Friday, August 31, 2001

Male Annihilation Treatment Teams. Sounds good to me.

Why does it need to be a rite of passage anyway? We can no longer treat binge drinking as a rite of passage. It is a major health issue. Binge drinking is a community problem.

George W. Bush seems almost giddy at the prospect of recession. At a news conference Friday, he became the first president in memory to welcome a sputtering economy as "incredibly positive news."

The best movie of all time, Funny Girl, has been restored and will be re-released at the Castro Theatre this week. You know I'm there! Found this ode to Barbra from her costar in the paper today:

"The first time I saw Barbra, I called my agent and said, 'This girl isn't so beautiful. How can she be the leading lady of a romance?' " Sharif recalled. "But the more time I spent with her, the more I saw her beauty. I became infatuated with her."

That is not a history to be sanitized.

Which would you rather have, a president who lies about sex, or a president who lies about the budget?

Well said: If we all agree that O.J. killed Chandra Levy over custody of Elian Gonzalez, would you go back to reporting actual news?

Ok, so we're gonna give this Comment System a try. I'm a little unsure about it, so let me know what you think. But I would like to try and make my page a bit more community-oriented.

Wednesday, August 29, 2001

...has required students in her class, "Pornography: Writing of Prostitutes," to produce a work of pornography for their final project. Huh?

Mmmm..... cereal. ahhhhhhggggggllggghhhaa

Tuesday, August 28, 2001

Wow, page 2 of the Chronicle, how famous: Web diarist and wit-about-town Camper English...

Gotta love the irony in this:

In North Carolina, Gay Judge May Seek Jesse Helms' Senate Seat

And gotta love this statement from said judge: "We're all entitled to grow up. George (W.) Bush had his problems with alcohol. I was a Republican. We both got over it."

Please destroy our town.

Monday, August 27, 2001

Well, I said goodbye to my friend Woodja tonight. He's off to his home in Gainesville, FL tomorrow. He's been here for over and week and it's been so much fun. We haven't hung out everyday, but close to it. It's great to see one of my old friends. And it reminds me that some people like me for me.

I realize I don't have enough good friends here in SF. I miss having various friends to call up and hang out constantly. I also know it took me 4 years to develop that in DC-- and honestly, it took quite a long time in DC for the friendship between Woodja and I to develop. Hopefully I'll start having more and more here in SF soon. I think some are definitely developing into closer relationships. But it's also so hard to grow friendships--- so many hangups, non-starters, sexual/romantic queries, disinterests, problems, and other such complications that lead to people not being friends even though there may be so much in common. Human interaction is so complicated.

Don't Woodja and I look totally butch:

And now for something completely odd: an off-Broadway production featuring the Monica Lewinsky tapes--- word for word.

The arrogancy never ends.

I've had a resurgence of gym visits lately. I even went over the weekend. I've decided to push away all my anger at men into fixing up my physical well-being. And now I'm sore. But it's a good pain, much better than any kind of emotional pain I may be repressing. Anyhoo, I'm off to the gym again now. With the resentment increasing daily, look for me in muscle shirts again soon!

Hey, that's just down the street!
Before, he had been stuck in a deteriorating building near Turk and Leavenworth streets, an area Stein refers to as "the crack capital of San Francisco."

Sunday, August 26, 2001

How sad. I always did like Aaliyah. I purchased her first album, back in the day, and really enjoyed it. My fav song: "At Your Best (You Are Love)".

Friday, August 24, 2001

HOW MANY studies will it take to trigger a reappraisal of an ill- formed three-strikes law that is misdirected, ineffective and financially overbearing?

I am still getting kudos from my Mom for taking her to see Rita Moreno last time my parents visited me.

Who cares about monitoring the ozone layer anyway?

How To Be A Contented Media Consumer:

Cultivate a short memory.

Don't resent flagrant manipulation.

Get accustomed to brevity in news coverage
: The average sound bite is much shorter than the average commercial... A few well-chosen words can shed light on the intricacies of global warming or tax policies. It takes longer to adequately convey that the people at McDonald's love to see you smile.


and so on....

Thursday, August 23, 2001

So many tests; so little time.

Good

succumb: to yield to superior strength or force or overpowering appeal or desire. cede, yield, resign, give up, surrender--- succumb. succumb. SUCCUMB. suuuccccccccuuuuuummmmmmb. s&-'k&m. S-U-C-C-U-M-B. succumb.

Maybe he spoke too soon. Looks like the 19th Century is still in effect:

The Secret Service and the Utah Republican Party have worked out a compromise gun ban during Vice President Dick Cheney's scheduled keynote address Saturday during the state GOP convention. Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff and Sandy police have agreed to provide gun lockers outside the convention's security perimeter for safe storage of firearms packed by delegates who are licensed to carry concealed weapons. After Cheney leaves the building, metal detectors at the South Towne Exposition Center in Sandy will be removed and conventioneers will be allowed to retrieve their arms for the remainder of the session.
As one attendee said: "I look forward to seeing you at a very positive, upbeat celebration of our Republican principles."

Senator Helms will not be missed.....I guess the 19th century is over now.

Wednesday, August 22, 2001

Burning Man is now a full-fledged non-profit organization with articles in the Business Section.

Bush came to my hometown yesterday. Gag. Btw, it looks like he snubbed my mayor while there promoting his crap.

Archaeologists have been examining urban remains on the East Coast and discovered that while human activity existed before [Air Conditioning], it could not properly be defined as life.

If it were a man, they wouldn't even be investigating this.

Tuesday, August 21, 2001

...the average American wife and mother, were she paid for the counseling, chauffeuring, cooking, household management and other services she provides in a 24-hour day, should pull in $508,700 per year.

Dear sweet wonderful Roman has created his own page. Cool.

What exactly do they inspect?

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. I've been very busy having a gay ol' time with my visiting friend Woodja. He's so much fun. And then yesterday I flew to L.A. for a day meeting. So it's been kinda busy. I'll start back with my blogging duties now.

Sunday, August 19, 2001

Shock rocker Marilyn Manson's racy stage antics have landed him a charge of criminal sexual conduct in Oakland County. Manson allegedly approached a 25-year-old security guard from behind while masturbating during a July 30 concert at DTE Energy Theater in Clarkston, a Detroit suburb. The rocker spit on the guard, wrapped his legs around the man's head and neck and gyrated against him, said prosecutor David Gorcyca.

"The departure of John DiIulio means George Bush officially becomes the president of white America," said the Rev. Eugene Rivers, an African American minister who appeared with Bush in Austin, Texas and Washington as a vigorous backer of the effort. "The message in Professor DiIulio's departure is that the black and the poor in the inner cities can go to hell. It sends a signal that the faith-based office will just be a financial watering hole for the right-wing white evangelists."

Friday, August 17, 2001

I'm much happier today. I should have old friends visit me more often. Not only did I get my whole house cleaned and laundry done (out of fear that he'd see that I live like a slob), but I'm so happy to be hanging out with my old DC friend Woodja. Yes, his name is Woodja, as in Woodja Doomee.

He's having me go out to the leather scene this weekend though; so I'm rather nervous and scared, but as long as I'm with him I'll have a good time. I should really have him meet Victor since they're into the same kinda scene. Anyway, I'll keep you up to date as the weekend goes.

Thursday, August 16, 2001

I am Bitter, Querulous, Unkind.

My current state of mind....(A Dorothy Parker Redux)

I do not like my state of mind;
I'm bitter, querulous, unkind.
I hate my legs, I hate my hands,
I do not yearn for lovelier lands.
I dread the dawn's recurrent light;
I hate to go to bed at night.
I snoot at simple, earnest folk.
I cannot take the gentlest joke.
I find no peace in paint or type.
My world is but a lot of tripe.
I'm disillusioned, empty-breasted.
For what I think, I'd be arrested.
I am not sick, I am not well.
My quondam dreams are shot to hell.
My soul is crushed, my spirit sore;
I do not like me any more.
I cavil, quarrel, grumble, grouse.
I ponder on the narrow house.
I shudder at the thought of men...
I'm due to fall in love again.

I'm due, dammit, I'm DUE!

Bad Candy

"the last time I saw Newt Gingrich, he was getting on that 'Midnight Train to Georgia.'"

Wednesday, August 15, 2001

Maybe I'll start saying it too: In role-playing exercises, train female execs to say, "Oh, fiddle-dee-dee!" when a male colleague or boss screws them over.

Don't call In-N-Out Burger a cult. Please. Stop it already. Ok, whatever. At least my baby and his will be happy. Just fyi guys: ...a typical In-N-Out meal of a double cheeseburger, fries and milk shake contains 96 grams of fat, more than twice the recommended amount for an entire day....

Vermont Civil Union Review Commission: There were 2,479 civil unions formed in the law’s first year. Imagine all 4,958 of them at a big party.

Tuesday, August 14, 2001

Ok, I know I'm in the minority here, but I just never liked "Seinfeld." The characters just annoyed the hell out of me. But for all of those Seinfeld groupies out there, I present the following email conversation I had at work today:

Me: Yes, I'd like to do that. How would I go about having that on my organization's website.
Other guy: Your web master should be able to copy it from our web site.
Me: I am the (web)master of my own domain. I'll figure it out. ;-)

Yes, I really did say that.

I always feel like somebody's watchin' me.

White House officials carefully manipulated press and congressional scrutiny to divert attention from provisions of the "faith-based" bill that would allow evangelism in government-subsidized social services run by churches.

How do you lower your standards when you have none?

Monday, August 13, 2001

As Bush staked out a position far to the right of Orrin Hatch, Strom Thurmond and Nancy Reagan, much of the media portrayed him as seeking the middle ground.

An update from that great Woman of the World Leslie:

"Hello Everyone- I have made it through the first half of PC [Peace Corps] training. I have to say that life here in Jordan is pretty nice. As I have said many times there is so much infrastructure it is shocking. It is so different than I ever expected. Come to think of it I am not sure what I expected or if I really thought much about what life would be like here. I know though that I never expected PC to go to such a developed place. My home stay life is really interesting. Since I am living with a Christian family I have a lot more freedom than most people. (I can talk to boys and go to parties where they serve alcohol—this is the envy of my fellow PCv’s) I am glad that I am able to see the Christian side of things since it is rarely discussed, and it is a completely different life. There perspective on things is slightly different than Muslims. Though Christians and Muslims bind together to dislike Israel with in Jordan they do not mix, they dislike each other. The only exception is in the upper class where if you have enough Wasta (term for power/influence) anything is possible except for inter maraige.

All in all my life is pretty relaxed. Arabic is good, it is slowly coming along, I can now begin to form sentences. I am the first person in the group to get Amebobas (SP). Yes I have recovered and you do not really want to know what that is. Things are getting better in training we are actually beginning to learn some things we may use later. On Thursday we found out where we will be working for the next two years. I am going to be living and working in Aqaba (on the Red Sea) as a Business Advisor for the Jordanian Royal Ecological Diving Society......yah the Diving Society! I will be working to save the coral reef through projects and grants and will help to create educational programs to teach school children about the importance of the reef, among many things. I think it sounds really good. I will be able to use my Political and Biological skills to maintain a vital ecological and economic area. It will also be interesting to see how the area changes with the evolving economy in the region and the recent opening of a Free Trade Zone. A lot will be happening in the next two years, I am glad that I will be here to see it.

So all in all life is really good here. No complaints, though I do miss sourdough bread. Hope everything is well with all of you. Take care. Love, Leslie."

I'm back.

Thursday, August 09, 2001

Well, I'm off to San Diego today for a work conference. Happily I get to see my family while I'm there, including my wonderful niece. Since I'll be away, I may not be able to post as much, but I'll try and update you as much as possible while I'm away. And don't worry, I won't be doing anything lame like having my cat post for me while I'm away. (Did I say "lame"; I meant "interesting.")

Wednesday, August 08, 2001

I am a bit biased.

Nationally, the census tracts with the densest concentrations of lesbians are in the Cape Cod village of Provincetown, suburban Akron, Ohio., the area around the college town of Northampton in western Massachusetts, Atlanta's eastern suburbs and the outskirts of Kansas City.

Tuesday, August 07, 2001

I am soooo excited because I get to see my niece this weekend! I'm going to San Diego in a few days, and just by coincidence my parents are going to be there too. They're going to bring my niece. My siblings will soon follow from their home in L.A. So it will end up being a kinda impromptu family get-together in San Diego. And I get to see my niece! (Now, I really need to stop buying gifts for her. I do have enough. Oh, who am I kidding, it's never enough.)

When I was young (say early double-digits), my Mom, a few neighbors, and I would constantly play the card game Canasta. It was an addiction and we loved it. I never really thought about its history until running across this page. Very interesting.

I didn't realize that "Dr. Laura" (mind you, she's not a doctor of psychology) had her own board game. Fun for the whole (rabidly right-wing) family! Gag.

Ok, I was a little crazy last night. I'd blame alcohol but I wasn't drinking and I'd say that I never drink except that I did last week. Just insane of my own volition.

Monday, August 06, 2001

So tonight I got MAD. MAD MAD MAD. It just hit me. How dare that guy stand me up! How dare men be SO horrible! I had to go to the Castro of all places for an errand and I just ended up STOMPING around from block to block, giving every man I saw the EVIL eye and mouthing HATEFUL and ANGRY statements under my breath. I felt like screaming at the top of my lungs "MEN SUCK!!!!!!" but I was too afraid that I'd hear some laughing ditzy guy yell back "Oh, yes we do darling!" and I didn't want to hear that. I didn't want to hear jokes. I didn't want to hear anything. I wanted to just block everything out and scream. Why do I always date losers? Goddammnn my ex was a *@#*^% loser! And now all I get is losers losers losers and jerks. Ugh, all men are horrible. I HATE MEN I HATE MEN I HATE MEN I HATE MEN.

But then I calmed down a bit, had a lovely dinner, went to the music store and bought a whole bunch of cd's on sale, went to the bookstore and bought some fun books for my niece (who I get to see this WEEKEND!) and then came home. Now I'm tired and ready for bed. But I just opened my mail and got a bribe from the president to vote for him next time and I know that yes it's nice to get money but I also know that it's coming from horrible horrible places and that the country is going to fall apart and that we won't have any social security or important programs to protect us from diseases or help us when we get laid off, but yes it is nice to have some extra money. But this whole bribe makes me MAD MAD MAD. It's like saying yes to yummy gruel when in actuality people in the other room are getting steak and you're destroying your ability to get gruel in the future. Does that make sense? I'm rambling tonight and angry and just MAD. Probably both definitions of "mad" work in this case. I'm going to stop talking now.

Hey, check this out! There's actually a website debunking the email hoax I referred to earlier today. And check out this article from last year talking about how it is affecting REAL legislative work in Congress: "The reality is that more people are communicating with us on this than on any other subject -- more than abortion, more than Elian, more than gas prices..." How truly sad that it plays on people's fears of the government, preys on their civic-mindedness, and destroys real legislative time and efforts in Congress. (Thanks goes out to Chris Haynes for pointing the site out to me.)

The bigger trouble I have with being stood up last week is that it's such a bad beginning to my newly-desired interest in dating again. Is this an omen? Do I always attract jerks and losers? Are all men inherently evil? Maybe I should forget about dating and go back to meaningless activities again. Thoughts?

So much for the so-called "liberal" media: In an effort to improve his network's image with conservative leaders, new CNNchief Walter Isaacson huddled with House and Senate GOP leaders last week to seek advice on how to attract more right-leaning viewers to the sagging network. This is in response the growing viewership for the already right-wing Fox News Channel.

So over the weekend I got one of those annoying chain letters via email. You know the ones that are like about the boy in Texas who can't afford the life-saving operation but the hospital has let him make $5 for every email that gets passed along around the world; or the one where Bill Gates is gonna give everyone $1000 for passing along their emails; or the one about the little girl wanting to spread peace throughout the world and raise money in the process for something. Ugh, I hate those. They aren't real people!

So anyway, I get this email over the weekend and it's actually one I can check up on and confirm it's a hoax. It's a horrible governmental alert saying that now the federal government wants to start charging for emails because it's effecting the postal service. They want to start charging 5cents per email and are asking everyone to pass this alert along. They mention some horrible congressman named Tony Schnell who wants to start taxing internet users $40 a month for internet use. They also want people to call their congressperson and oppose "Bill 602p." First of all, there is no Congressman Tony Schnell-- doesn't exist. Secondly, bills don't end in "p." Third, bills aren't just called "Bill"; they're either a House Bill or a Senate Bill. So I go to www.house.gov and check out this supposed bill. House Bill 602 is related to genetics. Senate Bill 602 is related to election reform. I do a search on bills relating to email and find nothing related to the annoying chain letter. It's not only obviously a hoax; it is a hoax and I was able to confirm it.

None of these hoaxes are real. They are just used to get people to pass along their email for some spam marketers to monitor to get real email addresses to send more spam. I really hate them though because they prey on people's civic-mindedness. Especially this government conpiracy one; it feeds on people's belief that the government is out to get them. Plus I have a sinking feeling that some opponent to the real House or Senate Bills 602 wanted to just get more people calling in and telling their congressperson to vote no on 602, without knowing that the issue was something completely unrelated--- like election reform!

So Day 4 and still no word from my "date." What's up with that?!? How horribly rude. I'm not calling him because he's a jerk and I don't want to talk to him. But I do have these nagging internal questions, such as "why," "why," "what happened," and of course "why." Have I mentioned that I hate men.

The money "returned" to you today will have to be paid off by you or your children tomorrow.

Sunday, August 05, 2001

have i mentioned that i hate men

Saturday, August 04, 2001

There's a lot of talk from the administration about bipartisanship. Real bipartisanship takes more than two men from the same party in a room.

After experiencing the joy of being stood up by my "date," I rented the horror-flick Valentine. It was actually better than I thought it would be. And perfectly fit my mood. I also rented American Psycho about a psycho guy who kills his dates. I'll watch that today. Who needs to date when we all know that men are psychotic killers? So true.

Friday, August 03, 2001

I hate men

Dating is hard. Remind me why I'm doing this.

This is sick and twisted Do people no longer have morals? They are now promoting the killer dog's blood-line relatives for sale. This is what recently appeared in an advertisement: "Dog-O-War Presa Canario pups! Bane's daughter bred to the imported son of CH. Urco Big Bad to the Bone. . . . Protective & Stable. Guaranteed."

Ok, so my "date" called. He had an emergency situation last night with a friend in the hospital. He asked to get together tonight instead. We're meeting tonight. This dating thing is complicated.

Thoughts on proper escalator and shopping cart etiquette.

Thursday, August 02, 2001

Men suck. You can never trust them. I had a date tonight, but then at the last minute he cancelled. It's always the same ol' song.

(And yes, I recognize the irony what with the last post being about forgiveness. But forgiveness doesn't mean putting up with crap.)

This Sunday, August 5, is the First Annual International Forgiveness Day: The important thing is to join together in consciousness so that rather than violence, vengeance, and hardening of hearts, forgiveness becomes the dominant thought and feeling pattern for dealing with our struggles as human/divine beings.

It's something I try to do and struggle with everyday. I don't want to live my life angry. It is hard to do, but very freeing.

Isn't he adorable?

I don't know about this dating thing.....

We have practically no errors in the elections we monitor overseas because each vote is counted in the presence of the voting officials and the leading representatives and observers of the major parties, sometimes two parties and three parties or more. And they count their ballots very carefully. They hold up each one so that everybody can see that it is marked properly. They are very accomodating for people who are illiterate or confused. They'll have their name of the party and the candidate. They'll have the symbol, which might be a rooster, an ear of corn, or it might be a palm tree. They also have a photograph of the candidate. So if you put a cross mark in any one of those three places, then you have voted, and it's counted. We [America] have a very sad and, I would say, embarrassing system of voting. The error rate is enormous. -- former President Carter.

Wednesday, August 01, 2001

And speaking of reasons not to date.....

Is it any wonder why I hate men? Now about that crazy idea I had of dating again......

I don't drink. I just don't. Never have. I've had some in the past, very very rarely, but I have had some. I never really liked it or the way it made me feel. And I never liked the taste. I know, I'm one of those weird nerds who doesn't belong in society because I don't bow down to the idolatry of alcohol. So whatever.

Anyway, last night I had a wonderful fun dinner with my good friend Alicia from Washington, DC. And we decided to have a fruity mixed drink during dinner. I just thought I'd give it a whirl. It tasted so good! It didn't taste like alcohol; it tasted like fruit and pineapples and stuff. I drank it all up and couldn't stop. And I didn't feel drunk at all............... until later. Then I was all loopy and tired and feeling really strange. This morning my head hurts, really hurts, and I can't wake up. Is this supposed to be fun? And why I am craving the fruity taste again? Am I an alcoholic now?