Oh, my beloved fan base, I have neglected you for so long.

There are so many things I want to write about, but it will probably take too many entries, and too much time. Just a few things I'm thinking about right now:

The thing with the new girl is going well, although I still have insecurities sneaking up on me, like what will she think when she knows I was in, ahem, "treatment" for various things, what will she think when she finds out I have depression, what will she think when she learns that I ruined my credit trying to maintain a relationship with Philly girl, you know, things like that. It's not that I'm purposefully hiding these things from her - they just have never come up, but this stuff sometimes causes some anxiety.

The new job is going well. I'm doing fine. Things are rolling along, and my financial situation is getting better, although I've been very impatient. Once you get a taste of money you begin to like it, and I don't care if you're an all out capitalist pig or a red commie, you like having more money in your pocket. So far as much as the job is concerned I am very happy. At first I was a little miffed that Roswell never even sent me a "Fuck you, we hate you, goodbye" e-mail, which is extraordinarily unprofessional, actually shockingly so, not to mention that I know I was a good candidate. In the end though I am happy because I know I ended in a situation that fits me perfectly, and I'm making just as much cash.

Yes, of course, one political tidbit to think about. A british "lord", and no I won't capitalize it you fucking pagans, sent an open letter to two of our Senators (Snowe and Rockefeller) rebuking them for telling Exxon to stop funding scientists who are skeptical of AGW. The link to the article is here:

- At first I was pissed off that some bloke is trying to tell us how to run our government. After all the British have plenty of things to worry about, like London becoming one of the seats of the new ummah.

- Then I realized, wait a second, this bloke is absolutely right. What the hell business do Snowe and Rockefeller have trying to tell ANYONE what they can't and can't fund, no matter how unpopular it may be? The lad is right, this is entirely undemocratic. I suppose Snowe and Rockefeller are going to immediately write to people and start asking they stop funding the AGW zealots, yeah? This is the real problem with Climate Science - it isn't science itself, which always evolves and changes and corrects itself, rather the insidious way that politicos creep in and demand that science come to the conclusion that fits their politics. Now, what of the funding? If you're going to do something with the funding, you do it across the board, you don't single people out. I don't think it's good that special interests fund the science, because they will always demand that they get something for their money, and I don't care who it is, Exxon or someone on the other side. The politics and the money have absolutely ruined this for us, and there is far too much at stake to have reinvented fuckups like Al Gore, or sitting Senators, or friggin ExxonMobil of all organizations to stick their noses into it.

Lock the scientists in a room, only allow them funding that Congress will approve, have the process be entirely transparent, and let the scientists hash it out.

Check it out:

Jason

Yes, I am tired as hell but I would like to report that everything went over smoothly. The movie (Superman Returns) was okay, if not a bit too long, and we got along just fine. Other than offering some really corny commentary on occasion, I was perfectly well behaved.

The thing is, when I kissed her she went feint and had to sit down. I shit you not! She said nothing like that had ever happened to her before. For a moment I thought the Pinot Noir was a bit heavy on my breath, but then I realized that yes I am that sweet.

Her friends seemed to be worried for her, as they called her at least three times during the movie, which annoyed the fucking shit out of me. They seemed suspicious, and when I heard that I took it very personally, because I'm not a shady guy. She just ignores them. This morning it occurred to me that it had nothing to do with me personally, that no matter who the guy was her friends would act the same way. It gave me some insight into how tight they really are.

She said she had a great time, and that we're definitely cooking together soon. Cool! So far, so good.

Jason

Yes, indeed I was a victim of uncontrolled thinking (ZING) and worried needlessly. It's tough sometimes when someone is difficult to read, and opens up slowly, carefully, with a certain degree of caution. I suppose it's the smart thing to do though.

I proposed that for our first "date" we find a recipe and make dinner together at my place. I get the food, she gets the vino, and we both get plenty of laughs over some food innuendo and awful cooking by yours truly, if any of you remember my terrible cooking ability. Good thing she's Italian and knows how to cook!

But OHHHH a wrinkle in the plot formed when she learned she had to work late both today and tomorrow, so my brilliant idea got pushed to the side for now. She definitely wants to do the cooking together thing sometime, but she said she wants to see me again before the weekend so tonight we're just gonna chill and watch a movie together.

I don't care if it's just a movie and two people on the sofa! I think it's going to be great, and I may even be rewarded for my gentlemanly behavior if I'm lucky!

She's one of those people you just can't read. I don't even know for sure if she really digs me - it's just her friends that told me. After seeing her last night I just have no idea and I'm a little frustrated. Give me something, ANYTHING to let me know what's up.

Maybe I just woke up on the wrong side of the bed today.

So are there any cool music/art/whatever events going on this week that are cheap or low cost? I'm not good at deciding on places to go that cost no money! Help!

Sorry for being so snippy in my last entry - I've made a lot of progress but sometimes I still get frustrated. I'll explain why I was frustrated in another entry, "The Sophia of Jason, Part III" which will be published sometime later.

Anyway, what is on my mind today? Remember when I bitched that I went out with Jerry on Halloween and had to be the third wheel all night? Apparently that night at Faherty's a friend of a friend thought I was cute. I never found out until a couple of weeks ago, and anyway dating hasn't crossed my mind much, so my radar's been a little off.

When dating has crossed my mind, I've always thought "No, no, this can't happen now, I'm not 100% together yet. I need more time!" I was afraid that if the timing was off I wouldn't be able to do it the right way. This week I've thought about it more and I've changed my mind - maybe it IS the right time. Who am I to be so rigid about when the right time would be? Maybe this is what I need to take my progress to the next level, and anyway who doesn't like a little diddling now and then?

She isn't a very forward person, so there wasn't really a way for me to know for sure until I met her roommate the other day. She's definitely down, and so am I. I know what your first question will be, and yes she is a Republican, but not the mercenary type by a long shot. She told me the more I would try to spend spend spend the more she would resist it. She doesn't care at all that I'm broke now, or that my car's a heap, or that I need a haircut.

For the first time I feel like I have an opportunity to wow someone I like by being my charming, kind, brilliant, golden-hearted, and humble self. The thing is, if I like someone I can barely talk to her, or look her in the eyes and smile at her, but that's what I want to do the most. I'll chillax, don't worry. Doc Lurve, heeeelp!

Far from being a barbie, she has a quick wit and an off sense of humor, much like myself. I see a lot of myself in her (but not the good part, yet, ZING). Oh, and it doesn't hurt that she is a former figure skater, and mediterranean, so she is very, VERY alluring. The other night when we were out I had the constant, almost irresistable urge to wrap my arms around her body and probe her oral cavity but you'll be happy to know I was a perfect gentleman. Next time, I make no promises.

So last night I sent her a text asking when I could see her again. I know better than to get ahead of myself or make assumptions so for now I'm just happy to get to know her more and get out of the house to have fun. I'm such a dork. Maybe that's part of my charm.

Not only is it wrong in principle to try and shut people up, it is incredibly stupid, and exposes an adolescent inability to deal with other people.

Seriously, grow the fuck up. If you don't like what someone says, you aren't obligated to read their journals. I had this problem once and I can honestly say it is beyond ridiculous. I am the #1 nastiest and most vicious asshole on this site when I want to be, by a very wide margin, and yet I don't feel the compulsion to knock someone every single time they write some colossaly stupid entry.

Do you want to know why? Oh never mind.

Who else loves this show? I'm sure pretty much everyone loves Extreme Home Makeover. They find a family that really needs an update, send them off to vacation for a week, and then when they get back they have a brand-new, spiffy home to call their own. They are always very good stories, cancer survivors, people who give of themselves, the kinds of people we love to see happy.

I heard something on NPR this morning on the way to work that made me very upset. Did you know that when someone gets an extreme home makeover, their new digs are considered "winnings" as if they won a lottery prize? Did you know that as a result the IRS comes to these people with their hands out, saying "where's mine?" That's right folks, the lucky new homeowners are presented with a big fat tax bill, and if you know how much a house costs the tax bill definitely ain't gonna be cheap. I wonder if after the cameras turn off a bunch of suits go up to the lucky family and ruin their day by notifying them of their five figure obligation to the IRS.

......Served hot and fresh, like crumpets and tea, based mostly on some links I found on Drudge this morning.

The Democrats have tried hard to sell "new direction" as their slogan, while at the same time denying what that new direction really means. The newly elected leadership has said that it is not the Democrats' intention to cut-and-run, or surrender, or to leave Iraq in a state of chaos, nor is it their intention to cut off funding.

Only a few bold souls have been willing to be honest with us about their intentions, and while I may not agree 100% with them, at least they are not trying to bullshit us.

Kucinich proposes removing the funds for the military operations (from The Dennis Kucinich web site):

Carl Levin proposes near-term troop withdrawal (Breitbart):

Mitt Romney, detestable to liberals because he is a Mormon, and detestable to evangelicals because, well, he's a Mormon, opens up on the Boston Media for having two points of view - the liberal view and the progressive view (paraphrasing, from mediabistro):

Nanny state politics are alive and well, and someone recently laughed at me when I said that eventually smoking will be banned in general, sooner than later being very likely. Laugh no more! Here we have the first American city to ban smoking. All I can say is that at least it isn't criminalized (for now).

Smoking Ban Article on San Mateo Daily Journal:

Al Gore just can't stay out of the spotlight, can he? He's recently said that he might not go into politics again, because he is very comfortable and happy being an environmental activist. Hmmm. I don't think you can be an activist and NOT be political. That's kind of the point, isn't it Al? I think he's really enjoying the attention he's getting. Personally, I think he's more effective doing what he's doing now than being part of the government.

Al Gore calls Aussies and Americans "Bonnie and Clyde" of Global Warming:

Aussie PM John Howard Hits Back at Gore, Promotes Nuclear Energy: 't-panic-just-wait-for-a-more-convenient-truth-urges-howard/2006/11/13/1163266484014.html#

Lastly, a comment based on some things I read in the Jerusalem Post last night. The left here and in Europe may not be taking Ahmedinejad seriously, as proven by that unwatchable Mike Wallace interview, but I'm going to tell you right now that Israelis have had enough. They've also had enough concerning the Palestinians. With Europe being completely unsympathetic, with Iran's nuclear games only being given lip service, and with bodies piling up on a daily basis on both sides of the border with Gaza, I've been hearing many Israelis stating that they want this nonsense to END, period, and what does that mean? It means this shit is going to come to a head very soon. When told that it would end if they could just give up more land, they say "We gave them Gaza and now it is only more or less a staging ground for attacks." If there was ever a time to prove to people that diplomacy is the only solution, it is now, but I have my doubts.