Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Upcoming Events

Note from Tony: We're up to 896 members as of March 23, on various forms of social media, mostly on the email list. I REALLY wanted to take us over 900 this last weekend, but I ran out of steam!  In a year, I expect that we'll be at over 2,500 members at the current rate.  Everybody wants to be on the winning team, so it's getting easier and easier to add new men to the list. Even better, it's getting easier and easier for the newest faces among us to fit right in.  As I keep saying, QUANTITY is nice, but the QUALITY of brotherhood, acceptance and good-heartedness is the real point.

There are a few new plans in the making that haven't been announced yet, for later on in the year, but in the meantime, let's just keep building momentum and solidifying our monthly traditional events. We're on a really good ride, and I don't want to mess it up by throwing too many variables at everybody.

I'm planning to attend the Dore Alley/Up Your Alley Street Fair this year. It's not really in the budget, but I have certainly enjoyed Dore Alley and Folsom Street Fairs in the past. I can bend the budget for something that nice, and so should you.

-=-=-=-=- UPCOMING EVENTS -=-=-=-=-

March 26th, 7-10PM: Mr. Bear SD 2011 Contest


Friday, April 1, 7PM: SDLOG monthly educational meeting: KNOT FUN with Michael Sol, from SoCal Shibari

Saturday, April 2, 9PM-2AM; BearNight Dance at Numbers. $5 cover. First Saturday of each month. Lots of leathermen attend this event…

Wednesday, April 6, 9PM: PUPPY NIGHT at the Eagle, hosted by Pup DragZ and San Diego Puppy Play (SDPP). First Wednesday of each month.

April 8-10; Leather Leadership Conference in Los Angeles

Friday, April 8, 9PM-1AM: DRESS IT UP/STRIP IT DOWN at the Eagle. This has become the biggest fetishmen event in San Diego every month!  Approximately 300 men come cycling through the bar during the course of this event on the second Friday of each month, and many of us are dressed (or undressed) to impress!  Here are a few reviews, if you haven't been to one yet. This month's theme is FULL LEATHER. If you've got it, we really want to see it. Before much longer, it'll be too hot to get fully layered up! Here are some pictures from OctoberFebruary and March. Notice how HAPPY everybody is. You deserve to be that happy too.

Saturday, April 9; 4-7PM: Anthony's IML Fundraiser/Cigar Social at Bourbon Street

April 16-17; Phoenix Pride

April 28-May 2nd; Phoenix Phurfest 2011

Sunday, May 1, 5-8PM: CIGARS & BOOTS at Redwing, hosted by California LeatherSir Miles B. First Sunday of each month, out on the patio at Redwing. Unbelievably congenial crowd… Like nothing you've ever seen. The perfect Gentlemen's Club vibe. You'd think these men have been best friends for decades, and there's room for more, so come on over and mingle freely…


May 21-22; Long Beach Pride

- If you're going to International Mr. Leather 2011 weekend in late May in Chicago, NOW would be a really good time to make sure that your travel and lodging plans are completed.

June 10-12; Los Angeles Pride

June 25-26; San Francisco Pride

July 15-17, San Diego Pride 

July 28-30; International Leather Sir/boy/Community Boot Black in San Francisco, leading into...



August looks pretty open, but September includes Vegas Pride and Folsom Street Fair. Then, Palm Springs Pride is followed by Palm Springs Leather Pride in November.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Reviews of Last Night's Contest

=== Meshing ===

At some point over the past decades, years, months and maybe even just a few hours, I have personally spoken with approximately 90 percent of the people who were at Richs last night for the Mr. San Diego Leather 2011 Contest. It comes with being a super-extrovert on a mission. So, I was in a unique position to get a sense for the vibe in the building.

The three men who ran for the title had approximately the same number of support-team members as the average space-shuttle launch. There were official volunteers EVERYWHERE, scurrying around with a crazed look in their eyes, giving off a "Don't distract me, I'm doing valuable work!" vibe. I also spoke to several folks who just showed up, looked around, and started helping out just because they wanted to contribute. You couldn't wish for a more diverse team.

This doesn't happen by random happenstance. The overarching dream has to have solid value for the largest number of people. The volunteers saw that their efforts have led to a huge, visible benefit, and they felt valued as a direct result of their work. Everybody gave everything they had, and it all showed up for the rest of us to see. They have been working like beavers for the last two weeks, making sure that San Diego Leather Pride was a huge success.

Teamwork fails if leadership is lacking, and we don't have that problem at all. The committee that has been meeting with volunteers every single month of the year has decades of shared experience, which is what went away during the bad years when so many of us died. In this new phase, every year, the team gets bigger, the plans get more focused, and the continuity that we crave gets locked-in just a bit more.

Last night's event was unified, and spookily serene. If there were any behind-the-scenes bloopers, nobody cared. There was enough shared glory to go around the room fifty times. This is how a community works when it works well. The many folks visiting from out-of-town (and I spoke to them all) got to see that San Diego's team meshes together like the parts of a half-million-dollar watch. 

If you've ever fretted that San Diego's Leather Tribe has been in a sleepy daze, then it's time to let go of that idea. Those days are over and done.  We're in the next phase… we are all on a rocket-ship together, heading for the stars, just like we were in the late 1970's. Our community is thriving, and it's time to tell your friends the good news.

Everybody shared their best talents, and the entire team was staggering around afterward in a happy endorphin-rush daze. Everybody earned it the right way. Thanks to everyone who contributed, even just a little bit.  On the very deepest and most-meaningful levels, what you did matters, and for many people. Raising large amounts of lovely money for charity was only a small part of the value that was provided. No amount of money can heal a community's soul like a visibly-unified, diverse, cooperative and HUGE effort like what we've seen over the last few weeks.

=== The Contestants ===


I haven't processed the zillions of pictures yet, but I saw this one, and wanted to share it. It shows, from left, our three contestants: Anthony, Kurt and Daddy Dan, plus Adam (one of the Leather Pride Committee members). All three contestants gave their best efforts, and made us proud. Kurt is our new Mr. San Diego Leather for 2011. All three men have been actively involved in making our town a better place for us all, and will continue to do so. It was an excellent competition, with charm, beef and passionate speeches from the heart. I sure hope that they all feel loved and appreciated, because they sure earned it!

=== The Crowd ===

The audience was fully engaged, the press was there to witness our glorious shared success, and the new faces among us got to see something they didn't expect - a roaringly cohesive community.  Who wouldn't want to want to get more connected as a result? I added dozens of new guys to my mailing list last night, and they practically threw themselves at me to get on the list. My belief is their eagerness came from seeing that San Diego's REAL "social network" was all around them, bubbling and frothing with joyful community, and they wanted IN. These are clearly smart, observant fellas.

=== More Feedback ===

This was posted by Dave Rhodes on the SDLE list. Dave is the long-time publisher of The Leather Journal, a priceless resource for our community:

-=-=-=-

Hello,
I saw some of the inner-workings that Tony mentions and that was great. Many of the people I knew from years past and some from more recent times.

What I experienced in my trip from LA to San Diego this time was a lot of unmeasurable love from people. Many from whom I've known and just as much from people I met for the first time. I've been to several hundred contests, in fact I've judged around 300 of them. What makes this one so significant was that love and from-the-heart that is going on in San Diego right now. I've been to San Diego a lot of times and seen many of these people before. I just felt a whole lot more love this time. What ever you did to make it this way, figure out what it is and don't let go of it.

I want to draw attention to a couple of men there who really were helpful when i got sick before the contest. Both were wearing khaki shirts and pants and I believe one was named Jerry. (Note from Tony - Jerry and Josh were 100% on-the-job at all events). If you know who these two are, please extend my gratitude to them. They were there and made sure that I got plenty of water and were helpful in other ways.

Your stepping down titleholder Anthony is a good one and it was evidenced in his speech. I didn't see any dry eyes in the room. That's not probably because it was dark, it is undoubtedly because there probably weren't any. He done y'all proud. We loved him in his visits to Los Angeles. I hope he does well at IML. I could go on, but I think I made the point. You displayed a lot of love, and the bottom line to this whole Leather community thing is just that, a whole lotta love.

Yours,
Dave Rhodes
The Leather Journal__,_._,___

Monday, March 14, 2011

Upcoming Events

I'd like to see whole BUNCH of San Diegans showing up for the Leather Pride events this week - If you rarely go out much, you can't find a better reason to make an exception. We've got some great contestants for the Mr. San Diego Leather 2011 contest this Saturday. There will be out-of-towners in the audience, and I'm pretty certain that they'll be looking to get very well-acquainted with San Diego men!  :->

Congratulations to Beanstalk, our newest Ms. San Diego Leather for 2011. She was magnificent, and obviously has everything she needs to go as far as she her dreams can take her. I was mesmerized by her presence, presentation and comfort-level on stage.

I'm deeply proud of the men from FMSD who volunteered so enthusiastically to help out at the Ms. San Diego Leather events. I had very little time to chat with them, because they'd whisk off to handle some other task after a minute or so. Some even helped model for the auction items.

If you get a chance, please reply to this message, and share some feedback about anything to do with FMSD, good and bad. We're at the part of the annual event-cycle where everything gets really busy. Your input will be help guide the plans for the next phase. We're currently at 848 members, and the events this week should easily add another 100, given the crowds coming out for Leather Pride. The more of us who are getting useful and timely info, the more cohesive we can be when it really matters. 

-=-=-=-=- UPCOMING EVENTS -=-=-=-=-

  March 17th – Thursday, 8PM; Titleholder Reception @ Numbers
  March 18th – Friday, 8PM; Mr. San Diego Leather Meet and Greet @ The Hole
  March 19th – Saturday, 6PM; Mr. San Diego Leather Contest @ Richs
  March 20th – Sunday, 11am; Mr. San Diego Leather Victory Brunch @ Urban Mo’s
  March 20th - Sunday, 4PM; Afterglow @ Redwing Bar & Grill

March 26th, 7-10PM: Mr. Bear SD 2011 Contest


Friday, April 1, 7PM: SDLOG monthly educational meeting: KNOT FUN with Micahel Sol, from SoCal Shibari

Saturday, April 2, 9PM-2AM; BearNight Dance at Numbers. $5 cover. First Saturday of each month. Lots of leathermen attend this event…

Sunday, April 3, 5-8PM: CIGARS & BOOTS at Redwing, hosted by California LeatherSir Miles B. First Sunday of each month, out on the patio at Redwing. Unbelievably congenial crowd… Like nothing you've ever seen. The perfect Gentlemen's Club vibe. You'd think these men have been best friends for decades, and there's room for more, so come on over and mingle freely…

Wednesday, April 6, 9PM: PUPPY NIGHT at the Eagle, hosted by Pup DragZ and San Diego Puppy Play (SDPP). First Wednesday of each month.

April 8-10; Leather Leadership Conference in Los Angeles

Friday, April 8, 9PM-1AM: DRESS IT UP/STRIP IT DOWN at the Eagle. This has become the biggest fetishmen event in San Diego every month!  Approximately 300 men come cycling through the bar during the course of this event on the second Friday of each month, and many of us are dressed (or undressed) to impress!  Here are a few reviews, if you haven't been to one yet. This month's theme is FULL LEATHER. If you've got it, we really want to see it. Before much longer, it'll be too hot to get fully layered up! Here are some pictures from OctoberFebruary and March. Notice how HAPPY everybody is. You deserve to be that happy too.

Saturday, April 9; 4-7PM: Anthony's IML Fundraiser/Cigar Social at Bourbon Street

April 16-17; Phoenix Pride


May 21-22; Long Beach Pride

- If you're going to International Mr. Leather 2011 weekend in late May in Chicago, NOW would be a really good time to make sure that your travel and lodging plans are completed.

June 10-12; Los Angeles Pride

June 25-26; San Francisco Pride

July 15-17, San Diego Pride 

July 28-30; International Leather Sir/boy/Community Boot Black in San Francisco, leading into...



August looks pretty open, but September includes Vegas Pride and Folsom Street Fair. Then, Palm Springs Pride is followed by Palm Springs Leather Pride in November.

Mr. San Diego Leather 2010 Cigar Social / IML FUNDRAISER!

Note from Tony: this is an important event - Anthony has been our Mr. San Diego Leather for a year now, and he is ready to head off to Chicago in late May for the International Mr. Leather 2011 Contest.  He is our city's ambassador, he's going to be putting everything he has into being the best representative he can be, and like most of us, he's not made out of money.

He has many, many people helping him out with his preparations, but he needs help with the finances. Even one dollar thrown into a bucket at the following event can help him out and make his journey easier.  Don't make me pick you up by the ankles and make me shake you until that dollar comes out of your pocket!  :->  

Seriously, though - I have the longest inseam in town, and since they will be selling raffle tickets, just insist on having me stand in for you when the tickets are being measured out.  You'll get a lot more chances to win!

Helping our local volunteers and leaders is our best way of investing in our community's future and well-being.  If you've ever grumbled that the local scene simply isn't up to your expectations, welllll, here is your chance to help make better days show up!

-=-=-=-=-

Mr. San Diego Leather 2010 Cigar Social / IML FUNDRAISER!
Saturday, April 9 · 4-7pm

Bourbon Street Bar and Grill

Thank you all for your support during my title year. Now it's time to take it to the next level. I will be representing San Diego as i compete for the International Mr. Leather Title May 28th @ IML in Chicago. I need your support. $5 suggested donation at the door. $5 cigars, $1 raffle tickets. Come out and have some fun, drink, eat, and make some new friends (or reconnect with ones you haven't seen in a while).

Mr. Bear SD 2011 Contest

From: Jeff Breeze


Time
Saturday, March 26 · 7:00pm - 10:00pm

Location
2820 Lytton St
San Diego, CA

Created By

More Info
Now that we are back from IBR, its time to once again crown a new Mr Bear San Diego!. If you think you have what it takes to be a titleholder, here is your chance! Join us as over at the Hole as Dave B, Mr Bear SD 2010 passes on his title to a new Mr Bear, and we present our checks to our charities for the past year!

Directions: Take I-8 West to the Rosecrans St exit. Go down Rosecrans till you reach Lytton St, make a left onto Lytton. The Hole will be on your left.

Sincerely,
 
Jeff A. Breeze
Social Chairman, Bears SD
Mr So. Cal Bear 2009

Monday, March 7, 2011

Upcoming Events (SD Leather Pride 2011 Edition)

We're currently at 836 members, with more added on a constant basis.

I've been re-thinking how I'd like the next phase of FMSD's events to look like. For a while there, I was rapidly expanding plans for more and more events, and I think I hit the wall… So, I've stopped the dance-party, in favor of sending everybody over to Chris Vance's super-popular dance at Numbers (details below).

My main focus is currently on:

- Our monthly events, which are becoming better and better every month. The level of satisfaction is way beyond what I ever expected, and the numbers are rising, as well.

- Promoting events hosted by new, rising stars among us. As soon as I know about them, you will too.

I have to keep shifting plans, because our local culture is changing in ways that are wonderful and unpredictable. To wear out a tired old metaphor, San Diego's fetishmen community is a waking giant. We have been here all along, but now we're finding each other again, and we are working together in ever-growing numbers.

The next couple of weeks are going to be the biggest events for the year in our local Tribe. San Diego Leather Pride events are the ones that attract a lot of out-of-towners, and gather together the largest numbers of San Diegans. Time to dust off the gear and work the crowd!

-=-=-=-=- UPCOMING EVENTS -=-=-=-=-

Friday, March 11, 9PM-1AM: DRESS IT UP/STRIP IT DOWN at the Eagle. This has become the biggest fetishmen event in San Diego every month!  Approximately 300 men come cycling through the bar during the course of this event on the second Friday of each month, and many of us are dressed (or undressed) to impress!  Here are a few reviews, if you haven't been to one yet.  This month's spotlight will be on Men In Kilts. You'll be encouraged to bring that kilt out of deep storage and wear it in public with manly pride! That'll definitely be worth a kick-ass group photo as well. Here are the pictures from October and February. Notice how HAPPY everybody is. You deserve to be that happy too.

  March 10 - Thursday, 7:30PM. All Clubs Night. Kick-Off Event. I want to see a lot of Fetishmen there!
  March 11th – Friday, 8PM; Ms. San Diego Leather Meet and Greet @ The Hole
  March 12th – Saturday, 6PM; Ms. San Diego Leather Contest @ Richs
  March 13th – Sunday, 11am; Ms. San Diego Leather Victory Brunch @ Urban Mo's
  March 13th – Sunday, 1:30PM; BDSM Classes @ Joyce Beers Community Center
  March 17th – Thursday, 8PM; Titleholder Reception @ Numbers
  March 18th – Friday, 8PM; Mr. San Diego Leather Meet and Greet @ The Hole
  March 19th – Saturday, 6PM; Mr. San Diego Leather Contest @ Richs
  March 20th – Sunday, 11am; Mr. San Diego Leather Victory Brunch @ Urban Mo’s
  March 20th - Sunday, 4PM; Afterglow @ Redwing Bar & Grill

March 26th; Mr. Los Angeles Leather 2011 Contest. There are two reasonably-local BIG fetishmen events near San Diego every year - LA Leather in late May and Palm Springs Leather Pride on the second weekend in November (to avoid the heat). These are both well-worth making travel plans for, even for a single day-trip. If you plan to behave in a very um, SINGLE sort of way, this is your golden opportunity!

Friday, April 1, 7PM: SDLOG monthly educational meeting: KNOT FUN with Micahel Sol, from SoCal Shibari

Saturday, April 2, 9PM-2AM; BearNight Dance at Numbers. $5 cover. First Saturday of each month. Lots of leathermen attend this event...

Sunday, April 3, 5-8PM: CIGARS & BOOTS at Redwing, hosted by California LeatherSir Miles B. First Sunday of each month, out on the patio at Redwing. Unbelievably congenial crowd… Like nothing you've ever seen. The perfect Gentlemen's Club vibe. You'd think these men have been best friends for decades, and there's room for more, so come on over and mingle freely…

Wednesday, April 6, 9PM: PUPPY NIGHT at the Eagle, hosted by Pup DragZ and San Diego Puppy Play (SDPP). First Wednesday of each month.

April 8-10; Leather Leadership Conference in Los Angeles

April 16-17; Phoenix Pride


May 21-22; Long Beach Pride

- If you're going to International Mr. Leather 2011 weekend in late May in Chicago, NOW would be a really good time to make sure that your travel and lodging plans are completed.

June 10-12; Los Angeles Pride

June 25-26; San Francisco Pride

July 15-17, San Diego Pride 

July 28-30; International Leather Sir/boy/Community Boot Black in San Francisco, leading into...



August looks pretty open, but September includes Vegas Pride and Folsom Street Fair. Then, Palm Springs Pride is followed by Palm Springs Leather Pride in November.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Upcoming Events for FetishMen

I'll be guest-hosting this Sunday's Cigars & Boots event on the patio at the Redwing, since Mr. California Leather Sir 2010 Miles B. will be out of town judging the SouthWest LeatherSIR/Leatherboy contest in Phoenix.

As always, if you are dedicated to a better community, please show up one hour early (at 4PM) for that event.  Here's why:

The Mr. San Diego Leather contest is coming up, 2-1/2 weeks from now, and any men who are thinking of running for the title would be well-advised to show up, and to look closely at the individuals all around you.  These folks are your support-system. They are the kind of people who say that they will do something, and then they will actually DO it. The crowd that has been showing up a hour early for this event, month after month, are the exact opposite of Internet Flakes. Any man of integrity and idealism would be proud to stand a bit taller, and puff his chest out a bit more, just to fit in with such a magnificent assembly.

Think of that "Trust Exercise" where you fall backward, and people catch you. Somebody who is beginning to take the scary, new risk of being visibly committed to a better community should never, ever have to face that step alone. There are many of us who have been there, and if we all work together, then our newest brothers will gain courage, learn quickly, and hit the ground running without colliding with too many trees.

In regard to San Diego Leather Pride itself, I predict a massive turnout, based on recent history. FetishMen have been eager to support fetiish-oriented events! That's why I'll be ramping back my enthusiasms for a bit; I'll be focusing like a laser on events that are specific to leather, kink and fetish. I'm learning from every event, and adjusting the plans so that the quality, quantity and level of satisfaction continue to rise.

-=-=-=-=- UPCOMING EVENTS -=-=-=-=-

Wednesday, March 2, 9PM: PUPPY NIGHT at the Eagle, hosted by Pup DragZ and San Diego Puppy Play (SDPP). First Wednesday of each month.

Friday, March 4, 7PM: SDLOG monthly educational meeting: Temporary Piercing - Presented by Mike Underwood and Bryan Teague,  American Leather Boy 2010,  Mr. San Diego Leather 2009.

Saturday, March 5, 9PM-2AM; BearNight Dance at Numbers. $5 cover. I mention this because 1) I liked it last month, and 2) I signed up a ton of new members there, many of them in some form of leather gear. Chris is a superb host (he has the identical Myers-Briggs ENFP personality type that I do), and the dance-party is a massive success. Let's dance!

Sunday, March 6th, 5-8PM: CIGARS & BOOTS at Redwing, hosted by California LeatherSir Miles B. First Sunday of each month. It's ideal weather for it, out on the patio at Redwing. Unbelievably congenial crowd… Like nothing you've ever seen. The perfect Gentlemen's Club vibe. You'd think these men have been best friends for decades, and there's room for more, so come on over and mingle freely...

Friday, March 11, 9PM-1AM: DRESS IT UP/STRIP IT DOWN at the Eagle. This has become the biggest fetishmen event in San Diego every month!  Approximately 300 men come cycling through the bar during the course of this event on the second Friday of each month, and many of us are dressed (or undressed) to impress!  Here are a few reviews, if you haven't been to one yet.  This month's spotlight will be on Men In Kilts. You'll be encouraged to bring that kilt out of deep storage and wear it in public with manly pride! That'll definitely be worth a kick-ass group photo as well. Here are the pictures from October and February. Notice how HAPPY everybody is. You deserve to be that happy too.

  March 10 - Thursday, 7:30PM. All Clubs Night. Kick-Off Event.
  March 11th – Friday, 8PM; Ms. San Diego Leather Meet and Greet @ The Hole
  March 12th – Saturday, 6PM; Ms. San Diego Leather Contest @ Richs
  March 13th – Sunday, 11am; Ms. San Diego Leather Victory Brunch @ Urban Mo's
  March 13th – Sunday, 1:30PM; BDSM Classes @ Joyce Beers Community Center
  March 17th – Thursday, 8PM; Titleholder Reception @ Numbers
  March 18th – Friday, 8PM; Mr. San Diego Leather Meet and Greet @ The Hole
  March 19th – Saturday, 6PM; Mr. San Diego Leather Contest @ Richs
  March 20th – Sunday, 11am; Mr. San Diego Leather Victory Brunch @ Urban Mo’s
  March 20th - Sunday, 4PM; Afterglow @ Redwing Bar & Grill

March 26th; Mr. Los Angeles Leather 2011 Contest. There are two reasonably-local BIG fetishmen events near San Diego every year - LA Leather in late May and Palm Springs Leather Pride on the second weekend in November (to avoid the heat). These are both well-worth making travel plans for, even for a single day-trip. If you plan to behave in a very um, SINGLE sort of way, this is your golden opportunity!

April 8-10; Leather Leadership Conference in Los Angeles

April 16-17; Phoenix Pride


May 21-22; Long Beach Pride

- If you're going to International Mr. Leather 2011 weekend in late May in Chicago, NOW would be a really good time to make sure that your travel and lodging plans are completed.

June 10-12; Los Angeles Pride

June 25-26; San Francisco Pride

July 15-17, San Diego Pride 

July 28-30; International Leather Sir/boy/Community Boot Black in San Francisco, leading into...



August looks pretty open, but September includes Vegas Pride and Folsom Street Fair. Then, Palm Springs Pride is followed by Palm Springs Leather Pride in November.

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