Tuesday, December 31, 2002

The Top Environmental Stories of 2002 according to the Sierra Club-- if anyone out there thinks that Bush cares about the environment, you're not paying attention...

[Bush's] more relaxed requirements "will bring more acid rain, more smog, more asthma, and more respiratory diseases to millions of Americans'' Ho Ho Ho

Something for anyone with kids in California to pay attention to-- one of the reasons why my niece got a new helmet recently.

Monday, December 30, 2002

It's almost time for me to have my new "Issue of the Month" since the new month is almost upon us. I have been planning it for a while. Unfortunately I won't be able to put the page up until I get back to San Francisco this weekend, so ya'll will just have to wait. But I will get it ready and posted then and we'll continue with this new venture of mine. I hope you enjoy.

Today I went to my mother's chiropractor, Dr. Crow, whom I love. He's a great guy and very hippie-esque, which I've always found wonderful. He's got all this pro-peace, anti-war, pro-people stuff up in his offices here in the conservative suburb of Independence, Missouri. Today I noticed he had a small written piece up about the fact that the smallpox shots being promoted aren't good for people and we shouldn't take them and I agreed with him wholeheartedly and mentioned how all the medical community I'm involved with in California is saying the same thing. He also mentioned he's a member of a very cool group known as Physicians for Social Responsibility which I initially confused with Doctors Without Borders when I was later telling my mother about them (they're both great groups). So then we started talking about his various conspiracy theories (he has a whole list of them) and several of them were right on target and others, well, who knows but it was funny to talk like this in the middle of the Midwest. It almost felt like I was in San Francisco again. Anyway, if he's reading my site, since he wanted to check it out, he might also like this article about all of us living in fear:

...our leaders have taken advantage of our fear.

AIDS/HIV

In Africa, AIDS Has a Woman's Face-- Kofi A. Annan, Secretary General of the United Nations

Back when I was working for Americans United for Separation of Church and State in Washington, DC, these "faith-based" or "charitable choice" type programs were just beginning to get pushed throughout the states, especially by Bush in Texas, and nationally by then Senator Ashcroft. With Bush and Ashcroft in charge it is no wonder that they are becoming law unilaterally and so quickly:

We are already starting to see the troubling ways in which faith-based initiatives allow tax dollars to be used.... It is ironic that President Bush is working to tear down the separation of church and state at home, given the battles he is waging abroad. It is clearer today than ever that one of America's greatest strengths is that we are a nation in which people are free to practice any faith or no faith, and the government keeps out of the religious realm.

Scientific and medical misinformation jeopardizes peoples' lives... Would the Geologic Survey take a neutral stand on whether the Earth is round or flat?... [this is] nothing more than "the political creation of scientific uncertainty."

Sunday, December 29, 2002

So I drove pretty far out today just to try to find a New York Times or some other paper that had decent national coverage. It's pathetic what is considered news around here. It's also interesting from the perspective that I'm interested in news at all since usually when I'm on vacation I could care less. But I'm missing my daily paper right now.

Speaking of missing things in San Francisco, I am not missing the weather--- I hear it's terrible there still. Oh, well, thanks to global warming we in the Midwest are experiencing unseasonably warm weather including 60degree temperatures. Now, if only I wasn't sick....

An internal White House document outlining President Bush's re-election agenda starts with "War on terrorism (Con't)" and domestic security. It is the latest sign, critics say, that presidential advisers are seeking political gain from the Sept. 11 attacks...."It continues to be shocking, but it's not surprising, that this administration will exploit the war on terrorism and national security issues for their advantage if they can," said Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts.

Friday, December 27, 2002

I'm sick sick sick and I hate it hate it hate it. (My mother agrees and is sick too. My father agrees and is sick too.)

I also hate the fact that I can't get any real news here since the local papers suck-- I tried reading the KC Star today and it was useless to learn about anything since every article in the paper was "news in brief" and "brief" it was. No wonder no one knows what's going on out there. I tried finding a national paper like the New York Times or the Washington Post but couldn't find them sold anywhere. That leaves the TV news-- help, stop, I can't stand that. Ugh. Again, no wonder no one knows what's happening. The San Francisco Chronicle isn't the best out there, but at least it keeps me informed for the most part. I must learn to appreciate it much more next time I'm back home there.

And finally, there's the great bastion of the internet except that the computer here at my parents' still runs really slow and I can't really open more than one window at a time. It's much better than it used to be, but it's still a major test in patience. So what am I left with? I'm sick sick sick and I hate it hate it hate it.

BUT, I am having a great time with my family who's taking good care of me and giving me lots of hugs. ;-)

Everyone say a special thanks to Jessie for me for taking care of my cat Amaya while I'm away. Also a big thanks to my friend Alicia for checking in on her on Christmas day since everyone was away for the holiday. Alicia and Jessie are the best!

How about another update from our good friend Leslie, that great Woman of the World, reporting from her new Peace Corps assignment in Kenya:

"All is ok, I still don't have a house and don't begin work untill Jan so I am a little restless to say the least. I have been hanging out with other PCV's for the last few weeks celebrating the holidays and chillin on the beach. It is strange to be in such hot weather during xmass. Kenyas is great, though [tomorrow are] the elections so we shall see what happens. Havent seen any elies [elephants] yet but am working in the environmental area so hope to catch them soon. Take care you and have a great time back home."

Well, speaking of the extreme cold outside and the extreme dry heat inside it's no wonder that I have now caught cold. I feel miserable. Good thing my Mom is here to take care of me. And I have all these new DVD's to watch. But still, I wish I felt better cuz I have friends to visit and things to do. Wish me luck.

Thursday, December 26, 2002

Hey everyone. I'm in Kansas City at my parents' home. We had a wonderful Christmas yesterday. My Mom's always taking care of everyone's list and making sure she checked it twice.

The biggest thing I hate about being in cold locales is that there's always this increadily hot, DRY, heat blasting everywhere you go. I can't breathe and end up getting constant headaches from it. I kept taking breaks outside in the freezing cold just to get some fresh air to breathe. I really have to live in a location where the weather isn't too cold or hot-- and luckily for me San Francisco works out well.

I miss my home in San Francisco and my cat, but I'll be back home soon. I'm enjoying my time with my family. I'll be back on here again often as my parents have a decent-- still slow but not too bad-- internet connection now. I hope everyone is having a good time these days.

Tuesday, December 24, 2002

So I'm off to Kansas City for a while. I hope to post while there, but not sure of my abilities from there yet. Keep up the faith and have a good holiday season.

"First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak for me." -- Pastor Martin Neimoller

Monday, December 23, 2002

So I've been listening to la musica espanol lately on el radio to improve mi espanol. I'm not sure why I didn't do this months ago when I started mi clase de espanol, but I didn't. Anyway, I'm loving it. It's a whole new world. And I'm found what must qualify as the pop station of the San Francisco latino world-- 98.9/99.1 AMOR with "mas musica!"

I've grown to absolutely love two songs, "Usted Se Me Llevo La Vida" by Alexandre Pires and, yes I have to admit it, "Asereje" by Las Ketchup (commonly known in English as the Ketchup Song (Hey Hah)) which is incredibly catchy (and check out this site). The Pires song I've been singing around the city all the time but not sure of the words so I finally looked them up and found them very depressing and deep-- all about how someone's heart has been destroyed. How sad.

Anyway, I'm learning more espanol little by little so hopefully I can eventually one day far away be fluent. Yo estoy tratando.

Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.), president-elect of the Congressional Black Caucus, said his organization would take a serious look at the Republican voting record in the next Congress and pay close attention to White House judicial nominations. "I think Trent Lott gave the Republican Party an opportunity to look at itself," Cummings said. "If there is a new consciousness, then synchronize this new consciousness with your conduct. Show me that you want progress, that you want a progressive agenda. The words are not enough."

And trying to do it just to win votes is not enough either.

Ah, the ole easy-listening, 70's music, Kansas City youth nostalgia are all coming back now. Sing along with me, won't you:

So let's leave it alone
'Cause we can't see eye to eye.
There ain't no good guys
There ain't no bad guys.
There's only you and me and we just disagree.
Ooo - ooo - ooohoo oh - oh - o-whoa

AIDS/HIV

World AIDS Day is Every Day
December 1st was World AIDS Day. But.... "every day is World AIDS Day." Even though this one day a year comes and goes, we must all continue to keep in mind that this disease continues to affect millions each and every day around the world - many who do not even know that they are infected. Stay connected. Get tested. Fight AIDS each and every day.

It's not just the government listening in now; high-tech billboards are now listening to your car radio... Is there no notion of privacy anymore?

Well, this is the kinda crap you get when the Republicans take over everything:
The very first bill prefiled in Georgia’s state legislature for the next session, HB 1, would require women to go to court in order to obtain a “death warrant” to receive an abortion... A guardian to “protect the rights of the fetus” would then be appointed by the court. A jury trial would be held within 30 days of the filing, balancing the “rights” of the fetus against those of the woman. Physicians performing abortions (which would be renamed “executions” under the terms of the bill) without a “death warrant” would face felony charges, their licenses to practice medicine would be revoked, and they could serve jail time.

Well, if we don't kill all foreign countries with bombs anytime soon, we'll kill 'em all with fast food.

Sunday, December 22, 2002

Jessie bought me a nice Christmas gift today, hanging lanterns from Chinatown:

...which you can also see in the background of this picture of Amaya:

...and while we're at it, let's put up more pictures of my cute kitty:

Saturday, December 21, 2002

Lott's a Racist but Ashcroft's Okay?

The last two days I've been drowning in a sea of existentialism. Someone please throw me a line.

Friday, December 20, 2002

Jessie's new favorite word: intumesce.

Looking back, it's hard to believe there was a time when prejudice and ignorance were so openly displayed in the U.S. Senate. Hate-filled beliefs about moral superiority and unrestrained support for discrimination in housing, employment and recreation were the order of the day. Laws promoting equal rights were not only rejected, but used as evidence of their promoters' unfitness to serve.

But I'm not talking about some senators' views of blacks in 1948. I'm talking about their views of gays and lesbians today....

Half a century ago, Strom Thurmond won four states and received 39 electoral votes running on a segregationist platform.... Today, it is crystal clear to most Americans that those positions are not just outdated, but vile and hideous ghosts of an ugly past. A half century from now, Americans may look back on our current attitude toward gays with the same level of clarity.

why am i so depressed today

Hey fellow Bloggers and other techies, just thought you'd like to see this article: The Bush administration is planning to propose requiring Internet service providers to help build a centralized system to enable broad monitoring of the Internet and, potentially, surveillance of its users.

The continued rise of Hillary. Hooray!

See how Lott and potential new Republican leader Bill Frist don't differ on civil rights votes.

The dream of a day for ending the terrible practice of land mines may have passed.

Thursday, December 19, 2002

Jessie seems to think my webpage is depressing and boring and too much like the news, blah blah blah. I will admit that I have been on the whole Lott story a lot lately, but well, it's juicy and finally people are speaking about reality.
Anyway, to highlight the positive in life and to appease the critics, here's a happy good-news article fit for the modern age: Students name two girls "cutest couple".

Where oh where is Jason Scott Lee? Ever since seeing him in Map of the Human Heart in 1992 I've been obsessed-- that's 10 years now. The problem is that his star has faded in Hollywood and he's nowheresville except for really low budget crappy movies. I took heart when he was the voice of David in Disney's Lilo & Stitch, but still am worried about him and want to see him more. (Maybe he could come visit me in San Francisco and assure me he's doing well. I can dream, can't I?) I was so bummed out last night after having gotten the DVD of the Disney movie and looked through the extras where they showed all the actors doing the voice-overs, except for him. (I then had a dream about him last night where he and I met and he liked me. Again, I can dream, can't I?) Where oh where is Jason Scott Lee?

The gloves are finally coming off: How do they think they got a majority in the South anyway? I think what they are really upset about is that [Trent Lott] made public their strategy.... He just embarrassed them by saying in Washington what they do on the back roads every day.-- President Bill Clinton

AIDS/HIV

Very depressing set of articles in the paper today:
It is all over Thailand now. It's in the lower class, the middle class and the upper class. It's in the womb. It's everywhere.

When [she] is ill, I cry with her. If she doesn't eat, I don't eat, too.

When Fon died last year at age 3, Faa held her sister's lifeless hand as other children gathered to sing, pray and lay flowers on the body. "We told Faa that she (Fon) is going to be with Jesus, and she will be well and healthy," said Arnott. Faa "understood and still talks about her sister going to heaven." Now the children say 8-year-old Tum will be next to go to heaven.

Wednesday, December 18, 2002

AIDS/HIV

Have you been tested lately?
Get tested here or here in San Francisco.

[W]e've been struck by this recent spate of headlines: "Lott Often Opposed Measures Identified with Civil Rights" (New York Times). "Lott Has Moved Little on Civil Rights Issues" (Washington Post). "Lott's Remarks Bring Scrutiny to his Ties to Segregationists" (USA Today.) Every one of these stories could have been written at any time in the past several years. They're almost entirely based on Trent Lott's public record – his repeated opposition to civil rights measures, his past support for Bob Jones University, his lone Senate vote against a black judge last year, his association with a white supremacist group. And yet, by and large, these stories were not written. Why not?

Why did it take a dumb remark about Thurmond to force reporters to take stock of Lott's record – a record that, many on the right are now saying, renders him a poor symbol of the new Republican Party?

When Lott was elected the Senate's GOP leader in 1996, most of the stories dwelled on how he was more conservative than Bob Dole. Not a word about his position on racial issues in the Los Angeles Times, Washington Post or USA Today. The New York Times carried this sentence: "He has cast several votes – against an extension of the Voting Rights Act, for instance, or establishment of a holiday honoring the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. – that have antagonized black groups." It was in the 19th paragraph.

Is it because reporters don't like to crawl out on a limb and "make an issue" out of someone's record if no one in the political world is doing so? If so, such an approach has the effect of making the media a captive of the political establishment.

Tuesday, December 17, 2002

While President George W. Bush and other Republican Party leaders have publicly distanced themselves from Senate Republican Leader Trent Lott in the wake of his praise for Strom Thurmond’s segregationist presidential campaign, there is no substantive difference between Lott and the Bush administration when it comes to current civil rights policies.

Just terrific....For the next three months, the Weather Service sees precipitation in San Francisco averaging 20 to 50 percent above normal.

Monday, December 16, 2002

Great, detailed analysis, within the confined of a short commentary piece, about the reality of the Southern Republicans and their racist practices, including comments on how Ashcroft and also Bush have used these racial cards to shore up their elections in the South and throughout the country catering to racist idealogues. Here's a couple of highlights:

The simple fact is that the modern Republican Party has built a Southern power base by accommodating racists. Lott may become a sacrificial goat -- forced to give up his assumed position as the next Senate majority leader -- but that won't change the dirty little secret that fuels the GOP's Southern juggernaut: Whenever it is politically expedient, Republicans cozy up to segregationists, Confederate sympathizers, anti-immigrationists and other mossbacks who still resent the civil rights movement...

Lott is hardly the only prominent Republican who is comfortable consorting with bigots...

Given the Republican Party's rich tradition of cozying up to bigots, Lott's remarks are no surprise. And his GOP colleagues' denunciations are no comfort.

Sunday, December 15, 2002

The following quote was left out of this linked version of this article, but it goes to show the extreme right-wing craziness and lack of science that the Bush Administration cronies are pushing, especially in United Nations family-planning discussions:

"One American delegate described in great detail how women properly equipped with thermometers could avoid pregnancy by limiting sex to the right times of the month."

Just how much more backward can you get? And this is our country pushing these ludicrous proposals throughout the rest of the world! Ugh.

Ah, San Francisco....(Jessie says he no longer reads my website anymore cuz it's too like the newspaper, well here's an excerpt he might like):

Two women were sitting in the jury pool room down at the Hall of Justice in San Francisco this past Wednesday when they looked over to see another prospective juror sitting there masturbating.

This being San Francisco , they didn't say anything -- that is, until they found themselves sitting next to the guy on a jury panel.

They called over the bailiff, and faster than you can say "zip up your fly, " the women, the flasher and the cops were walking over to Southern Station.

Upshot: No charges were filed, but both the flasher and the two females got excused from jury duty -- for a year.

Saturday, December 14, 2002

What gets me about this whole Trent Lott thing this week is that everyone seems so shocked by it, by his words, and by the fact that he's voted against any and every piece of civil rights legislation throughout his years in Congress. Why is everyone so surprised? Helloooo! Who do you think the right wing of the Republican party is anyway? Who do you think the majority of the Republican party is anyway? How do you think the Republican party got so big, when the reality is the party is anathema to the economic interests of the very poor and rural white folks of the South that it's catering to? It's all about wedge issues, especially playing the race card (coded or blunt, depending on the folks being catered to).

...the fact that racial appeals have played a role in the success of the modern Republican Party is not under debate. It is irrefutable.

Guess what word was on my daily vocabulary calendar yesterday? Why it's prosaic, as in prosaic. This is how it's defined on my calendar: Consisting or characteristic of prose, matter of face, straightforward, lacking in imagination and spirit, DULL.
Is Chris dull? Never. Although now that he and Jessie have taken time off, we'll all be bored and lonely.

Friday, December 13, 2002

I have my final in Spanish class tomorrow, but I so don't feel like studying....

I swear I hate the media these days. How is Bush getting good press off of this racist remark from Lott? I mean, last night my AOL browser lead story with a photo of Lott looking dumbfounded was "Bush Lets Lott Have It" or something like that; that just makes Bush look like a leader and as angry as everyone else. If this hadn't have gotten media play at all he wouldn't have said anything and they both would have continued with their racist programs in Congress. I just can't believe the press is so pro-Bush over and over and over. Is there nothing that would happen that would make them take him on?

Bush is giving his official blessing to publicly funded religious discrimination. He is rolling back all Americans’ civil rights and civil liberties.

Trent Lott seems to fantasize about rolling back civil rights protections, but the president is actually doing so.

AIDS/HIV

More groups I've found on the web lately:

AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition
Until There's a Cure
HIV Insite
There's so much out there to read and learn and understand out there on this.
And for those of us living in San Francisco, here's information on where to get tested confidentially or anonymously.

Thursday, December 12, 2002

When describing the administration at midterm, the words that come to mind are arrogant, cocky, galling, and drunk with power.

Great, telling, in-depth article on the current state and fearful future that is coming in relation to the loss of our privacy rights....

Funny take on the reemergence of old politicos into the Bush Adminstration: Call it what you will -- coddling criminals or compassionate conservatism -- but this is the Bush administration's quixotic record for finding and bringing criminals to justice.

Wednesday, December 11, 2002

Anyone else find this picture incredibly hilarious and incredibly bizarre?


That's Strom Thurmond, very conservative Republican Senator turning 100 years old, being feted by a female impersonator as Marilyn Monroe.

Stolen Election 2000-- the 2-year anniversary. Just think how different life would be in this country if this travesty hadn't taken place and our real President was governing.... Just think of how much difference there would be. Just think. And then, never forget how our democracy was railroaded and forever tainted. Never forget how we were pushed aside and our country was taken. Never forget your anger. Never forget!

constant work constant work constant work constant work
i need some more time off....

How could one blame George W. if he is among the vast majority of Americans who blissfully and conveniently forget that we are the only ones to ever actually use a nuclear weapon. Yes, this is all just history, and therefore of no interest to the chauvinistic babblers who dominate the national dialogue on U.S. airwaves. But it may explain why even those who love freedom and democracy as much as we do are frightened not only of Saddam Hussein but increasingly of us.

Tuesday, December 10, 2002

Hey, this is the same sorta thing that I said ("We lost an election this week. We didn't lose our souls, our lives, or our futures. There's always an election to win or lose. A democracy never ends unless we give it up or give up on it. And I'm not about to do that.") after the elections:
So we lost a couple of elections. Big deal. Compared to the sacrifices others have made to be agents of constructive change, so what? So I say, take a deep breath. Decide what you believe. Rear back and go on.-- President Bill Clinton.
Maybe Bill and I should have a chat.

Exactly!!!!!: TOUGHNESS WINS. That's the message Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu carries back to her party after winning re-election in Louisiana. The first lesson is that if you're a Democrat in the House or Senate, it doesn't matter how you vote or what you say or how patriotic you try to be. The Bush machine will try to smash you anyway. Consequently, there is no percentage in making nice with this administration, especially after it showed its willingness this fall to politicize security issues....Losers allow their opponents to set the terms of the competition. Winners change the terms -- and, yes, fight back. That's Mary Landrieu's lesson to her party.
Anyone else feeling feisty?!

At first the "liberal media," which went into a frenzy over political statements at Paul Wellstone's funeral, largely ignored this story. To take the most spectacular demonstration of priorities, last week CNN's "Inside Politics" found time to cover Matt Drudge's unconfirmed (and untrue) allegations about the price of John Kerry's haircuts. "Just two days after moving closer to a presidential race, John Kerry already is in denial mode," intoned the host.

But when the program interviewed Mr. Lott the day after the Thurmond event, his apparent nostalgia for segregation never came up. Now Mr. Lott has apologized for a "poor choice of words." But choice of words had nothing to do with it. What he did, quite clearly, was offer a retroactive endorsement of a frankly racist campaign.


If a Democrat had made this kind of inflammatory comment, it would be the buzz of talk radio and the Wall Street Journal editorial page would be calling for tarring and feathering. But Lott seems to be getting something of a pass.

Monday, December 09, 2002

AIDS/HIV

Work being done on a possible AIDS vaccine? Well, don't get your hopes up yet...

If the criticism of affirmative action programs is simply about fairness, you would think legacy ["Legacy" is the common name for admissions policies that boost the chances for a student's enrollment if he has a family member who attended.] would have attracted a host of critics. What could be less fair -- less in keeping with the American ideal of individual achievement -- than policies that award college admissions on the basis of parentage? Do the upper-class scions of wealthy college donors deserve even more advantages?

Berkeley's new mayor is under well-deserved fire after confessing that his campaign stole and trashed about 1,000 copies of the Daily Californian that carried the student newspaper's endorsement of his opponent....

What kind of resolution would the council pass if George W. Bush had personally thrown away stacks of Florida papers endorsing his opponent?

What kind of liberal would censor a newspaper using trash cans on Sproul Plaza, birthplace of the Free Speech Movement? What kind of Berkeleyan wouldn't use the recycling bin?

In case my sister is reading this, a couple of posts related to the Little Kid:

1) Since Mariah collected several of my former cell phones, one day when she's done with them we may want to consider donating them.
2) I hope you like Lizzie McGuire as much as Mariah does, cuz she's gonna be around for quite a while in various ways.

Sunday, December 08, 2002

I was leaving the laundromat today, kinda flying through the door to the outside, and nearly bump into someone with my cart. I quickly apologize and then look up and see it was her. Luckily she didn't really see me and I didn't really bump her. Luckily. I'm still freaked out by that whole episode.

Interesting read on the anti-Republicanism of the Bay Area and its recent history:At a time when the Republican Party is claiming great successes nationally - - holding the White House and both houses of Congress -- the party's national strategy has hurt them statewide in California and led them to all but abandon the Bay Area.

How can you live out there? That's what everyone back East says every time the California earth rocks and rolls a little. How can you live out there? That's what I asked my sister in Massachusetts after last week's blizzard that turned the entire East Coast into a killer Popsicle. After 25 years in California I'm used to the idea that we might have an earthquake, but I'm also used to the pleasure of not having to live through snow and ice storms.
Exactly. I can't stand ice storms and extreme cold or extreme hot. Exactly why I love the weather out here in SF.

Had a lovely evening at my friend Rich's home for a quiet, intimate dinner with my new Assemblyman Mark Leno and about 6 others to discuss life, politics, policy, the religious right, our lives, and the cause for the evening-- the Victory Fund. Rich is on the national board of directors and there is a Bay Area chapter which I plan to get more involved in. It was a very nice time. I even was rather social with everyone. I'm much more so when it's a small group like that and it's on topics I am interested in. Put me in a large party and I'm lost, but something small with a few people I feel much better. If only I could be more social in general.

Guess who I just heard from? Why it's Leslie, that great Woman of the World, for the first time reporting from her new Peace Corps assignment in Kenya. I had heard from her mother following that and happily she's not been affected by the recent bombings and we all hope all will continue to be well. Following is her latest email update and I must say it's quite interesting to hear what life is like there on the African continent:

"Sorry for the delayed update of my life in Kenya. For all those who have waited patiently, know that I have tried to email many times but where our training was, Naivasha, the internet was so slow that reading just two emails took a half hour, forget about replying. However I am now in Mombassa and it is fast and cheep so you will be hearing a lot more from me...

"I am now an official PCV for the second time!! Yahoo, sometimes I wonder how I made it through a second training, it is defiantly an intense experience. We were sworn in on Thurs the 5th so it has been a few days of delirious bliss and travel hell. Try taking a 12 plus hour train ride with 9 other people that carry more luggage than a tour group, I guess you could say we stuck out a bit. So you are probably all wondering where I am and what I am doing.

"Originally, as some of you know, I was posted on lake Victoria (a great big beautiful lake, I could see Tanz and Uganda from my front door!) in a place near Kendu Bay. It is beatifull warm Luo country where women carry things on there head. There were round thatched hut roofs and lots of birds, bats, lizards and guano (sp). The west is very different from other parts of Kenya, it is very tropical, kinda like West Africa. Nice country, lots of fish and Ugali (a white cornmealish staple food with a blob like shape and no flavor). Anyway, though the area was pleasant and peaceful, I was in an hour from any town and 3.5 hours from the city which is really the only place to get anything done and buy anything all in all the job was not right for me. I was to work at a community development center that the Norwegian built and left no sustain ability. I was to make it sustainable, well to make a long story short the community didn't really care about the center and I don't know how to built an irrigation system powered by a wind mill... nor did I feel like I should spend two years witting proposals. So I talked to my APCD and switched sites to Mombassa.

"I never thought I would miss the call to prayer from, but I have to admit I was beginning to long for the drownd out sound of the Mosques speaker. I don't have a house yet but I will be living some place near Mombassa, just north I think near my new work site which is an Environmental Org funded by USAID that works with locals to preserve and generate income from Wildlife:) Ya you all know its exactly what I wanted to be doing. My org is called PACT and has 5 projects throughout the country. Lakipia, Tsavo, Ambosseli, Mom bassa (reef) and and elephant Sanctuary down south on the cost.:) There are currently 3 PCV's working with them that love their projects. My best buddie here Serena and I (how this happened i don't know) will be joining our colleagues this week. I am based in the main cost office helping out with reef stuff and any other place along the cost. Serena whom I will be working with a lot is based in Voi/Tsavo and is setting up a sanctuary and tourist center there. I will give you more details when I begin working.

"Everything seemed to work out great, it always does in this part of the world some how. I love mombassa, it is so diverse and so colorful. Everyone speaks Swahili and the food is so flavorful. Life is very relaxed because it is so hot!! I feel very safe despite the recent bomb blast, go figure... With the upcoming elections things may get a little crazy again I am suppose to stay in my home. Dec. 27th will be a day to sleep!!

"All in all things are great. I miss you all very much and can't wait to see you folks in the Bay Area in July...."

Love ya,
Leslie

The media world now includes (1) talk radio, (2) cable television and (3) the traditional news sources (newspapers, newsmagazines and the old broadcast networks). Two of these three major institutions tilt well to the right, and the third is under constant pressure to avoid even the pale hint of liberalism.

The light has shown that the Democratic Party is alive and well and united.-- Senator Mary Landrieu
Hooray!

Saturday, December 07, 2002

AIDS/HIV

Conservative ideologues will likely replace seven of the eight Clinton-appointed panelists on the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA).... With exiting panelists including gay activists who support HIV prevention programs that incorporate “safer sex” practices and condom use, the move marks yet another step in the Bush plan to impose abstinence-only sexual education across the nation.

For the benefit of Chris, I repost this very, very funny link: Abbott & Costello go to Washington DC

"I want to say this about my state: When Strom Thurmond ran for president, we voted for him. We're proud of it. And if the rest of the country had followed our lead, we wouldn't have had all these problems over all these years, either."-- Senate Republican leader Trent Lott.
[Lott's spokesman] declined to explain what Lott meant when he said the country would not have had "all these problems" if the rest of the nation had followed Mississippi's lead and elected Thurmond in 1948.

Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., a leader of the civil rights movement in the 1960s, said, "Is Lott saying the country should have voted to continue segregation, for segregated schools, 'white' and 'colored' rest rooms?.... That is what Strom Thurmond stood for in 1948."

Happy Birthday Babycakes!!!!!

Friday, December 06, 2002

Had a really depressing and disturbing ex-dream last night.... Why?
I sooo hate dreams that infect your emotions all day.

He was sworn in on Monday-- my newly inducted, OPENLY-GAY, Assemblymember for the state of California. The first openly-gay man ever in the state. Woo-hoo!

Bigfoot's a fake?! I'm just shocked.

I never understand why "liberals" (a name I call myself) think that this type of crap is ok just because it's them doing it and not the right-wing. What an idiot.

AIDS/HIV

Vexing, scary, sad, depressing, demoralizing, irritating, maddening, exasperating, infuriating numbers.... (thanks for the link Jonno.)

For most of us, the 2002 elections seem over. But they're not in Louisiana where there's an incredibly important Senate race still going on and the voting takes place tomorrow. Bush and the Republicans are doing everything they can to knock off one more Democratic incumbent-- Senator Mary Landrieu-- and it's important that they not succeed in that. We need Landrieu and we need to stop the Republican domination and drowning media spin. If you are in Louisiana or know people there, please make sure they vote tomorrow- Saturday.

I'm glad to see one of everyone's favorite bloggers is already on the case himself. ;-)

Thursday, December 05, 2002

Well, for a few minutes tonight I got excited about the possibility of bringing Amaya home with me to Missouri, but, alas, I can't. Stupid rules.

Saw the ad for this on the BART this week. I just want to know one thing:

Why is it we have the ability to use our cell phone to vote for music videos, but have the inability to get proper systems in place for voting in our democracy?

Notice the sense of priorities in our culture?

Future generations will be flabbergasted. I already am.

You want a frightening and exhaustive list of just how many crazy right-wingers are in top positions via the Bush Administration? Look no further than this link: President Bush has long cultivated a moderate image, running his presidential campaign and still touting himself as a compassionate conservative. Initially, some right-wing activists even questioned his commitment to their goals, over a year later, however, the President has not disappointed them, especially in the area of political appointments. President Bush has drawn heavily from the ranks of the ideological right-wing, relying especially on the Heritage Foundation and the Federalist Society.

At last the truth about the ‘faith-based initiative’ has come out from someone who ought to know,” said Lynn. “This ‘compassionate conservative’ agenda has less to do with helping the needy and more to do with electoral politics. It’s a shameful use of religion for partisan purposes

For anyone who wondered how much power the Bush people have, all one has to do is see how quickly they pounced on their former appointee for speaking out against them: Under what Washington observers believe is intense pressure from the Bush administration, DiIulio issued a statement parroting the White House line and agreeing that his criticisms were “groundless and baseless due to poorly chosen words and examples."

One wonders what they said to him to make him so quickly recant; very scary indeed.

An ode to the internet and web-based activism: There's no such thing as too much democracy. The Internet is here to stay....There are aspects of the way politics works that are very challenging to the ordinary person, even something as simple as knowing who your elected representatives are and how to contact them. Now you can enter your ZIP code on a Web page and find out instantly. There are forms you can fill out to address members of Congress or volunteer for a political campaign. You can make contributions online.

Wednesday, December 04, 2002

AIDS/HIV

Lots of resources here:
"Live and Let Live" is the slogan of the two-year World AIDS Campaign 2002-2003, which will focus on eliminating stigma and discrimination.

Stigma and discrimination are the major obstacles to effective HIV/AIDS prevention and care. Fear of discrimination may prevent people from seeking treatment for AIDS or from acknowledging their HIV status publicly. People with, or suspected of having, HIV may be turned away from health care services, denied housing and employment, shunned by their friends and colleagues, turned down for insurance coverage or refused entry into foreign countries.

In some cases, they may be evicted from home by their families, divorced by their spouses, and suffer physical violence or even murder. The stigma attached to HIV/AIDS may extend into the next generation, placing an emotional burden on children who may also be trying to cope with the death of their parents from AIDS.

With its focus on stigma and discrimination, the Campaign will encourage people to break the silence and the barriers to effective HIV/AIDS prevention and care. Only by confronting stigma and discrimination will the fight against HIV/AIDS be won.

It's gonna be a rough several years ahead.

Tuesday, December 03, 2002

I just got polled! I've always wanted to be polled on government and political issues and never gotten to be polled before. Unfortunately it wasn't a very good poll because the questions weren't well asked, but still.... I know how hard it is to write the questions, as I have studied polling and written a few myself before. But still, the poll questions weren't asked in the best manner and didn't really reflect everything I felt. Polls are recited all the time by political campaigns and politicians and such, but they really depend on how the questions are worded individually and on the whole, as well as who they are able to reach by phone. So they always need to be taken with a grain of salt. And we are all too poll-driven in this country. But still, I've always wanted to get the call and I finally did. How very exciting!

Yes, I do realize that most people hate to be bothered with calls like this and such, but I'm a policy weirdo, ok...

Any comments from anyone on my new "Reese's Issue of the Month" thingamajig? Anything? At all? Positive comments, negative comments, ambivalence? Anything? C'mon, tell me something.

Apparently, I have another twin out there. And frankly, she sounds pretty fun and similar to myself. I mean, how can I disagree with the comparison when she describes herself as such?

Short.
Filipina.
Island girl.
Master procrastinator.
High school graduate.
College student.
Boring yet interesting at the same time.
Thinks boy on boy love is hot.
Enough said.

And check out her fabulous taste in music! Sounds like me to a "t."

So what's been going on with Leslie, that great Woman of the World? Well, good question. I'm not too sure myself, but I became very concerned after the bombings and attacks last week in her new Peace Corps country Kenya. Apparently wherever Leslie goes there's much unrest. (Remember how she had to leave her first stint in the Peace Corps because of the unrest in Jordan?) She sure is fearless and I'm mighty proud and yet worried. I did manage to get this email update from her mother (what a supporter!) today letting me know that she is fine:

"Yes she is fine for now and enjoying it so far....Leslie is scheduled to go to Mombassa on Saturday and her assignment sounds interesting. We are hopeful the bombings are over with. She has not had access to email on a regular basis. It might be easier in Mombassa. Take care and thank you for your e mail."

"It was embracing all those qualities that I had always felt were too freakish to be accepted. With my group of gay friends I embraced that. It was a celebration. The fact that I was louder than most women and taller than most women, they loved that. So I feel that it helped shape me as a human."-- Kristen Johnston

The state should not have the power to go into the bedrooms of consenting adults in the middle of the night and arrest them. But that’s only the beginning of the damage done by this law and others like it around the country. These laws are widely used to justify discrimination against gay people in everyday life; they’re invoked in denying employment to gay people, in refusing custody or visitation for gay parents, and even in intimidating gay people out of exercising their First Amendment rights.

Monday, December 02, 2002

AIDS/HIV

What's to make of the scene in DC if Bush is now more conservative than Helms?
It was a remarkable moment. As he neared retirement, the jingoistic troglodyte from North Carolina realized he'd been mistaken about anti-AIDS efforts. Believing that his Christian faith required more of him, he rounded up bipartisan support for a bill to pour billions into programs to fight the epidemic. But Bush, who marketed himself to the American people as a "compassionate conservative," deep-sixed the plan.

As Perdue borrowed the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous oratory -- "Free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty, we're free at last!" -- to underscore the end of Democratic Party dominance in Georgia, one of Perdue's supporters, standing in the background, waved a flag emblazoned with the Confederate battle emblem. The clash of symbols was startling.

After years of trying to either become it himself or working to elect a president who preaches and forces his religion down your throat, you have to laugh at this:

[Pat] Robertson complained that Bush "is not elected as chief theologian," and objected again to Bush's description of Islam as peaceful.

So very, very funny: Abbott & Costello go to Washington DC

So hypocritical. It's all about politics and who's got the power:
"The Clinton administration's paranoid and prurient interest in (monitoring) international e-mail is a wholly unhealthy precedent especially given this administration's track record on FBI files and IRS snooping. Every medium by which people communicate can be subject to exploitation by those with illegal or immoral intentions. Nevertheless, this is no reason to hand Big Brother the keys to unlock our e-mail diaries, open our ATM records or translate our international communications."

-- JOHN ASHCROFT, as a U.S. senator, opposing the Clinton administration's request for broadened authority to eavesdrop on high-tech communications. From his Aug. 12, 1997 op-ed piece in the Washington Times, "Welcoming Big Brother."

AIDS/HIV

National AIDS Memorial Grove in Golden Gate Park:
It's a place for people to find solace, have an opportunity for remembrance and renewal, and to find a place where they (can) express their grief without any stigmatization.

'Don't forget us. Don't forget us"

Indeed, Liza has achieved the dream of every little American girl dreaming dreams of dreamy future dreams: having as your best man a surgically mutilated androgyne when you marry yet another guy who sets off gaydars globally.

I know about the problem with the new "issue" box on the side running into the dates. I'm limited in my HTML capacities, as you know, but I will try and clean that up soon. In the meantime, enjoy the craziness.

Well, people, I'm back at work.... blah.

Sunday, December 01, 2002

AIDS/HIV

World AIDS Day 2002-- Live and Let Live

AIDS/HIV

Also, throughout the month, I'll be adding articles, links, thoughts, and so forth on the topic throughout my blog. To indicate those related pieces, I'll be placing the indicator that you see above.