Tuesday Titillation: Glasses Half Full?

Tuesday Titillation:

Glasses Half Full?

I thought I'd check in.

I mean, the way the winds blow these days, it seems to change hour to hour.

And it really does need to be asked with a question mark...

Are our glasses half full?

I avoid the markets like the plague. They seem so volatile. In the long run we're promised they will only rise... but the day to day stuff? More ups and downs than your average afternoon soap. 

The courts continue to contradict one another with the Supreme frequently turning a blind eye to common sense. 

And the media is a spineless bunch as always. Unless they think they've got a 'gotcha' moment up their sleeve, they treat everyone with kid gloves, allowing politicians and the like to get away with everything but murder.

So... here's a little secret.

I'm actually writing this a whole year and two months ago. It's April 8th, 2025. And I'm doing this as a bit of a test. In my heart of hearts, I hope I'm wrong about all the above. In my dreams, this country will have figured out how to deal with a petty, spoiled, idiotic wannabe dictator and his minions and taken this country back.

But my fear is... nothing's changed. And the glasses aren't half full. They're nearly empty.

Think of this as a time capsule. Our days run together so quickly. Frequently, we don't take note of the changes.

From my vantage point on April 8th, 2025, it looks as though things are only going to get more difficult for those of us who value all life, who believe in fairness, who believe people should keep their word, who believe that life is not just for the very wealthy, who believe in human rights and the soul's autonomy. 

Am I wrong? I hope so. 

And in the meantime? 

Here are pics of naked men wearing glasses. 

I wonder what kind of world they are looking at these days...

May your glasses be more than halfway full.

I wish us all the best.

Live your best life and enjoy!

- uptonking from Wonderland Burlesque

Rose Colored Glasses - Kelly Rowland

Heart-Shaped Glasses - Marilyn Manson

Acquired Tastes XLIII: Gay Pulp Fiction, Part 225 - Twilight Classics, Part 1 of 2

Acquired Tastes XLIII

 Gay Pulp Fiction, Part 225

 Twilight Classics

Part 1 of 2

Today we take a first look at the Twilight Classics imprint published by Guild Press. 

Guild Press operated out of Washington D.C. and Twilight Classics was just one of several imprints the company published. Twilight Classics published 24 titles between 1968 and 1969. You'll note that several titles are missing in this listing, as I was unable to find them. Although, I did find one that was not listed on Hommi Publishing's Big Ass List.

Twilight Classics were paper-wrapped pamphlet-sized booklets held together with staples in the middle. Many of them were fully or partially illustrated with photos. Typically the cover contained the Twilight Classics name in the upper left corner and the PNC logo in the upper right. The PNC logo represented the Potomac  News Company, Guild Press' distribution company. They operated out of a P.O. Box at Franklin Station in Washington D.C. 

Many of the authors names attributed to these books are authors who provided works for all of Guild Press' many imprints and several Twilight Classic titles were previously published by the Guild Press imprint.

These books originally sold for $1.50, with an increase to $2.95. Today, they are incredibly rare, but can be found for between $50-200. 

Here are the first eight titles. 

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One-Way Street

 Author: J.J. Proferes 

 Twilight Classics

1968 

Twilight-101

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It’s a Gay Gay Gay World

 Author: Guy Faulk 

Twilight Classics

1968 

Twilight-102

A gay memoir recounting adventures in Hollywood in 1935.

Back Cover

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Happyland and Other Stories

 Author: Alexander Goodman 

Twilight Classics

1968

 Twilight-103

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Beat It Kid

 Author: Peter  Randolph 

Twilight Classics

1968 

Twilight-104

A series of short stories.

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 Sailor for Sale or Rent

 Author: Barton James 

Twilight Classics

1968 

Twilight-105

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 A Summer on Fire Island

 Author: Alexander Goodman 

Twilight Classics

 1968 

Twilight-106

Previously published by Guild Press.

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 Carnal Matters

 Author: Alexander Goodman 

Twilight Classics

 1969 

Twilight-107

Previously published by Guild Press.

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A Real Gone Goose

Author: Jerry Faulk

Twilight Classics

1969

Twilight - 110

This one is about a young man trying to make it big in Hollywood.

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And that's all for now.

Up next: The remaining tantalizing titles from the Twilight Classics imprint.

Until then...

Thanks for reading!

Happy Land - Amanda Jenssen

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Wonderland Burlesque's Down The Rabbit Hole: King

Wonderland Burlesque's

Down The Rabbit Hole:

King

Down The Rabbit Hole merely places a spotlight on something slightly unusual that's caught my interest. With the help of Wikipedia, YouTube, and other sites, I gather information and learn something new.

Today, we take a look at the music and brief history of the UK's pop band King.

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From Wikipedia:

King was an English new wave band which formed in 1984. They achieved chart success in 1985, and are best known for their hit single Love & Pride, which reached #2 in the UK. The band had two Top 20 albums and five Top 30 singles in the space of a year.

Hailing from Coventry, the band formed from the remnants of a rock-ska band called the Reluctant Stereotypes. along with producer Paul Sampson. The group, then known as The Raw Screens, perfected their act and style to what Paul King and his manager Perry Haines called 'Multi Tone', a reference to Two Tone. In 1983, the group became known as the band King, taken from the surname of lead singer Paul King.

The group consisted of: Paul King (vocals, piano), Mick Roberts (keyboards, synthesizers, piano, backing vocals), Tony Wall (bass guitar), Jim 'Jackal' Lantsbery (guitar, backing vocals), and John Hewitt, Adrian Lillywhite, Colin Heanes (drums).

They made quite the fashion statement; Paul King sported a mullet haircut and spray-painted Doc Marten's Boots – a look described "like the Child Catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang". The band released two UK Top 20 albums on CBS, both produced and mixed by Richard James Burgess, who also played drums on most of the debut album, Steps In Time. The second album Bitter Sweet, featured Adrian Lillywhite on drums. Both albums were certified gold and produced five hit singles, the most successful being the UK #2 hit, Love & Pride, which was King's only single to chart on the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #55.

Despite a year of success, the band split up in 1986 - likely due to a combination of creative differences and personal circumstances. In 1987, Paul King released a solo album entitled Joy, produced by American producer Dan Hartman. It failed to make much of an impact. After that, he briefly worked as a VJ for MTV and later worked for MTV Networks Europe, producing shows for VH1 and MTV.

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Love & Pride - King

Won't You Hold My Hand Now - King

Alone Without You - King

A Taste Of Your Tears - King
  

Torture - King

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Weekend Onesie: Eveready Tales Of Terror! - Part 2

Weekend Onesie:

Eveready Tales Of Terror!

Part 2

As a kid, I remember going to my grandmother's house on Sundays and seeking out the funnies section of the local paper. There, in glorious color, were households I remember well. There was Family Circle, Blondie and Dagwood, Hagar The Horrible, The Peanuts, Nancy and Sluggo... the list goes on and on.

And there, at the bottom of the front page of the funnies, there was always an advertisement disguised as one of the paneled comics. 

The Eveready ads always got my attention. Terrorists, wolves, ghosts... you never knew what they were gonna throw at you. They were bold and forewarned of the dangers of cheap batteries, bad decisions and poor planning. 

I know they were still running them in the 1970s, but I believe they got their start back in the 1950s.

The ones here? I've done what I could to make them legible. 

In any event, I thought I share a few of the ones I found recently.

Just click on 'em to read 'em.

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Eveready Battery Commercial

(1974)

Eveready Battery Commercial

(1993)

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