Peter Tork of the Monkees born 1942

 

Peter Tork, born Peter Halsten Thorkelsen February 13, 1942 in Washington, DC, rose to fame as a member of The Monkees, a television show that aired in the 1960s. He began piano lessons at nine and learned to play banjo and guitar.  Tork joined the folk music scene in Greenwich Village.

Tork was cast in The Monkees with Davy Jones, Micky Dolenz and Michael Nesmith.  He left the show in 1969 and began a solo career.  He appeared on numerous television shows and movies into the 2010s.

He passed away in February 2019 from cancer.

Milkshake by Peter Tork

Celebrating Black History Month: Charlotte E. Ray, first African American female lawyer in the US

On February 27, 1872, Charlotte Ray graduated from Howard University School of Law, becoming the first black woman to graduate from the school.  Born January 13, 1850 in New York City, she attended the Institution for the Education of Colored Youth, now the University of the District of Columbia, one of the few places where a black woman could get an education.

She became a teacher at Howard University, and attended and graduated from the law school.  She was the first female admitted to the District of Columbia Bar, and the first woman admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia.

She opened her own law office in Washington, DC, but practiced only a few years since many people were not ready to trust a black female lawyer. She returned to teaching and working in the Brooklyn school system.

Ray was active in the National Woman Suffrage Association and the National Association of Colored Women.  She passed away in January 1911, after a severe case of bronchitis. 

Celebrating Pride Month: William Dorsey Swann: The first "Queen of Drag"

Not Swann, but an image from a drag ball during that time.

William Dorsey Swann, born into slavery in  Hancock, Maryland in March 1860, is the first person in the US to lead a queer resistance group and self-identify as a "queen of drag".  After the Civil War, his parents bought a farm and began a job working as a hotel waiter.

During the 1880s and 1890s, Swann organized drag balls in Washington, DC and called himself the "queen of drag".  The men attending these drag balls were usually former slaves and rebel drag queens.  These events were very secretive and only communicated by word of mouth.

On April 12, 1888, he was arrested for female impersonation, the first documented case of such.  Swann stood up to the arresting officer and proclaimed, "You is no gentleman."

By choosing to resist instead of go along passively, Swann's arrest is one of the earliest-known instances of violence in the name of gay rights.

The publicity and public shaming made it even more difficult for Swann to throw his secret drag balls.

Swann stopped organizing drag balls in the 1890s, but his two brothers continued to participate in the drag community for almost 50 years.

Swann passed away in December 1925 in Hancock, Maryland.

Happy birthday, Dave Bautista!

Hot, sexy Dave Bautista, my latest obsession, is a WWE wrestler turned actor.  Born on January 18, 1969 in Washington, DC, he began to make his mark in the WWE universe in 2002.  He made an appearance in Smallville in 2006 and played the lead in House of the Rising Sun.  Then he appeared with Vin Diesel in Riddick before joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Drax in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, and the Avengers movies.  He played Rabban Harkonnen in the 2021 remake of Dune and is currently appearing in Glass Onion, a Knives Out movie.  I saw Knives Out so I definitely need to see the next one. 

 

Happy birthday, Samuel L Jackson!

Sexy and talented actor Samuel L. Jackson, born December 21, 1948 in Washington, DC is one of my favorite actors.  He has won numerous awards for his acting and has been nominated for an Oscar.  He's appeared in many of my favorite movies, too.  He has played Nick Fury in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Mace Windu in the Star Wars movies, and he is the voice of Frozone in the Incredibles movies.

Other movies that I enjoy watching him in are Deep Blue Sea, Jurassic Park, and 1408.

Martin Luther King delivers his "I Have A Dream Speech" 1963

Civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his I Have a Dream speech August 28, 1963 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.  He started his speech saying that although the Emancipation Proclamation which freed the slaves, "one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free.". 

One of the most quoted lines from his (or any) speech:
"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. I have a dream today!"

Happy birthday, Space Shuttle astronaut Robert Stewart!

Robert Stewart, born August 13, 1942, in Washington, DC, is a veteran of two space flights.

His first mission was aboard Challenger (STS-41-B) as mission specialist in February 1984.  He performed the first untethered EVAs with fellow astronaut Bruce McCandless.

His second and final mission was aboard Atlantis (STS-51-J) as mission specialist in October 1985.  The mission carried a payload for the Department of Defense.

Stewart is a retired brigadier general of the US Army. 

Happy birthday, Space Shuttle astronaut Frederick Gregory!

Frederick Gregory, born January 7, 1941 in Washington, DC, is a veteran of three space shuttle flights and is the first African-American to pilot a space shuttle.  He was in NASA's astronaut selection class with Ronald McNair and Guy Bluford. 

His first flight was aboard Challenger (STS-51-B) as pilot April-May 1985.  It was the second flight for the European Space Agency's Spacelab. 

His second flight was on Discovery (STS-33) as commander in November 1989.  The mission was for the Department of Defense so we know very little of what the objectives were.

Gregory's third and final flight was aboard Atlantis (STS-44) as commander November-December 1991, which was also a DoD flight.

"Murder At The Green Lantern" by Alex Morgan re-released on Amazon!

My second Corey Shaw novel Murder at the Green Lantern is now available on Amazon!

Here is the link:

Blurb:

After a fetish party at a gay bar in Washington, DC, a young man is murdered and left nailed to a St. Andrew’s Cross.  Paranormal gay sleuth Corey Shaw thinks someone has passed a divine judgment on him, and may be a signal to other gays in the city.  The mystery leads him on a trail from Boston to the halls of the U.S. Capitol Building in DC.   

Happy birthday, Space Shuttle astronaut Alvin Drew!

Alvin Drew, born November 5, 1962 in Washington, DC, is a veteran of two space shuttle flights and during his last shuttle mission became the 200th person to walk in space.

His first mission into space was aboard Endeavour (STS-118) as mission specialist in August 2007 to the International Space Station.  It was the first flight of the Endeavour after the Columbia disaster.  Drew and fellow astronaut Barbara Morgan participated in an education event on August 16 (Day 9) with students in Alexandria, Virginia.

His wake-up songs are two songs I really like: Outa-space by Billy Preston and Learn to Fly by the Foo Fighters.

Drew's second mission into space was aboard Discovery (STS-133) in February-March 2011 to the International Space Station.  It was the 39th and final mission of Discovery.  It completed a cumulative total of 365 days in space.  Drew performed the mission's first EVA on Day 5 with fellow astronaut Steve Bowen.  That is when Drew became the 200th person to walk in space.

Celebrating Black History Month - Alvin Drew, black astronaut

Colonel Alvin Drew, born November 5, 1962 in Washington, DC, is a black astronaut who is a veteran of two space shuttle flights.

His first flight into space was aboard Endeavour (STS-118) in August 2007 to the International Space Station as mission specialist.

His second flight was on Discovery (STS-133) February-March 2011, during which he became the 200th person to walk in space.

Mayors across North America sign Chicago Climate Change

Since the Donald and the TEPA have no interest in preserving our global environment, mayors from over 50 cities from Canada, Mexico and the U.S. signed a formal agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emission in their cities.  They met last week at a climate change summit in Chicago and pledged to meet goals simliar to those in the Paris Climate Agreement, from which the Donald withdrew the U.S. 

President Obama spoke to the assembly, discussing the rising global temperatures, rising sea levels, worsening storms and droughts as evidence of climate change. 

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel touted the absence of leadership in Washington, DC and said mayors are taking the reins to fill a leadership void created by The Donald.  The Chicago Climate Change commits cities to reducing carbon emission reduction targets by 2025.

Read the signed charter and signatures here.

Among those cities whose mayors signed:

Los Angeles
Washington, DC
San Francisco
Mexico City
Montreal
Vancouver
Pittsboro, North Carolina

Here is a complete list of cities that are working to reduce greenhouse gases.

Trump proposes 93% cut to Chesapeake Bay clean up program

In another reversal from his campaign rhetoric, The Donald has proposed a 93% budget cut to the Chesapeake Bay Program, a six-state effort with Washington, DC to clean up the largest estuary in the country.  That would mean a budget of $73M to $5M.  It supports a lucrative fishing industry as well as a favorite tourist destination.

As early as last Tuesday, Trump vowed “to promote clean air and clear water” but he also promised to create jobs.  Not only is he putting clean air and clean water in jeopardy, he is proposing cutting 3000 jobs at the EPA.  He has no plans to keep his promises.

Remember that Scott Pruitt is from Oklahoma, and has no knowledge of how to keep such a large body of water free from pollution.  This could set  clean-up efforts back years.


http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/green/blog/bs-md-trump-epa-budget-20170302-story.html
http://www.dailypress.com/news/science/dp-nws-bay-budget-slashed-20170302-story.html
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2017/live-updates/trump-white-house/real-time-fact-checking-and-analysis-of-trumps-address-to-congress/trump-vows-clean-air-and-clean-water-as-epa-cuts-loom/?utm_term=.6a9c64626d75

First March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights, 1979

The first political rally for the gay community was the National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights on October 14, 1979.  Over 100,000 people, gay, straight, bi and transgendered came together to urge the passage of protective civil rights:

Five demands were presented:
1. The passage of a comprehensive gay/lesbian rights bill in Congress;
2. Issue a presidential executive order banning discrimination based on sexual orientation in the federal government, military and federally contracted private employment
3. The repeal of all anti-lesbian/gay laws;
4. End discrimination in custody cases with gay or lesbian parents; and
5. The protection of gay and lesbian youth from any laws which are used to discriminate, oppress and/or harass them in their homes, schools, jobs and social environments.

The march came at a time after Harvey Milk had been assassinated and Anita Bryant was on her crusade against gays.  According to the Tuscon LGBTQ Museum's website, participants met successfully with 50 senators and 150 house representatives.

Marches followed in 1987 and 1993 but the first one nationalized the gay rights movement from fragmented efforts focused on problems in individual communities.


http://www.infotrue.com/wash.html
http://tucsongaymuseum.org/marchonwashington.htm
http://mallhistory.org/items/show/286

Smithsonian Museum of American History

Our friends Dan, Robin and Ann came down from New York City for the weekend. They wanted to see the Smithsonian Museum of American History so that was our first stop. We entered the National Mall through the Smithsonian Information building, which had winterberries garnishing the wrought iron gates outside.

Fuzzy, Robin, Ann and Dan pose outside the Smithsonian Information Building.

The Christmas tree in the Information building.

Modern art outside the American History Museum.

After touring the 'America at War' exhibit we walked across the hall and were greeted by Dumbo, the former Disneyland ride. I suppose they need some comedic relief from the somber exhibit across the hall.

The Peanuts exhibit.

Four rare Stradivarius.

Dorothy's slippers. (No, we didn't bow down and worship them.)

Rare comic books!

Julia Child's kitchen.

Murder at the Green Lantern - Book Signing!

Come join me at the Green Lantern Bar in Washington, DC June 12, 2010 after the Pride Parade. I'll be signing my latest release "Murder at the Green Lantern" available now at Amazon.com.

Murder at the Green Lantern released April 23

Murder at the Green Lantern, the second mystery featuring paranormal gay sleuth Corey Shaw will be released by loveyoudivine Alterotica on April 23!

Blurb:

After a fetish party at a gay bar in Washington, DC, a young man is murdered and left nailed to a St. Andrew’s Cross. Paranormal gay sleuth Corey Shaw thinks someone has passed a divine judgment on him, and may be a signal to other gays in the city. The mystery leads him on a trail from Boston to the halls of the U.S. Capitol Building in DC.

Excerpt:

As he looked into the room beyond, his breath caught in his throat at the horrific scene just a few feet inside the glass. The young man nailed to the St. Andrew’s cross was naked and blood from a huge gash in his throat drenched the lean muscular body. Nails had been driven through this wrists and feet, which were also bloodied. Corey sickened at the sight of the poor soul.
“We’re calling the night crew to see if they saw or heard anything when they closed,” the detective said when Corey returned to the first floor. “Maybe someone remembers him from last night.”
“I saw him.”
Detective Nash whirled around on him. “You did?”
“For a while,” he answered. “I remember him very well. He was flirting with everyone, including me. Asking for drinks and suggesting that he may reciprocate, if you get my drift.” That memory now seemed to be years ago and the fresh face of the young man was a stark contrast to the ghostly white specter he just saw.
“Not really.”
“Buy him a drink and he may go home with you.” Corey turned to face the detective squarely in the eyes. He understood. This was no mere wallflower. The victim made himself an easy target. If he teased someone and then rejected him, that could provoke a murderous ire in some people.
“Did you buy him a drink?”
Corey glanced at him sharply. That was an inappropriate remark from one law enforcement officer to another. But the detective’s expression showed Corey that he meant no disrespect. Just curiosity. Or was it something else? His earlier question about the Psionic Corps’ interest in the case hinted that he may have misgivings about Corey’s paranormal abilities.
That’s it, Corey thought. Since by his own admission at being at the scene of a crime shortly before it occurred, the detective considered him to be a suspect. He was not offended, because he would be suspicious if the positions were reversed.
“He was so plastered by the time he made it to me, he could barely stand up. I’m not picking up a drunk no matter how cute he is.” Corey spoke matter-of-factly so Nash could get the point. He could tell by the slight change in the detective’s posture and the tone of his voice, Corey thought he did. Even after his stout denial, he didn’t look placated. “But plenty of other guys did.”
“If he was so drunk, why didn’t you offer to take him home instead of having him drive?” Detective Nash asked in a mean voice.
“I’m not a taxi service, detective. He wasn’t showing any indication he wanted to leave, certainly not unaccompanied. I knew he’d find a ride. In more ways than one.”
“Maybe he did but with the wrong person,” Nash grumbled.
Now he’s shifting his anger and judgment to the victim, Corey thought. “He may not have found someone at all.”
“I doubt if they would’ve closed up if there were still customers in the bar, so he must’ve left with someone, who brought him back here and murdered him.”

“It’s too soon to be jumping to conclusions like that,” Corey said, surprised that Nash made the comment.
“So you think it wasn't someone here at the Green Lantern?” the detective snapped.
“I'm just saying we can't limit our search to the guys that were here last night, detective.” Corey responded.
The interrogation of Chauncey was finished and he stood behind the bar as Corey approached. He hurried over, extending his hand. “Hi, I’m Chauncey Avant the manager of the Green Lantern. Did I see you here last night?”
Corey introduced himself and Chauncey’s eyes grew wide in surprise when he heard the Psionic Officer title.
“Do you recognize the victim?”
Chauncey shook his head. “I didn’t see his face.” He shuddered at the recollection. “As soon as I saw…him, I ran out of the room and dialed 911.”
“Remember the skinny twink wearing only red gym shorts and the Celtic knot work tattoo around his right bicep?”
Chauncey searched his memory. “You mean Aiden?”
“Maybe. He didn’t introduce himself to me. Are there many other guys that come in here dressed like that with that tattoo?” Corey gave him a minute.
“It’s gotta be him then.” The manager choked a little as he lowered his head.
“I take it he was a regular?”
“Almost every weekend.” Chauncey pulled himself together. He wasn’t trembling any more.
“Did you know him well?”
“Not outside of the Green Lantern. I only knew him as Aiden. I’m sure there are plenty of guys that know him better.”
Of that, I have no doubt, Corey mused. “I noticed that he was very popular.” He emphasized the last word with raised eyebrows.
“If you mean ‘slut’, yes. He was always bragging about how many men he slept with,” Chauncey said sneering. “I don’t think he ever brought money with him. He always wore those skimpy shorts that obviously didn’t have a place for his wallet. He could get anyone to pay for his drinks. All he’d do is rub that flat stomach and his crotch up against them and he got what he wanted.”
“Did he ever return the favor? Like he intimated to me?” Corey wasn’t ready to admit he almost fell for Aiden’s game.
Chauncey brushed some imaginary crumbs off the bar. “Yes and no. Aiden liked to tease the older guys, the uglier ones, the ones he thought didn’t have a chance in hell of getting picked up. He’d make them think they could take him home, but usually he went after the young, good-looking guys. The muscular, beefy men. Those were the ones he left with.”

U.S. Botanic Gardens - Washington, DC

I came across the U.S. Botanic Gardens yesterday quite by accident yesterday and decided to take a look. It's hard to believe this is across the street from our nation's capitol building. It is a peaceful oasis in a city that is anything but.



"Show me your garden...and I will tell you what you are like."
Alfred Austin - English Poet Laureate (1835-1913)

According to Alfred, we are green, leafy and have lots of purple orchids.

A tea tree.

Bird of Paradise

Lovely chrymathesums

Old Man Cactus

Barrel Cactus

National Gallery of Art Visit

After our long-overdue pigout at Phillip's Seafood Buffet on the Potomac, Fuzzy and I ventured into the city out of boredom and lethargy to cruise the streets. Many times these random meanderings have deposited us in the most wondrous of places Washington, DC has to offer. Today we passed the National Gallery of Art's Sculpture Garden. The Nasher Sculpture Garden in Dallas was a favorite of Fuzzy's, so he was eager to check this one out. As his mutant ability to find parking places once again proved uncanny, we decided it 'was meant to be'.

We stepped into a large garden with beautiful landscaping, decorative flowers and a huge fountain, all broken up by oddly placed blocks of stainless steel, a gigantic typewriter eraser, and one item that was a square of steel with rounded corners. Seriously, that was it. "Do Not Touch the Sculptures!" That doesn't apply to the pigeons, who seem to have the same opinion of the object as I did.

I don't get scuplture.

But I went along for the walk and exercise. We crossed the street to the National Gallery of Art exhibitions. The building is gigantic, which we've come to expect in the nation's capitol. Fuzzy wanted to see Richard Misrach's exhibit 'On the Beach'. The synopsis of the exhibit stated that 'a strange sense of disquietude pervades' the idyllic environment. The pictures were taken in the days following 9/11, and they show the uneasiness in people after the attacks. I saw a bunch of people lounging in the water, sun bathing on the beach and were totally relaxed. I'm so eager to find a beach now!

Although I don't enjoy looking at sculpture, I did enjoy the amazing paintings on display in the Gallery. Works by Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, Monet, Gaugin, Cezanne, and Van Gogh are there for the public to see, free!

The Houses of Parliament, Sunset by Claude Monet

Shipwreck by Claude Joseph Vernet

Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh

In DC, most of the museums shut down at 5pm, so we had an hour to peruse the huge exhibit, and still didn't get to all of it. We set out on foot to see the sights and came upon the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden.

The strangest exhibit I have seen was "The Last Conversation Piece." It consisted of five sculptures with the upper torso, head and shoulders of men and below the waist, they looked as if they had been stuffed into punching bags. Three of these 'men' stood with their heads together as if in a secret conversation while the remaining two stood a distance away from the cluster on either side, looking as if they were trying to eavesdrop.

I really don't get sculpture.

So after a day of culture, I gotta watch some NASCAR or Godzilla movies to counter the overdose.

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Saturday afternoon, Fuzzy and I visited the Holocaust Museum here in Washington, D.C. It is 4 floors of information and sensory overload. There was is so much much on display, so many items to view and media presentations that the brochure suggests that you take 2 to 3 hours to see everything. We stayed just over an hour and that was enough time to see a bit more than we wanted.




The Holocaust Museum sugar-coated nothing. The exhibits include photographs of mutilated bodies, body parts and even bodies of children being used for medical experiments. There are videos of Hitler, Nazi propoganda and murders. When we first stepped out of the elevator onto the 4th floor, the first stop in the permanent exhibit, we heard a woman sobbing. She must have had a personal connection to the Holocaust.

The Hall of Remembrance

The museum is a very solemn place as well. Although the building was crowded, there was very little talking. Any conversation was spoken in whispers as if everyone was afraid to raise their voice to a conversational tone. In a sense, it was out of respect for the dead and in awe of the enormity of such a tragedy.



It is definitely a museum to visit. However, it is best viewed on an empty stomach. But don't worry about being hungry when you leave, because you will lose your appetite, too.