admits that his boot-wearing has been limited to a few favorite pairs. He travels a lot for his job. He is really smart and introspective. He is gay, but lives a quiet life and has kept his interests in other men pretty much to himself. Lately he has begun the process of coming out by getting involved in groups and meeting people. He has told me that my blog has helped him be more comfortable with being himself and who he is as gay man. I have learned a lot from him, and really enjoy our frequent email exchanges and discussions.

Another guy lives with his partner in Western PA. He comes from a strong, supportive family. He also has done a lot of civic work in helping to protect and care for his small town and surrounding areas. He likes boots, too, but usually only wears them casually (and he is quite attractive in his Wranglers and boots!) He works in a specialty field but in a corporate environment. He travels a lot, too. We have exchanged many emails and some phone calls, and I have learned a lot about his qualities, intelligence, wit, and charm. His nature of being a confident, masculine man has helped reaffirm much for me, as our outlooks on the nature of “gaydom” are identical.

I have blogged about some of the conversations I have had with these friends. What brought us together, perhaps, was a mutual interest in boots, but what built bonds of friendship with all of these guys is more than that. We have mutual interests and outlooks on life. It is not surprising that we have formed solid friendships. These guys are down-to-earth, intelligent, thoughtful, and pleasant men who have a lot to share. They know how to be a good friend. They are forgiving of my occasional lapses in communication. They ask insightful questions. They give support when they sense it’s needed (and they are quite able to sense that need without my having to say so.)

As I was having that conversation in our garden with my partner, he remarked to me — and he’s right — there’s something about those Pennsylvania connections. Sure, I have friends here at home in Maryland and all around the world. I treasure, though, my “PA Connections” which first brought me my partner, and ongoing have introduced me to quality men who have brought joy, calm, and fun to my life. Thanks, guys!

Blog Beaten

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Will someone visit this blog (link) [subsequently deleted] and tell me what it says about me or my website? Warning, it is all in Chinese.

This blog has caused a storm of visitors to my website, generating over 900 visitors last night, and hundreds of visitors each night in the last several nights. I don’t really mind if someone links to my website, though I would prefer the courtesy to ask first. Most people do not have that type of courtesy.

I have seen links to my website from other blogs and forums from time to time, and some of those links have had really nasty, rude, and brainless comments around them. I just want to see what’s going on with this new one.

Thanks for any assistance! If you DO figure this out, here is a way to reach me.

Life is short: Wear your boots!

What You Like

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Every website has logs that give the webmaster, or owner, of the website an idea of what pages on his website are most frequently visited. I find it fascinating, but not surprising, to check these logs and see what’s interesting to the visitors of my website besides my boots and leather gear.

The “top three” sections of my website that, within the last 30 days or so, have been most viewed are, as follows:

1. My “eighth brother’s” page, AZ LeatherExplorer. Yeah, he’s gorgeous, but what’s even better than his handsome exterior is his wonderful warm heart, terrific personality, intelligence, and value-driven integrity. No drama queen ego to be found in this man, whatsoever. I am so honored and proud to have him as an integral part of my life, as a friend so close I call him my eighth brother.

2. How To Wear Cowboy Boots. It is amazing to me how many people put these words into a search engine, or similar phrases like “stacked jeans” or “best jeans with boots” and land on this page, thanks to Google, Yahoo, and other search engines. Sure, it doesn’t hurt either than this page features a few images of that hot man, DaveM, whose display of “cowboy booted-ness” is the epitomy of style, class, and charm. I sincerely appreciate that Dave gave me permission to use his photos and also gave me comments which improved the content of this page.

3. Motor officers, cop boots, motorcycle police — phrases of that nature drive many visitors to two key pages on my website: my Guide to Police Motorcycle Patrol Boots, which gives an unbiased overview of those tall black boots found on many bike cops in the U.S. The second and equally as visited related page on my website is my photo galleries of motor officer events which includes bike cops in action at motorcycle rodeos as well as close-up photos of cop boots. Lately, I have received an unusual number of email messages complimenting me and thanking me for the information on my website. The messages have described how my website has been helpful to these visitors, ranging from guys just getting into leather and who were seeking information, to guys looking for a specific product, to men and women interested in opinions about different types of boots, or visitors who like the over 5,000 images on my website. And yeah, I even have gotten the occasional visitor who think that my website is a storefront, and wanted to know the price of this-or-that item. LOL!

Whatever the reason for visiting my website (or this blog), thanks for writing, thanks for visiting, and I’m glad you enjoy! My website and this blog have been fun to work on — I just wish I had more time!

Top 10 Countdown: 1 – 5

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The following are the top five most popular posts on my blog this year:

#5: Breaking In Dehner Patrol Boots

A visual description of how I broke in a pair of Dehner Patrol Boots for a bike cop.

#4: Mexican Boots

Dispelling myths and providing some information about boots made in Mexico.

#3: Do Masculine Gay Men Scare Masculine Men?

My first “discussion post” which was written mostly by another partnered masculine gay man with whom my thinking is quite similar.

#2: A Cop Gives Up His Boots

This probably ranked high because I linked to this post from “Boots On Line” and there are a lot of guys on that board who like booted cops.

#1: Leather: Muir Cap

Lots of guys continue to search for the term “Muir Cap” — the traditional “Leatherman’s Cap” that is popular among men in the leather fetish community. This blog post is by far the most viewed of any that I have written (so far).

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And the two posts that have generated the most email and discussions are:

#1: A Fetish or Not a Fetish

and

#2: An Avocation

My personal opinions about my interest in boots and leather are explained in each of these posts.

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Life is short: wear your boots and your leather!

Top 10 Countdown: 6 – 10

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It has been interesting learning about blogging this year, and posting over 260 message since I started in January.

I keep stats on which of my posts throughout the whole year are most viewed. The posts come up — even the older ones — from Google searches, mostly, since Google owns Blogger, which is where this blog is hosted.

So here goes …. the following are the most popular posts on my blog this year:

#10: Frye Harness Boots and Bellbottom Jeans

Just a whimsical view of vintage Frye boots and an old pair of bellbottom jeans

#9: More on Masculine Gay Men

Discussion on masculine men and being gay

#8: Doin’ It In Motor Boots

This probably caught lots of guys’ attention due to the title. But remember, this IS a G-rated blog!

#7: How Do You Wear Cowboy Boots?

As I said in the opening of that post, a LOT of people use search engines to look up information about wearing — or how to wear — cowboy boots. This post explains it.

#6: Bike Cop Boot Advising

Lots of people want to know what information I shared with bike cops about patrol boots.

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Check back for my next post tomorrow when I reveal #1 – #5!

Organizing the Blog

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You may have noticed some changes to how this blog appears, from minor things like colors of headers, to finally fixing a couple broken links (my “contact me” link wasn’t working), to tagging my blog posts with topic areas, shown below. Now visitors interested in a particular topic can click on any topic listed under the “Blog Content Topics” to read my posts about that subject. I try to live an organized life, because I get involved in so many things, being organized is the only way I can pull it off (though don’t look at the clutter in my home office; however, I do know where everything is!)

I see some visitors have tried clicking on my blog content area links already.

The content areas are listed below (and are also working links). If you have suggestions for better or clearer organization of my blog or content areas, write to me! Thanks for visiting my blog, and enjoy!

Blog Content Topics

I’ve Been Bloggin’!

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I was looking at my “Blogger Dashboard” which lists all of my blog posts. I was amazed to see that this particular post makes #202 for the year, since I began blogging on January 25, 2008.

From observing other personal and political blogs, I figure I’ve been, ahem, “rather enthusiastic” in my frequency of blog posts. Probably over time, the frequency will slow down a pace. But there’s just been so much to share! Daily life in leather, information about boots and boot sightings, transitioning to a new Harley, community events and activities, my wonderful lifemate partner, close friends, my huge and raucous family, caring for my community and neighbors, living in a community that has a casual and mature kind of tolerance, and lots of other stuff. I have refrained from blogging on issues related to politics, as there are many others who do that much better than me.

My blog has served as an extension of my boots-and-leather website. I use this blog to describe current things I am doing, post a photo or two and say what I think about it, or give a glimpse into a life — my life — which is full, active, and for the most part, a heck of a lot of fun. Sure, I have some challenges and some down times, and I’ve had my share of problems and concerns. But I would much rather display that life really can be wonderful if you make it be that way. I try to do that… and share joy, happiness, tolerance, love, and affection for all things good. Yeah, there is the occasional rant about cell-phone-yapping cage drivers or thoughtless people and the ignorant behaviors they have demonstrated, but I don’t dwell on those things. I just pick up the trash, throw it in the garbage, and move on.

One expression that I fondly recall from an official who served the longest ever in an elected position in our state is that he often said in his speeches, “there are some who wake up in the morning and say, ‘Good God, it’s morning.’ Instead, I wake up and say, ‘Good morning, God!’.”

You know, he was absolutely right. I keep his expression top-of-mind each day, and say, “Good morning, God! What a great day You have brought to me and those I love!” I smile while putting on my boots, leather (or work clothes), embrace my Man, and mount my Harley and ride down life’s highway. … and smile some more. (and even sing, too, but you really don’t want to hear me do that.)

I give warm e-hugs to my blog followers, some of whom I know, and others I do not. I see regular visitors from all over the U.S., as well as Spain, France, Germany, Italy, the U.K., The Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada, Australia, Japan, and China. I send a special “shout-out” to my loyal reader from Justin Brands, Inc., who appears any time I mention Chippewa Boots, Justin Boots, Nocona Boots, or Tony Lama Boots. (She did reveal herself once when I inquired about who was lurking). Best regards as well to fellow kindred spirit bloggers Clint, Maf, Robert, and Roland.

And to my elusive lurking RCN-using local regular follower from Silver Spring — I see you too. I hope you (and everyone) has enjoyed what I’ve been expressing, and perhaps learned something. If not contributing to one’s education, at least learned that life can be — and should be — a wonderful thing to share with people you love.

Below is one of my very favourite recent photos. Umm, umm, umm, a booted cop on a Police Harley. Can’t get enough of that view.

Enjoy the pic, enjoy life, and remember: Life is short — wear your boots!