Friday, June 30, 2006

i love how fiery this speech is from Pelosi:

"Pelosi: Republican Resolution on Disclosure of Classified Information a Campaign Document"

Washington, D.C. - House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi spoke this evening on the House floor in opposition to a Republican resolution condemning the disclosure of classified information relating to the Bush Administration's program to track terrorist finances. Below are Pelosi's remarks:

"At the outset, let me reiterate that we all, Democrats and Republicans alike, support two principles: First, we support effective tools to fight terrorism, including the tracking of terrorist financing here and abroad under all applicable laws. Second, no one here condones disclosure of information that harms our vital national security interests, and that makes locating terrorists and terrorist networks and disrupting their plans more difficult.

"These basic principles and their frames: liberty and security are contained in a balanced way in the substitute resolution offered by the distinguished gentleman from Massachusetts, Mr. Frank. That resolution should have been permitted by the rule to be considered today. But, in this closed Congress that we're in, we cannot consider alternatives.

"The Republican resolution before us today is quite clearly a document for political purposes. It makes sweeping and dubious conclusions on the facts and legality of the financial transaction surveillance program, unsupported by any fact-finding or oversight, and based upon representations by the President.

"In a free society, we all have our roles and responsibilities. As public officials, we must safeguard our lawful intelligence activities, many of which have been conducted in secret. We respect that. Our media, of course, have their public responsibilities. A free press is centered on reporting on the workings of government and on being 'alert, aware, and free.' They have an obligation to be responsible about their reporting of national security, and to balance any reporting with the harm of disclosure.

"Mr. Speaker, the Bush Administration lacks credibility when it comes to complaining about leaks. The Administration's record, and that of this Republican Congress, are marked by selective disclosures of classified information and selective expressions of displeasure over leaks.

"When the identity of an undercover CIA officer was disclosed by high ranking members of the Administration in the White House, as part of a smear campaign against a critic of the Iraq war, the President did not fire any of the leakers - in fact one of them was actually promoted. As Special Prosecutor Fitzgerald has told us, this disclosure could have caused severe damage and irreparable harm to our national security.

"Similarly, it was recently revealed that the President himself was alleged to have authorized, for political purposes, the selective leaking of intelligence information in a National Intelligence Estimate.

"And where is the outrage and oversight from this Republican Congress? Nowhere to be seen. Repeatedly, this Republican Congress has spurned resolutions of inquiry, and neglected their oversight responsibilities to get to the bottom of leaks by the Bush Administration.

"So let's take this resolution for what it is: it is a campaign document. The Republican resolution contains a number of statements that simply cannot be factually confirmed, and are not the result of congressional fact-finding or rigorous congressional oversight. The Republican resolution also contains a number of statements regarding the legality of the program and the safeguards it claims protects individual rights.

"Let me read what it says: 'This resolution finds, that the terrorist finance tracking program has been conducted in accordance with all applicable laws, regulations, and executive orders, that appropriate safeguards and reviews have been instituted to protect individual civil liberties and that Congress has been appropriately informed and consulted for the duration of the program and will continue its oversight of the program.'

"Continue its oversight of the program? There's never been any oversight of the program. The fact is that because there has never been any oversight of the program, there isn't one person in this body, who will vote on this resolution, who can attest to this statement. They're asking us to vote on something that we absolutely cannot attest to. Not any one of you can attest to this as a fact, because it isn't a fact.

"So let's go back to where we began, to our founders: liberty and security. As I've said before, when the identity of an undercover CIA officer was disclosed by high-ranking members of the Administration as part of a smear tactic, nothing was done. Nothing was done by this Congress.

"The Frank substitute, however, does not contain any of these unsupported conclusions. The Frank substitute is a resolution that is balanced and accurate and should command the support of all Members. I intend to vote against this resolution. I wish that we could have the chance to vote for Mr. Frank's resolution. That would have been in keeping with the intentions of our Founding Fathers. Let us keep in mind their constant admonition that in order to have security, we must have freedom, and that in order to have freedom, we must have security. We must have the balance; this resolution does not."

Thursday, June 29, 2006

new column for the san francisco young democrats newsletter. (in order to be a 'young' dem, you must be 35 years old or younger. i turn 36 this september. aiya!)

"This Week on Who Wants to Be a Newsletter Editor?!"

No, this is not a reality television show. This is actual reality. And, yes, you actually have a terrific chance at becoming a Newsletter Editor yourself. Not just any Newsletter Editor, but actually the Newsletter Editor for the San Francisco Young Democrats!

What more could anyone want?

There are perks, fabulous prizes, travels around the world, and more dreams fulfilled than you can shake a stick at!

You see fellow SFYD'ers, it's time for me to part as your Newsletter Editor. I am about to age-out of the club. I know, I know, it's hard to believe. What with my youthful good looks, effervescent charm, savoirfaire, radiant smile, and well, a certain youthful je ne sais quoi, I know it is hard for you to fathom. But, yes, it is true. I will soon no longer be among your age-bracket and must flee before I am taken to the cornfield.

Hence, yes, there is an important opening for Newsletter Editor of this dear club. It takes style and panache and love and dedication, but it also doesn't take much. So if you are interested in said position, please contact current president Owen for more information. As our new administration takes hold following the July 12th elections, I will work with the new President of SFYD on finding the needed replacement. I will serve as needed through the transition.

Til the next newsletter, I bid you adieu. And keep reaching for the stars.

Reese Aaron Isbell, SFYD Newsletter Editor

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

the future's so bright, i gotta, well, you know....
via the j-man

i went to my aids research study appointment today for my regular checkup on my taking of the pills and all that. and they tell me that this visit is my one-year anniversary in the program. i hadn't realized it had been that long. they were super happy with me and super pleased that i stuck it out in the trial. it was really nice and they were extra sweet to me today. it made me feel all special inside.

Bringing suspenders back

Working from the boss's desk

it's quite odd to be reading through the paper at the coffeeshop in the morning and see an obituary for someone you know personally. i suppose that's quite normal for older people, or people who lived through the AIDS epidemic in its worst years, or people who live in high homicide areas, or what have you. it's strange for me. i've had some run-in with it, but not a lot. and this morning, while sitting at the coffeeshop and flipping the pages of the newspaper, i ran across this Eric Rofes -- scholar, educator, gay men's health activist headline and stood back from my paper for a moment. i couldn't believe it. i liked him a lot. i had attended his workshops at the national gay and lesbian task force's creating change conferences over the last two years, and worked with him on bringing the conference to oakland last year. i didn't know him that well, but i thought he was so intelligent and helpful to the community and our own dialogue within our community. it's so sad to see someone like that go so suddenly. wow, talk about a strange phenomena in the morning.

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

from pink saturday.
me with former nfl player esera tuaolo
probably the only time you'll catch me in a photo with a football player. but he's openly gay and adorable, so that makes it ok

one of the things i love about in hearing from my friends who are away is just the normal, everyday life moments. here are some more from Ariana, that great Woman of the World, during her adventures in Ecuadar with the Peace Corps:

"Sorry to send so many mass emails lately. I finally got my Peace Corps phone fixed on Wednesday, which I think might have created a little bit of confusion for people who were trying to call me to wish me happy birthday. The old phone was not working, and the new phone was, and I didn't send out the correct number. Anyway, both phones are working now, but I am just going to use my Peace Corps number. So just use this number from now on. My old phone will now just be used for my visitors, so they will have a phone when they are in Ecuador.

"Thank you very much for the birthday calls, cards, emails, and packages! I had a very good birthday with my friends in Quito. The new group of trainees arrived the night of my birthday, so a whole bunch of us went to the airport to greet them. 15 volunteers from my group (out of 33) came, which was awesome. We had the best showing amongst all the training groups, which just shows how we are the coolest training group =) We formed a gauntlet outside the airport, and cheered and yelled and gave all the newbies roses as they walked by us. I'm so glad I'm no longer a newbie! The trainees probably thought we were crazy. After they got on their bus, we just kept circling the bus and clapping and yelling. Some of them looked really happy, and others looked nervous and apprehensive (probably how I looked when I stepped off the plane 4 1/2 months ago).

"And then I got really excited thinking about how I am going to be at the airport in just 26 days to meet my first visitor Cindy! I will probably scream even louder then. And 4 days after Cindy arrives, my mom will be here! And then my sister! And 3 days after they leave, Pierre will arrive! Woohoo! I think I am the first person in my training group to have visitors. My friends all want to meet my guests, and travel with us, so hopefully you all won't mind hanging out with a bunch of random people =)

"The only disappointing thing about my birthday is that my friend Joseph wasn't able to come because he had a all day meeting at his site. And he was supposed to make me my ice cream cake =( So, alas, I had no ice cream cake on my birthday, but I am supposed to have ice cream cake at my site tomorrow with my Ecuadorian friends and their families. Plus my friend Maggie bought me a delicious ice cream sandwich supremo, which is an ice cream sandwich covered in an extra layer of chocolate. Bien rico!

"After the airport, we all went to a bar in the Mariscal and my friends sang me happy birthday, which was very nice. Then we went back to the hotel and watched cable television, which is very exciting for us. Sometimes there is nothing better than hanging out in a hotel room watching the OC with your friends =)

"Okay, I think I will put all my contact information in this email, because some people have asked for my other address.

"Happy Summer!

Love,
Ariana"

Monday, June 26, 2006

so yeah, it was a very busy weekend here in sf for me. happily it was terrific weather and i had a great time with friends and fam. thankfully i have today, monday, off so i can recup (recoop?). the alice pride breakfast was a highlight and my brief alone time with the mayor was fun. he's always very kid-like and plays with people and the press, so it makes him more human and less of a political-robot. i had some alone time with him because i was outside the breakfast at the registration table and he was waiting to go inside. so we chatted for a while and got our picture taken (although the picture came out terribly).

anyway, i had the infamous newsom/straight-guy/celebratory handshake thing with him. he was complaining about his sunburn from the day before and didn't know why he got burned. i had the same problem from saturday's events, but i realized it was from pink saturday on the hilltop. even though it was foggy and there was no sun, the bright pink material on the ground was making the sun reflect back up on us causing our sunburns. and we weren't wearing sunscreen that morning because there wasn't sun due to all the fog. but we should have anyway. and hence, when i told him about the pink reflection sunburn cause, he did the macho hand-connection thing he does. it'll live in my own political history from now on.

Sunday, June 25, 2006

Our parade

Our parade crew

Me and the mayor

Mayor newsom at pride breakfast

Angelides at the alice breakfast

Alice pride breakfast

Saturday, June 24, 2006

J & J sitting in a tree, part 2

J and J sitting in a tree

Above the pink

The mayor pinked out

My boss speaking on pink saturday

Actor leslie jordan speaking to the pink crowd with other celebrities and politicians

Actor leslie jordan on pink saturday

Pink saturday with the stars

Pink saturday on twin peaks

Runners

Early morning in golden gate park

Thursday, June 22, 2006

it's supposed to be in the 90's today. i swear today is the day i go to work naked. the heat is just too much!

the one selling point of actually going into the office though is that it's actually air conditioned. i may actually move into my office for a few days until this summer period ends-- probably in a few days knowing san francisco weather. you'll find me sleeping next to my desk the next few nights and i'm taking my cat with me just so she can feel comfortable too. any state laws that may be broken will be blamed on the heat.

blame it on the heat. yes, i will blame all life's problems for right now on the heat. and i shall now sing a slightly modified milli vanilli song from 1989 before they were unfairly run out of town. if only the media would have understood the true rebellious meaning of their music.

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

When kitties don't want to go the vet

check out my niece's bright-pink au-natural lips!
and look at how cute my niece is in general she's gonna have to fight off the boys, and girls!, with a stick she's so pretty and adorable the little kid!

let me just say that it is so hot in san francisco right now (81!) that i have just decided that i must go to work naked. there's just no other solution. it's too darn hot.

i had to take my cat in for another unexpected trip to the vet this morning because they needed to do a urinalysis. so she wasn't very happy to have to go again directly after yesterday. plus they had to stick her with needles again. she doesn't seem too mad at me right now, but she did get me good earlier right before i put her in the bag. huge gashes on my chest. ah, well. she's really gonna hate tuesday...

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

my poor kitty... she had a very difficult day at the vet today. they spent about half an hour trying to draw blood. she was being agreeable, but her veins were not. don't know how many times they tried, but i'm sure it wasn't pleasant for her.

and then, apparently she has a bad tooth. they showed it to me and it was obviously all red and bloody and didn't look good at all. so they say they have to pull it. :-(

so, next tuesday morning, after fasting for a night with no food and no water, i have to bring her in. they'll anesthetize her, pull it, and do a full dental cleaning while they're at it. i'm to pick her up that afternoon and she'll be all groggy and in pain. and then for 5-7 days she has to eat soft food. poor kitty

it sorta makes sense though. she only nibbles at her food anymore, never seems to want to eat it fully. i thought she was just nibbly, but perhaps it was all due to her having pain while she chewed. poor Amaya

My kitty's somewhere behind that door having blood drawn right now. Poor Amaya

Waiting for Amaya while she's checked out

Off to the vet

HI-larious:
"I've never been a fan of amphibians. Not only do they strengthen the argument for evolution, they are nature's fence sitters. Come on amphibians, which is it...water or land? Pick one. We're at war." ---Stephen Colbert

"[Bush,] you were in Baghdad for six hours. You weren't even in the real Baghdad. You were in the Green Zone. That's like going to the Olive Garden and saying you've been to Italy." ---Jon Stewart
(i went to the olive garden recently and my friend had the 'tour of italy' meal and it was wonderful-- three types of pasta! it felt just like we were traveling around the whole country. ok, not really, but it was delicious!)

recurring dreams

over the years i've had my share of recurring dreams. different issues/different times/different scenarios. one such recurring dream i had last night once again.

this dream always focuses on the idea that i have a much larger apartment than i ever noticed before. i suddenly realize that there's this really large section, involving many rooms and possibly another entrance altogether, is available to me but that for some reason i've never ventured into it or even paid attention to it being there. in the dream i end up having a realization that i always sort of knew this was here but for some reason had blocked it from my memory. in walking through the many corridors and extra-large rooms and many small nooks and crannies, i realize that i have so many options and opportunities for making an even better and fully-developed home. these places are often filthy from never being used for many, many years. and sometimes i find things from people who lived there previously that i never cleaned out because i've only been living in my space for the time-being.

anyway, there's a variety of scenarios involved in these recurring dreams. but what i think they mean to me in general is the idea that i have many more opportunities and options in life than i often notice and that if i can open my eyes to the full range than i will be able to fulfill many of those with my own dreams and hopes and aspirations. it will involve a lot of cleaning and dusting and figuring out what to do will all those long-unused rooms and opportunities, but if i take time to do so i can have a much richer and fuller home to live in.

Monday, June 19, 2006

Amaya, its time to get out of my chair

My kitty won't leave my chair she's so cute

My kitty

good catch from david:

a letter to the editor (Re "The Don't-Bother-to-Knock Rule," editorial, June 16) which has a intriguing and thought-provoking comment on the problems inherent with the conflicting conservative arguments:

"Two conservative legal doctrines are on a collision course. The Supreme Court in effect held that if the police have a warrant, they may enter your house without knocking or announcing their presence. But recently, 11 states have passed National Rifle Association-backed bills that say that if an unknown person comes crashing through your door, you have the right to shoot first and ask questions later. So, of course, one of these days someone's going to shoot a cop and offer the latter law as a defense. This strikes me as a set of laws that can't help but clash, and often."

pride! pride! pride!
pride keeps me busy
pride keeps me busy
pride keeps me busy
pride! pride! pride!
are you fully proud?
pride! pride! pride!
everybody's proud
pride! pride! pride!
pride keeps me busy
pride keeps me busy
pride keeps me busy
pride! pride! pride!

Sunday, June 18, 2006

Sunday brunch with jessie

fascinating look back at how our country's interstate highway system, developed 50 years ago, has transformed our nation. it really shows the good that government can do through looking out for the larger public policy goals that the people need; this couldn't have been done on an individual, local, or even state basis-- it had to be done from the perspective of a forward-thinking big government that could put it all together so concretely. yes, it has had some downsides, but it has been a marvel of sound public policy.

i know my family has used its share of the interstate system through our many road travels around the country. and when jessie and i were traveling around california just earlier this year i myself was thinking how much we take it for granted that we have uniform highway signs, rules for the road, mileage and distance information, and all kinds of other standards that assist every traveler.

as a follow-up to the story, check out this cute little story about the old california state highway system.

yes, government can provide a great good

Saturday, June 17, 2006

check out this terrific floor speech from democratic leader pelosi below. you can actually watch her present it on her website too:

'It's Time to Face the Facts'

Washington, D.C. - House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi spoke on the House floor this morning in strong opposition to H. Res 861 -- Resolution on the War in Iraq. Republicans brought the resolution to the House floor yesterday in order to politicize the debate on the Iraq war. Below are Pelosi's remarks:

"At the opening of this debate, Mr. Skelton asked the House to observe a moment of silence for the 2,500 troops that we have lost in the war in Iraq.

"The number is a staggering one, but we mourn them one person at a time. I hope their families will live with great pride. I know they will live with great sorrow. My uncle was killed at the Battle of the Bulge and for my father's entire life, it was as if it had happened yesterday. We know that experience has been repeated over and over again across our country.

"In remembering them, let us also salute all our men and women in uniform who are doing their jobs with great courage and dedication, and their families, who are making enormous sacrifices.

"2,500 troops killed, 18,000 wounded more than half of them permanently, the strain our military readiness and eroding our reputation in the world. Stay the course - I don't think so. It's time to face the facts.

"On every important aspect of the Iraq war, President Bush and his advisors have been wrong: wrong on the reason to go to war; wrong on the reception our troops would receive; wrong on the rapidity with which the Iraqi economy would be able to pay for the war and reconstruction; and wrong on the willingness of the international community to join in efforts to stabilize Iraq.

"But don't take my word for it. This gross incompetence has driven some of our fighting generals to level devastating public criticism. Major General John Batiste who led the First Infantry Division in Iraq, has said: 'My own decision to speak out goes back to watching first hand the arrogant and contemptuous attitude of Rumsfeld as he ignored the advice of military experts during preparations for war, and then living with the impact of those strategic blunders as a division commander in Iraq. Secretary Rumsfeld and his team turned what should have been a deliberate victory in Iraq into a prolonged challenge.' That is why, over two years ago, I asked for the resignation of Secretary Rumsfeld, and I do so again today. No one has been held accountable for all of these mistakes in Iraq.

"This incompetence comes at great cost. The Bush Administration is so obsessed with the effort to paint an optimistic picture of the situation in Iraq that it refuses to face the facts. The facts are these: more than 2,500 American troops have been killed, more than 18,000 have been injured - over half permanently, and as the war costs have grown over $400 billion, key reconstruction projects remain unfinished. As defense and intelligence expert Anthony Cordesman recently wrote: 'The U.S. aid process has failed...it has wasted at least half of the some $22 billion in U.S. funds and much of the $34.6 billion in Iraq funds it attempted to use to secure and develop Iraq's economy.' This is outrageous. Where is the accountability? In fact, Mr. Cordesman concludes that the U.S.-managed Iraq reconstruction efforts have been as failed as our response to Hurricane Katrina.

"The Bush Iraq policy has diverted resources and attention from what should be the focus of our effort against terrorism in places like Afghanistan. The lack of stability and deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan is a casualty of the war in Iraq. The war has not made our country safer, it has not made our military stronger, it has caused great damage to our reputation in the world, and it has hindered the fight against terrorism.

"In the face of all of the incompetence and cost of this war, the President urges us to stay the course. 'Stay the course,' Mr. President, is not a strategy, it's a slogan. I will vote against this resolution because it is an affirmation of President Bush's failed policy in Iraq. And in doing so, I am pleased to join Mr. Murtha and Mr. Skelton and I salute them for their patriotism and dedication to our country. They are second to none in this Congress in looking out for the troops and for being concerned and knowledgeable about troop readiness, about the strains on our military that this war is putting upon them, and deterring our ability to respond to other threats. I salute them for their leadership and their courage - because here we have the Republicans putting on the floor a vacuous resolution, a challenge that if you want to say you support the troops you have to vote for this - that day is over.

"The credentials on Real Security for our country, be it homeland security, to project our military might to protect our interests at home and abroad - we all share that - so don't put something on the table that says, 'You vote for this if you support the troops, or you don't support them.' This resolution is one thing only - it is an affirmation of President Bush's failed Iraq policy. The American people know that. Hopefully it will dawn on the President and instead of stay the course, he will change the course. He will stop digging the hole that he is digging in Iraq and come out and see the light of day, to what is the right direction.

"Across the country, Americans are having free and open debates about this war. But when the time came to debate Iraq in this Congress, Republicans shut down debate with a closed rule. This is not only an affront to the Democrats; it is an affront to the American people. Closed rule, limited debate - twice as many people on our side of the aisle would like to have spoken, but there wasn't enough time. There wasn't enough time to give Members of Congress the opportunity to give voice to the concerns of their constituents about a matter as important as sending our troops to war. What a sad commentary on our democracy. We supposedly are in Iraq to promote democracy; we don't even have it on the floor of the House of Representatives. We owe better than that to the American people, particularly the brave men and women sent to fight in Iraq.

"Democrats are calling for a new direction in Iraq. Our new direction would say to the Iraqi people: we will not be in your country indefinitely, we will not construct permanent bases, and we will not control the flow of your oil. We will work with you and your neighbors diplomatically to ensure that the reconstruction of Iraq is successful. We will do as Mr. Murtha advocates: we will 'redeploy and be ready.'

"Republicans in Congress continue to try to mislead the American people by suggesting a link between the war in Iraq and the war on terror. They are distinct, as Mr. Skelton has repeatedly stated, and efforts to portray one as part of the other are a disservice to the truth and to the men and women sent to fight in Baghdad, Kirkuk, and Ramadi. The huge costs of the Iraq war in lost lives, life-altering wounds sustained, and billions of dollars spent demand better of us.

"The defense authorization bill enacted last year declares 2006 to be 'a period of significant transition to full Iraqi sovereignty...creating the conditions for the phased redeployment of United States forces from Iraq.' That's in the 2006 Department of Defense authorization bill. We are halfway through 2006; significant transition has not occurred and the only redeployment has been of U.S. forces into Iraq, not out.

"The war in Iraq has been a mistake - a grotesque mistake. It must be our resolve to end the war as soon as possible and to resolve to not make similar mistakes in the future. We owe it to the American people and we owe it to the young men and women that we send in to fight the fight. Democrats take our responsibility to provide for the common defense very seriously. We are proud to have leaders like Mr. Murtha and Mr. Skelton to lead the charge. Thank you, Mr. Speaker."

Friday, June 16, 2006

fun friday fashion
i told a colleague today that i was going to bring back suspenders.

his response: 'please don't'

Thursday, June 15, 2006

woke me up for a minute, prayed for a minute, and then fell back asleep soundly, and forgot about it til i read this piece. life in california

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

J-man is ready for pride

Carol channing on the 23rd and 24th for jessie

What happens to all the cds once you upload them all onto the ipod

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

a few new thoughts from Ariana, that great Woman of the World, during her adventures in Ecuadar with the Peace Corps:

"I know I have not been a very good blogger, and as usual, I am way behind on email. But I am trying to catch up! I can only check my email once or twice a week, and then I usually have to deal with work emails too. But I will get around to responding, because I love getting emails and updates from everyone...

"Other important things: my mother found a really cheap airline, Copa airlines (http://www.copaair.com/) which has flights between Quito and some cities (like NY and LA) for only $500 or less! The only inconvenience is that you have to stop in Panama, i think. But it´s a bargain!

"I recently got a frig, and one or maybe two cats. Plus I moved into a new place which has a sink and running water, most of the time. I have a newfound appreciation for running water and sinks after living without those conveniences for 6 weeks!

"I am working on some projects, but still struggling with my Spanish, so I am focusing on studying Spanish now. Other than that, I´ve been having many other adventures, like getting amoebas, watching howler monkeys, and swimming across a river fully clothed and with my hiking boots still on. I am also learning I need to censor myself, because I talk with the other Peace Corps volunteers about worms and parasites and other gross health problems more than most people would want to hear. So just tell me to shut up if you don´t want to hear about certain things!

"Okay, thanks for all your support, emails, packages, and letters! And don´t believe what you might hear from certain people, I am not on a two year vacation. I am working very hard, all the time =)

Love,
Ariana"

ok, so i love the new pet shop boys album 'fundamental' i just mentioned i bought. it's perfect. and the great thing is that it's so political without seeming so. one of the things i love about the pet shop boys is how they reference politics and social commentary in the midst of seemingly innocent and innocuous dance songs. if you weren't paying attention, you'd never know what you're hearing. anyway, check out these lyrics to a few of their latest songs:

"Twentieth Century" (i'm see this as the story of how the 'solution' of taking over iraq created more problems than the supposed problem before it):

Oh, I learned a lesson
from the Twentieth Century
that I don't think we can just dismiss
After one hundred years
of inhumanity
the lesson that I learned was this:

Sometimes the solution
is worse than the problem
Let's stay together

Well I bought a ticket
to the revolution
and I cheered when the statues fell
Everyone came
to destroy what was rotten
but they killed off what was good as well

Sometimes the solution
is worse than the problem
Let's stay together

Stay with me
this century
Together we're better

Oh, I learned a lesson
from the Twentieth Century
It may seem somewhat hit or miss
If you've certainty
'bout the way it's all meant to be
the lesson that you need is this:

Sometimes the solution
is worse than the problem
Let's stay together


"The Sodom and Gomorrah Show" (i see it being about finding one's freedom to be gay even when the world is saying that it's full of destruction and horror; plus it just has that tinge of political campaigning against gays by conservatives to win over voters through wedge issues):

I lived a quiet life
a stranger to champagne
I never dared to venture out
to cities of the plain
I'd heard about their way of life
took it with a pinch of salt
The freedom and the time to play
a life so easy
it intrigued me
when you called to say:

"Are you gonna go
to the Sodom and Gomorrah Show?
It's got everything you need for your complete
entertainment and instruction
Sun, sex, sin, divine intervention,
death and destruction
The Sodom and Gomorrah show
is a once-in-a-lifetime production"

I think it's true to say
my life was changed that night
In the liberated
atmosphere
all around me
Someone found me
whispered in my ear

"Are you gonna go
to the Sodom and Gomorrah Show?
It's got everything you need for your complete
entertainment and instruction
Sun, sex, sin, divine intervention,
death and destruction
The Sodom and Gomorrah Show
is a once-in-a-lifetime production"

Then we went on
after-hours
there was place down below
It was there I realised
the meaning of the show

You've got to love
to learn to live
where angels fear to tread
I did it and I don't regret the day

Even now
I think of how
you turned to me to say

"Are you gonna go
to the Sodom and Gomorrah Show?
It's got everything you need for your complete
entertainment and instruction
Sun, sex, sin, divine intervention,
death and destruction
The Sodom and Gomorrah Show
is a once-in-a-lifetime production"


and
"I'm with Stupid" (the story of Tony Blair and his relationship with George W.; so brilliant!)

Oh-oh, I'm with Stupid
Oh-oh, I'm with Stupid

See you on the TV
Call you every day
Fly across the ocean
Just to let you get your way
No one understands me
Where I'm coming from
Why would I be with someone
who's obviously so dumb?
Love comes
Love grows
every time you rise to meet me
take my hand to greet me
Love comes
Love grows
and power can give a man
much more than anybody knows

Oh-oh, I'm with Stupid
Oh-oh, I'm with Stupid
Oh-oh, I'm with Stupid
Oh-oh, I'm with Stupid
Before we ever met
I thought like everybody did
you were just a moron
a billion-dollar kid
You flew up all the way
like a hawk chasing a dove
I never thought that I would be
a sacrifice in love
It comes
It grows
and now we're tied together
everybody knows

Oh-oh, I'm with Stupid
Oh-oh, I'm with Stupid
Oh-oh, I'm with Stupid
Oh-oh, I'm with Stupid

Is stupid really stupid
or a different kind of smart?
Do we really have a relationship
so special in your heart?

Oh-oh, I'm with Stupid
Oh-oh, I'm with Stupid

I have to ask myself
like any lover might:
Have you made a fool of me?
Are you not Mr Right?
You grin
I pose
It's not about sincerity
Everybody knows

Oh-oh, I'm with Stupid
Oh-oh, I'm with Stupid
Oh-oh, I'm with Stupid
Oh-oh, I'm with Stupid

Is stupid really stupid
or a different kind of smart?
That's how you stole my heart
I'm with Stupid

Monday, June 12, 2006

i just bought my very first album online tonight! jessie helped me figure out the whole i-tunes thing and now i can get any and all the music i want off the computer. it sounds so simple and i know i'm like 5 years behind everyone else, but well i'm finally catching up. and i'm so excited that i was able to get the new pet shop boys album 'fundamental' before it even hits the stores tomorrow. i love it already, plus on their website you can see a fun video for the song 'i'm with stupid' which the lyrics are supposed to honor tony blair's relationship with george w.
very cute.
anyhow, for the chris's and jessie's of the world, i'm light-years behind, but this is all new and fun for me. i just bought my first album online. wow, so new millenium.

this is all very interesting. a little-known political tactic from 2002 from the republicans that wiped out the democratic senatorial effort in new hampshire by blocking the telephone lines of the democrats on election day has finally started to get some press because the republicans involved are starting to go to jail. now, the republican in charge of the operation has some interesting things to say about his republican culture of politics:

...he said the scheme reflects a broader culture in the Republican Party that is focused on dividing voters to win primaries and general elections. He said examples range from some recent efforts to use border-security concerns to foster anger toward immigrants to his own role arranging phone calls designed to polarize primary voters over abortion in a 2002 New Jersey Senate race.

``A lot of people look at politics and see it as the guy who wins is the guy who unifies the most people," he said. ``I would disagree. I would say the candidate who wins is the candidate who polarizes the right bloc of voters. You always want to polarize somebody."

Raymond stressed that he was making no excuses for his role in the New Hampshire case; he pleaded guilty and told the judge he had done a ``bad thing." But he said he got caught up in an ultra-aggressive atmosphere in which he initially thought the decision to jam the phones ``pushed the envelope" but was legal. He also said he had been reluctant to turn down a prominent official of the RNC, fearing that would cost him future opportunities from an organization that was becoming increasingly ruthless.

``Republicans have treated campaigns and politics as a business, and now are treating public policy as a business, looking for the types of returns that you get in business, passing legislation that has huge ramifications for business," he said. ``It is very much being monetized, and the federal government is being monetized under Republican majorities."


this is the state of republican politics today... is it any wonder we've had suspicious scenarios during the last two presidential elections? when will it end?

Sunday, June 11, 2006

bloody noses
ever since my trip down south with the j-man i've been getting bloody noses regularly. that happens often with me when i travel. i think my nose can't take the weather change very well. and particularly since it was dry and hot where we went my nose sprang a leak. plus, one of the main reasons i love living in san francisco is because the air is so crisp and clean and fresh from the bay and it helps me breathe. so when i leave, i'm prone to more congestion and blood. plus i'm just prone to bloody noses in general. over the years, i've had more than my share. bleh. and right now while i'm congested with a slight cold and then a bloody nose at the same time this morning, well, that's no fun at all... double bleh.

Saturday, June 10, 2006

Jessie fixing me problems

Friday, June 09, 2006

so like i said before, jessie's set me up with a flickr account where i can post photos directly from my phone onto this blog. i'm still unsure exactly how to use it and how to link to people (i've gotten several people linking me, but i'm still unsure how to link back, so please no offense to anyone). but it appears to now be working on the blog. so enjoy. and definitely enjoy jessie's 'crack' photo inside :-)

Turtle grouping


Turtle grouping

Thursday, June 08, 2006

here's what my day was like on tuesday, election day:

after walking a late-night precinct on monday night in the castro and finally getting to bed around 1am, i woke up on tuesday morning at 4am. then i was off to the zoo-- all the way across town-- by the very first bus available in the morning. at 5:30am i was at the zoo area and i got my packages for my two morning precincts. i met up with my friend and colleague johnnie and we had a little coffee, caught up on current activities, and discussed how the precincts would go this morning. this was around 6am. by 7:30am i was done with walking and just had to wait for a few hours and really needed a bathroom, so i went off to a nice 24hour diner for some pancakes and read the paper. around 9:30am i started back on the precincts by checking the polls to make sure everything seemed to be running smoothly and to see which of my voters had voted yet. i then knocked on a few doors and called the rest of the numbers and went over to johnnie's (he lives in the neighborhood sorta) for a little while. eventually he and i headed back to the zoo area for lunch at the headquarters and the next steps. eventually i was sent off to do two more precincts (with similar actions and roles) around the university of san francisco. after that was done, around 5pm, i headed over to the castro to do more leafletting to passers-by before the polls closed at 8pm. it started getting really cold and i was oh-so-tired so i took a cab home, let myself lay down for about 5 minutes, and then showered, cleaned-up, and made my way to after-election parties. i scarfed down as much food as possible at this party because i suddenly realized i hadn't eaten hardly anything all day and i was starving. i then found my way home and thankfully had a late morning on wednesday so i got to sleep in. all wednesday i was exhausted and had a headache. i think i'm finally caught up slightly on sleep now, today, thursday. but i'm still pretty tired and felling very behind on my real work now... all-in-all i'm oh-so-glad the whole thing is over!

i have been having the worst time trying to log into blogger lately. it always seems to be down for some reason. driving me nuts

Wednesday, June 07, 2006

"We talk about the Mounties getting their man, but I don't think a lot of people thought about getting their man this way."

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

well, it's 4am on election day here in california. why am i awake? because i have to get all the way across town on the very first bus that runs in the morning so that i can get out there for 5am activities near the zoo. it's going to be a long day of walking precincts all day out on the westside of town, and then running back for some more stuff on my side of town later this afternoon, and then a late-night election-night party down in the mission until whenever the lights go down there (probably 11pm or so). maybe then i can sleep once again...

oh, be sure you cast your vote on this ominous-sounding day of 6/6/6. if you don't, the omen will come true!

Monday, June 05, 2006

are you ready for this?
undergear is selling two pairs of boxers for men that feature a pocket for an ipod. how funny is that? see here and here.

i just now hit the exact HALF-WAY mark on my ipod. half-way between loaded space and free space for downloading. and i have so many more cd's to add! what to do?

this article was very heart-warming. i don't even know where los altos is (i'm such a city boy), but i looked it up and it's here (i love yahoo maps!)

i've been so busy with election day (tomorrow, june 6th, here in california, i hope you voted!) i forgot that pride season had already started up. there'll be a ton of work on pride after election day with my club and with my boss so it will be a crazy busy time this month. i already worked on an article for my boss that i'm pretty proud of about the history of pride. click on it and read it and let me know what you think. anyway, much work to do!

Sunday, June 04, 2006

a few articles that give a good synopsis of the desert christ park, and why it seems a bit ruined, that i mentioned earlier in the photo section from our trip down to southern california:
roadside america.com article
washington post article

i am so completely in love... with my ipod!
i love it! it's so awesome. the only problem is that i'm completely addicted to downloading all my cd's. i've been downloading cd's ever since i got it. every single minute i'm at home, i'm putting another cd into the computer to download into the ipod. i've got around 11gigs right now of music filled onto my ipod so far, and i'm not nearly done.

anyway, i've been having such a great time with it. i've been walking precincts for election day on tuesday and it's been a lot of fun listening to it, and having it on shuffle. i've been hearing music i haven't heard for a long time in my collection because i never pull out those cd's. plus having it on shuffle brings up all kinds of stuff i forgot about. it's a lot of fun. i am so happy i finally got one. i love it and am like a kid who just got a new toy. it's terrific!

Friday, June 02, 2006

tonight! tonight my friends and i are going to see my favorite of all time drag performers (it's actually not a long list), but she's just so funny and amazing and i'm really excited about tonight. varla jean merman is so funny, and look how awesomely, jaw-droppingly cute he is out of drag. tonight!

jessie's kindly set me up with a flickr account to hold my phone photos. i'm not sure how to use it yet, but we'll get the hang of it and show you all around the world.

Thursday, June 01, 2006

(jessie and the pt cruiser)
(a lovely continental breakfast from our hotel)
(visiting the siblings and niece while in burbank)

so i've been quite busy since returning from my trip with jessie to san diego. actually, we didn't spend any time in the city of san diego itself. mostly we hung out on coronado island where we had a great hotel, and then we drove around throughout southern california-- particularly the desert areas near palm springs, although we didn't even hang out in palm springs itself either. it's all good and it was a ton of fun. and most importantly, very relaxing and enjoyable. and we actually got along for the most part! so here's some photos from the trip below:

just outside palm springs in cabazon are two giant dinosaurs built up in the desert. unfortunately the park has been taken over by some religious creationist zealots who had anti-evolution materials throughout their gift shop and ran a sermon constantly inside. i'm all for religious freedom and all, but this was a bit much and rather odd that they would run a park with dinosaurs when they're so opposed to science itself. but whatever, here's a few photos of us there:

also outside palm springs, in a town called yucca valley, is a small religious public park called the 'desert christ park' and we found it late one evening just before nightfall. the park's statues are falling apart a bit and look like they haven't been maintained, but they're supposed to be depicting the 'last supper' and the 'sermon on the mount' among other christ-activities. it's all rather kitschy and cheesey and what better thing to have in the middle of the desert! here are some photos of us there:


and here's some more random photos of jessie from the trip:

(jessie all dressed up for a wedding. his? ours? maybe we eloped...)