U.S Capitol

Washington DC is where I grew up.

Union Station: Metro

Ocean City

Is It Just Me Or Did Ken Lay Get Off To Easy

I feel for the many employees of the Enron Corp. that lost not only their jobs but their savings.

I feel for the Lay family because how ever bad the situation that was created by this man and his staff to hide and steal millions, it still the death of a person.

I also have to say that so many people who were left with nothing were waiting to get justice.

It might also be said that justice was done by a higher power. I just have to question if he got off the easy way?

Goodfellas: Truth or Fiction

I like most man in this world I love sitting in front of my television and watching a great mobster movie.
I have to say one of my chosen for today was "Goodfellas" and after it was done I wanted to know just much of the story was true and what was false. I'll start with Henry Hill the main character who was played by Ray Leota.

This is his Mug Shot before going in to server a five year prison sentence for distribution of cocaine.

Early life
Hill grew up poor in the East New York section of Brooklyn. His father was an electrician, and there were 6 other siblings in the small apartment including a brother who was born with a deformed spine. From an early age he admired the local mafiosi, who included Paul Vario, a capo in the Lucchese crime family. In his early teens, he began running errands at Vario's cabstand and pizzeria, his first jobs included moving the mobster's cadillacs, something that drew the envy of his classmates. The two went on to become trusting business associates. Hill's first arrest came when he attempted to use a stolen credit card to buy tires at a gas station . He was quickly released after the arrest. He dropped out of high school to become a gangster-in-training, because Hill said he saw school as useless. It is known as a childhood precursor of potential psychopaths to play truant from school and many could argue that this combined with suspected undiagnose Attention Deficit Disorder could have formed the sociopath he became.
In 1960, Hill joined the army and was stationed at Fort Bragg for three years. He was a member of the 82nd Airborne paratrooper unit there, and maintained contact with Vario and his other friends in New York the entire time. Hill continued to hustle while in the service, selling extra food, loan sharking salary advances to his fellow soldiers, and selling tax free cigarettes. In 1963, he returned to New York and a life of crime.
Hill, Burke, and DeSimone were entrusted by Vario to steal trucks, plan airport heists (targeting Air France and carrying out 1978's huge Lufthansa heist), and carry out mob killings.
In 1965 Hill went on a double date with Vario's son, where he was set up with his future wife Karen, a young Jewish girl. The two eventually fell in love, and Karen admits she became infatuated with Henry's gangster lifestyle. Karen's mother did not approve of Henry because he was not Jewish, and she was suspicious of his lifestyle and occupation. Karen got a firsthand view of Henry's violent tendencies when he pistol whipped a neighbor after the man attacked Karen in his car. The two first eloped to North Carolina, and later had a large Jewish wedding, to which most of Hill's gangster friends were invited.
Hill started seeing other women, and when Karen Hill found out, she was furious and left him. In order to restore peace in the Hill family, Vario sent Hill and Burke to Tampa, Florida, to recover money from a gambler who owed Vario, while Vario would talk to Karen and convince her to take Hill back. (Tommy DeSimone, a fellow mobster who had a substantial presence in the movie "Goodfellas", had originally been scheduled to fly to Florida instead of Hill, but Vario decided to send Hill instead, at the last moment. DeSimone thus had only a small part in the meeting with the gambler.) As it turned out, the gambler's sister worked for the FBI, who were then able to arrest Hill, Burke, and the others on the strength of her testimony. Found guilty, they were given 10-year sentences, but Hill was paroled after serving only four and a half years. Burke served jail time in Atlanta, Georgia.
Paul Vario, already released before Hill left jail, set up a dummy job for Hill so that he could be paroled.

Fallout between Hill and Vario
Hill had made contacts with drug dealers while in jail. Vario strongly opposed the trade of drugs in his "crew," fearing the extra police attention that would result if anyone associated with him was found trafficking drugs.
The possibility that DeSimone, a man notorious for his short fuse, had murdered William Devino, a "made" mafioso, without Vario's consent, did not help either. Vario began to be blamed by other mafia bosses for the killing, so he began to investigate within his "crew."
Hill, meanwhile, had become a cocaine addict, using the same product he was supposed to make profits from. He had contacts with dealers in Pennsylvania and some other states. His wife Karen also fell into drug use, and family life for Hill — who took care of a disabled brother as well — was total chaos. Hill was dealing in marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and quaaludes. He was also involved in selling stolen military weapons and operating a major point shaving scheme in concert with the Boston College basketball team.
Eventually, Vario discovered that DeSimone had murdered Devino. Vario set up DeSimone to believe he was to be "made," and on what he thought was his initiation day, he was killed. Later information suggested that John Gotti conducted the hit on DeSimone, since Devino was from the Gambino family. Tommy DeSimone's corpse wasn't exhumed until 2004, after J. Gotti's death, at a burial place in NYC called The Hole.
Hill and his family attempted to go on the run, but they were arrested.
[edit]

As informant
Hill chose to become an informant, and he, Karen and their two children (portrayed in the film as two daughters; Hill actually had a daughter and a son) moved to an undisclosed location. They changed their names, and were protected under the U.S. Marshals' Witness Protection Program.
Hill's testimony was important in the convictions of Burke, Vario and the rest of his "crew."

One Of The Last Open Air Markets In The USA:Findlay Market in Cincinnati

Fresh Produce, Meat, Fish, Cheese, etc.

Findlay MarketRace and Green Streets Cincinnati, Ohio 45210(513) 665-4839

It was my senior year in high school and my causin's wife Julia got me the job with Chas Bare Meats. It was hard work but it was so much fun working for this family and working with my hands.

Brookside Garden in Wheaton, Maryland

I was recently taken by my girlfriend to this beautiful place called Brookside Garden in Wheaton, Maryland. I like being outdoors and this place with it's large lakes filled with the biggest goldfish ever. We walked around through the gardens and the greenhouse. I took this picture and I just wanted to share it and show you how great it is.

My Quote Of The Day-

There are some things which cannot be learned quickly, and time, which is all we have, must be paid heavily for their acquiring. They are the very simplest things and because it takes a man's life to know them the little new that each man gets from life is very costly and the only heritage he has to leave.

The Microbrew Lover In Us All

I'm a guy that enjoys going out with friends and sitting in a friendly bar atmosphere and enjoying a nice cold pint. If you like beers of all kinds I suggest trying these great selections I've enjoyed recently.

STOUDT'S DOUBLE IPA: IPAs, or Indian pale ales, are refreshingly bitter: English brewers traditionally added extra hops to help preserve the beers on the long voyage to India. Stoudt's rich, grapefruit-scented ale has even more hops, intensifying the IPA style.

DOGFISH HEAD 90-MINUTE IMPERIAL IPA: This IPA combines dark, malty, caramelized flavors with powerful citrus notes (the name refers to how long the hops are added to the kettle during brewing) Though quite bitter, it's also impeccably balanced.

Stone Ruination IPA: Ruination-so named for the supposed effect ot it's high hop levels on the tongue-is strictly for hop lovers. But those who enjoy bracing, intense, slap-you-awake, pine-citrus flavors will love this potent ale.

AVERY BREWING WHITE RASCAL: Avery, in Boulder, Colorado, produces one of the best U.S. versions of traditional Belgian white ale. Made from wheat and spiced with coriander and Curacao orange peel, it's light, fragrant and refreshing.

A Cool & Refreshing Drink - "FRESCO"

"FRESCO"


Ingredients:
Ice
4 ounces club soda
1 1/2 ounces peach nectar
1 ounce cranberry juice
3/4 ounce fresh grapefruit juice
1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
1/2 ounce Simple Syrup
2 dashes of Angostura bitters
2 thyme sprigs
directions
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add all of the remaining ingredients except 1 thyme sprig and shake well. Strain into an ice-filled highball glass and garnish with the remaining thyme sprig.

I Can't Cook! But I Love Making Salads.

TOTAL TIME: 30 MIN SERVES: 6

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups seedless watermelon chunks (3/4 inch thick)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Champagne or white wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 loose cups baby leaf lettuce or 3 heads Bibb lettuce, torn
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup snipped chives
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/2 cup pitted Picholine olives, halved (3 ounces)

DIRECTIONS:
In a blender or food processor, puree 1/2 cup of the watermelon chunks. Strain the juice through a fine sieve into a large bowl. You should have about 2 tablespoons. Discard the solids.
Whisk the olive oil and white wine vinegar into the watermelon juice and season with salt and pepper. Add the lettuce, onion, chives, parsley, olives and the remaining 1 1/2 cups of watermelon chunks and toss gently. Transfer the salad to a large platter and serve right away.

Being In Love

A few months back I found out that I had cancer. In the first few days after finding this out I resorted to drinking amongst other things. I was at the time in a heavy rut with life and having to deal with this was more then I wanted to bare.
I was working at a small restaurant near my home when she started working there also and we just hit it off. I have to say that to be with her and to hold her makes all the difference in the world. It's about friendship and wanting to know one another. It's about being close and being far apart and still feeling so close to her no matter how far we are. I know this cancer if mine is not her fight - But I know having her in my life and the happiness she's brought into it has created a force field that I know has and will help me fight all that will come my way.
She's getting to go on vacation with her family and she will be missed and I just wanted to post this poem she wrote me just yesterday.

Roses are rojo! Violet is azul! Frogs are verde! I like to play pool! Whenever I'm sad, You always make me smile! I love your hugs And kisses by the pile :-) You have made me so happy I cant even tell you how much I love you my darlingI love you a whole bunch!!

"Rob" aka The Naked Cowboy

In the mid 90's while attending Miami University in Oxford, Ohio I was bartending at TGI Friday's. In the summer of 1996 I met this guy named Rob who was working as a server at the Tri County Mall location. He walked around with his cowboy hat and black vest with the red and white striped shirts and suspenders that Friday's was known for. He had more regulars than I could tell you and kids loved it when he walked around the restaurant with his guitar singing and the lady's loved him also. He's the only person I know that is Black listed from Paul Brown Stadium for interupting a game and the only person who travels the country with nothing but a cowboy hat, guitar, boots, and his tightie whities. He's been on Leno several times and if your lucky you'll see him in New York City and other cities nationwide. He told me long time ago allhe's trying to be is an American Icon and nothing more and if you have never hear of the Naked Cowboy I suggest checking out his website.

The Loss of Loved Ones & Religious Beliefs

We recently lost my grandmother at the age of ninety three. I know she lived a good and long life. I remember her as a very strict and yet loving lady who was always there for you. I don't know if I wo
I believe in God and I try to find him in my own time in my space and not one dictated by Priests, Fathers, Rabbi, Pastors, etc.
I hope her eternal soul rests in peace and that she my find herself with those she lost long time age.
I know that this was really hard for my father and after her viewing the family got together at her house to remember her and look back at a wonderful life she lived.