Ever since the opening of The Barracks Bar, J.D. Smith’s Leathersmith business has operated an outlet there selling leather clothing and toys. Unfortunately, we are told that Mr. Smith "forgot" to pay his rent from the space every month for the last eighteen months. Eighteen months!! Can you imagine what would happen if you "forgot" to pay your rent on your apartment for that long a period of time?

Eventually, last week, the owners of the Barracks had had enough and told their tenant that he had to pay up the arrears or make some other arrangements. So he did make some other arrangements. On the afternoon of Saturday, July 15 he arrived at the bar with his associates and removed his inventory! Lock, stock and cash register. J.D. has been a good supporter of events, donating items for auctions and bidding himself on silent auction items at fund raisers. Now we know how he could afford to do that. Meanwhile, look for another tenant of the Barracks leather space soon.

Meanwhile, this past weekend here in our town was the third anniversary of the Palm Springs boys of Leather, and on Friday evening the 14^th the boys had a fund raiser and beer bust at The Barracks, proceeds to go to the Prostate Cancer Fund and on Saturday evening, the 15^th, PSBOL President Henry Jordan handed out certificates of appreciation to those who had helped the boys over the past year. Edward Espindola donated a huge birthday cake in the PSBOL colors, much of which went uneaten because the hot and humid weather kept the crowds down. Even a number of the boys themselves (including the current Mr. Barracks Leather) didn’t attend, which was a surprise. Of course many people were busy with the Wet Party that was going on all weekend and which was very successful, I’m told. It’s not a fetish that I understand but each to his own, right! Just as long as they don’t do it near me, or worse, on me!

Meanwhile, back in Omaha, which was also very hot and humid, it was the annual International Ms. Leather contest. There were only two contestants (from the entire world!) and only two for Intl. Ms Bootblack. What’s going on in our community? The winner was Lady Faye of Dallas, and the bootblack was Max Bettencourt. Amy Marie Meek, who has produced the contest for a number of years, announced that she is relinquishing ownership of IMsL effective immediately. The new producer will be Glenda Ryder of Baltimore. IMSL 2007 will be staged in San Francisco, date as yet unknown to me.

The San Francisco Eagle will be the venue next weekend for the famous S.F. Leather Daddy Contest, which has been held there since it began 24 years ago. The contest was started by the famous and much loved Daddy Alan Selby (the original Mr. S of Mr. S Leathers) as a fund raiser for the fledgling AIDS Emergency Fund. Since then we elected Daddies have raised over a million dollars for the fund, I believe. It’s quite a weekend in San Francisco and many desert residents are heading up there for the whole weekend. On Friday at 9pm it’s the Daddy Contest; on Saturday afternoon at The DNA Lounge it’s the Northern California Sir and boy contest from 4 to 7pm, and all day Sunday it’s the Dore Alley Fair, also known as "Up Your Alley." There’ll be desert representation at the fair, PSLOD will have a booth there promoting their Leather Pride Weekend, so if you go, look for that. I’ll be there helping out for part of the day and will also be at the other events.

Meanwhile, here on August 4^th it’s the PSLOD beer bust at The Toolshed, and the following night there it’s a bare chest night. See you around.