Gay San Francisco: Eyewitness Drummer Vol. 1 (Issues 14-20) Review

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(More customer reviews)Jack Fritscher in "Gay San Francisco: Eyewitness Drummer" writes a muscular multi-faceted eyewitness history. This non-fiction work is not only fascinating for the general reader but is packed with primary sources for the researcher. Fritscher, the founding San Francisco Editor-in-Chief of "Drummer" magazine has creds. He earned his academic credentials with his PhD. He earned his authority to mine and interpret the leather past by editing "Drummer", and by his writing, including his historical novel-memoir, "Some Dance to Remember". He not only talks the talk he has also walked the walk. What was happening South of Market in the 1970s, before it was gentrified, before it became SoMa, was in the vanguard of what Fritscher calls "homomasculinity". Fritscher gathered a group of gay masculine-identified artists, photographers, cartoonists, writers around "Drummer". The group grew and flexed its muscle. They sometimes lived together, worked for and with each other, exchanged art work, picked up their tools and built their own spaces. They exchanged ideas and partied together. And yes, they sometimes had sex together. He captures it all. Fritscher writes large.

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Eyewitness Fritscher, the lover of Robert Mapplethorpe, breaks the trance of received gay history. In this timeline archive of art, sex, obscenity, gender, and gay mafia, 21st-century readers will get up to speed fast on the serious fun of who did what to whom when and why. In the Titanic 1970s, longtime Drummer editor Fritscher added erotic realism to the magical thinking of Drummer readers wanting a magazine that made newly liberated sex seem possible and accessible. Based on internal evidence in Drummer, journals, diaries, letters, photos, interviews, recordings, and newspapers, this ultimate insider s guide to the Rise and Fall of Castro and Folsom Streets is a risky ride that brings back what a thrill it was to pick up your first issue of Drummer. Fritscher s frisson anchors San Francisco s wild Gay Lib history on the clear chronology of the legendary monthly Drummer. Academia meets pop culture! Fritscher is the Ken Burns of Drummer magazine. Fritscher has done the research work most academics won t do thus ensuring that historians, critics and anthropologists will cut and paste with delight for years to come. Fritscher reads gloriously! San Francisco Chronicle

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Some Dance to Remember: A Memoir-Novel of San Francisco 1970-1982 Review

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(More customer reviews)"The hardest thing to be in America today is a man."
I recall seeing the movie "The Boys In The Band" in college and being so put out by the loathsome men depicted in it that I was easily confined to the closet for another five years. Back in my high-school seventies, when the bulk of the activity in this book took place, I was just a kid with a confused identity. Even in college, I read about Moscone/Milk with a mix of confusion and anger, wondering why good men could get gunned down for little more than being who they were, while all the time I was denying to myself who I really was. It took me another decade or so to come to grips with it all, and to discover what one of the basic premises of "Some Dance To Remember" sets forth. It makes me wish I'd come across this book in the seventies and not viewed "The Boys In The Band."
From "Some Dance To Remember;" "Every gay man is a homosexual, but not every homosexual is gay."
Jack Fritscher has created a world in "Some Dance To Remember" that goes from romanticized to mythologized to the aftermath of when paradise crumbled under the corrosional erosion of AIDS, drugs and too many Peter Pans. Ryan O'Hara is the hero of the story. He publishes MANUEVERS magazine in pursuit of the romanticized masculine man, engaging in rough and tumble leathersex and disdaining the hordes of men who come to San Francisco only to give up any male traits and begin acting like Junior Judy Garlands. He publishes a book titled "The Masculinist Manifesto" and sets the feminests and the SF Queenly majority into a convulsions. (Any similarity to MANUEVERS and Mr. Fritscher's residency at the legendary DRUMMER magazine are purely coincidental.) A cast a characters surrounds Ryan and form his support net; his sister who is a high profile cabaret star, his best friend and porn-king Solly Blue and his hustler's paradise, pop culture critic Magnus Bishop, and finally his ideal man, the southern-bred Kick Sorenson.
Throughout the novel, real life men and women drop by, such luminaries as Moscone and Milk, Dianne Feinstein, Tony Travorossi and Armistead Maupin all get name checked during the decade that "Some Dance To Remember" winds through. But where this book really shines is in its portrayal of the whole San Francisco gay liberation scene of the seventies. The first two acts of the book made me long for a time machine, for the chance to enter a golden age of freedom and possibility, before AIDS, before Iran-Contra, before Bush and Dobson and Falwell and Phelps. The descriptions of both the fictional and the true legendary places sinks in deeply, and even the side characters are all exquisitely detailed. "Some Dance To Remember" is almost a mirror reflection of Maupin's "Tales Of The City" (before the endless sequel books splattered into absurdity), with the characters more exclusively masculine and a lot tougher. Both books capture the very essence of the heady times of San Francisco's madcap dance through the get up and boogie years.
Alas, and much like the cautionary ending song/tale the album from which "Some Dance To Remember" takes its name, O'Hara discovers "to call someplace paradise is to kiss it good-bye." His friend Solly Blue has told him repeatedly how all hustlers are the same, just with different packaging, and as Ryan discovers the world he tried to design is undoing, the story reaches its conclusion in the fog of AIDS, steroids, and the real world that invaded The Castro as the Age Of Reagan ascended.
Probably more identifiable for me than those endless tales of coming out and the subversion of masculinity that most gay books churn away; "Some Dance To Remember" relishes its maleness and shys not from looking into the darker areas of the male psyche. Rich in depth and lovingly detailed, spellbinding in its vocabulary (Jack Fritscher is a master of catchy phrases), "Some Dance To Remember" deserves a place on the pantheon of great American gay novels.

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Leatherman 830037 Wave Multitool with Combination Leather and Nylon Sheath Review

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(More customer reviews)Leatherman claims this is their best selling multitool. Most reviews on Amazon and online forums are super positive. Does the Wave live up to the hype? Yes, to some extent, but it has some issues, mainly cost and weight.
The good:
This is a nice full-featured multitool. You get one plain-edge and one serrated knife, both can be opened with one hand without opening the whole tool. Useful set of scredrivers: large and medium plain, medium philips, micro plain and philips for eyeglasses. Wood saw, and nice metal file + saw. Can opener and kinda-OK scissors. All in all, good set of tools, and all lock securely in place. Of course, it also has full sized pliers :)
The bad:
- Heavy: 8.5 oz, or 240 grams. Too heavy to carry in my pants pocket. I don't carry tools on my belt, but probably this would feel heavy there also.
- Because of the outside opening blades, there are sharp edges when the tool is closed, which I can imagine would eat through your pocket if you put it there.
- Blades designed for right-hand thumb opening. If a knife is designed for one-hand opening, I would much rather have it ambidextrous.
- Ruler (cm and inches) is much less useful than on other tools, because it is on the inside. You open the whole tool to use it, and the pliers get in the middle of the ruler line. Also the ruler markings are not as clearly readable as other tools. For me, the ruler is actually a very useful feature, so the Wave scores a minus here.
- Medium philips and plain screwdriver are actually in a bit holder, which has many issues: too short, feels a little flimsy, and the bits are not standard size, so you can't use anything but what you buy from Leatherman. This is another minus compared to other simpler and cheaper multitools.
- Unusual amount of friction when opening the screwdrivers. May only be an issue on mine.
Recommendations:
This is a good tool if you can get it on sale. Even so, I think you should look at these alternatives:
Leatherman Blast: same size and same tools as Wave except the extra serrated blade. Lighter (6.9 oz or 196 grams) and considerably cheaper. Philips screwdriver is fixed and way better (bit driver is sold separately if you need it). Knife blade is a tad bit longer than Wave. Ruler is way better. No sharp edges to snag in your pocket. Only downside is that none of the tools open from the outside; to open the knife, you neeed to open the whole tool. I own one and I think it is Leatherman's best overall tool.
Leatherman Juice series: smaller and lighter than the Wave, and shaped smoother, more contoured to be pocket-friendly. Blades etc can be accessed from the outside, but not one-hand openers like the Wave. The main downside is that the pliers are a little smaller, but not a big deal in most cases. This is Leatherman's answer to the Swiss Army Knife - most even have cork openers :) I own one and I like it.
Victorinox SwissTool and Spirit: most tools accessible from the outside but blade is not one-hand opener. Fit and finish is better than anything Leatherman makes. I do not own them, but they are next on my list when I decide to buy another multitool.
I hope this was helpful!

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The most popular full-size Leatherman tool is now better than ever. Larger knives, stronger pliers, longer wire cutters and all-locking blades make the new Wave an essential piece of equipment for any job or adventure. The pliers have been redesigned to withstand more than double the previous squeezing load, and the new bronze bushing makes one-handed knife access a smooth operation -- plus, the one-at-a-time blade selection function means that the tool you want is the tool you get. The versatile Wave comes with a durable and attractive combinationleather and nylonsheath.

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Leatherman 830039 New Wave Multitool with Leather/Nylon Combination Sheath Review

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(More customer reviews)One thing that chaps my hide is a cheap tool. I don't like 'em, I don't buy 'em and I avoid using them if I don't have to. Leatherman is well known for their quality and they don't disappoint here.
Good Points:
This New Wave is extremely well built.
Resists torque/twisting that some other multi-tools don't.
Nice heft, but not too heavy to slip in a pocket.
Smooth and comfortable finish in the hand.
A really nice selection of functional tools.
Great tool locking, easy to release (but only when you want!)
I've used several other multi-tools and beyond the novelty, I never really enjoyed the flip out style (Gerber) because it seemed a bit unstable and difficult to put back. And most of the others cut into the palm. The only detractor is the price, but I don't mind paying for quality and this baby delivers.

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The Wave Multitool From Leatherman: Better than Ever
The most popular full-size Leatherman tool is now better than ever. Larger knives, stronger pliers, longer wire cutters and all-locking blades make the new Wave an essential piece of equipment for any job or adventure. The pliers have been redesigned to withstand more than double the previous squeezing load, and the new bronze bushing makes one-handed knife access a smooth operation -- plus, the one-at-a-time blade selection function means that the tool you want is the tool you get. The versatile Wave comes with a durable and attractive leather/nylon combination sheath.

User Features

This Wave model has four exterior blades that can be accessed even while the tool is closed. (Note: the knife blade can only be opened when the tool is closed.) You can open the blades with one hand by placing your thumb in the thumbhole at the base of the blade, and rotating until the knife is fully extended. This securely engages the locking mechanism.

The saw and file both have nail nicks at their tips for easy access. The locking mechanism is marked with a padlock symbol on the tool itself. To unlock the blades, all you have to do is press the locking mechanism toward the handle until the blade slides past the lock.

Accessing the interior features is a snap, too -- just grip the handles and rotate them open. Each interior blade can be opened by using the nail nicks. The scissors extend in the very same way, and they lock into place for secure, safe use. And of course, it's easy to change the tool bits, too. Just remove the bit from the driver and pop a new one into place.

Optional Accessories (not included)

Expand your Wave's capabilities with the Bit Kit, offering 21 double-ended bits. Or, you can add a pocket clip and quick-release lanyard ring.

What's in the box:

The Leatherman Wave multitool and a leather/nylon combination sheath.

Warranty

All Leatherman products are covered by a 25-year limited warranty. If within 25 years from the purchase date of your genuine Leatherman tool you find any defect in material or workmanship, you can count on the manufacturer to make it right with fast warranty service. To obtain warranty service, return your tool to Leatherman Tool Group. Depending on the tool defect, they will decide whether to repair your tool or replace it with a product of equal or greater value. No variations, upgrades or refunds are offered.

Multitool Capabilities:

Needlenose pliers
Regular pliers
Wire cutters
Hard-wire cutters
Clip-point knife
Serrated knife
Saw
Scissors
Wood/metal file
Diamond-coated file
Large bit driver
Small bit driver
Large screwdriver
Ruler (8 inches)
Bottle/can opener
Wire stripper
Lanyard attachment
Two double-ended bits

Key Tech Specs:

Length closed: 4 inches
Length open: 6.3 inches
100 percent stainless steel blades and tools

The Leatherman Tool Group and its History of Quality

In 1975, Leatherman Tool Group founder Tim Leatherman was inspired by leaky pipes and a cranky car on a budget trip to Europe -- and thus the idea for his first pocket survival tool was conceived. Since then, Leatherman has become an internationally recognized company with hundreds of employees and a wide variety of durable, versatile, stylish products. Created with bold designs and truly rugged construction, Leatherman products are a perfect addition for tool kits, emergency sets, and glove compartments everywhere.

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