Well, I booked my New York trip today. I’ll be in NYC September 17-24 this fall. I also put in my vacation request at work which better be approved because I’ve already reserved the flight and hotel. I’m pretty proud of myself, too. I’m using flight reward points to fly (although I have to fly into Long Island’s Islip Airport and take the train into Manhattan) and staying at a cute hostel in Chelsea (where I got a private room for a week at the rate you’d pay for a single night in some NYC hotels), so it’s not going to cost me a fortune. In fact, I’m estimating that I could do a “bare minimums” trip for less money that I have in my savings account right now.

Of course, I’m going to splurge on a few things while I’m there. In fact, I’ll probably try and see 3 or 4 shows while I’m there - depending on how many other things I want to do. During the weekdays, of course, I’ll be visiting law school campuses I’m hoping to get in to.

Generally, though, I’m just excited that I’m able to do things like this (take vacations I want to take) for the first time in my life. After last year’s epic 24 hours visit, I’ve been anxious to make another (longer) trip to the city and now I have the chance.

The best part is, Jennifer and Jacob are going to try and plan to be in New York that weekend, too, so I’ll get a chance to see them just before Jen’s birthday.

I’m especially having fun making a private google map with all my confirmation info, appointments, and destinations entered in.

Posted: May 9th, 2008 under NYC, law school, personal.
Comments: none

I just got a facebook friend request from my mother.

Since Mother’s Day is coming up, I went ahead and accepted that friend request.

My baby brother also got a cell phone last week. Between several members of my family starting blogs, joining Facebook, getting gadgets and embracing technology, I expect to see Craig on Twitter by the end of the year.

I completely forgot that it was Wednesday a.k.a. new comics day (although I still haven’t worked my way through the stack from last Saturday). I think there are too many radical changes in my life of late. I quit smoking, I’m working out with a trainer, I’m taking classes and studying most nights of the week, we’ve hired a bunch of new people at the office and my exact job duties have changed, I’m finally making enough money to build up my savings again, and I’m steeling myself for the end of the month when my best friends move away for about 6 months. All of this has thrown my old routines completely out of whack.

It occurred to me this morning that I always put my contacts in and take them out in the same order (right in, left in — left out, right out). It’s such a thoughtless routine that I don’t even realize I’m doing it most days. So this evening I did it in reverse, just to be a little more thoughtful about it. In general, I’m trying to take this opportunity to be more thoughtful about a lot of things.

Interesting political conversations today. I get the feeling that even the die-hard Hillary fans I know are done with it and want to her exit the race. Oh, there are still people standing behind her, but I spoke to 4 people today who were “If Clinton doesn’t get the nomination I’ll vote for McCain” types just a few weeks ago, who are now saying it’s time for the Democratic party to unite behind Obama.

Posted: May 7th, 2008 under Mi Familia, personal, politics.
Comments: none

I took a personal day today - primarily because my driver’s license was set to expire on my birthday (which is coming up at the end of the month) and it was time to get California legal. All things considered, it wasn’t the worst DMV trip I’ve ever made. The pre-DMV drama was the worst because I couldn’t find my birth certificate (which is always true when I need it). After an hour and a half of searching, I found it in an envelope, inside a folder, inside my important documents file. Where it was, you know, supposed to be.

Anyway, I ran into both my roommates at the DMV, which is sorta funny. What are the odds we’d all be there on the same day without knowing it ahead of time?

After taking my written test and being assured that my permanent license will arrive before I have to board an airplane on June 12, I wandered over to Haight for a couple hours study. Eventually, I got restless and decided to take a walk down to Church & Market. Along the way, though, I passed Buena Vista Park and, on a whim, decided to explore it (I’d never checked it out before). Stairs and stairs and stairs later, I came out the other side and followed the perimeter around back to Haight.

I was glad I took the detour. It was a lovely park and a perfect day to explore and climb.

After another session with my trainer, I ended the night with another few hours of study at what is quickly becoming my “usual” place to study, Church Street Cafe. It was such a relaxing day, I wish I didn’t have to go back to work tomorrow (but judging from the quick peak I took at my email, I do).

Posted: May 6th, 2008 under San Francisco, personal.
Comments: none

Since this morning’s Music Monday post was so short, I thought I’d throw in this bonus video/song I ran across on YouTube today.

Michael Arden - Run Away With Me

I have sort of an unreasonable crush on Michael Arden. While I don’t think this video of him singing “Run Away With Me” from The Unauthorized Biography of Samantha Brown is the greatest representation of his singing, but I do think he did a far better job communicating the depth of the song than this professional recording by Josh Young.

Also, you should subscribe to the new nextstopbroadway YouTube channel. Je l’aime!

Posted: May 5th, 2008 under music.
Comments: none

Alright, I’m probably not going to have time to do a full length Music Mondays post. Besides, my playlist hasn’t changed a whole lot since last week. I’m still mostly resisting the lure of Madonna’s Hard Candy, despite the fact that you can hear it everywhere you go in this, the gayest of all possible cities. I’m still doing the OCD-style listening to Dreaming Wide Awake: The Music of Scott Alan.

So, until I have more time or until I pick out some new tracks for the iPod, please enjoy this brand-spanking new video from Jonny “The Gay Pimp” McGovern. And before you hit play, it’s most likely NSFW - unless you’re workplace is okay with some sexual language and the occasional full moon.

It is, however, full of good advice for the ladies: “Don’t Fall in Love With a Homo.”

{a wink, nod and tip of the hat to Kenneth in the (212)}

Posted: May 5th, 2008 under music.
Comments: none

J.R.R. Tolkien thought the phrase “Cellar Door” to be especially beautiful. No offense to J.R.R. (I can call him that, we’re close), but if he had lived into the 21st century, he might have realized English contained a phrase vastly superior in it’s beauty: Free Comic Book Day.

Jennifer, Jacob and I spent the day visiting Whatever and Isotope before heading down to the Metreon to watch Iron Man. As you can see, it was a day of geekery.

I quite loved Iron Man. If only all comic book movies were done this well. I can’t imagine anyone other than Robert Downey Jr. playing that role, and I would have loved more fight scenes… or longer fight scenes.

The trailers were awesome, too. Although I’m not as excited about Indiana Jones and The Beef as most everyone else. Still, Batman + Hulk + Love Guru (I admit it, seeing Justin Timberlake’s crotch on the big screen is awesome).

Anyway, I think we were trying extra hard to have fun today. Jennifer and Jacob are moving to Cincinnati (the day before my birthday). It has to do with Jennifer’s immigration status and the process of getting her green card. She’ll be working in Ohio for up to 6 months before coming back to San Francisco, but it’s going to hard having my best friend leave for most of the rest of this year. It’s not like she wants to go, she just has to if she doesn’t want to get deported or go bankrupt not working during the gap between her visa expiring and her green card being approved. Anyway, I’m not going to get weird about it, because I’ve spent the last several months talking about moving away for law school in a year or so.

She’s told me that I have to come visit Cincinnati sometime while she’s there. We’ll see, I guess. I’m wondering if I can tack it on to the end of my planned New York trip this fall. Hooray, Creation Museum here I come!

Posted: May 3rd, 2008 under comic books, movies.
Comments: 1

So in addition to Bitstrips, another site Toonlet has trucked on out of the internet tubes. Both sites promise an easy way to make and share your very own webcomic with minimal artistic skill of your own.

As you can see above, they have very different “feels” or styles to them, and I can’t decide which I prefer.

Bitstrips is easier to manipulate moods, body positions, backgrounds, and allows color variations of your characters. You can also add multiple props, characters and items to each panel and control the size and shapes of your panels. On the other hand, options are limited (especially around clothing) and facial expressions.

Toonlet gives you more fine control over things like moods, arm movements, and detail work. It also offers a vastly superior catalog of choices for hair, face, body, clothing, expressions, props and “zazz” effects. The drawbacks, though, involve every panel having to use (essentially) a single character in the upper torso and head placement. Also, you get no control over colors for anything except the background. Also, building moods requires a much greater investment of time up front and if you’re mixing and matching elements from different artist packs, it can get hard to keep track of where you saw things.

In awkwardly, sorta-related news, tomorrow is Free Comic Book Day, and I’ve made plans to spend the day with Jennifer and Jacob browsing multiple comic book stores throughout the city. We’re going to end the day with Iron Man. Of course, this means I have to get my LSAT class homework done tonight.

Posted: May 2nd, 2008 under blogging meta, webcomic.
Comments: 1

Beltane Video

Happy Beltane to my pagan/Wiccan friends.

Posted: May 1st, 2008 under paganism.
Comments: none

If you’ve never seen or heard Ragan Fox deliver his great poetry slam polemic “Heterophobia,” I just discovered that he’s put it up on YouTube.

“Heterophobia”

I first discovered Ragan when I went through my short podcasting phase in 2006. His podcast was consistently excellent, and I only stopped listening when he went on hiatus. He’s back now, and I’ve put him back on my iTunes podcast service.

Posted: April 30th, 2008 under miscellaneous outrage and/or amusement.
Comments: none

In endorsing Hillary Clinton, North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley said, “…this lady right here makes Rocky Balboa look like a pansy.”

Some bloggers recognize this for what it is - an anti-gay slur being used in political discourse by a member of the “friendly” party.

But all day long I’ve been hearing that I’m too easily offended, that I’m being too sensitive, that it’s just a word with multiple meanings and I’m choosing to focus on only one meaning (an offensive synonym for gay - it’s in the dictionary, I’m not making this up).

Here are some other words Governor Easley might have chosen without causing much disturbance, “weakling” “wimp” “lightweight” “coward” or “helpless”

And here are some alternative words he did not choose (righty so) because they are too obviously insensitive to minority groups: “pussy” “feeb” “sissy” “bitch” or “wuss”

Okay, fine, but using the logic that I’m intentionally looking to be offended, here are some other words that have multiple meanings, and it seems unfair that I focus on the negative derogatory one when children are being shot and killed because it’s generally okay to express anti-gay prejudice.

Faggot

Fruit

Fudge Packers

Nancy Boys

Queen

Sissy

Fairy

Pansy

Regardless of whether Governor Easley meant his remark to offend queer people or not, he needs to apologize. Like a score of racially-charged words, gender or ability-biasing words, and other subtle uses of language that reinforce institutionalized power systems, it’s time for “pansy” as a derogatory phrase to be added to the permanent “no-no” list.

Posted: April 29th, 2008 under politics, queer rights.
Comments: 1