#1 2008-05-03 15:42:55
Yeah, yeah, this isn't a blog, I know, but Stewart Scofield - whom I learned died two weeks ago - was an interesting guy, so fuck you.
Stewart was an intelligent, funny man with a sardonic sense of humor and wonderful sense of compassion. He lived in Bodega Bay and shortly after I met him, he took me on a "Birds" tour of the little town where Alfred Hitchcock's classic movie was filmed, pointing out the porch where Suzanne Pleshette's character died, and where Tippi Hedren rowed her boat across the bay. Stewart was the guy with whom I could get stoned and watch old Busby Berkley flicks ("Gold Diggers of 1935" is astounding when you're high), or just spend a weekend doing nothing together.
He was the volunteer coordinator for Food For Thought, a food bank in Sonoma County for people living with AIDS, talking me into catering a couple of their major fundraisers. He was also a CASA volunteer and took the needs and problems of his young client deeply to heart; he worried about the kid and, I think, related to him in many ways. Stewart and I would go to baseball games together and ogle the players, drink beer, and enjoy the beauty of the game. He wore a yellow A's cap everywhere, had a kinky streak a mile wide, and for his message on his answering machine, woofed and barked. He liked Latino guys, Hawaiian shirts, jock straps, and Calvin and Hobbes.
His great passion, however, was the book he was working on: "Urinalia: a Social Look at Men and Pissing" which he described as "The how, why, where and when of men pissing will be explored from the viewpoints of biology, history, social customs, psychology, rites and rituals, recreation, architecture and even ergonomics. The art and literature that has been inspired by urinals, piss and public restrooms will be presented."
To begin his research, he posted a survey in which he asked men to answer a barrage of questions on every aspect of the act of taking a leak. He received more than 4000 responses, probably as a result of taking every opportunity to publicize his efforts. His research took him all over the US and Europe and over time he amassed an impressive collection of urinalia: photographs of urinals, artifacts, studies, and more.
Excerpts from his book, and an interview with him, were published in the magazine Urban Molecule. I don't know, yet, what will become of his research.
He was a co-founder of RFD, a magazine founded back in 1974 when he was a student in Iowa and living in a commune. Geared toward gay men living in rural areas, the iconic magazine has since become the newsletter, more or less, of the Radical Faeries and has been hugely influential in the lives of many gay men.
A refugee from Gary, Indiana, he moved to San Francisco after university in Iowa, and then with his partner Donnie, Bodega Bay. He had a great view of the bay from his house and took great pleasure in the idiosyncrasies of small town life, including the Fishermen's festival and chatting with his neighbors at the post office.
He had had three great loves in his life: Donnie, who died after years together; he parted with the second but they remained great friends; and the third didn't return his affection, breaking his heart. He was both too trusting and cynical. He did the NY Times crossword puzzle faithfully.
It's impossible to compress one man's life into a single posting. Let's just say he was a great guy, an interesting man, and I'm really going to miss him.
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#2 2008-05-03 16:04:13
Very nice memorium taint, he sounded like an interesting fellow. Too bad we can't get a sample result of high streeters responding to his survey.
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#3 2008-05-03 16:09:46
Sorry to hear that, Taint. You hang in there.
P.S. Sounds like a fascinating guy. If they ever do a movie of his life he can be played by John Malkovich.
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#4 2008-05-03 18:40:12
Johnny_Rotten wrote:
Very nice memorium taint, he sounded like an interesting fellow. Too bad we can't get a sample result of high streeters responding to his survey.
Someone could always recreate the survey as a 'homo-age' on one of those social networking sites. Sorry for your loss, Taint.
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#5 2008-05-03 20:56:45
I'm sorry, Taint. He obviously cast a very bright light.
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#6 2008-05-03 22:31:20
Thinking about it though I never met the man, I kind of feel the loss at never getting to tell him my stories about peeing off sailboats. I bet he would have appreciated the minutia and very real problem of draining your lizard at sea. The adage goes that more have been found floating with their pants down around their knees then any other circumstance.
On one passage I was very freaked out by the crew's habit of climbing down onto the swim platform way aft of the rear stay alone at all hours of the night just so they would not dribble on the gelcoat. The airflow had alot of eddies at the more preferrable but vastly safer sides of the leeward rail. Even if you were clipped in, at the speed we were moving there would be little chance of being able to pull yourself back up as you were dragged behind the boat. So out of spare dodger canvas I constructed a wind scoop that could be tacked over so the crew could let it all fly free to the immense enjoyment of all.
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#7 2008-05-03 23:15:03
Very sorry for your loss, Taint. In his honor, a riddle:
What's the difference between low- and high-class Irishmen?
Unlike the shanty Irish, the lace-curtain Irishman will move the dishes from the sink before pissing in it.
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#8 2008-05-03 23:28:59
I'm surprised Taint, you actually do have a heart.....
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#9 2008-05-03 23:50:15
Lurker wrote:
I'm surprised Taint, you actually do have a heart.....
I had something much harsher to say but since I'm drunk and prone to both misunderstanding and overreaction I think I'll just cut it down to this:
What the fuck, Lurker?
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#10 2008-05-04 00:19:42
First of all, I'm surprised George didn't reply with, this is not your blog...Second, the guy died 2 weeks ago, some fuckin' friend.
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#11 2008-05-04 02:02:41
I know that humour here is like throwing shit agaisnt a barn, only some of it sticks, but Jeez lurler, that just comes off as a crass way to make it all about you.
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#12 2008-05-04 05:04:41
Sorry Taint.
Fucking Lurker. [Smacks up side the head - hard.]
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#13 2008-05-04 07:19:53
My condolences Taint. He sounds like he was a great friend and human being.
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#14 2008-05-04 07:20:03
Catain seconded. A good memoriam, Taint.
To follow JR's theme, I would have described peeing while kayaking or canoeing in the midst of a series of class 4 whitewater drops. I've done both, the canoe being the easier task. Another is peeing in the dark in howling wind at 20,000 feet tethered to an ice screw.
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#15 2008-05-04 14:21:17
Once again Lurker proves that fags have no human emotions.
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#16 2008-05-04 14:54:01
I'm very sorry, Taint.
*hugs Taint*
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#17 2008-05-04 14:55:42
MSG Tripps wrote:
Sorry Taint.
Fucking Lurker. [Smacks up side the head - hard.]
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#18 2008-05-04 15:32:48
Sissy Boy Slap Party
Haw, haw.
I was referring to something closer to a good ole fashion pistol whip. Something that would end in a dustoff.
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#19 2008-05-04 20:07:29
Yeah yeah yeah, Lurker is such an asshole...Such an asshole that worked for years doing home health care for AIDS patients. An asshole that also volunteered for years visiting total strangers that had no-one. A jerk that comforted babies with AIDS who were abandoned by their crack-addict mothers. I don't do it anymore because it is emotionally exhausting work, and as a very wise person once reminded me, we have to be a little selfish.
Something none of you stupid fucks realize is that every last one of you on here is a puppet. None of you could possibly be like this in meatspace, except maybe Wilbur and Dahl. If you were, you'd be getting your asses kicked every single minute of every single day.
What I found disingenuous about Taints plaint, is that he made a comment to me on Cruel once, wherein I had said something about taking care of and losing a lover to AIDS. He said I was "all high and mighty". Seeing as he only found out 2 fucking weeks after the fact shows he was not as close as he claims... I have lost scores of brilliant and talented friends over the years, and I ALWAYS knew of their passing WITHIN THE HOUR.
Taint, it is regrettable this person passed and his work was laudable. Sincerely, I was surprised you had a compassionate side... It appears I forgot, we are all just puppets of our true selves.
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#20 2008-05-04 20:13:00
Lurker wrote:
except maybe Wilbur and Dahl
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#21 2008-05-04 20:14:16
You are so full of shit.
Last edited by MSG Tripps (2008-05-04 20:15:22)
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#22 2008-05-04 20:29:18
Lurker wrote:
Yeah yeah yeah, Lurker is such an asshole...Such an asshole that worked for years doing home health care for AIDS patients. An asshole that also volunteered for years visiting total strangers that had no-one. A jerk that comforted babies with AIDS who were abandoned by their crack-addict mothers. I don't do it anymore because it is emotionally exhausting work, and as a very wise person once reminded me, we have to be a little selfish.
What you said was fucked up, and I don't really give a shit if you cured AIDS. You can't buy credits on the asshole market.
Lurker wrote:
Something none of you stupid fucks realize is that every last one of you on here is a puppet. None of you could possibly be like this in meatspace, except maybe Wilbur and Dahl. If you were, you'd be getting your asses kicked every single minute of every single day.
You really are a stupid piece of shit if you think that we don't realize that. Liberties are taken here that you can't take anywhere else, and you can say pretty much anything here. That doesn't mean that people won't call you out on being an asshole, especially when you use someone's friend's death as an excuse to start up another one of your piddly-ass catfights that nobody gives a shit about.
Lurker wrote:
What I found disingenuous about Taints plaint, is that he made a comment to me on Cruel once, wherein I had said something about taking care of and losing a lover to AIDS. He said I was "all high and mighty". Seeing as he only found out 2 fucking weeks after the fact shows he was not as close as he claims... I have lost scores of brilliant and talented friends over the years, and I ALWAYS knew of their passing WITHIN THE HOUR.
Taint, it is regrettable this person passed and his work was laudable. Sincerely, I was surprised you had a compassionate side... It appears I forgot, we are all just puppets of our true selves.
I won't comment on the incident you're referring to because I don't have any recollection of it, but you are a major-league asshole to shove the fact that he didn't know his friend was dead for a couple of weeks in his face.
You wanna know why it crosses the line? Because you don't know how to take a joke. I thought you were just a troll when you showed up because you took everything so personally. You're not making off-color jokes, you're just being a dick.
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#23 2008-05-04 20:39:57
Calm down mijo, I still stand by what I said and why. I was not trying to start a "piddly-ass cat fight". (Obviously YOU care) Just expressing my TRUE feelings. You may not realize, there are far too many fags here in Tragic City that suddenly cling onto the grieving friend persona in an effort to make themselves feel better for NOT DOING A GODDAMN THING TO MAKE THE DEPARTEDS LAST DAYS BETTER. I know this from personal experience, seeing guys coming in afterwards moaning about their sadness and pretending to have been there. Sorry if I offended you, but you really don't know what you're talking about. BTW, I still like you...
Last edited by Lurker (2008-05-04 20:42:57)
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#24 2008-05-04 20:40:34
I'm sorry to hear, Taint. You have my sympathies.
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#25 2008-05-04 20:42:12
tojo2000 wrote:
Seeing as he only found out 2 fucking weeks after the fact shows he was not as close as he claims... I have lost scores of brilliant and talented friends over the years, and I ALWAYS knew of their passing WITHIN THE HOUR.
Fucking a Boo Boo.
You seem not to be able to learn.
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#26 2008-05-04 20:43:51
MSG Tripps wrote:
tojo2000 wrote:
Seeing as he only found out 2 fucking weeks after the fact shows he was not as close as he claims... I have lost scores of brilliant and talented friends over the years, and I ALWAYS knew of their passing WITHIN THE HOUR.
Fucking a Boo Boo.
You seem not to be able to learn.
You really are insane, aren't you?
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#27 2008-05-04 20:47:49
Lurker wrote:
You really are insane, aren't you?
What's it worth?
Last edited by MSG Tripps (2008-05-04 20:48:28)
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#28 2008-05-04 20:55:36
dunno Dahl, what's your monthly stipend?
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#30 2008-05-05 03:06:04
Lurker wrote:
I ALWAYS knew of their passing WITHIN THE HOUR.
Taint, you have a PM. I'm not helping pollute this thread.
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#31 2008-05-05 03:19:24
Dead fuckers are dead.
No matter how one feels.
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#32 2008-05-05 20:08:19
Thanks to everyone for the kind words, and thanks - in particular - to those who left their own pissing stories. Stewart would have been pleased no end.
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