"A Common Disaster" written by Twisted on estrip.org

11/03/04 05:12 - ID#36426

A Common Disaster

I am utterly devastated. I couldn't believe it four years ago, and I can't believe it now.

Once again the popular vote is split down the middle with the gap between each side wider than ever. How can one-half of the country swallow another four years of "leadership" from GW Bush when we're so polarized on issues? Especially now that he has no motivation for even feigning bi-partisanship (if he ever did).

I can take some comfort in living on the (politically) left-coast. But four more years of a Republican president, Senate and House - not to mention the likelihood of Supreme Court nominations during that time - scares the b'jezus out of me.

So what do I do? Leave the country? Seems crazy that it could come to that, with all the checks and balances the founding fathers put into the system. Yet I have to say it's tempting. (Damn Toronto's cold weather!)

At the same time, I know 55M people feel more or less like I do. Doesn't that count for something?

I hate politics and god knows I have no answers for how to change things at that level. It kills me to see how money, negative campaigning, powerful lobbies and the media have more impact on the final outcome than anything substantial like issues or core values. It doesn't pay to play fairly.

For now, all I can do is not give up on what I believe in. I can't just roll over for four years and hope things will get better then. I keep thinking about how Newsom brilliantly orchestrated the same-sex marriage watershed moment in SF

. Even though the lawsuit was later overruled, the impact of seeing 4,000 gay couples publicly wed was undeniable. Although for a brief moment after hearing 11 states passed same-sex marriage bans I thought maybe we had pushed too hard to soon. But no, no, no. You can't wait for the time to be right before doing what's right. Not these days. Civil disobedience may be the only way to go.

Anyway, stick together (e:peeps) .

Maybe I'll become a philosopher. Think there's any money in that? hahaha.

Permalink: A_Common_Disaster.html
Words: 371
Location: San Francisco, CA

11/01/04 05:15 - ID#36425

Emigration Option?

(If things don't go well tomorrow.) Not really up my fjord, but might be of interest to some peeps.

Hash smokers' heaven gets grounded / Denmark out to corral commune
But after 33 years as a hash smokers' sanctuary -- with its own radio station, newspaper, clinic, bakery, post office and open-air hashish market -- this extended commune of nearly a thousand people, more commonly known as Christiania, finds the normally tolerant Danish government breathing down its neck.

Hmmm...my grandparents skipped this part of the tour when we visited relatives in Denmark.

Ok, back to the propositions. If things don't go well tomorrow maybe CA will secede.

Permalink: Emigration_Option_.html
Words: 122
Location: San Francisco, CA

Category: holiday

11/01/04 04:24 - ID#36424

Halloween Alameda style

My neighbor's kid was dressed like a wind-up monkey. This was his first stop and already he has a stunned expression on his face.

Most alarming costume: ~11-year-old girl dressed like a pregnant teenager with two infants already strapped to her. At least I think it was a costume. The infants were definitely fake.

That reminded me of a weird sight last spring. I was biking over the pedestrian bridge the same time the school kids were crossing the bridge going home. About three pre-teen boys were carrying fake infants strapped in those sling things. Was it for sex education? Home Ec? Anybody seen/know about this? We didn't have fake babies when I was in school.

Well, enough about Halloween. Time to let it go. I'm supposed to be researching my assigned propositions for our election cheat sheet now. Tomorrow's the real fright fest.

Permalink: Halloween_Alameda_style.html
Words: 147
Location: San Francisco, CA

Category: web

11/01/04 07:03 - ID#36423

Google employee test

In its quest to identify the programming elite, Google recently inserted an unusual aptitude test in such magazines as MIT's Technology Review, the Linux Journal, Mensa, Dr. Dobbs and Physics Today.

The 21-question test includes such geek brain twisters like, "How many different ways can you color an icosahedron with one of three colors on each face?" and "On an infinite, two-dimensional rectangular lattice of 1-ohm resistors, what is the resistance between two nodes that are a knight's move away?"

The test also includes more subjective, tongue-in-cheek requests like "Write a haiku describing possible methods for predicting search traffic seasonality" and "What is the most beautiful math equation ever derived?

Google Working to Recruit Brainy Elite

Google also has this employee benefit going for it:

Here's the real insider's view: "Google employees must have the sweetest bottoms in the high-tech world. The women's toilets at Google were over-the-top, Toto bidet/toilets. They sprayed, fluffed and warm-air-dried.'' Never mind the IPO and pending piles o' cash; no wonder everyone there's in such a good mood.

SF Chronicle Gossip Column

Permalink: Google_employee_test.html
Words: 202
Location: San Francisco, CA

Category: holiday

11/01/04 02:22 - ID#36422

Halloween Castro style

Waiting for Market Street lines re-routed underground.

Looking down Castro Street toward Market

Main stage on Market @Castro

BART service extended 'til 1AM. Big whoop. ;)

[hide]Short video clip (2 minutes) - dark, choppy, Blair Witch style camera work. Dramamine strongly suggested.

[/hide]

Chronicle story and pix.

Note to (e:j3sse) - I was going to cut the video to "Sex Dwarf" [inlink]j3sse,12[/inlink] but that would have been more appropriate for the 'X rated' content which I sadly did not capture on film. Save that for Folsom.

Never did run into Haikuster. Maybe next time!

Permalink: Halloween_Castro_style.html
Words: 124
Location: San Francisco, CA

Category: holiday

10/31/04 11:38 - ID#36421

Everyday is Halloween

Ok, this doesn't look that different from what I ordinarily wear. Except for the skull mask, of course.

Getting down to the bottom of the candy barrel, then it's off to the Castro.

Permalink: Everyday_is_Halloween.html
Words: 35
Location: San Francisco, CA

Category: holiday

10/31/04 03:22 - ID#36420

tricked

My W. Nile exterminators [inlink]twisted,39[/inlink] are bailing on me. I really hate that.

Might downgrade my costume to generic mystical-style spook. My heart's not in it the same way. Better keep it simple.

I think it's very unlikely I'll have a (e:peep2peep) encounter tonight, but maybe I'll color a blue "e" on a Mylar balloon and attach it to myself as an (e:estrip) beacon. If any (e:peeps) see one bobbing in the crowd, that'd be me. It's always good to have at least one inexplicable component to your costume. Screw 'em if they can't deal with ambiguity.

Permalink: tricked.html
Words: 101
Location: San Francisco, CA

Category: family

10/31/04 02:32 - ID#36419

AARP

Dang. It's getting depressing talking to my Dad each week (Sunday ritual since college). His life is way more exciting than mine! This week alone he announced new plans to join friends on a sailing trip to the Bahamas in February (he was invited while they were playing tennis earlier in the week). This is the same couple he and my step-mother Jean went sailing with along the intra-coastal waterways a few months ago. AND he and Jean booked a 27-day trip to China in September '05. That's in addition to the family sailing trip to Antigua June '05. Cripes! When do I get to retire?

Permalink: AARP.html
Words: 106
Location: San Francisco, CA

10/31/04 01:00 - ID#36418

time is not on my side

good lord. how many watches do I have?

I don't even wear a watch any more. The two on the far left were gifts.

I also went through a ring-watch phase. Hey, they were originally $12/each, on sale 1/2 off. You can't even buy a watch battery for that!

Here's a close-up of my favorite. The face looks like a motherboard, and it glows in the dark. How cool is that?

Speaking of cool, glowy shit, (e:Soyeon) if you're looking for a computer bag for your new powerbook [inlink]soyeon,137[/inlink] (congrats, btw), I seriously love the one I have. Chrome "Sputnick" in sleek silver

. I used to bike to work with mine almost every day. If you're looking for something to accommodate all your peripherals too, I've managed to cram a lot of stuff in it. But I always seem to need a separate bag for something, which is why I got this one too: eBags TechWeave

(I got it in Ocean Blue). eBags is also having 20% off for Halloween (sale ends tonight). They usually run specials around Christmas too.

Anyway, last year I took two laptops, an external firewire drive, a DV camera, a digital camera, and a shitload of cables (can't wait for a wireless world) home for Christmas. That was fun going through airline security. Then I was really screwed when I had to bring presents back too. ;)

Permalink: time_is_not_on_my_side.html
Words: 263
Location: San Francisco, CA

Category: holiday

10/31/04 12:45 - ID#36417

Halloween Haiku-ster

virtual or real?
Hallow'd rift when worlds collide
through the looking glass

Ok. Along with sketching, add poetry to the list of things I suck at. ;)

(e:haikuster) I'll look for a bong-toting purple caterpillar [inlink]haikuster,30[/inlink] tomorrow night. Hopefully there won't be too many of them. Then again, it is the Castro.

Keep an eye out for Jambi the Genie from Pee Wee's Playhouse. I may be with two West Nile exterminators. That's Halloween for ya.

Permalink: Halloween_Haiku_ster.html
Words: 78
Location: San Francisco, CA