I Did It!

I blogged every single day in November. Even when I was in a different time zone from my hotel room in DC , even on the weekends when I don't like to be online, even on Thanksgiving, and even the day after when I was hung over.

NaBloPoMo, I rocked you!

Now, I hope I win a prize. Thanks to all my readers (all eight of you), it was nice to know there were a few people out there. I actually enjoyed this exercise, it taught me that less can be more, if I write less each day than I can write more often in the month. I'm going to keep blogging regularly, but probably not every single day, it was hard to come up with shit some days and I had to resort to YouTube videos a few times which I hope you enjoyed.

xo

PS Special thanks to Dana Malan for tuning me into NaBloPoMo and starting a cross continental online game of scrabble with me.

Human Rights in NOLA

December 10th is Human Rights Day. Come to New Orleans December 10th and join the Stop the Demolition Coalition as we mount a campaign to stop the demolition of public housing...

The demolition of all four major public housing developments has been set for mid-December. We are calling on our national allies to join with the residents of New Orleans and all those who believe in the human right to housing to resist demolition.

I Pledge: "I believe in the fundamental human right to housing, and I will not be a witness to the denial of this right to the peoples of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. I therefore pledge myself to resist the denial of this right by all civil and humanitarian means available, including civil disobedience. I pledge to stand ready to take action against this imminent threat and to put myself on the line, either directly in New Orleans or in strategic locales throughout the US, in support of the demands and leadership of the peoples of New Orleans and their organizations in the struggle for housing and human rights." We ask that all those interested in coming to New Orleans to contact us before making the journey. We need to ensure that everyone coming is registered, properly orientated and trained in order to partake in this act of resistance in the manner determined by the local leaders and residents. If you are already in New Orleans, please sign the pledge so we know how to contact you, to let you know about local updates and meetings. Please contact us via email at action@peopleshurricane.org, with the word "registration" in the subject line. Please include the following information: Name: Affinity Group/Organization (if applicable): Phone: Email: Have you ever received any training in civil disobedience? What skills/resources are you able to bring to New Orleans? Remember - the primary role of people coming to New Orleans to join in this fight is to be ALLIES, and not to be part of major decision making. All making this pledge must be advised of the following: Given the limited timeframe and resources of the various organizations spearheading this fight - *Legal counsel and aid. All effort is and will be made to provide adequate legal support, but the reality is that it is limited at present. *Lodging and food. Again, given the uncertain timeline and limited resources, housing venues are presently limited, but all effort will be made to support all those making this bold pledge. Housing is almost entirely limited to tenting space, so please bring all appropriate camping gear for tenting in cold weather. Please make as many of your own arrangements and bring as many of your own supplies as possible. For more information, please contact Stop the Demolition Coalition at action@peopleshurricane.org, or call us at 504.458.3494. Dare to Struggle, Dare to Win!

If you are coming to New Orleans: Please think about forming an affinity group before you get here. Different roles in an affinity group can be: * point person to coordinate with local leadership * legal support person/people for members of your group * medics * photo/videographer (for documentation of events and indymedia coverage in your own area) *police liasion *arrestees etc, etc. if your group has some of its own logistical needs taken care of, this will help local organizers coordinate on a broader level. For example, if each affinity group has a legal support person, they can coordinate with the local legal team to make sure everyone's legal needs are taken care of.

We really need as many people here as possible, but if you are unable to join us in New Orleans, here are some ways you can help: *financial donations (email us at action@peopleshurricane.org for info on where to send donations) *organize a solidarity demonstration at your local HUD (Housing and Urban Development) office for the week of December 10. This will be an ongoing campaign. If you are not able to come for the week of the 10th but would like to receive updates on the campaign, send back the pledge and let us know your availability.

I'll Bite Your Bum

Or my cat will. Last night, my kitty Finn, attacked the unsuspecting arse of my housemate Ethan. It was amazingly hilarious and I am so glad I caught it on film. At least one member of the family is making good on my oft heard threats to bite people's bums. (Look at the picture, you can tell Ethan likes it!)

Sagittari, I Love You

Today is another special day! It's the 30th birthday of my very best friend from college, Aleah. Aleah and I have known each other since we were 18, which means 12 freaking years--holy crap, we are old now. When I first met Aleah I didn't like her because she was dating my roommate who I didn't get along with. Luckily for me, after the first semester at Antioch they broke up and we became friends.

Our friendship was sealed when we spent a poverty stricken semester living in Washington DC together, interning at feminist organizations, subsisting on minimum wage, and (being underage) clinic escorting for fun. I moved to SF to be closer to Aleah but she thwarted this effort by moving to my home state of Massachusetts six months later to attend nursing school (the ironing was bitter).

Despite all the distance, and a few major issues (what happens to the relationship of two sugar addicts when one goes sugar-free?), we have remained close friends. Even though her Sagittarian nature makes her a commitment-phobe, in the past five years Aleah has acquired: a dog, car, girlfriend, masters degree, and a house in the suburbs. Way to live the American Lesbo Dream. She is a true trail blazer and as of today, she has bravely ventured into the dirty 30s, showing us how it's done with style, grace and a sassy hair cut. I love ya Smush.

Happy Birthday Frome

Today is the 31st birthday of my dear friend and housemate Ethan--yay! I love Ethan and am so glad that he was born and I get to live with him. Want to know the top 5 things I love about Ethan? Ok, I'll tell you (warning: this includes secrets that I only learned once he moved in):

1. Breakfast is Important: He likes to start each day with a cup of black tea and oatmeal, just like me (minus the tea). He boils the water for 2 minutes because he claims that an Irishman told him oxidized water is the key to delicious tea.
2. He is a cat whisperer: He acts like everyone intuitively understands cats and their needs, but he's wrong. Even crazy cat lovers like myself are often baffled by the furry beasts. Ethan has a special gift, he understands the meowsers.
3. He wears bathrobes: They are flannel and freaking cute.
4. He is Brave: He calls the downstairs neighbors to ask them to be quiet when I am feeling too scared or angry to do it. Even if he doesn't think they're being too loud and it's just me being crazy.
5. Good listener: When I am sad or needing to process (like everyday) he is there for me. He invites me to lay my head on his manly bosom, spill my woes and soon I feel much better.


If you are in the area come over to celebrate the life and times of Ethan Frome tonight!

Joseph Cornell: Who Are Ye?

My friend Melinda sent me the following email after reading my post on Joseph Cornell which I found so fascinating I have to share it with you all:

...just caught myself up on your goings on. JOSEPH CORNELL IS MY FAVORITE!!! yay! i've been reading a biography of him for the last several months. it's real dense + real sad so it's slow going. some fun facts about him:

--never had penetrative sex. maybe oral sex once.

--spent most of his life living with his domineering mother + his brother robert, who had cerebral palsy at a time when people didn't really know how to handle such conditions. he was robert's primary caretaker.

--hated selling his work

--intensely voyeuristic bordering on creepy

--he also made short films!! they sound really amazing + i'd love to see them.

the art institute in chicago has a big collection of his stuff. a lot of pieces from his aviary period, which was right before the night sky stuff. i thought it was interesting to read about how the guy who donated that stuff to the art institute had to creep around + collect the boxes from dealers behind cornell's back. joey didn't want anybody to have too much.

Wow, what a weird-o, how intriguing. I must learn more...I'll keep you posted, dear readers but in the mean time, here are some basic stats:

Born: 24-Dec-1903
Birthplace: Nyack, NY
Died: 29-Dec-1972
Location of death: Queens, NY
Cause of death: unspecified

Gender: Male
Religion: Christian Science
Race or Ethnicity: White
Occupation: Sculptor

Nationality: United States
Executive summary: Exponent of Assemblage

See It

Jimmy and I went to the SF MOMA today which I usually think of as the poor relation to the NY MOMA, but I really enjoyed myself. One of the my favorite exhibits was Joseph Cornell: Navigating the Imagination. He was a self-taught collage artist and film maker who transformed the use of boxes. I really enjoyed the surrealist element as well as his exploration of astronomy and dreams. I think Tucker would have loved the exhibit as well.

Legal Workers Unite!

When I saw Julia Roberts on the cover of Vanity Fair this month I felt very annoyed. She belongs to a class of actors who I adored in my childhood, but who began to annoy the crap out of me in my later years (Tom Hanks, Winona Ryder, and Ethan Hawke all are a part of this club). I decided to watch Erin Brockovich, the movie she won an Oscar for to decide once and for all if I think Julia Roberts is a good actor or not.

Well, I watched it last night, and I have to say, besides being a really moving and compelling story (PG&E is so sick and evil) it's a bad ass anthem for legal workers (non-attorney people who work in the legal profession) and Julia Roberts does a really good job in it. I can't even deny it or try to carry on hating her the same way anymore. That movie rocked and she did too. Also, the real Erin Brockovich should join the National Lawyers Guild.

Is Britney Spears the New Michael Jackson?

As a treat at the end of the day, after 3pm, I allow myself to look at celebrity blogs. I try to tell myself its a mindless distraction but sometimes I dream about hanging out with celebrities (I wish I was kidding) and often find myself ruminating about their lives and problems.

Take Britney Spears for example, she is tacky and terrible right? However, she is also a tragic figure to me, just like Michael Jackson. There are many similarities between them:

1. Neither one had a normal childhood, both were performing from an early age
2. Both became rich very young
3. Both were sexualized and objectified in their teen years
4. Both have destroyed their former image:Michael as a black man, with the plastic surgery and skin pigmentation altering. Britney as a good girl, with the tacky tattoos, vajayjay flashing, and shaved head.
5. They are both exhibitionists: MJ went through a crazy crotch grabbing phase (is it over?) and Britney is constantly revealing herself in public
6. They are both scary, bad parents:Michael Jackson allegedly had children with his former wife and dental hygenist but I really don't think he is the biological father of those little toe-heads. He makes his children wear crazy masks and wraps their heads in scarves. Then there are all the sexual abuse allegations...Britney has a substance abuse issue and has had her children taken away from her.
7. Neither seem to have a grasp on consequences or cause and effect.
8. Both are unstable, I think this is obvious.

My Family...

is unhappy that I didn't come home for Thanksgiving. My aunt, Eileen, just got back from Iraq which is clearly a big deal and I would have loved to see her, but it just wasn't happening this year. For one thing, my x-mas ticket back to Boston already cost me $600. My mom and dad probably would have paid for most, if not all, of my ticket to come back for t-day but I hate flying, and I already flew once this month. Plus, I need this weekend to work on my grad school applications (a reason my brother found most dissatisfying).

I have always hated Thanksgiving: the football, the awkward meal time, the whitewashing of genocide, I honestly never enjoyed it. Which is why I have rarely been present for one with the fam since I left home when I was 18. Instead, today, I am having a Vegan Feast Against Imperialism with my chosen San Francisco (gay) family. Sometimes I think about moving back to the East Coast, it would make the holidays so much easier, but then I would have to live on the East Coast. And it's cold there. And I hate the cold. I feel conflicted.

What I'm Grateful For

That I live in a city where I can pre-order a vegan, gluten and sugar-free, raw, pumpkin pie a few days before Thanksgiving and then stroll down to pick it up on my lunch break (while also getting a tasty raw, sugar-free, vegan milkshake). Where is this paradise for neurotic hippy people with food issues? Well the city is San Francisco, duh, and the restaurant is Cafe Gratitude, where all the items on the menu have names like "I am Radiant" and "I am Chipper". When I went there last week with my intern, I announced I was going to the bathroom by telling her "I am Peeing". She didn't think it was that funny but I did. Sadly, like many other veggie restaurants, the place is run by people who are in a cult, but I am down with their ethos and abundantly grateful that they make such tasty treats for me to eat.

The New York Times recently featured Gratitude, Millennium and some of my other favorite veggie places: http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/11/18/travel/18Choice.html?ref=travel

Naughty Kitty

My cat Finn doesn't talk much and when he does it's usually a low guttural sounding plaintive meow. One sure way to get him to speak up is to open a can of wet cat food (this video is not of Finn):

The Time of My Life

I don't usually say this about straight people and weddings, but these people are freaking geniuses. Note: the dude is equally if not more into it!

Amor Cubano

Last night was the world premiere of Amor Cubano: In a bottle, a tube and a small packet. The one woman show, starring Maceo Cabrera Estevez, is a testament to the healing powers of love and it's ability to transform the world and shake up the U.S. government. The amazing band, Krudas Cubensi, performed afterwards. The night was a great success and I am so happy for Maceo.

It's Over

The worst of my crazy busy work period is basically over. I just got back from the day long board retreat and now all I have to do is get through the Holiday party and I have a few months of breathing room before our annual dinner. Thank the baby Jeebus.

My Ponytail

Is seriously long (for me). Also it looks like my hair is turning red (as well as gray) in my old age. Weird, I think it got light in Mexico and has just kept going.

I have to work tonight and all day tomorrow and that makes me very sad. Oh, there is a benefit for the Femme Coloring Book at the Lex tonight. They are going to auction off a tarot card reading with yours truly, how lesbionic.

Brooklyn, My Habitat

The place where I happen at.

-Mos Def

That was Tucker's email signature when I first met her. My sweet friend, how I miss her. Last night I dreamed that someone rang my bell and when I went to answer the door, through the window I saw it was her. I couldn't believe it! She was animated and looking dapper and excited to see me, laughing, laughing because she had cheated death. Done the impossible and after almost two years in the ground, resurrected herself and was looking none the worse for the wear. I started crying because I was so happy to see her and then I opened the door and she jumped up and down with excitement and when I went to hug her it all faded.

Sick, and Amazing

I like to joke that people (namely, my family) on the East Coast think that people (specifically, me) in California are crazy and sometimes the folks of San Francisco play right into their judgemental hands--like the pre-Burning man hoolahoop raves that spontaneous pop up in Dolores Park on summer weekends.

The local response to the oil spill is another such example:

A group of guerrilla volunteers is cleaning oil from San Francisco's beaches using an unorthodox, albeit totally organic, method: human hair and mushrooms. Using mats made of hair, they are absorbing the droplets of oil that have washed ashore since a cargo ship rammed the base of a Bay Bridge tower last week, spilling 58,000 gallons of fuel.

The original article can be found on SFGate.com here:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/11/14/MNPQTBLE4.DTL

Of course, I support their efforts completely and if my OCD didn't make those mats seem like the most disgusting things in the world, I would hop in a white hazmat suit, go clean some oil and try to save a few birds.

So Sad

The mother of hip hop artist, Kanye West, Donda West, passed away on Saturday night, the cause appears to be complications from a plastic surgery operation--breast reduction and a tummy tuck. I don't agree that the death of a celebrity or someone in their family is more tragic than anyone else, but for this strong, intelligent woman to die from an elective surgery is just so wrong to me. In cases of fire or accidents, I think plastic surgery is great, but the way it's utilized in society today disturbs me and I think its a gruesome tool of the patriarchy. Also, the song he wrote for her, Hey Mama, on the Late Registration album is one of the sweetest.

Heron's Head

Today I went to Heron's Head Park and saw lots of birds. It was really pretty and reminded me of going to Castle Island in Boston with my mom. From the park you have views of the East Bay, the PG&E plant and some gigantic ships (please don't have any more accidents in the Bay!). I got there in a car but it's bikeable and probably walkable from the Mission, I recommend it as an urban adventure. This is the deal with the park:

Heron's Head Park (formerly known as Pier 98) is a 24-acre restored wetland, that is owned and operated by the Port of San Francisco and situated at the base of the Hunters Point Power Plant. Heron's Head is a unique environment in that it is built on landfill, but is now a thriving marsh that is maintained primarily by youth and community volunteers. More than 1,200 student volunteers serve as primary caretakers of the park each year. They help to plant native plant species, weed non-natives, and clean and maintain the wild areas of the park. Heron's Head Park supports over 78 species of birds annually, and is an important rest stop for migratory birds along the Pacific Flyway.

It's My Cat in a Box

Why does my cat, Finn, love cardboard boxes so much? They have become his new favorite place to sleep and this past week there was a box in my room, the kitchen and the TV room until I said enough and threw two of the fur covered disintegrating things away. He seems to miss them. But I miss the days when he used to sleep on my bed.

I guess it's normal for cats to like to squeeze themselves into tight places. As you can see in these pictures, Finn is a big boy and is essentially crushing the shit out of the box he is sitting in. He lost interest in it after it eventually became a three sided dug out. But what does the box remind him of in the wild? A little nest or lair or hole?

Choose

Which do you think is scarier: bears or sharks?

I say sharks but my friend Travis thinks bears, but I think he is wrong and after seeing the Grizzly Man movie I have to say that I know of no human who ever made "friends" with any sharks. Sharks are clearly so much scarier.

Just Give Me a Degree Already

I am reapplying to grad school and the process has me in a near paralyzed state of panic. For those not familiar with my record, this is my 3rd time applying to grad schools, and hopefully it will be the charm. The first time I applied to one school, the MFA film program at SFSU, and got it but declined to go. The second time, last year, I applied to 14 MFA in creative writing programs and got rejected from ALL of them. Ouch. It hurt, it stung, it burn and most of all, it crushed my ego. But if I really want to be a writer, I have to suck it up. So sucking I am, but the whole thing freaking stinks.

First off, I am working on refining my 40 page writing sample while at the same time trying to stay on top of the letters of rec, transcripts, GRE, personal statement and scholarship applications. Oh, and did I mention my demanding non-profit job that makes me work many nights and weekends during the fall? Yeah, don't forget about that. It all feels like too much and part of me just wants to give up and say fuck you to Cornell (its cold as hell up there anyway!) and all the other big name schools and just apply to SFSU again. That way I can keep my nice gay life here in S.F. and still get to go to grad school. But my therapist is encouraging me to hang in there, so I am trying.

1600 Pennsylvania Ave

When I went to Washington D.C. I visited the White House because I had some feelings I wanted to share with George Bush. However, I also wanted to stop by the 24 hour Anti-Nuke vigil that has been going on since 1981. I freaking love those people, their dedication is amazing.

No Music, No Cry

Two of my favorite artists, Mos Def and M.I.A., are playing sold out shows in S.F. tonight and I have to go to a board meeting (insert sad face emoticon here). I never go to concerts anymore because I am old and the headliners never come on before midnight and that's too freaking late for a school night. I did go to the Dead Prez show last month that was a benefit for the SF8 Case but there were five opening acts, no one even talked about the case, we left after three songs because we were so tired and got sexually harassed on the way out. Total crap.

Also, all the shows are so expensive. In the 90s I saw Sleater Kinney and Ani DiFranco play for $8 (different shows). Now every band I would ever want to see charges at least $30/ticket. WTF? Inflation hasn't gone up that much. But if I was going to go to a show, I would really love to see M.I.A. because I'm sure she would be amazingly creative with her stage performance.

A Plague Upon Ye Pilgrims

Wild turkeys have taken over my hometown of Brookline, MA and it has finally made the news: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15604152. A few years ago, a group of them were crossing the street behind my elementary school when I was trying to drive down the road. It was quite a sight and pretty bewildering to behold a bunch of wild animals in such a densely populated area, but I support them. They were here first and deserve to be able to travel freely in their native land. Turkeys Fight Back Against Yuppie Gentrification!

NaNoWriMo

In addition to NaBloPoMo, November is also NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). You can sign up to participate on their web site www.nanowrimo.org/ and the goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30.

I am not going to participate this year because my personal goal for November is to finish my 40 page writing sample for my grad school applications but I really love that there are so many fun online writer community things happening right now.

Check Out

I have to check out of the hotel now but my flight doesn't leave until 8:30pm. The convention is over and I survived--hurray. This is a boring post but it's hard to be witty everyday, especially when sleep deprived.

Napping, Like Sisterhood, Is Powerful

Day 3 of the official convention is over and I made it through thanks to an amazingly restorative nap. Last night Travis and I watched The Office and a few episodes of the Maria Bamford show which I highly recommend, especially this episode:

http://www.superdeluxe.com/sd/contentDetail.do?id=D81F2344BF5AC7BB68D130210807DBA3A0BFC7D25D763B82

So I didn't get to sleep until around 1:30am and given the bad jet lag I have been having it was a miracle I could fall asleep even then (I was aided by tranquilizers and alcohol) and I had to get up at 8am because I was organizing the Dismantling Racism training which I am happy to say went really well. But instead of listening to the attorneys continue to fight about Israel and Palestine I decided to take a nap and slept for several hours which was heavenly and allowed me to continue functioning to this late hour in the evening. Hurray, I love naps, even though they are hard for me to take because it takes a long time for me to fall asleep and sometimes I wake up really groggy.

The honorees of tonights banquet dinner were the past women presidents of the Guild which are some bad ass women. I'm glad that my important nap allowed me to enjoy such a nice night of feminist revelry.

So Tired

I have been having bad jet lag and for the past two nights haven't been able to fall asleep before 3am. WTF? I need 8 hours or I am cranky and my roommate Travis found me crying in my room this afternoon because I didn't want to go down to the plenary. My friend Anne asked me to speak in favor of an amendment to the NLG constitution she had introduced. So once again, I had to get up and speak in front of over a hundred people. They told me I did a good job but I don't enjoy such things. I wish I was back home with my cat or in New York with my friends.

NaBloPoMo

I have decided to participate in NaBloPoMo a challenge and a website where if you post on your blog every day in the month of November than you can win a prize. I am going to try to do this in hopes that it will get me back in the groove of blog posting and just so I am writing something fun everyday. To learn more go to: http://nablopomo.ning.com/

I am in Washington D.C. for work which is fun for me because I lived here for a semester 10 years ago (holy f, I am old). Today I walked around with my friend Travis and went to the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial and the White House. I had my picture taken at each of these places and at the White House I had my picture taken while giving the finger (both fingers actually) and then I posed giving the thumbs up sign in front of the 24 hour peace vigil. I love those freaking people.

When I lived here I called the Washington Monument 'the blinking phallus' because it has two holes on each side that red light shines out of in the night time. It looks really sinister, these scary red eyes, and today Travis articulated that the Washington Monument looks like a giant Klansman, which I think is true. So clearly it is a perfect symbol for racist government but I think it's pretty awful to have sight a symbol staring out at the city of D.C. which is predominately black.