First Snow

Image: The Leveret.

See also the previous posts: In Autumn Snow | Hare in Snow (2017) | Hare in Snow (2012) | Snow Is in the Air

Don

Donald Frank Cheadle Jr. (born November 29, 1964) is an American actor, film producer, director and writer.

Following an early role in Hamburger Hill (1987), Cheadle built his career in the 1990s with roles in Devil in a Blue Dress (1995), Rosewood (1997) and Boogie Nights (1997). His collaboration with director Steven Soderbergh resulted in the films Out of Sight (1998), Traffic (2000) and Ocean's Eleven (2001).

Cheadle was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for his lead role as Rwandan hotel manager Paul Rusesabagina in the historical genocide drama film Hotel Rwanda (2004). From 2012 to 2016, he starred as Marty Kaan on the Showtime comedy series House of Lies; he won a Golden Globe Award in 2013 for his portrayal of this character.

Cheadle extended his global recognition with his role of War Machine in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films Iron Man 2 (2010), Iron Man 3 (2013), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Captain America: Civil War (2016), and Avengers: Infinity War (2018).

Above: Don Cheadle as War Machine / James Rhodes in Iron Man 2 (2010).

Cheadle spent ten years writing and producing the film Miles Ahead (2016) based on the life of jazz musician Miles Davis. Cheadle also directed and starred in the film.

Above and below: Don Cheadle as Miles Davis in Miles Ahead (2016).

Cheadle has campaigned to end the genocide in Darfur, Sudan, and with John Prendergast has co-authored a book about this issue entitled Not On Our Watch: The Mission to End Genocide in Darfur and Beyond. With George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, David Pressman and Jerry Weintraub, Cheadle co-founded the Not On Our Watch Project, an organization focusing global attention and resources to stop and prevent mass atrocities. Cheadle was awarded the BET Humanitarian award of the year in 2007 for his humanitarian work for the people of Darfur and Rwanda. On December 13, 2007, Cheadle and fellow actor George Clooney were presented with the Summit Peace Award by the Nobel Peace Prize Laureates in Rome for their work to stop the genocide and relieve the suffering of the people of Darfur.

Cheadle has worked with the United Nations on climate change concerns. He and Harrison Ford created a documentary event series entitled Years of Living Dangerously that provided first-hand reports on those affected by, and seeking solutions to climate change. He is also on the Advisory Board of Citizens Climate Lobby. In 2010, Cheadle was named U.N. Environment Program Goodwill Ambassador. Also in 2010, he and Prendergast published their second book: The Enough Moment: Fighting to End Africa's Worst Human Rights Crimes.

– Source

Above and below: Don Cheadle as Marty Kaan in the U.S. comedy series House of Lies (2012-2016).

Related Off-site Links:
Don Cheadle and the Woke Vote Campaign – Ariel Cochran and Art Franklin (CBS 42, October 29, 2018).
Don Cheadle's War Machine Was Intended to Have a Bigger Role in Infinity War – Cooper Hood (Screen Rant, November 8, 2018).
Seth Rogen-Produced Black Monday Series Has Don Cheadle Crashing the Stock Market – Guillermo Troncoso (Screen Realm, October 22, 2018).
Don Cheadle Accuses Donald Trump of Extraordinary "Racist, Misogynistic" Golf Course Slur – Matt Broomfield (Independent, March 5, 2017).

See also the previous posts: LeBron | Jayjay | Donald | Geremy | Jerome | Solomon | Colin | Luis | Nyle | Philip | Charlie | Sukdeep | Rafael | Mon Bel Ami

Images: Photographers unknown.

Hare Décor

Image: Photographer unknown.

Morning Light

Image: Subject and photographer unknown.

See also the previous posts:
• Morning Light – November 18, 2017
• Morning Light – June 23, 2014
• Morning Light – November 24, 2013
• Morning Light – March 11, 2009
• Morning Light – September 23, 2008
• Morning Light – December 5, 2007

November Comes

November comes and November goes,
With the last red berries
And the first white snows.

With night coming early,
And dawn coming late,
And ice in the bucket
And frost by the gate.

The fires burn
And the kettles sing,
And earth sinks to rest
Until next spring.

– Elizabeth Coatsworth

See also the previous posts:
• Samhain: A Time of Magick and Mystery
• November Hare
• Autumn Hare | II | III | IV | V | VI | VII
• A Calendar of Hares
• Autumn Beauty

Artwork: Lucy Grossmith.

Autumn Kiss

Image: Subjects and photographer unknown.

Buddies

Welcome to the first installment of a new series at The Leveret, one that celebrates male mutual masturbation: the simultaneous act of masturbation between two or more men — whether that involves pleasuring each other or themselves. Those who participate in this activity sometimes refer to themselves as “jack-off buddies” or “j/o buddies.”

A jack-off buddy can be a friend or stranger. Although often associated with gay males, a jack off buddy relationship or encounter can also be between two or more straight men. While some buddies masturbate together while watching porn, others don’t choose or require this particular arousal aid. Some buddies engage in mutual masturbation while others prefer to keep their hand/s to themselves. When more than two men masturbate together they might choose to engage in what’s called a “circle jerk,” a practice in which a group of men or boys form a circle and masturbate themselves or each other.

A circle jerk will often feature a competitive element, with the “winner” being the participant able to ejaculate first, last, or farthest depending on the pre-established rules. Like other forms of jack off buddy arrangements and situations, a circle jerk can serve as an introduction to sexual relations with other males, or as a sexual outlet at an age or situation when regular sexual activity with another person is not possible.

The Leveret’s “Buddies” series will include images found online of jack-off buddies accompanied by excerpts from various writings about the sexual practice of mutual masturbation. In this first installment I share an excerpt from John Sherman’s recent BuzzFeed article, “Why Some Guys Like Jerking Off Together.” Enjoy!

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Among men who have sex with men, mutual masturbation is often seen as sex-adjacent, rather than a sex act in its own right. In some cases, this is a heterosexual fig leaf (“It’s not sex, we’re just being dudes”); in others, it’s treated as an hors d’oeuvre. More than one friend has told me about engaging in mutual masturbation as a sort of compromise in a disappointing hookup situation, as in, “I went home with him but I was tired, so we just jerked off.” But for many men, myself included, mutual masturbation is not merely the “I’m not really hungry; I’ll just have a salad” of sex; rather, it’s an experience to be sought for its own sake.

I’ve had a regular IRL j/o buddy for about a year and a half, a gay friend in an open relationship whom I’d known for a few years before either of us broached the subject of jerking off together. Now we get together every few months — less regularly than a book club but more often than you see your best friend from college who lives in Washington Heights — hang out, and masturbate. It’s friendly in a way most casual sex is not, or rarely is — a flavor of intimacy both platonic and horny. Sometimes we get a little stoned, sometimes we watch porn; afterward we usually catch up about friends or jobs or other plans. It’s like going to dinner. We’ve gotten closer over time, which is somehow both a result of the sex and nothing to do with it.

– John Sherman
Excerpted from "Why Some Guys Like Jerking Off Together"
BuzzFeed
July 28, 2018

NEXT: Part II

See also the previous posts:
• Rethinking the “Normal” Penis (Part I)
• Rethinking the “Normal” Penis (Part II)
• Reaching Out
• A Means of Making Contact
• Not a Weapon or a Mere Tool
• Phallus
• Penis
• Hard
• Soft