04.13.09
I have started a new blog, which is going to be used more to feature my photography and (I hope) do some creative writing, and talk about art in general (with a few life stories thrown in the mix).
03.14.09
People Change
The person that existed when I started Sardonic Bomb isn’t here anymore. For one thing, I’ve realized that now, I am not really that “sardonic” anymore. Maybe it’s that I am mellowing with age, or maybe I have finally become more like the person that I always wished that I was to begin with. Either way, rather than letting this website that I loved once turn into something that I don’t think it was supposed to be, it’s just time for me to let it go. This is my last post here.
To you, any of you that read this site sometime in the last 8 years, I say this:
Goodbye. It was fun while it lasted. Thank you for listening.
03.11.09
The Absolute Gayest . . .
. . . order from Amazon.com contained two items:
- One glass dildo.
- The George C. Scott version of A Christmas Carole.
Yes, recently I’ve seen someone actually buy these things.
And no, this is not a confession that neither Jay nor I are the party who purchased said merchandise.
03.10.09
Lucy’s Claim to Fame
For those who are inclined to be joiners, please be aware that Lucy has a fan page on Facebook now.
Go be a fan, you know you want to.
Okay, what I meant to say is that I want you to.
(This is a sign that I have too much time on my hands.)
Actually, yesterday no less than three different people asked me why Lucy isn’t on dogbook.com. Well, a Facebook fan page is cute enough and will run itself, but to be honest, I just can’t get myself to anthropomorphize quite that much to join dogbook. Besides, Lucy — for as lovable and charming as she is — is a bit of a hussy. I just know that if we put her on dogbook, we would be waking up at 3am to find her online, paw on mouse, trolling for Siberian Huskies.
03.08.09
Annie Leibovitz at Work
Last week, I mentioned something about the Annie Leibovitz book I was reading.
It was loaned to me by my friend, Dawn. And I’m finished now, so I really should give it back. But this book is going on the top of my Amazon list . . . hell, I should just buy it. It’s the most inspiring book about photography that I’ve read in a long time.
I’ve always idolized Annie Leibovitz. I’ve often said that I want to be more like her. And then, reading this first person account of her views on her career, I realized that she and I share a lot in common.
- She prefers to underlight her portraits, as do I.
- She always brings music into a shoot, as do I.
- She loves photographing professional dancers, as do I.
- She doesn’t understand photographers that still think digital art is inferior to film, as don’t I.
- She followed The Rolling Stones for three months on a concert tour; I have downloaded three Rolling Stones songs for my MP3 player.
As you can see, we’re artistic soulmates.
If you like Leibovitz’s work, I highly recommend this book. It’s actually going to pain me to return this book to its owner, so I am going to buy my copy now.
03.06.09
Snippet of Conversation
On the way to work today . . .
Scott: If I were a drag queen, my name would be Martini Navratilova, because a.) I like martinis, and b.) it describes what I would probably look like.
Jay (after a long pause): I don’t ever want to see that, okay?
03.03.09
Tonight . . .
Jay and I watched Annie Hall.
And then I read a book by Annie Leibovitz, about her photography.
It occurred to me that I should listen to Annie Lennox while I get ready for bed, and then I’d have all my bases covered.
03.02.09
On Being Offline
I can’t imagine how we survived before the Internet.
Some of the best friends I have in the world are mine because of sardonic bomb (hi Beau, Jodi, Jeff, Patrick). My photography business wouldn’t be what it is without MySpace and Facebook, where I’ve found fans from all over the world and local models that I never would have met, otherwise. And back when I was single and social, I wouldn’t have met hundreds tens a handful of the men with whom I developed particular friendships for an hour or two, if it weren’t for gay.com and yahoo personals.
I would have missed out on all of this.
But I also think the Internet has done some really bad things to people. Being online makes it too easy to be rude. On listservs, I have seen more public fights and pissing contests than I needed to. I have seen people say things to each other in email exchanges that I don’t think they would say in person. I have watched acquaintances do things online that made me question their characters, or their worthiness of friendship — some of which probably don’t represent their “true” personalities.
And by now, I’m sure we’ve all seen at least one person at a party or out to dinner with a group of friends, and the live people right in front of him are only getting 50% of his attention because he is devoting the other 50% to updating Twitter or Facebook on his cell phone. It’s appalling behavior, really, and I’m glad I don’t have any friends who are like this.
I was going through a phase for about a month when I was thinking of buying a BlackBerry, iPhone, or a G1. But then I had an epiphany — I am already online enough — too much, by some standards. Do I really want the Internet following me 24/7? I don’t think so. As an artist, it’s important to get away from technology and spend time in the real world, or to just get lost in my thoughts. As a friend, as a partner to Jay, and as a human being, it’s also important. It’s that Buddhist principal of “being present,” and the Internet is stealing it from us.
I want to practice it.
02.25.09
Lent
I haven’t really tried to give up anything for Lent since I was in high school. But it’s a good time to try to change some things. So, here is what I am giving up for the next six weeks.
- Negative fantasies. It’s time for me to stop sitting around thinking things like, “If Jay goes to a comic book convention with that gay person, then they’re going to fall in love and we’re going to have to sell our house in a down economy and find a way to split up the pets, and then figure out which one of us is going to leave town within three months.” Believe me, I waste more of my time having thoughts like this than you know.
- The purchase of alcohol for consumption at home. This sounds like it was written by a politician in front of a Senate hearing, but there’s a reason: In essence, it means that I’m not going to drink, because I don’t think that I’ve been in a bar since sometime in early September. But since Jay turns 40 years old within this Lenten season, it does leave the door open that I could have a cocktail while at dinner or a night club with the friends who are coming to town for his birthday weekend.
I’d just like to see if I might lose some weight, if I don’t have a bottle or two of wine each week while hanging out at home, editing photos. - I feel like I should give up one more thing, but I’m not sure what. Should I give up cookies? Should I limit meals with meat to four per week? Should I give up eating out for lunch? Cereal? Swearing? The Internet during non-work hours? Or should I make a vow to DO something instead of give something up, like give people the benefit of the doubt, for once; or make a vow to hug my friends every time I see them; or start giving people European-style kisses on the cheeks when saying hello?
There are so many choices. I’ll let you know what I decide.
02.24.09
Hey, It’s Mardi Gras . . .
We’ve got nine hours left. So aren’t you going to flash me?
sbarnesphoto@gmail.com, darlings.