thomar

hey folks, sorry i've been deep-cover this week. i've been pretty sick all week and my nose just won't stop running! vic- how is my dental toronto-ian doing? he gave me a call the other day and i haven't gotten back to him yet. i miss the t.o. posse:( . so sander k was an absolute mess- i didn't even make it into the main room as i was too drunk and just left- my roomate also lost his wallet and phone on the night- what a friggin' mess! i went some of the gal's family on sunday and her 4 yr-old nephew jumped off the back of the couch and straight onto my "groin area" :balls: so, that's my last week in a small package. hope you all are doing better than me!

i'm just starting to pick up the pace! i do enjoy the Tiny drunk texting!

try rubbing hand sanitizer on your head!

I feel AWESOME today. took Tylenol PMs last night too and i'm still groggy from the whole ordeal. i've also been walking in the rain all day, GK made me lose my keys, and my networking dinner got cancelled tonight. my day = wicked.

So, yesterday I had my first encounter w/ a NYC C-List . . . Jai from "Queer Eye" was outside my friend's building. the girl i was with freaked, but he took it well. seemed like a good guy, and he has a car service:cuss: oh well. (and yes, he did run around a bit!)

So, yesterday I had my first encounter w/ a NYC C-List . . . Jai from "Queer Eye" was outside my friend's building. the girl i was with freaked, but he took it well. seemed like a good guy, and he has a car service:cuss: oh well. (and yes, he did run around a bit!)

i did too. actually i just wanted to be like vic and build my numbers!

4000! :party:

so...

maybe the party could be during the arc-weekender!

welcome back DG!

did anyone else notice we have surpassed 20k views and are rapidly approaching 4000 posts!

Cherry trees, and tourism, bloom in D.C. 2 hours, 20 minutes ago Add Top Stories - Chicago Tribune to My Yahoo! By Kristina Herrndobler Washington Bureau After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, D.C. cabdriver Assefa Feleka parked his taxi and went to work as a mechanic. He didn't want to quit driving, but he said he had no choice--there weren't enough tourists around. • Chicago Tribune home page • Subscribe to the Tribune • Search the Tribune • More Chicago news AP Photo Slideshow: Cherry Blossoms "Everything almost came to a standstill," Feleka said. "We didn't have an income for four or five months, and some people needed assistance just to pay the bills." But the city's famed cherry trees are in bloom this week, and Feleka is driving his cab again because of a resurgence of tourism in the capital. The visitors are a welcome sight in a city that depends on tourism to sustain 260,000 jobs but became almost desolate after the 2001 terrorist attacks and a series of sniper shootings in 2002. Nearly 19 million visitors are expected to travel to Washington this year, said Victoria Isley, a spokeswoman for the D.C. Convention and Tourism Corp. "Immediately following Sept. 11 we certainly saw a tremendous impact on the tourism industry," Isley said. "Now I've heard from our tourism partners that they are seeing an increase in visitors, and that is very important to everyone from a hotel chain that is national in scope to an individual business operator such as a tour guide." According to Justin McNaull, a spokesman for AAA, Washington is not the only city that is expected to experience a welcomed surge of visitors in 2004. "After more than two years of domestic tranquility, Americans are feeling good about getting out and traveling again within the United States," McNaull said. "Additionally, what you are going to find this spring and summer is a significant increase in international travelers to the U.S." McNaull said the weakness of the dollar--and the strength of the Euro--is motivating many Europeans to visit the United States. Many visitors Washington is expected to have 1 million international visitors this year. Chris Bender, spokesman for the D.C. Office of Planning and Economic Development, said the city expects a record number of Japanese tourists to visit for the National Cherry Blossom Festival, which runs through Sunday, and the May opening of the World War II Memorial. Bill Line, a spokesman for the National Park Service's Capital Region, said the service is recruiting Japanese-speaking volunteers to translate for the visitors. Over the past two weeks, tourists have flocked in for the annual celebration of the blossoming of the capital's 3,000 cherry trees. This year's festival also commemorated the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Peace and Amity between the United States and Japan, which officially opened diplomatic relations between the countries. The blooming of the cherry trees marks the beginning of the travel season in Washington, and according to Diana Mayhew, executive director of the Cherry Blossom Festival, a million visitors are expected for this year's event. "We've had fabulous attendance so far," Mayhew said. "Tourism is back." Jack Speake of Dayton, Ohio, came to Washington on business only months after the Sept. 11 attacks, but he wasn't about to bring his family to the city so soon. After seeing the increased security in the capital during later business trips, though, he felt it was safe enough for a family vacation. Although heightened security helped ease Speake's mind, it also has been a bit burdensome. "You used to be able to go into the White House more easily and walk all the way around the perimeter of it and you really felt like you had open access," said Speake's wife, Sandy. "Now you don't have that, and it is a shame for [our children] that they can't have that access that I can remember." The Speakes said the security has resulted in longer lines at museums and ugly fences in their photos, but it also has reduced their concerns. Bender, the D.C. economic development official, said the attacks provoked a strong sense of patriotism in many Americans, prompting them to plan their vacation in the nation's capital. Wanting to learn "People now, because of what happened, are more interested in learning about and experiencing what our leaders keep talking about," he said. "And there is nowhere else you can go and see the Constitution or stand on Pennsylvania Avenue." But for now, the prime segment of Pennsylvania Avenue is closed to visitors. Until next January, the block of street in front of the White House is behind construction fences and protection barricades. But it should be a beautiful and secure walkway in time for the January Inaugural Parade, said Patti Gallagher, executive director of the National Capital Planning Commission. Not afraid to visit Paulo Flenrique Caixeta, a student from Brazil, just completed a work exchange in Virginia and visited neighboring Washington with two Brazilian friends. Caixeta said he was not afraid to come to America. "Brazilians are much more likely to not come here because they can't get a visa than because they are scared of terrorism," he said. "People are crazy about coming here, but they can't get a visa." Caixeta, who had a bag of souvenirs in his hand, said he and his friends were going to take advantage of their trip and tour the East Coast before they head back to Brazil in a few weeks. But they may run into some long lines, as 56.6 percent of Americans said they were planning to take a vacation within the next six months, according to a forecast by AAA. And that is just what tour guides, restaurant and hotel owners, and cabdrivers such as Feleka, are eager to hear.

living with girls can be alright depending on who they are. i agree w/ the GK about close friends to a point- it has worked alright for me and it has ended the relationship at other times. it all depends on the person. also, don't live in VA, bastards don't let you have radar detectors! man, do i miss glenn:blown:

ya, you can get black beaches in hawaii, but the red beaches are rather unique. the water is pretty clear too, but i didn't spend much time swimming around, i was on the prowl for the hot girls in the american express commercials!

not really. beautiful place though. best sunset i've ever seen was on top of the cliffs. mykonos is where all the clubs are.

oh ya, sander's accent is there, but it isn't too bad. most dutch that i've met speaky-da-english rather well. dutch is such an ugly language it's better to trade up to english!

hi. i was going to respond to something, but now i forget. oh well!

i'd do it! but only for you. i'd charge vic.

Twist hosts 10 Hours, 10 DJs on Sunday. http://www.clevescene.com/issues/2004-03-24/urban.html/1/index.html

did i forget to mention, that i was in scene magazine while i was home (think city paper). it was a bit random as the editors just found it and used it for a party i used to play at. lemme see if i can find it.

Infidelity Stories May Hit Beckham's Endorsements 1 hour, 41 minutes ago Add Sports - Reuters to My Yahoo! By Trevor Datson LONDON (Reuters) - When England soccer captain David Beckham joined the Spanish team Real Madrid in June last year, he was signed as much for his marketing potential as for his athletic skills. Reuters Photo But as the media hype surrounding the state of Beckham's marriage to pop star wife Victoria reaches fever pitch, the board at the Bernabeu might be wondering whether their 35 million euro ($43 million) investment was a wise one. "This is potentially damaging to the Beckham brand," said John Allert of branding experts Interbrand. "A large percentage of his earnings are derived in the Far East and North America, where such alleged indiscretions are viewed far more seriously. People like him need to remember it's the public that build their brands, and it's the same public that can easily kill them off by voting with their feet." Beckham, whose brand value was recently estimated at more than $370 million, has a string of global endorsements to his name, including PepsiCo, Vodafone, Marks & Spencer, Siemens and Adidas. These image rights have helped him earn a personal fortune in excess of 50 million pounds. But as tabloids across Europe burrow into allegations of an extramarital affair between Beckham and his former personal assistant, Rebecca Loos, the gifted midfielder's value as an icon of sport, fashion and family values has been called into question. Despite repeated denials from both of the Beckhams and a public display of family unity on a skiing holiday in France, the couple looked unlikely to stem the flood of media coverage surrounding the affair allegations. BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM? A spokeswoman for 19 Management, the Beckhams' commercial agents, said the stories "should have no effect of any relevance" on ongoing or future sponsorship deals. And one source close to the matter said none of the corporate backers had made any contact with the Beckhams or their representatives regarding the alleged affair. This was certainly the official line from the sponsors. Adidas-Salomon, which recently extended its contract with Beckham until 2008, and has launched a personal logo for the Real Madrid star inspired by his famous free kicks, declined comment on the potential brand impact of the allegations. "David will of course continue to wear Adidas boots as per the terms of his contract with our company," spokeswoman Anna Putz said, without specifying how much the contract is worth. Vodafone, which once described Beckham as a "lifestyle icon," said the allegations were a "personal matter," and refused to say whether his two-year television advertising deal would be renewed. "It's for David Beckham to deal with and respond to, and nothing really to do with us. We would just be adding to the speculation if we made any comment," a spokeswoman said. Beckham endorses and "has some design input into" the DB07 range of children's wear sold at Marks & Spencer, the British high-street fashion and household goods retailer. A spokeswoman for M&S said the DB07 range, which hit the stores in September 2002, was selling well and that "anything else he does is none of our business." "We're very happy with the contract we've got," she said, but wouldn't comment on the value of the deal, which has about a year to run, or whether it would be renewed. BOUNCING BECKHAM Interbrand's Allerton said the real issue for the strength of the Beckham brand was not whether the soccer star had or had not committed an indiscretion, but how the fallout was handled. "Whatever the truth, so long as the response is seen as honest, transparent and dignified then the Beckham brand should be able to bounce," he said. "If we look to other celebrity brands like George Michael or even (Australian cricket player) Shane Warne, a crisis well-handled can result in undiminished brand health, but conversely a crisis handled like (Argentine soccer star) Maradona's drug allegations can spin a brand off into a financial black hole." But for some, perhaps, there is no such thing as bad publicity. Publishers Harper Collins, which will later this year publish an updated paperback version of Beckham's autobiography "My Side," will surely benefit whatever the outcome. The company declined comment.

yup! especially zabiela, gerrard, louth, etc. btw, muzik went outta business about 6 months ago!

gu bd is back!

PVD is also playing a little place called "Cleveland" on 4/20! and yes, i do look quite hot in my shiney pants!