I new about the purple heart - LJ mentioned it one wine soaked night. I also knew he'd been a form of LE, as we both shared that somewhat proud but jaded distant history. Salty and gruff, yes, but kind and fair to a fault as well. Only a man very comfortable in his skin can marry those traits and pull it off.
My early posts of TER can probably best be described as exuberant. I pretty much managed to irritate across the board, and it only got worse when I jumped into a fray (to a lady's encouragement) with some asshole named Smarty. After the smoke cleared, I got a PM from the guy that he wanted to buy me lunch and a beer, and I'd trusted him ever since.
He described himself in his PM, and I kept it for it's prose and honest self analysis.
Mark's words:
"... Nobody is king of the Las Vegas discussion board. I have said this to others many times when accused of one thing or another. I am also a humble enough person to admit where I have done wrong, and have apologized on several occasions. On the flip side, if I am attacked and especially by some moron alias I will likely tell them to piss up a rope. Clearly I lack your spirit and mastery of the language in that area. But hey, that’s cool. No harm no foul.
One thing about discussion boards and especially ones where the people socialize also, there are a lot of underlying factors between the words that many people just reading cannot see. That’s because they don’t know the background. Often those complaining the most have never met any of the real active members of the board."
He went on to refer to himself as "59 years young and love the hobby".
"... I am who I am and make no excuses for it. Where is the pitcher of beer?"
Just to your left, Mark. Got it? A toast, then: To all the women you didn't meet, but meant to someday....
I'll catch up to you in a few more years and look you up.
At the risk of abusing my power as a moderator, I wanted the opportunity to share some memories of my friend Smarty. He was practically one of the founding fathers of TER Las Vegas, or at least he seemed to be. Friends used to refer to him as KOVB - King of the Vegas Board. Simply put, nothing got past him. It didn't matter whether it was a guy making an ass of himself, or a ripoff gal trying to scam the place, he was Johhny on the spot to bring it to light. He used to post a hall of shame regularly, highlighting the ladies that were ripping off unsuspecting newbie hobbyists. He moderated this board for a time, and positively surprised a lot of us at how even-handed he was at it. He ran an agency for a short time, with some gorgeous women at his side. We loved when he'd bring them along for a birthday dinner. He left here for a while to start another board, which is still going these days. He gave more than a couple ladies their first review, and I know they were forever grateful for his fatherly hand and advice. He pissed off a lot of us when we would do battle, but all too often it was because we knew he was right, in spite of us not wanting to admit to it.
He had his demons, and those of us that really knew him heard about them. Still, he captured them as lessons and tried to help others with the benefit of what he learned. I just found out two things about him today that I was unaware of...he was awarded the Purple Heart and he had also been a cop. Who knew? He also shared a birthday with another Las Vegas legend, Nikki Avalon.
I'm forgetting so much, because there was just so much to remember about the guy.
Please feel to add your own memories of the big lug. We're gonna miss you Mark.
was on the DC board. Every time I posted a touring advert he would post some sort of remark that I of course misconstrued as a negative when in all actuality he was really just flirting with me. We sparred back and forth for a few months until I introduced myself to the Las Vegas community. He sent a very nice pm introducing himself and asking if he could see me. I thought he didn't like me but alas it was like back in grade school...he really did like me. lol
Smarty and I went way back as many of you did as well and he was always there to lend an ear and help me out. The list is long of all the things he did that endeared his grouchy old ass to me but deep down he really was as softy although few were ever really let in to see that side of him.
I will miss his salty posts and his straightforward approach to life but I know that I am better for knowing him in this ever so brief 6 years and will miss him dearly.
I have known and worked with Smarty for several years. He knew that i built my own computers and fixed them myself so he would consult with me whenever he screwed his pc up. Fairly often too. Then he decided that he would would build an escort site and hemmed and hawed about how he needed help with it. Eventually i agreed to help him with it and the first of 4 sites went up until he finally settled on the current one. Smarty wanted no drama on his site so he posted that it was a no drama site. All he wanted was a friendly site where ladies could feel safe and most people were reputable.
We communicated almost daily and several times a day up until the day he passed away. I knew how he suffered for the past several months with numerous trips to doctors and hospitals. Still aside from from letting me know what was happening, he would get back to work on his site and was still creating more sites. A few weeks ago he had a heart attack and had several blockages in his arteries. The docs were still deciding what to do when he passed away.
As Sara posted Smarty couild have a sour disposition and was snarly so we had our share of knock down drag out, name calling conversations. The next time we talked, that was all forgotten.
I will always remember Smarty as a brave trooper who in spite of his problems kept plugging away till the very end. There was so much more to Smarty than i can put into words. One thing i will always remember are my trips to Vegas and going to lunch or briunch together every time.
Another Smarty story. We were chatting on im and Smarty said i haven't seen anyone in a long while, who do you recommend. I said go see Ashlee, a K-girl whi did incalls, so he gave her a call. She did not return his call so he said "NEXT". I told him, let me see what's going on and called Ashlee. She said she doesn't see locals and i told her Smarty is a friend of mine and would appreciate it if she saw him. She asked for his phone number, called him and it was on. Smarty told me she was the best K-girl he had ever seen. I believe this was his final tryst. Later he said he wanted to see her again but just wasn't feeling up to par. He wrote his final review for Ashlee on his board using one of his aliases since he didn't write reviews using his Admin name. I guess i will have to sacrifice and see Ashlee again the next time i'm in Vegas to let her know hiw much i apreciate her seeing him.
I was lucky enough to know him as a friend, and everything the four above me have said is so right-on. He could be snarly, he sure was coarse, but as you got to know him, you had a real friend if he befriended you. He was a pull-no-punches guy, as others have mentioned, and both opinionated and honest as the day was long. He was way too young to leave us, and he'll be missed by all. RIP, Mark!
Smarty was indeed a very close friend of mine. We shared many conversations over the years among other things. He has visited my home on more than one occasion and likewise the opposite. I will be attending his funeral on Monday and hope to see many of you there to honor his memory. Life is way to short to sweat the petty stuff on these boards. He was a man among men and as Phil pointed out was a well decorated Veteran who fought in Viet Nam. I will miss my conversations with him and the time we had I will always remember.
Posted By: JEFFREY
I was lucky enough to know him as a friend, and everything the four above me have said is so right-on. He could be snarly, he sure was coarse, but as you got to know him, you had a real friend if he befriended you. He was a pull-no-punches guy, as others have mentioned, and both opinionated and honest as the day was long. He was way too young to leave us, and he'll be missed by all. RIP, Mark!
As a noob back in '06/'07, I oft got "scolded" by the sage of the LV Board. But thru it all, we established a rapport. First met him at a Party in Phoenix late '07 I beleive. He was actually there to incubate his endeavor into establishing a partnership with the owner of the agency who hosted the party. Took several months, but when his Vegas venture finally came to fruition and Smarty announced a Grand Opening Party, who am I to miss a good party and a helluva party it was. It was actually the weekend of his birthday, and I then found out he shared that birthdate with the sexy Nikki A.. I'll never forget that cake! And it was actually Smarty who vouched for me when I sought my first date with the Nickster. THANK YOU MARK!!
But alas, his venture succumbed as an indirect result of the well-known Phoenix bust. When he created his own forum, I became a charter member. Try and try as he did, it simply never was able to meet his aspirations. But he never gave up.
I'll miss him! ALOT of us will! He schooled many of us in this hobby of ours. I'm proud to have known him. Truly one of the GOOD GUYS!!
I new about the purple heart - LJ mentioned it one wine soaked night. I also knew he'd been a form of LE, as we both shared that somewhat proud but jaded distant history. Salty and gruff, yes, but kind and fair to a fault as well. Only a man very comfortable in his skin can marry those traits and pull it off.
My early posts of TER can probably best be described as exuberant. I pretty much managed to irritate across the board, and it only got worse when I jumped into a fray (to a lady's encouragement) with some asshole named Smarty. After the smoke cleared, I got a PM from the guy that he wanted to buy me lunch and a beer, and I'd trusted him ever since.
He described himself in his PM, and I kept it for it's prose and honest self analysis.
Mark's words:
"... Nobody is king of the Las Vegas discussion board. I have said this to others many times when accused of one thing or another. I am also a humble enough person to admit where I have done wrong, and have apologized on several occasions. On the flip side, if I am attacked and especially by some moron alias I will likely tell them to piss up a rope. Clearly I lack your spirit and mastery of the language in that area. But hey, that’s cool. No harm no foul.
One thing about discussion boards and especially ones where the people socialize also, there are a lot of underlying factors between the words that many people just reading cannot see. That’s because they don’t know the background. Often those complaining the most have never met any of the real active members of the board."
He went on to refer to himself as "59 years young and love the hobby".
"... I am who I am and make no excuses for it. Where is the pitcher of beer?"
Just to your left, Mark. Got it? A toast, then: To all the women you didn't meet, but meant to someday....
I'll catch up to you in a few more years and look you up.
He's been my mentor and my friend since 2006. He wrote my first review. And he saw me floundering under another agency back in the day after I was let go. I went onto the LV Fever Board and announced I was going independent. The next thing I know, I get a phone call from Smarty who asked to meet me for lunch and it was at that lunch he introduced me to TER. He taught me the ropes, guided me as to a web designer, put me in touch with some helpful ladies and things took off. He and I have a birthday 3 days apart and I remember back in the day, Nikki Avalon, Smarty and I used to avoid our birthdays , but, always owned the fact that we were all Leo's and of that we were proud and kindrid spirits. There was never a time where I couldn't go to him and ask him for sound and brutally honest advice and he would give it to me. We had a wonderful friendship over the years and he always wanted the best for me. I owe him a lot and it's hard to believe that I was on the phone with him just last week and things can change so fast....
He had a huge and warm hearted impact on my life. He supported me, understood me and was always proud of me for sticking to my guns. He was far from a fool and admired my guts and would often get a kick out of my rants or antics on the board calling me "Gangsta Girl" and ribbing me slightly at my less than conventional provider ways when speaking out on the boards.
I can't begin to express the last 5 years as I've been honored to be his friend and confidant. I'll always love him, I'll never forget him and I will miss him terribly. Somehow I will have to fill the void, but , his shoes are going to be hard to fill.....
I will miss you and love you always Smarty, even though you are with me in spirit, not being able to call you, or email you is going to take some getting used to.
I know you are in a better place and for that is all I need to know, this Gangsta Girl will carry on, with your spirit backing my play as you did in the physical realm I know. I can feel it.
I'm glad you've gone home my friend... I'll see you there one day and we'll laugh and keep it real and say, "Shit!! this sure beats earth don't it??!!" LMAO!!!!
To the one and only Mark, rest in peace and you better save me a seat!!!!
Sometimes cranky and cantankerous, he always had the word for those providers that worked here in Vegas. It always was a game on TER Vegas to figure out which aliases were his or if it were someone else. FWIW I could never approach the provider scene in Vegas as well as he had and his wisdom that was spread here and elsewhere will be sorely missed. It's very sad that his health had him offline for long stretches over the past couple/few years (I'm getting old and the noggin isn't as good as it used to be) and I hope he's in a better place.
Bob
ps thanks to little phil for the bit of history of Mark. spot on.
pps not sure how many reviews of his are still here on TER, but I will bemoan the TER policy that prevented mods from posting reviews. smarty would have probably hit 200+ if he were allowed.
I only met Smarty one time but he left a lasting impression on me. I met Smarty some yrs ago at a M&G. Hes was so charming and was so nice to me. He was just getting his new site up and running. It was a brief encounter but he was so positive and excited about his upcoming site. A Beautiful soul that was taken too soon, I know you are an Angel looking down upon us.. January
....I cannot believe what I am hearing.....He was one of the most incredible men on the planet....so caring, giving, understanding........He was a friend, a lover, a companion,....... wow.....I am totally speechless.....don't know what to say.....
I love you, Mark and you will be forever be missed. Thanks for ALWAYS having my back.....Luv you!
Since LV is my second home I reached out to Smarty countless times for his advice and local insight. His opinions never steered me wrong and in fact turned me on to some of the finest ladies and hobbyists on the Strip. I will always remember his generosity and thoughtfulness...
until spending time tonight with one of my best friends. I was hesitant to post here as probably all that can be said has been said. I do know that when I was going through some very difficult personal times of my life, he supported me and never judged me. So many good memories to relish. I'm so sorry I don't pop in here often enough or keep up to date on such things to know what happened just a few days ago.
I just found out but wanted to give my condolence to his family.
He's probably sitting in his Lazy Chair with the remote watching the Spartans play. I wonder if he had something to do with the Spartans Hail Mary play against Wisconsin.
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