BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA

Orion Tops Holiday Gift List; "Love Never Dies" At Mirror Lounge

Have you ever heard of Orion? Of course, you have, and it wasn't at an Apollo Bal Masque event either. It's actually an optimum relaxation instrument, and you can check out one of these fabulous items at Mystik Treasures on Government Street. With gentle flickering lights and pulsing sound, this instrument is specially tuned to calm your mind and body to help you reach a state of focused relaxation. It's pre-programmed with quite a few sessions ranging in length from ten minutes to sixty minutes. All you have to do is put on the headphones and glasses, press start, and close you eyes. You can now sit back and experience the world of deep, comforting relaxation that will keep you alert yet calm and in full control.

I find Orion great while traveling, and many say it improves athletic performance through visualization and relaxation. It's compatible with all music, relaxation and learning CDs, and can increase efficiency at work, keeping you focused and full of energy.

Be sure to check this out with Kyle and Brian over at Mystik Treasures. This dynamic and sexy duo can give you a demonstration if you like and also show you all that other great merchandise they have just for the right occasion and at the right price.

Lots of great shows have come and gone in the Baton Rouge area. The most elaborately and beautifully decorated was the "Love Never Dies," a Friends For Live Benefit held at the Mirror Lounge. I've never seen this bar so pretty and inviting, and a lot of the credit goes to the expertise of one Ronnie, the super flower guy. And inviting was exactly the word for the extremely sexy and handsome doorman, Chris. My! My! But my tongue gets hard every time I see him.

Talents for the evening were outstanding, and the show was enjoyed by all who attended. Included in the show were the reigning Miss Mirror '98, Shakeir DeBlack, Miss Mirror '98 First Runner-up, Krystal Kane, Mr. Mirror '98, Keith Nappier, Miss D.D. DeMarco, that fabulous Curtis Thomas (playing with that pole again), Carrione Synclaire, Yvette LeVeaux, Scott Turner, and Miss Rose Royce. Doing their duties too were Mr. Ronnie Siebert, Mr. Jeff Kahl, and that absolutely stunning lady herself, the magnificent Lady Rhonda. (Please forgive me if I left anyone out.)

According to Randy, the Time Zone experienced one of their biggest nights ever last week with a packed house and hardly any standing room left. It's just one of those nights when everything came together, and the TZ was the place to be. Look out for still more changes at this local watering hole.

That wall came down to make way for the big Thanksgiving dinner, but change means progress to Kyle and James. They are constantly on the move to provide the best for their customers. Of course, Thursday nights belong to George's. Karaoke is just one of those functions that draws huge crowds, and with talented Cody King, what more can I say. It's another packed night enjoyed by everyone. Over the years, Richard has always managed to satisfy everyone coming to this bar. He's a super-nice human being, and you have to love him. He's a community leader who runs his business on pride and understanding of customer needs. The results are loyal patrons who come for relaxation and go away with satisfaction.

Don and Tom don't seem to have any trouble keeping their Blue Parrot packed either. The secret to their success is called "being nice." I don't know of any two guys that are any nicer, sweeter, and more caring than this combination. I really think they have done wonders for the gay community in Baton Rouge, and they have done it in a positive way which is what you have to do to run a successful business. They are there every night, and they mingle and welcome everyone. It's just a great place to while away a few hours, and their growth over the past few weeks has been astonishing. Whether you are a cowboy, leather man, jock boy, stud muffin, or sweetheart, the place to be is the Blue Parrot.

Hibiscus owner Damon has quite a few plans for the holidays ahead. He's awaiting word from Timo about a signing party for super-star Jim Buck. These two head up a new film company with corporate offices in New Orleans, and the combination has already produced a number of quality films. Don't miss this one. You can learn more by checking out the bookstore's ads in Ambush.

After talking at length with the Big 0 of Traditions, I find that lots of changes are in the works here too. I'm not sure exactly how much is supposed to reach public notice, but as soon as I get the word, I'll pass it on to you. Let's just say that lighting has a lot to do with it, redesign is imminent, and a lot of upgrading is scheduled. The biggest and the best dance emporium in the South is about to get bigger. Being the best is what it's all about, and so let's just say that the best is about to get even better.

I'd like to congratulate a couple of Baton Rougeans. Actually one, Miss Sheba D'Jour, is a former resident who now resides in Massachusetts. She just won the miss Gay Springfield Massachusetts title and is very popular in this part of the world. The second cheer goes out to Cierra Monet, still residing locally, but going between Springfield and Baton Rouge. This lovely lass won the Miss Club Friends of Springfield Massachusetts title, which was previously held by Miss D'Jour. It's great hearing things like this, especially when our talented residents and former residents bring such pride to the local area. You go girls! Just keep plenty of warm blankets handy. It gets a little chilly up in that part of the world.

Just for some quick updates, I'd like to mention that Terrifically Terrible Tommy (TTT) and his Roger had a fabulous weekend extending from Houston, to Baton Rouge, to New Orleans, and all points in between and back again. Talk about rosey cheeks! And the mighty TTT is also becoming great friends with a talented (and red-headed) star via the Internet. I've seen the correspondence and the answers, and our TTT has him a great new friend.

This friend graces the cover of the latest Unzipped magazine. That sexy Mississippi cowboy Eric, with the soft, yet commanding, voice keeps charming everyone he meets, especially one individual I just can't name at this point. And another cowboy, A.J., celebrated his birthday in the company of friends at the Blue Parrot. Leonard's been working countless hours in preparation for the grand opening of that new theater complex in CitiPlace, and Maringouin's Paul just keeps "stickering" his way into the record books. Paul and Barb like to adorn their vehicles with the rainbow colors. You ain't never seen "OUT" until you run into them in their rainbow vehicles.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving. I'll see you come December.