FOF #806 – A Heart of Gold
Standard Podcast [1:10:20m]:
Standard Podcast [1:10:20m]:
We’ve got a delicious bucket of hope! I’m sure you’ve check out Presidential hopeful Barak Obama dazzling speech to the world in Germany, while rival John McCain spoke to diners in a German Restaurant in Ohio. Talk about a cartoonish contrast between candidates.
One looks like the angry old man next door chasing children off the front lawn with his rake, the other looks like a “historial figure.” I was so impressed with his speech, referencing a very mature idea of global citizenship not heard from any political candidiate since the late 1970s, when Carl Sagan brought up the idea in his book and award winning PBS miniseries “Cosmos.”
Reaching out to skeptics back home, Obama Herladed the “dream of freedom” declaring:
“I love America… People of Berlin, people of the world this is our moment. This is our time… I speak to you not as a candidate for President, but as a citizen – a proud citizen of the United States, and a fellow citizen of the world.” Wow.
[For a full transcript, click here.]
Obama promised us a bucket of hope and delivered a all-you-can-eat buffet, with self-serve sundae bar of hope!
On today’s show- we follow-up on the kick off of the M-Network, the gay social event we helped to launch in Chicago, our live podcast on alcohol and the Reveal Party for the TLC’s reality tv show “What Not to Wear.”
Despite being on Monday night was a big success! The intimate crowed enjoyed the performances by performance artist Tim Miller and comedian Adam Guerino. We’re really excited about this venture and we hope it grows. Please join us next week as Master Sommelier Alpana Singh to host a Zodiac Wine Tasting where she’ll match world-class wines with your zodiac sign. Wine and light food will be provided.
The live podcast at Sidetrack about alcohol and the GLBT community will be up later this week. It went off without a hitch and was well received by everyone in attendance.
A special thank you to everyone who came to the Reveal Party for TLC’s What Not To Wear. Amanda looked fabulous in her purple dress, silver pumps and new hair style.
The highlight of the evening was when the director, Jen, asked what people liked the best about her new look and Amanda’s friend shouted “her boobs!” and then proceeded to fondle Amanda. Although it won’t make the final cut, we can only hope that TLC will put out a “Too Hot for What Not to Wear” video.
The new X-Files movie features the ultimate boogie men, a gay couple married in Massachusetts! This may be a bit of a spoiler but when is Hollywood going to learn that that gays or trannies aren’t the enemy?
SPOILER! The movie started out ok and we felt like were seeing old friends on the big screen but we were really disappointed when the storyline devolved to feature a psychic link between a convicted pedophile priest and his former victim who kills with his boyfriend to get a new body. End Spoiler!
I remember the X-Files being smart and savvy and I just wonder what the hell they were thinking of producing this lackluster and insulting film. We waited all these years for this?

PLUS: We have an interview with author and talk show host Scott Sherman, who’s got a fabulous new book out First You Fall: A Kevin Connor Mystery, a funny mystery about a sexy gay hustler with a heart of gold. Makes an excellent summer reading, and why not? The main character loves to listen to the Feast of Fools.
Scott’s has produced two podcasts, Digital Photography Show and the archived The Gay Parenting Show. We met Scott last year at the New Media Expo when were both up for the top award for best podcast. Neither of us won and as Scott says “I’m kinda glad neither of us won or else we wouldn’t like each other.” Well, we would have liked you anyway Scott, if we had won.
Check out today’s sponsor:

Gay, Sexy, Healthy- Lifelube.org
Your “big tent” guide to gay men’s health,
from sex and drugs to Faeries and Bears
Your friendly concierge for all that’s gay, sexy and healthy.
Featured Music:
Katy Perry – One of the Boys: iTunes | Amazon | Site
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Standard Podcast:
Gay men are living longer than ever and we need to make sure we continue to keep the healthy bodies we’ve enjoyed in our younger years.
After all, life doesn’t end at forty.
On today’s show we’re talking to Dr. Frank Spinelli, your gay doctor about his brand new book “The Advocate Guide to Gay Men’s Health and Wellness.”
Dr. Frank joins us to talk about why some gay men abuse drugs, transmit sexual diseases and how to keep romance hot well into your golden years.
Dr. Frank says one of the most important things you can do with your doctor is to come out as a gay man. Simply say “Doctor, I’m gay.” But for many of us, we shy away from doing that because we fear being judged or worse, being looked at as a freak because we don’t necessarily share the same sexual orientation as our doctor.
Thankfully, Dr. Frank is gay and fabulous! You can check out his MySpace page here.
Listen up folks, this podcast just might save your life!
The Advocate Guide to Gay Men’s Health and Wellness is a fabulous book that covers all the questions you may want to ask your doctor. It makes a great beside or bathroom book.
I believe that the single most important thing to improve the sexual health of all people in America is for the next President to push in congress a Universal Health Care plan for all people. The reality is that too many people living in the U.S. wait to the last minute to see a doctor because they simply cannot afford it.
I can only imagine the lives that would be saved and the improvement in transmission rates of all sexually transmitted diseases if we all had the same access to health care that almost all western nations enjoy.
For many of Americans, access to adequate health care is sketchy at best and I urge you to get Dr. Frank’s book (it’s $22 on Amazon) to educate yourself about the perils we face as gay men and also about some of the rewards and pleasures we’ve worked so hard to enjoy.
That being said, I urge you to save up and go see a doctor. There are many clinics in most urban areas that offer services on a sliding scale.
Your Dr. Feelgood for your podcasting regimen- Feast of Fools.
[Originally posted on 02.26.08]
Featured Book:
The Advocate Guide to Gay Men’s Health and Wellness
by Frank, M.D. Spinelli: Amazon
Featured Music:
Eric Himan – Everywhere All at Once: iTunes | Amazon | CD Baby
Eric Himan – There’s Gotta Be Something: CD Baby | MySpace
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Standard Podcast:

How do you get off and have a good time on the internet superhighway without a fender bender?
On today’s show we have the recording of the live forum that Marc Felion and I, Fausto Fernós, moderated at the Center on Halsted last month. The forum was developed and sponsored by our friends at Lifelube to figure out how to have fun and be safe while looking for sex or love online. This forum featured three great experts on how the internet is changing our sexuality.
First, Stephan Adelson, former general manager of Manhunt, a hook up site for men seeking sex with men. He was part of the team that introduced the idea of displaying one’s HIV status in online personal profiles.
Stephan currently works as the Executive Director of the nonprofit Internet Intervention Incorporated. He also works as an internet consultant on privacy issues and recently developed National Guidelines for Internet Interventions (PDF).
Second, Beau Gratzer, director of HIV and STD prevention at Howard Brown Health Center. Beau oversees many sexual health programs including those targeted to gay men online in Chicago.
Beau served on the National Coalition of STD Directors’ expert advisory committee that recently published the “Internet Interventions Guidelines” which provide guidance to health departments and community organizations providing HIV/STI related health information and programs online
And Third, Doctor Brian Mustanski, Assistant professor at the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Brian is among the first to study how gay, lesbian and bisexual people interact online.
He developed one of the first online studies of gay lesbian and bisexual people. The majority of his work focuses on the development of “sexual minority” people and how the Internet affects us. He is also working on a study on the health and development of LGBT youth.
Listen as we talk about looking for sex and love online, the mysterious bug chasers, internet addiction and the the hunting instinct,
We also take questions from the fabulous people who attended this very fun and informative questions from the audience.
You can also read a blow by blow account of the forum at Michael Lehet’s blog, “What’s A Boy To Do.” Thank you Michael!
Check out today’s sponsor:

Gay, Sexy, Health- Lifelube.org
Your “big tent” guide to gay men’s health,
from sex and drugs to Faeries and Bears
Your friendly concierge for all that’s gay, sexy and healthy.
Featured Music:
Mystechs – Escape from Planet Love: iTunes | Site
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Standard Podcast [1:07:03m]:
How many are in your party? For some people monogamy is just right, but for a growing number of people, open relationships is where they find true happiness.
We are raised on fairy tales of a handsome prince rescuing a fair maiden and then they live happily ever after, but how close is this image to real life?
As gay people, we try to reinterpret that image of monogamous marriage in our fight for gay rights and marriage equality. There is even a new study that shows that GLBT youth want to be married and have kids by the age of 30.
How many people are truly satisfied by having one lover for their entire life?
Tristan Taormino, award-winning author, columnist, pornographic film director joins us to talk about her new book Opening Up: A guide to Creating and Sustaining Open Relationships.
Tristan studied over a hundred polyamorous people, in a sort of Kinsey Report on non-manogamy. Tristan interviewed in person, over the phone and by email, people who were content and settled, and others who were at a crossroads in their relationships.
She discovered that all the people engaging in this lifestyle “exude an above-average level of sexual and emotional satisfaction -something that in my experience and observation seems to elude a lot of people.”
So how do you convince your wife to have a three way with the nanny, or the pool boy?
Well, it can be a very difficult topic to bring up because relationships are often viewed as sacred and some people are not going to react well to even bringing the topic up. Tristan recommends you start slow and put little feelers out there to see if they are the same wavelength. Of course, you have to make sure the person you are currently involved with has good self esteem otherwise you are in for a lot of trouble and soul searching.
Join us as we chat with Tristan about the tips and tricks on open relationships. We talk about how you design an open relationship, the pitfalls of an nonmonogmay, keeping it fresh five or ten years later and what to do if one person is kinky and they other is not.
There is a lot to take into consideration if you are going to turn your relationship into an open one. For example, what do you do if one person is attracted to it and the other isn’t? Is coming out as polyamorous like coming out of the gay closet? What do you do when someone reacts negatively to your identity? And what about the children, do the kids even care?
Tristan Toarmino is the niece of famous American author Thomas Pynchon, so of course we just have to ask her what he thinks of her work.
Take a dip in our jacuzzi of love- Feast of Fools.
Featured Book:
Opening Up: A guide to Creating and Sustaining Open Relationships.
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Steamworks Gym, Sauna and Baths.
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Featured Music:
Sarah Bettens – Shine: iTunes | Amazon | Site
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Standard Podcast [44:56m]:
Summer is here and the warm weather beckons us to travel.
Pack your bags, because on today’s show we’re talking to two of the hottest gay tour providers, Joel Cabrera and Bryan Herb who run Zoom Vacations, the award-winning Gay Travel Company.
This real-life gay couple run the company together, putting together fun stylish, authentic and care-free experiences for their customers, often pointing them to lesser known destinations that make for an extraordinary gay vacation.
From South Africa to Amsterdam, Joel and Bryan bring their enthusiasm and experience as seasoned gay travelers to create some of the most exciting packages you can find anywhere. And they look good in Feast of Fools t-shirts! (Check out our new designs)
As social progress moves forward, we don’t need to look at gay events as the only reason to get out and see the world. Airlines, hotels and cities spend millions of dollars every year attracting gay tourists because of the level of cache they bring and because they know how to have fun!
People look to gay men because they are the early adopters who bring home news on how wonderful a destination can be. They are the ones their community looks to when seeking advice on finding exciting new places to go. Check our their photo gallery from their vacations to all parts of the world.
Listen as we talk about staying in shape when you’re away from home, what parts of the world are opening up to gay tourists, tips and tricks for the gay traveler PLUS- the world’s greatest gay beaches.
We love Hollywood Beach in Chicago because it is just down the road from us. Although you can access it all year, if you want fun in the sun, you better come in the summer months or else you’ll get an ice cube.
While Lake Michigan doesn’t usually freeze over, the water is cold, cold, cold. I don’t even consider swimming in it until July when it finally warms up.
Of course the main reason to go to any beach is to have fun people watching. At Hollywood Beach the colorful and diverse crowd ranges from HUNK to SKUNK! You’ll be aroused and entertained by the the average sun bather basking on the sandy shores of Lake Michigan.
After laying out all day in the sun, make sure you head over to Big Chicks for drinks and a free delicious buffet on Sundays.
Here’s a short list of Hot Gay Beaches:
Rio de Janeiro’s Ipanema, Spain’s Sitges, Miami South Beach, Sydney’s Bondi Beach, Costa Rica’s Manuel Antonio Beach, South Africa’s Clifton Beach, Mykonos in Greece, and Marc’s hometown of Erie, PA Presque Isle’s Beach One.
The podcast that has been to paradise and it’s been to ME- Feast of Fools.
Check out today’s sponsor:

ApparelBuilder
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with top brands for up to 60% off.
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Featured Music:
Eric Himan – Resonate: iTunes | | Site
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Standard Podcast [54:03m]:
Some of the most popular queer content found online and in traditional media is our collective fascination with famous actors, musicians and public figures. Why do gay men obsess on it so, and why does this type of content so appealing?
On today’s show writer and former drag queen Josh Kilmer-Purcell, well known for his best selling autobiography “I am Not Myself These Days” talks about his new novel “Candy Everybody Wants.”
In the novel Josh tells the story of a celebrity-obsessed gay teenager Jayson Blocher who leaves his life in the Midwest for the glamor of New York City, only to find that fame isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be.
Although he says the book isn’t about himself, you can read into the obvious parallels from his previous book “I am Not Myself These Days” where he chronicles his move to New York City from the Midwest to become a well-known drag queen. The book shares his passion for 80s pop culture, as references to campy nighttime soap operas like Dynasty, Dallas and Falcons Crest decorate the story line.
Josh’s writings always make for a great summer read, so it’s no coincidence that his book was released in April. If you live in Milwaukee, WI, go check him out tonight at Harry W. Schwartz Bookshop @7:00 pm, 2559 N. Downer Ave.
Join us as we talk about the farm his partner Dr. Brent Ridge and he live on during the weekends and the famous goat milk soap they make and sell. The website for the farm seems so cozy, it makes you just want to escape there for the weekend.
If you think it looks a bit like a gay version of Martha Stewart, you’re right to see the influence! Josh’s hubby to be is a regular on Martha’s daytime TV show where he talks about healthy liviing when he’s not working as a doctor at Mount Sinai Medical Center.
So the question everybody is asking gay media power couples like Josh and Brent are- now that it’s legal in California and the marriages will be honored in New York City, will you be officially tying the knot? Can we come to your wedding? You just know they will have great homemade goat-milk soap as wedding favors.
But will his right-wing gal pal Shirley Phelps come to the ceremony? Seriously, Josh is an advocate that gays should be happy that the Phelps family is so loud and proud in their anti-gay rhetoric, after all, they force people to stand up for gay rights or look like lunatics. Last time Josh was on our show we had a double date with him and Shirley Phelp and lets just say the results were flabbergasting.
Also- a computer program written by a evolutionary anthropologist suggests religious beliefs may be a product of evolution, saying that it might be evolutionarily advantageous for non-believers to support people who believe in non-verifiable data, since in the long term this may keep the “tribe” intact and help win bloodthirsty struggles.
But in the modern day of hi-tech warfare and our ability to destroy the world, religious beliefs might actually prove to be lethal for us all.
A shining beacon in the darkness- Feast of Fools.
Check out today’s sponsor:

ApparelBuilder
–Expose Yourself–
Your source for custom printing and embroidery
with top brands for up to 60% off.
Wholesale pricing, retail quality.
Featured Book:
Candy Everybody Wants by Josh Kilmer-Purcell: Amazon
Featured Music:
Reuben Butchart – Golden Boy: iTunes | CD Baby | Amazon
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Standard Podcast [51:35m]:
They should know better but for some reason well-to do gay men in the Midwest turn to crystal meth as a way of dealing with their loneliness, isolation and because it simply feels good.
On today’s FOF we’re talking to author Terry Oldes about his new book “Dancing with Tina” which chronicles his year-long struggle with crystal meth addiction and his troublesome romantic relationships. He was so deep into the drugs, even Fergie would be jealous.
Listen as we talk to Terry about why people get addicted to anything, especially things they already know will probably kill them. Are all gay men sex-starved drug addicts? Do gay men love meth as much as the media says they do?
Why do people think have everything thing to live for turn to a cheap, nasty drug and become addicts?
Some people say that self-esteem is at the root of the problem but I don’t think self-esteem has as much to do with self-destructive behavior as pop-psychologists would like for you to believe. There are greater factors involved and sometimes the only source of this type of behavior lies deep within. Our subconscious is a complex thing and right now we’re just scratching the surface as to understanding why rational people do bizarre or dangerous activities.
We think in the short term just like eating a greasy fried Twinkies but the problem with drugs like crystal meth is they can be incredibly addictive because they allow us to escape our everyday experience. They give us imaginations we never had before but at a price.
My hunch is that to keep people from looking for chemical forms of escape is to give them the tools before hand to allow them to deal with the reasons why they need to escape in the first place and to create an atmosphere where people have interests, passion and a delight for living.
Any person who seriously wants to help our society deal with drug abuse has to start at a very fundamental place and that is Universal Health Care. By that I mean allowing everyone to see a doctor and a dentist at least once a year. We force car owners to get their cars to get inspected every year. We force pet owners to take care of their pets. Imagine how far we would come if everyone had access to a regular physician? There is no other option in my opinion.
The podcast you just can’t quit- Feast of Fools.
Check out today’s sponsor:

LifeLube: the blog
Gay, sexy, healthy- like you.
The sticky stuff that keeps gay men together.
Click LifeLube early and often!
Featured Book:
Dancing With Tina by Terry Oldes: Amazon
Featured Music:
Hercules and Love Affiar: MySpace | Site
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Standard Podcast [1:00:25m]:
What does Christopher Rice think that the U.S. Marines and gay men share in common?
In Christopher Rice’s new book “Blind Fall” he takes a look at the common ground many gay men and Marines share. In today’s interview Christopher shares with us his insight into the Marines he interviewed for his new book.
Christopher states: “They are united by a code. If you put aside all the politics, if you put aside the specifics of every military engagement they have been involved in the past decade, they are about fighting for the man standing next to them. It’s a code that insulates them from the shifts in the political climate.”
He continues “They go where they are told to go and their job to defend the marine standing next to them. When I heard that said clearly enough, enough times, I thought a story of a straight marine coming to accept not only his gay Marine friend but the boyfriend of that guy is not as far fetched as it seemed on the surface.
They see themselves not as members of the mainstream, that they are different. And in that very sense they have something in common with gay men. It sounds crazy. Marines are taught in boot camp that mainstream society is weak and defective and they provide a very special service to it, they protect and defend it.
And that is a similar line of thinking to what a lot of gay men think. We think mainstream society is hostile and colorless and we provide beauty, style and culture to it.”
In Blind Fall, a battle scared marine discovers that his brutally murdered friend and personal hero was in the closet. The marine teams up with the dead man’s lover to seek justice but not before he must come to terms with his own homophobia.
Listen as we talk to Christopher about interviewing those hot hunky Marines, coming out to his famous mother the novelist Anne Rice, and negative press- how he deals with those bitchy bloggers who diss him online.
The podcast that can handle the truth- Feast of Fools.
Featured Book:
Blind Fall, a novel by Christopher Rice: Amazon
Featured Music:
Eric Himan – Resonate: iTunes | | Site
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Standard Podcast [45:03m]:
Brace yourself, you’re about to get a stunning!
Calpernia Addams, the Peabody Prize winning writer, actress and activist, best known on the Feast of Fools for her single “Stunning” joins us today to talk about the genesis of that fabulous dance song.
“Stunning” came out one of the episodes from her brand new reality tv series “Transamerican Love Story” a revolutionary elimination dating show featuring Calpernia as a trans woman searching for romance from a small group of handsome men.
The version we play on the show was remixed by Robbie D. We had the pleasure of hanging with Robbie D. at Idapolooza music festival in Tennessee in 2001 and Marc got to paint his ass blue!
Calpernia’s reality show is like The Bachelorette but with a fabulous trannie as the prize. You get to see an inside look at the men who are attracted to transsexual women and what it will take to win her heart. We recommend buying the season pass on the iTunes Music store, that way you’ll get every episode as it’s released each week, much like this podcast!
Life hasn’t always been stunning for Calpernia.
Calpernia was thrust into the public spotlight in 1999 when her lover, Pvt. Barry Winchell was harassed and murdered by his fellow soldiers after rumors of their relationship circulated around the base.
A controversial New York Times article titled “An Inconvenient Woman” portrayed GLBT groups as trying to qualify their relationship as “homosexual” in order to draw attention to the problems with the U.S. Military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy banning lesbians, trans, gays and bi folks from serving their country.
Because of this intense life-changing event, Calpernia decided to become an activist for more positive media portrayals of transsexual women.
She participated in the production of “Soldier’s Girl” as an on set consultant to keep the story true to her experience. The film won several awards and featured Lee Pace from Pushing Daisies as Calpernia.
Join Kennidi Monroe, Marc Felion and me Fausto Fernós as we talk with Cali about her friendship with web-designer Andrea James, dealing with unpopular contestants and Calpernia’s list of stupid questions not to ask a Trannie. Of course, we asked her anyway, well not really.
Don’t miss the last part of the show where Calpernia teaches me how to force feminize my voice. I sound almost as stunning as she does!
This is the podcast that uses the voice you want to use- Feast of Fools.

Featured TV Show:
Transamerican Love Story
Starring Calpernia Addams
Produced by World of Wonder
Get it on iTunes
Featured Music:
Calpernia Adams – Stunning – Robbie D Remix: MySpace | Site
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Standard Podcast [56:31m]:
Gay men are living longer than ever and we need to make sure we continue to keep the healthy bodies we’ve enjoyed in our younger years.
After all, life doesn’t end at forty.
On today’s show we’re talking to Dr. Frank Spinelli, your gay doctor about his brand new book “The Advocate Guide to Gay Men’s Health and Wellness.”
Dr. Frank joins us to talk about why some gay men abuse drugs, transmit sexual diseases and how to keep romance hot well into your golden years.
Dr. Frank says one of the most important things you can do with your doctor is to come out as a gay man. Simply say “Doctor, I’m gay.” But for many of us, we shy away from doing that because we fear being judged or worse, being looked at as a freak because we don’t necessarily share the same sexual orientation as our doctor.
Thankfully, Dr. Frank is gay and fabulous! You can check out his MySpace page here.
Listen up folks, this podcast just might save your life!
The Advocate Guide to Gay Men’s Health and Wellness is a fabulous book that covers all the questions you may want to ask your doctor. It makes a great beside or bathroom book.
I believe that the single most important thing to improve the sexual health of all people in America is for the next President to push in congress a Universal Health Care plan for all people. The reality is that too many people living in the U.S. wait to the last minute to see a doctor because they simply cannot afford it.
I can only imagine the lives that would be saved and the improvement in transmission rates of all sexually transmitted diseases if we all had the same access to health care that almost all western nations enjoy.
For many of Americans, access to adequate health care is sketchy at best and I urge you to get Dr. Frank’s book (it’s $22 on Amazon) to educate yourself about the perils we face as gay men and also about some of the rewards and pleasures we’ve worked so hard to enjoy.
That being said, I urge you to save up and go see a doctor. There are many clinics in most urban areas that offer services on a sliding scale.
Your Dr. Feelgood for your podcasting regimen- Feast of Fools.
Featured Book:
The Advocate Guide to Gay Men’s Health and Wellness
by Frank, M.D. Spinelli: Amazon
Featured Music:
Eric Himan – Everywhere All at Once: iTunes | Amazon | CD Baby
Eric Himan – There’s Gotta Be Something: CD Baby | MySpace
RSS FEED | SUBSCRIBE ON iTUNES
SUBSCRIBE ON: GOOGLE | PODZINGER
CONTACT US DIRECTLY