Taipei Travelogue, Or: Waiting for the Weibocalypse...

Johnny at the airport in Taipei 

with beautiful flowers from his fans! 

Photo via Johnny's Pandas / 

JovetaELeo on Weibo.

---

Kayso Johnny arrived safely in Taipei about 6 pm-ish New York time on Tuesday which for him was about 6 am-ish Wednesday morning in Taipei (confused about the time difference? Check the handy clock in the blog sidebar to see when Johnny is! It may not help, but the little ticking numbers are oddly mesmerizing...), where he was greeted by fans bearing flowers and gifts, as always, despite the bleary-eyed early hour, which is partly to blame for the fact that we only have a few photos of his arrival since because zzzzzzzzzzzzzz.... But here they are:

Vision

Johnny.
Exclusive photo © David Ingogly.

Please do click twice for full-size view. Gorgeous.

---

When we allow ourselves to exist 

truly and fully, 

we sting the world with our vision 

and challenge it 

with our own ways of being.

— Thomas Moore

---

Fun Incarnate

Johnny at his photo shoot for Refinery29 

on Wednesday. Photo posted by @geordypearson
(please go there now and read all the comments): 

“Shot legendary figure skater @johnnygweir 

for @refinery29 today. Dude is epic.”

Lovelovelove this whole look.

---

So lately I’ve been judiciously not blogging on Thursdays because it’s pretty much become Johnnyday, in which we eagerly devour his latest Falls Church News-Press column (UPDATE: today's column is fascinating!) and also squee over his recent fondness for posting multiple Throwback Thursday pics, but yesterday dude was epic at his Refinery29 shoot, and so clearly these pics had to be posted immediately whilst we await dude’s actualfax photos on Refinery29’s site.

"The Future of Everything"

Johnny,
sparkling light reflected on his face.

Exclusive photo © David Ingogly.

---

This was clearly a milestone week in LGBT sports.

On Monday, the NBA’s Jason Collins became the first active male athlete in a major US team sport to come out. On the heels of his courageous announcement came the news that he had already been signed to an endorsement deal by Nike, who had recently made it known that they were actively seeking such an athlete, and who had signed newly out WNBA star Brittney Griner just days earlier.

"His Sneakers Came to Kill"

Screencap of Johnny during his appearance 

on Food Network's Chopped All-Stars, 

in which he competed for the Human Rights Campaign, 

a non-profit LGBT equality organization, while
wearing the "coolest sneakers" the judges had ever seen.

---

And once again we enter the territory of Shows I Have Never Ever Watched But Johnny Is On This Episode So Yay! Let's Record Every Airing Just In Case with last night's Chopped All-Stars. And it was actually a lot of fun, and very fast-paced, which I sort of preferred over the more drawn-out episodes of Rachael vs. Guy. Johnny was a hit, as always, judging by a multitude of Twitter reactions. His shoes and his dramatic exit—clearly meant to be hilarious—were especially enjoyed by Twitter, as you'll see below.

'Chopped All-Stars' Preview! Plus Random Picspam

Johnny at rehearsal in near-darkness. 

More from this series below!

Exclusive photo © David Ingogly.

---

Yes! At last! Johnny's episode of Chopped All-Stars airs THIS SUNDAY at 9 pm EDT!  Here's the episode description from Food Network:

Four celebrities with different backgrounds, and a shared love of cooking, charge into the Chopped Kitchen. Plain vanilla is something that none of the competitors can relate to, but can they skillfully use vanilla cupcakes to create appetizers as one-of-a-kind as they are? Then something crispy and something jiggly make the main course a study in contrasts. And when two entertaining cooks proceed to the final round, they put on a performance with circus peanuts and curry powder.

Random Monday Roundup

The friend who can be silent with us 

in a moment of despair or confusion, 

who can stay with us 

in an hour of grief and bereavement, 

who can tolerate not knowing... 

not healing, not curing... 

that is a friend who cares.
— Henri  Nouwen

---

Johnny + Nike: Just Do It!

---

Kayso I'm just popping up for air long enough to shriek at anyone who'll listen quietly note that HEY NIKE IS ACTIVELY SEEKING AN OUT GAY ATHLETE TO SPONSOR, according to a recent report in Towle Road, quoting from Bloomberg, and JOHNNY IS ACTIVELY INTERESTED, as is apparent from his tweeted photo above. 

Obviously this is a match made in sponsorship heaven. Plus, the guys have asked for fans' help in capturing Nike's attention and showing them that a partnership with Johnny is exactly the opportunity Nike has been looking for:

Flashback Friday: Army of Johnny

Johnny performs to "Army of Me" 

by his long-time idol Christina Aguilera, 

December 2012.

Exclusive photo © David Ingogly.

---

We are each an army of one. 

March forward with your army, 

never let go of your future and 

never listen to idiots 

who tell you "no." 

— Johnny Weir

---

Random Friday Fun Dum Da Dum Da Dum Da Dum

It's been the kind of week that requires a pic 
of happy Johnny with a J over his head. 

Exclusive photo © David Ingogly. 

Please be sure to click twice 

for glorious full-size view.

---

Kayso I've finally arrived at Friday in my own personal Week Of The Never-Ending April Fool's Day About Which I Can Only Say LOLWUT So Instead Let's Focus On Johnny News Which Includes The Following Important Developments:

"The Ice King That Melts My Heart"

Johnny on Fashion Police 

after being introduced by Joan Rivers as 

"The Ice King that melts my heart." ♥

---

Kayso in our ongoing adventure titled "Shows I Would Never Ever Watch Except That Johnny's On Them So Now I've Recorded His Episode Like Three Times Just In Case," we present Johnny's appearance on Joan Rivers' Fashion Police last Friday, in which he was, as the video description below notes, "cute, funny and effervescent... He shares his best and worst looks, his philosophy on fashion..." And he was a hit, of course, as seen in just a few samples of the tsunami of Twitter love he received that is customary after his every appearance:

Timeless

Johnny.

Exclusive photo © David Ingogly.

---

This series of photos was shot at the Holiday Dreams on Ice 2012 post-show VIP party, held in a small hotel bar near the Long Island rink.

Johnny was tired, having had a very long rehearsal the night before that ended sometime after midnight, a full day of dress rehearsals the day of the show, multiple performances in the actual show itself, and after-show photographs at the rink. Then he had to hurry and scrub off all his makeup, change clothes, redo his hair, gather all his things, and arrive to spend hours more at the meet-n-greet.

Yet, as always, his beautiful energy when he entered the room was magnetic.