Saturday, December 31, 2005
Here On The Eve of 2006
Friday, December 30, 2005
Satay, Goong Sapporos, Asparagus & BUSARA
Word of the day: yare\'yar, 'yer, 'yär\ adjective: 1 archaic : set for action : 2 or yar /'yär/ a : characterized by speed and agility.
Busara, My Favorite Thai Restaurant:
Thursday, December 29, 2005
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Its Ending On A GREAT Note
WOW! I can't get over the fact that 2005 is on its way out and 2006 will be here in just a matter of 3 days. I'm really glad that 2005 is ending and I'm in such a great frame of mind from all the turmoil in my life this year. But I must say, it has been most worthwhile eventhough I wish I'd never have had to experience what I've experienced this year. Unquestionably, this has been the worst year of my life in terms of having a rough row to hoe. But it is not been weathered without merit. Im so fortunate and grateful of what I've been through this year. I've truly been blessed. I have a deeper understanding of myself, others, and the relationships I have with those around me. I'm so proud of the lessons I've learned this year as well as the manners in which those lessons have been taught and how I've learned them. For all that has been bad to the onlooker's first impression has undoubtedly been priceless to me. I'm glad I'm moving into 2006 with all this behind me and with new knowledge and tools to undertake the challenges which will present themselves in my bright future.
I'd like to take a moment to say thanks to the following people:
1. My mother, Irene L. Childers-Dixon who has been beside me all through it. Who is sitting here with me and is as proud as a mother can be of her son.
2. My best friend in this world, Sandy Smith. She is truly everything a friend can be. I'm so grateful for her. She means the world to me and I can repay her monetarily for what she's done for me, but I can never repay her for what she means to me.
3. My brother, Jeff Dixon for being my brother and sacrificing to help me.
4. Jaime Coronado for taking the time to be my friend, understanding me, trusting and seeing the value in me as a person and most importantly, as his friend.
5. John Petersen for being a guardian angel who took me in professionally, and nurtured me back to spiritual and physical health.
6. Risa Guber for knowing the best when she seen it. The unspoken holiday gifts. Her generosity.
7. Denise Sadler for being supportive of me and giving me guidance to maintain the empowerment of my disabled brother.
8. Harold and Vernon Hutton for their patience and understanding. For making opportunities available to me when they weren't elsewhere.
9. Sandra Jones for helping provide me some work when there was nothing else around.
10. Martin (Maarten) Dixon for searching deep in his soul to find resolve, strenght, drive, and determination to overcome. To pick himself up, dust himself off, and keep going unscathed. He couldn't have done it without the support and faith in him from the people aforementioned. For some odd reason, no matter how bad a situation has been that he has been into throughout his life, as Dexter Thomas and many, many, many, others have often said. Maarten can "fall in a shit house and come out smelling like a rose" For some odd reason, I must agree. I think its the faith he has in himself and his survival instinct, and positve outlook. I also have to say thanks to him for divorcing all those so called "friends" including John McCracken. For having the courage and strength to stand up to those who were obsequiously associating themselves with him for their own personal gain. Those who, through Maarten's innocence ceased opportunity in Maarten's considering them his friends, in blissful and tender loving spirit.
Katrina Relief and Karma
These news reports of those people in California who fraudulently received hurricane Katrina relief aid is appalling. I'm sure glad I don't have that kind of karma hanging over my future. How can someone be so unscrupulous? This is a disgrace. Even if I were one of the worst criminals, I couldn't do something like that nor would I even consider doing it. THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST HEINOUS OF CRIMES I'VE EVER HEARD OF. These jokers should be given the stiffest of sentences. If the judicial system fails them, well there still remains Karma. Karma will certainly make it right and that kind of punishment will certainly teach them the lessons they should have learned much earlier in life.
I Believe I'll Be Around For A Long Time
Word of the day: tarry \tar-E\ verb: 1 a : to delay or be tardy in acting or doing b : to linger in expectation : WAIT 2 : to abide or stay in or at a place 
My new job:
I believe that I may have what is probably a long lasting job. This is my 2nd week there and I believe it is going to be work out quite well. Here in the ab ovo, I have a great attitude, frame of mind, and what so far is a good working relationship with my boss, Risa. She is also an AU Eagle (a graduate of The American University). I really like her work and management styles. Her ideologies are pretty much in sync with mine. She understands how I like to be involved and my intellect and so forth sets me apart from many others.
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
Kenny Alphin and John Rich, The Music Mafia, & Never Mind Me.
Word of the day: snivel \SNIV-ul\ verb: 1 a : to run at the nose b : snuffle. 2 : to cry or whine with snuffling. *3 : to speak or act in a whining, sniffling, tearful, or weakly emotional manner.
"Big Kenny" and John Rich
For Christmas this year, I purchased myself something I've wanted. It wasn't expensive. Only $13.99 at WalMart in Bristol. It was the new CD, "Coming To Your City" by Big 'n Rich! This CD is absolutely great. I loved the first CD "Horse Of A Different Color". But this CD has so much of their "Music Mafia" influence. Irreverence to the country music genre which makes you feel great. The most important thing about this CD is it is clear in the music that Big Kenny and John are having nothing but FUN! John Rich is a former vocalist for Lonestar, another country group.
The music of these two guys, their styles, their flamboyance, attitudes, and energy are all Maarten. Their music represents the essence of my likes in music, experiences in life, and mindsets. I think I want to get both CDs and and give them as "special gifts" to those special to me.
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Price of Gasoline: (Regular Unleaded 87 Octane) $2.12.9 (Woodstock, VA I-81, Exit 283).
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Monday, December 26, 2005
Happy Kwanzaa! Happy Hanukah
Word of the day: Kwanzaa \KWAHN-zuh\ noun: an African-American cultural festival held from December 26 to January 1.
Did you know?
In 1966, Maulana Karenga, a Black-studies professor at California State University at Long Beach, created a new holiday patterned after traditional African harvest festivals. He called it "Kwanzaa," a name he took from a Swahili term that means "first fruits." The holiday, which takes place from December 26th to January 1st, was originally intended as a nonreligious celebration of family and social values. Each day of Kwanzaa is dedicated to one of seven principles: unity, self-determination, collective responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith.
Hanukah: The Holiday of Lights -- celebrating the miracle of a little oil that lasted eight days, and continues to illuminate our lives to this day.
Today the first ever lighting of a Minora on "The Great Wall" in China. This was in celebration of Hanukah. For the Chinese government to allow this to happen, and furthermore allow it to be broadcast globally, speaks strongly to the systemic changes taking place in the Chinese Communist Party.
When I was listening to the news this morning, I thought of Stephen, Dex's friend and my new acquaintence when they were speaking of an opossum in a christmas tree in Pennsylvania. Reportedly, the opossum, after the tree was fully decorated was quietly inside the tree and had climbed to its top knocking off the star atop the tree. This was FREAKY!
Yesterday it was in the mid 50s temperature-wise. Overnight a major cold front has come through and brought with it rain, sleet, ice, and SNOW. I hope the weather improves before I try to make my drive to Washington, DC tonight.
NEW: Price of Gasoline: (Regular Unleaded 87 Octane) $2.06.9 (Bristol, VA).
NEW: Star Gazing Crab Nebula: Crab Nebula
The Crab Nebula is one of the most famous objects in the galaxy. It's a fuzzy patch of light that looks like a Hollywood special effect. Colorful streamers spread in several directions -- like the claws of a crab. That widespread structure tells astronomers a lot about how the Crab was born -- and about how massive stars die.
The Crab was born when a star about 10 times as massive as the Sun exploded as a supernova. Skywatchers observed the blast in the year 1054. The star's outer layers were blasted into space. This material now spans about 10 light-years, and it continues to expand.
The star's core survived the blast, but in a very different form. It was crushed so tightly that it formed a neutron star -- a ball that's perhaps twice as massive as the Sun, but only about as big as Austin. This ball spins about 30 times a second. As it spins, it interacts with its powerful magnetic field to send out "jets" of charged particles.
The magnetic field and the nebula's odd shape may reveal something about the explosion that created the Crab -- and we'll talk about that tomorrow.
Look for the Crab Nebula in the constellation Taurus, the bull, which is well up in the east this evening. A V-shaped pattern of stars forms his face. The Crab is near the tip of the bull's left horn. Binoculars reveal a fuzzy patch of light. But you need a good telescope to see any of the Crab's wispy structure.
Sunday, December 25, 2005
Mommy, Look Its The "Movie Star" House!
When I was a kid, maybe 10 years old or so, I recall when we'd "go to town" to Bristol, VA. My parents would be driving down Euclid Avenue in our $10.00 car (a 1962 Ford Falcon) and everytime we passed this house, I referred to it as the "Movie Star House".
About 2 years ago, I had the opportunity to purchase the "Movie Star" house. It was HUGE inside. Beautiful genuine mahogany wood throughout. But very dark. In its center, it had a solarium with fountain and waterfall. Truly a movie star's tastes. It was on the market for $150,000. I wanted the owner to install a new terra cotta tile roof for that price. They wouldn't. Someone else bought it and recently sold it for $450,000.00. OH WELL, you win some, you lose some.
The Nolondo: 1413 T Street, N.W. #301
Green Tree Circle
Merry Christmas: A Beautiful Christmas with Jeff & H.R.M. Queen Halena Slopoflopolopolous!
Word of the day: welkin \WEL-kun\ noun: *1 a : the vault of the sky : firmament b : the celestial abode of God or the gods : heaven. 2 : the upper atmosphere.
This was my Christmas Day dinner. Its not the traditional American Christmas dinner, but since Jeff, my brother has such limited tastes and acceptance of foods, I had to make Lasagna. Holly and I also ate the same thing. As for H.R.M. Queen Halena Slopoflopolopolous, I fixed her a plate on the formal Villeroy & Boch china so that she can celebrate along with us in our meal. We had a lot of fun.
UPDATE: H.R.M. Queen Halena Slopoflopolopolous got too quickly accustomed to eating off "fine china" as now her stainless doggie dishes aren't good enough nor will she eat her special diet doggie chow! She thinks she should be fed like she was on Christmas; all the time.
NEW: Star Gazing Moon & Jupiter: Wow! Another Jovian entry. Moon and Jupiter
Getting up early on the day after Christmas is never much fun. That's especially true this year, when the day after is a Monday, and a lot of people will be heading back to work.
If you do get up early, though, there's one little treat in the pre-dawn sky: the pairing of the crescent Moon and the planet Jupiter. The duo rises several hours before the Sun, and is well up in the south-southeast at first light. Jupiter looks like a brilliant star, a little to the lower left of the Moon.
Jupiter is the biggest planet in the solar system. Yet compared to most of the planets that have been found in other star systems, Jupiter's not such a big deal.
Most of these planets are a good bit heavier than Jupiter -- some of them a dozen times Jupiter's mass or more.
No one has seen any of these planets directly, though, so we don't know exactly how large they are. But it's likely that they're made primarily of gas, like Jupiter is, so they're probably bigger than Jupiter. They may not be that much bigger, though, because as more material is piled on, gravity gets stronger. That squeezes the planet tighter, pulling the top of its atmosphere closer to its center.
Most of these planets are quite close to their stars, too, so they're much hotter than Jupiter is. That could create giant storm systems that are far more turbulent than anything yet seen on Jupiter -- the giant of our solar system.
Saturday, December 24, 2005
My Friend Jaime
Jaime is a very very special friend to me. We've known each other for a few years and our accquaintenceship has gradually turned into a friendship. He has very strong values and integrity. He's ALWAYS reached out to me. I'm grateful for him. He's always checking in with me and genuinely interested in what all is going on in my life. I recall one time seeing him and his partner out and about. I don't know his partner as well as him, but his partner sure does have a great catch.
Jaime is an artist. I want to go see his theatre productions. I know it will happen soon. I've been travelling to Bristol every weekend here for the past few months. Once I get all settled in, and things in Bristol squared away, I'll be able to be in town on weekends and be able to attend his shows.
Jaime is a beautiful man. Physically, as well as in who he is and what he stands for as a man. He's brilliant, caring, loving, sensitive, and strong. Jaime is one friend, I'm proud to have. I'm grateful to have. I'm blessed to have. He's the kind of friend I like to be.
My homeplace. Where I grew up
Yes, contrary to what many may think, presume, or assume. These are my humble beginnings. Rural Route A, Box 160 Mendota, VA 24270. A small 4 room concrete block house where I was raised. Yes we were poor. Very poor. However, the influences this youth had on me has made me a good man. At least thats what most people have to say about me. My mother loved me and my brother too much. I recall when I left home, being the protective mother she was, tried everything in the world to hold me back. She was exceptionally proud of me and my successes in life after she come to terms with my breaking away, being on my own to find my place in the world. She never let Jeff have that opportunity because of his mental illness she protected him from everything. I wish she would just have let him get a few knocks of the real world. It'd been a big help to me nowadays that I'm taking care of Jeff.
I know I make numerous references to music, oftentimes country music. Loretta Lynn's new CD "Van Leer Rose" has a song on it "This Old House". In the song she sings, if this old house could talk, what a story it could tell", well thats the way with the house I grew up in. Loretta and I grew up probably in similar socio-economic groups. Her early married life was similar to my mom's minus the large number of kids.
My Hometown: Mendota, Virginia Approximately 20 Miles From Bristol, VA
I would NEVER have jumped off that rope trapeze into that river. Remember, I'm ichtiophobic.
Tim McGraw's song "Drugs or Jesus". I've written about this song before and its meanings, as I perceive them. This song also speaks loudly to my hometown. Here are the lyrics to "Drugs or Jesus".
Drugs or Jesus
In my home town
For anyone who sticks around
You're either lost or you're found
There's not much in between
In my home town
Everything's still black and white
It's a long, long way from wrong to right
From Sunday morning to Saturday night
Everybody just wants to get high
Sit and watch a perfect world go by
We're all looking for love and meaning in our lives
We follow the roads that lead us
To drugs or Jesus
My whole life
I've tried to run, I've tried to hide
From the stained glass windows in my mind
Refusing to let God's light shine
Down on me
Down on me
Everybody just wants to get high
Sit and watch a perfect world go by
We're all looking for love and meaning in our lives
There's not much space between us
Drugs or Jesus
Everybody wants acceptance
We all just want some proof
Everyone's just looking for the truth
Everybody just wants to get high
Sit and watch a perfect world go by
We're all looking for love and meaning in our lives
We follow the roads that lead us
To drugs or Jesus
Drugs or Jesus, both have the element of good, both have the element of destruction.
Sir Duke Kerstin Olaf Tanafe
Planes, Trains, Buses, Ships, and Automobiles.
If there ever was a real life John Candy - planes, trains, and automobiles story this is it. Keep in mind NONE of us had slept for about 32 hours prior to this picture being taken. In addition, we all had worked full 8 hour shifts prior to boarding our SpanAir flight from IAD to MAD. None of us could sleep on the plane. You guessed it we were primed and ready as a group of people travelling together.
It gets better. Ok, it was 32 hours of no sleep when this picture was taken. It was going to be another 12 hours before we can catch our train to Algecerias, Spain. So we had all this time to etiher find a comfortable place to sleep or be tourists. We all agreed to be tourists and take on the Prado. MISTAKE!
Finally its time for us to board the train heading south. We all were sound asleep when in the wee hours of the morning, the train stops. The conductor is going car to car waking people in sleepers. Everybody off the train. The tracks are flooded. You have to transfer to a bus to Algecerias. All the passengers on the train have to walk with luggage in tow or on our backs to the bus approximately 2 miles away in the middle of the morning on just a few hours sleep in a torrential downpour to board this bus to Alegcerias. When we all got to where the bus was to be. NO BUS! Finally after waiting for about 1 hour, a bus arrives to take us the remainder of the 4 hour bus ride to Algecerias. There we hit the jackpot. The bought our tickets to Tangiers on the Moroccan ferry. Instead of a ferry, we must have had the King's private yacht. This thing was LUXURY to the hilt. It was my first Mediterrianian cruise for $20.00 U.S. We all were most happy and thought this made all the chaos worthwhile.
My Grandfather, Arie.
Christmas Eve
Word of the day: luminaria \\loo-muh-NAIR-ee-uh\ noun: a traditional Mexican Christmas lantern originally consisting of a candle set in sand inside a paper bag .
"Silent Night" Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon Virgin Mother and Child
Holy Infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace
Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!
Christ, the Saviour is born
Christ, the Saviour is born
Silent night, holy night
Son of God, love's pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth "
NEW: Star Gazing Moon & Spica: 'Twas the night before Christmas, and in the southwest, the planet Venus blazed, brighter than all the rest. It huddled low in the twilight, then slipped out of sight, long ere the children bedded down for the night.
Mars climbed high 'cross the sky, its countenance quite red, like the nose of the reindeer who led Santa's sled. And Saturn, quite golden, later hove into view, with bright stars around it -- much more than a few.
But the highlight, no doubt, of this Christmas Eve night, was the pairing of the Moon and a bright stellar light. They rose into view several hours before dawn, huddling as close together as a doe and her fawn.
While tucked in their beds, the children did dream of iPods, pantoozlers, and cellphones that gleam, I peeked out the window, it was glorious -- Oh! the bright waning Moon with the star Spica below. They were not far apart -- the width of a finger, I'd say --
and moved even closer as the clock ticked away. And then what, to my wondering eyes should appear? The bright little star did completely disappear!
Not all shared in this remarkable sight, though many in the country saw it all right. But quick as a flash it ended, this occasion, when Spica emerged from its lunar occultation.
And as dawn's first light began to color the sky, all in my household -- my whole family and I -- took one last peek into the south-southeast, for the Moon and Spica, an astronomical feast. I hope you behold it, this skywatching treat, and to make your holiday morning complete, your friends at Star Date hope you possibly could have a wonderful Christmas!
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Friday, December 23, 2005
Mother Answered My Request About Chris Criscuolo! Toonie Passed 1 Year Ago Today.
Word of the day: dewy \Doo-eee\ adjective:1 : moist with, affected by, or suggestive of dew. *2 : innocent, unsophisticated
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NEW: Star Gazing LIGO: After surviving the fury of Hurricane Katrina, a new observatory is set to start looking for fury among the stars. It's called LIGO, and it'll try to detect gravitational waves -- ripples in space itself. The sources of these ripples may range from exploding stars to colliding black holes.
Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity says that any object should produce gravitational waves as it moves through space. But only the most violent motion of the most massive objects should produce waves that are big enough to detect. The list includes exploding stars and the mergers of black holes or other super-dense objects like neutron stars.
The observatory uses lasers to measure the lengths of long tubes. When a gravitational wave passes through Earth, it briefly squeezes and stretches our planet and everything on it. If a big-enough wave passes through, it should alter the length of these tubes just enough for scientists to detect. That would confirm that gravity ripples through the universe.
LIGO includes two sets of detectors -- one in Washington state, and the other in Louisiana. Scientists use two sites to make sure that any detections come from space, and not from here on Earth.
The Washington site was scheduled to begin 24-hour-a-day science observations last month. The Louisiana site, which survived Hurricane Katrina with only minor damage, could go online by the end of the year, beginning a search for ripples in the universe. www.stardate.org/nightsky.
Today, when I arrived my house in Bristol, mother had answered my request. I reached into my mailbox to get my two weeks worth of mail. In the mail is a card from Chris Criscuolo. Mother never lets me down. I haven't opened it yet. I wanted to wait until I was able to add this entry into my blog. OK, I'm opening it now. WOW! HE has given me thanks for my continued love and friendship over the years. Actually it was never something I had to put effort into. I think very highly of him and care deeply for him. Maybe too deeply. He's continually been on my mind. I offer to him all the support I could possibly extend to him. I beleive he deserves it. It seems as though he has encountered a very difficult year. His in comparison to my minimal understanding makes what I encountered this year to be miniscule. I'll take a photo of his card and place it here on my blog. I think I could easily spend a lot of time with this handsome, kind, and sweet man.
Thursday, December 22, 2005
1845 R Street, NW Washington, DC 20009
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
SS
Word of the day: solatium\so-LAY-shee-um\ noun: a compensation (as money) given as solace for suffering, loss, or injured feelings.
NEW: Star Gazing Testing Relativity: Cancer, the crab, scuttles across the east on winter evenings. It climbs into view by around 9 o'clock. The planet Saturn, which looks like a bright golden star, is passing through the constellation, so it'll help you find it. Cancer's most prominent feature is a star cluster known as the Beehive, which is above Saturn as they rise.
One of the crab's most interesting features is a binary star system. The two stars are only 50,000 miles apart -- just one-fifth of the distance from Earth to the Moon -- and they're getting closer by the hour. This tightening embrace provides support for Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity.
Relativity says that gravity travels through space as waves. The waves are so tiny that they haven't been detected directly. More about the search for them tomorrow.
But there are indirect ways to look for the waves -- and that's where the star system comes in.
It consists of two white-dwarf stars -- the dense cores of once-normal stars like the Sun. NASA astronomer Tod Strohmayer found that the stars appear to orbit each other about every five and a half minutes. But the orbit is speeding up, which means the stars must be getting closer together -- by about an inch per hour.
Relativity says that as the stars orbit each other, gravity waves carry off some of their energy and orbital momentum, so the stars get closer. Eventually, they may merge, creating a titanic outburst of gravity waves. www.stardate.org.
Word of the day: hyperborean\hye-per-BOR-ee-un\ • adjective: *1 : of or relating to an extreme northern region : frozen. 2 : of or relating to any of the arctic peoples.
NEW: Star Gazing Winter Solstice II: Winter arrives in the northern hemisphere today, at 12:35 p.m. Central Standard Time. That's when the Sun appears farthest south in Earth's sky for the year. It lies 23-and-a-half degrees south of the celestial equator -- the projection of Earth's equator on the dome of the sky.
Solstices have long played important roles in everyday life. They've marked the beginning or end of planting or harvesting seasons, and served as starting points for calendars. In the northern hemisphere, the June solstice is most important because it occurs during the growing season. In the southern hemisphere, the growing season occurs during what are the winter months for us, so the December solstice is the most important.
Solstices have also played central roles in religious and secular festivals. The winter solstice has coincided with the Roman festival of Saturnalia, and with other festivals in Europe and elsewhere. Temples and other structures often are aligned with the sunrise point on the date of the summer or winter solstice.
In the northern hemisphere, the winter solstice marks the shortest day of the year. In the Lower 48 States, the interval between sunrise and sunset varies from about eight to 10 hours, depending on your latitude. Of course, that means that the nights are longest at the winter solstice.
So enjoy the long, chilly night -- the beginning of winter -- which ends at the vernal equinox in March. www.stardate.org/nightsky.
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
"A Tip About Shags" Wore One, Danced It, Done It!
Word of the day: sequacious\sih-KWAY-shus\ adjective: intellectually servile.
NEW: Star Gazing Winter Solstice Winter begins in the northern hemisphere tomorrow, as the Sun appears farthest south in our sky for the year -- a point called the December solstice.
The seasons change because our planet is tilted with respect to its orbit around the Sun. Right now, we're tilting "back" as viewed from north of the equator, so the southern hemisphere gets the most sunlight. Six months from now, the northern hemisphere will tilt sunward, giving us the longer, hotter days of summer.
Without that tilt, we'd have no seasons at all. Any given spot on Earth would see the same amount of sunlight every day of the year.
Astronomers aren't sure just why Earth is tilted, but the leading idea says it's because our planet got a big "whack" early in its history. According to this theory, a planet as big as Mars slammed into Earth when it was just a few million years old. The impact knocked our planet askew. It also vaporized Earth's outer layers, spraying them into space. Much of this material quickly coalesced to form the Moon.
Other planets may have been knocked around, too. Uranus, the third-largest planet in the solar system, lies on its side. And Venus spins backwards. Again, there's no definitive explanation for these orientations, but the leading theory says they were caused by giant collisions.
Incidentally, the December solstice -- the beginning of winter -- occurs tomorrow at 12:35 p.m. Central Standard Time. www.stardate.org/nightsky.
I had lunch at "Cafe Deluxe" with 3 of my new co-workers today, Brie, Shona, and Trish. Brie has this sequacious methodology of calculating a tip. It is: Divide the total by 7 and then add $2.00. Amazingly, it does work! Very Einsteinian! As lunch was ending, Trish was talking about hairdos. She said she used to have a shag, Brie said she's done the shag. Shona, the South African Blonde, said she used to GET SHAGGED! So we all busted out laughing and thought that'd be a great line for the next Austin Powers movie!
Monday, December 19, 2005
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Etc
This year in Bristol; the entire East Tennessee/Southwest Virginia region is embroiled in the debate over which greeting to use for the holidays. I prefer using "happy holidays" because to me, its "inclusive" opposed to being "exclusive". I prefer to include everyone in my holidays instead of just those of the Christian faith. I want to include Jews, Muslims, Christians, Hindu's, etc in my holiday greetings. Its perfectly fine by me if you want to say "Merry Christmas" to me, just make sure you know I'm of a Chirstian faith. I think it is equally offensive if you dishonor another's faith and impose your Christianity upon them as it would be for someone to impose their Hindu, Orthodox, or other faith upon you by saying "Happy Kwanza" when you're Christian. Just please be sensitive and respectful of others in offering your kind and heartfelt greetings. Not all believe as you do.
Mother! Can you please help me to learn Chris Criscuolo is OK?
NPR - "I Believe"
NEW: Price of Gasoline (Regular Unleaded 87 Octane) $2.44.9 (Bethesda, MD)
NEW: Star Gazing Vanishing Venus Venus continues to shine forth in the southwest in the early evening this week. It's been the "evening star" for months, shining as the brightest object in the night sky except the Moon. But its reign is just about over. Over the next couple of weeks, Venus will drop a little lower in the sky each evening. It'll disappear in the Sun's glare in early January. The planet will cross between Earth and the Sun in the middle of the month, then return to view as the "morning star" a few days later.
Even though this switch from evening to morning sky happens regularly, in centuries past many cultures thought of "evening-star" and "morning-star" Venus as separate objects. They gave them different names, and often associated them with different gods.
One culture that understood that the bright "star" they saw in the morning or evening sky was actually a single object was the Maya of Mexico and Central America.
Their knowledge of the heavens was acquired through careful observations. Mayan priests plotted Venus's motions over the course of decades and even centuries. There's evidence that they built special skywatching stations to help them track the planet's path along the horizon. Using these observations, the Maya could predict Venus's position in the sky far into the future.
Our future holds Venus in view low in the southwest in early evening for a couple of more weeks, then moving into the morning sky in late January. . www.stardate.org/nightsky.
I listened to this on my drive back to DC from Bristol this weekend. It touched me as I can relate to it as I grew up on a farm and still own that land. This link can be found at www.npr.org.
I believe we are not alone.
Even if I am on the other side of the world from the farmhouse I live in, I still dream of the ancient vines out the window, and the shed out back that my grandfather's father built in 1870 with eucalyptus trunks. As long as I can recreate these images, I never quite leave home.
I don't think farming in the same place for six generations is a dead weight that keeps you shackled, doing the identical thing year in and year out. Instead, it is a rare link to others before me, who pruned the same vines and painted the same barn that I have. If those in this house survived the Panic of 1893 or the Great Depression, or bathed with cold water and used an outhouse, then surely I know I can weather high gas prices.
I believe that all of us need some grounding in our modern world of constant moving, buying, selling, meeting and leaving. Some find constancy in religion. Others lean on friends or community for permanence. But we need some daily signposts that we are not novel, not better, not worse from those who came before us.
For me, this house, this farm, these ancient vines are those roots. Although I came into this world alone and will leave alone, I am not alone.
There are ghosts of dozens of conversations in the hallways, stories I remember about buying new plows that now rust in the barnyard and ruined crops from the same vines that we are now harvesting.
I believe all of us are natural links in a long chain of being, and that I need to know what time of day it is, what season is coming, whether the wind is blowing north or from the east, and if the moon is still full tomorrow night, just as the farmers who came before me did.
The physical world around us constantly changes, but human nature does not. We must struggle in our brief existence to find some transcendent meaning during reoccurring heartbreak and disappointment and so find solace in the knowledge that our ancestors have all gone through this before.
You may find all that all too intrusive, living with the past as present. I find it exhilarating. I believe there is an old answer for every new problem, that wise whispers of the past are with us to assure us that if we just listen and remember, we are not alone; we have been here before.
Day 1 at Reznique!
I finished my first day at Reznick. It was only orientation but it was quite informative. Great benefits. My group took me to lunch at Daily Grill in the Hyatt. I'd never eaten there, but the 9 of us had a bill of about $400 including tip. We had a wonderful lunch. I'm invited out tomorrow for lunch as well. They forewarned me that the group is a "food oriented" group. I suppose so. I don't object. I look forward to working with Reznique
H.R.M. Halena Slopoflopolopolous Celebrates Christmas 2005
Sunday, December 18, 2005
My Christmas Decorations - 2005
Word of the day: Glabrous\GLAY-brus\ adjective: smooth; especially : having a surface without hairs or projections.
NEW: Star Gazing Moon and Saturn The Moon and the planet Saturn huddle close together tonight. They rise in mid evening, with Saturn just below the Moon. Saturn looks like a bright golden star.
Saturn has more than three dozen moons of its own. The biggest is Titan. It has a thick atmosphere that's topped by a layer of smog. The chemistry of Titan's atmosphere may resemble that of the very early Earth. That makes it a good laboratory for studying our own planet's history -- and leads to speculation that life could have evolved on Titan itself.
Another possible home for life is the small moon Enceladus. It's only about 300 miles in diameter, but it has all the ingredients for life: water, energy, and carbon-based chemical compounds.
The Cassini spacecraft discovered the moon's interesting chemistry earlier this year. It found that water vapor and ice are spewing out of large cracks near the south pole -- cracks that look like tiger stripes. The gravity of Saturn and its other moons heat and twist Enceladus, warming its interior and creating the cracks.
The escaping gases give Enceladus a thin atmosphere of water vapor mixed with nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and other chemicals.
The surface gravity of Enceladus is weak. That allows much of the moon's water to escape into space, where it may supply fresh ice to one of Saturn's rings.
Look for Saturn near the Moon tonight. They rise in mid evening, soar high overhead later on, and stand high in the west at dawn. www.stardate.org
Saturday, December 17, 2005
Friday, December 16, 2005
Living In Morocco
Living life in Morocco sure is nice when you're an American and accustomed to the American "way of life". You can literally live like their king for a fraction of what we live on here in the U.S. even if you earn less than $30K/yr. The luxuries of life are so affordable.
Now the key to this is: Making sure you retire from your U.S. job and relocate there. Otherwise, the job market isn't all that great nor can you find a "real" job easily unless you're well connected to the Moroccan establishment. Such as my friend Anwar, who's father is the Moroccan Minister of Police. Perhaps I would have met his father under different circumstances the time I was in Morocco and going through customs on my exit out of the country at Tangier. Non-Arab individuals are immediately harrassed by these people wanting to be your "official guide" throughout the country. What they do is nothing less than be an annoying pest which is there to get your money. Upon my exit, this guy who didn't visibly nor officially introduce himself as a Moroccan Customs Agent, insisted on helping me to find my travel documents. I cursed him out in French. I learned he was a customs agent when I found my documents and was heading for the ship to Algecerias, Spain. He could have easily arrested me and thrown me into a Moroccan gulag.
That Drive From DC Last Night, was.....HELL Hit w/Snow & Ice
Word of the day: ailurophile\eye-LOOR-uh-fyle\ noun: a cat fancier : a lover of cats.
NEW: Price of Gasoline (Regular Unleaded 87 Octane) $2.13.9 (Bristol, VA)
I like this new word. I never knew there was a term for cat-lovers.
Thursday, December 15, 2005
FUCKING REPUBIKLANS!
ALL I HAVE TO SAY, IS THEY BETTER BE CAREFUL! THEY'LL ALL GO THE WAY OF JIM BAAKER, JIMMY SWAGGERT, ETC. NOW WOULDN'T THAT BE SPECIAL! YOU BE THE JUDGE!
In a Shift, Anti-Prostitution Effort Targets Pimps and Johns
By Laura BlumenfeldWashington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, December 15, 2005; Page A01
The john peeked into the massage parlor. "Hi, sweetie," said Kim, the manager of the Korean-run club in downtown Washington.
New task forces could make arrests of johns, like this one on L Street NW, more common. (2002 Photo By Dudley M. Brooks -- The Washington Post)
'The john peeked into the massage parlor. "Hi, sweetie," said Kim, the manager of the Korean-run club in downtown Washington.
The john, a tall man in his fifties, stepped inside, smiling anxiously. He wore a chaste white shirt and sharply parted hair, and he smelled as if he'd had a drink.
"Look at his face -- very tired," Kim said as he went inside. "Sad people come. Stress people. This customer stay 30 minutes, then happy. Everybody happy."
Not everybody. A national campaign against prostitution has intensified in political, nonprofit and law enforcement circles, so much so that yesterday the House unanimously passed novel legislation, with the Senate expected to follow.
In the past, police sweeps have focused on the women. The new federal law would grant state and local law enforcement agencies funds to investigate and prosecute the men -- brothel owners and pimps. It would also target for arrest customers like the one at Kim's parlor lurching toward a girl in a bikini.
"You're out of luck," said Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.), summing up the bill's message to the customers.
"The johns use and abuse these young women," said Rep. Deborah Pryce (R-Ohio). "And pimps -- you can call them slaveholders, the masters out in the field."
The attitudes of Pryce, who introduced the legislation in the House, and Cornyn, a sponsor in the Senate, reflect a shift in how the governmentand the public respond to the sex industry. Traditionally, women have been blamed as the source of the problem. But Pryce calls prostitution "modern-day slavery" in which teenage girls are exploited and men fuel the crime.
Behind the scenes, an unlikely coalition of evangelicals, feminists, liberal activists and conservative human rights advocates are pushing the issue. They are trying to reframe the way people talk about prostitutes, calling them "survivors" and signing off e-mails with the slogan "Abolition!"
On a local level, in the past three years, 12 states have passed anti-sex-trafficking legislation, which says that women who are prostituted through coercion, and minors who are sold for sex, are victims. In 15 other states, similar bills have been introduced. Although prostitution is illegal nationwide except in certain Nevada counties, advocates for the legislation said that enforcement and penalties for pimps and johns have been weak, including a tolerance for brothels that advertise as massage parlors.
"We want to drive a stake through the heart of these venal criminals," said Michael J. Horowitz, a coalition leader and a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute. "This is pure evil."
The rest of the story here in The Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/14/AR2005121402539.html
Cavalia! You've NOT Seen A Horse Show Until You See CAVALIA!
Honestly, No one has ever seen a horseshow quite like Cavalia. It is simply spectacular. Below are some photos of it. Also the link to it is www.cavalia.net. Here is a link to coverage of it while in Washington, DC by NPR - http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4991703.
Cavalia tours the United States. I suspect that after it's U.S. tour, it will go global as does most of the shows from Cirque du Soliel. www.cirquedusoliel.com.
The Horse Whisperer.
The Kiss
Roman Riding
The Mirror
Cavalia president and artistic director Normand Latourelle with Penultimo
I Locked Myself Out Of My Office
Word of the day: forfend \for-FEND\ verb: *1 : to ward off : prevent. 2 : protect, preserve.
NEW: Price of Gasoline (Regular Unleaded 87 Octane) $2.39.9 (Washington, DC)
If I had a brain, I don't know what would occur. This morning I arrive at my office at 4:30am. At 5:00am, I decide to step just outside my office suite without my shoes; to the soda machine to get a soda. Low and behold, just as the door shuts, I realize, I don't have my key. ................. YEP! You got it! I had to sit there in the hallway until now when the kind Building Engineer came and let me back inside. GEEEZ!
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Mountain Dew! "It'll Tickle Yer Innerds" or "Just Dew-It"
I just spoke with Sandy and the sound of her voice lifted my spirits significantly. I was surfing around the internet and an unusual thought crossed my mind about the logo for Mountain Dew, the Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company's drink. I'm thinking the logo for it when I was a kid. I recall it being a hillbilly with a shotgun shooting at another hillbilly running down the hill from/to an outhouse (Shit house). Here's what I found on the internet. Surprisingly, according to this account, Mountain Dew was established and promoted in East Tennessee and Southwestern Virginia. The area called the Tri-Cities and the place I grew up.
Here's the cut and paste:
The following information comes from Pepsi-Cola, 100 Years, by Bob Stoddard (1997), page 142-144.
One of the biggest success stories for Pepsi in 1964 was the acquisition of Mountain Dew. The Pepsi-Cola Company bought the soft drink from the Tip Corporation of Marion, Virginia, for a rumored $6 million in Pepsi-Cola stock. How the Tip Corporation, a company that marketed flavored drinks to bottlers, acquired the name and formula for the beverage is a matter of debate.
While one Bill Jones, a resident of Marion and the president of the Tip Corporation, is generally credited with concocting the Mountain Dew flavor that is familiar today, the Mountain Dew story actually begins elsewhere. Evidently, in the late 1940s, Hartman Beverage Company of Knoxville, Tennessee, bottled a lemon-lime drink they called Mountain Dew. Although this drink had some regional success, it never really caught on.
Fast forward to 1958, to beyond eastern Tennessee, where a respected soft drink supply salesman - Bill Jones - took over the Tip Corporation. In order to finance his new enterprise, Jones needed investors, so he offered shares in the new company to some of his bottler friends. The original investors were Pepsi-Cola bottlers: Herman Minges of Lumberton, North Carolina; Richard Minges of Fayetteville, North Carolina; Allie Hartman of Knoxville, Tennessee; and Wythe Hull of Marion, Virginia.
At one of the first stockholders meetings of the new Tip Corporation, Hartman reportedly announced the donation, on behalf of his brother...their Mountain Dew drink to the new company. The addition of Mountain Dew to the product line would, it was hoped, give the company a competitive edge in the flavored drink market.
Rumor and speculation attend this transaction. One version has it that Jones was originally unwilling to accept the donation of the Mountain Dew name and formula, so Hartman proposed that Jones pay for their dinner, and they would call it even. If this is true, one of the most valuable trademarks in the soft drink industry was sold for a steak dinner- which reportedly cost $6.95.
Unfortunately for the Tip Corporation, at teh same time they were launching Mountain Dew, the Pepsi-Cola Company was introducing its own lemon-lime drink, Teem. Most of Tip's customers were Pepsi bottlers who were reluctant to compete with the parent company, so they ended up selling Teem, rather than Mountain Dew.
The success of another soft drink Sun Drop, and competition from Teem, consequently caused Jones to take Mountain Dew in a different direction, away from the lemon-lime flavor to an orangey taste.
Using Wythe Hull's Pepsi-Cola bottling facility as a base of operations, Jones began testing different formulas. Employees at the Marion Pepsi plant were the first to sample each new version of the drink. Finally, one mixture seemed to have the right taste.
This new Mountain Dew was test-marketed by the Minges with overwhelming success. Tip began to solicit Mountain Dew franchises, the company's shareholders agreed that Pepsi-Cola bottlers should be given the first opportunity at a charter. That's why most of the first Mountain Dew bottlers were also Pepsi-Cola bottlers.
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
What A Day, What A Night! I've Got A Heavy Mind Right Now!
Word of the day: lagniappe \LAN-yap\ noun: a small gift given a customer by a merchant at the time of a purchase; broadly : something given or obtained gratuitously or by way of good measure.
Here it is 2:24AM and I haven't fell asleep yet. There's a lot on my mind tonight. I don't know what to talk about first.
1. I want to be in Bristol. At my home there.
2. I love Jeff, my brother. He depends greatly on me. I'm his world. He's mine.
3. I don't know what to think of accepting this new job. It means that much longer I'll be away from Bristol.
4. I want to be more tender and loving to Jeff.
5. His new diagnosis is difficult for me. I can only imagine what its like for him. I feel down deep in my soul the turmoil he is dealing with. GOD BLESS HIM! Please GOD, BLESS HIM!
6. How do I show more compassion, kindness, love, understanding, patience, and support to him?
7. I want to be the best brother he could possibly ever have.
8. It worries me that Jeff doesn't go to Clubhouse like he should.
9. It worries me that he stays shut up in his house by himself.
NOW I"M CRYING! I LOVE JEFF. I PROMISED MOTHER I"D TAKE GREAT CARE OF HIM. I FEEL AS THOUGH I'VE LET HIM, HER, AND MYSELF DOWN.
I'm sitting here in this cold car. Jeff's car. He's letting me use it until I can get one of my own. That'll be soon, hopefully. But only after I get my debt to Sandy repaid. She's been a true "FRIEND" to me. I CANNOT let her down. She's the best friend I've ever had. Ever will have. I must protect that. I cherish the relationship between Sandy and myself. Its special to me. I believe it is to her as well.
I wish I had someone I could talk with. A friend like Jaime. He shows such genuine care and concern for me. I'm grateful for that. He's one of the few play buddies who goes that extra mile for me. It makes me sad that I've missed his shows lately. I want to go to them, but they've been on weekends when I'm in Bristol. I can't afford to stay here during the weekends. Thats one of the reasons I've bee travelling back and forth to Bristol so often, asides from being in my home I love.
I Feel Sad Today
Word of the day: glogg \GLUG\ noun: a hot spiced wine and liquor punch served in Scandinavian countries as a Christmas drink.
For some odd reason or another, I feel sad. I don't know why. Nothing negative, sad, or bad has occurred recently. Perhaps its the stress from job hunting. I got this great job offer contingent on the references. The headhunter has told me the references check out just fine and its a "go" in all respects. However, I recall how stressful it was at the beginning of this year when I was trying to find a job and it was so difficult. Perhaps I'm having a reaction from the previous experience. Perhaps PTSD!
It doesn't make me happy that I'm having to use Jeff's car. I worry that he's not attending Clubhouse like he should. I miss being in Bristol. It seems as though its where I belong. It seems as though after these 25 years here in Washington, all of a sudden, I don't belong. Washington is where I call home. Washington, I believe is the most beautiful city in the world. I always talk about how grateful I am to live here. Somehow, now I feel as I don't belong. I miss Holly. I'm lonely. I love Jeff so much. He means the world to me. He's my world. I can't ever let him down. Maybe sometimes I'm too hard on him. But I only want the best for him. I want him to be OK should something tragic happen to me. Where did this heavy aura come from that is lingering over me today? Why is it here? I wish I had someone online, an acquaintence or friend to chat with. Maybe that'd cheer me up.
Monday, December 12, 2005
My Friend, Darlene - Whom I Worked With At NAMI
Word of the day: chatoyant \shuh-TOY-unt\ adjective: having a changeable luster or color with an undulating narrow band of white light.
Vacancy Filled Mayor Williams chooses Darlene Nipper to succeed the late Wanda Alston as head of DC's LGBT AffairsIn September 2004, when D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams announced the creation of the Mayor's Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Affairs, he said, ''I'm proud to be establishing the office with Wanda Alston leading it,'' lauding the woman who had served as his special assistant on LGBT affairs since 2001 -- the year D.C. Council member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) first submitted legislation to establish the office.
Less than six months later, Alston was murdered. A drug-addicted neighbor attacked Alston in her home, delivering the fatal knife wounds that robbed D.C. of a tenacious community activist. Months of mourning followed the March attack.
Still, life goes on, and Williams's office announced on Nov. 30 Alston's replacement to head the Office of LGBT Affairs. Effective Jan. 1, 2006, Darlene Nipper will assume her role as director of the office.
Darlene Nipper
(Photo by Todd Franson)
''I had reservations,'' Nipper admits, sitting in her home in D.C.'s Brightwood neighborhood, where she lives with her partner. Around her neck she wears the Chinese symbol for longevity. It's the same pendant Alston wore -- Nipper had given it to her years earlier, as they were close friends for nearly two decades.
''Some months ago, someone in the community said we've got to get someone into this position,'' says Nipper. ''We need a strong leader. One of my friends said, 'Darlene, you should do it.' I was grieving Wanda's death and just wasn't thinking about work at all at that time. Then a call came to say that people were interviewing and that perhaps I should put my hat in the ring, I just sort of did it.''
Nipper says her close friendship with Alston gave her pause when contemplating taking on the position.
''I just wasn't sure I could go into a place where she went all the time, and be comfortable without being overly emotional. I'm starting to see that I'll be okay.''
While D.C.'s GLBT community may feel some sense of closure in regard to Alston's death, knowing her close friend will succeed her, that's no replacement for professional qualifications. Nipper brings a master's degree in non-profit management, and a job history that includes senior positions with the Black Entertainment Television Foundation, the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, and the National Mental Health Association. A breast cancer survivor, she has also been involved with the Mautner Project, the Black Lesbian Support Group and various HIV/AIDS agencies. D.C. residents may also appreciate that Nipper is a local, through and through.
''I'll be 41 on the 15th of January, and I've never lived anywhere else,'' Nipper says with apparent pride and a friendly smile. ''I'm just a real kind of D.C. person. I'm sort of the worst kind of Washingtonian. I'm a snob about it. I refuse to live anywhere else.''
Nipper's friendly, calm demeanor may be a contrast to Alston's. Whereas Alston had a reputation for being confrontational in her drive to get things done, Nipper says her own modus operandi is a bit more low-key.
''At the memorial services, everyone could recount a fight with Wanda. It was hysterical,'' Nipper says, with obvious fondness. ''She was pretty high-strung. My style is much more laid back. I don't tend to be very argumentative. I tend to listen, make an assessment and act.... But Wanda's whole mission was about love. Wanda had a kind of commitment and caring about people that is very hard to match.''
One area where Nipper says she's eager to put her own style to work may center on the office she's about to head. The highly respected Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance (GLAA) opposes making this GLBT office permanent. Nipper says she's eager to work with GLAA concerns, as well as other opinions, to find some common ground. Whitman-Walker Clinic and The Center for GLBT in Metro D.C., for example, support making the office permanent. But at the end of the day, Nipper notes, it is the mayor to whom she is ultimately beholden.
''My job is to synthesize the information that's coming in from the community, and to effectively communicate the community needs and potential policy solutions [to the mayor],'' says Nipper. ''I hope there is an opportunity for us to really listen to one another about this and a bunch of other things, and come back with a unified platform, where we can all feel pretty comfortable about whatever the mayor decides to do, because we'll know it's reflecting our community's needs.
''Every individual's position is critically important,'' she continues. ''My goal will be to bring all voices to the fore so that we can actually hear them and, hopefully, develop a unified platform that collectively addresses the issues of the entire community. That's difficult with this very diverse community. You've got folks in one pocket who may be completely opposing the issues of the folks over there.... The challenge is to find the common ground and to develop a platform that prioritizes the issues that we can all agree on. And just move forward, rather than focusing on how we're different. We need to see commonalities.''
Sunday, December 11, 2005
M.C., Jeannine, and Philips Electronics
Word of the day: nepotism \NEP-uh-tiz-um\ noun: favoritism (as in appointment to a job) based on kinship.
I recall when I worked for MC, how everyone detested the nepotism between her and her sister, Jeannine. Jeannine seemed to always get the promotions or be handed the tasks with high responsibility and trust. I recall Chris and most all others having huge issues with it, but noone felt as though they could bring it to MC's attention. Nepotism is really an ugly and demoralizing thing.
Saturday, December 10, 2005
Friday, December 9, 2005
Happy 72nd Birthday, Mother!
Word of the day: nictitate \NIK-tuh-tayt\ 
• verb: to wink.
Today, in this dimension, would have been my mother's 72nd birthday. I'm trying to write about this and I'm crying. I can't write about it right now.
I Received A GREAT Job Offer
Word of the day: shilly shally \SHIL-ee-shal-ee\ adverb: in an irresolute, undecided, or hesitating manner.
OK, Now that I have this really great job offer. I wonder what comes next. This opportunity will give me the chance to get my friend Sandy repaid. That'll bring a huge relief for me.
Thursday, December 8, 2005
A Very Good Job Interview Today
Wednesday, December 7, 2005
A White House Christmas:
Click this link to view a fun and enjoyable Washington, DC Christmas at the White House.
A Jovian Shangri-la!
Word of the day: Shangri-la \shang-grih-LAH\ noun *1 : a remote beautiful imaginary place where life approaches perfection : utopia. 2 : a remote usually idyllic hideaway.
Click on the "add your own" link to leave your thoughts on what a "jovian shangri-la" might be like!
Tuesday, December 6, 2005
Another Benefit of Living in Washington, DC
Word of the day: jovian \'jO-vE-&n Function: adjective: of, relating to, or characteristic of the god or planet Jupiter.
D.C. preliminarily approves sweeping D.P. law
Congress could still veto
By LOU CHIBBARO JR. | Dec 6, 5:49 PM
Domestic partners in the District of Columbia would be granted full rights of inheritance as well as the obligation to pay alimony and child support under a far-reaching bill the D.C. Council approved on Tuesday in a unanimous, “first reading” voice vote.
Mayor Anthony Williams is expected to sign the bill granting extensive rights to gay couples if it is approved at its second reading on Dec. 20. (Photo by Rudy K. Lawidjaja) The Council is expected to approve the bill in a required second and final “reading” at its Dec. 20 session. Mayor Anthony Williams is expected to sign the measure. It must then go before Congress for a 30-day review period and would become law if Congress does not veto the measure.
If the bill ultimately wins approval, the level of legal recognition for gay couples in the District of Columbia would rise dramatically over those provided by the city’s current domestic partners law. However, the recognition would not reach the level of other states such as California, New Jersey, Connecticut and Vermont, where same-sex couples are afforded state benefits and rights similar to those available to married couples.
The Domestic Partnership Equality Act of 2005, introduced last February by Councilmember Phil Mendelson (D-At-Large), was placed on the Council’s consent agenda.
Nine of the Council’s 13 members, in addition to Mendelson, signed on as co-sponsors.
The bill amends the city’s existing domestic partnership law, which defines domestic partners as two persons at least 18 years old, either of the same or the opposite gender, who live together, are the sole domestic partner of the other, and who are not married.
The decision to leave language in the original D.P. statute that bars married couples, either same-sex or opposite sex, from registering as domestic partners was intended to satisfy some critics in Congress who vowed to overturn any attempt by the District to recognize gay marriage. Some activists have criticized the marriage exclusion provision, saying D.C. should legalize same-sex marriage.
The Mendelson bill provides those who register as domestic partners with at least six benefits, or obligations, that currently are only available to married couples.
Among them are recognition of domestic partners and their children as legal heirs should a partner die without leaving a will; a series of rights and benefits for surviving partners and children equal to those available to surviving married spouses under the city’s property laws; immunity from testifying against a partner in civil or criminal proceedings; legal standing to sue for negligence in the event of a wrongful death of a partner; and the right to make legally binding “pre-marital” agreements.
The pending legislation also provides power of attorney to manage financial, medical and legal matters if one partner becomes incapacitated, and offers protection for private conversations between partners with doctors and religious figures, such as ministers, priests or rabbis.
“This legislation is not about gay marriage,” a legislative report prepared by the Council’s Judiciary Committee stated. Mendelson chairs the committee that issued the report.
9/11 Report: Results Don't Surprise Me! You?
Its been all over the news since its release a day or so ago; the findings of the 9/11 Commission on performance of the U.S. Government and Bush Administration's handling of terrorism. It doesn't surprise me in the least given we've got a "President" who is a master of disguise, malversation, and misrepresentation.
The report can be found at www.9-11pdp.org
Le Palias du Couchon Makes "The Hill" Newspaper
for and about
the U.S. Congress
Hysterical baseball rush
Ignoring RFK enlargement
The hysterics at The Washington Post sports section are doing their job. Baseball is back. This is bigger than Joe Gibbs! Bigger than Michael Jordan! Bigger than the Capitals! This can save Washington! Has anyone noticed that the noisier the media frenzy about sports here, the more resounding the flop that follows?
DUNCAN SPENCER Baseball’s new neighborhood: First and O streets S.E. And has anyone noticed that the city, having dished up the idea of a $450 million stadium to get the down-and-out Expos here, is stuck with a bad deal? A bondholder’s nightmare?
Has anyone noticed the litany of financial troubles of debt-burdened stadiums: 1991’s Comiskey Park, 1992’s Camden Yards, 1994’s Coors Field, 1994’s Jacobs Field, 1998’s Diamondbacks Field, 1999’s Safeco Field? These are just the most obvious cases of new stadiums struggling with debt, low attendance or emergency refinancing.
Very few of the cheering throng bothered to go to the rather bizarre wasteland of sex clubs, obscure businesses, piles of rubble, scores of panhandlers and highway grime that is to become the new home of the new team. I did, wandering from P to O streets S.E. — past The Follies at 34 O St., the Club Washington and Club Bath Chain, past Secrets at 26 O St. In all, there are 27 parcels in the area to be cleared for the new stadium — 27 possible lawsuits, compensation cases, etc. etc.
The only thing the site has going for it is splendid views of the Anacostia River. The views make the site perfect for housing or mixed-use development, not a concrete-and-steel doughnut that will be empty, let’s face it, most of its life.
The thought that keeps reoccurring: Why not play at RFK? Permanently.
When Jack Kent Cooke wanted to build a new stadium for the Redskins, using part of the vast parking area out there between Eastern High School and Kingman Island, sensible voices were raised to urge the cheaper and simpler solution. To enlarge RFK.
That’s right. A local architect, since moved to Frederick, Md., testified to the City Council that enlarging RFK would be relatively inexpensive, could be done quickly, by adding another tier of seating (a second circle around the already circular structure), and could be done without demolishing the present playing field — in a single off-season.
Mayor Anthony Williams (D) and the city fathers are counting on an average of 30,000 patrons per baseball game as a financial starting line. There is much evidence that this is an unrealistic goal. Even the most cheerful of the promoters of the new stadium deal say that suburbanites, not city dwellers, will be the backbone of the ticket buyers — just as in the case of the Redskins and the Capitals. It was hard enough to get them to come to MCI Center; without the draw of the beloved Redskins, they would not have come to RFK. Now the city is expecting these people, who have showed their opinion of the city with their feet for 50 years, to flock to 2nd and O streets S.E. And who will pay for it? Not them. Us.
Williams and the eager business crowd ought now to do what Washington does best: procrastinate. The Expos are going to play at RFK for three years at least. Let the attendance tell the tale. If baseball works for RFK, then build the new stadium, or enlarge the old one. But not before.
When Cooke, in the nine years of wrangling from 1987 to 1996, offered to pay for a new stadium in Washington, it was the city that stood in his way. Now we’re on our hands and knees begging to throw gold at one of the worst teams in the National League, offering bribes to Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos, offering to build a $450 million colossus in the middle of nowhere.
That Six Degrees of Seperation
Word of the day: homonymous \hoe-MAH-nuh-mus\ adjective: 1 : ambiguous. *2 : having the same designation. 3 : of, relating to, or being homonyms.
Iranian-born writer Azar Nafisi was fired from the University of Tehran for refusing to wear a veil. Her book, Reading Lolita in Tehran, is based on the years she secretly taught literature to female students in her home. Nafisi now works at the Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies.
“I believe that it is only through empathy, that the pain experienced by an Algerian woman, a North Korean dissident, a Rwandan child or an Iraqi prisoner, becomes real to me and not just passing news.”
I believe in empathy. I believe in the kind of empathy that is created through imagination and through intimate, personal relationships. I am a writer and a teacher, so much of my time is spent interpreting stories and connecting to other individuals. It is the urge to know more about ourselves and others that creates empathy. Through imagination and our desire for rapport, we transcend our limitations, freshen our eyes, and are able to look at ourselves and the world through a new and alternative lens.
Whenever I think of the word empathy, I think of a small boy named Huckleberry Finn contemplating his friend and runaway slave, Jim. Huck asks himself whether he should give Jim up or not. Huck was told in Sunday school that people who let slaves go free go to "everlasting fire." But then, Huck says he imagines he and Jim in "the day and nighttime, sometimes moonlight, sometimes storms, and we a-floating along, talking and singing and laughing." Huck remembers Jim and their friendship and warmth. He imagines Jim not as a slave but as a human being and he decides that, "alright, then, I'll go to hell."
What Huck rejects is not religion but an attitude of self-righteousness and inflexibility. I remember this particular scene out of Huck Finn so vividly today, because I associate it with a difficult time in my own life. In the early 1980s when I taught at the University of Tehran, I, like many others, was expelled. I was very surprised to discover that my staunchest allies were two students who were very active at the University's powerful Muslim Students' Association. These young men and I had engaged in very passionate and heated arguments. I had fiercely opposed their ideological stances. But that didn't stop them from defending me. When I ran into one of them after my expulsion, I thanked him for his support. "We are not as rigid as you imagine us to be Professor Nafisi," he responded. "Remember your own lectures on Huck Finn? Let's just say, he is not the only one who can risk going to hell!"
This experience in my life reinforces my belief in the mysterious connections that link individuals to each other despite their vast differences. No amount of political correctness can make us empathize with a child left orphaned in Darfur or a woman taken to a football stadium in Kabul and shot to death because she is improperly dressed. Only curiosity about the fate of others, the ability to put ourselves in their shoes, and the will to enter their world through the magic of imagination, creates this shock of recognition. Without this empathy there can be no genuine dialogue, and we as individuals and nations will remain isolated and alien, segregated and fragmented.
I believe that it is only through empathy, that the pain experienced by an Algerian woman, a North Korean dissident, a Rwandan child or an Iraqi prisoner, becomes real to me and not just passing news. And it is at times like this when I ask myself, am I prepared -- like Huck Finn -- to give up Sunday school heaven for the kind of hell that Huck chose
Monday, December 5, 2005
Way Too Cool Mark Nason Boots
Word of the day: occlusion \uh-KLOO-zhun\ noun: 1 a : the complete obstruction of the breath passage in the articulation of a speech sound b : the bringing of the opposing surfaces of the teeth of the two jaws into contact; also : the relation between the surfaces when in contact c : the inclusion or sorption of gas trapped during solidification of a material. *2 : the front formed by a cold front overtaking a warm front and lifting the warm air above the earth's surface.
"Dallas" Boots by Mark Nason
