Correction

Mark Foley is not a pedophile, he is a predator. He is a liar, too. Seems every time a Republican moves his or her lips, they're lying.

Dept of irony

Is it just me (because on this blog it is all about me) that sees the irony of two of the biggest lecturing bodies int he world, the Catholic church and the Republican congress which is hiding pedophiles? Priests, congressmen, emails, outright solicitations, sexual harrassment, lying to those they are supposed to be serving. Parallel universes where some of the men wear big hats and dresses, the others wearing Armani and fake smiles.

Here are the points I want to make about today's explosion in DC over former Congressman/sexual harrasser Mark Foley.

1. Foley lied. The end.
2. The Republican leadership knew about this and didn't do one damn thing to protect these young men from Foley. This is a page from the Vatican playbook.
3. There is a special place in hell for pedophiles, especially priests.
4. This all happened on one of the slowest news times of the week, on a Friday afternoon. think what will happen after this gets even more traction on Monday.
5. Bob Woodward's new book is on sale on Tuesday and will blast another hole in the Republicans house of lies.
6. The mid term elections are in 38 days.

Finally a ray of hope.

Hasta la Vista, Baby

What a good way to start a weekend. Buh bye Congressman Foley. From TPM. He's gone, he's outta here, he is totally whacked and what's more the closet doors are blown off the hinges.

La Betty

It is not often that I have a tremendous emotional reaction to any mainstream media. Tonight was one of those rare times. "Ugly Betty" made my night, my day, my week, my month and my year, maybe my decade.

For those of you non-Latinos who have not been anxiously awaiting this show, here's the scoop. Ugly Betty is based on a Columbian telenovela, a Spanish language soap. The original, Betty la Fea, was wildly popular amongs the novela set. It has been brought to ABC by the fabulosa Salma Hayek.

It is the story of a young woman, Betty Suarez, of Queens. She is hired for her first job at a fashionista glossy mag and now we follow her story. There is ugliness aplenty among the employees who seem to be the cheap superficial types, including a gay man. She is humiliated and tormented but Betty rises above it all and gave me reason to hope.

Tonight I actually I had hope again that I could get a job. Hope for the future in spite of the loss of the American Constitution today. Hope in my own abilities. I felt that side of me, again, that could take on the world which has been missing for months.

All this from an hour of watching tv. Es un milagro, it's a miracle.

Thank you Salma, thank you America Ferrera who plays Betty, thank you for reminding me who I am and what I can be.

Volver

For me, there is nothing quite like getting to spend time with a bunch of older Mexican women. Today was one of those days.

I drove my mom, my aunt and uncle up to Lincoln, Ca, outside of Sacramento. That translates to 5 hours of driving for me. While it was a good reminder for me why I don't want to commute ever again, it was certainly nice to have my uncle in the front seat because he is very quiet and made the drive a lot easier.

One of my grandfather's nieces, my mom and aunt's cousin, was having a birthday party. There were people from all over California there. Two women had driven from LA this morning to come to the party. There were mariachis, cake and a late starting time, a real Mexican pachanga.

I met a new cousin, met some of the family I hadn't met as an adult and helped serve cake. I assisted one of the cousins who was using a cane, took pictures and got in between my mom and one of the employees. Another sign of a Mexican party, a little chingaso.

As I was sitting there listening to the mariachis I realized this was a perfect moment. Songs I know but don't know the words to thrilled me. Seeing people around the table singing the songs and having my aunt dance with her husband and cousin was particularly beautiful. Seeing other women who looked like me, talked like me and laughed like me was so self affirming. We all came from the same place, this little border town in Texas, Del Rio. It is a small, elite group that survived the racism and can still laugh today in spite of the pain.

So for one day, I didn't pay attention to Bush the cabron. Didn't read much on line and just did something for me and my family. Singing mariachi songs with my elders has a way of putting things in perspective.

Bigger EEEEWWWW

From the Miami Herald

Here's the headline, ready?
Injured penis worth $1.5 million to jury

Just read what this poor man went through. Now I must go laugh my ass off.

EEEWWW

EEEWW. Bringing a whole new meaning to client privilege, Anna Nicole Smith's lawyer told Larry King tonight that he is the father of her baby.

Road trip

Shoot, I just realized I forgot to have a fund raiser so I could spend all my time blogging.

In the meantime, I will do things like the road trip tomorrow with my mother, my aunt and uncle. I have visions of me having to be the adult and separating them from fighting in the car. Or I can just put the top down and then they can't talk to each other.

For the most part the two siblings, my mom and my aunt, get along pretty well. But every once in a while there is a big ol' Mexican explosion and all the kids go running for cover. My uncle has the beginnings of Alzheimer's so he just kind of goes with the flow and ducks for cover too. As the oldest of my generation, all 17 of us, I try to be the country of Switzerland, staying neutral at all times. But since they are all getting up there in age, they asked me to drive them to a small town outside of Sacramento for a party for a cousin. I had no excuse for bailing so I said yes.

I hope to get home with a modicum of sanity. That may be too much to ask for so I better light the St. Jude candle.

At least this gets me away from the computer and my ridiculous need to read about all of Bush's lies and bitch fights with the Clintons. I wonder if we will ever know how completely Bush has screwed us. When I was delusional and thought Kerry had a chance to win, I had visions of all the lies being exposed, the wrongs being righted and some integrity restored to our country.

And then I woke up.

Now we hear that the intelligence communities believe we are really fucked. These jackasses in the White House are sitting on intelligence reports that expose a small part of the deceit and deception we have been living with for the past six years. There are not one but two reports, according to Congresswoman Jane Harman and TPM Muckraker that these shit heads have not released to us.

Her comment:

"I have also learned that there is a [National Intelligence Estimate] on Iraq -- specifically on Iraq -- that has been left in draft form at the National Intelligence Council. That is because some of our leaders don't want us to see it until after the election. It should be clear five years after 9/11 that we need accurate and actionable intelligence -- actionable in real time -- and we need our leaders to read that intelligence and cite it accurately. Sadly, we're doing better on the first piece; we're not doing better on the second piece."

Good thing Halloween is coming up. At least there will be a chance for treats without all the tricks from the bullies in DC.

Life or something like it

I almost put a link on here to an article about the idiot vice president and then I came to my senses. From the administration that has trouble stringing together coherent thoughts, sentences and policies now they are making up new words to describe Democrats. The huevos to call us names after what they have done.

Speaking of having done something, seems George Macaca Allen, senator from Virginia, has had some startling revelations in the last few weeks. Starting his downward slide with the infamous macaca statement, the guy from California who wears cowboy boots in a state where there are no cowboys, turns out he liked using the N word. There are several accounts here (NYT) and here (Salon) about what the horse's ass has said in the past. Actually it wasn't just words but his actions that made me sick to my stomach. And just remember Tony Snow said racism in America is history. Yes but now the racists are on the Hill.

And this had to be one of the rudest, crudest and stupid things any Republican has done in ages. Democrat Tammy Duckworth, a Dem running for Congress in Illinois was in a debate with her neanderthal opponent. She is an Iraq vet who left her legs in Iraq. Know what he said? She just wants to cut and run. Hello, jackass, she can't run!

Apparently I am just name calling tonight. Must be from my soccer game yesterday and my sister almost getting into a fight with the other team's goalie. My shy sister, the nurse, came up from a tumble with the goalie and said "You want some of this?" Thought I was at a hockey game and she was going to go flying into this woman.

On Saturday night I went to a reunion of the San Jose CyberRays who were a member of the now defunct WUSA, the women's pro soccer league. The league folded after three years and all these wonderful women athlete's were left without a place to play for pay. What a great event which was a fund raiser for the Bay Area Women's Sports Initiative - BAWSI. It is pronounced BOSSY. The organization was started by Brandi Chastain and Julie Foudy both former members of the US soccer team which captivated the world in the women's World Cup a few years back.

OK I'm getting to the point. BAWSI does these programs for young girls called GoGirlGO which puts together young women athletes with girls in grade schools. They play together in a structured environment. Through the program the girls are taught self-esteem, how to enjoy exercise and other life skills, giving them alternatives to gangs, drugs and other detrimental activities. The program is wildly successful in Santa Clara County.

Now I am going to work with the new program being started for girls in wheel chairs. Next Tuesday I am working with Sharon Kelleher, who is a wheel chair athlete, to provide support to this pilot program. This is one of the coolest things I have ever had a chance to do as an athlete. I will post pictures and give updates on this new endeavor.

So at least I have a real life alternative to the liars running the country and can be around girls who just want to have fun.

I know the answer

Yeah color me surprised. Rove has promised GOP insiders an October surprise, according to Raw Story. At first I thought it would be to formally announce the further invasion of Iran. But how does v.2.0 of an unpopular war get you an election?

So now I know, it will be a purported "foiled" attack. BushCo will have "saved" millions of people from annihilation and therefore we should vote for his puppets. Another step on the short road to hell.

Sisters are doing it for themselves

Now I can finally tell the Jane Fonda, Gloria Steinem stories from yesterday.

Ms Marinucci, being the great friend that she is, invited me up to the SF Chronicle for a panel featuring Gloria Steinem, Jane Fonda, Helen Zia, Cristina Azocar, Robin Morgan, former Planned Parenthood national director Gloria Feldt and producer Carol Jenkins. They are all on the board of a new non-profit, the Women's Media Center, based in New York City.

The media program is providing women as sources for stories, training for women in media, next year a style book will be published. Sounds fabulous. And with a line up like this, it is sure to get attention, I hope.

So here are my personal recollections of this estrogen fest:

Carla and I plopped into the front row. I had my camera in hand. Jane Fonda came in with her very cute dog and sat down and promptly proceeded to talk with the women in front of her. Very accessible, that's a good sign.

We all waited expectantly for Ms Steinem to come in. When she did I leaned over to Carla and said, "Oh my godd, Gloria Steinem is sitting right in front of us, I'm having a hot flash." When I later told the other Gloria about this, she laughed, clapped me on the back and said, "I refuse to be responsible for your hot flashes." Amen, sister.

The room at the Chronicle was large and overflowing. As can be expected, the vast majority were women. The whole panel was interesting and engaging and totally on message about the need for this center.

Valuable points were made during the discussion. The need for a center like this, duh. The lack of women as sources for stories. Robin Brand noted that since 9/11 the number of women quoted and used as sources has dropped from 11% to less than 7%. All war, all testosterone all the time.

Gloria Steinem's opening comment was so wonderful. "We are not going to argue about whether women are equal. We are operating from the premise that women are equal." Ok maybe not those exact words but the first sentence I swear by. Enough to take the breath away from any feminist. I was breathless.

I also had a chance for a little conversation with the lovely Ms Jane Fonda. We chatted about 9 to 5, Monster-in-Law and the lesbian dance where I met her in Santa Fe. She said "Oh that was my first lesbian dance." Does that mean there was more than one? Well we can only hope.

So now I want to get more women of color bloggers on their web site. There are no Latinas and I will work on changing that. Maybe I can even get my blog on there, wink, wink, nudge, nudge. In the meantime, I will continue to write away, inspired, again, by these women who continue to open doors for us. Thank you doesn't even come close.

Check out Carla's blog here about the event, too.

Deja vu all over again

There are just some days wher I can't muster outrage. Today is one of them.

Although I could muster a good belly laugh hearing the surprise in the Spanish translator's voice when she said that Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez called Bush "the devil." I imagine she didn't expect to hear such a comment from the UN lectern.

Now it is the male side of the roller derby rink as the "all testosterone all the time" brawl starts up in New York. I think the Spike channel should be broadcasting these speeches right after wrestling. All this posturing is about as effective as wrestling.

Also I can't help but notice that this posturing is being done by a number of short guys. I will include Bush on the short list because he is short mentally. So here they are all in NYC calling each other names, calling each other out, having bitch fights that would make drag queens blush. Ah, manhood, oil and weapons, what a combination.

The WaPo noticed that Bush's UN speech was on the spread of democracy yet he didn't do a damn thing for the now former duly elected prime minister of Thailand. No oil, no concern. Plus they pointed out that the President of Pakistan, Bush's best friend, took over in a military coup.

They point out this point which is a major problem for the Bushman:

The coup in Thailand poses the latest challenge to Bush's commitment to "ending tyranny in our world," as he vowed in his second inaugural address. Aides said yesterday that he did not mention the coup in his U.N. speech because they were still gathering information, but they did not explain why he said nothing later in the day as it became clear that the military had ousted Thaksin.

I think we have heard this before. Say one thing do another. No wonder I can't get outraged any more.

Preview

I can't write about this until tomorrow. But here is a preview of an event I went to today. Tales to tell for Thursday.

Game photos

Sharks pics.

A lesson or two

I am so happy my sobriety birthday has come and gone. Perhaps I can get on with my life and quit having these ridiculous expectations of myself. Just because I am sober for 20 years doesn't mean A. I can't be having a hard time B. that I am a bad person because I don't have a job and C. that this is all my fault, as if there is a fault.

Apparently in my brain, life doesn't just happen, it is all my fault if things don't work out right. Apparently the war is all my fault because I could have stopped it. So is the genocide in Darfur, the Hurricane Katrina response and the shitty economy. Jeez no wonder I would drink to excess.

Thankfully I have some wonderful friends who were really there for me during this time of mental breakdown. Terry and Ginger and Ron, all in their special ways, put out their hands and reminded me of who I am. What special people to be there and listen to my sickness and tell me I was still ok. I hope everyone is blessed with people like them.

Then there is my Riley who just ran up to me yesterday and just jumped into my arms, laid a big sloppy kiss on my and made all my mental anguish disappear. Just like that, all gone. Of course the hockey game last night went a long way to making my brain better.

Cousin Steve took me to a Sharks intersquad game and it was open seating. I dragged him down to the third row so I could see the hits up close. Being that close doesn't give a full view of the ice so we couldn't see the plays setting up nor appreciate the passing. However as a consolation prize, I came home with a Joe Thornton bobblehead, pictures from up close and a Sharks yard sign. My sister called me a bitch when she saw the sign.

So today, 20 years and one day later this is what I know. Nothing.

OK not really. I know how not to drink today. I know that all the sayings from the 12 step programs have made sense on different days and different years. I know that I am blessed with my friends and family. I know how to use a phone and email to reach out to people and say I'm having a hard time. I also know to shut my mouth when they are being kind to me. I finally figured out that I am not the center of the universe. Ok maybe I know that just for this second. I know I will get a job. I know it is ok to yell at my higher power sometimes when I am mad and frustrated. I know I am blessed in this life.

The penis bomb

Man would I hate to be this guy. Seems the security woman at O'Hare airport couldn't understand his Iranian accent. Oh I can't tell the story, you read it. Any lesbians will no doubt understand being confused by a penis pump and a bomb. The best part, he was traveling with his mother.

Reminds me of the time I had to ask my mother how to translate dental dam for a lesbian health article in Spanish. I had to explain the use of the dental dam, I couldn't just get a translation. Oh no, mom it used for oral sex between lesbians. A priceless moment in our relationship. I have never recovered.

Yawn

Ms Marinucci has a blog post today on the rally for the charismatically challenged today in LA. Speakers of note, John Kerry and Phil Angelides.

Here is a lowlight from Kerry:

"You don't have to vote against Arnold ... a vote for Phil Angelides is a vote to make certain that they make Terminator 4.''

Good lord, does somebody write these things for them or do they make this shit up while standing at the podium? And does someone laugh when they try these lines out?

Stop it, they are getting ready to market an ambien alternative here. Who needs a prescription if you can bottle this shit? OOOOhhh, not me. That will not only not amuse me but will bore me to death. Kinda like listening to a Donna Brazile lecture. I can't believe I worked my ass off for this guy in 2004. What the hell was I thinking?

Then here comes a real figment of someone's crack addled imagination.

"I've got bad news for Arnold Schwarzenegger and his whole attack team ...We are standing strong. We're ready to fight. We're ready to win.''

Angelides is behind in every poll, has no clear message, has virtually no traction and an opponent who continues to change his political make up, every time for the better. No wonder articles like this are starting to pop up. The handsome vote for Governor in 2010 between San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom and LA mayor, Antonio Villagairosa.

Plus there will be no coat tails at the top of either ticket. Arnold's election will not help one Republican and Angelides loss will not drag anyone else down. Everyone is on their own.

Wake me when it's over.

What progress?

I feel the need to weigh in the Clinton/bloggers meeting this week. To recap, Bill Clinton had a meeting at his office this week in Harlem and there were not any people of color at the meeting. The picture passed around the blogosphere has a blindingly white group surrounding Clinton. Blabbeando, a blog written by my friend Andres Duque about Latinos, has the picture. Put on your sunglasses first.

Another shining light in the POC pantheon of bloggers who were not invited, Pam Spaulding of Pam's House Blend, has had an interesting discussion going at her place about the lack of inclusion for a meeting like this. She has, again, inspired me to speak out.

So a group of "progressive bloggers" meet with Clinton to talk about blogging. They know there are no people of color at the table. No one says anything on their blogs afterwards except to post the pictures. How is this progressive? How does this advance the movement for equality? And why is it ok for these alleged progressives to not say something on their blogs after their meeting? Well know what, it is not acceptable.

This in not true progressive politics, it is the politics of power and exclusion, the same thing we rail about every day on our blogs. We want equality, we want the Republicans kicked out, we want the cheats, liars and thieves kicked to the curb. Unless it involves giving up a seat at the table.

They didn't say one word. Just like a nice, comfortable country club where everyone looks and thinks the same. Not one damn thing except from the people of color who started hollering right away. WTF, did they think we wouldn't notice?

Obviously there a gazillion blogs out there. There is a definitely an A list now. A caste system has emerged - who are the popular blogs, who is acceptable, who makes us uncomfortable, who is angry, who is published, who is on Air America, who is the smartest one on the keyboards. But how hard is it in 2006 to ASK? Calling Keith Boykin!

People of color have found each other in the blogospere. We have been helpful, supportive and creative. How hard is this? Oh wait, that shouldn't be a question asked about a Clinton meeting.

Markos Zuniga of the DailyKos has talked about the need to crack open the gates. It is past time for the gates to be opened for the rest of us. You white guys, get out of the way and make room for the rest of us. Only then will the real progressive movement start.

More Ahnold

In the latest update to the California telenovela, turns out the Governator's campaign is filled with cry babies. Ms Marinucci is on top of this chapter.

Schwarzenegger campaign manager Steve Schmidt said that if the leaking was not a crime, it was unethical and consistent with a "long and sordid history" by Angelides of engaging in dirty campaign tricks.

Here we go, waah, waah, waah all the home to Hollywood.

And from the LA Times turns out that the tapes weren't so hard to access as the Governator's folks try to make it out to be.

On Monday's John Ziegler talk show on KFI-AM (640), a former producer for the show said that he had many times accessed the same trove of audiotapes without a password and without hacking.

Waaaah, they made us look worse, waaaah.

Please. The Governor has disparaged another couple of groups of people to add to the already long list of people he has insulted.

Latinos already understand, at least in California, what the Governor's words can and will do to the attitudes of the people here. Those of us who lived through the ugly Prop 187 battles remember pinche Pete Wilson intoning his famous lines. "They keep coming and coming." The picture on the tv was of Mexicans running on a freeway.

So how did this play out in California during that time of mariposas? The children were frightened, the adults were stressed beyond belief, the advocates were in disarray and the election was ugly.

Thankfully, our Latino organizations like MALDEF, acted quickly to put the legal brakes on this horrible proposition. Which, in case you don't know, would have stopped any undocumented people from accessing medical care or any other type of humanitarian care unless they could prove they were here legally. What is being played out right now on the national stage was seen in California. That is why all the arguments have not evolved, the same xenophobic hysteria over massive border crossings continue to occur and the same ugly side of humanity is on display for all to see.

Mexicans, the dark skinned people of this land, continue to be villified by the conquerors. Think Conan. And Pete Wilson.

All for votes.

Riley

Here's a pic of Riley feeding the guinea pig. She so cute, I just want to squeeze her all the time. Today she helped walk the dogs, listened to sea shells for the sound of the ocean and spun around on the chair in the backyard. Such important jobs to do.

Cahliforneea

Well here is the answer to the question I posed yesterday about the Ahnold tapes. I hatge it when the Dems do this stupid shit and blow themselves up.

Seems there are a copule of staff guys, one of whom I know, who did a little oppo research by adding and deleting a couple of back slashes to the Governator's page and lo and behold, hours of tape. Obviously not flattering.

Is it illegal? Unknown. Is it unethical? Your call. Is this stupidity from all parties? Without a doubt. OK, now I know why Donald Rumsfeld talks like this.

At any rate, this incident is going to go the way of the buffalo, there will be a new outbreak of stupidity any moment now and we will have to watch the car accident du jour. Does anyone really care about the people of California? Do the people fo California care they are represented by such a stupid, course man? Apparently not.

But Angelides is not helping himself, either. He continues to just give stump speeches with no change in sight. He is making Gray Davis look colorful.

November can't come soon enough.

The rooster crows but the hen delivers

One of the greatest women politicians in the history of the country died today. Ann Richards was 73 and died of esophageal cancer. Here is the obit. I can't tell you how sad I am about her passing. She was such a pioneer for women in politics. We can have a potential woman speaker fo the house because of Ann Richards. How many doors did she open for women and minorities? I am definitely one of the beneficiaries of her work and legacy.

I saw the Governor three times her live and in person. The first time was when I was working for then candidate Tom Udall in New Mexico. He is now Congressman Tom Udall. They had Ms Ann in for a fund raiser and I was privileged enough to get a photo with her at a gathering prior to the event. Unfortunately the picture is Ann Richards and my eight chins. Most unattractive.

The second time was at the 2000 Democratic Presidential Convention. I had spoken at the Convention earlier in the day, becoming the first and only Latina lesbian to ever address a Presidential convention. So there I was, hanging around the convention in my stage make-up, trying to make my two minutes of fame last longer. And who do I see walking down the hallway, her hands full of hot dogs but Governor Ann. Of course she was a one term Governor and was the ex from Tex at that point but does that matter to me? Of course not, I just saw Ann Richards again. This time with hot dogs.

The third time was in San Francisco. By now I had mastered the art of marching up to important Democrats to announce myself and my profound respect for them. This time it was real. I reminded her where we had met and I was able to squeak out a couple of sentences that actually sounded like I had a command of English. She was gracious and entertained me with the banalities that politicians can muster up so quickly. Gave me a little pat on the hand and moved on.

In the obit she talked about getting sober. I had no idea that she and I shared that perspective. But we apparently did have the same understanding of the profound change in a life that can come from battling a demon. I, too, was afraid of losing my sense of humor when I stopped drinking. But really the only thing I lost was the hangovers. The first reggae concert I went to sober I couldn't remember how to dance.

Well as the saying goes, this too shall pass. So Ann Richards has passed. But she did leave us with this - the rooster crows but the hen delivers. Thank you for everything, Governor.

Going on 20

I have always wanted to have more time to read. Now I have had four months of unemployment and how many books have I read? Less than I wanted to, I am sure. There are always things to do, get more organized around the house, play soccer, help the local homo candidates, Clark Williams and Evan Low, garden, yada, yada, yada. I now have three books I am reading plus the latest Sporting News which is all about hockey.

I am a recent hockey convert. There is not much hockey in New Mexico and because I didn't understand the game or have a local team, what did I care? Now I am all about the San Jose Sharks. I talk to the checkers at my local store about the Sharks and we discuss the current goal tending situation. I checked out Hockey for Dummies at the library this summer. Next Monday I will be celebrating 20 years of sobriety by going to a Sharks practice game with my cousin, Steve. I am sooooo excited to see my boys up close, get some autographs, some pics, life is grand.

I still can't make a connection between hockey and politics but maybe I not supposed to. I can usually spot some sort of analogy but maybe when I get back to the rink, I can get it. Or not. Maybe this is a way to escape the atrocities of the day by watching mayhem at night on the ice. I remember one hit in the Stanley Cup playoffs against Edmonton where our guy took the head off the other guy. I was delirious. What a hit, what a play!!!

Also I noticed that unlike baseball where it easy to get distracted, one must concentrate solely on the puck and the game. I have to watch the plays setting up, see the different strategies at work, learn a new language about penalty kills and power plays, offsides and boarding. I can't talk about it enough. Ah yes, the joys of an addictive personality. I gave up beer and dope for, 20 years later, stick work and slap shots. At least going to hockey I won't end up in jail multiple times like my last forays with drinking and dope.

While watching CSI tonight, there was a dead guy with a blood alcohol count of .26. That's nothing, when I was for my second DUI, my blood was at a whopping .36. That night I had drink, beer, champagne, root beer floats (made with kahlua) and schnapps. Pretty, huh?

So come Monday it will be 20 years since I have had neither drink nor drug, at least for recreational purposes. I have also quit smoking, stopped drinking sodas but can't quit that ice cream during the summer.

I am still learning lessons about family, trust, myself. I have friends who I have known for 40 years, like Carla Marinucci. I get to be around my nieces and nephews, visit with my mom, aunt and uncle, play soccer with my sister and go to the cemetery to visit with the others.

And I get to go to hockey games. AHHHHH, yeah baby, GO SHARKS!

Update

Well Ms Carla rushed from breakfast to add more to this story about the hacking v non-hacking story. Here's the update. Good thing there are so many cumputers types in the area, we'll get some answers here pretty quickly.

Chisme

Well after breakfast with Ms Marinucci, we came away with this tidbit. The Sacramento Bee is reporting that the Governator's audio file which turned up on the LA Times web page may have come from some work done by the Angelides camp.

Well that's a big whoops. However, I know Cathy Calfo, Mr A's campaign manager, and have known her for a very long time. This isn't her style at all to do something even remotely unethical.

In looking at the bigger picture, there is something missing, though. How did the password protected area get into someone's unauthorized hands? Unhappy cmapaign work? Computer hacker? Some silly mistake by an intern that has gone really, really wrong? And why are they taping this? Are these Hollywood standards to tape everything the Governator says so that he is constantly rehearsing. Seems others that high in the food chain have not done that except for speefches at teh Presidential conventions or debates. That would be high profile events not run-of-the-mill talk-shit-about-people conversations.

So who did it and why?

Sept 11, 2001

All Ahnold

He may be racist but for sure he is stupid and the leading elected official of the fifth largest economy in the world. That would be the Governator who was busted by the LA Times today for talking about blacks and Latinos in less than complimentary ways. The short version? We are all um, hot.

That's right folks we are all capable of outbursts, emotional outbursts. Don't fuck with me. I will rip your legs off and beat you with the bloody ends. We will have big time chingasos.

But wait, wait, he apologized, so no harm, no foul. Again the LA Times was on top of this story. And it was one of those lame ass apologies, if anyone is offended, blah, blah, blah. Man I wish my folks could pull it together for this election and kick this guy out. With the headlines the next day that white boy got booted from a majority minority state. Kicked to the curb, that's where he needs to end up.

And Miss Marinucci has the final word on this California question. Does he tape all his meetings? Is this Tapegate?

I just think it is disgusting that the Lesbian Democratic chief of staff didn't object to the locker room talk about race. Whazzup with that, Susan Kennedy? Time for me and miss Susan to have chingasos down at 20th and Mission and we will see who is hotter blooded. WE'll sell tickets too.

In the year 2525

Friday's the Washington Blade appears on the streets around DC and on line. My dear friend, Julie Enszner, has written an opinion piece in this week's Blade. So she now is famous for a week in the capitol. Whoohoo, yeah baby!

We have had many discussions about this particular topic, whether coming out is an effective strategy today. I get so depressed when the movement becomes an "it's all about me" monologue because then it is a vanity movement. Think Paris Hilton.

Julie has written a thoughtful analysis about running out of people to come out to and what happens after you have told everyone, including people at the dry cleaners. "Um, yeah, sorry about the cum spots you had to get out but I was having sex in a park and I got a little caught up in the moment."

Which leaves the question what are we going to do in the future to advance the case of civil rights? What is the homosexual agenda for 2020? And who is thinking about it? Is the revolution going to staffed by all the GWM who are the heads of all the national lgbt orgs? Probably not. Do we just melt back into the general population with our nice houses, children and pets? Who knows. (Oh, ick, I sound like Dumbsfeld.)

All I know is that I hope that folks take notice that there are a lot of thoughtful, smart, strategic queers all around the country who have good ideas that should be discussed. Just like Julie.

Read

If you do nothing else the rest of your life, please read this article. And remember his name.

No connection

So it seems there is no connection between Saddam and the 9/11 hijackers. No new news there. But the Senate lack of intelligence committee finally acknowledged that information in a report released today. Shocking, I am glad I was sitting down when I read that. This committee has been locked up by White House ass kisser Pat Roberts for years while he tries to prevent the citizens of the country from knowing the full extent of the Bush lies. And of course the big liars on Pennsylvania Ave act as if it is no big deal. Old news, Tony Snow harrumphed. Been there done that.

I guess they figure since they are getting ABC to paint Clinton as the bad guy in the 9/11 disaster, they don't have to worry much. Not my fault, someone else did it. Just like neighborhood kid again, not my fault, you made me do it, not my fault.

The part that always gets to me is total lack of integrity with these people. Everyone in this administration wants everyone else to accountable except them of course. Took the chimp in chief a year to admit the Katrina mess was their fault. But let someone get caught smoking dope somewhere and it time for the slammer. Oh well, old news.

Miss Wild Thing

So I went a little wild yesterday. Lived up to the blog title, that's for sure. I guess because I am home by myself and had nothing else to do besides look for a job and blog, I went ape shit.

I discovered something very interesting, though. I don't want to blog all day. Thought I did but I really wanted to read, go outside, water the plants, normal life things. Today I really needed to get myself out of the house and amongst the living and two legged types.

So, of course that means visiting someone in the family. Today I went to see my aunt and uncle. One of my cousins was there so we sat around and shot the shit for a while. Then off to another cousin's house for dinner and football.

The blogosphere is on fire over the weapons of mouse destruction at ABC/Disney. What a pile of horse poop for the network to be so lazy and try to make fiction into truth in the 9/11 movie. If you want some interesting reading of quotes when the wingnuts went even nuttier over the docudrama on the Reagans, check out Glenn Greenwald. Also the Senate Dems sent one helluva letter to Disney/ABC also giving them a vision of what the networks future would look like when we take the legislative houses back in a few weeks.

Also, I am not going to see Mr Angelides tomorrow. I got dumped for an event in SF. All right, I'll just sleep then. Then I will tend to the garden, clean the house, play music loudly, look for a job, pot my new ferns, address envelopes for Evan Low, candidate for Campbell City Council and that will just be in the morning. Maybe Google will call and offer me the job of my dreams. Or maybe just ask me to come in for an interview. Yeah and maybe I will wake up 5 foot 4.

Recap

So as a recap of the day, let's start with the two guys who gave and got blowjobs in Ekaterinaburg, Russia in public, no less. That would be blowjobs on each other, man on man sex in Russia to the applause of the crowd which watched them. A mixed crowd, not a gay crowd. Check out the pic. Ekaterinaburg used to be famous as the town where the last tsar, Nicholas II and his family were murdered by the Bolsheviks in the 1917 Revolution. Now add public blow jobs to the list for why it is famous. I think vodka had something to do with it.

John Aravosis is ballistic over at Americablog about Disney's 9-11 movie. Seems the mouse types over there are making up shit about 9-11 in their Sunday movie. And on top of it, they gave Rush Limbaugh, known prescrption abuser, an advance copy and won't give Bill Clinton a copy. Apparently they are trying to hang the whole thing on Clinton. I guess they, too, didn't get the memo about Osama wanting to crash airplanes into buildings here. Glenn Greenwald has a site where all our weapons of mouse destruction are housed. Plug in there to express your outrage.

My favorite Virginia Senator is in the macaca house with Virginia voters. Here's the crux of it:

Whether Allen can repair the damage done by his "macaca" comment and whether Webb, short of cash and still largely unintroduced to the electorate, can exploit his opportunity are critical questions.

What happens next? Only macaca knows for sure and he is not talking.

And things keep getting better. Now John A has this up at Americablog, Disney admits they made shit up for this movie. I mean really this has all been done based on the work of the 9/11 commission and they make up shit? I guess the White House two media arms now, Fucked news and now the Mouse with no brain or publicity skills. I also see lawyers slathering at the prospect of these suits brought against this film.

ABC you stepped in macaca up to your eyebrows. Dig yourself out now suckas.

I think Leslie is right, I am out of control on this blog. But damn I'm having fun.

Does George Bush remind you of your neighborhood kid who was always lying to get his way? And then his parents always believed him and let him get away with every damn thing. You had to have the knife sticking out of your leg in order to make your case and even then his parents would blame you for antagonizing him.

Well in the modern day version, Bush admitted today they, yes, he does have secret prisons. Oh but there are some high grade prisoners who have been held there so he was really making us safer. Ah, it's just another law being broken, trounced, thrown down the disposal and had acid thrown on it. Another day in this administration.

Woof

The Governator just vetoed the bill that would have prohibited negative portrayal of gays and lesbians in school books. Well, well, well, I guess all that lip smacking with the Log Cabin Republicans earlier this year didn't really count.

The unfortunate part for the Dems, particularly Mr Angelides, is that Arnold won't get hurt by this. And he won't get hurt by the veto of the health care bill he vetoed today either. In fact, I can't think of much that will keep him from rolling back in to office this November. Plus he hasn't even brought out the imported White House sharks yet. It's just been a love fest in the Golden State so far.

Yesterday Señor Villaraigosa gave his Chicano blessing to Phil for Gov. Angelides had Antonio on one side of him and Gavin Newsom on the other. Man, talk about a bad picture, Phil was the bologna in that handsome sandwich and that is not good for him. When Gavin and Antonio run for Gov against each other in 2010, that will be something to watch, if nothing else for the amazing good looks on display. Enough to make a lesbo take notice.

Friday

Looks like I am going to see the man who would terminate the Governator, Phil Angelides, on Friday. Big labor rally in downtown San Jose to try to stir up the masses. I promise to take pics.

You're fired! Hit the road! You lost sucka!

I have officially gone wild on my blog today. But I had to put this little tidbit out there for anyone to see. Couldn't happen to a nicer man, that sick fuck Randall Terry. Thanks to Kathy at Birmingham Blues we have this to be grateful for tonight. From the Tallahassee Democrat:

And Sen. Jim King, R-Jacksonville, was leading national anti-abortion activist Randall Terry in his bid to keep his District 8 seat. Early results in Duval County showed - with 39 of 81 precincts reporting - that King had 68.83 percent of the vote. Terry had 31.17 percent.

That's not just losing, that is a good old fashioned ass whipping in public with a horse whip. That is getting your ass handed to you. That is a 2-1 margin that the heavenly mouthpiece was humiliated by.

That usually signals the end of a political career. But being an evangelical I am sure he will have a resurrection in the near future so he can find another way to banish his problem children. You know his adopted children, one is a homo and the other has had substance abuse problems. Those children are no where to be seen at the compaign site. Hell I'd get all likkered up if I had to live with that version of Christianity straight out of Deliverance. Dunt dunt du duh, dunt dunt du duh. Doododoodoodododododoooo, why is that banjos I hear? Dueling banjos?

Fish

From WaPo, intersex fish found in the Potomac. It really is the water there! What does this mean for the elections? Will Republicans run screaming into the night that the homosexual agenda is taking over the environment? Will Dems support fish marriage if the fish is born with both female and male organs? And how will this affect women's music festivals in the future, will they allow fish to be served?

And the winner is....

In this shocker...ready, sit down for this... the Republican morons in Florida have decided that Katherine Harris is their candidate for US Senate. Cruela DeVille won by almost a 2-1 margin. Isn't that earth shattering news? No???

Now she runs against a real earthling, the incumbent Bill Nelson, who isn't prone to such pronouncements as her verbal farts from last week. As you may or may not know, she announced to the Baptists that separation of church and state is a lie. Must be something in the water down there, since they have so much of it that causes those folks in Florida to vote for that hideous impersonation of a human, re-elect Jeb Bush and burst into spontaneous parades on Calle Ocho. Could be the heat, too. Or it could be just that there is a high percentage of stupid people in Florida. It's a toss up.

But that is a seat the Dems should be able to hold on to in Novemeber. And who knows what kind of asinine comments Cruela may spout between now and the general election. I'll wait here.

It's a miracle!

From The Hill newspaper, the world according to Donna Brazile. H/T to Kos

As my friend Democratic strategist Mike Lux pointed out in a recent memorandum titled "Welcoming the Netroots to the Table," the party would benefit from having these new voices at the table. Lux also pointed out some ground rules to begin this new relationship. Here are a few that I will subscribe to in the future:

• Respect what the net-roots community brings to the party;
• Stop patronizing and start valuing their brand of activism and political experience at the grass-roots level;
• Honestly engage their concerns and issues even if you disagree. After all, they are voters;
• Stop repeating Republican talking points.

The last point, in particular, is one I will take to heart in repairing my sometimes-negative relationship with the blogs and bloggers.

Although the Republicans are having a minor love affair with Lieberman's Independent candidacy, all of us, insiders and outsiders, know they are worried sick that Democrats will stand together and force a change of strategy in Iraq and the war on terror. While many of us were trying to stand tall with the administration in the days following the horrific terrorist attacks on our country on Sept. 11, 2001, the progressive blogs knew the Republicans would turn on us and seek to purge Democrats from the corridors of power.

Duh. girlfriend, duh.

In my last life at the DNC, Ms Donna gave a presentation on how we were going to win with our candidate Al Gore and her as campaign manager. I have never been in such a sleep inducing state, not even when I take Ambien. I had to borrow a key from someone and go SLEEP in their room.

So now that one of the Dems leading strategist has figured out that there is a whole world out there where political activity is not just going on but is highly effective, can we all get on track to turn the turds out of office?

And while we are at it, how about every get out of the closet? Starting with Donna Brazile.

Animal day

My little man wasn't feeling well a few weeks back. So we wrapped him up and put him on the bed so he could watch Animal Planet. This is his sad little self that day.

Luckily he was all better the next day but he is so cute I had to put his picture up for everyone to ooh and aah over.

Ruby and Azucar

This picture is of one my cats, Ruby, in the guinea pig cage with Azucar, the guinea pig. She just climbs up there and goes into the cage with him. In our house in Santa Fe, she would climb up on top of his three story cage and lay on the top. Then he would come up to the top floor and visit with her.

This is a welcome sight considering how few people seem to be able to get along these days. Maybe a little cross species role modeling is in order so we humans can get with the program and stop being so beastly.

Familia

Sometimes I amaze myself at the dorky stuff I want to watch on TV. Tonight I couldn't tear myself away from back to back episodes of the History Detectives. This after watching back to back episodes of CSI. Ah the intellectual stimulus of CSI and Jorja Fox. Of course the real stimulus is that I can never figure out who did it.

These are the times when I just cannot read one more news story, one more bit of bad news and cannot take in one more analysis of anything worldly. Of course, this is pure, unadulterated privilege. I have the option of opting out. I am not living in a war zone, I don't have to make life or death decisions every day and I am not running for office. My life is relatively sane, I will be celebrating 20 years sober in a couple of weeks, I live in a nice house in a nice 'hood near my family. So why pay attention to the world outside of this nice little bubble? Damned if I know.

I do know I want to go back to work, want to laugh more, read less heavy stuff and find a way to enjoy life just a little bit more. But I don't think paying less attention to the world outside the bubble necessarily provides that opportunity to hide out. In fact, as a citizen of the world, I feel it is our responsibility to pay attention and be vocal about our rights and correct the wrongs.

There are all these children in the world now we are failing with our silence.

Last night at my cousin's house, we had a family gathering that red lined the fun meter. A good chunk of my cousins, their kids, my aunt and uncle and friends were eating exceptional food, enjoying each other's company and just carrying on.

In this group of people, there is a cancer survivor, an adopted child, an autistic child, someone living with Alzheimer's, two who suffer from migraines and a couple who lost their child when he was 18 months old. There are world travelers, stay at home moms, Democrats, lesbians, Republicans, athletes, hockey fans and the unemployed. There are Mexicans, Irish, Lebanese, English and combinations thereof.

Last night I saw the kids in all their glory. I laughed at Clyde when he ran off into the night with three pilfered marshmallows. Hazel gave me her best look to get more potato chips. Riley gave me a big sloppy lick on the face when we were dancing to cajun music. Gage put on a show for the video camera including a shout out to "all the ladies out there." Uh yeah, he's like 8 years old.

What can I do to make the world a little bit better place than the way I found it? For Hazel and Clyde and Riley, Gage and Lane, Kyle and Kaycee, Tara, Andie, Ben, Heather and Ryan? I'm not sure yet but the one thing they will always know is that their aunt loves them all dearly. Maybe that is the only guarantee in this life I can ever give.

So I promise, you have my complete, unconditional love from now until always.

Sad...

I am very sad that Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter was killed yesterday. Last night after all the revelry at my cousin's house, I came home and saw this sad news on the net. When my head finally hit the pillow, I was still thinking about his wife and his kids.

My father dropped dead at the same age as Steve Irwin, 44. I was a lot older than his children who are 8 and 2. I was three weeks away from my 21st birthday, I was in college and could at least decipher what was happening to me and my family. Those kids are so young and his wife needs to figure out what to do now without her husband's strength and support.

Certainly puts the unemployment issue into a better perspective for me. This too shall pass.

Bad dates

Today the dreaded "thanks, but no thanks" letter arrived from my latest job search. I have been in the depths of depression now for a few hours about this.

This job search business sucks. It REALLY sucks. I have been going on a series of bad blind dates for four months now. They promise to call back and don't call back. They haven't gotten over their ex, you know, all the intricacies of dating only for money and benefits. But I do feel like a whore right now, not feeling too good about myself at all.

Waiting for a phone call for an interview is nerve wracking. Again, it is the date scenario...will she call, what will I say if she calls, what will I wear? My hair, what about my hair?

Plus, it is such a personal exposure to go to an interview. Trying to sell one's self to people you have never met, in different settings. One interview I went on, they didn't talk. They gave me the list of questions and then I had to perform like a seal.. I was so blown away after that, I had to stop at a friend's house to talk about it. Another bad date, I'd say.

Now I am back to square one. Nothing on the horizon, nothing that looks interesting or pays enough. Minor detail. I feel emotionally and spiritually exhausted from this experience. But then I felt that way going to work every day at the last job. Speaking of bad dates, I was crying every day as I drove into work-I was that miserable.

I guess I just typing at the keyboard in the meantime. I won't stay unemployed forever. There has to be a good date on the horizon.