TheBlackoutBlog's Top Posts of 2012

Between Miami, Paris, the Mediterranean cruise, Hurricane Sandy, and all those Grindr and Scruff convos, it's been a year of extremes for sure! But always a good story.

As we say 'good riddance' to 2013, I'd like to take a look back at the top blog posts from this year. First the top 10 posts written this year with the most hits, and then my favorite posts that weren't among the most popular.

For the 10 most popular posts, I had to do a bit of rejiggering. I guess y'all really liked my trips this year because a few of the posts with the most hits were multiple from the same trip. So for those trips that had more than one very popular post, I've grouped those together and counted them as one.

Here are the top 10 most popular posts of 2012.

10

black from Midtown all the way down (Hurricane Sandy)

http://www.theblackoutblog.com/2012/11/black-from-midtown-all-way-down.html

9

Daniel Nardicio's 10 Rules for How to Get a Hot Guy!

http://www.theblackoutblog.com/2012/09/daniel-nardicios-10-rules-for-how-to.html

8

NAKED HOT TUB! (Fire Island Part II + DR!P)

http://www.theblackoutblog.com/2012/08/naked-hot-tub-fire-island-part-ii-drp.html

7

TheBlackoutBlog in the Huffington Post

http://www.theblackoutblog.com/2012/10/theblackoutblog-in-huffington-post.html

6

Fun with Grindr & Scruff: Two Convos That Made My Day

http://www.theblackoutblog.com/2012/08/fun-with-grindr-scruff-two-convos-that.html

5

daddy likes leather jock straps and poppers (White Party Palm Springs '12 Part II)

http://www.theblackoutblog.com/2012/06/daddy-likes-leather-jock-straps-and.html

The Maverick Men grinning and pushing (White Party Palm Springs '12 Part V)

http://www.theblackoutblog.com/2012/07/the-maverick-men-grinning-and-pushing.html

4

RECAPTION: Ru Paul's Drag Race Season 4, Ep 7

http://www.theblackoutblog.com/2012/03/recaption-ru-pauls-drag-race-season-4_14.html

RECAPTION: Ru Paul's Drag Race Season 4, Ep 8

http://www.theblackoutblog.com/2012/03/recaption-ru-pauls-drag-race-season-4_22.html

RECAPTION: RuPaul's Drag Race Season 4, Ep 1

http://www.theblackoutblog.com/2012/01/recaption-ru-pauls-drag-race-season-4.html

3

where to have public sex (La Demence Cruise Day 1)

http://www.theblackoutblog.com/2012/09/where-to-have-public-sex-la-demence.html

some live, hot man-fucking (La Demence Cruise Day 3: Pompeii; Napoli; a live sex show with porn stars; and the Uniform party)

http://www.theblackoutblog.com/2012/09/some-live-hot-man-fucking-la-demence.html

2

Fun with Grindr: a considerable social faux pas (Welcome to Asia)

http://www.theblackoutblog.com/2012/04/fun-with-grindr-considerable-social.html

1

TheBlackoutBlog's Top 5 Tips for Success on Scruff

http://www.theblackoutblog.com/2012/04/theblackoutblogs-top-5-tips-for-success.html

As for the my picks, I was only going to do 5, but I didn't have a compelling reason to leave any of these out. While these posts didn't have extraordinary mass appeal, each one represents either a great memory or an accomplishment of which I was especially proud this year. Or both.

Here are (in no particular order) my 6 picks for posts in 2012.

Trans Remembrance Day Interviews with Monique Fontaine

http://www.theblackoutblog.com/2012/11/trans-rememberance-day-interviews-with.html

next to me trading blow jobs (Fire Island Black Out [FIBO] Weekend '12)

http://www.theblackoutblog.com/2012/09/next-to-me-trading-blow-jobs-fire.html

RuPaul's Drag Race Reunion Interviews w/ Willam, The Princes, Sharon Needles, Phi Phi O'Hara, Latrice Royale, Milan & Chad Michaels

http://www.theblackoutblog.com/2012/05/rupauls-drag-race-reunion-interviews-w.html

I'd work much better as bait (don't read this if you don't like stories about group sex)

http://www.theblackoutblog.com/2012/07/id-work-much-better-as-bait-dont-read.html

Is this friend of yours going to expect payment? (TheBlackoutBlog Does Asia, Day 6)

http://www.theblackoutblog.com/2012/04/is-this-friend-of-yours-going-to-expect.html

Music Video: "Welcome to New York (Alroight, Miss Honey)" for the Gay Travel Guru Competition (NEED YOUR VOTES)

http://www.theblackoutblog.com/2012/12/music-video-welcome-to-new-york.html

I hope you've enjoyed reading TheBlackoutBlog as much as I've enjoyed writing it. I'm looking forward to doing much more writing in 2013 and making some major life changes that will allow me to write more (here and elsewhere).

Thanks for all your support this year. Every time you read a post, make a comment, tell a friend or share my blog on a social network, you enable me to do more and move closer to my dreams. So keep it up!

Also, I really do love hearing from you guys (especially when a blog post was helpful in making a travel decision)! What were your favorite posts from this year? Leave a comment!

Click here to check out the top posts of 2011.

Gay Travel Guru Competition: LAST DAY TO VOTE!

Today is the final day to vote for the GAY TRAVEL GURU COMPETITION. Your votes could send me to the finals at Aspen Gay Ski Week and take the blog to a whole new level! If I win, I'll get paid to go to fabulous gay destinations and events to make videos and write blog posts (Oh, you mean like I've been doing for years now?).

 You can vote up to 10x/day. Make sure you enter your email (no one has complained about spam): http://www.gaytravel.com/guru/semi-finalists/kareem-mcjagger

Why should I be the next Gay Travel Guru? Well, it's funny you should ask! Allow me to present my case in video form:



And how would I perform in my duties? Check out my travel tips for NYC! This is the version I submitted for the competition. The extended music video is in the post below this one.


This could easily launch the career I've been dreaming of. Please help me out with your votes, and I promise that I'll continue to deliver entertaining, funny and informative content. Plus, there will probably be all kinds of shit that they won't let me post about on GayTravel.com. But guess where I can post about it! Hehehe!

CLICK HERE AND VOTE TODAY!

Click here for the extended music video version of "Welcome to New York (Alroight, Miss Honey).

Click here to check out my sketchy trip to Chicago. 

Music Video: "Welcome to New York (Alroight, Miss Honey)" for the Gay Travel Guru Competition (NEED YOUR VOTES)

I made a music video! But not randomly: there's a reason.


I'm in the running to be the next Gay Travel Guru for GayTravel.com. I need your votes to get to the finals where 5 hopefuls will compete at Aspen Gay Ski Week to become the next Guru. You can vote up to 10 times/day until the 21st. It's super quick/easy to vote multiple times, and no one's been spammed (they ask for your email to enforce the daily limit).

On Thanksgiving weekend, GayTravel told us the challenge for the semi-final round: a video about our hometowns. Being the glutton for punishment that I am, I decided that my video about NYC would be a music video!

I spent most of the holiday weekend writing and recording a rap about the venues I frequent. We had a 3min time limit, so I had to keep it to a sampling of what gay NYC has to offer (mostly uptown, HK and Chelsea).

Over the past 3 weeks, I filmed and edited 2 versions of the video: 1 that was more geared towards the requirements of the competition and 1 that I felt like you guys would enjoy more. I mean, if you read this blog, chances are you know the basics about NYC that I gave as travel tips.

I had so much fun making this video, and from what I've seen, both my videos for this competition are completely unique from the rest of the pool. No, really... take a look at the rest of the contestant videos here.

I absolutely love travel, so the grand prize of being paid to cover gay events and destinations for the next 6 months would be the jumping-off point for a career I've dreamed about for some time now.

If you like what you see here and if you like my blog, please vote for me daily (10x/day), and give me the opportunity to make more videos for GayTravel.com (and have more stories for you guys). And tell your friends! Chances are, if you enjoyed this video, they will too!

I really do enjoy bringing you guys info on gay travel and nightlife. Help me make this my main gig! You know nobody will do it like me ;-)

CLICK HERE TO VOTE FOR ME! 

Click here to check out my first Gay Travel Guru video. 

Speaking of travel, click here to check out my first time in Miami. 

Fun with Grindr: Douche Spotting (The Grindr Game)

In the spirit of one of my favorite blogs, Douchebags of Grindr, allow me to present a simple game, Douche Spotting: The Grindr Game, based on the types of douches you're sure to encounter on Grindr, a "social networking" app for gay men that tells you how far the nearest masc, chill, VGL bro guy is from you. You want to get as many points as possible in 24 hours (keep track with screenshots). Tally your points and find your ranking at the bottom of the post.

The Punny Douche

5 points. 2 extra points if he makes an unoriginal pun based on his race!

The Holier-Than-Thou Douch

2 points. 3 extra points if he propositions you. 5 extra points if he sends you a dirty pic.

The Duck-Lips Douche

3 points. 3 extra points if he's clearly over 30.

The I'm-Too-Sexy Douche

4 points. 3 extra points if he sends you additional photos from the same carefully-orchestrated (in his mind) photo shoot.

The TV-Quote Douche

2 points. 2 extra points if it's from a show on a broadcast network (ABC/CBS/etc.)

The Age-Lying Douche

1 point. 1 extra point if he claims 28, 29 or 30 (where most 'young' guys cut off their age filter).

The Sarcastic Douche

2 points. 5 extra points if you thought he was being sarcastic, but he's actually serious.

Rankings: 

Wet Rag (0-29 points)*

Dude, come on! Half the fun of Grindr is laughing at the ridiculousness you see in peoples profiles! Go ahead and download Grindr Xtra so you can expand your douchey view.

Douche Hunter (30-49 points)*

Oh, you're spotting some douches alright! Keep hitting that "Load More Guys" button, though. There are more douches out there!

Douche Magnet (50-69 points)*

Man! Not only are you finding these douches, you're talking to them. Admit it, you started the conversation to get points, didn't you.   

Douchemeister (70 or more points)*

You've got the keenest eye for the douchebags. And you're battery is probably about to die. 

*If you do NOT live in a metropolitan area of 500,000 or more, double your score. Unless you're on Long Island. So douchey.

Play along and post your rankings in the comments. And include a link (Instagram, TwitPic, etc.) to your best screenshots. If I get a critical mass, I'll make a Facebook gallery of douchiness!

Also, did I miss any Grindr Douche types? Leave them in the comments.

Click here for more Fun with Grindr.