The long running Bear soup in Montreal has a new location. BearJacq (profile) informed me that they have now moved their Bear Soup over to Sauna Ste-Cath on Ste-Catherine street from 5PM until midnight the very first Saturday of each month. The first soup will be tomorrow - July 4th - so hop into the soup and let the slurping begin.

When Dave and I first spoke about doing some photos together for the gallery section of PlanetBears, he asked me - "do I have to do nudes?"... and I said "it's up to you...", so Dave decided that this being a 1st time for him to be photographed, he'll wait. And you know, he's a tease, heheh, these photos we took are very teasing. However, he's ubernatiously cute and I really liked working with him. Actually it would be fun to see Dave in a Bear spy flick :)

Say hi to Dave. His profile is BearenHeart. He's extremely smart, you've been warned, k...?

It's just right around the corner, it's Atlanta Bear Fest (ABF) hosted by the Southern Bears and it's all gonna take place in Atlanta, Georgia during the 4th of July weekend. You can't ask for better...

The Southern Bears are one of the oldest Bear clubs around being together for more than 16 years. They've also been getting a lot of good coverage in the press, like this article written about them and ABF in Southern Voice. Also, you will see their story in the upcoming David Magazine as they are getting both the cover story and a center spread (with cute Bears!).

Here are some updates regarding ABF: day passes are now available; 2 optional events at Mary's bar have been added - a pre-party 'The Honey Pot' on Wednesday's and 'Bear Happy Hour' on Friday night. Find out more here.

They have created a newsletter for those who wish to keep up to date with ABF and future runs.

And remember, Rich McGunn (photo - articles) will be there. This model is on the current cover of BEAR Magazine issue #67 (website - articles - cover - profile) and he'll be hanging out with them Southern Bears while fireworks burst all about ya'll (I'm a Canadian, I shouldn't really be saying ya'll).

The following is from Bruin (profile) of 'Bear With Me' (website - articles): "There are a couple of things revealed in this week's strip: #1 - The callous disregard Karl and his father show to those they consider weak and unable to contribute to their needs, and; #2 - Paul's newly discovered self-assertiveness. The first is absolutely chilling, considering how Mr. Lynde and Karl virtually abandoned Mrs. Lynde in her final hours, while the second produces cheers all around".

One of my favourite Bear activists Joe Mannetti (aka Joe Falconi - photo - articles - profile) travelled all the way from one end of the US (California - his hometown) to go to Connecticut to be with the Northeast Ursamen (photo), one of the oldest Bear groups around (founded in 1992).

Joe had nothing but good to say about these guys. From Joe: "The Northeast Ursamen were selected by the public as the 'Best Bear Club/Organization' in the 'Best of the Bears' poll conducted by The Complete Bear website, and after this weekend I can see why very clearly. This is a group of Bears who are as dedicated to brotherhood and supporting each other and the community. The positive energy and warmth that the Ursamen exude is genuine. There was never a shortage of hugs or team spirit. Whether we were gathered together for a fundraising event, outreach, or a great meal the loyalty and dedication towards achieving the best outcome was always there! Kudos to their A-list Board and an outstanding collection of members who always put their best foot forward with everyone they meet and everything that they do for the community".

Below is a video that I made as a way of saying goodbye to a good friend of mine, Jacques Garon, better known as PandaMontreal online. You can see photos of Jacques here on PlanetBears as well as on his PictureTrail profile (password is panda - and I'm not sure how long those pictures will remain up since Jacques had to pay to keep his PictureTrail account), and Jacques also had a TubeBear profile where people are leaving their goodbye words to him.

Bob 'Bobaloo' Koenig (photo - articles - profile) simply rox... and so does his brand new website. Bobaloo is looking cuter than ever. He's a standup comedian who's been working real hard of late; after completing his tour with the 'Bears on the Run' (website - articles) gents, he started up his own podcast with Buck called the 'Buck and Bobaloo Show' (website - article). And some news - Bobaloo is going to be a contestant on 'I Survived A Japanese Game Show' (website).

Here I go again with the apologies, however I'm still playing catch up. There's been quite a few things happening that's been taking all of my attention.

Ok, here are a couple of blurbs written up by cartoonist Bruin (profile) about his excellent 'toon 'Bear With Me' (website - articles). First write-up is in relation to the June 1st strip: "here is a duality within each of us: How we envision ourselves, and how we wish we could be. Paul is realizing that, with his current self-image, he cannot overcome his fears and doubts, but teamed up with the confidence, strength and determination that he'd like to have, he has the potential to overcome his inner demons. Would that our own dreamscapes were so therapeutic".

And here is the write-up for the June 8th strip: "In his dream, Paul confronts his father and brother, who embody all his childhood fears and traumas; only this time, emboldened by his new-found confidence, the outcome is different than it has been in the past... and far more cathartic. Go get 'em, Paul!".

Time you cast your vote for who will take the title as Mr. Bears got Talent...! They went from 8 contestants who danced, sung and cracked their joints to now 3 finalists - Chris (photo #1 - photo #2), Michael (photo #1 - photo #2) and Rob (photo #1 - photo #2), and it's up to you to decide who will win by mentioning your favourite in the comments. Bears Got Talent is brought to you by Jonathan Robinson (profile), creator of 'Britain's Next Bear Model' (articles).

Roman Italian photographer GianOrso (website - articles - galleries - profile) has an upcoming photo exhibition entitled 'Portraits of Modern Gentlemen' (poster). The exhibition opens on June 12th at Loft 21 in Milan, Italy with a party 'More than I can Bear'. Make sure to check out his website to see some of the excellent photos this talented man has taken throughout the years.

Not only are Bears cute and they take up a lot of our 'fantasy' time (as in, when you're fantasizing about someone lying on top of you, it's a Bear)... well Bears got Talent as well! From the maker of 'Britain's Next Bear Model' (articles) comes another Bear talent show spinoff. British director Jonathan Robinson (FunFur.tv - YouTube - profile) has put together a video in which you watch 8 contestants from around the world do their 'thing' and you get to vote for the next 3 who'll go on to the 2nd round. There's guys who sing, dance, play the violin and guitar... and there's one who splashes into pools (... no comment ...), and finally, one contestant who can vows he can crack every part of his body. I really hope he goes on to the next round 'cause he said he can crack his toes which I'd like to see (yes, I'm a little twisted). Go check it out for yourself, and cast your vote by leaving your comments.

Ah the world of tickling... it's something I know very little about however I have come to realize and appreciate that there are quite a few Bears who are into tickling, and if you're one of them well you'll surely appreciate this new network site called Stout Stocks.

Stout Stocks is run by Blithwulf (profile - articles - photos of Blithwulf in Bear Amateur Gallery #5) and his partner HitchBear (profile) and the site is all about Bears and Chubs and those who like to tickle them ~ with a heavy emphasis on tickling feet. Create a profile, add some photos, write a blog or leave comments in their forum. It's already got a slew of cute who've signed up, and what's great, it's free. Tickle away.

Lastly, the network is maintained by Wackwall, which means you can create your very own network, so if you have a thing for... oh... I don't know... Bears and watersports - then create your own network, altho I haven't really looked into their TOS so I'm not sure what their slant is when it comes to adult orientated networks. Let's just hope these guys don't pull another Ning (articles).

My apologies for not posting this sooner. I've received my copy of the mag at least 10 days ago so this news is coming to you a little late - anyhow - go get yourself the latest copy of BEEF magazine (website - articles - cover - profile). It's issue #42, the magazine is in full colour now, and you can order your own subscription from their site or grab one at your local adult vendor.

[Members - click here] In this update, I added 3 videos of Roger (gallery - profile) from his collection. Once again, these are videos that were made with BearFoot.com in mind (previous update), however we realized we didn't have the manpower to work on BearFoot as well as PlanetBears and TubeBear, so all the videos that we shot for BearFoot are slowly making their way over to the PlanetBears Video page.

They are short videos of Roger in bondage - hogtied - leather restraints - hand and leg cuffs - blindfolded. There's a bit of tickling and tugging, and in one of the video, his boyfriend (that's me - Bob Forrest) decides to take advantage of the situation that Roger is tied up so I chew on his feet. Even tied down, he puts up a hell of a fight, and he's got strong legs. Unfortunately this video of Roger and I is a bit short, however we will definitely work on others if there is an interest.

We are planning on saying goodbye to Jacques Garon aka PandaMontreal (galleries - profile) on Sunday May 31st. The details are all here. This will be taking place in Montreal, Quebec. First we will meet for a memorial service at St-Pierre Apôtre church for 10AM and then we will be heading over to the Woof Bistro Bar for 11AM for brunch with the UpBear guys. If you have any questions or comments, contact me (Forrest - email - profile) or Jean from UpBear (email - profile).

If you knew Jacques Panda in real life, or talked to him online, or just saw his pictures on the net, then please leave a few words on his TubeBear profile, in his guestbook section. I know Jacques touched a lot of lives online. Hugz.

The following is from Bruin of 'Bear With Me' (website - articles - profile): "Paul continues in his dreamscape. He has fallen into a pit of despair, and only the dashing Capt. Hirsute can save him. However, considering his luck dealing with Paul's father and brother, there is a question as to whether the Captain is 'real' enough to catch Paul. The current strip answers that question, while raising another: Who 'is' Capt. Hirsute under the mask? Is it Andy? If not Andy, then who?".

The Columbus Ursine Brotherhood ~ CUB ~ are a busy bunch. First off it's high time to make plans for their Bear Camp '09 run which will be taking in Columbus, Ohio from July 30th thru August 2nd. The theme this year is Christmas in July. They have a ton of events scheduled including the Mr. All Ohio Bear Contest. Musician Bigg Nugg (website - articles - profile) will be performing.

2ndly, the Columbus Bears invite you to 'Show Stoppers'... a fundraiser for Camp Sunrise ... featuring Broadway memorabilia, silent auction, show tunes, 50/50 drawing and appetizers. This will be happening on May 23rd. Then on May 24th, they will be getting together at the Union Cafe for their Broadway Bears.

To keep up to date, check out CUB's blog page.

10 years online... go me...

I opened my very first Bear site back on May 19th, 1999. It was called BearPress. I quit my Masters program in order to work on the site full time. The idea behind the site was simple: try and form an online network for those who identify with Bear culture. I posted Bear news, events, and ran some galleries. I did this until I moved over to Bear-Pics in 2001.

Bear-Pics was much like BearPress however I focused a lot more on the  Bearish men. I began taking my own pictures and videos with Bear models. I also continued posting news. I ran this site up until 2006.

In October 2006, I met up with an online buddy who changed my online life. He created PlanetBears, then TubeBear (which we opened in April 2007), and he and I have been working together ever since.

So May 19th is always an important date for me. Hugz to all those who remember BearPress and Bear-Pics.

I'm saddened to inform you that Jacques aka PandaMontreal has passed away. He was 63.

I am keeping his TubeBear profile online as a memorial to Jacques. Please visit his page and leave some parting words in his guestbook.

The last time I saw Jacques, it was right after UpBear had their 'Sugaring Off' weekend (March 29th). Jacques was in the process of moving so he asked to borrow my camera because he wanted to film his teddy bear collection before he took them down (he had over 1300 of them, all in his bedroom) so as to have them in memory. Since he had to move, he was planning on just getting rid of most of them.

When I went by to pick up my camera, he seemed fine. We spoke for a bit and then we made a few plans on getting together soon however nothing official. We then chatted on the phone a couple of times after that - just to say hello and see how the other was doing. All was normal.

Then around the 15th of April, I called, left a message. A week later, I called again, left a message. It wasn't like Jacques not to call back, even to say he's too busy to call, however I have known Jacques for 5 years and there were times when we didn't talk for months. Not that there was anything wrong, just time has a way of flying by.

But what I didn't find normal was that he hadn't visited his profile page. If you ever got to meet Jacques, you know how important his online profile pages were, and how important all his pictures were to him. Also, if you knew Jacques, then he was the first one to wish you a happy birthday. Birthdays were extremely important to him, so when I saw that he hadn't logged onto his TubeBear profile, even if it was just to send out his birthday greetings, I began suspecting something.

But don't forget, he was moving (from one apartment to the other), and when Roger sent him an email and it bounced, I figured - well, he doesn't have his internet connection right now and he'll be back online once he's settled into his new place.

So I called again, and once again, I get his answering machine. In my mind, I figured he was getting his messages since his box wasn't full... so I guess I was a little hurt or disappointed because I thought he was just not returning my calls.

Now I also know that Jacques had some health issues, and so I thought, maybe something happened to him. So a couple of days ago (May 14th), I went by to his apartment. Well the landlady was there and she told me the news - Jacques passed away. They found him in his old apartment. She didn't tell me how he passed away but she believes it was a heart attack.

The sad thing is that, at the end, Jacques wasn't happy. He had mounting health problems as well as many money issues. He was moving because he lost his job as the janitor of the apartment that he lived in and had to move out of the 'janitor's flat', a place that he really loved. It just seemed that Jacques just wasn't able to overcome his issues, and all I can think is that his heart wasn't able to handle the stress anymore.

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Jacques was very popular online. He had a lot of fans because he was this really cute Daddy Bear with a great smile and twinkling blue eyes. He was also a very proud man and he loved knowing that guys liked looking at his photos, and that is something Jacques loved to do, and that was to take photos. He was also proud of the fact that he had one of the most visited profile sites on many Bear sites, including TubeBear (he has been added to people's buddies list on TubeBear more than anyone else).

Jacques also gave a lot of his time to many gay and Bear events. He partook in the earliest AIDS awareness programs back in the 80s, and more recently he helped out as much as he could whenever there was a Bear event here in Montreal. He always gave his best, and I should know because I photographed him a lot, and he was very easy to work with, and always eager and cooperative.

Truth be known, Jacques was not the easiest man. He sometimes would say the wrong thing and he sometimes demanded a lot, but everyone has their shortcomings, and Jacques truly brought life with him wherever he went.

He is going to be missed.

We (UpBear and I) are organizing a kind of memorial for him. It will be on May 31st at 10AM at the St-Pierre Apôtre church on 1201 rue De La Visitation in Montreal. We will then get together for brunch. I will post more when I know more.

French artist Guy Thomas (website - articles - profile) is informing us of his new exhibition which will be held at the Eagle Paris from May 20th thru August 30th. From Guy: "it will be a great pleasure to show you my latest artworks. Great sizes, more colors, drawings and feelings. Of course, the drawings are mostly about Bears & Love!". Make sure to check his site to see all of his excellent artwork.