inkandpaint

The future begins

2008-11-05T07:07:00.000-08:00

So I swiped this subject line from the up and coming Star Trek movie.

What a crazy ride for all of us - but as we saw state after state vote in our new president, the change America wanted - needed - became real. And for the first time ever did a president-elect acknowledge the gay citizens of this country as of the same value as everyone else.

Yes, the Mormon-influenced efforts to defeat prop 8 won the battle, but not the war. Because now, the fight goes national. The rein of the Christian right is crumbling and with new, fresh change in DC - in all branches of government - will equality for all be recognized. Indeed, this is happening in our lifetime.

The Mormons should have left California alone because with a national fight, whether it's at the Supreme Court or the addition of "sexual orientation" to the national anti-discrimination law, they will see same-sex marriage and equality within sight of their temples and churches in all 50 states. Perhaps gay couples holding legal marriage certificates marching down the streets of Salt Lake City wasn't what they had in mind, but that is what they will get.

I am sad my immediate gratification for a legitimate and legal recognition for my relationship won't happen today. But I am encouraged that the future for all Americans - not just Californians - to see equal status is within reach.

What would be next?

2008-11-03T06:45:00.001-08:00

Tomorrow we vote. Tomorrow the Castro, West Hollywood, Hillcrest and every rest stop along highway 5 will be gathering the locals to either celebrate or protest the outcome of proposition 8. Every conservative church from the Rick Warren's mega-church in Saddleback to the smallest mountain church in Lassen will either claim their prayers worked or what they have been predicting all along - Satan has control over the USA and the horsemen and locusts are next.

So this morning I ask- what if? What if prop 8 passes? Is that it? Does the fat lady sing "Amazing Grace" and our struggle is over? I am no expert on law, but I do have some assumptions. Assuming we have an Obama Administration, I predict the same-sex marriage issue to work its way to the Supreme Court, and in what is sure to be a bloody argument, the same-sex marriage bans will ultimately be deemed unconstitutional much like the sodomy laws in 2003.

What else I think could be brewing is an unintended consequence for the religious right - which is the ultimate battle between church and state. In the end, the traditional marriage viewpoint is rooted in a Christian belief that marriage is "sacred" (although the bible itself is fuzzy on the issue). However the bible doesn't set law in the country - the Constitution does and at some point I think we will see this battle on the hill. It will be emotional, it will be intense, but the state will win out.

If I were a pastor I'd see prop 8 as not a fight for so-called traditional marriage, but as a step toward legislating discrimination who's passage can set precedence for the next group of people to lose their rights. Could race and religion be next? That would be my message to my flock - "we might not agree with same-sex marriage, but we sure as hell don't agree with tampering with people's rights, because ours could be threatened next."

Vote. Come rain or shine or earthquake or work.

Tonight on SNL: McCain and more Fey as Palin

2008-11-02T01:53:00.000-07:00

In case you missed it. McCain actually did better on this skit than he did in the debates.

Prop 8 margin narrows

2008-10-31T07:10:00.001-07:00

No on Prop 8 still leads the yes posse in the polls, but it's gonna be tight. Get out the vote, donate (I have - twice), call your friends, e-mail Gov. Schwarzenegger who has stated he opposes Prop 8 but has yet to publicly join our cause. The LDS church is trying to change California and every person can make a difference.

Even Karl Rove says Obama can win

2008-10-30T21:13:00.001-07:00

Remember this plump asshole? According to Karl Rove's website, Obama's lead is so far ahead of McCain (311 EV to 157 EV), that the old fart will need to pull every swing state and a few blue states in order to be president. Now isn't this the same puppetmaster behind the GOP machine? Interesting.

Yee Haw!

2008-10-30T09:44:00.000-07:00

The Bible is a bad novel and Jesus isn't coming

2008-10-29T17:10:00.001-07:00

There seems to be an increase these days on people chiming in on the opinion that the days of Christianbabble and the fools that run into burning buildings spewing such are losing the momentum they have enjoyed over the past 8 years. My boy Sam gave his opinion and I feel the need to express mine.

My name is Greg and I am a recovering Baptist. I have been clean and sober from the poison that black tarred my soul into believing myths made the world go 'round and that a simple tearful confession could guarantee one happiness in heaven for about 21 years. Yes, I was one of them. I was raised in a church fearin' family, went to Sunday school every Sunday and learned all about Adam and the sinful Eve, Noah and his ark of meat, King David doing something with someone, Jesus and crew and Mary (slut..!) and the disciples, the Apostle Paul (who was a whack job) always cumulating with the Revelation, the craziest acid trip ever.

I've read the bible many many times, from cover to cover in just about every interpretation made - from King James, New American Standard, the Living Bible- all of 'em. Interestingly, the word "bible" itself comes from the Greek byblos which means, quite simply, "book." So if the ancient Greeks saw it as a simple book and it was written during their time, how did it become so fantastical? Seriously, if this published today, it would be dismissed as cheap fiction. Remember James Frey and "A Million Little Pieces" and that controversy? He tried to pass that off as fact and come to find out, he made most of it up. Hell, he even bragged on Oprah. Now if only the Apostle John would have brought the Revelation to Oprah - well, we wouldn't be having this conversation.

So now we are more than two thousand years past the time all of that was written. Incredibly I think Christian mythology has probably outlasted Greek mythology. I ask, what's the difference? It's the same in principle. People who are advanced in science and democracy on the one hand subscribing to fantasy and ridiculous ceremony (uh, circumcision? baptism? communion? killing people?) on the other hand. Are we really so different?

I think we are at a crossroad and at some point, this country needs to decide - the Bible or the Constitution. Clearly our forefathers intended the fledgling country to govern independent of radical bible-ism. The Jesusfolk holding an apple pie and a child's hand always like point out, "In God We Trust" blazed our history and we should always be a God fearing nation. Too bad for them the more relevant document, the Constitution, was also drafted and written by men -just like the bible, only with more schooling and experience- who were trying to bring order to chaos - just like the bible, which was, in fact, a cut and paste job by a fledgling Rome who need to bring order to their chaotic empire.

So as someone who used to bring people to Jesus I struggled with so many things. The gay part was just one of the pieces. I always was suspicious in the preachings and bizarre stories, but like most born-agains, didn't question it. Until I decided I wanted to find truth. Several hits of acid, a whole lot of meth, flirtings with kabbalah and Wicca later, I discovered, at least for myself, that the notion of Christianity wasn't valid. That if there was a God (or Goddess), then I could accept that and take faith in the not-knowing. That was when I became a born again agnostic.

So this is my rant. In 2008 America, there is no room for mythology any more since fact and the present are much more relevant. There is indeed the intent of the law for separation of church and state. I don't mind who or what they worship as long as they don't impose it on me. I want my choice and freedoms as guaranteed by my Constitution, the bible if you may of 21st century America, which is much more practical and applicable than ever. Especially as we assert our separation from church.

So I guess that makes me both pro-choice and pro-life. I want the choices for my life free from ancient myth.

Still more Fey as Palin

2008-10-23T21:31:00.000-07:00

From tonight's SNL Special on the election. With Will Ferrell revising his role as W.

Republicans for Obama

2008-10-22T19:49:00.000-07:00

Porn that is work-safe (sort of)...

2008-10-21T10:59:00.000-07:00

http://view.break.com/577249 - Watch more free videos

I got this from Lil Sexy. It's quite funny.

This one is for you, Joyce...

2008-10-20T19:38:00.000-07:00

One of my dearest friends lost her mother unexpectedly last week. Joyce Hodges Fielder died last Wednesday after experiencing a stroke. At that moment, a vacuum sucked some of the joy out of the world as clearly one of the largest personalities I have ever met was gone.

Joyce was one of those people who didn't just step, or even waltz, into your life. No. She came tearing in, with cigarette in hand, like a hyperactive dog who tears around you when you come home after a long vacation. The pic above is from my 40th birthday party where Miss Joyce made her way from lap to lap of all the gay men and even flirted with lesbianism before the night was over. Every one she touched somehow found themselves laughing with her about everything. I'm gonna miss you Joyce.

So as I thought about Joyce over the past few days, my thoughts turned to the finale of one of the finest television shows ever written - Six Feet Under. For those of you who were fans of the show, you remember the incredible last 6 minutes of the series. It was the perfect ending to the perfect story - and somehow, in my mind, this is what Joyce's passing is reminding me of: we all die but it's what we do while we are here is what matters.

Here it is for you all:

Goodbye, Joyce.

War is hell

2008-10-20T16:41:00.001-07:00

Here is an vid in support to reelect Tom Udall, senator in NM, who secured funds to help our wounded soldiers returning from that clusterfuck in Iraq. It's an emotional commercial. I support our brave troops and wish all of our dedicated armed forces in harm's way, whether in the desert or sea, the best of luck. Let's bring them home.

Taken from Bill in Exile. His site is not always work safe.

Meet the Parents

2008-10-20T16:27:00.000-07:00

This past week and weekend, Sam and I ventured East to his hometown of Woodstown, NJ to surprise his Mom for her birthday. It's a quaint, colonial town with beautiful homes built in the 1800's settled within rolling hills and the trees were all bursting in the autumnal colors. Every other home was either decorated with harvesty/G-rated Halloweenesque scarecrows or McCain-Palin signs (just about as many Obama signs as McCain ones are in SF).

I saw his high school, the main street, the bedroom he grew up in (if those walls could talk), watched his dogs go Michael Vick on each other, but the best part was watching his Mom's face when Sam walked thru the door. She had no idea we were coming and she was so happy to see him for her birthday. It was a moment. Sam's parents are just as charming and witty as their son. Did anyone have a doubt? His Dad, by the way, makes a mean Shepherd's Pie.

Woodstown is part of the woodsy outskirts of Philadelphia. I have never been to the city of Philly so it was a treat for me to take in the history. Being from Los Angeles, I have no real concept of American history that dates back beyond the 1940's. We did a few touristy things, did some shopping, mingled with the natives before squeezing into our Useless Airways flight back home. Another great trip, fun time.

Pictures are here.

The red and the blue

2008-10-14T14:23:00.000-07:00

For those of you who like to follow the polls, here is a great website: Real Clear Politics. As of this morning, they have put Obama with 313 electoral votes, clearly more than enough to win. it's an interesting site to dig through. Notice what color Florida is.

Viral ad: No on Prop 8

2008-10-14T12:35:00.001-07:00

Clever. Send to everyone and donate. Now is the time for all Californians to stand up for equality.

Dog Show

2008-10-13T19:51:00.001-07:00

Dog Show!

This old SNL skit cracks me up. Real stupid, but funny nonetheless. I hope you enjoy!

We have Canada, but where would the GOP go?

2008-10-11T21:42:00.001-07:00

Slate has a humorous take on the often threatened move to Canada that us left-leaners promise when presidential elections spiral to the right.

But public opinion is shifting blue - Obama has broken 50 in the national polls. So Slate muses Where can republicans go...?. Suggestions include Israel, Poland and the Cayman Islands. But as they say, "it ain't over till it's over."

So what will the fat lady sing? Will it be Hatikva for the GOP expats, or Oh Canada for those who simply cannot stomach another term of the right wingnuts?

Welcome Home

2008-10-11T09:06:00.000-07:00

Swiped from Bill in Exile. A solider returns home after 14 months in Iraq.

This is how I want to be greeted every time I come home. Hee hee

Milestone

2008-10-10T07:18:00.000-07:00

The love of my life reached a milestone today: one year of sobriety (well, technically, one standard year and a day - 366 days. Leap year). I can't begin to tell you how proud I am of him.

One year is not just 366 days of not using chemicals - but also a symbolic achievement. As for me, it's been a great almost-nine month journey with Sam. I have seen him grow, evolve, and embrace his sober identity. I'm so fortunate to be part and bear witness to his ongoing growth. Hand in hand, I look forward to the milestones ahead.

So raise a glass of ginger ale and join me in celebrating Sam's one-year emancipation from sweet lady H and her posse.

I love you, Scampers.

Icebreaker

2008-10-09T19:27:00.001-07:00

Not necessarily headlines, but something noteworthy nonetheless: the land of Bjork is collapsing. Iceland, once heralded as having the highest standard of living in all of Europe, is on the brink of financial ruin. Today the government seized control of the largest bank and still, the country faces national bankruptcy.

Sadly, none of Reykjavik's friends came to the rescue. Clearly they have their own financial messes to sort through. So it seems Iceland is turning to Russia for financial assistance. If the $5.5 billion loan goes through, the country can stabilize it's currency but will still be in the woods.

Russia? I'm not sure how I feel about that. They claim not to have any interest in the abandoned USAF base there, but...

So what happened? Well Iceland relied heavily on cheap foreign financing to boost up ambitious entrepreneurship and mortgages. As the world economy started to falter the debt piled up and the tiny Atlantic nation started it's, uh, meltdown.

Very sad. But this is just the beginning, in my opinion. The financial stability of the planet is shaking down - is it rightsizing or collapsing? Does anybody really know?

I wish our Icelandic friends good luck. Sam and I are thinking about going next year for this. Maybe it will be inching it's way back up, or the krona will be exchanging at bargain basement rate. Who knows.

Debate

2008-10-07T19:49:00.001-07:00

When the pollsters finish counting their scores, I think it will be clear: Obama won tonight's debate. The man spoke as a leader, addressed the questions, had awesome stage presence and charisma. His opponent? Looked awkward, ornery at times, and dodged questions. His attempt at humor was embarrassing. He referred to Obama in one response as "THAT one." Shameful.

Andrew Sullivan of The Daily Dish summed it up nicely:
This was, I think, a mauling: a devastating and possibly electorally fatal debate for McCain. Even on Russia, he sounded a little out of it. I've watched a lot of debates and participated in many. I love debate and was trained as a boy in the British system to be a debater. I debated dozens of times at Oxofrd. All I can say is that, simply on terms of substance, clarity, empathy, style and authority, this has not just been an Obama victory. It has been a wipe-out.It has been about as big a wipe-out as I can remember in a presidential debate. It reminds me of the 1992 Clinton-Perot-Bush debate. I don't really see how the McCain campaign survives this.

See his blog of the debate here.

Creepy old advertisements

2008-10-06T12:23:00.000-07:00

More here.

Smear Campaign

2008-10-05T20:28:00.001-07:00

What is this bitch winking at us for? Flirting for votes? A nervous tic? I wish it were that easy.

Today this infected piece of tampon stated in Burlingame that the campaign against Obama-Biden is going to get tougher (read: slanderous and nasty). Would we expect anything less from this sleazy Jesus freak and her cantankerous running mate? I find it interesting that they are in essence stating, publicly, that their campaign has failed on it's merits and that they will resort to bashing and attempting to discredit the opposition. Yeah, I know - Politics 101 .

I am so done with her and her folksy winks and her glib, moronic syntax.

It's all about the love

2008-10-05T11:48:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was the annual Lovefest. It was a packed scene of DJ's, electronic music, hippies, shirtless dudes, boobies, pixies, and fairies all mashed against each other thumping to the beats and feeling the groove on a sunny San Francisco afternoon. It was fun, but very crowded - and very young. I felt old - kind of like the same way I feel when I walk into an Abercrombie & Fitch. Regardless, Sam and I shook our butts to the beats.

Pics are here.

More Fey. More Palin.

2008-10-05T08:35:00.001-07:00

Logic?

2008-10-03T13:52:00.001-07:00

I received this in my e-mail inbox from a friend today:

I'm a little confused. Let me see if I have this straight.....

* If you grow up in Hawaii, raised by your grandparents, you're "exotic, different."
* Grow up in Alaska eating moose burgers, a quintessential American story.

* If your name is Barack you're a radical, unpatriotic Muslim.
* Name your kids Willow, Trig and Track, you're a maverick.

* Graduate from Harvard law School and you are unstable.
* Attend 5 different small colleges before graduating, you're well grounded.

* If you spend 3 years as a brilliant community organizer, become the first black President of the Harvard Law Review, create a voter registration drive that registers 150,000 new voters, spend 12 years as a Constitutional Law professor, spend 8 years as a State Senator representing a district with over 750,000 people, become chairman of the state Senate's Health and Human Services committee, spend 4 years in the United States Senate representing a state of 13 million people while sponsoring 131 bills and serving on the Foreign Affairs, Environment and Public Works and Veteran's Affairs committees, you don't have any real leadership experience.
* I f your total resume is: local weather girl, 4 years on the city council and 6 years as the mayor of a town with less than 7,000 people, 20 months as the governor of a state with only 650,000 people, then you're qualified to become the country's second highest ranking executive.

* If you have been married to the same woman for 19 years while raising 2 beautiful daughters, all within Protestant churches, you're not a real Christian.
* If you cheated on your first wife with a rich heiress, and left your disfigured wife and married the heiress the next month, you're a Christian.

* If you teach responsible, age appropriate sex education, including the proper use of birth control, you are eroding the fiber of society.

* If , while governor, you staunchly advocate abstinence only, with no other option in sex education in your state's school system while your unwed teen daughter ends up pregnant , you're very responsible.

* If your wife is a Harvard graduate lawyer who gave up a position in a prestigious law firm to work for the betterment of her inner city community, then gave that up to raise a family, your family's values don't represent America's
* If you're husband is nicknamed "First Dude", with at least one DWI conviction and no college education, who didn't register to vote until age 25 and once was a member of a group that advocated the secession of Alaska from the USA, your family is extremely admirable.

OK, much clearer now.

A sobering video

2008-10-03T07:08:00.000-07:00

Posted on The Daily Dish, an eye opening video about the rash of foreclosures in Socal.

More Palinbabble

2008-10-02T07:35:00.001-07:00

A few chestnuts of wisdom from the GOP candidate-of-choice for the second most important job in the world. Is it just me, or does it give you the creeps to hear the phrase "when John McCain tapped me..."??

If you were on the fence about her now, here's hoping you jumped clearly to one side.

A republican ad to defeat prop 8

2008-10-01T12:14:00.000-07:00

Sure they state the republicans need to get a woman in the White House, but they also clearly support marriage equality. Will the message fall on deaf ears?

Girl, Interrupted

2008-09-30T21:14:00.000-07:00

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Turn up the sound. This is way cool.

More musings from Palin

2008-09-30T14:35:00.001-07:00

Watch CBS Videos Online

Now I know why the McCain camp is keeping her away from the press. She just rambles nonsense.

Fey as Palin 2.0

2008-09-29T10:44:00.001-07:00

In case you missed it last Saturday night. Honestly I do not know how Tina and Amy get through the skit without cracking-up.

Master Obama

2008-09-29T07:13:00.001-07:00

As seen on the streets at the Folsom Street Fair yesterday. I am not sure if this is Shepherd Fairey's work, but it's pretty damn cool nonetheless.

Folsom Street Fair

2008-09-29T07:03:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was the Folsom Street Fair - part fetish, part Renaissance. Sam was working so I attended solo - but I was hardly alone. There were about 399,999 other people, including a handful I knew: Dave and Eric, Ken and Nick, Donovan, Steve Macissac, Bart and the rest of the naked drawing crew, Master Noah, Jeff and Zeke, Charlie and Jason, Kirk, and Thomas in his opaque wrestling singlet. I had a good time - it would have been a great time if Sam wasn't laboring up and down the coast.

After the Fair, I headed to the Lonestar with Donovan, Jeff and Zeke and there, saw Paul, Gabriel, FTP and about 1,000 other shirtless bears. By then though my gay tank was running on empty and I called it a day.

My Folsom pics are here. As with all things Folsom, use your discretion - may not be entirely work-safe.

Political test

2008-09-26T18:39:00.000-07:00

No surprise here.

You are a
Social Liberal
(70% permissive)

and an...
Economic Liberal
(38% permissive)

You are best described as a:

Democrat

Link: The Politics Test on OkCupid.com: Free Online Dating
Also : The OkCupid Dating Persona Test

It's been a long week

2008-09-26T18:20:00.000-07:00

Thank God it's Friday.

I don't know about the rest of you, but this past week, the first week of autumn 2009, was a long and intense one. I started the week on a 6:00AM flight Monday morning for a work trip to Indiana. Getting on a 6:00AM flight on a Monday is borderline criminal - and suffice to say I was loopy by the time I reached my final destination. The next three days were non-stop meetings, meetings and more meetings. All of this cumulated to a mega-merger by the end of the week which will, in the long run, be good for me, my team and my employer - but at the expense of more work. It's good - but as for today, I am glad it's the weekend.

I heart Heart

2008-09-21T11:35:00.000-07:00

I love this. And you probably will too.

Ann and Nancy Wilson, the sisters from the group Heart, have sent a letter to the John McCain camp about his usage of their hit "Barracuda" in his promotion of his running mate.

It's quite self-explanatory. I have nothing else to add.

Magical Thinking

2008-09-20T10:02:00.000-07:00

According to this video, Jesus has imprinted his image.....on the ceiling of a woman's workout facility. Watch as the chubstas do their leg presses while a vague Lord looks lovingly down on their dimpled legs and multiple chins.

What...?

This clip demonstrates that Americans find such events as newsworthy - and we all know there will be a population of those who actually believe that the Jesus himself pressed his face on that ceiling in giving us some sort of divine sign of.....of.....some sign to....to... fat ladies?

We like to think our ourselves, the American collective, as a higher thinking group, with that cowboy swagger as if to say we know all the answers and if we don't, well golly, listen to us anyway cuz we're God-fearin', carb-eatin' Americans. Don't get me wrong, I am proud to be an American embracing my freedoms and exercising my rights to critical thinking and expression. But there is a growing segment of the populace who goes apeshit when Mary, Jesus (but how come we never see Joseph?) smudge their likeness on ceilings, dry wall and grilled-cheese sandwiches. Why is that? People want the miracles of science to give us heart pills and Tang and the internets but still put one leg in the superstitious as if truth and fact were determined by the same process as delusions of faith.

It's just a watermark created by the rain, folks.

Now I ask you, if the divine was all knowing as Sunday Skool teaches us, then why doesn't Jesus appear at MIT, Stanford or Harvard instead of the trailers, Wal Marts and Curves' that are reported?

Seasons change

2008-09-17T07:40:00.000-07:00

Anybody else noticing the days are getting shorter?

I woke up at my usual 5:45AM today and it was dark as dark gets outside. Naturally the nights have been progressively longer since we passed the solstice, but it didn't resonate with me until this morning. I actually had to put on a sweatshirt and switch on the heater today as I bumbled thru the kitchen to fire up the java and start my work day.

Fall is in the air. Not that we had much of a warm summer, but clearly the autumnal train has left the station. Two weeks from today we will be in October. Personally autumn is my favorite time of year - I love the sunnier but cool days and crisp nights. October is my favorite month too - karma (or is it Jesus?) usually heaves change into my lap during October. Not that change is always easy to deal with, but I have learned to adapt. Even so, I love the vibe from October. After Halloween, I usually hide out until after the holidays, my least favorite time of year.

London pics

2008-09-14T13:22:00.001-07:00

Are here. I know you wish you were with us.

Tina Fey does Sarah Palin

2008-09-14T09:46:00.000-07:00

SPHC
by Hishighness

Tina brings it as Gov. Palin. Amy Poehler is hysterical as Hillary.

Goodbye, London

2008-09-13T12:25:00.000-07:00

Well our London trip is over. We had an amazing time, met some cool blokes, did some shopping - correction - did a lot of shopping, walked until our feet liquified, and now after the transatlantic flight back to the states, we are waiting for the final leg from Boston to San Francisco. Even though we got first class across the pond, we are tired and ready to come home.

It was an amazing trip with my amazing boyfriend whom I fell in love with all over again. Indeed we passed that crucial traveling together test. No arguments, lost tempers and fussiness (which is usually me when I don't eat) was kept at a minimum. I am already looking forward to our next trip.

Once I am home I'll post more pics.

Sticky and Sweet and 93,000 people

2008-09-12T02:00:00.000-07:00

Day #2 in London wrapped up with Madonna at Wembley Arena. An impressive building built to hold over 100,000 people - mosty men given the fact there are virtually no W/C for women and rows of troughs to piss in. Even with the stage set-up on one side, there were 93,000 people there to see Madge. Our seats were not very close (the pic above? 10X zoom) and the sound did not match the screens or the stage - clearly the speed of sound let us down. From what we can tell, it was a great show.

She started with some numbers from her current album, Hard Candy, which isn't one of my favorites. But as the show went on, the concert took into its own. She hit my favorites, including Ray of Light (above) and Hung Up and sensing she was wrapping up, we left....along with a few thousand others. Word has it once she finished her finale apparently way past the neighborhood curfew, people queued for two hours to get on the tube back into the center of town.

Overall, a great experience - but we were too far away to get the most of it. Either way, we can say we saw Madonna at Wembley. Next time, we'll go for a game and pack it in with 99,998 screaming drunk sports fans, giving "sticky and "sweet" a whole new meaning. Booyah.

London, day #1

2008-09-10T16:27:00.001-07:00

Well, we wrapped up day #1 of our trip to London - on Sam's 29th birthday no less. So far it's been an exciting and awesome trip.

First we were able to fly in first class (thanks David!) to Heathrow. And the hotel, the Hilton Waldorf (thanks hotel points) is in the center of the mix - within walking to Covent Garden, Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus. We celebrated Sam's birthday by shopping at Fred Perry, Harrod's and Ted Baker. Way gay, right!

Tonight we wandered around Soho and mingled at Compton's, on Old Compton Road.

Tomorrow - the London Eye and we'll be even gayer by seeing Madonna at Wembley.

Having fun! I know you wish you were with us!

In the beginning...or is it the end?

2008-09-08T10:56:00.000-07:00

If you marvel at science - given you believe such things like facts undeniably proven through the scientific method and other valuable metrics (unlike this bitch), then there is something utterly amazing about to take place.

The world's largest particle accelerator located underground between Switzerland and France, is being switched on this week - September 10th to be exact. The Large Hadron Collider will examine the way the universe works by colliding particles which will recreate conditions a millionth of second after big bang. That is, if you believe in big bang.

So what if? What if science proves with fact that big bang was big bang and that the universe wasn't Play-Doughed into existence by Yahweh?

This demonstration also can create evidence of multiple dimensions and reveal theoretical particles that could explain why mass is mass. Again what if? How does Genesis fit in to all this? Clearly science has prompted church elders to re-examine their theology (remember Galileo?). But here we sit on the ledge about ready to look the divine in the face and realize it's all a twisted orgy of mass and energy. Is there a way to reconcile the two? Can faith and fact coexist? We live in fantastical times as science and discovery is moving us forward at supersonic speeds. The non-believers need to keep up.

On the flip side, the accelerator could also create a black hole, which according to some, could suck in the planet. If it happened on day 2, Sept. 11th, that would be poetic - not that any of us would be around to notice the irony.

Holiday

2008-09-08T06:51:00.000-07:00

Tonight Sam and I go on holiday. We'll be redeyeing to the East Coast and then to London. Fuckin' A.

It's been a long time since I have travelled intercontinental. The last time was in 2005 with David to Peru. That was an awesome trip but tonight will be Sam and I's first international wandering together. And even though the trip will be a short one - we are back on Saturday - we'll have plenty of fun.

On the agenda - we'll not only try and spot the queen above, but also this queen when we see her perform at Wembley Stadium. She will probably be extra-British that night. Aside from that, I'll be dragging Sam all over town - Earl's Court, the London Eye, the Tower of London, Harrod's, Soho, Covent Garden....

Any suggestions?

Nine Inch Nails

2008-09-06T08:02:00.001-07:00

Last night was Nine Inch Nails at the Oracle Arena in Oakland. The show was fucking amazing. Let me say that again - fucking amazing. So much better than any concert I have ever been to. Even way better than Celine Dion - A New Day.

Opening act was Deerhunter, a waify emo-ish band who was lost on the large stage which was shrouded by black cloth during their set. They were ok I suppose, but were about to be forgotten when Trent and crew took the stage. From the first downbeat to the last note the show was non-stop, mind boggling music without a break. The perfectly mixed music with stunning visuals (I can't even being to describe the light effects) made this am amazing experience. A sweaty, buff Trent Reznor and his band of magicians delivered an awesome show.

They are coming back Dec. 12 to Sacramento.

My pics are here.

Weekender

2008-09-01T20:26:00.000-07:00

I love three day weekends. The intent is to rest up. The reality is - it never happens.

This weekend was a busy one too. Friday I checked out lofts and went to the City with David. Saturday I played tour-guide with my 20 year old nephew in town on a north-south road trip. We did Pier 39, the Golden Gate Bridge, and after getting Sam, we ended up watching Pineapple Express. Hysterical.

Sunday was the Hairrison Street Fair - a day of mingling with our friends and making new ones.

Today was the official day off. We attempted Grey Whale Cove but high tide blocked access to the clothing optional side of the beach. Tonight I am resting up for the week ahead - have a business trip. Next week- London.

History repeating itself?

2008-08-30T08:39:00.001-07:00

Three years ago this week that bitch Katrina flooded New Orleans and demonstrated how weak our current administration really is in disaster preparedness. Now, here comes Gustav. If he continues his lumber northwest, he show what we have, or have not learned in the past three years. Are we ready? That remains to be seen.

I have not been to New Orleans in 20 years. But a recently my job includes duties in the state of Louisiana, so the impacts of the 'canes are even more relevant to me now. As a native Californian and a resident of the Bay Area, I am not accustomed to dealing with routine, but intense, weather patterns. Sure I have lived through my share of earthquakes and a few rainstorms, but have never experienced the immense energy of a hurricane. The only weather I have had to endure in the last 6 months has been this annoying fog. So I have no expertise on the subject - I am just a spectator watching it unfold on CNN and the Weather Channel. I have no idea what evacuating is like. I wish everyone well.

Good luck to New Orleans and the rest of the Gulf Coast. There are those who are there for Southern Decadence. Finish the hurricane and get the hell out before the real one hits.

Californication indeed

2008-08-29T07:48:00.001-07:00

The hottest guy in sci-fi, David Duchovny, is in rehab for sex addiction. Damn.

Agent Mulder of the X-Files checked himself in to a some sort of facility which offers treatment for sex addiction. Not to diminish the critical nature of addiction nor to make light of it, but I find it somewhat stimulating that such a hot man as Duchovny find himself in treatment for too much penis play. With irony only Hollywood can provide, David's character on Showtime's Californiacation is a sex starved struggling writer. Even so, maybe he is just hard wired like so many men to be uber-friendly (i.e. slutty). It's not to take away from the love of a partner, but the "cruise" (as we 'mos like to call it) provides a hormone rush. But clearly there needs to be a balance and obviously it became an obstacle in his life warranting treatment. I wish him the best of luck.

Interesting quote from his ex-wife actress Tea Leoni: "Men are like bulls," she continued. "They gotta get the new cow. Maybe you've got to get the bull after he's had a lot of cows, so you might just be the last new one."

Rocky Mountain High

2008-08-28T21:09:00.000-07:00

Did you watch it?

Barack Obama gave quite possibly one of the finest speeches in contemporary political history at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado. His words were stirring and more pro-American than any of the bullshit we have been fed ovder the past 8 years from the current White House factory. I am glad he was blunt against his opponent without being nasty, which at one point, praised his military service. In spite of such, if this country really wants to look forward, Barack is the man. Get out and vote.

Clusterfuck

2008-08-26T20:11:00.000-07:00

Here is a pic of air traffic movements from today. Mindboggling how many planes are in the sky at one time. The system is also quite fragile, as today an electronic communication failure prompted delays across the nation.

Yay!!

2008-08-26T19:32:00.001-07:00

Today Sam and I have been together for 7 fantastical months!! Hooray for us!

Down with Tuesdays

2008-08-26T07:33:00.000-07:00

What is it about Tuesdays? I hate them. My least favorite day of the week, even more despised than Mondays. They are that part of the work week hill that is the steepest I reckon. Ugh. Here we go.

Insomniac

2008-08-25T05:01:00.001-07:00

Today is Monday, August 25, 2008 and I woke up at 3:30AM. Not that groggy, ugh it's Monday type of wake-up; rather that I'm on zulu time zone and eyes-open, hyper-alert type of wake-up.

Ugh.

I hate not getting my required 8-hours of sleep, especially on a so-called school night. I don't think I'm preoccupied or stressed although I am juggling some personal projects which have been consuming lately. Even so, I've never not slept because of internalized chaos. The boy sleeping beside me didn't keep me up either, in spite of his occasional snoring.

So here I am now, at a few minutes before 5:00AM. I would normally have another hour of sleep left but instead I am on my second cup of coffee even more alert than before.

It's going to be a long day.

What happened to VH!?

2008-08-23T10:31:00.001-07:00

This morning while making love to my coffee, I flipped on VH1. There on the screen was I Love Money where people named "Toastee", "Real", "Bootz" and "White Boy" screamed and flexed for some purpose that still eludes me. The obvious would be for money (hence the name of the show), but there wasn't any mention of it in the vapid dialogue I watched. Up next? The Cho Show. Now I won't be critical as I love Margaret. Her show is a riot but unfortunately she is plopped in the middle of VH1's campy line up.

After our favorite Korean is New York Goes To Hollywood (actual quote: "What do you know about Japanese Culture?" New York: "Well, I love Thai food.") followed by Glam God with Vivica A. Fox, then Brooke Knows Best. Essentially, one tragic woman making a fool of herself after another for our amusement and like a bloody train wreck, I am hooked.

Does anybody remember when VH1 played music? Now we can say the same of the other music channel, but once upon a time, VH1 showed the vids for those who outgrew the poppy shit on MTV. Seemingly overnight VH1 switched to reality camp. Did I sleep through that memo?

MTV's first video played was the Buggles' Video Killed the Radio Star. Time to remake this song?

Outside Lands is out...

2008-08-22T22:35:00.001-07:00

It sounded so promising. Radiohead. Beck. Jack Johnson. Primus. Wilco. Cake. Rock and roll meets eco-festival in Golden Gate Park. Sam and I looked forward to this for months.

It was a bust.

Outside Lands, SF's first crack at a music festival in Golden Gate Park failed on so many levels. Sam and I went tonight and got there early to size up the grounds and make our way to one of the stages to see Beck. What happened was that Beck's stage was on a downhill slope so nobody could see him perform. The masses started to moan and as we made our way toward the main polo field, the crowd of thousands who were trying to move from the Beck stage through a narrow path started to push down fences and scattered to get away. It was a bitchfest and clusterfuck.

Things looked up when we positioned ourselves for Radiohead on the main stage. They started promptly on-time but periodically the sound would simply go out. After this happened a few times, we decided to call it a night. We weren't the only ones - there was a steady stream of disgruntled fans all agreeing with us that the festival wasn't really planned out all that well.

It's too bad too. I scored on parking - two blocks from the park. We won't be returning for the rest of the weekend.

Ever have one of those days?

2008-08-22T08:36:00.001-07:00

I hope everyone has a great Friday! Yay!

Sign O The Times

2008-08-21T07:36:00.000-07:00

Hallmark announced today that they are adding Gay Marriage cards to their selection. The message will tend to be more neutral to cater not only to marriage but commitment ceremonies as well. Let the next phase in the wicked gay agenda commence.

I am pleasantly surprised and pleased that Hallmark is taking these steps. I have always viewed Hallmark as a conservative business with banal greeting cards. The most taboo punch lines usually revolve around being prehistorically old or farting. Granted I don't expect them to develop messages such as "Two hands, two cocks" or "Poppers - The new marriage accessory", but they are making a positive step forward. Naturally they are taking the stance that they are "responding to market conditions" instead of bowing to political pressure. Hallmark's competitor American Greetings, on the other hand, announced they had no plans to roll out the same.

I am sure the Jesus Crew might get their granny panties in a bunch over this and I sure hope they do. I love watching feisty Christians make even bigger fools of themselves. Have any of their boycotts ever been successful? Disney, Ford and Donna Summer all seem to be doing fine.

Alas, we have corrupted another American institution. What's next? Hee hee hee....

Oh hell yeah...

2008-08-20T08:29:00.000-07:00

Yes please.

Fay Pride

2008-08-20T06:48:00.000-07:00

Hurricane Fay just won't leave Florida alone. She's here, not-so-queer, and apparently not going anywhere. And gave this dude one hell of a blow-job (check out the rump on the dude in the grey striped board shorts):

You all know my opinion on naming storms after people. When I become Supreme Ruler (I'm a commander already - see below - so I am almost there) I will keep human names to the humans and leave storms and wildlife with their proper names, such as lion, tiger and hurricane. Until then, I guess I'll call the big windbags their market given names.

Here's another shot of Fay as she staggers off to sea resembling a Trannyshack wig. She might boomerang back and hit Northeastern Florida.

Too all the folks in her path, I wish you luck.

I'm the commander

2008-08-19T20:03:00.001-07:00

Your result for The Perception Personality Image Test...

HBDS - The Commander

Humanity, Background, Detail, and Shape

You perceive the world with particular attention to humanity. You focus on the hidden treasures of life (the background) and how that is affected by the details of life. You are also particularly drawn towards the shapes around you. Because of the value you place on humanity, you tend to seek out other people and get energized by being around others. You like to ponder ideas and imagine the many possibilities of your life without worrying about the details or specifics. You are highly focused on specific goals or tasks and find meaning in life by pursuing those goals. You prefer a structured environment within which to live and you like things to be predictable.

The Perception Personality Types:

Take The Perception Personality Image Test at HelloQuizzy

Gold medalist

2008-08-19T17:51:00.000-07:00

Forget Michael Phelps. This dude does it for me.

Meet Andrea Minguzzi, a policeman from Italy. He is the gold medal winner in the 84kg divison. If you recall, when he was awarded his medal, the sore loser Ara Abrahamian from Sweden who came in with the bronze put his medal on the ground and stormed off.

Something about a cop in lycra wrestling other sweaty dudes. Now generally I prefer my guys thicker and hairier, but sometimes rules are made to be broken, yeah?

Should I stay or should I go?

2008-08-17T20:54:00.000-07:00

I currently live in Pacifica which is about 12 miles south of San Francisco along the coast. It's a cozy little stoner-blue collar-surf town. I own a small rancher house in the Linda Mar area, 1/2 mile from the beach, with a little slice of land. I love my house; gayed it up real nice with hardwood floors, a new kitchen and lots of mid-century furniture and tchockies. I live on a great street with cool neighbors and when the sky is clear, I can see stars forever in the dark of night. Once in awhile wild deer wander down my street. During the spring frogs sing their horny croaks. I'm 10 minutes from a nude beach, 15 minutes to SFO Airport, 20 minutes to downtown San Francisco. It's green here and a great place to live.

So why the hell am I thinking about moving?

The flip side to the idyllic description above is the fact that Pacifica is devoid of any shopping or culture (not counting Starbucks, Safeway and Taco Bell on-the-beach), poor public transportation, and shrouded by miserable fog. As much as I love my house, it was built in the 1950's and things require frequent fixning. I don't have a green thumb and have yet to develop my backyard. Since I work from home, I have no commute to a sunnier locale so when we have weeks upon weeks of grey, chilly fog, I find myself moody and down. I don't surf - the water is way too cold and am convinced in a wetsuit I'll closely resemble a slow-moving elephant seal to a lazy Great White. I almost think I have too much space here. And last, friends who reside in the City are less likely to come visit as it requires a car.

So recently I have been thinking about selling and moving to San Francisco - possibly loft-living. Less space, new everything, within walking of commerce and possibly public transportation. Things with Sam are quite serious - he rocks my boat in every direction - and the possibility is there to be cohabitants in sin. So public transportation is essential. I have started to look for places to compare, but am torn as to what to do. Stay in this place, or sell and move to a more urban life.

What do you think?

Bigfoot my big ass

2008-08-16T09:30:00.001-07:00

Two good ol' boys from the heady state of Georgia claim to have seen bigfoot. Moreover they say have a pic of bigfoot in the wild, gathered a corpse of bigfoot (above) in a freezer, and saw three more of bigfoot's kin while they dragged the costume, I mean body, of bigfoot presumably into their Ford truck.

So I ask, is this real?

What do you think? I am skeptical. Not that I don't think bigfoot could exist but like my viewpoint on God, I suppose I am an agnostic on the bigfoot concept. But this all seems too contrived and too secretive. Even so, the Georgians (not to be confused with the "other" Georgia dodging Russian bullets) held a press conference in Palo Alto and are keeping the body in an "undisclosed location" until "scientists" examine it. It all sounds too weird. If it is legit, why not turn it over to authorities or academia at one of Georgia's universities. Surely this could constitute as one of the greatest scientific discoveries of 2008.

Or better yet, turn it over to Jamie and Adam from Mythbusters. They are what you call experts at busting myths. In fact, I think I'll slip on a bigfoot costume myself and let them examine and uh, bust, me.

I guess I am a cool boyfriend

2008-08-16T08:43:00.000-07:00

As much as I tried to be secretive about a trip to London for Sam's birthday, I inadvertently admitted that the big surprise part of the trip is tickets to see Madonna at Wembly Stadium. The concert is Sept. 11, 2008. And this is a good day to mention this as she turns 50 today.

I am a big fan of Madonna and this will be my 4th time seeing her in concert, 6th time seeing her live. The very first time I saw her was on an airplane when "Holiday" first came out. She autographed a barf bag for me. Do I still have that barf bag? Lost it. I then saw her first perform on the "Whos' That Girl" tour at Anaheim Stadium; second time was "Blonde Ambition" at the Los Angeles Forum; the thrid, "Confessions" tour in San Jose; and then once at a cool club in L.A. called Club Louie during her Sandra Bernhard phase. Now I'll add Wembly Stadium to the list.

I am looking forward to the trip. It's mostly going to be free as I am using frequent flyer miles and hotel points. I love London (have been many times) and know we will have a blast. How jealous are you all?

Wresters in heat

2008-08-12T20:17:00.000-07:00

Two University of Nebraska wrestlers were kicked off their team for doing some gay porn. Specifically they posed nude, separately, on FratmenTv.com. Paul Donahoe and Kenny Jordan (aka- and these links are not work safe- "Nash" and "Cal") were let go from the team and would have to petition the NCAA with another school to wrestle again in the league.

My first impulse when I read this story was "Holy shit that's HOT" and then, after reading about it, I actually feel bad for the two blokes who lost their chance to wrestle with the other corn-fed, farmed-raised Nebraksa boys. I mean they worked so hard their whole lives to work toward public displays of dominance over other equally in-shape men. Wearing the singlet which hugs their toned, beefy bodies, this gives them maximum freedom to use their arms, legs and torso against their opponent on an attempt to pin their wriggling, sweaty and grunting body to the ground. Who are we as a culture to foster such a climate to where we expel these young muscleboys for the sole reason of some on-line nudity? Clearly there's a double-standard as their actions are a hell of a lot more sexual on the mat in front of their coaches, parents and peers than any naked erotica found on-line.

Well, I wish the two boys luck. Maybe they will wrestle again for another college team. Maybe not. Maybe they'll turn to more on-line shenanigans. One could only hope. Now if you'll excuse me....

The Church of Crazy

2008-08-12T08:53:00.000-07:00

Isaac Hayes died this past weekend. My he rest in peace. But as a devoted Scientologist, he will do anything but rest in peace. According to an article in Slate, the Shaft singer's afterlife will require a trip to Venus for reprogramming. You see, we are't really people - we are thetans inhabiting a meat body which we shed upon death. Some individuals who strive for a higher achievement within the church belong to an order known as Sea Org, which requires a one billion year contract of service to be carried our through subsequent lives.

And you though Noah's Ark was a tall tale.

Want to learn more? Go to What is Scientology and see what it's all about.

What's even more crazy is that as I typed this on my Livejournal page, this banner ad appeared. Maybe L. Ron is trying to tell me something.

Please go extinct

2008-08-11T21:01:00.001-07:00

Popular culture needs to select the caveman Geico advertising campaign for extinction. Talk about running a joke into the ground, then spitting into the dirt and attempting to build it back up from the mucusy mud. At first I found the ads somewhat stupid but now they are approaching insulting - not that I have caveman tendencies (although some of might argue that point)- but insulting in the "Do they actually think we are responding to this ad anymore?" kind of way.

But then the joke's probably on me. I am venting about it in my blog so I guess I am still spreading the Geico caveman message. Damn.

Thou shalt not...

2008-08-11T08:51:00.000-07:00

Oh good God.

The Archdiocese of Cincinnati ruled that priests are no longer allowed to "kiss, wrestle and tickle" children, but can still shake their hands and pat them on the back. They can also high five the little rascals - perhaps after they share their post coital cigarette.

Also prohibited are bear hugs, lap sitting and piggy back rides. It's says nothing about watersports, but I guess that is implied. Clearly the good Catholics of Cincinnati can breathe a sign of relief that their childrens will be bear hug free from Father Touchy.

I poke (heh, poke) fun at this announcement not to diminish the importance of the rampant pedophilia within the ranks of the Catholic Church, but rather to point out that the archdiocese needed to make such a statement in the first place. Here we have one of the most powerful mafias in the world charging their soldiers with such unnatural policies as abstinence. Nature gave us genitals and hard coded them to our brains for a purpose - to be used. If the intent was not to use them for pleasure (and I suppose reproduction), then evolution would have cut off the adrenaline pathway between a hard-on and the need to poke a few thousand years ago. Evolution is swift when it comes to homo sapiens.

So charging priests with abstinence, in my opinion, is forcing them to suppress a natural, dare I say God granted, act. Thus when things are shoved into a box (?!?) then it's just a matter of time before it creeps out and often times, when it's not supposed to.

Let the priests marry and fuck, for Christ sake. Kids have enough pressure these days then to have to worry about if the beast within their priests decides to emerge during choir practice.

Let's get invisible

2008-08-10T21:48:00.001-07:00

Crazy science news: scientists reported they are closer to developing cloaking technology that can render three dimensional objects invisible.

Researchers have demonstrated that by using artificial particles called metamaterials, they are able to bend light around an object which will in effect, make it invisible.

Klingons and voyeurs rejoice!

Campaign 2008

2008-08-10T17:33:00.000-07:00

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Another funny man

2008-08-10T12:18:00.001-07:00

Continuing our comedy streak, last night Sam and I saw Patton Oswalt at Cobb's Comedy Club in North Beach. Patton had me laughing so hard I was squeaking. His brand of humor, unlike Bill Maher and Kathy Griffin, is more self-depreciating - and he sings the song of the fat and miserable of America. One of his more famous bits, about the KFC Famous bowls, is hysterical.

North Beach was jumping. I haven't been there in awhile and it was packed, mostly with tourists from faraway lands speaking French, German, Russian and Elven. I can see what is keeping the lights on in San Francisco at night - the strength of the Euro against the anemic dollar is bringing throngs of Europeans here to buy Gucci bags, iPods, sourdough bread loafs, and clearly, tickets to comedy shows.

Once we got past the lesbians slopping kissing each other and the "McCain 2008" car filled white old people, we piled into the Camry and headed to the Lone Star and ran into Aaron, James and Adrian.

Love him

2008-08-09T08:46:00.001-07:00

Last night Sam and I saw Bill Maher at the Davies Symphony Hall. He was a riot, but not in that yuk-yuk kind of way. If you are unfamiliar with Bill's sense of humor, he is wicked smart with a commentary on politics and religion that makes us laugh at how fucked-up we are, and by we I mean us as an American culutre, not Sam and I. We're perfect.

Nothing sacred was out of bounds- from the current administration (what's not to laugh at?) to the pharmaceuticals to all the affairs politicians have (in and out of the men's rooms) to religion, which seems to be his biggest button and America's biggest fantasy.

Bill is one of the more outspoken pundits/comics today and thank God*. If you recall, immediately after 09/11 Bill lost his job at ABC on his show Politically Incorrect for making the statement that the terrorists who crashed the airplanes were not cowards. An accurate point, but the Mighty Mouse (owners of ABC) buckled under pressure and fired Bill. They say getting fired is sometimes the best thing for your career. Now Bill is on HBO hosting Real Time WIth Bill Maher, uncensored, and his popularity is probably higher than ever.

Love him, hate him, he's funny and makes you think.

*God= no offense to Allah, Yahweh, Odin, Oprah or Optimus Prime. I have no idea if you are there. Its just an expression. Save your lightening bolts for Fred Phelps.

Paris says something worthwhile

2008-08-07T09:51:00.000-07:00

Paris Hilton Responds to McCain Adfunny videosFunnyOrDie.com

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

As she responds to Abe Simpson's (AKA John McCain) jab at her in his ad, Paris gives a wink and a nod to her own candidacy. Oddly, her energy policy makes sense and is far better than the old coot's.

Enjoy!

So you think we can dance?

2008-08-06T21:58:00.001-07:00

Send a JibJab Sendables® eCard Today!

X marks the spot

2008-08-06T12:42:00.001-07:00

San Francisco is getting a new group of residents - the X-Men. According to Marvel Comics, the mutant group of superheroes are moving from their pad in Westchester County, NY for San Francisco. Specifically, they will be dwelling in a series of concrete bunkers in the Marin Headlands, provided of course they can qualify for the super-loan and can keep it out of foreclosure.

I am a fan of the X-Men and think this it is awesome they are heading west. All the cool superheroes live back east - even the fictitious cities of Gotham and Metropolis are New York-ish in style and mood - leaving us left coasters defenseless. Who protects us against the baddies in bulging tights and Pantone colors? Cirque du Soleil? LAPD? They can only baton beat so many people at any given time. Hancock doesn't count because that's really Will Smith reprising his role as Will Smith. So coming to San Francisco give us our own group of badass heroes and just reinforces our position as a sanctuary city and as a place where the oddball can find home. Hooray for us.

Now in order to get into the spirit of San Francisco living, I fully expect to see Wolverine in assless chaps and a jock at the next Folsom Street Fair. Who's with me on that one?

Big bird

2008-08-04T15:52:00.001-07:00

Some people geek out over video games. Others over comic books. I geek out over big things that fly painted in pretty colors. More to the point - airliners.

Today Emirates brought the biggest bird in passenger aviation ever built - the Airbus A380 - to SFO as part of a cross country demonstration of how badass they are. And I, being an obedient geek, went down and snapped some pics of this incredible machine taxi away from gate A9 and take-off for a 'round-the-Bay observation flight.

The picture above doesn't do it justice - this is one big ass plane. Emirates has outfitted theirs to hold 489 passengers but it can carry much more. First class even has showers. Emirates has a slew of these on order as they continue their Borg-like domination of global travel. Based in Dubai, that United Arab Emirate which is on the fast track to out-Las Vegas Las Vegas, Emirates is expanding aggressively connecting dots all around the world with their unimatrix zero at Dubai International Airport. Emirates launches non-stops from Dubai to SFO - a 16 hour flight - this autumn with a much smaller 777 and next year will be bringing the A380 to the route.

It was an awesome sight today. I was giddy.

To see more pics, click here.

A brush with celebrity

2008-08-04T12:10:00.001-07:00

At Lazy Bear, Sam and I met Guillermo Diaz, Latin hottie and star of Showtime's Weeds. He was mingling with the bears, boys and beyonds at Sunday, Furry Sunday one of the big parties of the weekend. He was super friendly and chatted with us a bit. I personally loved him in Party Girl which he agreed was his favorite too. He then gave me a smooch and with an apparent loss for something clever to say, I simply uttered "grrr..." to him. He "grr'd" back. Could I have been any more unoriginal?

Being lazy

2008-08-03T21:16:00.001-07:00

This past weekend was the annual pilgrimage to the Russian River of gay men of all shapes, sizes and degree of hairiness known as Lazy Bear. Initially established as the anti-pretty boy gay event for those of us who aren't gym toned with a 28" waist, waxed and perfect, it has evolved to include both the former group and the latter group. This was my second year and I had an absolute blast. In spite of the name, I wasn't very lazy.

Sam and I ventured north Wednesday night and settled into a small rented house in an adjacent township to Gurneville (Lazy Bear ground zero) known as Monte Rio. It's a David Lynch-esque type of town where the movie theater is in a temporary corrugated metal shelter and the local artisans specialize in homemade soap and crystal meth. The house was cute and we rented it with another couple, Dan and Bill, from Phoenix. Aside from sleeping and eating Lucky Charms, we were mostly in the Lazy Bear mix back in Guerneville.

I won't recount every detail, but suffice to say we never slowed down except to sleep. I am surprised to see how many people I knew up there - so many friends both old and new initially met from on-line mingling but most from Sam. I don't think I have ever kissed so many bearded faces in my life. The weekend was festive, sunny, and an excuse to be as half dressed as much as possible. And because the weekend celebrates the "bear", those gay dudes who don't give a fuck about waxing and carbs, Sam and I ate and ate and laughed and mingled and danced a little in our underwear (what can I say? When in Rome...). Sam and I have a lot of fun together. God, I love that man.

I did approach the weekend with a certain expectation of being lazy. I even brought a book picturing poolside quiet time. What was I thinking? As Sam always says: Gays can't do anything without a 4-4 [disco] beat. Not so quiet. Oh well. The weekend was a recipe of permeating disco, laughing dudes of all sizes, bulging speedos, hot tattoos, the requisite gay summer camoflauge cargo short, and the smell of coconut tanning oil and hamburgers grilling. I've never had so much fun by just being lazy.

For more Lazy Bear pics, click here.

Rattled

2008-07-30T11:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Los Angeles had an earthquake. Not the big one per se, but a 5.4 which is big enough to make you prairie dog out of your cube, but weak enough to keep the kids at school. What fun is a natural disaster if you still have to go to P.E.?

As some of you know I am fascinated when Mummy Nature gets feisty with homo sapiens. We as a culture get all flustered and dash about asking anybody who passed 6th grade biology for a scientific answer to the age-old question: What does it all mean? Why did this happen to us? And the media absolutely loves this stuff. CNN gets a hard-on and has five video feeds over Anderson Cooper's head with that crawl telling us everything the video is saying only for those of us who are too giddy to listen.

Even more, I love the You Tube invasion. Check out this video - Judge Judy was being filmed during the quake. Watch as the honorable Judy shows no emotion on her face, as if that is even possible with all the work she has had done, and ducks under her styrofoam desk. Bert is nowhere to be found. The spectators scatter like insects and the plaintiff and defendant stand there with a "Wha...??" on their face. Clearly they are not from the area. I especially like cute bald guy's expression as if to say "I do so many drugs this shaking is normal for me. What's everyone fussing about?" This is all so priceless and is the reason why I love pop culture. I eat this shit up.

I grew in L.A., so I have been around earthquakes my whole life. Most of them are forgettable except for three:

1. The San Fernando Quake of 1971. A 6.6 . I was 7 and lived 2 miles from the epicenter. I had a nightmare that night and went to sleep in my parents' bed. Good thing too as a shelf over my bed collapsed. That could have been the end of me. That bastard cracked our swimming pool and flattened the hospital I was born in. How very Californian. We got out of school that day.

2. The Whittier Narrows Quake of 1987. A 5.9. Only memorable because I was having sex at the time. Damn. I am that good.

3. The Northridge Quake of 1994. A 6.4. I was fast asleep in my nasty Hollywood apartment when that one hit. My cat clawed into me and the bed rolled across the room. The ground didn't really stop moving for two days and it felt like one was trying to stand on a rocking boat. The next day I drove down Ventura Blvd. and saw the damage. It was intense. I loved every minute of it.

Now today, the day after, all of the specialists are fluttering about saying things like "This is our wake up call." and "The 'big one' is a-coming." Sure it is. The big one is always coming and when it finally does, I'll be right there watching every minute of it - that is if I am not floating in the sea from a cracked-in-half California.

Starfleet

2008-07-28T11:14:00.001-07:00

My business hero Sir Richard Branson unveiled White Knight 2 today: the first spacecraft developed for tourism that literally takes one out of this world - 62 miles up in fact. Yep. We are going to space. Pack lightly and don't expect a movie.

Virgin Galactic is a company founded by SRB in 2004. Its mission is to be the first private organization to bring the public to suborbital heights. At a price of $200,000 per person, non-astronauts can catapult to space, experience weighlessness for 6 minutes, vomit, and then come screaming back into the atmosphere for landing two and a half hours later. That's only $1,333/minute. From a base in New Mexico, the White Knight 2 booster will take the actual passenger craft, SpaceShipTwo, about 50,000 feet up where a hybrid rocket will separate the two and launch the the craft into space. How awesome is that!

In spite of my freakish fear of heights, my affinity for outer space saga (read: Star Trek) and my fetish for all things Virgin (huh??!) is compelling enough to put this on my list of Things I must do before I die. I will do whatever I can to experience this. How many Virgin America, Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Nigeria flights must I travel on to subsidize this cost with frequent flyer points? I hear Lagos is just ducky this time of year. Hell, I'd go back to buying CD's at the Megastore if I thought it would help. Indeed the $200,000 price tag is steep, but the chance to go into outer space is truly once-in-a-lifetime.

Who wants to come along?

Street people

2008-07-28T10:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the Dore Alley Street Fair. Heralded as one of San Francisco's finest Freak, Fetish n Things events, yesterday's seemed to have been mellower than in years past. The energy was at times, somewhat apathetic and the nakedness wasn't too sexy. The crowds thinned out earlier than normal. The public whippings were more sparse and I caught one big bottomed lesbian being flogged yawning. Even the notorious overly-tanned, polyester-haired jack-off dude (and those of you who have gone know who I mean) was flaccid. People actually queued up to piss in the plastic, porta-potties instead of using the closest fence or pissboy. There appeared to be less vendors. The only thing that drew a crowd was porn star Twister but last year they were naked. This year they were clothed. Boo!

Maybe is had something to do with the sub-zero temperatures. San Francisco has notoriously cold summers but yesterday was cold even by SF-summer standards: chilly, windy and at one point, misty. Great for hard nipples. Bad for shrinkage. It's hard to take your freaky self out of it's shell when the shell is much warmer.

With all of this being said, I did have fun because I was able to mingle with friends who always make the times more festive. Sam was working so I was solo hopping from friend-cluster to friend-cluster: David and Tank, Dave and Big Tony, Damon (pictured above with me) and Mike, Charlie and Jason. Then around 4:30PM I threw a shirt on and headed home, satisfied, hungry and damn cold.

My friend Lisa

2008-07-27T20:26:00.001-07:00

This morning before I suited up for the Dore Alley Street Fair in San Francisco, I met one of my closest friends Lisa for breakfast. I adore Lisa. She is my fruit fly.

Lisa and I used to work for the same company in sales. And we kicked ass. We were a dynamic duo that pushed sales sky high and would often call on customers together. At the time Lisa lived in California. We were kind of inseparable - sort of like Will & Grace if Will was beefier and Grace was Korean.

But times change.

Lisa has a charming husband and two absolutely adorable little boys and they no longer live in California. So it has been awhile since I had seen her last. But this morning it was like we picked up where we left off. In attendance was Lisa's youngest boy - a positively charming one year old with a single tooth and the hair of Maddox. And Lisa and I chatted and giggled the way old, seasoned friends do. She knows me too well and is often my voice of reason. We all need friends like Lisa. I am lucky. I have one.

Doin' a 180

2008-07-26T10:19:00.000-07:00

180 days. Today Sam and I mark our 6th month anniversary. Damn, what a great ride.

We met as most boy-boys do these days - via the interweb machine. Using it's mystical, magickal ways of connecting people, we started chatting on-line and decided to meet in person at gentleman's establishment of socializing and spirits. We've been virtually inseparable ever since. And I must say, it's a blast.

In the past six months we have done a crazy amount of stuff together - day trips to Marin, Santa Cruz, Fairfield; weekend trips to Gureneville, Boonville, Monterey; concerts of Limbeck and Jimmy Eat World (twice!); the comedic acts of Chelsea Handler, Nick Swardson (complete with an encounter with Kato Kaelin, which is a whole other story in of itself); in addition to dinners with friends, a wedding, movies, and plenty of trips to McDonald's and Wendy's. We ain't slowing down either with more concerts, performances and trips in the next few months. Life is good.

Six months isn't a long time, but the personal growth I have experienced from meeting Sam has been intense. I have found myself to be a more trusting, better man through this and look forward to my personal evolution in the times ahead. Isn't that the best thing about finding someone? How they make you feel and grow about yourself? In the end, the best way relationships flourish is when each member of the unit finds personal growth within themselves and can do this with their chosen hand-in-hand along the rocky road of life.

My hand is in Sam's.

Happy anniversary Scampers. I love you.

Hole in the sky

2008-07-25T11:39:00.001-07:00

A QANTAS 747-400 enroute to Melbourne from Hong Kong popped a hole at 29,000 feet, decompressing a cargo bay sending suitcases and contraband hurling toward the South China Sea. The little yellow masks deployed and the pilots immediately executed emergency landing procedures which include pushing the plane into an unsettling but safe dive to get below 10,000 feet where the oxygen level is acceptable to breathe without the use of masks. No passengers were injured but I am sure there were a lot of soiled seats when the plane touched down in Manila, as if the thought of landing in the Philippines itself wasn't enough to wet oneself out of horror.

Now my twisted ass ' favorite part of this story isn't the dramatic efforts of the pilots to save the jet from catastrophe, rather I'd like to have been present to watch the stupid items people pack - from the cheap, knock off Gucci bags, to Aussiebum underwear, to shoddy Chinese electronics bought in a HK market, and to possibly more Mr. Potato Heads filled with esctasy rain from the sky. All that secret stuff we don't want our friends and family knowing about all of a sudden being exposed and dropped into the sea - where pirates and other ambitious scavengers can collect. I'd like to get some of that shit and sell it on eBay - "Dildo recovered from the China Sea from the QANTAS jet incident. Bids start at $200. Paypal accepted."

Most certainly this incident was traumatic for the passengers and crew. I am not insensitive to that. I grew up in an airline household and my partner is a flight attendant. I myself travel frequently and if this were to happen to me, well, it wouldn't be pretty. Just my luck some other like-minded blogger would have a field day with what falls out of my suitcase, let alone my shrieking and overly-dramatic "goodbyes" would somehow make it's way onto You Tube.

In all seriousness, I wish the passengers the best and am thankful they arrived safely. To the crew, damn, you are the heroes and I applaude you.

And to the pirates, what's the opening bid for Mr. Potato Head?

End of days

2008-07-24T14:53:00.001-07:00

Richard Simmons is considering running for congress. The end is here. Western civilization will collapse and by the time the next Olympiad limps into London we will be throwing rocks at the moon contemplating a return to the sludge from whence we came.

Richard Simmons for congress. Clearly the Apostle John tripping the light fantastic saw this coming and while composing the book of Revelation most surely said to himself "holy Christ I can't write about this. This is too weird even for me."

This is America. The days of brave politicians making a difference for the average man seem to be over. We now have executives of energy companies dictating environmental policies, law being driven by lobbyists, monkies being elected for president and entirely too much Jesus in the Supreme Court. And now, performers heading to Washington. Now don't get me wrong - I am not entirely critical of the entertainer-cum-politician move. I am not disappointed in Gov. Schwarzeneggar's regime. But what resume building experience do some actors and performers have that qualifies them to be an elected official? President of the actor's union? Check. A master's degree? Check. Actor-turned businessman? Uh, check. Political pundit? Half a check. Guest spot on Will & Grace? Blank. An Herbal Essence commercial? Next.

Jesse Ventura did it then bailed after his first term. Ronald Regan did it but came down with Alzheimer's by his third day in office and the rest of his term is a little fuzzy. Al Franken wants to it, and he'll wear long pants. Clint was mayor of a very white, very rich coastal town - not much effort there I assume. Even porn star-turned-Celebrity Rehab princess Mary Carey threw her bra into the ring; but she wasn't really that serious. Maybe she was high at the time. But then maybe so was George when threw his bra into the ring. Back on topic.

But still - Richard Simmons? What's even crazier is that we as a nation are so star struck that he might actually win. After that, it's just a slippery slope to the apocalypse.

Fire in the Dark

2008-07-23T21:27:00.000-07:00

Tonight Sam and I went to see The Dark Knight; in IMAX no less. Holy shit what an amazing movie. From start to finish it hooks you in. In fact,they don't even bother with opening credits. All the elements come together from the plot to the cinematography to the music to the script to the acting.

As we all know, this is Heath Ledger's last role and he is fucking brilliant. His rendition of the Joker scares the hell out of you because it's that "I -have-nothing-to-lose-I'm-in-this-to-just-wreck-havoc" type of insanity. His crazy is balanced with evil and a wry humor. The late actor's performance is balanced by his talented co-stars: Christian Bale (is the a role he cannot do? I even loved him in Reign of Fire); Aaron Eckhart (hot!); Morgan Freeman (the most prolific actor in Hollywood); Gary Oldman (my favorite - the Fifth Element) and Michael Caine (I loved him as that crazy, pot smoking, farting dude in Children of Men). Oh yeah, Jake's sister Maggie (the other Gyllenhal - so Heath screwed Jake in Brokeback and screwed-over Maggie in Dark Knight) reprised the role of Rachel. I wonder why Katie Holmes didn't do the sequel? Why don't you ask this whack-job. He is just as insane as Ledger's Joker.

I won't repeat what every other geek blog and reviewer has said. The film delivers. Go see it.

Hello Dolly?

2008-07-22T14:31:00.001-07:00

Tropical Storm Dolly mustered up enough strength to become Hurricane Dolly this afternoon. Hurricane warnings were posted all along the southern Texas coastline up toward Houston. Here we go, brace for impact.

I always find myself getting caught up in the theater of weather. As destructive as these storms are and the human and property tolls left in their wake is clearly serious, I can't help but be fascinated by hurricane season.

I think I know why: we as "civilized" Americans like to give cutesy names to things in nature. We have pets we name Arthur and Sammy. We have wild animals in captivity we name Montecore, Shamu and Tyk. And big storms that flatten cities, we name Dolly and Katrina. As a product of doing this, we form human-ish connections to the very thing that can reasonably destroy us. So when the news stories break with an associated "girl/boy-next-door" or clever name, right away we are drawn in. And since we now have an emotional link to the storm (or rampaging elephant), we can't help but feel something - whether it's anger toward the wind and rain or a sympathy toward the poor beast who gets shot for being themselves. It's very sad when people's lives are unavoidably ruined when they intersect with Mother Nature at her worst. But when it can be avoided, such by not putting your head in that tiger's mouth, then let's take the safe approach and let the tiger be a tiger and do something else.

And why is just hurricanes? We don't assign cute human names to earthquakes, firestorms or tornados...although earthquake Suri has a nice ring to it.

Personally, I think we should stop naming our storms and wild animals. They aren't elements of humanity and should be kept in their proper, respected place in nature. Something that can level a city in a matter of hours should not be trivialized with the same name as a plasticized Country singer or a one-hit-wonder crooning "Walking on Sunshine."

Anyway to those in the path of the hurricane, I wish you luck.

McCain. McCan't.

2008-07-22T13:51:00.000-07:00

I was attacked in my backyard today

2008-07-20T18:09:00.000-07:00

A gang of thugs assaulted me in my backyard today. It was relentless. It was quick. It was adorable.

I was brought down by puppies.

When I was 4, I prayed to the baby Jesus for a puppy. It seems 40 years later he is finally filling my order and paying me with interest. In fact, there were three puppies in varying shades of brown and fluffiness who attacked me with yelps and nibbles. I was helpless. They won.

Now that the "awwwwww-ing" is over, the truth is, these aren't my puppies. They are my neighbor's. She has a whole fleet of pups and somehow, these lawless three, burrowed escape tunnels from their yard into mine. For as quickly as they appeared, they vanished yapping all the way.

So as tempted as I was to keep the cutest one, I didn't In fact I plugged the holes with rocks to keep the marauders at bay. Clearly my neighborhood isn't safe. My backyard is accessible to trespassers. Maybe I need a dog.

Rock steady

2008-07-19T20:54:00.000-07:00

Last night Sam and I saw Jimmy Eat World at the Fillmore in San Francisco. Needless to say they ROCKED the house. This is Sam's favorite band and his 14th time seeing them live. In the almost 6 months of being with him, this is my second live Jimmy show and I must say their performance last night topped their gig in San Jose. The Fillmore is, well, the Fillmore where all the rock greats have performed and sent their fans into music nirvana. Jimmy did just that to us and the rest of the fans who were, at various times: screaming, taking pics with their iPhones, taking pics with their non-iPhones, drinking, texting, singing along, dancing, smooching and occasionally, toking. It was packed house and aside from the messy drunk kids invading our personal space, a perfect night.

Hearing them on the radio is one thing, seeing them live is another. Check them out and go see them. I said "now!"

Daily fix 2

2008-07-19T16:03:00.000-07:00

So I want to come clean about about my earlier discussion about Starbucks. Indeed the green siren has replaced the golden arches as the indelible American thumbprint across the world, and pending the ice analysis from Mars, the Milky Way. Most likely that title will remain even after they shutter 616 stores. But their mass is what appeals to me - the fact they are everywhere and you know exactly what your order will taste like - whether it's from store #0000001 at Pike's Market in Seattle, or from the store recently opened in the ninth circle of hell. So no matter where I order my venti-skinny-vanilla-latte, it will taste just like the last.

With that said, my true coffee loyalties lay with Peet's. The Berkeley based chain has forged an image of being the holistic, organic and more "granola" alternative to the big bad corporate Starbucks. Don't let the Berkeley address fool you - they are run by suits just like SBUX. Even so, I prefer their products. I like the taste of their coffee, the mood of their stores, and out of some sort of loyalty to a Bay Area business, want to support the local enterprise. One thing to know about me - I am a sucker for good branding and marketing. I am the perfect consumer.

Daily fix

2008-07-18T09:17:00.000-07:00

Well Starbucks has released the list of stores closing. For coffee junkies everywhere, it seems they might have to walk an extra 10 feet to get their venti-soy-no foam-extra shot-latte. A dark day in America? For some, yes. As today some might find themselves shivering in a dark corner at the thought of their favorite store closing, staring at a drawer full of Starbucks gift cards each with less than a dollar of value left.

I for one am happy they aren't closing my local Pacifica outlet or the infamous Starbears in the Castro. If the latter was slated for closure, there would be no less than 300 300-pound hairy men in upheaval at the thought of their hangout being converted into yet another porn store or pizza place.

But why is this newsworthy? Indeed I am devoting an entry in my blog about the closure of 616 caffeinated drug dens, so surely I am finding some relevance with the topic today. I think it's because we love to see those on top fall. Take Britney slurping her Starbucks above. We've all loved watching her plummet to earth. In fact sometimes we got so wrapped up in the theater of her demise that we needed that extra espresso shot in our Frappucino. Even today, she decided to give up sole custody of her kids to K-Fed. Goodness. What does it say about our culture when K-Fed makes the better parent and more importantly, why should we care?

And what does it say about our culture that the Starbucks empire had such an enormous reach to the masses that a closure of 616 stores will barely leave a dent? Indeed people will still queue up to pay $5 for their fix. I know I will. I like my vanilla lattes and the boyfriend likes his pink Fraps with whipped cream.

Where the hell is Pacifica?

2008-07-17T20:36:00.001-07:00

I live in Pacifica but I might as well say Timbuktu.

When I am asked where I live and I respond with "Pacifica," the response from the inquisitor results in a raised eyebrow and a cartoon question mark of their head.

"Where...?"

Pacifica, as I describe it, is a "stoner-surfer-blue collar city 15 miles south of San Francisco along the coast." I guess I feel it needs that string of adjectives to give it a character to justify me living here. Clearly so close to San Francisco it would be easier for to simply say "San Francisco" and right away people understand. But this explanation of the 94044 is not only intended for residents outside the area. Citizens of San Francisco might know where Pacifica is but almost always respond with a "way out there?' as if those 15 miles were taking them to Tucson.

Take a look at the picture above. I took this on a Virgin America flight. The little cove you see (by the nacelle) is Pacifica. The metro area immediately above it is San Francisco. See?! Not that far.

So now you know where the hell it is.

Jailhouse Dick

2008-07-16T11:14:00.001-07:00

Andy Dick was arrested and jailed this morning for drugs and sexual battery of, uhhh, a young girl. Apparently he pulled her top down exposing her boobies. I guess he finally wanted to see what they look like. The cops were called when someone complained of a drunk pissing outside a bar in the Inland Empire of Socal. What he was doing in the 909 is anyones guess. Not so A-list anymore, eh Andy? I guess the "Newsradio" checks stopped coming.

This isn't Dick's first time in trouble. Last year in Columbus, OH Dick pissed in public and was cited for it. Clearly Dick likes to piss outside. I guess when you are wasted it's easier not to aim at a drain. He was also removed from "Jimmy Kimmel Live" after grabbing Ivanka Trump. Trying to overcompensate, Andy? In 1999 he was arrested for drug possession after driving into a telephone pole. He probably pissed outside there too.

I wonder if Promises has any vacancies. Thanks for the mug shot Andy.

Can someone explain this to me?

2008-07-16T08:21:00.000-07:00

Republican senator Elizabeth Dole has just submitted legislation to name an AIDS bill after Jesse Helms.

What.

The.

Fuck.

Just as a refresher, Jesse Helms thought gays and lesbians were the scorage of the earth and that "the government should spend less on people with AIDS because they got sick due to their deliberate, disgusting, revolting conduct."

This makes no sense to me.

What a slap in the face to the millions worldwide who suffer from AIDS. What a slap in the face to everyone period. To name any bill in the honor of this evil asshole is insulting. Fortunately he is not alive anymore to foster his hatespeak, but Ms. Dole feels it necessary to attach this piece of shit's name to a bill to, for some reason, continue the rotting senator's legacy.

Now this is the same Senator Dole who is married to Bob. Maybe we should attach her name to the "The Impotent Husband" bill. Perhaps he doesn't need Viagra. Maybe he is turned on by intelligence.

Golden State?

2008-07-15T07:01:00.001-07:00

I read this today and what we have all speculated is here: $5/gal. for gas. We Californians are always blazing new trails - from Silicon Valley to Hollywood. But this is one trail I wish we would have avoided. Why can't Indiana have taken the lead on this one?

Now mind you I drive a hybrid. Actually, a hybrid-lite - Camry Hybrid. So even with an average of 35 MPG I'm still forking over $55-$60 every time to fill it's tanks. That adds up. That's dipping into my essential disposable income budget.

We have all been lamenting the cost of fuel lately. Indeed it is impacting everything we do, even if you don't drive. Check the cost of flying or milk these days? Way more than last year. So hybrid or not, the cost of transporting goods (including myself and the passengers in my car) has skyrocketed. How are people making ends meet? This economy scares me.

And being a resident of Ahnold's Kingdom just adds to it. It's expensive here especially in the Bay Area where our faux elite lifestyle and over inflated cost of living has pushed the middle class even lower than everywhere else. Ironically, we have an oil refinery within sight of the Golden Gate Bridge, yet we clamored to be first with $5/gal. gas well on our way to $6/gal. We (rather, the oil dudes) would hate for whomever is in second place to catch up. Gouging much?

Not so golden.

Ground zero

2008-07-14T21:32:00.000-07:00

My name is Greg and this is my blog. Not exactly the most clever way to enter into the world of online journaling, but I felt it was efficient and to the point.

For those of you have been following my livejournal since it's inception 5 days ago, you already know of my lack of fortitude when it comes to hobbies. Things always sound so much better when everyone else is doing it, or when you read about it, than the activity itself. It's this impulse, for example, that prompts us to buy fitness magazines and fat burners because clearly we can achieve the physique we want by investing only the initial energy. As with everything else in motion, gravity and drag (read: laziness and frustration) slow our activity to a halt. And before you know it, those elusive 10 pounds have grown into 15.

But I'll have some faith in myself given I always have something to say to pursue this blog.

So this is where I start. My ground zero, rather post-zero.