Ezine
February 19th, 2001 • Issue # 46

Notes: This week we're featuring the Downstairs floor of the Chathouse.
-I've been trying to come up with ideas for our One Year issue that is coming up in April, any ideas would be appreciated. You can either email me at ch_zine@hotmail.com or you can post in the Ezine forum. Ideas that have been come up with so far would be to re-run all the featured homepage addresses and let the readers vote on which is the best for some kind of award to be placed on their page. Another, to re-run all the interviews, not sure this is wise considering some are quite old now. So, tell me what you think please?
-Also, if there are any topics you'd like us to focus on in the future or questions you have about Chathouse, please email them either to me at ch_zine@hotmail.com or, if there is a specific write you'd like to see write about a topic, email them. The addresses are as follows: chatdominatrix@hotmail.com - dear2c@hotmail.com - angelthoughts_zine@hotmail.com - ladygreeneyes_zine@hotmail.com and we'll try to get on it in a future issue.
-Chances are the Ezine will be in search of a new editor soon. If you have any thoughts on this issue please email one of us. The person would have to be willing to visit other floors, look into minor Chathouse issues, read and reply to email and must be trustworthy and fair as well as HTML literate. At this moment I can't be positive about this, but it is a clear possibility. Thank you.
-Keep our Chathouse free and click on those ads!!! Happy Reading~ Michie

Page 2:
Chat Dominatrix
Horoscopes
BIT ®
Featured Chatters
another link to page 2 can be found at the bottom of the zine.

WWF
Matt & Lita
~*Chat Diva*~

For those of you who watch the World Wrestling Federation on Mondays or Thursdays or even buy the Pay-Per-View events, this probably came as no surprise on Monday Night RAW. I say it's about time that some of the real couples are brought out into the spotlight! The story lines show the owners spoiled, over appreciated daughter Stephani as being wed to Triple H when behind the scenes the truth is that she is shagging The Olympic dork, Kurt Angle and Triple H is actually doing Chynna. It's true, it's damn true! To those of you who believe everything you see this must all be very surprising! Want another surprise? Latino Heat and Chynna were never even a couple and certainly never engaged! While it is true that she was in Playboy, I'm willing to bet that it's also true that every member of RTC (including Ivory) probably have a copy of the rag at home.
I'm sure Monday Night RAW was heart-breaking for all you hard-core Lita fans or Matt Hardey fans like myself, but the truth of the matter is that they've been together behind the scenes for quite some time and I think it's wonderful that the WWF is finally allowing real relationships into the open instead of forcing everyone to know their role. If you watched the show last night I'm sure you also seen King Jerry stand up for Kat and her Right to Nudity (which, by the way, I am against due to the fact wrestling has so many younger fans). What's the truth behind that? The truth is that they are also a couple!
Matt and Lita's first high profile public kiss was great! I cheered and jumped out of my chair crying "it's about time!". I've never been happier to see a kiss on the WWF! Now, if they can only find me a spot in the WWF and in either Billy Gunn's or Jeff Hardey's life. Of course, I'd truely prefer Steve Austin or The Rock but Austin is with the woman with the Puppies (I forget her name) and Rocky I believe is married. Such is life.

My Two Cents

by My2CentsDealW/it!
Dear2c@hotmail.com

My Two Cents
Goes Downstairs

Well the day came that I thought would never come. I went to the Downstairs Floor. The floor is known for it's "lifestyle oriented" rooms. That lifestyle being BDSM, or Bondage Discipline, Sadism and Masochism. In other words, the whips and chains crowd. I won't get too much into the lifestyle, other than to say that it is prominent on the floor and from what I saw, it is NOT stereotypical of most people's impression of the lifestyle. If your interests lean that way, or you think you might have those tendencies and/or want to explore it, the Downstairs is where you want to go.

As for the rooms and the people, I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised at the friendliness and openness of the rooms and the people in general, with a few exceptions, but that is to be expected anywhere. First, let me give you a quick run-down of the rooms. To begin with, there are several small rooms (2, 3, 8 10 slots) which are geared toward the obvious, more intimate interactions with a certain someone or a special few. Of all the rooms, it seemed that every time I visited, the main ones almost always occupied were the Last Call, the Chamber and the House of Lords, although I did manage to catch a full house in the Vortex as well. One thing that was common among all the rooms was a warm welcome and friendly chatters. As for the rooms themselves, here are my impressions:

Last Call: This was my first stop and it was a very friendly room. Everyone seemed quite talkative and friendly, not only to ME, but to everyone that walked in the room. From some of the handles and tags I saw, it was obvious that many of the Last Call Chatters were also chatters in the BDSM rooms, but in the Last Call it was not mentioned while I was there and the type of chat was much more generic and typical of chat rooms in general. When I entered the room, not only was I warmly greeted, but I had no trouble at all being involved in conversations. A room that I would definitely recommend for anyone.

~special note: In the Last Call forum, a string caught my eye, probably because of the My 2 cents in the subject line. It talked about how many of the chatters who have been around for a while tend to forget how to welcome newcomers. This is something I have watched happen over the years that I have been in the Chathouse as well. As we develop friendships and our own little circle of friends, we eventually reach a point where we literally do not have time or room for another friend or acquaintance. Although, some people are just plain rude, I believe that many of us fall off the Welcome Wagon more as a matter of necessity than malice. To this day I still remember my very first visit to the Chathouse and I remember the very first chatters that began a conversation with me. I also remember if she had not spoken to me when she did, I would have left the Chathouse in the next minute or two and never returned. This was not a problem at all when I visited the Last Call, but it seemed worth mentioning for ALL to take into account when meeting Newbies in the room, ANY room.~

The Vortex: Another extremely friendly room. Very welcoming and easy to chat in. This room claims to be BDSM lifestyle oriented, but not strict or dedicated to the lifestyle exclusively. The description of the room that I got over and over again is "Friendship lifestyle oriented". Some of the regulars that I spoke with told me that although many of the regulars participate in the BDSM lifestyle and take it very seriously, it is not the main focus of the room. They openly welcome anyone that cares to visit, with the only stipulation being that they are respectful, whether they agree with the lifestyle or not, the spirit of friendship is their driving motivation. Anyone interested in the BDSM lifestyle, I would recommend this room for starters. It is only a 10 slot room, so it is cozy without being overwhelming and the people are very friendly. It will give you a chance to talk to and get to know some people who live that lifestyle, ask questions and play around a bit without taking it too seriously. They made me feel very welcome, even though I felt like the Missionary that the cannibals invited to dinner, jokingly of course! ~L~ Even if you have no interest in the lifestyle, it is a fun and friendly room that I would also recommend to anyone.

The Chamber: I ran into a bit of attitude upon first entering the Chamber. It seems that some had a bit of a problem with the way questions were phrased by Chat Dominatrix while she was there. The Domme that I butted heads with over that issue was obviously used to dealing with submissives which resulted in a little animosity and snippiness at first, which I am sure was probably the problem that Chat Dominatrix had with her as well, but once we got past that we got along great. The chatters in the Chamber take the lifestyle much more seriously, in their chat at least, than the Vortex. Here is where I first encountered what is called a "public scene". This is basically the acting out of a BDSM scene in public, which is done for several reasons. These reasons range from the "pleasure" of it to educational scenes for the benefit of those new to the lifestyle. I was given the opportunity to see one of these public scenes to better understand the lifestyle and the scene was followed by a discussion of the scene. I must admit it did not at all match my stereotypical impression of the lifestyle. Once we got past the initial attitude I encountered, it was a very interesting and educational experience. The people were quite friendly and not at all hesitant to talk about the lifestyle and why they like it. Many I spoke with even told me they had never had any interest in that lifestyle, but merely chatted there because of the friendly people and discovered an interest in the lifestyle afterwards.

House of Lords: This room, in some ways, is a bit more serious about the lifestyle than even the Chamber, and in some ways it is far less serious. They have chosen to put a rather presumptuous disclaimer on the sign in page. They also have an organized Council and Family within the room. When I first entered the room, I was warmly welcomed and several were more than happy to try and answer my questions. At least until I began to question their Council/Family. In all fairness, though, it was about that time that an old adversary of mine from the War Room came in, with War Room wounds apparently still fresh in mind, and began to poison the room towards me. It seems we had tangled in the War Room some time back and he still had that chip on his shoulder from being soundly tongue-lashed back then. So, with my questioning of their Council/Family and his ranting, my information gathering was completed. With that, I am left with very little information to base an opinion on except for my first impressions and some impressions I gathered in reading their forum. The House of Lords seems to be a more cliquish militant group. To truly be accepted in the room, you must be accepted into the family, by what criteria I don't know. One interesting thing I did notice though was in the forum. I recalled some time ago, Chat Dominatrix mentioned something about an issue in the Chamber's forum dealing with handling the lifestyle around their children. It contained some very thought consideration of the subject and showed their caring for their children mental and physical well-being. While in the House of Lords forum I found a joke posted pertaining to how you know your kids have picked up the lifestyle. It talked of kids doing body cavity searches while playing cops and robbers, and telling your kids they are too old for spanking and them arguing that they are NOT too old. I did not get the same sense of seriousness from the House of Lords that I got from the Chamber. Whereas the Chamber openly and seriously dealt with the Dominant/submissive lifestyle, the House of Lords seemed to me to have a more Domineering attitude.

As for the lifestyle itself, I do not at all agree with it, but for the purposes of this article, I set my personal beliefs and feelings aside and attempted to form an objective perspective of this floor and these rooms. One thing all the rooms did have in common was very friendly and talkative chatters. I learned more than I ever cared to know about the lifestyle itself, but that is another article entirely. ~L~ Suffice it to say that the Downstairs is overall a very friendly floor for all it seems, with an abundance of chatters from the BDSM lifestyle if that is an interest that you share.

But Hey, that's just My Two Cents!

So, what have you got to say?

Let me know and I'll tell you if it's worth 2 cents!

Dear2c@hotmail.com

*note: all names and handles will be changed or removed to protect the pathetic*

Valentines Day Wedding

We recieved an email from a downstairs C/chatter informing us that there would be a Valentines Day Cyber wedding, but I was never able to catch the two involved in the Chathouse anytime I was on. Trumpit and temptress moon were the handles I was given, T/they were to celebrate T/their relationship and T/their bond on February 14th (last week) and though I was never able to catch either of T/them I'd still like to send T/them a good luck wish and give them a message:
Congratulations!!!!from all of us here at the Ezine.
Best wishes to Y/you both. If either of Y/you would like to write a short story about how Y/your online relationship has been successful for the Ezine, please do!! *S* ~Michie

Current Events
In Memory of..
Dale Earnhardt Sr. (1951-2001)
by Ocelot

On Sunday, February 18, 2001, Earnhardt lost his life in a turn four accident on the final lap of the 43rd Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway.
Dale Earnhardt will remain in race fans hearts. There was no gray where he was concerned.. either fans loved him or they didn't. But all respected the many accomplishments he made.
The 43rd Daytona 500 was Earnhardt's 676th Winston Cup start and the 648th consecutively. Through the years he amassed a total 22 poles, 281 top-five and 428 top-ten finishes, and total winnings of $41,445,551.
If you're anything like my family, these guys came into our living room every sunday. Dale Earnhardt is NASCAR. It won't be the same to tune in next Sunday or actually be at a race, gripping the edge of your seat, waiting to see what that black #3 racing up the track is going to do next. Not everyone agreed with his racing tactics, his "friendly lil bump & wave" (as i like to call it), but none can argue, he was one of the BEST drivers out there.
Dale Earnhardt is the 4th driver in the last 10 months to lose his life on the track. Adam Petty, Kenny Irwin and truck driver Tony Roper also lost their lives. They all died from the same type injury basilar skull fractures or similar conditions.
It's ironic, that although Dale loved what he was doing, he has been against restrictor plate racing from the get go, now maybe NASCAR will take a step back rethink not only that issue but saftey precautions as a whole.
Earnhardt was a fan's man. His smirk, the devilish twinkle in his eye his huomr..and yes even HIS style of driving will be missed.
In many sports a Legend's number is retired, I think the #3 should be retired, I for one could not stand to see another driver wearing that number.
Many tears are being shed for this man, he touched many lives. His spirit will live on, NASCAR will not be the same without "Ironhead" roaring down the track.
To Earnhardt fans, Dale Earnhardt Inc, Richard Childress Racing..most importantly his wife Terry and family...My familes thoughts & prayers are with you.
The intimidator...he gave us some of the most exciting races in history many laughs & many memories to cherish. Godspeed.
A quote from one other NASCAR driver Johnny Benson (Valvoline) i think sums it up pretty well
``NASCAR lost its greatest driver and probably the greatest driver it will ever have. My heart goes out to his family, his crew, his friends and his fans. There is no better group of fans in our sport
and I feel for them. Our sport will go on, but I don't think it will ever be the same. NASCAR is about family, and I can't think of a time in its history when it needs to pull together like a family.''
- driver Johnny Benson.

Long Distance Relationships Activity
LadyGreenEyes™

Valentines Day has just given us an opportunity to celebrate our relationships. But we shouldn't have to wait another year to have a formal celebration of our relationships. This is why this weeks activity is to choose a day of the month that is special to you and your partner and then celebrate your relationship on that day every month.

Downstairs
MichiganStorm™

Well, first I must admit that I've been to the Downstairs rooms a bit before, I've even had a feature in one of the early issues about The Last Call. I've never been let down on any of my many ventures to the Great Downstairs. Every time I've been down there, every time I've just popped in a room, even the rooms I don't quite fit in with the other clientel, I've always been welcomed. I always get a hello within a few posts and always get at least some replies to my questions or posts. Due to my lack of chat time recently, I only ducked into the busier rooms when I had time to go in at all.
•The first room I went into during my wanderings was The Chamber. Right away I had a slight problem with Dallas, my 7 week old puppy and timed out chasing him around. When I re-entered I was welcomed right back into the room and another concerned chatter even asked if everything was alright. I ended up having quite a conversation with one chatter (I did not get the chance to ask him if I could use his handle here) about breeds of dogs and pet preferences. He was a very nice guy and I hope to run into him again sometime. When I asked about the room, if anyone had anything to say, I was given a few ideas for any new chatters who might be considering stopping by:
1. Read the FAQ page! 2. It is an ADULT room, you must be 18 to enter. 3. You should understand that it is a D/s BDSM room and if you have question about what that means you should either refer to the FAQ page or www.CastleRealm.com. I'd been in the Chamber before and have never been dissapointed, even though I am not into the D/s thing I was still welcomed into the conversations and not treated any differently than they treat each other. I'm always impressed with this room! When another chatter told me she'd been in the Chathouse since '96 she also told me she used to have something like a subscription. She paid Chathouse and recieved a T-shirt and a few other things, among them a few extra features, she said she did to support Chathouse. I told her that she was one of the very few I'd ever met who felt this way, who'd actually gone out of their way to support Chathouse, one of the few who understood that chatting here would not be free if it wasn't for some kind of support. Of course this conversation led to us discussing Channelx and the First Floor. I mentioned that many chatters from the First Floor were really upset with Chathouse for the changes made to the floor as well as the creation of Channelx and many felt that Chathouse was only interested in the money. "But," I said, "if it wasn't for the money and the sponsors they would no longer be able to offer free chat." She agreed and said that she'd even been in arguements with some of the First Floor chatters who just didn't seem to understand the issue. I guess I don't see why it is so difficult for some to understand. Channel1 is a business, owned and operated by people who need to get paid. A business is usually created for the making of money and is run on money and manpower (which has to be paid for). If said business gives a free service (such as chat) then they have to make their money via sponsors or supporters. Thus said, if they want to keep their sponsors or supporters they must first keep them happy, by doing so they can continue to offer us the free services and that keeps most of us happy. Sorry, I strayed a bit.
•The Lipstick Beauty Salon was another of my stops. This was the most chatters I'd seen in the room in a long while, so I stopped in. However many people there may have been the only posts I seen were the ones I made the entire time I was there. I guess this meant they had nothing to say to the Ezine about the Chathouse or their room.
•The Last Call was another of my stops, as I mentioned earlier I'd been in this room various times before and always have a good time when I stop there. The group of chatters you'll find in this room is usually easy going and relaxed, easy to get along with and good for a chat. I asked a few people for their input on the room and come up with this:
#5: gazzer(#881200 )
Michigan, well, Last Call, feels like home and it is so great when our old friends show up and we can chat and share, also is a real pain when some come in just to stir up trouble. I have made so many great friends here that I have met and had in my home that I will always have fond memories of this room.

#6: ~Chasity~(#502327 ): I started chatting in the last call three years ago, and have met several of the last call chatters in person. This room is like family, and like the theme to cheers - this is where your friends are, and everyone knows your name. *BS*

#2: bombshell(#1411557 ): I started chatting on the first floor in the tub..somehow I ended up here and never left. The people are so friendly here..*S* I have made quite a few friends in this room

#1: LeatherMan(#687496 ): MichiganStorm well this is the room where I have been chatting for going on ... dang 4 years I think ..

•I'm afraid those are the only rooms I made it into this time around. Maybe at a later date I'll take another tour of the floor and write something else, but for now this was all the time I could afford. Happy Chatting and don't forget - where ever you feel most comfortable chatting is probably going to be the room you return to most. Make the most of chatting and take it for what it is, most everyone is here for the same reason: to have a good time!!

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