I saw a movie tonight that really struck a chord. Its Canadian Filmmaker created a movie with a definite French edge: This and its prequel's way of looking at life, including liberated sexual mores.

Before the film began, I met in person someone I'd been chatting with on-line. As with any future friend, we had an intense conversation over dinner and drinks. I liked this guy; I will call him Speech Guy. In the middle of dinner, he went to call his boyfriend and tell him he had met someone over the internet. His boyfriend came down, and I met him too -- I will call him Art Historian Guy. Intelligent, cute, funny.

Whooa! He only just told his boyfriend he had met someone over the internet? I don't know what to think about that.

Whlllliiilililililililillliiip flash backward. Hugshyhermit sits at his laptop -- Blogging of course! -- and has the chat room up, too. Hugshyhermit periodically taps through all the occupants seeing if there's anyone fabulous in the fabulous hometown chatroom. One does -- it is Speech Guy. He is smiling and has an open, pleasant face -- he looks friendly. Hugshyhermit clicks on "See Entire Profile" to find out more.

SG likes live music, long hikes and bikes in the woods, alternative films and fixing up old houses. He likes fine wine and cheap beer and opera and he is teaching himself about vegetarianism. He is relatively new in town and he and his partner are looking for friends. Well well! "Hi how are you," I type out, "I liked your profile," and we start up a conversation. We chat for a few times, then he calls when I give him my number, "My partner and I would like to meet you." And that brings us forward to the present.

Your guess is as good as mine. If it could be somehow interpreted that I'm sending a mixed message, I put that to rest as soon as possible. I tell them where I'm at (so 1970s). And Where I'm At is that I'm shutting down physically.

Is there a word that means the opposite of "Impotency"? Impotency is where the mind is willing, but the body isn't. I seem to have the opposite -- my body seems to work, but the mind doesn't: I might as well have a novacaine drip because I don't feel a thing.

In the past month or so since I've noticed this condition, everything is the opposite of what it should be. If I talk with someone new, just by talking rules out the possibility of anything physical -- a gate comes crashing down. Surprisingly, who have emerged are some new friends -- a drawbridge tentatively falls into place.

The last guy I picked up was celebrating his 22nd birthday. He had just returned from traveling around the country as the Publicist for his friend, a "famous" circuit party DJ. Circuit Parties are highly overrated, said this kid, lighting a cigarette, I wouldn't have gone if I didn't have VIP passes for everything.

I said: "This might not go down in the books as the greatest sex you ever had, but I enjoyed myself and hope you did too. Thanks for spending time with me."

Aren't I a sweetie?

Barbarians at the Gate.