Call me old-fashioned, but personally I think a hand written letter or postcard is much more intimate to send or to receive - especially when the postman turns out to be a hunk - as electronic mail. I recently visited my favourite gay bookshop to keep my postcard collection up to the mark. In there I found a new range of pretty sketched postcards made by Sven de Rennes.

Until March 7 the Faubourg Gallery hotsts "20 Years - Martin Arz", a retrospective exhibition of works made by the Munich artist over the last twenty years. On March 21 Faubourg will celebrate the opening of the third exhibition by Sacrevoir, the pseudonym of Heiko Noack (East Berlin, 1964), whose works were also very succesfully shown in his native country and in Russia.

When you mention “London� everybody immediately starts to shout: “Too expensive! All the gay places are miles away from each other.� That used to be truth, but looking at the current prices in Amsterdam’s bars; considering the cheap flights (if you book in advance); and after a weekend around Vauxhall Station, I concluded: London exceeds one’s expectations and it’s still alive!

Again nothing happened for three or four days. Henderson had put Martin back in his cell. Martin slept a lot, ate his meals and did his exercises. He was thinking about the commander all the time. The big, hairy man controlled his entire life. He was ready for the commander whenever he might want him. His prick was hard all day, even though he did his exercises fanatically. Proudly, he flaunted his bulging crotch for the camera in his cell. The policemen should see his lust for the commander.

Again nothing happened for three or four days. Henderson had put Martin back in his cell. Martin slept a lot, ate his meals and did his exercises. He was thinking about the commander all the time. The big, hairy man controlled his entire life. He was ready for the commander whenever he might want him. His prick was hard all day, even though he did his exercises fanatically. Proudly, he flaunted his bulging crotch for the camera in his cell. The policemen should see his lust for the commander.

Behind the scenes

Harry Potter is looking for schoolmates

It’s only just a few more months waiting for the third part of the Harry Potter series. That doesn’t mean the producers can lay back and relax. They are already very busy with the casting of part four. At this moment they are sill looking for two kids who will play the part of students of Hogwarts School of Wizardry.

Early February the seventh edition of the "Gay Map Amsterdam" was published. This useful guide to Amsterdam's gay life has a tradition of cover pictures by well-known photographers. This year's cover guy was photographed by Henning von Berg. Von Berg is no stranger in Holland. Mister B exhibited a selection from his photographs in 1999 and the recently published edition of the yearbook "Gay 2004" contains an extensive portfolio dedicated to his work.

Gays and food seem to be a "Contradictio in Terminis". How will you contain a divine body, while you would like to eat food for the gods every day? All right, there are gyms. All right, gays and being active, often go hand in hand. But still...
Can we say, “There is a thin line between love and hate� when were talking about gays and restaurants? Are gay chefs better cooks than straight ones?

Las summer I had lunch with the American gay publisher Winston Leyland. Of course I asked him when a new issue of Meatmen would be published. Meatmen is a series of Anthologies of Gay Male Comics, which Leyland has edited for some decades now. He told me he was preparing a new volume and it would be a "Special SM Comics Edition", just as volume 24. It took some months before Meatmen 26 was actually published, but a few weeks in 2004 it finally landed on my desk.

Aloys, Miele Salesman: “Braces of a bra are causing the most faults!�

Not all gays are occupied as hair dresser, nurse, flight attendant or model. Also in the typical men’s world you’ll meet gays, who will tell their story in this new column.

In June 2003, presentations of the 2004 men’s summer collection took place in Milan. As opposed to Paris, which determines the current changes of fashion, Milan is better known for its commercial status in the world of fashion. Clothing with the desirable label: “Made in Italy�. And all the famous fashion gurus made an appearance. Jil Sander is back home safe again. On the other hand Tom Ford decided to turn his back on Gucci and the house of Versace is still in turmoil...

HIV Vaccin Trial

The Health Department Amsterdam is one of the participants in a trial for a HIV vaccin. Testing starts in March and will take eighteen months. The study will inquire into the safety of the vaccin and try to determine the most effective dose. The researchers will also look into the immunoreactions the vaccin might cause. The possible vaccin, HIVA.MVA, is designed as a preventive treatment. It's intended to protect against an infection with HIV.

Holland was the first country which made a marriage between people of the same sex possible. Recently "gay marriage" has also become an issue in other countries. In December last year the Supreme Court of Massachusets gave the state government 180 days to prepare a statutory provision regarding same-sex unions. Conservative groups promptly demanded a constitutional amendment which would reserve marriage rights for heterosexual couples only.