Friday, June 30, 2006
Air Bagged
You've got to be kidding me!
A Chinese entrepreneur has been bagging air from the World Cup games. He's selling the bagged air for $6.25 each.
**********
Other News of the Day:
- Supreme Court rejects Bush's military tribunals of the terrorists, citing violation of US and international law (i.e., Geneva). About damn time someone took away the "blank checks" from Bush!
- Former Dynasty actress becomes spokesperson for SENSE, a Deaf-Blind organization in Belfast.
- India's Prince Manvendrasinh Gohil recently came out gay. Now, he has been disowned by family.
- 4 gay men filed complaint against the Dallas Police for failing to carry out their duties when they were assaulted outside of a Denny's restaurant. Denny's employees also did nothing.
|
Thursday, June 29, 2006
News of the Day
- Google will unveil their own online payment service, Checkout, (or GBuy)which will rival with PayPal.
- Recruiting Marine, Staff Sgt. Raymond J. Plouhar, who briefly appeared in Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11", died Monday from a roadside bombing in Iraq. He was 30.
- Maryland Governor Robert Erhlich (R) has appointed a gay judge, Christopher Panos, as a Special Master in Circuit Court Family Division. Also, he fired Robert J. Smith from Washington Metropolitan Transit Agency for inappropriate remarks against the GLBT communities.
Erhlich has been called a Republican with a libertarian bent.
- Tribunal to hear complaints from Deaf Starbucks employee
- Arkansas court says gays cannot be banned from being foster parents
**********
I hear that Superman Returns has gotten some great reviews. Can't wait to see it with open captions!
ta ta for now...
|
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Tent City?
Below is a recent memo emailed by Gallaudet President I. King Jordan.
Is this IKJ's attempt to quash any possible protests/rallies and the re-establishment of Tent City in the Fall, despite his support for "exchange of ideas...and speech-making"?
You tell me...
(FYI, long memo! However, it is worth reading!)
**********
June 28, 2006
Memorandum
TO: The Campus Community
FROM: I. King Jordan
SUBJECT: Guidelines for Expressive Activities and Assemblies
Following is a document that presents guidelines for expressive
activities and assemblies which was developed at my request by the
Crisis Management Team. The document begins with a review of information
currently included in the Student Handbook and the Administration and
Operations Manual, describes a plan to establish a committee to develop
a policy addressing expression on campus and lists guidelines we will
have in place until a policy is approved by the Board.
At the beginning of the fall semester, I will be in touch again with
more information about the committee.
Gallaudet University Guidelines for
Expressive Activities and Assemblies
Introduction
Gallaudet University, as a private university, recognizes and supports
its community’s desire and efforts in the exchange of ideas, assembly,
and speech-making on campus. As stated in the Gallaudet Vision
Statement, the University, in valuing freedom of expression, views our
entire community as a forum for the exchange of ideas and scholarly
debate; respect for all will be a hallmark of everything we do. This is
further reinforced in the Gallaudet Credo Statement, which says that
every person should be treated with civility and that our community is
strengthened by the broad diversity of its members
Nonetheless, during both semesters in the 2005-2006 academic year, some
members of the University community did, on occasion, exceed the
boundaries of appropriate expression by engaging in behavior that
infringed on the rights of the University to conduct normal business
and/or on the rights of other members of the community. The University
has an obligation to maintain conditions under which our primary
educational purpose may go forward freely without disruption. The
Gallaudet University Code of Conduct defines disruption of University
academic or non-academic activities as an action that “disrupts the
normal operations of the University and infringes on the rights of other
members of the University community, leading or inciting others to
disrupt scheduled and/or normal activities within any campus building or
area, and intentional obstruction that unreasonably interferes with
freedom of movement, either pedestrian or vehicular, on campus”
(2005-06 Student Handbook, page 11). In addition, the Administration and
Operations (A&O) Manual Policy 1.01 (Standards of Conduct) states that
“the expression of dissent and attempt to produce change may not be
carried out in ways that injure individuals, damage institutional
facilities or property, impede the functioning of programs and services,
or evidence a complete disregard for authority and direction.” (A&O
Policy, 1.01)
It is therefore desirable to remind members of our community of the
manner in which they may engage in such expression at Gallaudet and
ensure that expressive activity is conducted on the grounds of the
University in a way that demonstrates civility and respect for others,
respect for University property, and respect for the right of the
University to continue its normal operations, including classes and
business activities.
It is in the University community’s best interest to develop a
University policy addressing expression on campus that reaffirms the
University’s and the community’s values related to freedom of
expression. The policy will govern activities related to the use of
facilities, the manner of expression that is permitted, and the manner
that is prohibited. Similar policies with “time, manner and/or
place” regulations exist at many institutions of higher education. A
committee consisting of appropriate representatives will be established
at the beginning of the fall semester and will be charged with the
development of this policy.
The following guidelines are being established on an interim basis to
ensure the orderly functioning of the University and its members until
the new policy is in place and approved. They do not repeat or replace
existing policies or guidelines related to the scheduling of events, use
of University facilities, or appropriate behavior as described in the
Student Code of Conduct and Administrations and Operations Manual;
rather, the interim guidelines augment and clarify existing policies to
preserve important values and interests of the University community.
Gallaudet University Guidelines for Expressive Activities and
Assemblies
1) All demonstrations, marches, rallies or peaceful assemblies on campus
must be registered[*]* with the appropriate unit responsible for the
location requested (Registrar’s Office, Campus Activities, Business
Services, etc.) at least 2 business days in advance of the activity.
This helps ensure that the organization has appropriate resources for
its activity. In addition, advance notice ensures that there are no
conflicts with other events at the same location, ensures that the
sponsor of the activity will accept all responsibilities pertaining to
sponsoring and supervising the event, and ensures that reasonable steps
are taken to ensure that the use of scheduled facilities complies with
all applicable policies and regulations. It also ensures that public
area activities do not impede pedestrian or vehicular ingress to or
egress from campus, and it ensures that the size and nature of the event
are appropriate for the location.
2) Structures created for the purpose of free expression, other than
those created by the University itself, may not remain on University
property for an extended period of time. Temporary or symbolic
structures, such as booths, tents, canopies, or similar objects or
enclosures, may be placed on University property and may remain
temporarily on campus, but they must be taken down and removed daily by
a specific time, and the area removed of all debris and trash. The
administration’s actions toward the structures will be guided by
attention to the following, or similar, kinds of campus community
interests that structures could infringe upon:
Protecting health and safety;
Preventing damage or risk of damage to University property;
Preserving unimpeded mobility on pathways and streets, entrance to and
departure from buildings, and unimpeded mobility within buildings;
Providing for competing uses of campus grounds;
Avoiding interference with other University activities;
Reasonably limiting costs to the University of increased Department of
Public Safety protection, potential University liability, insurance
coverage, and cleanup and repair after an event.
Limits on the duration, size, and location of structures or symbolic
structures may also be based legitimately upon the desire to preserve
campus aesthetic values.
3) The sponsoring organization/department must obtain a Structure
Scheduling Form from Business Services and obtain approval prior to the
erection of such structures. The sponsoring organization/department will
be required to sign the agreement on the form pertaining to all
responsibilities associated with the temporary structure, including the
removal of such structure, and acceptance of responsibility for any
injuries to persons or property caused by the temporary structure. The
University reserves the right to deny a request to establish a structure
and to request the removal of temporary structures that may be an
unreasonable safety hazard or inflict unreasonable damage to
landscaping.
4) Overnight camping is not allowed on University property. The use of
any part of the campus for living accommodation purposes such as
overnight sleeping (including the laying down of bedding for the purpose
of sleeping), making a fire, or carrying on cooking activities is
prohibited. The use of any tents, motor vehicles or other structures for
sleeping is also prohibited.
5) Signs, posters, banners, and other materials may not be affixed to
the interior or exterior of any University structure without permission
from the appropriate facilities person or person with authority to grant
such permission. Unauthorized postings, etc. will be removed and
discarded by the University.
6) In furtherance of the educational, research, service, and other
legitimate functions of the University, no part of the campus is
generally available for organized activities after 11 p.m. and before 7
a.m. except for official University activities or organization
activities with prior authorization.
7) During the calendar year noise or amplified music must be maintained
at acceptable levels to avoid interference with classes or other
University activities. In compliance with D.C. ordinances, noise must be
kept at reasonable levels after 11 p.m. This allows for the usual and
customary campus events to take place and at the same time supports the
academic mission of the University, the University’s intent to be a
good neighbor with the surrounding D.C. community, and it observes
applicable D.C. ordinances related to noise.
The University will take action through appropriate internal and/or
external procedures against violators of these guidelines as well as
other existing University policies and regulations. Actions taken may
include the denial of approval of future requests for permission to use
University property by the sponsoring organization/department. Any
sponsoring organization or individual may be subject to all applicable
sanctions for violations of these guidelines or other policies, rules,
or regulations of the University.
--------------------
[*] It is understood that spontaneous demonstrations, meetings, and
assemblies sometimes may occur. Any planned or spontaneous
demonstrations, meetings, or assemblies may be conducted in appropriate
areas of the campus with the understanding that they are conducted in a
lawful and orderly manner; do not restrict vehicular or pedestrian
traffic; do not interfere with classes, other scheduled meetings,
events, and ceremonies or with other educational processes of the
University; and are conducted with specific authorization when held in
University buildings, residential areas, or other areas available by
reservation only. The event must have an identified contact person
responsible for the activity, and the organizer must be a member of the
University community (faculty, staff, or student). The University will
recommend an alternative location, date, and/or time if conflicts are
present.
**********
think think?
|
Is this IKJ's attempt to quash any possible protests/rallies and the re-establishment of Tent City in the Fall, despite his support for "exchange of ideas...and speech-making"?
You tell me...
(FYI, long memo! However, it is worth reading!)
**********
June 28, 2006
Memorandum
TO: The Campus Community
FROM: I. King Jordan
SUBJECT: Guidelines for Expressive Activities and Assemblies
Following is a document that presents guidelines for expressive
activities and assemblies which was developed at my request by the
Crisis Management Team. The document begins with a review of information
currently included in the Student Handbook and the Administration and
Operations Manual, describes a plan to establish a committee to develop
a policy addressing expression on campus and lists guidelines we will
have in place until a policy is approved by the Board.
At the beginning of the fall semester, I will be in touch again with
more information about the committee.
Gallaudet University Guidelines for
Expressive Activities and Assemblies
Introduction
Gallaudet University, as a private university, recognizes and supports
its community’s desire and efforts in the exchange of ideas, assembly,
and speech-making on campus. As stated in the Gallaudet Vision
Statement, the University, in valuing freedom of expression, views our
entire community as a forum for the exchange of ideas and scholarly
debate; respect for all will be a hallmark of everything we do. This is
further reinforced in the Gallaudet Credo Statement, which says that
every person should be treated with civility and that our community is
strengthened by the broad diversity of its members
Nonetheless, during both semesters in the 2005-2006 academic year, some
members of the University community did, on occasion, exceed the
boundaries of appropriate expression by engaging in behavior that
infringed on the rights of the University to conduct normal business
and/or on the rights of other members of the community. The University
has an obligation to maintain conditions under which our primary
educational purpose may go forward freely without disruption. The
Gallaudet University Code of Conduct defines disruption of University
academic or non-academic activities as an action that “disrupts the
normal operations of the University and infringes on the rights of other
members of the University community, leading or inciting others to
disrupt scheduled and/or normal activities within any campus building or
area, and intentional obstruction that unreasonably interferes with
freedom of movement, either pedestrian or vehicular, on campus”
(2005-06 Student Handbook, page 11). In addition, the Administration and
Operations (A&O) Manual Policy 1.01 (Standards of Conduct) states that
“the expression of dissent and attempt to produce change may not be
carried out in ways that injure individuals, damage institutional
facilities or property, impede the functioning of programs and services,
or evidence a complete disregard for authority and direction.” (A&O
Policy, 1.01)
It is therefore desirable to remind members of our community of the
manner in which they may engage in such expression at Gallaudet and
ensure that expressive activity is conducted on the grounds of the
University in a way that demonstrates civility and respect for others,
respect for University property, and respect for the right of the
University to continue its normal operations, including classes and
business activities.
It is in the University community’s best interest to develop a
University policy addressing expression on campus that reaffirms the
University’s and the community’s values related to freedom of
expression. The policy will govern activities related to the use of
facilities, the manner of expression that is permitted, and the manner
that is prohibited. Similar policies with “time, manner and/or
place” regulations exist at many institutions of higher education. A
committee consisting of appropriate representatives will be established
at the beginning of the fall semester and will be charged with the
development of this policy.
The following guidelines are being established on an interim basis to
ensure the orderly functioning of the University and its members until
the new policy is in place and approved. They do not repeat or replace
existing policies or guidelines related to the scheduling of events, use
of University facilities, or appropriate behavior as described in the
Student Code of Conduct and Administrations and Operations Manual;
rather, the interim guidelines augment and clarify existing policies to
preserve important values and interests of the University community.
Gallaudet University Guidelines for Expressive Activities and
Assemblies
1) All demonstrations, marches, rallies or peaceful assemblies on campus
must be registered[*]* with the appropriate unit responsible for the
location requested (Registrar’s Office, Campus Activities, Business
Services, etc.) at least 2 business days in advance of the activity.
This helps ensure that the organization has appropriate resources for
its activity. In addition, advance notice ensures that there are no
conflicts with other events at the same location, ensures that the
sponsor of the activity will accept all responsibilities pertaining to
sponsoring and supervising the event, and ensures that reasonable steps
are taken to ensure that the use of scheduled facilities complies with
all applicable policies and regulations. It also ensures that public
area activities do not impede pedestrian or vehicular ingress to or
egress from campus, and it ensures that the size and nature of the event
are appropriate for the location.
2) Structures created for the purpose of free expression, other than
those created by the University itself, may not remain on University
property for an extended period of time. Temporary or symbolic
structures, such as booths, tents, canopies, or similar objects or
enclosures, may be placed on University property and may remain
temporarily on campus, but they must be taken down and removed daily by
a specific time, and the area removed of all debris and trash. The
administration’s actions toward the structures will be guided by
attention to the following, or similar, kinds of campus community
interests that structures could infringe upon:
Protecting health and safety;
Preventing damage or risk of damage to University property;
Preserving unimpeded mobility on pathways and streets, entrance to and
departure from buildings, and unimpeded mobility within buildings;
Providing for competing uses of campus grounds;
Avoiding interference with other University activities;
Reasonably limiting costs to the University of increased Department of
Public Safety protection, potential University liability, insurance
coverage, and cleanup and repair after an event.
Limits on the duration, size, and location of structures or symbolic
structures may also be based legitimately upon the desire to preserve
campus aesthetic values.
3) The sponsoring organization/department must obtain a Structure
Scheduling Form from Business Services and obtain approval prior to the
erection of such structures. The sponsoring organization/department will
be required to sign the agreement on the form pertaining to all
responsibilities associated with the temporary structure, including the
removal of such structure, and acceptance of responsibility for any
injuries to persons or property caused by the temporary structure. The
University reserves the right to deny a request to establish a structure
and to request the removal of temporary structures that may be an
unreasonable safety hazard or inflict unreasonable damage to
landscaping.
4) Overnight camping is not allowed on University property. The use of
any part of the campus for living accommodation purposes such as
overnight sleeping (including the laying down of bedding for the purpose
of sleeping), making a fire, or carrying on cooking activities is
prohibited. The use of any tents, motor vehicles or other structures for
sleeping is also prohibited.
5) Signs, posters, banners, and other materials may not be affixed to
the interior or exterior of any University structure without permission
from the appropriate facilities person or person with authority to grant
such permission. Unauthorized postings, etc. will be removed and
discarded by the University.
6) In furtherance of the educational, research, service, and other
legitimate functions of the University, no part of the campus is
generally available for organized activities after 11 p.m. and before 7
a.m. except for official University activities or organization
activities with prior authorization.
7) During the calendar year noise or amplified music must be maintained
at acceptable levels to avoid interference with classes or other
University activities. In compliance with D.C. ordinances, noise must be
kept at reasonable levels after 11 p.m. This allows for the usual and
customary campus events to take place and at the same time supports the
academic mission of the University, the University’s intent to be a
good neighbor with the surrounding D.C. community, and it observes
applicable D.C. ordinances related to noise.
The University will take action through appropriate internal and/or
external procedures against violators of these guidelines as well as
other existing University policies and regulations. Actions taken may
include the denial of approval of future requests for permission to use
University property by the sponsoring organization/department. Any
sponsoring organization or individual may be subject to all applicable
sanctions for violations of these guidelines or other policies, rules,
or regulations of the University.
--------------------
[*] It is understood that spontaneous demonstrations, meetings, and
assemblies sometimes may occur. Any planned or spontaneous
demonstrations, meetings, or assemblies may be conducted in appropriate
areas of the campus with the understanding that they are conducted in a
lawful and orderly manner; do not restrict vehicular or pedestrian
traffic; do not interfere with classes, other scheduled meetings,
events, and ceremonies or with other educational processes of the
University; and are conducted with specific authorization when held in
University buildings, residential areas, or other areas available by
reservation only. The event must have an identified contact person
responsible for the activity, and the organizer must be a member of the
University community (faculty, staff, or student). The University will
recommend an alternative location, date, and/or time if conflicts are
present.
**********
think think?
|
Reference
I think it's nice when a Deaf blogger/site gets mentioned in a mainstreamed blog, especially a popular one.
Adam Stone, a blogger in DeafDC.com, gets mentioned in Wonkette in regards to Real World in DC.
|
Adam Stone, a blogger in DeafDC.com, gets mentioned in Wonkette in regards to Real World in DC.
|
Parking Spots
Damn!
Over by the Gallaudet/NY Ave Metro, only the selected few knew about free parking spots, scattered around in the area.
There was an area on M and 3rd streets, next to the bridge. One could park there all day in the shade. However, about 2 weeks ago, 2 & 4 hour parking meters were installed there. It's like ghost town on the street.
However, we still had our other secret parking spot on M street. Well, this morning I get there and parked. However, I was a little bothered that there were no other cars there, especially the other cars that are usually parked there. I was running a little late and I found it strange that I found a parking spot easily. I looked up and sure enough, the city posted one of those 2 hour parking limit unless you had a permit. Aha!
So, I drove over a block down for the other secret parking area. Packed! Dammit! Then, I drove back to 4th street for the other secret parking area. Packed! Damn!
I thought...ok, I guess I'll park at the parking garage on the intersection of M and 3rd street. Nope! It wasn't even anywhere close to 8 o'clock and the garage was already packed and closed. Shit!
That parking garage is gonna jack up their price very soon. Originally, it was 3 dollars to park all day. Then, they went up to $4. Now, they're up to $5. You can bet your ass they're gonna raise it up very soon, especially with everyone parking there. I wouldn't be surprised if they upped it between $6 to $10 a day. I'd be very surprised if they went beyond $10.
Damn DC for posting these meters and signs! No one is even parking at the 4 hour meters. Hell-o! A lot of people work 6+ hour workdays. They like to park near a metro station and metro to work, especially if they work downtown. Parking garages in downtown are ridiculously expensive. They're usually $8, $9, $10, $12 and $15 a day to park. Who the hell has time to pay for a 4 hour meter? Who the hell has time to leave work to metro back, just to put in additional coins for additional time?
And...these meter maids are like hawks! It's like they get multiple orgasms while punching out tickets from their little hand-held devices.
So, what did I do? I parked at Gallaudet and took the shuttle to the metro.
Sigh...
**********
News of the Day:
Rochester, NY - Deaf woman to be sentenced for killing a Deaf man
President Bush pushes for line-item veto. This will increase additional presidential powers.
DC estimated that up to 25,000 residents have HIV.
**********
In the Styles section of the Washington Post Express, I saw some cool stuff for us comic book fans.
Available at 80sTees.com:
I'd love to have this bracelet! Oh, that reminds me. KT bought me a Wonder Woman action figure. Yayness! I'll have to take a picture of it. Now, I just have to decide where I wanna put it.
I'm not exactly a fan of Green Lantern. However, I think I would've liked this ring if the green wasn't there. If it was an empty space instead, I'd definitely be wearing it.
Available at Alienware.com:
This is an Area-51 Superman Returns Edition Notebook. Only 350 units were made.
**********
Well, ta ta for now...
|
Over by the Gallaudet/NY Ave Metro, only the selected few knew about free parking spots, scattered around in the area.
There was an area on M and 3rd streets, next to the bridge. One could park there all day in the shade. However, about 2 weeks ago, 2 & 4 hour parking meters were installed there. It's like ghost town on the street.
However, we still had our other secret parking spot on M street. Well, this morning I get there and parked. However, I was a little bothered that there were no other cars there, especially the other cars that are usually parked there. I was running a little late and I found it strange that I found a parking spot easily. I looked up and sure enough, the city posted one of those 2 hour parking limit unless you had a permit. Aha!
So, I drove over a block down for the other secret parking area. Packed! Dammit! Then, I drove back to 4th street for the other secret parking area. Packed! Damn!
I thought...ok, I guess I'll park at the parking garage on the intersection of M and 3rd street. Nope! It wasn't even anywhere close to 8 o'clock and the garage was already packed and closed. Shit!
That parking garage is gonna jack up their price very soon. Originally, it was 3 dollars to park all day. Then, they went up to $4. Now, they're up to $5. You can bet your ass they're gonna raise it up very soon, especially with everyone parking there. I wouldn't be surprised if they upped it between $6 to $10 a day. I'd be very surprised if they went beyond $10.
Damn DC for posting these meters and signs! No one is even parking at the 4 hour meters. Hell-o! A lot of people work 6+ hour workdays. They like to park near a metro station and metro to work, especially if they work downtown. Parking garages in downtown are ridiculously expensive. They're usually $8, $9, $10, $12 and $15 a day to park. Who the hell has time to pay for a 4 hour meter? Who the hell has time to leave work to metro back, just to put in additional coins for additional time?
And...these meter maids are like hawks! It's like they get multiple orgasms while punching out tickets from their little hand-held devices.
So, what did I do? I parked at Gallaudet and took the shuttle to the metro.
Sigh...
**********
News of the Day:
Rochester, NY - Deaf woman to be sentenced for killing a Deaf man
President Bush pushes for line-item veto. This will increase additional presidential powers.
DC estimated that up to 25,000 residents have HIV.
**********
In the Styles section of the Washington Post Express, I saw some cool stuff for us comic book fans.
Available at 80sTees.com:
I'd love to have this bracelet! Oh, that reminds me. KT bought me a Wonder Woman action figure. Yayness! I'll have to take a picture of it. Now, I just have to decide where I wanna put it.
I'm not exactly a fan of Green Lantern. However, I think I would've liked this ring if the green wasn't there. If it was an empty space instead, I'd definitely be wearing it.
Available at Alienware.com:
This is an Area-51 Superman Returns Edition Notebook. Only 350 units were made.
**********
Well, ta ta for now...
|
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
3's
Bad things comes in threes, right? I hope so.
First, we had that break-in at the house. (By the way, we finally go our window replaced yesterday. Yay!)
Second, we had to deal with the shattered window in the back of our car. Fortunately, it was replaced the next day.
Third, this past weekend, we come home from grocery shopping and found a surprise for us. The (dead) tree in front of our house, I guess it decided to uproot itself, was leaning on the house. Part of the gutter was smashed in.
We were like, do do?!? We tried to get the tree off the house and lay it down the ground. It was just a bit heavy to do so. Jon drives by, on the way to take his son to a baseball tournament, and suggests to round up the volunteer (& rescue) firemen around the block. So, KT goes there and the guys were just sitting there and chatting their lives away. Some of the guys were suddenly like "oh, look at the time, I gotta go home". Whateva! Instead of helping us, they said they would call the Dept. of Public Works and that someone would come by.
So, we waited and waited and waited. Screw that! It would be months before we'd see anyone come by. We learned our lesson when we had asked the city to come by and build a small curb to prevent water from the rain, from the slight uphill, from flooding our yard, which would eventually seep into the basement. That took MONTHS for them to finally come by!
So, we went out and got the tree down. Now, it's just laying in the front yard. We need to move it to the side and saw it down.
So, that's it, right? In threes. I'm done, for the moment? The constant rain shouldn't have me worry about something else, right?
*knock on wood*
|
First, we had that break-in at the house. (By the way, we finally go our window replaced yesterday. Yay!)
Second, we had to deal with the shattered window in the back of our car. Fortunately, it was replaced the next day.
Third, this past weekend, we come home from grocery shopping and found a surprise for us. The (dead) tree in front of our house, I guess it decided to uproot itself, was leaning on the house. Part of the gutter was smashed in.
We were like, do do?!? We tried to get the tree off the house and lay it down the ground. It was just a bit heavy to do so. Jon drives by, on the way to take his son to a baseball tournament, and suggests to round up the volunteer (& rescue) firemen around the block. So, KT goes there and the guys were just sitting there and chatting their lives away. Some of the guys were suddenly like "oh, look at the time, I gotta go home". Whateva! Instead of helping us, they said they would call the Dept. of Public Works and that someone would come by.
So, we waited and waited and waited. Screw that! It would be months before we'd see anyone come by. We learned our lesson when we had asked the city to come by and build a small curb to prevent water from the rain, from the slight uphill, from flooding our yard, which would eventually seep into the basement. That took MONTHS for them to finally come by!
So, we went out and got the tree down. Now, it's just laying in the front yard. We need to move it to the side and saw it down.
So, that's it, right? In threes. I'm done, for the moment? The constant rain shouldn't have me worry about something else, right?
*knock on wood*
|
Monday, June 26, 2006
Weekend Movie Reviews
Shopgirl was an interesting romantic (and slow!) movie. Mirabelle is a sales clerk for Saks. She meets a young man, Jeremy, for a date. However, Jeremy has like no clue when it comes to dating and comes off as unimpressive yet quirky. Then, she meets Ray (Steve Martin), an older rich man. She tells Jeremy that she's seeing another guy. Jeremy goes off on a road trip and makes some introspection. Meanwhile, Mirabelle pursues a relationship with Ray, despite Ray's warning that he's not looking for one.
I thought this movie was pretty good, even though it was a bit slow. Sometimes, you gotta go through some shit before you realize who is your real true love.
**********
Green Street Hooligans was pretty good. Elijah Wood plays Matt Buckner who was wrongfully expelled from Harvard, even though he was 2 months shy from getting his Bachelor's. Instead of fighting it, he goes to stay with his sister in England.
Upon arrival, he meets his sister's rowdy brother-in-law, Pete. Pete is a member of a firm of a football team. Now, remember, football, to the rest of the world, is actually soccer. Just don't call it soccer over there. Call it football. Makes me wonder why we don't call soccer, football and football, soccer. Anyways, a firm is sorta like a gang.
Matt gets involved with the firm and gets beaten up. Somehow, he enjoys that adrenaline of violence. It ends on a tragic note. However, Matt eventually builds his confidence, during his time in England, and was able to return to America and face his former roommate for whom he took the fall.
There are some anti-American statements in the movie. You can either laugh it off, get offended or shrug it off. Of course, there are violence along with some bloody scenes.
Overall, I have to say that it was an enjoyable movie. Check it out if you can.
**********
Some time ago, I watched Match Point and forgotten to blog about it.
This is my first Woody Allen movie that I've watched. I don't know what it is about Woody Allen but I've never really been interested in his films. Even though I enjoyed Match Point, I could see where some viewers might not like this Woody Allen movie. It was long and slow.
An Irish tennis instructor, Chris, meets an American actress, who soon dates his soon to be brother-in-law. Since the introduction, Chris cannot get her out of his mind. Chris gets married but he still cannot get her out of his mind. Of course, it leads to an affair. After the initial affair, Chris wants more but the actress doesn't because of guilt. The actress soon dumps the brother-in-law. Chris pursues after her and they continue the affair.
Of course, Chris has to cover his ass about the affair. The actress wants him to leave his wife for her. The wife gets pregnant. The actress gets pregnant. What's Chris to do?!?
Overall, it's a good movie. I think I would've truly enjoyed it if it was shorter.
Well, ta ta for now...
|
Them Bitches are Mine!
3 months since gay marriages have been recognized, Spain sees its first gay divorce. Not only are they divorcing but they're fighting custody over their dogs.
**********
I've blogged about this before. It's in the news again. Older brothers increases the chance of men being gay.
*thinking of friends with older brothers*
No wonder!
|
**********
I've blogged about this before. It's in the news again. Older brothers increases the chance of men being gay.
*thinking of friends with older brothers*
No wonder!
|
Saturday, June 24, 2006
DNA July
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Ain't This Fute!?!
Manny sent me this picture, knowing that I just love Wonder Woman. I thought this was fute*!
*in case you didn't know, fute is a combination of fucking + cute.
**********
News of the Day:
- Punjab opens its first Deaf residential school.
- Arnold Schwarzenegger awarded a Pink Brick, a raspberry award
|
*in case you didn't know, fute is a combination of fucking + cute.
**********
News of the Day:
- Punjab opens its first Deaf residential school.
- Arnold Schwarzenegger awarded a Pink Brick, a raspberry award
|
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Rest in Peace
Hershey & Amish
Last week Tuesday, KT & I got off work. We metro'd to Gally/New York station and got off. We parked our car there (free parking). We walked to the car. What did we see?!?!
Oh no no no! What is it with broken windows? First, we had a break-in at our house. The perpetrator(s) broke through the kitchen window. And now this! We're not sure if someone intentionally broke this window or if a passing vehicle had something sticking out and hit it, while passing by. Either way, it was a pain to call the police, which AIM Relay demanded a 10 digit number because it would not accept the 311 number. The 311 was given to us by the police substation, right there by the metro station. They said they're a substation, not a district station
and therefore could not take our case. Goodness!
After we filed a report, we drove off. It felt kinda silly, driving around with a broken window in the back. We drove off to a gas station that had a coin-operated vaccuum cleaner. Then, went to an auto store for a tarp to cover it.
We were fortunate to learn from our insurance company that windows are replaced in a day. We thought that we had to wait for the shop to order the part, which would take a couple of weeks for arrival.
No more broken things, ok? Especially windows!
**********
Friday morning, Manny, Kekua, KT & I drove off to Pennsylvania for Hershey Park. It was as fun as it was the last time I went there. I love their water rides because you don't get wet...you get soaked! I told myself before not to get on wooden rollercoasters because they shake alot and often rattle my head and neck. They're just uncomfortable. Well, stupidly, I went along with the guys to get on one of the wooden rollercoasters. I came out with head rattled and neck ached. Then, there was another wooden rollercoasters, Kekua and I sat out on this one.
Overall, we had a blast!
The next day, we went back for the Chocolate Factory. You could do the whole tour in less than 2 hours. I was disappointed that they no longer make Krackel, except for minatures. That's my favorite Hershey candy.
After that, we drove up to Lancaster and Intercourse to see the Amish communities. We basically drove through Lancaster, which was a pretty town. We stopped in Intercourse for lunch. If you ever get the chance, dine at Stoltzfus Farm Restaurant. (I thought I took a picture of it with my Sidekick.) It's a cute little restaurant, offering a buffet of food, made from their farm. We left there stuffed!
We did a little shopping afterwards. We checked out the buggies passing by. Then, we drove through the country, enjoying the sceneries. It was just a peaceful drive.
Hmmm, maybe we oughta come back for their Thanksgiving feast. I hear they're fabulous.
**********
Lawdy! It was raining and thundering when KT & I got off work yesterday. We get home and discover that the electricity is out. Ugh!
I thought, it's ok, it'll come back on in a couple of hours. Boy, was I wrong! To keep myself entertained, I tried reading my newest book, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, by candlelight. At first, it was doable but then after awhile I was squinting my eyes just to make out the words. So, I started playing games on my pager. Lawdy! Try playing Ms. Pac-Man on your Sidekick...it's challenging.
Sleeping without the ceiling fan or the a/c running is not fun. Sleeping without the wind blowing through the open window isn't fun either. I told myself not to move so much so I could keep myself cool and sleep through the night. I found myself waking up a couple of times in sweat.
We wake up and the electricity is still out! Ugh! KT just called the electric company. They hope to have power restored by 7pm. Hope? I'm like, you better have it on by then!
**********
News:
The American Psychology Association (APA) has long since abandoned the position that homosexuality was a mental disorder in the early 70's. However, the Pentagon document still held on to that position. Currently, the policy is under review. About damn time!
***
Does anyone else find it funny about Nestle, the biggest food and drink company, buying out Jenny Craig for $600 million dollars? I loved how this satirical article asked, "isn't this like Smirnoff buying the Betty Ford Center?"
***
Wal-Mart plans to sell organic food.
Well, ta ta for now...
|
Oh no no no! What is it with broken windows? First, we had a break-in at our house. The perpetrator(s) broke through the kitchen window. And now this! We're not sure if someone intentionally broke this window or if a passing vehicle had something sticking out and hit it, while passing by. Either way, it was a pain to call the police, which AIM Relay demanded a 10 digit number because it would not accept the 311 number. The 311 was given to us by the police substation, right there by the metro station. They said they're a substation, not a district station
and therefore could not take our case. Goodness!
After we filed a report, we drove off. It felt kinda silly, driving around with a broken window in the back. We drove off to a gas station that had a coin-operated vaccuum cleaner. Then, went to an auto store for a tarp to cover it.
We were fortunate to learn from our insurance company that windows are replaced in a day. We thought that we had to wait for the shop to order the part, which would take a couple of weeks for arrival.
No more broken things, ok? Especially windows!
**********
Friday morning, Manny, Kekua, KT & I drove off to Pennsylvania for Hershey Park. It was as fun as it was the last time I went there. I love their water rides because you don't get wet...you get soaked! I told myself before not to get on wooden rollercoasters because they shake alot and often rattle my head and neck. They're just uncomfortable. Well, stupidly, I went along with the guys to get on one of the wooden rollercoasters. I came out with head rattled and neck ached. Then, there was another wooden rollercoasters, Kekua and I sat out on this one.
Overall, we had a blast!
The next day, we went back for the Chocolate Factory. You could do the whole tour in less than 2 hours. I was disappointed that they no longer make Krackel, except for minatures. That's my favorite Hershey candy.
After that, we drove up to Lancaster and Intercourse to see the Amish communities. We basically drove through Lancaster, which was a pretty town. We stopped in Intercourse for lunch. If you ever get the chance, dine at Stoltzfus Farm Restaurant. (I thought I took a picture of it with my Sidekick.) It's a cute little restaurant, offering a buffet of food, made from their farm. We left there stuffed!
We did a little shopping afterwards. We checked out the buggies passing by. Then, we drove through the country, enjoying the sceneries. It was just a peaceful drive.
Hmmm, maybe we oughta come back for their Thanksgiving feast. I hear they're fabulous.
**********
Lawdy! It was raining and thundering when KT & I got off work yesterday. We get home and discover that the electricity is out. Ugh!
I thought, it's ok, it'll come back on in a couple of hours. Boy, was I wrong! To keep myself entertained, I tried reading my newest book, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, by candlelight. At first, it was doable but then after awhile I was squinting my eyes just to make out the words. So, I started playing games on my pager. Lawdy! Try playing Ms. Pac-Man on your Sidekick...it's challenging.
Sleeping without the ceiling fan or the a/c running is not fun. Sleeping without the wind blowing through the open window isn't fun either. I told myself not to move so much so I could keep myself cool and sleep through the night. I found myself waking up a couple of times in sweat.
We wake up and the electricity is still out! Ugh! KT just called the electric company. They hope to have power restored by 7pm. Hope? I'm like, you better have it on by then!
**********
News:
The American Psychology Association (APA) has long since abandoned the position that homosexuality was a mental disorder in the early 70's. However, the Pentagon document still held on to that position. Currently, the policy is under review. About damn time!
***
Does anyone else find it funny about Nestle, the biggest food and drink company, buying out Jenny Craig for $600 million dollars? I loved how this satirical article asked, "isn't this like Smirnoff buying the Betty Ford Center?"
***
Wal-Mart plans to sell organic food.
Well, ta ta for now...
|
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Pride Weekend
Friday night, KT & I were invited to a wine & cheese party to celebrate a friend's graduation and entrance into the President's Fellowship. (Oooooo!)
I've always known that drinking/enjoying wine is an acquired taste. I've been trying to enjoy wine but haven't had much luck. I had tried Merlot before but we have a love/hate relationship. Some days, I'll love it. Other days, I'm like "yuck!"
Well, I was introduced to the right wine to start off. Boy, that helped! Next thing, I know, I'm like drinking different kinds of wine and actually enjoying it! Loved reisling (sp?), apple and white merlot wines.
Anyways, had a great time with friends. Met a blogger in person. Officially met a couple of Gally alumni that I had seen around campus. It was one of those events where you know you need to leave because of plans/duties for the next day but you don't wanna leave.
We'll have to do that again!
Saturday, KT & I, along with a friend, went out shopping in Bowie. Gawd, the weather was beautiful. It's been fantasic, for June, lately.
Then, we headed over to Chinatown to watch X-Men: The Last Stand.
I enjoyed the film. Of course, being an X-Men fan, I'm gonna enjoy the film whether it was great or lousy. However, you could tell the difference between the directors' styles of X:1/X:2 and X:3. Nonetheless, it was a good film with more focuses on Storm, Iceman, Kitty Pryde, Jean Grey, Colossus and Beast. Cyclops appeared only in the beginning. Rogue and Angel had sporadic apperances. Wolverine got the same amount of appearances as before.
I have to say that Storm's hair is way better in X:3. In X:1 and X:2, she looked like she had on this fake white wig that you could buy at the local Halloween stores (like Party City and Spencer's). Loved her hair in X:3.
However, I'm not sure if I liked Storm's spinning in battle mode. It was as if she was a hurricane herself. Let's leave the spinning to Wonder Woman.
Jean Grey as the Dark Phoenix was awesome. I loved how the director chose to darken her face whenever the Dark Phoenix emerge. However, I was disappointed when there was no flaming phoenix to accompany Jean Grey, as shown in the comics. In X:2, towards the end, you could see a faint image of a phoenix in the lake. I guess I expected the phoenix to be shown in X:3. Nope!
Anyways, the film was enjoyable, along with some cool special effects. Go check it out! By the way, when the movie is over, stay in your seat. There is an additional scene after the credits.
After the movie, we headed to Dupont Circle for the gay pride parade. Now, I hadn't been to the parade in about 3 or 4 years. To me, the gay pride parade in DC has been quite lame and short. At a friend's urging, we decided to go.
Well, it's still lame. There was nothing that really stood out. There were no eye-catching floats. Nothing truly flamboyant. (What the hell happened to the Results float?!?) Beaded necklaces and candies were the most common items thrown to the spectators. Uh, can we get a little more creative? There was a truckload of dancing cowboys. Then, about 10 floats later, there was another truckload of dancing cowboys. Again, creativity is lacking.
I believe DC can do a lot better than their previous parades. Hello, this is the Capital! Show them that you know how throw a fabulous parade. There were more organizations/associations that could have been involved in the parade but were absent, such as Lambda Rising.
After the parade, KT and our friend left to go home. KT had to get up early the next morning to teach. So, I went over to Jeremy's for a little cocktail party. Had a good time, with a glass of white merlot in hand.
Then, headed over to Green Lantern to meet Philip and other Deafies. However, Philip left early. Lawdy, Green Lantern was dead, except upstairs which was having an underwear party. It was obvious that it wasn't successful because only a few guys were in their underwears.
I guess everyone was partying their asses off at Velvet Nation. VN will close its doors on July 15th.
So, with Green Lantern dead, I metro'd home. When I got off my stop, I hailed a cab. The cab driver kept looking in the rearview mirror and winking. I was like, do I have some rainbow sticker on me that I didn't know about or what? We pulled up to the house. He told me the fare. I shelled out money and handed it to him. He tried to grab every opportunity to touch my hand whenever money was exchanged. He kept smiling this big toothy grin. O........k!
Hmm, that's the second time a cab driver flirted with me. The first one, back in San Antonio, was a lot more aggressive and vocal about his desires. That's another story for another day!
Sunday was the gay festival on Pennsylvania Avenue. KT & I had a good time with booth-hopping and collecting freebies. I sampled the Diet Ocean Spray, cranberry flavor. Taste just like the regular cranberry juice! I couldn't tell the difference. Sampled the banana coconut frappuccino from Starbucks. Eh! Not so good. I tasted the coffee more than the banana.
I still want a kilt from Utilikilts. However, every year, I ask myself if I would actually wear it. I'm like, I dunno. With the prices attached to these kilts, I'm like I can wait until I'm sure I'll wear them more than once a year.
Other than that, it was a beautiful day at the festival. However, I was saddened to learn that the funding of the HIV Prevention Program at DeafReach has been cut. It will be suspended on June 30th. I think we all know who's cutting the funds from these important HIV programs. (Hint: POTUS) Please, if you can, make a donation to the HIV Program at DeafReach. I will ask to see where specifically one can make a donation and let y'all know.
Anyways, that was my weekend. It was fun. The weather was just fantastic. It still is!
Below are reviews that I've seen or read over the weekend:
Havoc was interesting. It's about this group of white rich teens, who tried to be gangsta. They feel that this rich kid lifestyle is so lame and want to do something "real". So, this group from West L.A. cross over to East L.A. to get a taste of life in the Latino communities. However, things go wrong when 2 girls want to be initiated into a Latino gang. The white guys return to avenge the girls. Someone gets killed. However, you'll never know who.
The City of Ember is geared towards young adults but can be enjoyed by readers of any age. Ember is the only lighted city in the dark world. The Builders created this city and provided enough resources for 220 years. They left instructions in a time-locked box for the people of Ember to adhere to find a better life in another city. It was the responsibility of the mayors to pass on the box to the successors. However, over time, one mayor misplaced the box and it was lost somewhere in Ember.
240+ years later, people are still residing in Ember. Power outages are more frequent. Resources are low.
One day, Doon and Lina, both 12 years old, discovered the box of instructions from Lina's toddler sister. The instructions are faded because Lina's younger sister had found them and stuff them in her mouth. Doon and Lina worked endlessly solving the gaps in the instructions. Some words are not comprehended by them because they knew no such things, such as 'pineapple', 'boat', 'candle', etc.
Their schooling education stops when they reach a certain grade level (I belive 8th). Upon graduation, they have to draw a slip of paper from a cloth sack, held by the mayor. The paper will determine their lifelong career. Lina is a messenger. Doon is a plumber for a pipe system.
Anyways, Doon and Lina have solved the instructions. However, the mayor and the guards do not want the public to know about the instructions or where it might lead them next and tried to capture them. Doon and Lina escaped, along with her sister, wherever the instructions led them. When they got to their promised destination, they learned why Builders created the city.
The City of Ember is part of a series. Apparently, this book is the middle one.
I truly enjoyed reading The Death of Friends by Michael Nava. This book is part of a series of a gay Mexican lawyer, Henry Rios, doing some sleuth work on the side in Los Angeles.
One morning, after an earthquake, Henry discovered a young man, Zach, waiting for him on his front porch. Zach was a boyfriend of Henry's friend, Chris. Chris was a state Superior judge, whom Henry has known since law school, and was recently murdered. Henry is kinda shocked that Chris had a boyfriend because he knew that Chris is married, with a wife (also known since college) and a kid. Things are complicated for Henry because Chris and Henry had a fling before Henry discovered that Chris was engaged.
The fact that Zach was a former hustler and appeared in a porn film doesn't look good for his credibility. The fact that Zach had discovered Chris' body and touched the murder weapon made things worse. Henry has had to investigate to find out who is lying and who is not. Among those suspected is Chris' wife, which has caused a friction on their friendship.
Meanwhile, Henry has been taking care of his lover, Josh, who is dying from AIDS. Josh was already HIV+ when they first met, which was after Henry had "dumped" Chris. However, when Josh got AIDS, he felt that Henry didn't understand what it was like to have and suffer AIDS. So, Josh left him for another guy with AIDS. However, that lover died and Josh returned to Henry. So, at this point in this series, Henry and Josh have mended their relationship and have been dealing with the severe illnesses that Josh has been suffering.
Henry is just overworking himself, dealing with Josh, Zach, Chris' wife, the aftermath of the earthquake, the investigation and the much publicized trial. He's just like a normal person dealing with various aspects of life at once.
It's a good book that I'm sure you'll enjoy and try to figure out who did it. I was disappointed to learn that Michael Nava has since ceased the Henry Rios series. He has written a total of 7 books for the series. So, I'm gonna collect them all.
Ok, I'm done for now. Ta ta...
|
I've always known that drinking/enjoying wine is an acquired taste. I've been trying to enjoy wine but haven't had much luck. I had tried Merlot before but we have a love/hate relationship. Some days, I'll love it. Other days, I'm like "yuck!"
Well, I was introduced to the right wine to start off. Boy, that helped! Next thing, I know, I'm like drinking different kinds of wine and actually enjoying it! Loved reisling (sp?), apple and white merlot wines.
Anyways, had a great time with friends. Met a blogger in person. Officially met a couple of Gally alumni that I had seen around campus. It was one of those events where you know you need to leave because of plans/duties for the next day but you don't wanna leave.
We'll have to do that again!
Saturday, KT & I, along with a friend, went out shopping in Bowie. Gawd, the weather was beautiful. It's been fantasic, for June, lately.
Then, we headed over to Chinatown to watch X-Men: The Last Stand.
I enjoyed the film. Of course, being an X-Men fan, I'm gonna enjoy the film whether it was great or lousy. However, you could tell the difference between the directors' styles of X:1/X:2 and X:3. Nonetheless, it was a good film with more focuses on Storm, Iceman, Kitty Pryde, Jean Grey, Colossus and Beast. Cyclops appeared only in the beginning. Rogue and Angel had sporadic apperances. Wolverine got the same amount of appearances as before.
I have to say that Storm's hair is way better in X:3. In X:1 and X:2, she looked like she had on this fake white wig that you could buy at the local Halloween stores (like Party City and Spencer's). Loved her hair in X:3.
However, I'm not sure if I liked Storm's spinning in battle mode. It was as if she was a hurricane herself. Let's leave the spinning to Wonder Woman.
Jean Grey as the Dark Phoenix was awesome. I loved how the director chose to darken her face whenever the Dark Phoenix emerge. However, I was disappointed when there was no flaming phoenix to accompany Jean Grey, as shown in the comics. In X:2, towards the end, you could see a faint image of a phoenix in the lake. I guess I expected the phoenix to be shown in X:3. Nope!
Anyways, the film was enjoyable, along with some cool special effects. Go check it out! By the way, when the movie is over, stay in your seat. There is an additional scene after the credits.
After the movie, we headed to Dupont Circle for the gay pride parade. Now, I hadn't been to the parade in about 3 or 4 years. To me, the gay pride parade in DC has been quite lame and short. At a friend's urging, we decided to go.
Well, it's still lame. There was nothing that really stood out. There were no eye-catching floats. Nothing truly flamboyant. (What the hell happened to the Results float?!?) Beaded necklaces and candies were the most common items thrown to the spectators. Uh, can we get a little more creative? There was a truckload of dancing cowboys. Then, about 10 floats later, there was another truckload of dancing cowboys. Again, creativity is lacking.
I believe DC can do a lot better than their previous parades. Hello, this is the Capital! Show them that you know how throw a fabulous parade. There were more organizations/associations that could have been involved in the parade but were absent, such as Lambda Rising.
After the parade, KT and our friend left to go home. KT had to get up early the next morning to teach. So, I went over to Jeremy's for a little cocktail party. Had a good time, with a glass of white merlot in hand.
Then, headed over to Green Lantern to meet Philip and other Deafies. However, Philip left early. Lawdy, Green Lantern was dead, except upstairs which was having an underwear party. It was obvious that it wasn't successful because only a few guys were in their underwears.
I guess everyone was partying their asses off at Velvet Nation. VN will close its doors on July 15th.
So, with Green Lantern dead, I metro'd home. When I got off my stop, I hailed a cab. The cab driver kept looking in the rearview mirror and winking. I was like, do I have some rainbow sticker on me that I didn't know about or what? We pulled up to the house. He told me the fare. I shelled out money and handed it to him. He tried to grab every opportunity to touch my hand whenever money was exchanged. He kept smiling this big toothy grin. O........k!
Hmm, that's the second time a cab driver flirted with me. The first one, back in San Antonio, was a lot more aggressive and vocal about his desires. That's another story for another day!
Sunday was the gay festival on Pennsylvania Avenue. KT & I had a good time with booth-hopping and collecting freebies. I sampled the Diet Ocean Spray, cranberry flavor. Taste just like the regular cranberry juice! I couldn't tell the difference. Sampled the banana coconut frappuccino from Starbucks. Eh! Not so good. I tasted the coffee more than the banana.
I still want a kilt from Utilikilts. However, every year, I ask myself if I would actually wear it. I'm like, I dunno. With the prices attached to these kilts, I'm like I can wait until I'm sure I'll wear them more than once a year.
Other than that, it was a beautiful day at the festival. However, I was saddened to learn that the funding of the HIV Prevention Program at DeafReach has been cut. It will be suspended on June 30th. I think we all know who's cutting the funds from these important HIV programs. (Hint: POTUS) Please, if you can, make a donation to the HIV Program at DeafReach. I will ask to see where specifically one can make a donation and let y'all know.
Anyways, that was my weekend. It was fun. The weather was just fantastic. It still is!
Below are reviews that I've seen or read over the weekend:
Havoc was interesting. It's about this group of white rich teens, who tried to be gangsta. They feel that this rich kid lifestyle is so lame and want to do something "real". So, this group from West L.A. cross over to East L.A. to get a taste of life in the Latino communities. However, things go wrong when 2 girls want to be initiated into a Latino gang. The white guys return to avenge the girls. Someone gets killed. However, you'll never know who.
The City of Ember is geared towards young adults but can be enjoyed by readers of any age. Ember is the only lighted city in the dark world. The Builders created this city and provided enough resources for 220 years. They left instructions in a time-locked box for the people of Ember to adhere to find a better life in another city. It was the responsibility of the mayors to pass on the box to the successors. However, over time, one mayor misplaced the box and it was lost somewhere in Ember.
240+ years later, people are still residing in Ember. Power outages are more frequent. Resources are low.
One day, Doon and Lina, both 12 years old, discovered the box of instructions from Lina's toddler sister. The instructions are faded because Lina's younger sister had found them and stuff them in her mouth. Doon and Lina worked endlessly solving the gaps in the instructions. Some words are not comprehended by them because they knew no such things, such as 'pineapple', 'boat', 'candle', etc.
Their schooling education stops when they reach a certain grade level (I belive 8th). Upon graduation, they have to draw a slip of paper from a cloth sack, held by the mayor. The paper will determine their lifelong career. Lina is a messenger. Doon is a plumber for a pipe system.
Anyways, Doon and Lina have solved the instructions. However, the mayor and the guards do not want the public to know about the instructions or where it might lead them next and tried to capture them. Doon and Lina escaped, along with her sister, wherever the instructions led them. When they got to their promised destination, they learned why Builders created the city.
The City of Ember is part of a series. Apparently, this book is the middle one.
I truly enjoyed reading The Death of Friends by Michael Nava. This book is part of a series of a gay Mexican lawyer, Henry Rios, doing some sleuth work on the side in Los Angeles.
One morning, after an earthquake, Henry discovered a young man, Zach, waiting for him on his front porch. Zach was a boyfriend of Henry's friend, Chris. Chris was a state Superior judge, whom Henry has known since law school, and was recently murdered. Henry is kinda shocked that Chris had a boyfriend because he knew that Chris is married, with a wife (also known since college) and a kid. Things are complicated for Henry because Chris and Henry had a fling before Henry discovered that Chris was engaged.
The fact that Zach was a former hustler and appeared in a porn film doesn't look good for his credibility. The fact that Zach had discovered Chris' body and touched the murder weapon made things worse. Henry has had to investigate to find out who is lying and who is not. Among those suspected is Chris' wife, which has caused a friction on their friendship.
Meanwhile, Henry has been taking care of his lover, Josh, who is dying from AIDS. Josh was already HIV+ when they first met, which was after Henry had "dumped" Chris. However, when Josh got AIDS, he felt that Henry didn't understand what it was like to have and suffer AIDS. So, Josh left him for another guy with AIDS. However, that lover died and Josh returned to Henry. So, at this point in this series, Henry and Josh have mended their relationship and have been dealing with the severe illnesses that Josh has been suffering.
Henry is just overworking himself, dealing with Josh, Zach, Chris' wife, the aftermath of the earthquake, the investigation and the much publicized trial. He's just like a normal person dealing with various aspects of life at once.
It's a good book that I'm sure you'll enjoy and try to figure out who did it. I was disappointed to learn that Michael Nava has since ceased the Henry Rios series. He has written a total of 7 books for the series. So, I'm gonna collect them all.
Ok, I'm done for now. Ta ta...
|
Sunday, June 11, 2006
Pride
Thursday, June 08, 2006
Over the Hedge
Over the Hedge actually surprised me and I laughed throughout the movie.
KT & I got together with some friends and their kids to catch this movie. I kinda had a low expectation of it because I thought it was gonna be cheesy. You know, cheesy enough for kids to enjoy the film.
Boy, was I wrong. I found myself laughing and so were the other adults.
RJ, the racoon tried to steal a heap of food from a bear, who was hibernating. However, he's caught. RJ and the bear made a deal that RJ was to replace the food, which had been destroyed with with a red wagon. He was given until the full moon, which was a week later, as a deadline or he'd be killed.
RJ took off to the city to find food to replace. He came across a group of foragers (turtle, squirrel, possums, hedgehogs and a skunk), who had just woke up from hibernation. Verne, the turtle, is already counting the days until winter returns, in 274 days. The foragers must collect food into a log, their hibernating place.
RJ came up with an idea to expose them to foods of the humans. You know, chips, donuts, Twinkies and those kind of junk food. Upon exposure, he tempted them to collect more and better food for winter storage, which are better than nuts, berries and barks. At the same time, RJ has been storing food on the side for the bear.
Meanwhile, over the hedge, there's a prissy lady, who is the president of the neighborhood association and she is trying to exterminate the vermins. All sorts of things go wrong.
It's hilarious and I highly recommend you to check out the movie! You cannot but love the characters in the film, such as RJ, Verne, Hammy and the others.
5 out of 5 stars
**********
I've noticed a growing trend of people sneaking in outside food and drinks into theaters. Ok, I'll be the first to admit. I do that too.
For those of you that do, I don't blame you. The concessions are expensive! You're likely to shell out the same amount of money for the food that you paid for your movie ticket, if not more. I love to eat popcorn while watching a movie. However, these days, I find myself going to the nearest CVS and stuffing my pockets with generic brand candies. You knows 2 for a dollar for CVS candies.
Last night, KT and I ate out for dinner before the movies. So, we were full and didn't need snacks. Hmmm, eating a meal right before the movies might be the trick.
So, I'm curious to do a poll to see how many other people sneak in outside food and drinks or not.
|
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
The Difference
A quote as seen in WashingtonBlade's DailyBitch:
|
The difference between lesbians and gay men: If a gay man enters a room filled with other gay men and has the strangest feeling he's met some before, he's a slut. If a lesbian enters a room filled with lesbians and doesn't feel anything, they're probably all her ex-girlfriends.
|
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Social Weekend
Last Friday night, KT & I hosted a Mexican dinner with Kekua, Manny & Merritt. We just had a good time chatting up a storm along with glasses of margarita and pina colada.
KT & I found a little Mexican store, near home, that sell fajita meats. They had 3 kinds: plain, "pre-treated" with spices and spicy. We got the first two, for now. They were pretty good.
Then, I finally found my mother's recipe for Mexican rice. When she made it, her rice is always gone. Whenever we had gatherings with families or friends, they would always ask her to make her rice. Anyways, before she passed away, she wrote out some recipes to pass on to me. Well, for the longest time, I could not find this particular recipe. I was so excited when I found it!
So, the night comes and I'm making this Mexican rice with glee. After it was done, I tasted it. Bummer! It wasn't like Mom's! Waaahh! But then, I re-read the recipe and Mom had written at the end, "practice makes perfect". I was like...no, I wanted it just like Mom's like now. Ah well. The thing about Mom is that she never had to measure anything, when cooking. She just went with gut feelings. So, it was hard for her to put down precise measurements for the recipes. I guess all other moms do that as well.
Anyways, we had a good time, along with a few rounds of card games.
Saturday was just one lazy day as KT & I watch a marathon of Big Love. I love Nicki, the second wife of the 3 sisterwives!!!
Sunday, our friend, Hilde (now former Powrie V. Chair of Deaf Studies Dept.) hosted a birthday BBQ for her and others who had a birthday in June. It was good to hang out with some friends as well as making new friends.
It never works when you say you're gonna stay for a couple of hours at any Deaf events. We ended up with a 6 hour stay, if not longer. However, it was just fun, fun, fun!
I really wanted to watch the X-Men this past weekend but they were only available in RWC. I just really wasn't in the mood to deal with any possible fuck-ups with RWC, especially when I had been hearing people complaining about their fuck-ups with the Da Vinci Code and RWC. It seems that, lately, the captioning displays, located at the back of the theatre rooms, abruptly shut down.
So, hopefully, the X-Men will be OC'd this weekend. *fingers crossed* But then, again, this weekend is Gay Pride. Maybe I can do both.
**********
Buddies, by Ethan Mordden, was an enjoyable book to read. Buddies is a fictional collection of vignettes of a man's accounts of gay life in New York City in the 1970's (pre-AIDS) and 1980's.
At first, I wasn't sure that I would like this book because I felt that it was like reading a classics, like The Scarlet Letter, which I vehemently hated. However, I kept on reading and enjoyed the novel. Buddies eventually spanned into a series of 4 or 5 books. I'll definitely be picking up the 2nd book soon.
*********
News of the Day:
Homeless deaf mute man accused in LIC murder "Deaf mute" is still being used? Goodness!
Woman sues WVSDB for breaking leg on stairs
Video Relay explained, along with concerns
Well, ta ta for now...
|
KT & I found a little Mexican store, near home, that sell fajita meats. They had 3 kinds: plain, "pre-treated" with spices and spicy. We got the first two, for now. They were pretty good.
Then, I finally found my mother's recipe for Mexican rice. When she made it, her rice is always gone. Whenever we had gatherings with families or friends, they would always ask her to make her rice. Anyways, before she passed away, she wrote out some recipes to pass on to me. Well, for the longest time, I could not find this particular recipe. I was so excited when I found it!
So, the night comes and I'm making this Mexican rice with glee. After it was done, I tasted it. Bummer! It wasn't like Mom's! Waaahh! But then, I re-read the recipe and Mom had written at the end, "practice makes perfect". I was like...no, I wanted it just like Mom's like now. Ah well. The thing about Mom is that she never had to measure anything, when cooking. She just went with gut feelings. So, it was hard for her to put down precise measurements for the recipes. I guess all other moms do that as well.
Anyways, we had a good time, along with a few rounds of card games.
Saturday was just one lazy day as KT & I watch a marathon of Big Love. I love Nicki, the second wife of the 3 sisterwives!!!
Sunday, our friend, Hilde (now former Powrie V. Chair of Deaf Studies Dept.) hosted a birthday BBQ for her and others who had a birthday in June. It was good to hang out with some friends as well as making new friends.
It never works when you say you're gonna stay for a couple of hours at any Deaf events. We ended up with a 6 hour stay, if not longer. However, it was just fun, fun, fun!
I really wanted to watch the X-Men this past weekend but they were only available in RWC. I just really wasn't in the mood to deal with any possible fuck-ups with RWC, especially when I had been hearing people complaining about their fuck-ups with the Da Vinci Code and RWC. It seems that, lately, the captioning displays, located at the back of the theatre rooms, abruptly shut down.
So, hopefully, the X-Men will be OC'd this weekend. *fingers crossed* But then, again, this weekend is Gay Pride. Maybe I can do both.
**********
Buddies, by Ethan Mordden, was an enjoyable book to read. Buddies is a fictional collection of vignettes of a man's accounts of gay life in New York City in the 1970's (pre-AIDS) and 1980's.
At first, I wasn't sure that I would like this book because I felt that it was like reading a classics, like The Scarlet Letter, which I vehemently hated. However, I kept on reading and enjoyed the novel. Buddies eventually spanned into a series of 4 or 5 books. I'll definitely be picking up the 2nd book soon.
*********
News of the Day:
Homeless deaf mute man accused in LIC murder "Deaf mute" is still being used? Goodness!
Woman sues WVSDB for breaking leg on stairs
Video Relay explained, along with concerns
Well, ta ta for now...
|
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Dammit!
Damn! I knew I should've copied and pasted a portion that I read yesterday and blogged it here.
Yesterday, I was reading about the X-Men in Wikipedia to kill time. As we, comics fans, know that comics often used metaphors addressing real-life issues. The X-Men comics were no different.
Issues:
Homophobia: used Northstar and Anole to address this issue as they were gay themselves. In X2, Bobby Drake (Iceman) "came out" to his parents that he is a mutant. His mother replied, "Have you tried not being a mutant?"
AIDS: the Legacy Virus
Diversity: Shadowcat, Jewish; Dust, Muslim; Nightcrawler, Catholic; Danielle Moonstar, Native American; Storm, Kenyan; Sunspot, Brazilian; Gateway, Aborigine, etc.
I just posted a few here. One of the issues listed was 'Deaf, Cochlear Implants'. It was said that X-Men: The Last Stand was a metaphor for the Deaf community and cochlear implants. In X3, there is a chemical cure for the mutants. The mutant community is divided on whether to take them (to be normal humans) or not. However, this morning, I checked it again so I could blog about it in today's entry and it's gone. Dammit!
Even with that portion erased, one could make a comparison with X3 and the cochlear implant issue dividing the D/deaf communities.
**********
News of the Day:
- Judge evicts Rusty Ackerman, Deaf & Blind, from apartment. Rusty says, "I will live on the street." Others say he's too aggressive to live there.
- Studio Settle Suit Over DVD Closed-Captioning
**********
Well, ta ta for now...
|
Yesterday, I was reading about the X-Men in Wikipedia to kill time. As we, comics fans, know that comics often used metaphors addressing real-life issues. The X-Men comics were no different.
Issues:
Homophobia: used Northstar and Anole to address this issue as they were gay themselves. In X2, Bobby Drake (Iceman) "came out" to his parents that he is a mutant. His mother replied, "Have you tried not being a mutant?"
AIDS: the Legacy Virus
Diversity: Shadowcat, Jewish; Dust, Muslim; Nightcrawler, Catholic; Danielle Moonstar, Native American; Storm, Kenyan; Sunspot, Brazilian; Gateway, Aborigine, etc.
I just posted a few here. One of the issues listed was 'Deaf, Cochlear Implants'. It was said that X-Men: The Last Stand was a metaphor for the Deaf community and cochlear implants. In X3, there is a chemical cure for the mutants. The mutant community is divided on whether to take them (to be normal humans) or not. However, this morning, I checked it again so I could blog about it in today's entry and it's gone. Dammit!
Even with that portion erased, one could make a comparison with X3 and the cochlear implant issue dividing the D/deaf communities.
**********
News of the Day:
- Judge evicts Rusty Ackerman, Deaf & Blind, from apartment. Rusty says, "I will live on the street." Others say he's too aggressive to live there.
- Studio Settle Suit Over DVD Closed-Captioning
**********
Well, ta ta for now...
|
