FEATURE STORY
<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0><script> (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m) })(window,document,'script','//www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga'); ga('create', 'UA-47423994-1', 'fortunecity.ws'); ga('send', 'pageview'); </script> <center> <br> <div> <script language="javascript" type="text/javascript" src="http://ad.broadcaststation.net/ads/show_ad.php?width=728&height=90"></script> </div> </center> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=160 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF" background="0e890903.gif"> <div> <B> </B></div> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF" bgproperties="fixed" background="0e890903.gif"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#CC3300" FACE="Xpressive" ><B>SHORT CIRCUIT</B></FONT><B> </B><B> </B></div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFCC99" FACE="Xpressive" ><B> </B></FONT><B> </B><A HREF="cover__unofficial_flag_rag.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="TWIRL EZINE"><U><B> </B></U></A><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#FF0000" FACE="Courier New" ><A HREF="cover__unofficial_flag_rag.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="TWIRL EZINE"><U><B>E-ZINE cover</B></U></A></FONT></div> <div> <A HREF="id23.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Flagging in the Park"><U>Flagging in the Park</U></A> | <B>FEATURE STORY</B> | <A HREF="twirl_ezine.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="CIRCUIT NEWS BITS SF/NORTHERN CA."><U>CIRCUIT NEWS BITS SF/NORTHERN CA.</U></A> | <A HREF="twirl_ezine13.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="WORLDWIDE CIRCUIT NEWS BITS"><U>WORLDWIDE CIRCUIT NEWS BITS</U></A></div> <div> <IMG SRC="04258020.gif" border=0 width="600" height="2" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="feature_story"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B>FEATURE STORY</div> <div> <A HREF="cover__unofficial_flag_rag.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="TWIRL EZINE"><U><B>back to cover</B></U></A></div> <div> <B> Page 2</B></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#0099FF" FACE="Courier New" ><B> </B></FONT><A HREF="twirl_ezine.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="CIRCUIT NEWS BITS SF/NORTHERN CA."><U><B> </B></U></A><A HREF="twirl_ezine.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="CIRCUIT NEWS BITS SF/NORTHERN CA."><U><B>Page 3</B></U></A></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#0099FF" FACE="Courier New" ><B> </B></FONT><A HREF="twirl_ezine13.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="WORLDWIDE CIRCUIT NEWS BITS"><U><B> </B></U></A><A HREF="twirl_ezine13.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="WORLDWIDE CIRCUIT NEWS BITS"><U><B>Page 4</B></U></A></div> <div> <B>EXCERPTS FROM</B></div> <div> <B>"CIRCUIT TRAINING"</B></div> <div> <B>BY JOHN SMITH</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>"The White Party 2000 was my Circuit Boy debut and I had spent many months training for it.</B></div> <div> <B>Assisting me was my Circuit mentor. Tom, who can tell youthat the process of turning me into a </B></div> <div> <B>Circuit Boy was no walk in the park." </B></div> <div> <B>"My Circuit Boy training began late August I asked Tom to introduce me to the Circuit Boy scene</B></div> <div> <B>in Chicago. Tom dressed me up in his "Circuit" clothes and took me out for a shirtless night on the town. Afterwards i jotted down these observations:"</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>What is a Circuit Boy? </B></div> <div> <B>"Circuit Boys are not born they are created....The hallmark of the Circuit Boy is a fit physique and a tendancy to use the bathroom a lot (see: Water Consumption). " </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Water, Water, Everywhere...</B></div> <div> <B>"H2O is the beverage of choice for the Circuit Boy, but do not confuse this with a desire on the Circuit Boy's part to stay sober. He's just trying to avoid spontaneous combustion."</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Dancing</B></div> <div> <B>"What I witnessed was a spirit of camaraderie I had never seen in the gay community." </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Sign-Up for Flagging Lessons</B></div> <div> <B>My flagging teacher was Fanboy Cory, who learned this incredible art form from Candida Scott Piel, the "mother" of New York's tribe of Fanners,and in the flagging'fanning community, that makes Cory my fan-daddy and Candida my fan-granny. In this way, people like Cory have been spreading the art of fanning.</B></div> <div> <B>Playing with flags can be addictive. After my first lesson, I couldn't wait to get my own pair. I was later presented with a gorgeous pair of sparkling, purple lame' flags - the color, fabric and weight all chosen for me by my fan-daddy Cory and I'll treasure them forever. By custom, a flagger is supposed to make his own flags. When Grandma Candida learned my flags were being made for me, she had a fit. I was lectured over the phone on how making my flags would allow me to become better acquainted with their weight and aerodynamics. I promised Candida that I would cancel the order and make my own damn flags. Which of course , I did. Right after I hung up the phone. "I swear"</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>At White Party 2000</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Tom and I found our groove near the Special Needs Dance Area, which is where the fanners, flaggers and glo-stick twirlers are found. We danced as if each song was the last, knowing eventually we'd be right, but wishing it wasn't too soon. Manny Lehman's fierce Circuit beats compelled us to dance while we gazed in wonder at the platoon of flaggers spinning their multi-colored linens. I was suddenly reminded of my own flagging lessons. Fanboy Cory had described the moment at a party when the DJ plays an "old school" song that everyone remembers. "It's sad, but also it's a happy moment," Cory told me, "because you think about the people you have lost." Reminicing to familiar songs while spinning under the swirling lights of the dance floor, the flagger becomes lost in the twirl as he conjures up old friends.</B></div> <div> <B>"We call this the time when the angels come out."</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>And so I learned the true meaning of the Circuit. It all came together, my many months of training, right here on the dance floor. It's not about the hype and the glitz, nor the sex and the drugs. The Circuit is about people coming together to celebrate life, great music and each other; it's for remembering our past and for savoring our fleeting moment in the sun.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>John Smith is a columnist for the Chicago Free Press. His column, "Free Hand" can be read on-line at www.chicagofreepress.com</B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <A HREF="#feature_story" TITLE="FEATURE STORY"><U><B>TOP</B></U></A><B> </B></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>