Gay Disneyland, Featuring Minkey Mouse & RIDES FOR DAYS!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bob Siegel Responds to D.C. Land Grab: District government gives Southeast gay clubs 90 days to vacate

 The District government exercised its eminent domain powers Oct. 25, filing a legal claim to properties in the area of the proposed Southeast baseball stadium for the Washington Nationals, as reported by the Washington Post the following day. The filing leaves affected tenants with 90 days to vacate.

Bob Siegel, an ANC commissioner in the neighborhood, owns a large complex along O Street SE that sits in the proposed stadium's footprint. And as the city wants baseball in, it wants Siegel out. Siegel, who owns Glorious Health and Amusement, a gay-oriented club, adult cinema and shop in the complex, does not want to go. Along with the threat to his own business comes the threat to other gay-oriented, adult businesses for which Siegel is landlord: The Follies Theatre, Heat, Secrets and Ziegfeld's, which combined offer male nude dancers, bars, drag shows, and an adult theater. Siegel also maintains a private residence for himself within the complex.

''It's my livelihood, my home, my commission. I don't want to start all over again,'' Siegel told Metro Weekly Oct. 26. ''There's an arcane rule that says that if the businesses move, they can't be within 300 feet of each other. That rule needs to be addressed and revised at the insistence of the mayor and the City Council if they want us to move.

''These are my tenants. We work well together. [The O Street corridor] is a strong area of town. I feel upset reading today's [Washington Post] article that we have to move within 90 days.''

Siegel says that he has a court date set to fight the city with a two-pronged approach. His foremost wish, he says, is not to move. If forced, however, he says the city'soffer of compensation falls short of what he considers fair.

''On Nov. 30, I will have myday in court,'' says Siegel. ''I'll be in D.C. Superior Court that morning, seeking an injunction.... When I do get to eminent domain, I'm going to havea field day. That corner of South Capitol and O streets involves a four-story building, including the basement.... The entire complex was listed at $526,000. But in 2005, the tax appraisal was $1,500,000. For 2006 -- I've already gotten the appraisal -- it's $100,000 more. The way Bob Siegel figures fair price istax appraisal times two. I figure that the building alone is worth more than $3 million.''

Siegel is trying to cover his bases, however, looking for a new location for Glorious Health and Amusement. He declined to give details, beyond noting a warehouse on West Virginia Ave. NE that may suit his needs.

''I really am very hopeful,'' Siegel says. ''The building I'm looking at is 20-times larger than the existing area. It's room enough for all of the adult amusements. Maybe I will have my Gay Disneyland.... I believe that Glorious Health Club could relocate to any part of the city. It's just my tenants with the liquor licenses who will be having a problem.''

Siegel says that if forced to move, he hopes some corner of District government will be supporting a collective move of all the O Street businesses, despite current regulations.

                                 
The Follies Theatre and Glorious Health and Amusement Center (a.k.a. GloryHole) building

''I've gotten nothing but promises and smiles,'' Siegel says of the varying levels of District authority to whom he's turned for help. ''I do know that Marion Barry is definitely batting for me. But next week I'll be knocking on doors. I hope one of the City Council members has the balls -- or tits -- to demand and insist on putting something else on the table, especially those that are running for mayor.''

Behind Siegel's maverick tone, however, is a plea to the community, as he's quick to admit that sometimes you can't fight City Hall. At least not by himself.

''I want to connect with people who will support me,'' he says. ''I still need people to help with some sort of bandwagon -- advertising, rallies, stuff like that. I'm tired of the 'yeah, yeah,yeah,' 'maybe in the middleof the week,' 'yes, we need to talk, call me.' I need to know that people who want to help me will help rally with me, so that if there is any problem with zoning, the gay community is 100 percent backing me up. A lot of people think that I'm a very independent type person, but I really need their help.''

 Related News Coverage:

 

• The Last Inning - A Whole New Ballgame in Southeast DC (4/14/05)
• Evacuation Plan - Community meeting set to discuss future of O Street Corridor near Nationals' proposed baseall stadium in Southeast DC (4/7/05)
• Adult Zone Shut Out - Proposed baseball stadium would displace adult gay clubs in SE Washington, DC (10/7/04)

Radio Free Asia

Amgen, Inc

 

Now, Tell Me You Have A High Profile Job!

 http://staff.wri.org/board.cfm  

This is the Board of Directors I've supported.  Are these people "High Profile"?  Do I know a "High Profile" Job when I see one?

The Board of Directors for The World Resources Institute

James A. Harmon (Chairman of the Board)
Chairman, Harmon & Co., LLC; former President of the Export-Import Bank, United States

Julia Marton-Lefèvre (Vice-Chair)
Rector, University for Peace, Costa Rica

William D. Ruckelshaus (Chairman Emeritus)
Strategic Director, Madrona Venture Group; former Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, United States

Gay Barclay
Founder and Board Member, PAVA Foundation, United States

Frances G. Beinecke
Executive Director, Natural Resources Defense Council, United States

David T. Buzzelli
Retired Vice President and Director, The Dow Chemical Company, United States

Fernando Henrique Cardoso
Former President of Brazil; currently Professor-at-Large at the Thomas J. Watson Jr. Institute for International Studies at Brown University., United States

Jessica Catto
President, Crockett Street Management, LLC; President, Elk Mountain Builders, Inc., United States

Leslie Dach
Vice-Chairman, Edelman Worldwide, United States

Michael R. Deland
Chairman, National Organization on Disability, United States

Alice (Tish) F. Emerson
President Emerita, Wheaton College, United States

José Maria Figueres
Former President of Costa Rica, Costa Rica

David Gergen
Professor of Public Service and Director of the Center for Public Leadership at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University; Editor at large, U.S. News and World Report, United States

Al Gore
Chairman of Generation Investment Management, London; and former Vice President of the United States, United States

Denis Hayes
President, Bullitt Foundation, United States

Aditi Kapoor
Fellow, Leadership for Environment and Development (LEAD); Independent journalist and Media/Development Consultant, India

Jonathan Lash
President, World Resources Institute, United States

Preston R. Miller, Jr.
Partner, The Tremont Group, LLC, United States

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
Minister of Finance, Government of Nigeria, Nigeria

Michael Polsky
President and Chief Executive Officer, Invenergy, United States

C.K. Prahalad
Harvey C. Fruehauf Professor of Business Administration, The University of Michigan Business School, United States

Qian Yi
Professor, Department of Environmental Engineering, Tsinghua University (Beijing), China

Peter H. Raven
Director, Missouri Botanical Garden , United States

Theodore Roosevelt IV
Managing Director, Lehman Brothers, United States

José Sarukhan
Professor, Institute of Ecology, National University of Mexico (UNAM) and National Coordinator, Mexican Commission on Biodiversity (CONABIO), Mexico

Scott M. Spangler
Chairman, Chemonics International, Inc., United States

James Gustave Speth
Dean, Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies; former Administrator, United Nations Development Programme, United States

Ralph Taylor
President of Greenleaf Composting Company, United States

Lee M. Thomas
President and Chief Operating Officer, Georgia-Pacific Corporation, United States

Todd S. Thomson
Chairman & CEO, Global Wealth Management Sector, Citigroup, Inc., United States

Wren Wirth
President, The Winslow Foundation, United States

Computer Sciences Corporation

The Boeing Company

PriceWaterhouseCoopers

Am I Baroque? Are You?

 

 

Baroques sleep under bridges and emerge to celebrate life. Defiant, rebellious, explosive, they are enlightened beings whose free spirits run wild.  According to Saltimbanco!  www.cirquedusoliel.com

 

 

AT&T

Death

  Death   An ominous reminder of our own mortality, it challenges us to celebrate life, to experience the present as though we were taking our last breath.

Thank You Glinda! As in "Glinda, The Good Witch of the North"!

 

Thanks Glinda saving the nation from these right wing REPUBICLANS!

The Witch Is Dead!...As In Supreme Court Career.

      

 

BREAKING NEWS
Miers Withdraws Supreme Court Nomination  In her withdrawal letter to President Bush, White House counsel Harriet Miers cited concerns over senators' requests for White House documents as part of the confirmation process.

**********************************************************************

Harriet Miers Withdraws Nomination

By Fred Barbash

Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, October 27, 2005; 9:27 AM

Harriet Miers withdrew this morning as a nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court.

In announcing the decision, Miers and President Bush cited their concern with the requests of members of the Senate Judiciary Committee for documents dealing with her work as White House Counsel that the administration has chosen to withhold as privileged.

But the Miers nomination to replace Justice Sandra Day O'Connor was in deep trouble, with little support in the Senate, open criticism from many Senators of both parties, and an outpouring of opposition from conservative activists and intellectuals.

Miers told the president in a letter of withdrawal that she was "concerned that the confirmation process presents a burden for the White House and our staff that is not in the best interests of the country."

Bush responded that he was "reluctantly" accepting the decision.

"I nominated Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court because of her extraordinary legal experience, her character, and her conservative judicial philosophy," he said in a statement. But, he said, "I understand and share her concern . . . about the current state of the Supreme Court confirmation process.

"It is clear that Senators would not be satisfied until they gained access tointernal documents concerning advice provided during her tenure at the White House -- disclosures that would undermine a President's ability to receive candid counsel.

"Harriet Miers' decision," Bush said, "demonstrates her deep respect for this essential aspect of the Constitutional separation of powers -- and confirms my deep respect and admiration for her.

"I am grateful for Harriet Miers' friendship and devotion to our country.

"And I am honored that she will continue to serve our Nation as White House Counsel," he said. My responsibility to fill this vacancy remains. I will do so in a timely manner."

Given the Bush Administration, it wouldn't in the least bit surprise me that while she's withdrawn her nomination, she will decide cases for whomever is nominated in her place.

A New Washington, D.C. Residence Beginning November 15, 2005

I've found a new flat and the landlords seemingly are a very cool couple.  Wolfgang and Rob. 

What A Beautiful Sight

Word of the day:  sleuth  \SLOOTH\ verb *intransitive verb : to act as a detective : search for information.  transitive verb : to search for and discover .

Music I'm Listening To Media Cover: 

 

Rod Stewart sure looked young on this cover!  Kelly Clarkson, to me is the ONLY winner of American Idol.  Well maybe Clay too.

Mood:   I'm happy.

On my way to work this morning.  Passing me walking up the Rosslyn escalater from the subway, I witnessed one of the most remarkable examples of teamwork I've ever seen.  This was teamwork involving two beings both of completely different worlds.  One of them being a service dog.  The other being a lady without arms.  In observing her, I was so impressed with how she AND her dog was able to maneuver the subway system and the dexterity she had by using her feet as her hands in placing her farecard in the exit gate.  The whole event was simply BEAUTIFUL.

It rained last night and I decided NOT to go to the Drag Race on 17th St.  I don't know if they held it or if it'll be later this week.  I rarely watch TV nowadays since Mary Schiavo, and The unembalmed Pope lay in the piazza with buzzards circling above.

Today, I'm grateful for: 1. MY JOB!  2.  For having all my abilities.  I know as I age, they diminish but I'm grateful for what I have.

READERS:  Thanks for reading my weblog.  I warmly welcome your responses to my entries and feedback about its content, design, and makeup.  As is with my life, I want my blog to be continually evolving and be progressionally reinvented throughout time; remaining true to the basic ideologicaland conceptual design genesis of my blog.  If you'd like to make a suggestion or point out a malapropism, click on the "add your own" link below the entry.  I'm always happy to hear from my readers, friends, and acquaintences.  My best regards, Maarten

I'm Grateful For What I Have

Delphinaterapia:  The science of using dolphins stimulate the brains of unborn humans to make them smarter.

This morning's event provoked deeper personal thought on being grateful.  Even in the times earlier this year when things were pretty bare bones, money extraordinarily tight, no job, poor health, and friends being very very few; by my own design resulting from my experience when Toonie was in his final stages of life last Christmas; I remained grateful for what I had. No matter how little it was, I never forgot it was more than some others have.  My words to anyone in a "hard-times" situation, be aware of your situation; acknowledge it, address its cause-effect-meaning, and take steps to improve it. Embrace it with warm open arms because you're not there for no reason.  It is part of the "big plan" for your life.  The plan most of us are unaware of or unwilling to see based on our conventional ways.

Drag Race Tonight!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

REV YOUR ENGINES, GIRLS! ON YOUR MARK? READY! SET! GO!....AND THEY'RE OFF.... (DRAG RACE TONIGHT ON 17th STREET!  9:00PM)

 

Tonight's the night for those bitchy witches to come out of their drag closets, and perform the "creme de le creme" of ultimate races, one which the Indy 500, NASCAR, and others can't hold a pump to.  Prada pump that is; as in high performance high heels.

Its raining this morning but supposed to clear off by afternoon.  So tonight 17th Street should be all a buzz with drag queens and drag queen wanna-bees.  There'll even be the lesbians who frequently parade their "butch attire".  There is one lesbian who has been at all the last races I've attended as a spectator.  She's may be Polynesian, but she really pulls off her costume, or lack thereof.  She wears not much more than a leather strap, barely providing enough coverage to avoid a citation for indecent exposure.

This drag race is the most popular event in the city for Halloween.  Seventeenth street is packed with party revelers; including friends, partners, and parents cheering on their filial offspring to GO GO GO!.  This event is even more popular than Georgetown, street masqauarade.  I don't think that the High Heel Race has ever had any episodes of violence; making it a fun, safe, and full-spirited event.

More Info, Read:  http://www.washblade.com/2005/10-21/locallife/cover/

OK, I've Got To Get In Gear Here!

Word of the day:  filial  \FILL-ee-ul\ adjective  *1 : of, relating to, or befitting a son or daughter.  2 : having or assuming the relation of a child or offspring.

Music I'm Listening To Media Cover: 

"The Letter", by Conway and Loretta.  This song is about Loretta asking her acquaintence; Conway for a letter to make her male significant other jealous when he found it in hopes he'd stop his cheating way.  Turns out the letter was Conway's true feelings.

Mood:   I'm happy.  It's a dull, dreary, melacholy morning.  Its cold, rainy, and windy.  You can certainly tell the seasons are changing.

Today, I'm grateful for: MY JOB!.

READERS:  Thanks for reading my weblog.  I warmly welcome your responses to my entries and feedback about its content, design, and makeup.  As is with my life, I want my blog to be continually evolving and be progressionally reinvented throughout time; remaining true to the basic ideologicaland conceptual design genesis of my blog.  If you'd like to make a suggestion or point out a malapropism, click on the "add your own" link below the entry.  I'm always happy to hear from my readers, friends, and acquaintences.  My best regards, Maarten

Amphibologies Can Be The Right Thing!

  
Word of the day: amphibology\am-fuh-BAH-luh-jee\ noun: a sentence or phrase that can be interpreted in more than one way.

Music I'm Listening To Media Cover:

   

Hoyt Axton:  "Bony Fingers".  This was one of the "corniest" songs I ever heard.  I even thought this when I heard this song when I was a kid.

The Statler Brother's: "I'll Go To My Grave (Lovin You)".  The Statler Brothers is a quartet from Staunton, VA.  When the group Alabama, came onto the scene, they were the first country quartet to have only one singer.  The others played instruments and were believed to be a flop because every quartet preceding them, including The Statler Brothers, every member of the group was a singer.  Time shows they were NOT a flop!

Donna Fargo:  "Funny Face", "Happiest Girl In The Whole U.S.A."   !

Mood:   I'm sleepy.  The drive from Bristol yesterday and then the meeting with Wolfgang and Rob, pleasantly went much longer than I anticipated.  I didn't fall asleep until late and I was up at 6:00am this morning.  Its supposed to rain today and I dread walking from the subway in the rain.

Amphibology: Piquing my interest, is the thought that the English slang word "fib", as in telling a "fib", is derived frm Amphibology?  I'll do some research on it and report back later.

Wolfgang and Rob:  Their house is very nice and is located in one of my favorite neighborhoods; Crestwood, upper 16th St., The Gold Coast.  I've never lived in the 4th alphabet of the city before nor on a 'flower" street.  I suppose that's a must for me to experience the entire flavor of living in what I deem as the "most beautiful city in the world".  I also met Tugs, the tabby cat and Tyko their Dalmation.  Both of them are seemingly nice men and I must admit the colors they have used throughout the house are definately "right down my alley"; expressive, vibrant, creative, and bold.  Definately "Living Out Loud", just like me; living out loud, being 10 ft tall in a 6 ft town.  They even have a RED LEATHER SOFA.  I'm going to think this over and contact them tomorrow by mid-afternoon. 

Wolfgang and I had a wonderful "front porch" conversation about life, education, politics, etc on my way to the car.

Speaking of car:  This rental car I have is not the make and model of car mentioned here in this article, but when i read this article, it sure reminded me of the conveniences I've become accustomed to and a reminder of how in my upbringing, I didn't have these luxurious amenities.  As a matter of fact, my upbringing could, by today's standards, be considered "third-world".  Here's a "cut and paste" of the article from "The Washington Post". 

*********************

The windows worked fine. But they cranked manually. That bothered some passengers in the 2006 Kia Rio 5 SX.  2006 Kia Rio 5 SX (Kia Motors America)('Simply Useful, and Nothing ,'Warren Brown');

I drove the base model, which came without power windows and locks.
                                   

Also absent were power side-view mirrors, a sunroof, navigation system and a rear video entertainment screen. The seats were cloth. The five-speed transmission was manual. But everything was assembled perfectly. Eventhe tangibly cheap plastic parts on the instrument panel were aligned just right.

My passengers scoffed at the absence of power windows. People are funny. They get used to a certain level of convenience and are upset by anything less.

It was no onerous task to roll the Rio 5 SX's windows up or down. It was just the idea that a vehicle manufacturer would have the temerity to expect someone in America to do it. "This is so third-world!" said one of my riders.

Today, I'm grateful for: MY JOB!.

READERS:  Thanks for reading my weblog.  I warmly welcome your responses to my entries and feedback about its content, design, and makeup.  As is with my life, I want my blog tobe continually evolving and be progressionally reinvented throughout time; remaining true to the basic ideological and conceptual design genesis of my blog.  If you'd like to make a suggestion or point out a malapropism, click on the "add your own" link below the entry.  I'm always happy to hear from my readers, friends, and acquaintences.  My best regards, Maarten

I Love Life. Eventhough I Have Sad Days, I Love Life!

Word of the day: equivocal\ih-KWIV-uh-kul\ adjective   1 *a : subject to two or more interpretations and usually used to mislead or confuse b : uncertain as an indication or sign.  2 a : of uncertain nature or classification b : of uncertain disposition toward a person or thing : undecided c : of doubtful advantage, genuineness, or moral rectitude.

Music I'm Listening To Media Cover:

 

Mood:   I'm happy.  It's a bright beautiful morning.

Today I meet Wolfgang and Rob regarding the rental they have.  I hope this works out.  I've worked my ass off to find a place.  Because I don't have a car right now, it really narrows down my choices considerably.

Today, I'm grateful for: MY JOB!.

READERS:  Thanks for reading my weblog.  I warmly welcome your responses to my entries and feedback about its content, design, and makeup.  As is with my life, I want my blog to be continually evolving and be progressionally reinvented throughout time; remaining true to the basic ideological and conceptual design genesis of my blog.  If you'd like to make a suggestion or point out a malapropism, click on the "add your own" link below the entry.  I'm always happy to hear from my readers, friends, and acquaintences.  My best regards, Maarten

First Week of Open Season On The Poor-Middle Class Americans

The pic at left is why Gulf Coast victims of Katrina didn't get proper help!

Word of the day: bouleversement\bool-vair-suh-MAHNG (the "NG" is not pronounced, but the vowel is nasalized)\ noun *1 : reversal.  2 : a violent disturbance : disorder

 

 

 

 

Music I'm Listening To Media Cover:

 

I'm also listening to:

Brenda Lee.  "Nobody Wins".  Damn that little woman sure has a hell of a voice.  She does my favorite Christmas song; "Rockin Around The Christmas Tree".  My second favorite Christmas song is by Alabama "Christmas In Dixie".

Buck Owens, "Made in Japan"  Buck Owens, along with Roy Clark were the stars of "Hee Haw".  Damn, those were the days of "The Porter Wagoner Show", with Dolly Parton, Speck Rhodes (Bass Fiddle), and Mack MaGaha (Fiddle), Buck Trent (Banjo), Don Warden (Steel Guitar).  Porter's band was "The Wagnonmasters".

 

Mood:   Pissed!

What the FUCK is going on in this country nowadays?  It seems as though this week, "open season" began on poor and middle-class Americans.  On Monday, the new bankruptcy laws became effective, it was reported recently the White House has urged banks to increase credit minimum payments, and the cost of gasoline and heating fuels has skyrocketed.  Then I just return from my lunch and open up AOL and what is the first thing I see flash before my eyes?  "Gun Manufacturers Get Protection"!  What next?  I suppose all the governmentally perpetrated unfairness, biases, and inequality against the residents of New Orleans in light of hurricane Katrina, wasn't sufficient and therefore the need remained to further SCREW the "little man".  I didn't vote for that President.  Those of you who did, blame yourselves and suck your thumbs.  Maybe the next one will make a genuine good-faith attempt to bouleversement what this one has SCREWED UP!

This is one of those moments when I salute Johnny Cash for all the reasons he wore black. 

Oh, now wouldn't it be a shame on me to forget Tom.  Poor Tom Delay, that is.  He just got booked today.  In taking his mugshot, it appears as though when the photographer said "say cheese", Delay thought he said "say sleeze" and he smiled like a "shit-eating hound".

Today, I'm grateful for:  My Job!

NEW! Rebuilding a City (Check out this blog under my favorites)

READERS:  Thanks for reading my weblog.  Iwarmly welcome your responses to my entries and feedback about its content, design, and makeup.  As is with my life, I want my blog to be continually evolving and be progressionally reinventedthroughout time; remaining true to the basic ideological and conceptual design genesis of my blog.  If you'd like to make a suggestion or point out a malapropism, click on the "add your own" link below the entry.  I'm always happy to hear from my readers, friends, and acquaintences.  My best regards, Maarten

Jist Git Nekkid

Word of the day: Argus\AHR-gus\ noun 1 : a hundred-eyed monster of Greek mythology.  *2 : a watchful guardian .

Music I'm Listening To Media Cover:

Mood:   I'm happy.

 

The Naked Cowboy and The Wandering Hillbilly.

This morning I was reading The Washington Post; an article on the future of "Made in America".  There was a blog link to it from The Wandering Hillbilly.  Ok, this piques my curiosity and I click the link.  Turns out to be a pretty cool, but hard to read (intentionally so) blog.  There's a link to it here on one side or the other of my blog in a "favorite links" area.  Whats a wandering hillbilly without a nekkid cowboy?  Well, not much I suppose, therefore I've married the hillbilly off to a sexy Times Square cowboy, urban, that is.  Tennessee Tea, White Dream, all clean.

NEW! Rebuilding a City (A Blog): http://journals.aol.com/rebuildingnola/RebuildingaCity/  

Today, I'm grateful for:  My Job!

READERS:  Thanks for reading my weblog.  I warmly welcome your responses to my entries and feedback about its content, design, and makeup.  As is with my life, I want my blog to be continually evolving and be progressionally reinvented throughout time; remaining true to the basic ideological and conceptual design genesis of my blog.  If you'd like to make a suggestion or point out a malapropism, click on the "add your own" link below the entry.  I'm always happy to hear from my readers, friends, and acquaintences.  My best regards, Maarten

http://www.calculatorcat.com/cs/mm/i/m/m24.gif

ANNOYING!

Word of the day: pomaceous\poh-MAY-shuss\ adjective 1 : of or relating to apples.  *2 : resembling a pome.

Music I'm Listening To Media Cover:

Factoid:  Loretta Lynn was instrumental in bringing the concept of women's lib to rural women in the 60's and 70's.  Many of her songs such as "Here In Topeka" and  "The Pill" were tools communicating to women stand up, we're equal.  Her new CD "Van Leer Rose", a collaboration with Jack White is one WHITE HOT piece of work.

Mood:   I'm happy but, ANNOYED at this fricking process of trying to find a flat.  I'm glad of this temporary option.

TEXT.

Today, I'm grateful for: MY JOB!.

READERS:  Thanks for reading my weblog.  I warmly welcome your responses to my entries and feedback about its content, design, and makeup.  As is with my life, I want my blog to be continually evolving and be progressionally reinvented throughout time; remaining true to the basic ideological and conceptual design genesis of my blog.  If you'd like to make a suggestion or point out a malapropism, click on the "add your own" link below the entry.  I'm always happy to hear from my readers, friends, and acquaintences.  My best regards, Maarten

MY AOL Profile

Name:  Maarten

Location:  Bristol, VA (Corniche de l'automne), Washington, DC (Columbia Heights), & Miami Beach, FL (SoBe - Parc du Flamant rose) MAINTENANT, je suis dans Washington, DC.

Marital Status: Je suis ne marié pas!

Hobbies & Interests:  Lexicologie, etymologie, cuisine gastronomique, mon beau maison RÉTRO a construit en 1965, en jardinant, voitures, les RedSkins, & la plupart de l'autre Truc du type! Particlarement FF

Favorite Gadgets:    Les Gadgets de la Cuisine des Gadgets favoris depuis j'adore cuisent

Occupation:  Droit international de l'occupation, politique, gouvernement, et affaires!

Personal Quote: Je "Razzle Dazzled 'em" & Ils m'ont Fait UNE Étoile! Éclat de l'éclat!

J'ai un côté artistique . J'aime utiliser cet élément de moi-même pour continuellement évoluer; réinventant moi-même et identité en restant vrai à moi-même. Spiritualité et découverte du soi sont des options uniques pour autoriser nos corps et esprits pour optimiser qualité de vie.

La plupart dit mon style est ne conformant pas unique et mon physionomie est beau, unique, et sexeul! Pas à parle mon sybaritique, sensualiste, hédoniste, & voluptueux traits. Je suis quelle je suis.  Je ne fais pas d'excuses pour moi. Je suis solidement confortable dans mes croyances, moeurs, et moralités. Je suis unapologetic et unempathetic au autre  personnes avec les choix dans mon vie et manière dans laquelle je vis ou les facettes mon vie. Mes choix  bien servi, et à la fin du jour qui est tous qui matières. J'espérerais que vous pensez le même au sujet de vous.

Je VEUX UN LTR, quelqu'un partager moi-même et ma vie avec - un homme qui est un "ACTE de CLASSE"! Quelqu'un avec intégrité forte, intellect, indépendance, et individualité. Un qui est important et quelqu'un qui est sûr dans lui identité

Un homme qui apprécie ma sexualité, personalitie, honnêteté & loyauté. J'ai beaucoup à partager qui la plupart trouverait agréable, excentrique, ecclectic. POURSUIVEZ-MOI! Croyez-le ou pas; extraverti comme je suis, je suis réellement TIMIDE quand vient à la romance.

Je suis 100% ouvert d'esprit, sans inhibition. Sexuellement CRÉATIF, EXPLORATORY, EXPRESSIF, & oui; PLUS IMPORTANT; Un GWM FLEXIBLE, 6'4", 170 #, une penis TRES GRAND, 32w, 42c, Brn/Grn, Je parle quatre langues (l'anglais, francaise, Russe, et Uyghur), et oui, je suis POZ aussi.

Links:  Liens jusqu'à Qu'est-ce que j'ai été? Cliquez ce lien:  These Too, Are The Days of My Life 

The Bandit COW

Word of the day: lexicographer\lek-suh-KAH-gruh-fer\ noun: an author or editor of a dictionary.

Music I'm Listening To Media Cover:    NO ART AVAILABLE. 

Mood:   Happy.

I was happy this morning to find "lexicographer" as being the "word of the day"  I recall how Joe and I one day discussed in depth, how to "label" my hobby, if you'd call it that; at least my significant interest in learning new words and adding them to my daily-use vocabulary.  Initially, we used the word "lexicographer" to describe me, but I don't write, construct, or create dictionaries.  We both agreed that wasn't a correct term to describe my interest.  I'm more geard toward the word and its entimology and not putting together a collection of words.  We concluded that perhaps I'm more of a "lexicologist" than anything else in terms of words. 

Im so tired.  I fell asleep and didn't sign off the computer.  A guy IM me last night who had read my AOL profile and followed it through to my blog and onward to a 501(c)(3) organization in Abingdon, VA whom I have been keeping eye on to see if they won Amazon.com's Innovation Award.  An award valued up to $1,000,000.00  They were one of the 10 finalists and I was proud of them given they are in my home town.  I was one of their cheerleaders, I guess you could say.  Anyhow, the guy prefaced his IM with the statement "I am not gay".  I'm not judging, but I'm glad he read my profile, followed its links to thearea that intimately (not wholly in a sexual way) accounts for how the days of my life are lived, and responded to it.  I don't care in the most microscopic sense whether or not he's gay.  But with him being from that area, I can understand his position given how the community dictates what is acceptable and non-acceptable behavior conduct as it relates to subscription to lifestyles.  That is why I left Bristol 25 years ago to live in Washington, DC.  I wanted to be the driving force behind my choices and destiny, not those around me.  Especially the ones who have all the "ideal" dynamics figured out for me, and none for themselves.

Today, I'm grateful for: My Job!

READERS:  Thanks for reading my weblog.  I warmly welcome your responses to my entries and feedback about its content, design, and makeup.  As is with my life, I want my blog to be continually evolving and be progressionally reinvented throughout time; remaining true to the basic ideological and conceptual design genesis of my blog.  If you'd like to make a suggestion or point out a malapropism, click on the "add your own" link below the entry.  I'm always happy to hear from my readers, friends, and acquaintences.  My best regards, Maarten

Musical Tastes

Word of the day: tintinnabulation\tin-tuh-nab-yuh-LAY-shun\  • noun 1 : the ringing or sounding of bells.  *2 : a jingling or tinkling sound as if of bells.

Music I'm Listening To Media Cover:

Mood:   Content.

To all of you who have been following my blog and my musical tastes, I suppose you think I'm a huge fan of Country music.  Well, I am but, I equally like all genres of music with the exception of Bluegrass (Ding Ding music) and Rap.  I appreciate Bluegrass, but can only tolerate listening to it to the point where it all begins to sound like a rapidly repetitious tintinnabulation of ding-dings.  Likewise, with Rap, I appreciate and respect its roots; however to me it's "protest" music and because of the ethnic divide I've so diligently tried to bridge, I'm unable to relate and fully understand it messages and meanings.

Today, I'm grateful for: My Job!

READERS:  Thanks for reading my weblog.  I warmly welcome your responses to my entries and feedback about its content, design, and makeup.  As is with my life, I want my blog to be continually evolving and be progressionally reinvented throughout time; remaining true to the basic ideological and conceptual design genesis of my blog.  If you'd like to make a suggestion or point out a malapropism, click on the "add your own" link below the entry.  I'm always happy to hear from my readers, friends, and acquaintences.  My best regards, Maarten

Probationary Period Passes, No Pink Slip, Payday!

WORD OF THE DAY:  terra firma\tair-uh-FER-muh\  • noun : dry land : solid ground.

Music I'm Listening To Media Cover:

     

Dave & Sugar:  "Its A Heartache"

 

That Jeannie C. Riley, sure made her mark in pop music with Harper Valley P.T.A.  But while it was like a "one hit wonder", she actually has a pretty nice voice and talent.  Very much American 60's and 70's.    I suppose I'm disclosing my age here with my musical tastes.  CHIC's song "Good Times" was my high school class song.  This song was quite popular in the Spring/early Summer of 1980".

Whew!  I'm glad the employment probationary period both "came" and "went".  Glad it came so that I had a job.  Glad it went so that I know the job is more secure.  I didn't get a pink slip yesterday, nor did my boss "call me in" this morning.   So it appears as though I'm on a road constructed terra firma again, with full steam ahead. 

Today is PAYDAY!  WOOOOOOOOOOOO  HOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Today I'm Grateful for: THE PROBATIONARY PERIOD ENDED!

READERS:  Your thoughts are VERY VERY IMPORTANT TO ME otherwise I'd not open my life to you like I do, particularlyto those of you who have been given the link directly.  I offer my sincere thanks and appreciation for your comments about this posting.  Please click the link below to post them here

Why Do I "Blog"?

WORD OF THE DAY:  celerity\suh-LAIR-uh-tee\ noun : rapidity of motion or action.

When I first started to Blog, I made my first entry under the idea that what I was doing was creating a diary.  A journal.  Notation of a point in time in my life on which to reflect back on at a future date and time.  After the first 20 or so entries, I found that the force behind my continued regular entries had chanaged.  The driving force behind me had unknowingly turned into a theraputic event.  One where I could reach out to friends, strangers, and the universe to discuss the turmoil that I was having to cope with at the time.  That sense of "therapy" has since that point remained the force behind my blogging.  Something I must add which was instrumental in helping me to to stay focused, was the part of my blog where I acknowledged what I was grateful for on that particular day.

Today in the Washington Post, Yuki Noguchi writes about blogging in her report entitled "Blogs Offer Cyber-Cartharsis"  Here's a cut and paste of it.

Cyber-Catharsis: Bloggers Use Web Sites as Therapy   By Yuki Noguchi, Washington Post Staff Writer  Wednesday, October 12, 2005; Page A01

Walker White never kept a diary, but when his wife, Lindsay, was diagnosed with lymphoma in April, he started a Web log.

What began as a message center about tests, spinal taps and diagnoses evolved into a kind of personal journal, he said. "It became pretty clear to me it was an outlet for me," said White, 39, who lives and works in Washington. "I think it made me think through the issue and it made me think about what lay behind us and what lay ahead of us."

The Internet is now teeming with some 15 million blogs. Although the medium first drew mainstream attention with commentary on high-profile events such as the presidential election, many now use it to chronicle intensely personal experiences, venting confessions in front of millions of strangers who can write back.

Nearly half of bloggers consider it a form of therapy, according to a recent survey sponsored by America Online Inc. And although some psychologists question the use of the Internet for therapy, one hospital in High Point, N.C., started devoting space to patients' blogs on its Web site, a practice Inova Fairfax Hospital is also considering.

The patients use only first names on their blogs. Mary, a patient at the High Point Regional Health System, started blogging about ups and downs following her mini-gastric bypass surgery in March.

"Before having this surgery, I could look at the largest person on earth and think I was as big or bigger," she wrote.

The project has been so successful -- both as a marketing tool for the hospital and a form of group therapy for patients who get feedback from their readers -- that High Point is considering adding video blogs, said Eric Fletcher, a spokesman for the hospital.

Most individual bloggers use Internet sites like Google, Yahoo, Lycos, MSN and AOL, which offer free software for users to set up their blog and add or withdraw comments. Blogs are different from the personal Web pages that were popular a few years ago because they are more interactive, designed to look like a dialogue between the blogger and the audience.

Although AOL provides tools that allow bloggers to limit their audience to selected viewers, most don't, said Bill Schreiner, vice president for AOL's community programming. "It's like they're writing the novel of their lives, and [public] participation adds truth to their story."

Blogging combines two recommended techniques for people to work through problems: writing in a journal and using a computer to type out thoughts. Some bloggers say the extra dimension of posting thoughts on the Web enables them to broach difficult subjects with loved ones, as well as reap support from a virtual community of people they don't know.

"I think it's a way of validating feelings. It's a way of purging things inside of you," said Judith HeartSong, a 41-year-old Rockville artist. As a child, she kept diaries filled with anguished accounts of abuse hidden under her bed, she said, but now she posts entries on the Web.

"This month is the third anniversary of my sobriety . . . three years totally free of alcohol," HeartSong wrote in a recent Web log entry. "Next month is the third-year anniversary of my leaving my old life."

Although it may feel good to blog, psychologists warn that going public with private musings may have ramifications, and that little research has been done on the consequences of the Internet confessional.

"I certainly don't advise anyone to do it. They're taking a big risk," said Patricia Wallace, a psychologist and researcher at Johns Hopkins University and author of "The Psychology of the Internet." People open themselves up to cruel comments, and worse: identity theft, for instance, or even losing a job for kvetching about a boss.    

HeartSong said most of her reader comments are positive, but that she does get occasional attacks. At one point, she received so many hostile and threatening e-mails from a reader that she asked AOL to intervene and prevent the man from contacting her again, she said.

Some bloggers are unprepared for the attention and don't realize that what seems to be a disposable medium is anything but.

"It seems that although we tell people that the Internet is a public space, people just don't get it," said Susan B. Barnes, associate director of the Lab for Social Computing at the Rochester Institute for Technology, which studies social issues in computing. A blogger can erase a previous entry, but it's often saved on an Internet server and remains visible for years to come. "If you have a journal, that's your private journal, and it's assumed that you can control your journal. But what if it's online?"

White initially felt cloaked from public view by the vastness of the Internet, assuming that few people would be interested in his inner thoughts. But he was wrong: "You find out pretty quickly that a lot of people you don't expect to read it, read it."

Despite the element of risk, the relationships that develop between the writer and the audience can become very real, said Matthew G. Kirschenbaum, assistant professor of English at the University of Maryland, who studies blogs.

Pamela Hilger, for example, considers herself a member of a very tightknit community of dozens of people who read each others' online journals -- even though, after more than two years, most know her only by her first name.

"My father used to say, 'You don't air your dirty laundry in public,' " she said. Butnow Hilger, who lives in Los Gatos, Calif., said she shares nearly everything online, including photos of scars from the surgery she had after her lung cancer was diagnosed in June. "After I was diagnosed, the first people I turned to are my friends and journaling buddies," said Hilger, who reads about 50 other blogs. "They're never failing with support and encouragement."

Her readers send e-mails if she doesn't post daily messages. Some want to start an online fund to help pay her medical bills. When her fellow blogger's brother split from his wife, several online friends drove hundreds of miles to save the man's dogs from the pound where the wife had left them.

"With my blog, I've learned how to share things with people that are close to me," including her sister and her 14-year-old daughter and 20-year-old son, she said. But of the 6,271 comments she has received over the years, most are from complete strangers who found her online. "Sometimes it's easier to write about it to 1,000 strangers than to sit face to face with someone you know well."

Today I'm Grateful for: For having had this blog available as an option to help me face and cope with the issues I wrote about in its genesis.

READERS:  Your thoughts are VERY VERY IMPORTANT TO ME otherwise I'd not open my life to you like I do, particularlyto those of you who have been given the link directly.  I offer my sincere thanks and appreciation for your comments aboutthis posting.  Please click the link below to post them here.

National Coming Out Day

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A Bully When I was In Elementary School **Caution- VIOLENCE**

WORD OF THE DAY:  harangue\huh-RANG\ noun   1 : a speech addressed to a public assembly.  *2 : a ranting speech or writing.  3 : lecture

This article appeared in The Bristol Herald Courier, October 6, 2005.

This didn't surprise me at all given how I recall his behavior when he was a child of only 8-10 years old.  We both attended the same elementary school.  He was always an exceptionally violent kid to the other students.  I recall one day on the school bus ride home from school, he had collected rubber bands throughout the day and had made an extended type of sling-shot which he devised on the end a hard ball made of rubber bands as well.  I remember him aiming it at a few of the students on the bus, me being one of them.  He used it to injure two students by aiming it and causing it to retract and the rubber band ball struck the two students in the face; one on the forehead and the other on the cheek, just below the eye.  This man was very violent as a child.  I recall it so vividly.

Ruben Travis Fields found guilty

TriCities.com Oct 6, 2:35 PM EDT


Ruben Travis Fields  

ABINGDON – Ruben Travis Fields, 43, was found guilty Thursday afternoon on "Capitol Murder", "Robbery" and "Illegal use of a firearm" related to the shooting death of Conley Jack Peters, a farmer from the Benhams community of Washington County, Va.

Peters, 64,  was shot in the back of the head and neck with a shotgun as he cut down a tree in some woods. The federal jury is now deliberating a sentencing recommendation.

 

***A follow-up Article in the Bristol Herald Courier October 7, 2005.

ABINGDON – Police didn’t find Ruben Travis Fields’ fingerprints at the murder scene.

They didn’t find his DNA.

They didn’t need it.

A jury deliberated a little more than two hours Thursday before finding Fields, 43, guilty of gunning down Conley Jack Peters during a robbery two years ago.

The jury recommended two life sentences in prison, with an extra three years in prison and a $100,000 fine.

Peters’ brother George and sister Elizabeth Clark sat on the front row of the courtroom as the clerk read the verdict. They smiled as they left the courthouse.

"I’m happy it turned out like it did," the sister said. "I just don’t see why it took that long to put him away. He never should have been free to do that."

Fields, who’s been in and out of jail since he was about 12, showed no reaction as the clerk read the convictions – capital murder, robbery and illegal use of a gun. His girlfriend, Judell Millard, sat alone in a corner of the courtroom crying.

Prosecutors chose not to seek the death penalty because the killing didn’t involve extreme cruelty and because Fields lacked a history of convictions for violent crimes, Washington County Commonwealth’s Attorney Dennis Godfrey said.

"We didn’t feel the circumstances would justify the death penalty under state law," he said. "We discussed it with the victim’s family and felt life in prison was appropriate."

Fields, a drug abuser and repeat offender with more than 40 theft and burglary convictions, shot the 64-year-old Peters in the back of the head with a 12-gauge shotgun July 26, 2003, as the farmer cut down a tree in some woods off Wolf Run Road in the Benhams community.

Prosecutors said he wanted the money – about $30,000 – that Peters kept in the pockets of his overalls.

Friends found the farmer’s body later that afternoon with the chainsaw still running beside it.

"He was a good, simple man," Godfrey said. "His life was extinguished by a cowardly act. His final breath was drawn on the cold, damp ground of the land he loved."

Defense lawyers insisted that prosecutors couldn’t prove their case. Steve Milani, state capital defender, pointed to the lack of eyewitnesses and evidence found at the scene – no fingerprints, no footprints, no DNA, no clothing fibers.

"Did you hear any scientific evidence at this trial?" he demanded. "The burden in this case is on them. As soon as you start scratching your head, that’s reasonable doubt."

Damp sawdust and fallen leaves made searching for such clues almost impossible, detectives testified. Most shotgun pellets and wadding can’t be traced, and gunpowder residue disappears in a few hours, said experts from the state crime lab.

"This is not ‘CSI,’ " Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Nicole Price said. "This is not a crime that is neatly solved in an hour."

Investigators never found the money. Fields’ girlfriend said he told her he buried it in her yard in Bristol.

In the end, the evidence came down to Fields’ statement to police – a three-hour tape of rambling, often contradictory answers that even he admitted sounded suspicious – accounts from friends and neighbors who said he flashed wads of cash in the days after the killing, and testimony from friends inside and outside jail who said he bragged to them about shooting an old man.

"I think the jury had to balance all those things," defense lawyer Barry Proctor said. "He was consistent all the waythrough (in denying thekilling)."

Fields admitted to being within a few miles of the murder scene that day but claimed he was there hunting for ginseng and other herbs. He carried his mother’s 12-gauge shotgun with him – something he never explained.

He said at various times that he used the gun as a walking stick, to shoot snakes or to shoot fish in the river. He said he panicked when he saw police cars and fled across the state line to Tennessee, fearing he might get arrested on unpaid child support charges, then turned himself in after learning he was a suspect.

Prosecutors said a story that flimsy amounts to evidence on its own.

"Ruben Fields went hunting," Price said. "But certainly not for ginseng."

She held up Peters’ shoes – the old, tattered brogans he wore on the day of his death.

"This is not ginseng," she said. "It’s like killing a child in the woods. He’s an easy target."

Defense lawyers said they plan to appeal.

No sentencing date had been set Thursday.

Today I'm Grateful for: .TEXT TO BE ADDED!

READERS:  Your thoughts are VERY VERY IMPORTANT TO ME otherwise I'd not open my life to you like I do, particularlyto those of you who have been given the link directly.  I offer my sincere thanks and appreciation for your comments about this posting.  Please click the link below to post them here

What A Beautiful Car

WORD OF THE DAY:  diatribe\DYE-uh-trybe\  • noun   *1 : a bitter and abusive speech or writing  2 : ironical or satirical criticism

 

Music I'm Listening To Media Cover:

Johnny Cash was also known as "The Man In Black", because he always wore black.  He also wrote a song titled "Man In Black".  That song explains why he wears that color.  The lyrics to that song are below:

 Man In Black - Johnny Cash

Well, you wonder why I always dress in black,
Why you never see bright colors on my back,
And why does my appearance seem to have a somber tone.
Well, there's a reason for the things that I have on.

I wear the black for the poor and the beaten down,
Livin' in the hopeless, hungry side of town,
I wear it for the prisoner who has long paid for his crime,
But is there because he's a victim of the times.

I wear the black for those who never read,
Or listened to the words that Jesus said,
About the road to happiness through love and charity,
Why, you'd think He's talking straight to you and me.

Well, we're doin' mighty fine, I do suppose,
In our streak of lightnin' cars and fancy clothes,
But just so we're reminded of the ones who are held back,
Up front there ought 'a be a Man In Black.

I wear it for the sick and lonely old,
For the reckless ones whose bad trip left them cold,
I wear the black in mournin' for the lives that could have been,
Each week we lose a hundred fine young men.

And, I wear it for the thousands who have died,
Believen' that the Lord was on their side,
I wear it for another hundred thousand who have died,
Believen' that we all were on their side.

Well, there's things that never will be right I know,
And things need changin' everywhere you go,
But 'til we start to make a move to make a few things right,
You'll never see me wear a suit of white.

Ah, I'd love to wear a rainbow every day,
And tell the world that everything's OK,
But I'll try to carry off a little darkness on my back,
'Till things are brighter, I'm the Man In Black

__________________________________________________________

 

The 2006 Mercedes Benz CLS500.  Base M.S.R.P. $65,675.00

To me, this is the most beautiful car made in the last 25 years.  Its the 2006 Mercedes Benz CLS500.  I've owned 3 Mercedes automobiles and I'm a big fan of the brand.  Simply because of the design and quality.  NEVER, UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES because of "image" effect.  I went to www.mbusa.com and "Built My Own" CLS500, with my tastes, it would set me back over $76,000.00.  I'll wait like I always have for the "poor (rich) sucker" to buy it, take the whack on depreciation and I'll buy it from him when he can no longer afford to make the payments.  Thats how I've always purchased my cars, with one exception where I got screwed.  Cash Talks!

Today I'm Grateful for: .TEXT TO BE ADDED!

READERS:  Your thoughts are VERY VERY IMPORTANT TO ME otherwise I'd not open my life to you like I do, particularlyto those of you who have beengiven the link directly.  I offer my sincere thanks and appreciation for your comments about thisposting.  Please click the link below to post them here