So We Watched the New HBO Perry Mason Today….

And l wasn’t very impressed. Afterward we watched the first episode of the 1957 version with Raymond Burr and Noah and l liked it better. And Noah had never even seen the original. He didn’t have the nostalgia that l did.

It wasn’t that the new show is bad. I welcomed a reboot. And Matthew Rhys is a great actor. But it rambled a lot and wasn’t as tightly written and his Perry Mason isn’t very likable. He’s a depressed, down-on-his-luck, drunken, not very nice guy who’s a private-eye instead a suave, sophisticated, brilliant, lawyer.

From what l understand, Earl Stanley Gardner, the author of the books, *loved* Raymond Burr as his character and was instrumental in picking him out for the role. I admit to never having read even one of the books, and always just assumed the original series was a good adaptation of the books.

I mean…why all the changes? I never understand *that* many changes *because* it becomes unidentifiable with the source material. It’s not a new angel that way. It’s like it simply wants to use the original to drum up ratings.

I’d respect a truer version to the books. But this is even set earlier in time and he seems younger. Maybe it’s a prequel? A before-Perry-Mason-got-cool story-line?

By the way, the new show isn’t episodic. Looks like the case will take multiple episodes. Not sure I’m interested enough in the story or the Perry Mason to stick around.

Has anyone else seen both shows? Any thoughts? *Especially* if know anything about the new version and why they went the way they did?

FURRY FRIDAY: Age Differences

There are many reasons gay men (or anyone for that matter) may seek out a differently aged partner. The older partner may be attracted to the younger partner’s energy and vitality while a younger partner may be attracted to the older partner’s maturity and experience. They may have more in common than they realize, or maybe not so much in common, and they can learn from one another.

There are some superficial reasons like seeking out an older partner, for example their money, or a younger partner, perhaps to “recapture their youth.” But lasting relationships, no matter the age difference, will be based on love, trust, and understanding.

This edition of Furry Friday is in honor of those May-December couples, showing men of different ages but still in a happy and loving relationship. And, of course, also with beards!

Vote for your favorites!
-Noah

Actor Evan Todd’s Mother was in a Horrific Car Accident

Ever seen the wonderful movie, “4th Man Out”? I have, many times, l love it. Anyway, the star Evan Todd’s mother was in a horrific car accident. A car jumped the rail and hit her head in. And they need help!!! I was drawn to put in the little l could because, as l said yesterday, I’m worn out and wishing l could do *anything* to help in this world, and this was *something*! So I’m putting it out there. I know every dime helps.

In Evan’s words…. “She was rushed to (the) Hospital with multiple breaks/fractures to both legs, both arms, hip, elbow, ribs and with extensive internal injuries. Given only a 20% chance of surviving, she is in stable but critical condition in the ICU. The good news (is that she) does not appear to have traumatic brain damage and she (can move) all of her fingers and toes…! We will take every win we can get. She (has) many many more (surgeries) to come.”

If you’re drawn to this, just Click Right Here to Help!

Peace and love,
Namasté,
BG “Ben” Thomas

Happy Summer Solstice / Mid Summer / Litha!

Happy Summer Solstice aka Mid Summer aka Litha! And the Three Bears kept up their dedication to following the traditional Eight Holidays that follows the turning of the Seasons with the turning of the Wheel of the Year.

We didn’t have a downright feast this time as we were in R’s hometown of Brookfield which limited (for the time being) our ability to cook. But we did go to his mother’s (I love that woman) and did make a very nice dinner. R and I had salmon, which I was surprised was a traditional summer feast meal, and other good foods like asparagus and Noah had this sort of quesadilla/pizza combination that R’s mother made for him as his entry. Probably not what ancient druids had, but it was

I Am Confused. Please Help.

I don’t want to get all political, and I don’t want to cause any kind of hurt, any kind of anger, I am just trying to understand. Any calm and collected answers to my questions would really be appreciated

Okay, they are taking down Confederate statues which glorify historical figures. And there are those who are angry about this, and I’m not sure I understand. They claim that

FURRY FRIDAY: Summer Solstice Beards

Tomorrow is Midsummer, also known as the Summer Solstice or Litha. Scientifically that means that tomorrow is the longest day of the year, just as the Winter Solstice is the longest night of the year. I find it fascinating that the eight pagan holidays this year are all falling so close to Friday. Beltane, the last of the holidays on the Wheel of the Year fell right on a Friday! Noah and I decided we had to feature bearded men that we felt had the feel, the energy and the look (in our opinion) for this ancient holiday.

For those Pagan friends of mine, Blessed Be!

For those who aren’t, just an educational (and spiritual) few words on what this day means.

I HAVE A NEW RELEASE!! UNINVITED!

When a hot tip leads Kansas City reporter Taylor Dunton to a series of grisly murders, his investigation points to Myles Parry and his vodou shop. Myles wants nothing more than to practice his religion in peace, and he hopes Taylor can help him show the community they have nothing to fear. The problem is all the clues point to Myles as the suspect and only Taylor can help him prove his innocence. However, this case has also caught the attention of the vodou spirits of the Lwa… and they’ve taken an interest in Taylor as well.

And you can find my new book on Amazon by Clicking Right Here or at Dreamspinner Press by Clicking Right Here!

Words cannot say how happy about this new release!! You see all of my stories tie into each other one way or another.

For instance the police officers, Detectives Daphne Brookhart and Cain Townsend, who appear in Uninvited, first showed up in my novels All Alone in a Sea of Romance and Hound Dog & Bean!  But here is the problem….

Recently a series of wonderful anthologies called Gothika went out of print, three of which included novellas of mine. I was blown away when I was asked to participate, because I would join such wonderful authors as Eli Easton, Kim Fielding, Sue Brown, Jamie Fessenden, and later, F.E. Feeley, Jr., for this amazing project. And I was just as crushed as when the volumes went out-of-print.

HOWEVER….!

The first one, Uninvited, is now in print as a standalone, and now that I have several years of writing experience, I was able to go back and clean them up and add some stuff to make the stories even better. And check out the new cover by the indomitable Paul Richmond! I’m so excited by what he did!

The first story is available right now (with the other two coming out soon)! I hope you will check it out!

Supreme Court Says Federal Law Protects LGBTQ Workers from Discrimination

Sorry you hate-filled people who think freedom of religion allows you to discriminate!

“An employer who fires an individual for being homosexual or transgender fires that person for traits or actions it would not have questioned in members of a different sex. Sex plays a necessary and undisguisable role in the decision, exactly what Title VII forbids,” Gorsuch wrote. Read more in this CNN article….

By Ariane de Vogue and Devan Cole, CNN
Updated 12:22 PM ET, Mon June 15, 2020

Washington (CNN) — Federal civil rights law protects gay, lesbian and transgender workers, the Supreme Court ruled Monday.

The landmark ruling will extend protections to millions of workers nationwide and is a defeat for the Trump administration, which argued that

FURRY FRIDAY: Brotherhood of Bears

The gay bear flag, known officially as the International Bear Brotherhood Flag, was created by Craig Byrnes in 1995 as a symbol for bears–larger men who display an image of rugged masculinity with body hair and/or facial hair.

The flag was created with inclusion in mind and it encompasses men who reject the stereotypes of how gay men are “supposed” to look and that the bear community is made up of men of all different shapes, sizes, colors and backgrounds.

The colors of the bear flag are meant to represent the differently colored furs of bears (the animal) throughout the world. However, the other (and more important) meaning of the colors are to show the different skin tones of bears (the men) throughout the world.

Enjoy these many different kinds of bears for this edition of Furry Friday and don’t forget to vote for your favorites!

-Noah

HEROES OF PRIDE #2: HARVEY FIERSTEIN

“Try and imagine the world the other way around. Imagine every book, every magazine, every tv show, every movie was telling you, you, should be homosexual. You know you’re not…Look, I’m gay. I don’t know why. Since I can remember, before I knew it was different or wrong….”
~~Harvey Fierstein

When I was twenty-eight years old, I went to see a movie called Torch Song Trilogy. I was twenty-eight and still sort of trying to be straight. I won’t give into that now because that’s a essay all by itself. Or a novel even. Maybe two.

Anyway, that wonderful lady I was with was the mother of my daughter and also my disguise to my parents. Their oldest boy couldn’t be gay. He was with a woman and had a baby.

And then I saw Torch Song Trilogy. Wow….