The Dirty Martini Lounge
The Dirty Martini Lounge
Welcome to
With Rob and Craig as Your Hosts
It is always Happy Hour at the Dirty Martini Lounge
Contact your hosts at LevisRob@yahoo.com
Though highly recommended, the consumption of alcohol is not required to peruse this site.
Cocktail Hour
at the DML
Our Boys in the Military
The Dirty Martini Lounge supports our troops. Kudos to these men, in particular, who aren't afraid of creative R and R.
New Halfway House in Alameda?
No, this is not the home for wayward youth. It's the front steps of Rob and Craig's new abode. The burly men and butch women you see here helped our couple move into their home.
"It took less than 2 1/2 hours to move the majority of our items!" exclaims Rob. "My mom even cleared out our closets."
Our pair happened to stumble onto to this rental property. "We weren't looking to move," declares Craig. "In fact, I just happened to be on Craigslist searching for one of my favorite homes in Alameda that happened to be for rent. I clicked on the listing for this rental and the rest is history."
As many of you may already know, Rob and Craig have a lot of possessions (crap). So the move was definitely not a one-day event. With that, the DML would like to give a special shout out to Clarence Jenkins for his tremendous assistance in making this move a success. "Clarence was there practically every day. He always made himself available - and never complained one bit. He is my Godsend," Rob states.
Thanks also to Doreen, Carl, Jimmie, Rich, Mia, Wil, Alice, Will, Joe and Eugene. We love you guys and we couldn't have done it without you. OK, we could have, but we would be either broke or extremely worn out.
Where In the Hell Have You Been?
Rob and Craig acknowledge that the Dirty Martini Lounge has not been updated for quite some time.
We can come up with some very appropriate excuses: We get very lazy during the months of February, March and April. We aren't going to do anything until bank reform is law. With George Bush gone it's hard to get up in the morning.
But we won't.
So to catch up, let's review the year 2010 so far according to the DML.
Craig Turns 50
It was off to Oahu for an extended weekend celebration in March. Our couple enjoyed the Aloha Spirit as Craig reached a personal milestone. In addition to his birthday, Craig and Rob celebrated their 8th year anniversary of being a couple.
Mikes on Bikes
Our couple have purchased bicycles. Watch out Alameda - the streets are no longer safe. BTW, Rob and Craig have found other uses for bikes as shown in the pic above.
Morro Bay
A lovely getaway during spring break was a must. Our duo enjoyed a relaxing bike ride, great antique shopping, picnic by the rock, scrumptuous meals and old movies playing on the TV. Morro Bay is located about 20 miles north of San Luis Obispo. It's a small waterfront town complete with wharf shopping and a quaint main street lined with antique shops and boutiques.
Rob and Mom in Reno
Doreen is shown here doing the one thing she enjoys most while on vacation - in room dining. A great time was had by Rob and mother dearest. In fact, mom hit a royal flush on a video poker machine - ka ching!!!!! We know this pic is not the most flattering, don't tell her it's posted.
Dah Theatah. . .
Who doesn't enjoy a good musical or a suspenseful drama performed on stage? You know that our couple loves the performing arts. In fact, this year they have seen quite a few productions.
Here is the list so far: The Boys Next Door, Oklahoma, Sunsets and Margueritas, Man of La Mancha, West Side Story, Daddy Long Legs, To Kill a Mockingbird and Bus Stop
Yes, We've Moved
We've mentioned it already once, and we are gonna do it again. We moved - yahooooooooo. It's all about space. We now live in a 3 bedroom home complete with one and a half bath, translation one bathroom and one pooper. In addition, there is ample storage space and a great big back yard.
Other features and benefits we now enjoy: Washer and dryer, dish washing machine, ability to hand wash our cars, large kitchen and a cute neighbor.
Gaga For Lady Gaga
From the Philippines to Australia, and then to the MidEast, Lady Gaga is just so darn popular. Here are some videos that show just how far-reaching her global influence has stretched.
Harvey Milk Day in California
May 22, 2010
Today is Harvey Milk Day in California. MIlk was the first openly gay man to be elected to a political office in the great U.S.A. Why is that such a big deal? Being the first of something is always a big deal - think Obama, Thurgood Marshall, Sandra Day O'Connor, Daniel Inouye.
Harvey made it possible for millions of gay men and women to finally say "Someone like me can get elected!" OK, so it took Milk several times to run - and he got elected once San Francisco switched to district representation. The Castro got the opportunity to flex its political muscle and SF could no longer ignore the burgeoning gay power.
Even in his tragic death, Milk's power was evident. Remember the solidarity and grief, as thousands of mourners walked towards ciy hall the night of his killing? Remember hearing the voices of a newly formed choir providing comfort during the vigil? Remember seeing the angry faces rioting in the streets after Milk's killer was acquitted of first degree murder and found guilty only of voluntary manslaughter? Rob of the Dirty Martini Lounge does.
"I was driving home for lunch when I heard on the radio that Milk was killed," recalls Rob. "I had to pull over because I just started crying. I was nineteen, in the closet - and someone I secretly admired and saw constantly in the news was just murdered. My family didn't know at the time how important this was to me."
Gay liberation had just started to sprout wings, and the sphere of Milk's influence was a local phenomenon. Most outside of the Bay Area would not immediately know of him. "So it is with great pride, as a gay man and a local boy, that my hometown hero is being honored by the state," exclaims Rob.
To learn more about the life (and times) of Harvey Milk, the DML recommends the following links:
Living Their Lives - Uplifting Others
With Gay Pride month just around the corner, the Dirty Martini Lounge looks to see who has made an impact on our lives by just living theirs. Harvey Milk certainly deserves the recognition he is receiving. Can you think of others? Here is what the DML has come up with, so far:
Martina
Barney Frank
James Baldwin
Bayard Rustin
Ellen
Hank Plante
Tita Aida
Mr and Mr Universe 2010
14 Year Sentence for Publically Professing Their Love
Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steven Monjeza
The Dirty Martini Lounge asks "Is this what social conversatives in the U.S. envision for our country? Why is our love so threatening?" The DML wants to know.
Malawi, Africa - Steven Monjeza, 26, and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, 20, were sentenced to 14 years of hard labor by Magistrate Nyakwawa Usiwa Usiwa on May 20th, 2010, in the capital of Blantyre. Their crime? - celebrating their love for one another.
"I am giving you a scary sentence so that the public must be protected," Usiwa said. "Malawi society is not ready to see its sons marrying other sons, nor daughters marrying daughters."
Colonial era laws that persecute and religious justification to hate gays, lesbians and transgenders are the norm in most of Africa. International outcry was quick to denounce this outrageous ruling. Even Madonna, who is quite active in Malawi with ophans and the poor, has responded. Add your name on Madonna's website appealing for equal rights and the freedom to love in Malawi.
The Dirty Martini Lounge looks forward to upcoming Pride celebrations. What is happening to Steven and Tiwonge should remind how far we've come in the U.S. We must not take our rights for granted.
Couple to Be Released
May 29, 2010 (AP)
Malawi's president on Saturday pardoned and ordered the release of a gay couple sentenced to 14 years in prison, but said that homosexuality remains illegal in this conservative southern African nation.
Activists were searching for a safe house for the couple, fearing they could be attacked upon release.
Malawi has faced international condemnation for the conviction and harsh sentencing of Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steven Monjeza. President Bingu wa Mutharika announced the pardon, saying it was on "humanitarian grounds only," during a press conference with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in Lilongwe, the capital.
Jailed Malawi is Transgender
“I am just a woman who loves my man. I’d rather remain in prison than to be released into a world where I am kept away from Steven."
Tiwonge Chimbalanga self identifies as a woman. The media (including the Dirty Martini Lounge until now) continues to identify the duo as a gay couple. We consider this as an opportunity to learn more about transgender issues. Click here to read on TransGriot.
LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER PRIDE MONTH, 2010
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
As Americans, it is our birthright that all people are created equal and deserve the same rights, privileges, and opportunities. Since our earliest days of independence, our Nation has striven to fulfill that promise. An important chapter in our great, unfinished story is the movement for fairness and equality on behalf of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. This month, as we recognize the immeasurable contributions of LGBT Americans, we renew our commitment to the struggle for equal rights for LGBT Americans and to ending prejudice and injustice wherever it exists.
LGBT Americans have enriched and strengthened the fabric of our national life. From business leaders and professors to athletes and first responders, LGBT individuals have achieved success and prominence in every discipline. They are our mothers and fathers, our sons and daughters, and our friends and neighbors. Across my Administration, openly LGBT employees are serving at every level. Thanks to those who came before us -- the brave men and women who marched, stood up to injustice, and brought change through acts of compassion or defiance -- we have made enormous progress and continue to strive for a more perfect union.
My Administration has advanced our journey by signing into law the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which strengthens Federal protections against crimes based on gender identity or sexual orientation. We renewed the Ryan White CARE Act, which provides life-saving medical services and support to Americans living with HIV/AIDS, and finally eliminated the HIV entry ban. I also signed a Presidential Memorandum directing hospitals receiving Medicare and Medicaid funds to give LGBT patients the compassion and security they deserve in their time of need, including the ability to choose someone other than an immediate family member to visit them and make medical decisions.
In other areas, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced a series of proposals to ensure core housing programs are open to everyone, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. HUD also announced the first-ever national study of discrimination against members of the LGBT community in the rental and sale of housing. Additionally, the Department of Health and Human Services has created a National Resource Center for LGBT Elders.
Much work remains to fulfill our Nation's promise of equal justice under law for LGBT Americans. That is why we must give committed gay couples the same rights and responsibilities afforded to any married couple, and repeal the Defense of Marriage Act. We must protect the rights of LGBT families by securing their adoption rights, ending employment discrimination against LGBT Americans, and ensuring Federal employees receive equal benefits. We must create safer schools so all our children may learn in a supportive environment. I am also committed to ending "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" so patriotic LGBT Americans can serve openly in our military, and I am working with the Congress and our military leadership to accomplish that goal.
As we honor the LGBT Americans who have given so much to our Nation, let us remember that if one of us is unable to realize full equality, we all fall short of our founding principles. Our Nation draws its strength from our diversity, with each of us contributing to the greater whole. By affirming these rights and values, each American benefits from the further advancement of liberty and justice for all.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2010 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. I call upon all Americans to observe this month by fighting prejudice and discrimination in their own lives and everywhere it exists.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-eighth day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.
BARACK OBAMA
McDonald's Ad in France
Cute TV commercial now airing - is it for a new chicken sandwich?
Craig Loves Grillin' and Chillin'
Alameda, CA -- It's been a month and a couple of weeks since Craig and Rob moved into their palacial estate on the island.
On many warm evenings, the smell of neighborly barbecue smoke would work its way into their home. So it was inevitable that Craig would join the ranks of meat grilling and tong bearing folk by making that major purchase.
After much online research, Craig opted for the Weber E210 Gas Grill. The guy at Home Depot stated that it was their best selling barbecue grill - not necessarily the fanciest of all models, but the Weber name has well earned cache as the Cadilllac of grills. Craig exclaimed "I think the 210 refers to the number of parts."
Craig wants all to know that this was a major purchase, "With tax, this barbecue grill cost $50 less than a used car I once bought."
As you can see on the left, the Dirty Martini Lounge can testify that it was money well spent. "Can't wait for the lamb ka-bobs and the barbecue grilled duck," exclaims Rob.
The DML loves summer cooking and so does Craig.