Friday, December 30, 2005
2006
KT and I will be in NYC with Manny. So, I doubt I'll be blogging over the weekend. Wishing y'all an early Happy New Year!
Have fun and stay safe! Reflect on 2005 and jump into 2006 with a thrill!
Mwah!
ta ta...
|
Thursday, December 29, 2005
Family Get-Togethers
Yesterday, I was reading TactileJunkie's blog about her vision getting worse and trying to remain in the flow of conversations with her family members.
Although, I can only imagine what that would be like...being Deaf and losing your vision and then trying to keep on top of things with family members. However, just about all Deafies understand the frustrations of audism within the parameters of our familial homes.
We're often told by our family members, when asking for a recap of the conversation or to interpret what someone else said or whatever, to wait until a later moment. "Later." "Never mind." "It was nothing." "I forgot." "It's not important." These are some of the most hated words or phrases when uttered by our hearing family members. And when we are told what happened previously, we're often given an abridged version. (You gotta see Audism Unveiled, if you yet seen it.)
We usually suffer with audism with our families throughout our lives. I used to think that those who came from hearing families who knew signs were lucky. Some of them told me that that's not always the case. Their family members will sign at the beginning and then eventually give up and resort to speaking with others. It seems that those truly blessed are those from Deaf families.
Anyways, we'll usually have an opportunity to "turn the tables" by the time we've reached adulthood. Some of us will go home for the holidays or summer breaks and bring along a Deaf friend. Families often react with offense or curiosity when one conducts dialogues in signs with his/her friend(s).
Or some of us might invite our families over to our places instead, along with our Deaf friends. They'll experience that reversed minority status or role.
Or some of us will plainly not go home at all and just celebrate holidays and breaks with the Deaf communities.
Usually, when KT and I go to one of our parents' homes for the holiday, we'll talk and strain our eyes reading their lips. For me, it's more hard work to understand KT's family members because they all speak with that North Carolina southern drawl. I hear it the drawl and their lip movements are slightly different. For KT, it's a bit easier because he grew up with that.
The same applies to my family. KT struggles to understand my family as they have that Spanish accent in their dialogues. For me, that never was realized upon me because I grew up with that and have been so used to it. I thought my family were easy to understand.
Well, anyways, after some time has passed, reading lips and interpreting to each other what people around us have said, our eyes wear out. The vocal box becomes parched or whatever. It'll get to the point where you'll be like...screw this, and resort to signing.
KT and I would feel so much better carrying our own conversations. Then, after a few minutes, someone would stop and say "what are you saying?" "not fair! tell us what you're saying." "are y'all talking about me?" "you better not be talking about me." "are you sharing a secret?", or something along these lines. Some days, you just wanna slap their faces so hard that their eyes, noses and lips would fall out like Mr. Potato Head. I mean, hello! You don't wanna interpret right there or rather give us the short version when people are talking. But when we sign, you expect to be told what's being said.
For some Deafies, they'll have no problem being frank right there on the spot. Other Deafies just don't want drama during the holidays, so they just put on their prettiest fake smile and force out a giggle.
It's no wonder many Deafies usually have a very short visit with families and spend the rest of the holiday/break with friends. Some don't even bother with them at all. The other day when we were watching Narnia at the theatre. We saw a Deafie that we hadn't seen since the summer. We asked him if he would go home for the holidays with his family. He replied that he has not spent the holidays with his family in YEARS. He said "I've given up on them, so what's the point?" All I said, I totally understand.
Some days, especially since my mother has passed away, I dread going home because I know that I'd be missing out. So, I'd do a compromise with myself. I'd spent time with family during the morning and the early part of the afternoon. The rest of the day and the night are spent with friends.
This year, we were planning to stay home during the holiday. However, we saw The Family Stone and thought maybe we should spend Christmas with family, especially since KT's sister from Minnesota would be in North Carolina. I had yet to meet her and her family. So, this was a good opportunity. It was nice meeting his sister and her family. However, it soon became that dreaded pattern that most Deafies are familiar with. Deafies that we know of in the area were few and far. So, we'd carry our own conversations.
Since KT and I have been together, we've been building up our own family, which is made up of our friends. I believe that rings true for many other Deafies. Manny, Cliff and Kekua are part of our core family, since we've known each other pretty much the longest and have had spent considerable amount of time and drama. (LOL!) Of course, we do have other Deafies who come over and celebrate the holidays and other good times with us. It's a different feeling and the holidays seem more festive and enjoyable.
Last year, we had a great time with Christmas dinner at our place with about 10 of us. It was like one of the best memories of all my Christmases. Plus, it helped to be surrounded with close friends during the 1 year anniversary of my mother's passing.
This year was different as we all had different plans for the holiday. Comparing the two, I wouldn't be surprised if we ended up celebrating the holidays with just our friends. Of course, I'm not gonna say 'never' to our relatives because you know the saying "never say never".
Being Deaf and gay is not always easy for our families. I'm not saying that beind Deaf and gay is a lot worse than other Deafies who have disabilities or illnesses or additional identities. Yet, we all can recognize the "uncomfortness" we may bring upon certain people in our families. Most of our families are religious and therefore, we have to put up with their lectures about homosexuality, even when we can stand our own ground. However, having this debate can ruin the spirit of the holiday and we'll bite our tongues (or rather, our hands). It seems that we're thoughtful about the festive spirit and we cannot understand it when other family members just rant and rant, begging for drama.
I'm always thankful for our little family of fellow Deaf and gay friends. We're pretty much each other's moral support, counselor/consultant, confidant, devil's advocate, shoulder to cry on, joker, brainstorm partner, cheerleader and sometimes that bothersome sibling. Yeah, we'll mother each other every now and then.
Ah well. Isn't life interesting? I guess we just make the best of it in the pursuit of happiness.
***********
News of the Day:
Yesterday, I was going through my WishList and came across this singing duet. Jason & deMarco are Christian singers. They're gay too.
Jason was involved with some other Christian band, Truth, and later with Sound. Until Jason came out, they kicked them out of their bands.
Jason and deMarco met and fell in love with each other. Now, they're braving the Christian music world and ministering to others with their music.
I think that's just awesome to not give up just because an archaic institution, religion, specifically Christianity, has condemn their "lifestyles". Instead, they'r making the best of it by finding a record label that'll sign them on and performing in gay-affirming churches. Plus, they're active in gay issues.
***
Of course, New Orleans police chief defends shooting which resulted in the death of a knife-wielding man.
K Street Blues brought up an interesting discussion about using lethal force.
***
Well, ta ta for now...
|
Although, I can only imagine what that would be like...being Deaf and losing your vision and then trying to keep on top of things with family members. However, just about all Deafies understand the frustrations of audism within the parameters of our familial homes.
We're often told by our family members, when asking for a recap of the conversation or to interpret what someone else said or whatever, to wait until a later moment. "Later." "Never mind." "It was nothing." "I forgot." "It's not important." These are some of the most hated words or phrases when uttered by our hearing family members. And when we are told what happened previously, we're often given an abridged version. (You gotta see Audism Unveiled, if you yet seen it.)
We usually suffer with audism with our families throughout our lives. I used to think that those who came from hearing families who knew signs were lucky. Some of them told me that that's not always the case. Their family members will sign at the beginning and then eventually give up and resort to speaking with others. It seems that those truly blessed are those from Deaf families.
Anyways, we'll usually have an opportunity to "turn the tables" by the time we've reached adulthood. Some of us will go home for the holidays or summer breaks and bring along a Deaf friend. Families often react with offense or curiosity when one conducts dialogues in signs with his/her friend(s).
Or some of us might invite our families over to our places instead, along with our Deaf friends. They'll experience that reversed minority status or role.
Or some of us will plainly not go home at all and just celebrate holidays and breaks with the Deaf communities.
Usually, when KT and I go to one of our parents' homes for the holiday, we'll talk and strain our eyes reading their lips. For me, it's more hard work to understand KT's family members because they all speak with that North Carolina southern drawl. I hear it the drawl and their lip movements are slightly different. For KT, it's a bit easier because he grew up with that.
The same applies to my family. KT struggles to understand my family as they have that Spanish accent in their dialogues. For me, that never was realized upon me because I grew up with that and have been so used to it. I thought my family were easy to understand.
Well, anyways, after some time has passed, reading lips and interpreting to each other what people around us have said, our eyes wear out. The vocal box becomes parched or whatever. It'll get to the point where you'll be like...screw this, and resort to signing.
KT and I would feel so much better carrying our own conversations. Then, after a few minutes, someone would stop and say "what are you saying?" "not fair! tell us what you're saying." "are y'all talking about me?" "you better not be talking about me." "are you sharing a secret?", or something along these lines. Some days, you just wanna slap their faces so hard that their eyes, noses and lips would fall out like Mr. Potato Head. I mean, hello! You don't wanna interpret right there or rather give us the short version when people are talking. But when we sign, you expect to be told what's being said.
For some Deafies, they'll have no problem being frank right there on the spot. Other Deafies just don't want drama during the holidays, so they just put on their prettiest fake smile and force out a giggle.
It's no wonder many Deafies usually have a very short visit with families and spend the rest of the holiday/break with friends. Some don't even bother with them at all. The other day when we were watching Narnia at the theatre. We saw a Deafie that we hadn't seen since the summer. We asked him if he would go home for the holidays with his family. He replied that he has not spent the holidays with his family in YEARS. He said "I've given up on them, so what's the point?" All I said, I totally understand.
Some days, especially since my mother has passed away, I dread going home because I know that I'd be missing out. So, I'd do a compromise with myself. I'd spent time with family during the morning and the early part of the afternoon. The rest of the day and the night are spent with friends.
This year, we were planning to stay home during the holiday. However, we saw The Family Stone and thought maybe we should spend Christmas with family, especially since KT's sister from Minnesota would be in North Carolina. I had yet to meet her and her family. So, this was a good opportunity. It was nice meeting his sister and her family. However, it soon became that dreaded pattern that most Deafies are familiar with. Deafies that we know of in the area were few and far. So, we'd carry our own conversations.
Since KT and I have been together, we've been building up our own family, which is made up of our friends. I believe that rings true for many other Deafies. Manny, Cliff and Kekua are part of our core family, since we've known each other pretty much the longest and have had spent considerable amount of time and drama. (LOL!) Of course, we do have other Deafies who come over and celebrate the holidays and other good times with us. It's a different feeling and the holidays seem more festive and enjoyable.
Last year, we had a great time with Christmas dinner at our place with about 10 of us. It was like one of the best memories of all my Christmases. Plus, it helped to be surrounded with close friends during the 1 year anniversary of my mother's passing.
This year was different as we all had different plans for the holiday. Comparing the two, I wouldn't be surprised if we ended up celebrating the holidays with just our friends. Of course, I'm not gonna say 'never' to our relatives because you know the saying "never say never".
Being Deaf and gay is not always easy for our families. I'm not saying that beind Deaf and gay is a lot worse than other Deafies who have disabilities or illnesses or additional identities. Yet, we all can recognize the "uncomfortness" we may bring upon certain people in our families. Most of our families are religious and therefore, we have to put up with their lectures about homosexuality, even when we can stand our own ground. However, having this debate can ruin the spirit of the holiday and we'll bite our tongues (or rather, our hands). It seems that we're thoughtful about the festive spirit and we cannot understand it when other family members just rant and rant, begging for drama.
I'm always thankful for our little family of fellow Deaf and gay friends. We're pretty much each other's moral support, counselor/consultant, confidant, devil's advocate, shoulder to cry on, joker, brainstorm partner, cheerleader and sometimes that bothersome sibling. Yeah, we'll mother each other every now and then.
Ah well. Isn't life interesting? I guess we just make the best of it in the pursuit of happiness.
***********
News of the Day:
Yesterday, I was going through my WishList and came across this singing duet. Jason & deMarco are Christian singers. They're gay too.
Jason was involved with some other Christian band, Truth, and later with Sound. Until Jason came out, they kicked them out of their bands.
Jason and deMarco met and fell in love with each other. Now, they're braving the Christian music world and ministering to others with their music.
I think that's just awesome to not give up just because an archaic institution, religion, specifically Christianity, has condemn their "lifestyles". Instead, they'r making the best of it by finding a record label that'll sign them on and performing in gay-affirming churches. Plus, they're active in gay issues.
***
Of course, New Orleans police chief defends shooting which resulted in the death of a knife-wielding man.
K Street Blues brought up an interesting discussion about using lethal force.
***
Well, ta ta for now...
|
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Peace
Ahhh. It's so quiet here at work. People usually take the week off from work between Christmas and New Year's.
I'm here at work, saving my vacation hours for Spring Break and graduation...you know, all those parties and families and friends visiting to help celebrate with us. Plus, I still got some work to do and it'll help with less people around.
Anyways, Christmas was good. Saturday morning, we were up by 5:30am. We were on the road by 6. I was like...what the hell are we doing up at such an ungodly hour? But, hey, there's no traffic at this time. It was so relaxing to drive without any tense or road rage building up.
After we were able to escape the DC area, we stopped in Chester, VA for breakfast at Denny's. It's rare that we eat at Denny's. When we do, we always order Moons Over My Hammy for breakfast. It's ham, egg and cheese on sourdough bread with a side of hash brown. Mmmmm! Delicious!
Of course, anytime we're in another place, we love to people-watch. Vee vee.
Drove the rest of the way to Durham. It was nice to see KT's family once again. I finally got to meet his sister and her family from Minnesota. We basically hit it off well. Of course, I'm so ever grateful to have KT in my life because you know how it is with Deafies and hearing family members. You talk, lip-read and ask for repeats until you've just had enough. It's Deaf time! KT and I would just carry our own conversations among people. Then, people go "are you talking about me?" or "you're not talking about me, are you?" *fake smile*
No, really. We had a good time with KT's family. They've always been warm to us and kept us posted about things. Christmas was great, with the gift exchanges and eating all the junk food! Damn KT's mother! She made some fabulous holiday treats!
After 2 days, we were ready to come home. Plus, I needed to come home to rest up before I came to work today. I hate to come back from a vacation or a getaway and then have to work the next day.
So, Monday, we drove back home. Traffic, ugh! Why are there traffic jams/stops in the middle of nowhere on Virginia's highways?!?!?
Anyways, we get home and we had our own Christmas. Now, that was even more fun! We got each other some great stuff. Then, it was just nice to be at home with no one else other than my beloved, KT. Isn't home such a wonderful place?
Yesterday, we headed out to some place to buy some stuff and look for some bargains on Christmas stuff. Came home and relaxed the rest of the day.
KT got some video games, some from Xmas and some from yesterday's purchases. We got one of those retro Atari game console from KT's dad for Xmas. Talk about a stroll through memory lane! Some games I recognized and many others I did not. I wasn't one of those lucky kids who had Atari games when they first came out. I played them whenever I went over to friends' houses or at my cousins'.
So, I guess I'll be busy playing video games with KT until school resumes. These video games had us laughing, especially those Atari games. My favorite is that ping pong game. Simple, I know, but it's a load of fun!
**********
Of course, I've been watching movies during the Christmas weekend.
First, I finally finished watching 4 Weddings and a Funeral. Not bad, not bad. I totally loved the idea of adding subtitles whenever Charles (Hugh Grant) and his Deaf brother carried a conversation in BSL.
I hate it when people repeat or "interpret" what the Deaf character is signing. Classic example: Children of the Lesser Gods. Whenever Sarah signed, James would say what Sarah is signing and then he'll respond. You'll see that in many other movies or TV shows, involving Deaf characters. (This is different when an interpreter is present.)
Subtitles are the way to go for this type of dialogues. Hey, we can't help it if people are signing-impaired. (I first saw this term "signing-impaired" in the introduction of Audism Unveiled.)
***
XX/XY was an interesting movie. I only wanted to watch this because it has Mark Ruffalo in it. I first saw him in In the Cut (a pee-pee movie!)
Initially, I had assumed him to be Vincent D'Onofrio, who stars as Detective Robert Goren in Law & Order: Criminal Intent. However, it's really quick to see that these are 2 different guys.
Hey! Now I know which actors I'll utter when people ask me which actors I find cute/sexy. I usually have to think and think for a long period of time before I can come up with a name. I know! I know! Gay men should be able to come up with a plethora of names within a nano-second. (Aw, suck this!)
Well, I think Mark and Vincent are both sexy!
***
Then, saw Finding Neverland. It's inspired by true events around the man who created the Peter Pan story. I have one word for this movie: boring.
***
Next, I saw Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Lots of people have claimed that this was a GREAT movie and that I'll love it. Well, it was a good movie with some funny lines. But, it wasn't a GREAT movie to me. Some parts were a bit slow and some others could have been edited or replaced with other scenes. Overall, it was an enjoyable movie. Would I watch it again? Nah.
***
When we came home from North Carolina, we watched one of the movies that KT gave me for Xmas. (I pah got more gay DVD's. My collection was practically non-existent of gay movies.) We watched Bear Cub. I don't think I recall any other movies (that's not porn), involving gay bear characters. Overall, I liked this mellow movie.
Chalk this one up to your pee-pee movie collection! You're gonna see some pee-pee's here! Really! It's about time! Seeing boobies in movies is sooo...1980's.
Anyways, Bear Cub is set in Madrid. It's about this one bear guy, Pedro, who's a dentist and is just enjoying his gay life. His sister drops off her son with Pedro before heading off to India for a vacation. However, things go awry with the mother which Pedro ends up taking care of his nephew longer than expected.
I thought it was cool that Spanish subtitles were added in a couple of scenes. My assumption is that there was a different Spanish used in the movies by other characters. Yeah, I'm still obsessing about subtitles and ASL. Really, it makes perfect sense.
***
We finished up watching Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (and Don't Come Back!). Cute movie as always (with Charlie Brown in it)!
***
All Over Me was a slow movie with some simple plots. It's about 2 gals, one's a lesbian, and their fucked up friendship in New York.
One is involved with a guy who's involved in the murder of a gay man, who lived in the same apartment building where the lesbian lives.
***
If you've seen Michael Moore's Roger & Me or any of his other documentaries and like it, then you'll like The Corporation. It's a reality that will slap you in the face. This film is gonna tell you the history of corporations in America and tell you what corporations have been and will be doing. Some of the stuff presented here are gonna make your jaws drop.
We haven't finished it because it is quite long at 2 and half hours. However, it is interesting and of course, watching it makes you wanna talk about it, during and after the movie. So, I'm looking forward to finishing it.
***
Of course, I've also been reading books. I got to finish up Stevie Platt's Go to the Hill. I still stand by my previous statement about this book...needing edits or a better editor. I try not to be a stickler of English grammar but there were some errors that were noticeable enough to make you stop and figure out what Platt was trying to say.
I think this was a big accomplishment for Platt, especially since he has spent considerable amount of time into this book. I just hope that in his future books that he'll develop an in-depth background on some characters and allow them to have longer "lines" or dialogues. Most of the dialogues were pretty simple. Conflicts were simplistic. Complexity is something that Platt could utilize, which would benefit the book and readers' interests.
If you're up for a simple story, then this book is for you. Despite my feedback, I still think it's awesome for Platt to achieve this accomplishment. Not only that, but he has already published his second book and is working on a third book. That just gotta be fantastic.
***
Then, I read Law & Order: Crime Scenes, which I got for Xmas. Being a Law & Order freak, I was just so happy to get this book! I just wish there was more in the book. However, I still liked it!
***
Now, I'm reading Trace, written by one of my favorite authors, Patricial Cornwell, which I also got for Xmas. It's just so good to get my Kay Scarpetta mystery fix! I'll prolly finish it before the week is over. (Well, maybe not since I'm bound to head outta town this weekend.)
**********
News of the Day:
Not too long ago, the KKK was rallying against gay marriages in Texas. Now, they're gonna rally in Iowa on the same issue.
***
New Orleans police are under fire, once again, for the shooting of a knife-welding man.
***
Anyways, I best get going. Ta ta for now...
|
I'm here at work, saving my vacation hours for Spring Break and graduation...you know, all those parties and families and friends visiting to help celebrate with us. Plus, I still got some work to do and it'll help with less people around.
Anyways, Christmas was good. Saturday morning, we were up by 5:30am. We were on the road by 6. I was like...what the hell are we doing up at such an ungodly hour? But, hey, there's no traffic at this time. It was so relaxing to drive without any tense or road rage building up.
After we were able to escape the DC area, we stopped in Chester, VA for breakfast at Denny's. It's rare that we eat at Denny's. When we do, we always order Moons Over My Hammy for breakfast. It's ham, egg and cheese on sourdough bread with a side of hash brown. Mmmmm! Delicious!
Of course, anytime we're in another place, we love to people-watch. Vee vee.
Drove the rest of the way to Durham. It was nice to see KT's family once again. I finally got to meet his sister and her family from Minnesota. We basically hit it off well. Of course, I'm so ever grateful to have KT in my life because you know how it is with Deafies and hearing family members. You talk, lip-read and ask for repeats until you've just had enough. It's Deaf time! KT and I would just carry our own conversations among people. Then, people go "are you talking about me?" or "you're not talking about me, are you?" *fake smile*
No, really. We had a good time with KT's family. They've always been warm to us and kept us posted about things. Christmas was great, with the gift exchanges and eating all the junk food! Damn KT's mother! She made some fabulous holiday treats!
After 2 days, we were ready to come home. Plus, I needed to come home to rest up before I came to work today. I hate to come back from a vacation or a getaway and then have to work the next day.
So, Monday, we drove back home. Traffic, ugh! Why are there traffic jams/stops in the middle of nowhere on Virginia's highways?!?!?
Anyways, we get home and we had our own Christmas. Now, that was even more fun! We got each other some great stuff. Then, it was just nice to be at home with no one else other than my beloved, KT. Isn't home such a wonderful place?
Yesterday, we headed out to some place to buy some stuff and look for some bargains on Christmas stuff. Came home and relaxed the rest of the day.
KT got some video games, some from Xmas and some from yesterday's purchases. We got one of those retro Atari game console from KT's dad for Xmas. Talk about a stroll through memory lane! Some games I recognized and many others I did not. I wasn't one of those lucky kids who had Atari games when they first came out. I played them whenever I went over to friends' houses or at my cousins'.
So, I guess I'll be busy playing video games with KT until school resumes. These video games had us laughing, especially those Atari games. My favorite is that ping pong game. Simple, I know, but it's a load of fun!
**********
Of course, I've been watching movies during the Christmas weekend.
First, I finally finished watching 4 Weddings and a Funeral. Not bad, not bad. I totally loved the idea of adding subtitles whenever Charles (Hugh Grant) and his Deaf brother carried a conversation in BSL.
I hate it when people repeat or "interpret" what the Deaf character is signing. Classic example: Children of the Lesser Gods. Whenever Sarah signed, James would say what Sarah is signing and then he'll respond. You'll see that in many other movies or TV shows, involving Deaf characters. (This is different when an interpreter is present.)
Subtitles are the way to go for this type of dialogues. Hey, we can't help it if people are signing-impaired. (I first saw this term "signing-impaired" in the introduction of Audism Unveiled.)
***
XX/XY was an interesting movie. I only wanted to watch this because it has Mark Ruffalo in it. I first saw him in In the Cut (a pee-pee movie!)
Initially, I had assumed him to be Vincent D'Onofrio, who stars as Detective Robert Goren in Law & Order: Criminal Intent. However, it's really quick to see that these are 2 different guys.
Hey! Now I know which actors I'll utter when people ask me which actors I find cute/sexy. I usually have to think and think for a long period of time before I can come up with a name. I know! I know! Gay men should be able to come up with a plethora of names within a nano-second. (Aw, suck this!)
Well, I think Mark and Vincent are both sexy!
***
Then, saw Finding Neverland. It's inspired by true events around the man who created the Peter Pan story. I have one word for this movie: boring.
***
Next, I saw Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Lots of people have claimed that this was a GREAT movie and that I'll love it. Well, it was a good movie with some funny lines. But, it wasn't a GREAT movie to me. Some parts were a bit slow and some others could have been edited or replaced with other scenes. Overall, it was an enjoyable movie. Would I watch it again? Nah.
***
When we came home from North Carolina, we watched one of the movies that KT gave me for Xmas. (I pah got more gay DVD's. My collection was practically non-existent of gay movies.) We watched Bear Cub. I don't think I recall any other movies (that's not porn), involving gay bear characters. Overall, I liked this mellow movie.
Chalk this one up to your pee-pee movie collection! You're gonna see some pee-pee's here! Really! It's about time! Seeing boobies in movies is sooo...1980's.
Anyways, Bear Cub is set in Madrid. It's about this one bear guy, Pedro, who's a dentist and is just enjoying his gay life. His sister drops off her son with Pedro before heading off to India for a vacation. However, things go awry with the mother which Pedro ends up taking care of his nephew longer than expected.
I thought it was cool that Spanish subtitles were added in a couple of scenes. My assumption is that there was a different Spanish used in the movies by other characters. Yeah, I'm still obsessing about subtitles and ASL. Really, it makes perfect sense.
***
We finished up watching Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (and Don't Come Back!). Cute movie as always (with Charlie Brown in it)!
***
All Over Me was a slow movie with some simple plots. It's about 2 gals, one's a lesbian, and their fucked up friendship in New York.
One is involved with a guy who's involved in the murder of a gay man, who lived in the same apartment building where the lesbian lives.
***
If you've seen Michael Moore's Roger & Me or any of his other documentaries and like it, then you'll like The Corporation. It's a reality that will slap you in the face. This film is gonna tell you the history of corporations in America and tell you what corporations have been and will be doing. Some of the stuff presented here are gonna make your jaws drop.
We haven't finished it because it is quite long at 2 and half hours. However, it is interesting and of course, watching it makes you wanna talk about it, during and after the movie. So, I'm looking forward to finishing it.
***
Of course, I've also been reading books. I got to finish up Stevie Platt's Go to the Hill. I still stand by my previous statement about this book...needing edits or a better editor. I try not to be a stickler of English grammar but there were some errors that were noticeable enough to make you stop and figure out what Platt was trying to say.
I think this was a big accomplishment for Platt, especially since he has spent considerable amount of time into this book. I just hope that in his future books that he'll develop an in-depth background on some characters and allow them to have longer "lines" or dialogues. Most of the dialogues were pretty simple. Conflicts were simplistic. Complexity is something that Platt could utilize, which would benefit the book and readers' interests.
If you're up for a simple story, then this book is for you. Despite my feedback, I still think it's awesome for Platt to achieve this accomplishment. Not only that, but he has already published his second book and is working on a third book. That just gotta be fantastic.
***
Then, I read Law & Order: Crime Scenes, which I got for Xmas. Being a Law & Order freak, I was just so happy to get this book! I just wish there was more in the book. However, I still liked it!
***
Now, I'm reading Trace, written by one of my favorite authors, Patricial Cornwell, which I also got for Xmas. It's just so good to get my Kay Scarpetta mystery fix! I'll prolly finish it before the week is over. (Well, maybe not since I'm bound to head outta town this weekend.)
**********
News of the Day:
Not too long ago, the KKK was rallying against gay marriages in Texas. Now, they're gonna rally in Iowa on the same issue.
***
New Orleans police are under fire, once again, for the shooting of a knife-welding man.
***
Anyways, I best get going. Ta ta for now...
|
Thursday, December 22, 2005
¡Feliz Navidad!
Oh yeah. I've been nominated for Best Unusual Blog in the 2005 Deaf Blog Awards. Be sure to go there and vote. ;-)
There are a few other categories that you can vote as well for the other blogs.
**********
I forgot to post this the other day.
Some gay partiers are taking HIV meds, particularly Tenofovir to avoid getting HIV even when they end up having unprotected sex. This action has been called "taking a T".
Doctors are raising awareness that taking the medicine could lead to more HIV infections, rather than preventing. There is no proof that taking a T would prevent HIV infections. Not only that but taking HIV meds could increase resistance to meds if and when you do get HIV.
My fellow queens! You still need to practice safe sex. The best way is to use a condom. There are no short cuts! Therefore, stop trying to find other ways to bypass the foiled square package.
**********
I had a heartfelt talk with someone the other day. While it wasn't on this particular subject, I'd like to bring up something that I think it's important to recognize and remember.
It seems these days we've become more and more selfish. Thinking only ourselves and not of others.
Basically, what I'm saying is that let's remember each other's special days and occasions, especially birthdays. Whatever happened to wanting to remember the specific dates of everyone's birthday and to actually remember and wish someone a "Happy Birthday!" and maybe a sweet act of kindness?
I'm sure that you would like to be remembered on your special day, then let's remember others on their special days.
It's not just happy occasions but the sad ones as well. Doesn't it feel comforting to know that someone is thinking of you in times of death, sickness, recovery, etc.?
Speaking of thinking of others, let's be sure to think of others during this holiday season. While it's usually a festive season for us and our families and friends, it can be a depressing and lonesome holiday for some people.
Let's make sure that everyone has a merry little Christmas. Let's not get too caught up with things where you could actually pass as a Scrooge. Sometimes, a small act of kindness is a BIG Christmas for others and that's all they need. Remember, Christmas is a season of giving.
So, with that said...
**********
I doubt I'll blog tomorrow as I'll be busy trying to finish up any last minute errands for Christmas.
Then, over the weekend, we'll be in North Carolina for Christmas.
Y'all stay warm and have a wonderful Christmas!!
mwah!
ta ta for now...
|
There are a few other categories that you can vote as well for the other blogs.
**********
I forgot to post this the other day.
Some gay partiers are taking HIV meds, particularly Tenofovir to avoid getting HIV even when they end up having unprotected sex. This action has been called "taking a T".
Doctors are raising awareness that taking the medicine could lead to more HIV infections, rather than preventing. There is no proof that taking a T would prevent HIV infections. Not only that but taking HIV meds could increase resistance to meds if and when you do get HIV.
My fellow queens! You still need to practice safe sex. The best way is to use a condom. There are no short cuts! Therefore, stop trying to find other ways to bypass the foiled square package.
**********
I had a heartfelt talk with someone the other day. While it wasn't on this particular subject, I'd like to bring up something that I think it's important to recognize and remember.
It seems these days we've become more and more selfish. Thinking only ourselves and not of others.
Basically, what I'm saying is that let's remember each other's special days and occasions, especially birthdays. Whatever happened to wanting to remember the specific dates of everyone's birthday and to actually remember and wish someone a "Happy Birthday!" and maybe a sweet act of kindness?
I'm sure that you would like to be remembered on your special day, then let's remember others on their special days.
It's not just happy occasions but the sad ones as well. Doesn't it feel comforting to know that someone is thinking of you in times of death, sickness, recovery, etc.?
Speaking of thinking of others, let's be sure to think of others during this holiday season. While it's usually a festive season for us and our families and friends, it can be a depressing and lonesome holiday for some people.
Let's make sure that everyone has a merry little Christmas. Let's not get too caught up with things where you could actually pass as a Scrooge. Sometimes, a small act of kindness is a BIG Christmas for others and that's all they need. Remember, Christmas is a season of giving.
So, with that said...
**********
I doubt I'll blog tomorrow as I'll be busy trying to finish up any last minute errands for Christmas.
Then, over the weekend, we'll be in North Carolina for Christmas.
Y'all stay warm and have a wonderful Christmas!!
mwah!
ta ta for now...
|
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Family Stone & Narnia
I love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love love The Family Stone!!!!!
*warning - contains some spoiler alerts - don't read if you haven't seen it and don't wanna know anything about it*
KT and I saw it on Monday evening. This is like the best movie of the year! And it wasn't just because of Tyrone Giordano but everyone else as well. The cast was fabulous and hilarious throughout this film. Sarah Jessica Parker had me laughing constantly. Diane Keaton cracked me up. ("Brad Stevenson popped her cherry.")
Movies usually start off great and then kinda die out in the middle or towards the end. Not The Family Stone. It was great from the beginning to the end. And if you're the type to cry at movies, this one will definitely make you cry as well.
This was one of the most positive films with a Deaf character in it, as well with gay characters. Almost everyone in the movie signed with Thad (Giordano), which was even better. You just cannot hate the movie. It's a perfect holiday movie.
The movie was definitely heart-touching because of Sybil, her cancer and the "last" Christmas. It was exactly what happened to my mother and how it affected the following Christmas. So, I was just shedding tears since the middle of the movie towards the end.
I'm so glad I got to see this movie on the last night for open captions. I'm definitely gonna add this to my DVD collection!
5 out of 5 stars!
*****
Was off yesterday but it was no day of rest. I got up with KT at 6:30am. Dropped him off at the metro. Then, I zoomed to Potomac Mills to finish up my Christmas shopping for KT.
Lawdy! Someone please help me understand the concept of traffic jams. Really! I cannot understand why there are traffic jams. If everyone would just drive the speed limit, then I don't see why we'd be inching forward at 3 mph for the next 7 or 8 miles.
I was so happy that Potomac Mills was opened at 8 am for their holiday hours. So, I thought "perfect!" But no! It literally took me 35 minutes just to drive 5 miles, no thanks to the stoopid traffic jams! ARRRRGGGHHHHH!!!!!
And you would think that there would be traffic jams towards D.C., not towards Virginia. Well, that wasn't happening.
Well, at least I got to Potomac Mills a little after 8:30 am and there was hardly any people there shopping. It was mostly senior citizens doing their walks around the mall. So, no long lines! That was just perfect for me!
After that, I headed over to Border's, back in Maryland. I thought I'd stop by the comic book rack and check out the latest X-Men issue.
Oh. My. Gawd. Piotr (Peter) Rasputin, aka Colossus, is gay?!?!? He accepted a homecoming date with Northstar (Jean-Paul Beaubier). Northstar was a member of Canada's Alpha Flight but took up a teaching position in the Xavier Mansion. Northstar is one of the first (if not the very first) Marvel characters to come out gay.
Nightcrawler overheard Peter's phone conversation with Jean-Paul accepting the date invitation. Nightcrawler says "so, you're..." Peter interrupts and says "if you can face the world the way you are [Nightcrawler is blue-skinned], then I can do the same."
Damn! I'm really behind in the X-Men storylines! I need to catch up!
Then, for lunch, I met KT and Manny at Belga Cafe in Eastern Market/Capitol Hill. Belga Cafe serves European food, specifically those from Belgium. My first impression was that it was a really nice restaurant with their own style/personality.
I ordered Gervulde (sp?) Pita. It was basically like eating a gyro. Next time, I'll try something else. I'm curious to try the Belgium steak.
Their fries were good. They come with buttered mayonnaise for dipping. Not bad at all!
Sodas were poured in flutes. Water were poured in small tumblers.
Like I said, I really liked the personality of this restaurant.
Prices are moderate, so go there as soon as you cash your paycheck.
Then after lunch, I headed to Gallaudet to take care of some bills and paperwork.
Then, KT and I watched The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe in Chinatown.
(Thanks to Lee for telling me about the free parking!)
Beautiful movie! We were actually surprised how much the movie followed the book. Because of that, the movie is long. It's like watching a Lord of the Ring movie.
Like I said, beautiful movie. You gotta see it to see what I mean. I still recommend that you read the book (the 7 book series, or at least "The Magician's Nephew" and "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe") before you see the movie. There are some parts in the movie that you will not understand if you have not read it.
Now, I'm just waiting for King Kong and Brokeback Mountain to come out on captions. *thumbs twiddling*
**********
I haven't caught up with news til this morning. Damn!
New York's public transit workers went on strike. It was the first in more than 25 years. Since it's against the law for public employees to go on strike, a judge has fined agasinst Transit Workers Union a million dollar fine per day. Not only that, each union member stand to lose 2 days' worth of pay each day that they are on strike.
Hmm, will the union be able to remain on strike for long?
***
A judge ruled the "Intelligent Design" as unconstitutional in public schools. Intelligent design has been relabeled for creationism.
I think that schools should present the two "theories" of creationism and evolution in classes. Afterwards, the students should be able to make a decision for themselves which theory works for them.
It's like a debate session. You don't present one (a pro or a con) without the other. You present both sides of the issue.
Sex education is no exception. Present both sides of the issues.
Students are intelligent enough to make their decisions. And decisions should be allowed to be revisited.
People, these days, only want their side heard and not allow the other side to be heard. So, it seems the best way is to present both issues and allow the audiences or the 3rd parties or students make their decisions. Simple, no?
***
The death penalty is illegal in Europe. It's considered barbaric and primitive. Austria lost their respect for Arnold Schwarzenegger when he didn't give clemency to Tookie Williams, founder of the Crips.
Officials in Austria took up a petition to remove his name off a local stadium.
However, Monday, Schwarzenegger told Austria to remove his name from the stadium and to cease using his name in promotions. He's also returning the ring of honor given to him in 1999.
Hasta la vista?
***
ta ta for now...
|
Monday, December 19, 2005
Calculator as a Reward
A teenager, Luke Bridges, stopped an ATM scam by tearing off a fake fascia and then ran from the very people who installed the fascia nearby. He ran home and called the police.
The bank, worth £54.9 billion, said they would reward Bridges. Yeah, he got rewarded. He was given a plastic calculator.
***
Good grief! A shopkeeper, Salvatore Caminito, in Fareham, England is quitting his business because people are harassing him by whistling. Caminito is known for refusing service to customers if they whistle. Caminito just simply cannot stand whistling.
Word has spread around to other people about Caminito's aversion to whistling. So, people have stopped by his shop, only to whistle the heck outta him. Caminito claims that there's a conspiracy against him and it's affecting his health.
***
"[This is] the most corrupt Congress in the history of the country."
-Sen. Harry Reid, on the Delay and Frist scandals, on "Fox News Sunday"
Hunny! Do tell!
Democrats and Republicans, including Reid, are asking for congressional investigations on Bush's decision to allow "domestic eavesdropping", especially for the NSA.
Here are some quotes by some of the senators:
"The president has, I think, made up a law that we never passed."
-Sen. Russell Feingold, D-Wis.
"They talk about constitutional authority. There are limits as to what the president can do."
-Sen. Arlen Spector, R-Pa. (Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee)
"The president can't pass the buck on this one."
"He's commander in chief. But commander in chief does not trump the Bill of Rights."
-Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev.
Bush defends his decision. As usual, Cheney and Rice defend Bush's decision. So, is Gonzales.
Anyways, like I said, Harry, do tell!
***
Not too long ago, I blogged about the European investigator on the CIA and black sites. Well, Europe has approved for investigations on their own soil to find evidence to back up those allegations. If so, there could be bad blood between the US and Europe. Not only that but Poland and Romania could face embarrassment, due to the rumors that they have been holding detainees. If there are any evidence against Poland and Romania, they could lose their EU votes.
Not only that, there is another allegation that the US had a secret prison, "Dark Prison", in Afghanistan, recently as of last year, according to a human rights group.
Do I smell a big-ass Bush investigation/conference bigger than Oliver North and the Iran-Contra coming up?
***
Saw Closer. It was alright. Basically, it's about 4 people. Guy #1 liked Gal #1. However, Guy #1 has Gal #2. Gal #2 knows about Gal #1. Gal #1 meets and marries Guy #2. Guy #1 and Gal #1 have an affair. In retaliation, Guy #2 screws Gal #2. Gal #1 and Guy #2 get back together. Guy #1 and Gal #2 get back together briefly and break up. Ta-da!
Saw Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. Watched about 20 minutes of it and had to stop it. BORING!
Saw Fantastic Four. Grool movie! I think this is the first time that Stan Lee had some lines. In other Marvel movies, Stan Lee just usually appear on the screen for mere seconds.
Was watching but didn't get to finish 4 Weddings & a Funeral. Will try to finish that up this week.
***
Well, over the weekend, I made tamales. It was my first time ever to make it. My grandmother usually made them over the holidays. But then, she passed away. My mother was a good cook but she had no time for making tamales. So, that tradition died with my grandmother.
So, I told myself that I should revive that tradition. So, I looked for recipes and came across one that I liked.
Whoo. Making tamales took me 2 days. The first day was for preparing the meat. The second day was for the tamale making and cooking. This was truly an "hand-on" experience. You gotta be willing to get your hands dirty if you wanna make tamales.
The first batch came out sorta doughy, although it was still good. The second batch was still a bit doughy but WAY BETTER than the first batch. I shall improve over time.
So, now I've got lots of doughy tamales to last me through the holidays.
***
Take the quiz:
Your Bedtime Body Language (PICS)(Guys Only)
On Your Side
You are probably mild-mannered and rational. Since this semifetal sleeper takes up a minimal amount of space, he tends to be a giving lover. Also, he's way too sensible to play -- or stand for -- mind games.
Quizzes by myYearbook.com -- the World's Biggest Yearbook!
ta ta for now...
|
The bank, worth £54.9 billion, said they would reward Bridges. Yeah, he got rewarded. He was given a plastic calculator.
***
Good grief! A shopkeeper, Salvatore Caminito, in Fareham, England is quitting his business because people are harassing him by whistling. Caminito is known for refusing service to customers if they whistle. Caminito just simply cannot stand whistling.
Word has spread around to other people about Caminito's aversion to whistling. So, people have stopped by his shop, only to whistle the heck outta him. Caminito claims that there's a conspiracy against him and it's affecting his health.
***
"[This is] the most corrupt Congress in the history of the country."
-Sen. Harry Reid, on the Delay and Frist scandals, on "Fox News Sunday"
Hunny! Do tell!
Democrats and Republicans, including Reid, are asking for congressional investigations on Bush's decision to allow "domestic eavesdropping", especially for the NSA.
Here are some quotes by some of the senators:
"The president has, I think, made up a law that we never passed."
-Sen. Russell Feingold, D-Wis.
"They talk about constitutional authority. There are limits as to what the president can do."
-Sen. Arlen Spector, R-Pa. (Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee)
"The president can't pass the buck on this one."
"He's commander in chief. But commander in chief does not trump the Bill of Rights."
-Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev.
Bush defends his decision. As usual, Cheney and Rice defend Bush's decision. So, is Gonzales.
Anyways, like I said, Harry, do tell!
***
Not too long ago, I blogged about the European investigator on the CIA and black sites. Well, Europe has approved for investigations on their own soil to find evidence to back up those allegations. If so, there could be bad blood between the US and Europe. Not only that but Poland and Romania could face embarrassment, due to the rumors that they have been holding detainees. If there are any evidence against Poland and Romania, they could lose their EU votes.
Not only that, there is another allegation that the US had a secret prison, "Dark Prison", in Afghanistan, recently as of last year, according to a human rights group.
Do I smell a big-ass Bush investigation/conference bigger than Oliver North and the Iran-Contra coming up?
***
Saw Closer. It was alright. Basically, it's about 4 people. Guy #1 liked Gal #1. However, Guy #1 has Gal #2. Gal #2 knows about Gal #1. Gal #1 meets and marries Guy #2. Guy #1 and Gal #1 have an affair. In retaliation, Guy #2 screws Gal #2. Gal #1 and Guy #2 get back together. Guy #1 and Gal #2 get back together briefly and break up. Ta-da!
Saw Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. Watched about 20 minutes of it and had to stop it. BORING!
Saw Fantastic Four. Grool movie! I think this is the first time that Stan Lee had some lines. In other Marvel movies, Stan Lee just usually appear on the screen for mere seconds.
Was watching but didn't get to finish 4 Weddings & a Funeral. Will try to finish that up this week.
***
Well, over the weekend, I made tamales. It was my first time ever to make it. My grandmother usually made them over the holidays. But then, she passed away. My mother was a good cook but she had no time for making tamales. So, that tradition died with my grandmother.
So, I told myself that I should revive that tradition. So, I looked for recipes and came across one that I liked.
Whoo. Making tamales took me 2 days. The first day was for preparing the meat. The second day was for the tamale making and cooking. This was truly an "hand-on" experience. You gotta be willing to get your hands dirty if you wanna make tamales.
The first batch came out sorta doughy, although it was still good. The second batch was still a bit doughy but WAY BETTER than the first batch. I shall improve over time.
So, now I've got lots of doughy tamales to last me through the holidays.
***
Your Bedtime Body Language (PICS)(Guys Only)
On Your Side
You are probably mild-mannered and rational. Since this semifetal sleeper takes up a minimal amount of space, he tends to be a giving lover. Also, he's way too sensible to play -- or stand for -- mind games.
Quizzes by myYearbook.com -- the World's Biggest Yearbook!
ta ta for now...
|
Friday, December 16, 2005
Dec. Deaf GLBT Coffee Social
Despite the holiday traveling to see friends and families and other holiday
events, the monthly coffee social will still be held tonite:
Starbucks
Dupont Circle
P & 21st Streets, NW
Washington, DC
(upstairs)
7pm to 10pm
See y'all there!
ta ta for now...
|
events, the monthly coffee social will still be held tonite:
Starbucks
Dupont Circle
P & 21st Streets, NW
Washington, DC
(upstairs)
7pm to 10pm
See y'all there!
ta ta for now...
|
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Rest in Peace, Facundo
I just discovered that Facundo Montenegro just passed away Tuesday from his battle with lung cancer.
Facundo hailed from Argentina (thus his name sign) and eventually made his way to the U.S. At one time, he taught at Gallaudet before moving on to Catholic University. Last year, he accepted an additional teaching course at Gallaudet. He taught in one of my graduate courses, ASL Media.
He was a nice guy. Although, later in the semester, we were ready to wring his neck. We thought he was a perfectionist when it came to critiquing our works. However, looking back, we realized that he wanted us to do the best in our works.
Thanks to Facundo because now I feel like I'm overly analyzing every film and show I watch. Thanks to him for giving me that skill and knowledge. Thanks to him for planting that seed in me for wanting to make a video movie.
Facundo is one of the directors who made Audism Unveiled.
It was unfortunate that when I wanted to start on my video movie and needed additional advice, he was already battling cancer.
Overall, he was a good guy who put our best interests at heart. He was such a young guy. My heart goes out to his family, his partner and his friends.
I'm gonna scan tomorrow's papers and see if there's anything for his wake or funeral. I just gotta go.
Facundo, you rest in peace.
|
Holocaust, A Myth?
Is he crazy or what? Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called the Holocaust a myth.
Germany responds.
***
Not too long ago, Ford pulled out their ads from gay publications. It seemed this was done due to pressure from right-wing organizations, such as the American Family Association. Ford claimed that it was due to financial reasons.
However, after several representatives from gay organizations had met with Ford, Ford has resumed placing ads, featuring all 8 of their models (previously it was just 2) in gay publications.
The AFA can boycott all they want.
***
Wow! Brokeback Mountain has only been released in selected theatres recently and it has already been nominated for 7 Golden Globe awards.
Dammit! I've been looking for the captioned filming of Brokeback in the area but nothing yet.
Typical that Syriana has to be captioned. Fuck that!
***
Apparently, the new Superman (the actor, Brandon Routh) has an eye-catching package (read: he has a big dick). It's giving the Hollywood head-honchos a headache. They're gonna have it digitally altered.
Well! I thought that superheroes were supposed to have superpackages. Right?
***
Is eating fish a protection against HIV/AIDS transmittal?
You know that Kenya has one of the highest rate of HIV/AIDS cases. However, there's a population there they have the virus but they're not passing it off to their partners/spouses.
They have been able to pinpoint that fishermen and their wives are not passing off the virus, even though they have it.
A team of British researchers will be dispatched to Kenya to obtain data.
***
ta ta for now...
|
Germany responds.
***
Not too long ago, Ford pulled out their ads from gay publications. It seemed this was done due to pressure from right-wing organizations, such as the American Family Association. Ford claimed that it was due to financial reasons.
However, after several representatives from gay organizations had met with Ford, Ford has resumed placing ads, featuring all 8 of their models (previously it was just 2) in gay publications.
The AFA can boycott all they want.
***
Wow! Brokeback Mountain has only been released in selected theatres recently and it has already been nominated for 7 Golden Globe awards.
Dammit! I've been looking for the captioned filming of Brokeback in the area but nothing yet.
Typical that Syriana has to be captioned. Fuck that!
***
Apparently, the new Superman (the actor, Brandon Routh) has an eye-catching package (read: he has a big dick). It's giving the Hollywood head-honchos a headache. They're gonna have it digitally altered.
Well! I thought that superheroes were supposed to have superpackages. Right?
***
Is eating fish a protection against HIV/AIDS transmittal?
You know that Kenya has one of the highest rate of HIV/AIDS cases. However, there's a population there they have the virus but they're not passing it off to their partners/spouses.
They have been able to pinpoint that fishermen and their wives are not passing off the virus, even though they have it.
A team of British researchers will be dispatched to Kenya to obtain data.
***
ta ta for now...
|
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
I Don't *Heart* Huckabees
The other day, KT and I were watching Octane. It's one of those movies I call "WTF?!? movies". You know those movies that don't quite make sense or the quality of the movie is just crappy.
A mother (Madeleine Stowe) and her daughter have been bickering since the 6-hour drive back from picking up her daughter at her ex-husband's house. Taking a break, they stop at a highway diner. They bicker again. Mom gets up to make a phone call. She comes back and sees her daughter outside. The daughter gets into an RV with a few people that the mother has seen previously. She discovers that these people are in a cult and they have recruited her daughter. So, the mother goes to some lengths to rescue her daughter back.
Eh. It's just not that great at all. And the ending just doesn't make sense.
**********
On my day off, I watched Yesterday. It's a sad movie about a Zulu woman, Yesterday, discovering that she has HIV. After she's been notified by the local doctor of her status, she travels to Johannsburg (sp?) to inform her husband. After she informs her husband, she's met with physical beatings...at work. Yesterday returns home and continues life with her young daughter. Not long afterwards, the husband was fired from his job due to his excessive illnesses and returns home. Because the local hospital is full, Yesterday builds a metal shed as a hospice for her dying husband. Despite her own illness, Yesterday is determined to stay strong for her husband and to live long enough until her daughter starts school.
Like I said, sad movie. Make sure you have a box of Kleenex with you.
**********
Ok, some time ago, some people were raving about I ♥ Huckabees. Last night, KT and I watched it. Within minutes, KT fell asleep. He may have been tired but I'm sure the boring factor was the major part of his falling asleep. I was bored with it but decided to finish the movie. Lawdy! Should've stopped it in the beginning.
Something about existentialism and how we're all connected (or not, depending which philosophy you like). Whateva!
**********
News of the Day:
Is this some big conspiracy that we're just now being made aware of? First, we have Guantanamo Bay. Now, we have a European investigator saying he has evidence against the U.S. that the CIA has been holding detainees in Europe. However, when word leaked out, the detainees were hid in North Africa. What the heck is going on?
And just to cover their ass, the UK is clarifying their stance with the American's "black sites".
***
President Bush rejects the notion that he's a racist.
***
In Biritiba Mirim, Brazil, there's no more room in the ground to bury the dead. They cannot be cremated, due to religious and environmental reasons. There are laws forbidding additional cementaries. So, what does the mayor do? He has proposed a bill to outlaw death.
**********
I'm currently reading Stevie Platt's Go to the Hill. If the author's name is familiar to you, that's because he's a local gay Deafie living in Virginia.
I'm still in the beginning parts of the book. However, I already have some criticism for the book. I'm not sure if he got an editor for his book. If he didn't, he should've gotten one. If he did, he should've fired that one and gotten another one.
I'll finish the book and let ya know about it.
**********
JEAN GREY!!
Which X-Men Character Are You??
brought to you by Quizilla
ta ta for now...
|
A mother (Madeleine Stowe) and her daughter have been bickering since the 6-hour drive back from picking up her daughter at her ex-husband's house. Taking a break, they stop at a highway diner. They bicker again. Mom gets up to make a phone call. She comes back and sees her daughter outside. The daughter gets into an RV with a few people that the mother has seen previously. She discovers that these people are in a cult and they have recruited her daughter. So, the mother goes to some lengths to rescue her daughter back.
Eh. It's just not that great at all. And the ending just doesn't make sense.
**********
On my day off, I watched Yesterday. It's a sad movie about a Zulu woman, Yesterday, discovering that she has HIV. After she's been notified by the local doctor of her status, she travels to Johannsburg (sp?) to inform her husband. After she informs her husband, she's met with physical beatings...at work. Yesterday returns home and continues life with her young daughter. Not long afterwards, the husband was fired from his job due to his excessive illnesses and returns home. Because the local hospital is full, Yesterday builds a metal shed as a hospice for her dying husband. Despite her own illness, Yesterday is determined to stay strong for her husband and to live long enough until her daughter starts school.
Like I said, sad movie. Make sure you have a box of Kleenex with you.
**********
Ok, some time ago, some people were raving about I ♥ Huckabees. Last night, KT and I watched it. Within minutes, KT fell asleep. He may have been tired but I'm sure the boring factor was the major part of his falling asleep. I was bored with it but decided to finish the movie. Lawdy! Should've stopped it in the beginning.
Something about existentialism and how we're all connected (or not, depending which philosophy you like). Whateva!
**********
News of the Day:
Is this some big conspiracy that we're just now being made aware of? First, we have Guantanamo Bay. Now, we have a European investigator saying he has evidence against the U.S. that the CIA has been holding detainees in Europe. However, when word leaked out, the detainees were hid in North Africa. What the heck is going on?
And just to cover their ass, the UK is clarifying their stance with the American's "black sites".
***
President Bush rejects the notion that he's a racist.
***
In Biritiba Mirim, Brazil, there's no more room in the ground to bury the dead. They cannot be cremated, due to religious and environmental reasons. There are laws forbidding additional cementaries. So, what does the mayor do? He has proposed a bill to outlaw death.
**********
I'm currently reading Stevie Platt's Go to the Hill. If the author's name is familiar to you, that's because he's a local gay Deafie living in Virginia.
I'm still in the beginning parts of the book. However, I already have some criticism for the book. I'm not sure if he got an editor for his book. If he didn't, he should've gotten one. If he did, he should've fired that one and gotten another one.
I'll finish the book and let ya know about it.
**********
JEAN GREY!!
Which X-Men Character Are You??
brought to you by Quizilla
ta ta for now...
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Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Waah, I'm Evil
Imagine the look on my face when I got the result from taking the quiz below. I was like...WTF?!? "The most misunderstood of all..." Nice try! I was hoping for Gabriel, Michael or Raphael. But nooooooo!
Lucifer. The most misunderstood of all the
ArchAngels, you're most like the ArchAngel of
Light. You've seen the darkside and have opted
for something better. You need better press,
though chances are no one will really
understand your motives.
Which ArchAngel are you most like?
brought to you by Quizilla
************
Well, I have a better news for myself. I am PAH finish for the semester! YAY! I'm gonna echo what Carrie said in her blog..."stick a fork in me, I'm done!"
ta ta for now...
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Lucifer. The most misunderstood of all the
ArchAngels, you're most like the ArchAngel of
Light. You've seen the darkside and have opted
for something better. You need better press,
though chances are no one will really
understand your motives.
Which ArchAngel are you most like?
brought to you by Quizilla
************
Well, I have a better news for myself. I am PAH finish for the semester! YAY! I'm gonna echo what Carrie said in her blog..."stick a fork in me, I'm done!"
ta ta for now...
|
Monday, December 12, 2005
eiffilc
Dear Cliff (aka eiffilc, Cliffie, Clitch, Fajita, Shanananananah, Roger Masters),
Happy 25th Birthday! You're now a quarter of a century old! Y E S ! You're finally getting old like the rest of us are.
Wishing you a wonderful birthday on this special day of yours. I know you'll be surrounded by friends because we'll see you tonight!
You can relax this time because you're not gonna get a big fat dildo like the last time. Hee...
MWAH!
Litch
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Friday, December 09, 2005
50th Birthday
Today would have been my mother's 50th birthday.
I'm sure that if she was still alive today, she would've been given a fabulous jubilation of this special milestone.
Alas, she is no longer on this earth with us. However, that doesn't mean that she cannnot be remembered. I know that loved ones, such as myself, will reflect precious memories of Mom.
Mom, Happy Birthday! You're always in my heart and in my mind. Love you dearly!
My mother in high school, just before she met my dad.
I'm in there!
Mom and me.
This was taken in D.C. We were in D.C. because Dad was in boot camp in Virginia and I was at Walter Reed with spinal meningitis.
During my birthday.
Early pictures during the United Pentacostal days in Germany.
A relaxing moment in Germany.
This was when we were back from Germany. There was a time when Mom wore her hair in a bun. I used to tell her "let it down!".
Yeah, I used to have hair!
Ugh! I hated having my pictures taken. This was me going "ya mind!".
This was taken a year after Mom's first surgery, when her cancerous stomach was removed. She had lost over 100 pounds. In this picture, she looked just like Grandma.
Dad surprised Mom with a vow renewal, 3 months before their 30th anniversary. Mom died 3 weeks before the anniversary.
This picture was taken after 3 of her young neices worked on her face.
Mom smiling at the attention she was getting at a family gathering.
Mom wanted an early Christmas in case she wasn't gonna make it or had to be bedridden or whatever. This party was called a Life Celebration Party. It was bittersweet, which had many of us crying.
This was one of the last pictures of us. She died shortly after this picture was taken.
Elvia Gray
1955-2003
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I'm sure that if she was still alive today, she would've been given a fabulous jubilation of this special milestone.
Alas, she is no longer on this earth with us. However, that doesn't mean that she cannnot be remembered. I know that loved ones, such as myself, will reflect precious memories of Mom.
Mom, Happy Birthday! You're always in my heart and in my mind. Love you dearly!
My mother in high school, just before she met my dad.
I'm in there!
Mom and me.
This was taken in D.C. We were in D.C. because Dad was in boot camp in Virginia and I was at Walter Reed with spinal meningitis.
During my birthday.
Early pictures during the United Pentacostal days in Germany.
A relaxing moment in Germany.
This was when we were back from Germany. There was a time when Mom wore her hair in a bun. I used to tell her "let it down!".
Yeah, I used to have hair!
Ugh! I hated having my pictures taken. This was me going "ya mind!".
This was taken a year after Mom's first surgery, when her cancerous stomach was removed. She had lost over 100 pounds. In this picture, she looked just like Grandma.
Dad surprised Mom with a vow renewal, 3 months before their 30th anniversary. Mom died 3 weeks before the anniversary.
This picture was taken after 3 of her young neices worked on her face.
Mom smiling at the attention she was getting at a family gathering.
Mom wanted an early Christmas in case she wasn't gonna make it or had to be bedridden or whatever. This party was called a Life Celebration Party. It was bittersweet, which had many of us crying.
This was one of the last pictures of us. She died shortly after this picture was taken.
Elvia Gray
1955-2003
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Wednesday, December 07, 2005
Snow
Ok, so it snowed. It wasn't enough for Gallaudet or work to close for the day. Ah well.
I finally got to see Audism Unveiled yesterday. I enjoyed watching the documentary. Just about any Deafies can relate to what Deafies have said in the film. There were some parts in the film where I just had goosebumps.
For years, we've had to deal with and take in audistic attitudes, perceptions and answers. It's time to take that stand and say "enough!". We've got to start fighting back, even if we have to go to court. Audism isn't an accepted legal reason to file a lawsuit. However, we can tie that with discrimination. The film listed some cases where Deafies have sued people or companies for discrimination and won. We may *BORED* do the legal work but we've got to do it in order for people to start waking up and say "whoa, we can't mess around with Deafies".
If you haven't seen it yet, then you gotta check it out! It's empowering.
I just cannot wait to finish my papers and projects. Looks like I'll finish Saturday, instead of Friday. See see...
**********
I got an email to mention GallyPost.com. It's an uncensored forum site where people can go and express their opinions and concerns on various issues and people on the campus of Gallaudet University. So, sure to check it out.
**********
I got a forward from a friend for the cartoons below. I thought they were cute. So, here goes:
Happy Holidays!
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I finally got to see Audism Unveiled yesterday. I enjoyed watching the documentary. Just about any Deafies can relate to what Deafies have said in the film. There were some parts in the film where I just had goosebumps.
For years, we've had to deal with and take in audistic attitudes, perceptions and answers. It's time to take that stand and say "enough!". We've got to start fighting back, even if we have to go to court. Audism isn't an accepted legal reason to file a lawsuit. However, we can tie that with discrimination. The film listed some cases where Deafies have sued people or companies for discrimination and won. We may *BORED* do the legal work but we've got to do it in order for people to start waking up and say "whoa, we can't mess around with Deafies".
If you haven't seen it yet, then you gotta check it out! It's empowering.
I just cannot wait to finish my papers and projects. Looks like I'll finish Saturday, instead of Friday. See see...
**********
I got an email to mention GallyPost.com. It's an uncensored forum site where people can go and express their opinions and concerns on various issues and people on the campus of Gallaudet University. So, sure to check it out.
**********
I got a forward from a friend for the cartoons below. I thought they were cute. So, here goes:
Happy Holidays!
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Monday, December 05, 2005
Friggin' Cold
Last Friday was the Holiday Bazaar at Gallaudet. Wow, I don't think I've seen that many booths, along with some intersting arrays of things, as compared to previous years.
Of course, I just had to buy some things. I bought a couple of those dangling beaded accessories for pagers. Now, I just gotta find out who made them...Manny or Merritt. Then, I bought Stevie Platt's, a local Deaf author, first book. Will read that book once I'm finished with a book I'm currently reading by Iris Johansen.
Later, that night, KT and I went to DPHH. It was held at The Barking Dog Bar in Bethesda, MD. Wow, it was crowded! However, it was good to see some familiar faces and catch up on news. It was also neat to meet new faces. We finally got to meet Tate, who was the photographer of the event there. He was truly a grool man who took out a little time to have a small chat with us.
It was so friggin' cold outside!
Saturday, KT and I found ourselves at Gallaudet in the computer lab, doing our papers and projects. Our goal is to finish EVERYTHING by this Friday, even though the last day of school is really next week Friday. Let's see if we can finish before then. It would just be nice to start our Christmas break a week early.
Afterwards, Manny and Joe joined us to Guapo's for dinner in Tenleytown. Simply delicious!
It was so friggin' cold outside!
Yesterday, we went out and bought a Christmas tree. Every year, I always say, after decorating the tree, "there's not enough lights" and "we need more ornaments" despite the fact that we buy them every year, especially during sales after the holiday.
We haven't finished putting up holiday stuff around in the house. We'll do that little by little, each day, as we'll still be busy with school stuff.
Yes, it was so friggin' cold outside!
Well, it's supposed to snow later this afternoon and more tonight. We're supposed to get at least 3 to 6 inches by tomorrow morning. You know what that means, right? That means Gally will freak out and close for the day. Yayness!
Er, well, that is if it really snows...
And if it snows, that means it's gonna be so friggin' cold outside!
Ugh!
|
Of course, I just had to buy some things. I bought a couple of those dangling beaded accessories for pagers. Now, I just gotta find out who made them...Manny or Merritt. Then, I bought Stevie Platt's, a local Deaf author, first book. Will read that book once I'm finished with a book I'm currently reading by Iris Johansen.
Later, that night, KT and I went to DPHH. It was held at The Barking Dog Bar in Bethesda, MD. Wow, it was crowded! However, it was good to see some familiar faces and catch up on news. It was also neat to meet new faces. We finally got to meet Tate, who was the photographer of the event there. He was truly a grool man who took out a little time to have a small chat with us.
It was so friggin' cold outside!
Saturday, KT and I found ourselves at Gallaudet in the computer lab, doing our papers and projects. Our goal is to finish EVERYTHING by this Friday, even though the last day of school is really next week Friday. Let's see if we can finish before then. It would just be nice to start our Christmas break a week early.
Afterwards, Manny and Joe joined us to Guapo's for dinner in Tenleytown. Simply delicious!
It was so friggin' cold outside!
Yesterday, we went out and bought a Christmas tree. Every year, I always say, after decorating the tree, "there's not enough lights" and "we need more ornaments" despite the fact that we buy them every year, especially during sales after the holiday.
We haven't finished putting up holiday stuff around in the house. We'll do that little by little, each day, as we'll still be busy with school stuff.
Yes, it was so friggin' cold outside!
Well, it's supposed to snow later this afternoon and more tonight. We're supposed to get at least 3 to 6 inches by tomorrow morning. You know what that means, right? That means Gally will freak out and close for the day. Yayness!
Er, well, that is if it really snows...
And if it snows, that means it's gonna be so friggin' cold outside!
Ugh!
|
Thursday, December 01, 2005
Manito
Manito was an interesting film. However, don't watch it if you're prone to motion sickness. Images and scenes are jarring...sorta like watching The Blair Witch Project.
At first, it may just seem like there's no story plot and the film is just jumping from one scene to another without any connection. However, just bear with it and the story will unfold.
It's mainly about Manito and his graduation from high school. Graduation from high school is a major milestone and a cause for celebration within Hispanic families. Most drop out of high school, due to familial obligations (such has having to look for a job to contribute), crime or deportation, among other reasons.
Anyways, something bad happens after the party for Manito's graduation, which then leads to an impact that can be "life-changing". The family members struggles to find ways to get Manito out of this particular situation.
If you like watching cultural films that include family dynamics and societal impacts, then you'll enjoy this one.
***********
Lawdy!
A woman in Lehighton, PA is suing Pizza Hut for $25K. FOR FOR? She ordered hot poppers as an appetizer. When her order arrived, she picked one up and bit into it. However, when she bit into it, while it was pipping hot, it popped.
She claims she is permanently impaired because the hot oil has burned her chin.
Well, that's not the end of it. Her husband is also suing for $25K. His reasons? Loss of companionship and comfort of his wife.
Lawdy!
Anyways, ta ta for now...
|
At first, it may just seem like there's no story plot and the film is just jumping from one scene to another without any connection. However, just bear with it and the story will unfold.
It's mainly about Manito and his graduation from high school. Graduation from high school is a major milestone and a cause for celebration within Hispanic families. Most drop out of high school, due to familial obligations (such has having to look for a job to contribute), crime or deportation, among other reasons.
Anyways, something bad happens after the party for Manito's graduation, which then leads to an impact that can be "life-changing". The family members struggles to find ways to get Manito out of this particular situation.
If you like watching cultural films that include family dynamics and societal impacts, then you'll enjoy this one.
***********
Lawdy!
A woman in Lehighton, PA is suing Pizza Hut for $25K. FOR FOR? She ordered hot poppers as an appetizer. When her order arrived, she picked one up and bit into it. However, when she bit into it, while it was pipping hot, it popped.
She claims she is permanently impaired because the hot oil has burned her chin.
Well, that's not the end of it. Her husband is also suing for $25K. His reasons? Loss of companionship and comfort of his wife.
Lawdy!
Anyways, ta ta for now...
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