My January 2010 LIVE YOUR LIFE House / Gay Circuit Mix In Support of Marriage Equality

On Friday, 18 December 2009 Mayor Fenty officially legalized same-sex marriage in the District in a signing ceremony at the All Souls Unitarian Church in NW Washington DC.

The law now will go through a period of review consisting of 30 days in which Congress is in session. If the law passes that hurdle ... as is widely expected ... the first gay marriages in the District could take in late winter or early spring of 2010.

New Hampshire marriage and Austrian civil union laws were effective as of 1 January 2010.

In celebration of the recent advances pertaining the same-sex / marriage equality issue and representing my first mix of 2010 click the cd cover to listen to and/or download my January 2010 LIVE YOUR LIFE compilation which features a house / gay circuit tracklist.

My music mixes make it to Podomatic's "Movers & Shakers" List

I got news this morning that my music mixes podcast made it to Podomatic's 2 January 2010 Movers & Shakers list.

And for 3 January 2010 as well.

1 January 2010 Friday's Photo of the Week

click image

View of Blue Moon from River Park Complex

SW Washington DC . Wednesday night, 30 December 2009

______________________________________________

2010 Fridays' Photos of the Week

A Retrospective of 2009 Fridays' Photo of the Week

Featuring "Return To Innocence" by Enigma as background music and the photography of Elvert Xavier Barnes this photo montage 'retrospective' includes images that throughout the year of 2009 were featured at the Elvert Barnes FREEDOM blog as Friday's Photos of the Week.

Click the cover to view the 2009 Fridays' Photos of the Week retrospective.

26th Mid-Atlantic Leather Weekend (MAL) / WDC . 15 - 18 January 2010

Click banner for details regarding the 26th Annual Mid-Atlantic Leather Weekend 2009 which takes place over Martin Luther King Day Holiday Weekend in Washington DC.

Russell Richards' Moving Sale featuring prints in wooden frames at 1/2 price

Moving to a new studio and trying to unload prints in old handmade wooden frames, Russell Richards is holding a special 1/2 price sale of prints in old wooden frames for the next week or two. Click banner to read Russell Richards' email dated Monday, 28 December 2009 for a list of prints that are for sale.

Lambda Rising's Final Holiday Window Display

Even though my shopping experience at Lambda Rising has not always been pleasant (that shopping while black thang) since first hearing news of its pending closure from the 10 December 2009 Metro Weekly feature article "Book Ends" I wanted to make sure that I captured the store's last holiday window display (designed by Jim Bennett) since its window displays have always been amongst my favorite.

In fact, according to a posting at Lambda Rising's website ... Bennett, who took a leave of absence from the store's day-to-day operations in 1999 but has continued as an officer, will be coming back to the store to install this year's holiday display window. “It's something I've always enjoyed and I know so many customers get a kick out of our campy, kicky holiday displays, so we're going to pull out the stops for this year's,” Bennett said. He added, “I spent 20 years working in Lambda Rising and it was a marvelous experience. The store has touched the lives of so many people - it was never just a bookstore, but always so much more. Every day I went to work there, I knew I was doing something that made a difference.”

Click the image to view my Lambda Rising photo album which features Sunday, 27 December 2009 images of the store's final window display.

For more information regarding its closure visit Lambda Rising's website at With “Mission Accomplished,” Lambda Rising to Close at Year's End.

PETA's fiberglass sculpture, “Ella PhantzPeril,” returns to Dupont Circle

Since her original design by Harry Bliss for participation in the May through October 2002 "Party Animals" public art exhibition in Washington DC the saga of PETA’s sad circus elephant, Ella PhantzPeril—a shackled baby elephant with tears trickling down her face, carrying the inscription, “The Circus Is Coming; See Shackles, Bullhooks, Loneliness … All Under the Big Top”—has had a more than difficult life.

Though the fourth design had been accepted in June 2002 the DC Commission on the Arts filed a lawsuit citing concerns regarding physical aspects of the “sad” elephant design.

On 7 August 2002, Judge Richard J. Leon, of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, granted the injunction and ordered the Commission to include PETA’s entry in the Party Animals exhibit.

On 26 August 2002, the commission filed a motion with the judge asking for reconsideration of his earlier ruling.

Two days later, on 28 August, the court reiterated its ruling in PETA’s favor and denied the Arts Commission’s request to reconsider his previous ruling.

Though, in November 2003, the Court of Appeals would reverse the District Court's order that permitted PETA to have its "sad" circus elephant displayed in the D.C. Party Animals event ... Ella PhantzPeril was on display at the Connecticut Avenue and Q Street overpass in NW Washington DC through October 2002 which was when the Party Animals exhibit concluded.

However, along with Ella PhantzPeril also goes much controversy.

Since her 2002 departure from the nation's capital, Ella has travelled to Bridgeport CT, Tarrytown TX, Union Square Park in NYC (August 2007) and Washington Square Park in Kansas City MO (September 2009).

And while the City of St. Louis MO may have denied PETA's request for her appearance at the October 2009 Ringling Brothers Circus at the Scott Trade Center ... “Ella PhantzPeril,” has returned not only to the nation's capital but, also, to Dupont Circle.

As was observed during my visit to Dupont Circle yesterday afternoon. Which was Sunday, 27 December 2009.

And, when exiting from the Dupont Circle Station's south exit that I'd capture Ella perched at the 1350 Connecticut Avenue Complex between Connecticut Avenue and 19th Street in NW Washington DC.

When I know more details regarding Ella's 'Winter Solstice/Holiday Season 2009' appearance in Washington DC I'll post that information to this blog posting.

Click the image to view my "Ella PhantzPeril" Party Animal Sculpture photo album.

District Safeways Gear Up for 1 January 2010 'Skip the Bag, Save the River' Fee

In compliance with the Skip the Bag, Save the River initiative beginning 1 January 2010, District businesses that sell food or alcohol must charge you 5 cents for each disposable paper or plastic carryout bag.

Introduced by Ward 6 DC Councilman Tommy Wells in February 2009 and passed unanimously by the Council on 16 June the Anacostia River Cleanup and Protection Act, Bill 18-150, was signed by Mayor Fenty on 7 July 2009.

Gearing up for the 1 January 2010 5-cent surcharge on disposable bags, Mayor Adrian M. Fenty on 16 November 2009 launched the District’s “Skip the Bag, Save the River” education campaign.

In promoting public awareness of the bag fee Safeway, CVS / Pharmacy and Giant have partnered with the District Department of the Environment (DDOE).

CVS/Pharmacy is contributing 12,000 additional “Skip the Bag” reusable bags and Green Bag Tag cards, and will distribute them along with DDOE at community events throughout the District. The Green Bag Tag gives CVS ExtraCare members $1 back every four times they reuse a bag. Safeway will distribute 10,000 bags beginning 1 January 2010, when the bag fee is instituted.

Giant Food Stores locations will offer up to 250,000 reusable bags to shoppers for a week starting 1 January 2010 as part of a plan to get residents to stop using disposable plastic and paper bags.

As a major recycler for nearly 50 years and, in particular, since the November 2009 "Skip The Bag, Save the River" launch, District Safeway stores have stocked up on affordable reusable bags which are available to customers for purchase at checkout points.

At the Waterfront Station Safeway in SW DC, two options are available: a regular bag at $1.99 or an insulated bag at $2.99.