The Blue Line

A New-Found Respect For Paris Hilton

2008-08-06T04:28:00.001-07:00

Paris Hilton Responds to McCain Adfunny videosFunnyOrDie.com

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

Wow

2008-07-24T19:46:00.001-07:00

My future brother-in-law works for this guy, Congressman Patrick Murphy (D-PA). I'm proud of him. It's nice to have an advocate in high places.

Exactly

2008-07-16T20:06:00.000-07:00

No More Winks

2008-07-13T20:45:00.000-07:00

I canceled my Match.com subscription today. The site informs me I have 85 days left. Damn - I've had relationships that have lasted longer than that.

Here's the you, SS.

F*CK FISA

2008-07-10T18:51:00.000-07:00

I hate, hate, hate the new FISA bill (which previously had passed in the House and got the Senate's A-OK today). I hate, hate, hate that Obama voted for it and its cloture motion. The fact that he voted for the three amendments (1, 2, 3) is some consolation, but not nearly enough.

(McCain didn't even show up. The last time he voted in the Senate was on April 8.) Too busy distancing himself from Sen. Phil Graham, apparently, who called America "a nation of whiners" yesterday).

I've been trying to think of something more interesting to say about this, but I seem to be out of words. And also - I have to update my journal note now. Drat.

Reminds Me Of Church Camp, Only Better

2008-07-01T19:34:00.001-07:00

All hail XKCD!

Reminds Me Of Church Camp, Only Better

2008-07-01T19:34:00.000-07:00

http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/xkcd_loves_the_discovery_channel.png

All hail XKCD!

Gay Zombies!!!

2008-06-28T06:23:00.001-07:00

(Slightly non-PC). You knew it was coming. No longer alive, and yet they cannot die. Though no self-respecting gay zombie would allow his rags to become stained so.

I Say A Little Prayer

2008-06-25T19:49:00.000-07:00

Someone asked me today: What's your favorite movie scene? Not movie, but movie scene. Voici:

It perfectly conveys the tension between Julia Roberts and the groom-to-be, the obliviousness of the bride-to-be and her family, and the friendship dyamnic between Roberts and Rupert Everett in his first major role in an American film.

The movie's largely crap and one of Roberts' weakest, IMO. But this scene is golden. It'd be awesome if there an Oscar for "Best Scene."

Thank You, Matt!

2008-06-22T20:53:00.000-07:00

This video (the sequel to Where the Hell is Matt?) makes me smile. Sometimes, I wish the world would just get over itself and just dance. We're all God's children, and maybe one day we'll remember that. Happy Dancing!

And One More Video For Good Measure

2008-06-18T21:25:00.001-07:00

NSFW!

Alex Misses The Mark

2008-06-18T21:20:00.000-07:00

An interesting video from MoveOn.org. But it's flawed, in a knucklehead way. I totally understand what they were going for - trying to pull at the heartstrings of parents and ram home the human implications of pledging ourselves to decades of time spent in the Middle East.

However, we still do not have a draft, and its not like the mother will have a say over whether little Alex will sign up. The commercial would have been much more effective if the woman had introduced Alex, then said something along the lines of: "John McCain, I hear you saying that you think we should stay in Iraq, and once even said you had no problem with the troops maintaining a significant presence for 100 years. I hope that Americans will think long and hard over what you've said, because when we pledge ourselves to stay in Iraq for decades, we need to remember who we're going to be sending."

And then a close up shot of little Alex gurgling, and perhaps teething on his plastic ring.

THAT would drive the point home.

This Is Your Brain On Hope

2008-06-18T21:17:00.000-07:00

Cool video

How sad that optimism is considered so revolutionary...so, dare I say, audacious. I truly do hope that Sen. Obama becomes the next Kennedy (inspiration, Camelot-wise, not assasination-wise).

Wow

2008-06-17T05:18:00.000-07:00

A full 84 percent say that the country is on the wrong track. Wow - just wow. A record, to be sure. But wow. I literally gasped when I read this. It seems impossible it could ever get any lower.

Ah, To Be June, 2001 Again...

2008-06-12T16:12:00.000-07:00

I got a letter from Presidential Classroom today, inviting me to the inaugural ball their hosting in January. Out of the blue. Presidential Classroom is this summer camp of sorts for geeky government-type high school kids. Give 'em a wad of money, and you get to spend a week in Washington with visits to the monuments and some talks with a Congressman or two. And presentations at the end regarding some salient issues. I had a fun time - would recommend it to anyone.

But how did they get my address? My student loan lender still thinks I live in Ohio. It must have been my school, unless they called my parents out the blue and weaseled it out of them.

Will I go...I've heard inaugural balls are huge and impersonal and not fun. The newly sworn-in president shows up for five minutes, and coat check is a nightmare. Eh...but it would be cool to see some of those people again, though I guess even that is too much to hope for, since the event would include people from many different sessions and years of the program.

Children Of The Midwest!

2008-06-10T17:23:00.000-07:00

Behold Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius - my vote for Obama's running mate.
Can a Hawaiian by way of Illinois and an Ohioan by way of Kansas win the Whitehouse? I think so. Of all the potential picks Obama has for VP, I think Governor Sebelius is the best. She's a woman, she's a Democrat from a rather conservative western state, and she's won alot of praise for her governance.

There's alot of debate over her merits here and here, but I would be very pleased if Obama chose her. We'll see, I guess. But I've got my fingers crossed. Imagine if we had some Midwestern sensibility back in the Whitehouse - there hasn't been a Midwesterner in the Chief Executive seat since Ford, and he was by historical accident more than electoral mandate. Before that, it was Truman. Truman!!!

What I Did For Love

2008-06-09T16:33:00.000-07:00

I flew home from Cincinnati to Boston yesterday, with a connection in Chicago...

Ug - it was hell. Left the hotel at 8:15 AM. The flight to Chicago was fine, though I feared I would not make my connection. But no worries, right? Because my next flight was delayed an hour...then another hour.

Then we got on the plane in the midst of a downpour. There was a serious storm over Chicago barreling eastward. Then we sat on the runway for two hours. Then we're informed that all flights heading eastward are being canceled, rerouted, etc. Because of the huge storm to the east of us, you see. When we finally do get in the air, the plane flies north to Canada, soars over frick'n Nova Scotia, and approached Boston from the ocean.

I got home at 8:05 PM. I could have flown to Paris in the amount of time it took us to get to Boston after boarding. But hey, who cares. The flight crew were great, the passengers quiet, and I made a great single-serving friend. And I got home on time to get up fresh and early the next morning (thanks to SS for ensuring my chipper-ness in the face of humidity and shoddy panhandling) for my first day at One Ashburton Place!!! They served yogurt at the welcome reception, so I love the joint already.

Mrs. A!

2008-06-09T16:30:00.000-07:00

Blessings to my true friend LeAnne, whom I admire, respect, and hold in the most highest esteem.
I pray she and Matt find happiness together for all the rest of their days.

And the "blushing bride" drinks they served at the reception tasted like SoBe - yummy!

1998 Was A Very Good Year

2008-06-05T20:03:00.000-07:00

I attended a baseball game yesterday with my aunt and uncle on my father's side. Their nephew (on the other side of family) was playing in his high school town championship. He ended up making a great play as a shortstop, and was awarded the league's most valuable player award afterwards. Happiness!

It was a little odd being at Ned Skeldon Stadium again. For those not in the know, Skeldon was the home of the Toledo Mud Hens until 1998 or so, when a new stadium was constructed in downtown Toledo. The new stadium was a huge success and reinvigorated the Mud Hens franchise - they've won several championships since.

So now, Skeldon Stadium is used for college games, high school championships, etc. The county owns it, and it's in pretty good condition. What was freaky was that the advertisements on the outfield walls had not been taken down since 1998. So there was a billboard for Food Town (now out of business) celebrating its 50th anniversary in 1998. And there were ads for cell phones, featuring pictures of cell phones the size of VHS tapes. And all the ads were faded so - it resembled a film set almost.

1998 was a very good year - I was a sophomore in high school. Yikes!

Equality In Our Grasp

2008-06-05T05:40:00.000-07:00

The Supreme Court of California just ruled that their opinion last month demanding equal marriage rights for same-sex couples will be enforced until and if the decision is overturned by a constitutional amendment in the fall.
The other 48 will come around eventually. You'll see.

Yes We Can

2008-06-03T20:09:00.000-07:00

Yes. We. Can.

Clinton was classless in her non-concession speech, which was basically a shill for money. She invited people to come to her website to give her advice on what to do next. But you can only give advice after donating. So basically like how lobbyists in Washington have access, whilst you and I get to hang with the mail-room intern.

Clinton must not get the VP slot. She has given Sen. Obama no reason to trust her. Without a concession speech, without an acknowledgement of his having attained the necessary ballots, with the solicitation of campaign donations...it's obvious who she truly cares about at this stage.

I do not believe Sen. Clinton is leveraging for a Democratic loss this fall, with hopes of running in 2012. I feel, having watched her speeches and the intense campaign coverage, that she truly believes in her heart she is the more competitive candidate for the fall, and that she will not allow the Democrats to shoot themselves in the foot, so the speak.

She knows better, apparently, that the majority of primary voters, the majority of states won, and the majority of super delegates, as well as polling data that shows him as a stronger candidate (or at least an equal candidate to her) when pitted against Sen. McCain.
She knows better. She. She. She. She. That's what her candidacy has always been about. And today, that other candidate won - that candidate who is about "we".

Eve Is Displeased...

2008-06-02T12:57:00.000-07:00

Interesting commercial, but I really do not get it

So Eve is in the garden of Eden, naked as...well, naked as Eve. She wanders about the fields and brooks. Then Adam chances upon her. Cute - I'd get a drink with him any day. But then he acts gay, or at least stereotypically feminine.

Drumroll...then the name of an insurance company flashes across the screen. Huh? I was expecting an on-line dating site commercial, etc. What does insurance have to do with any of this? Does Eve need to get life insurance in case she commits suicide out of loneliness? I am confused. It would have been funnier if Steve showed up right after Adam sauntered in.

Hat tip to Andrew Sullivan.

August Draws Near

2008-06-02T08:49:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday night, Obama is set to kick off the general election with a mega rally at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul Minnesota. What's special about the Xcel Energy Center? Well, it's where the Republicans are holding their convention in early September.

I’ve got to say this about our man Obama: he’s got the ability to deliver a fuck-you like it's saying 'good morning'.
Obama: “I am not afraid to go where you go. You, on the other hand, should be.”

The Academy Feels The Squeeze

2008-06-02T06:36:00.000-07:00

And thus, it came to pass that even the college loan industry is feeling the squeeze. In a New York Times article that is troubling to me, lenders have reportedly stopped issuing loans to students with credit scores at certain levels that would not have triggered a refusal as recently as last year. More troubling is that some lenders have withdrawn the capability of students to receive loans at all to attend certain institutions (apparently all community colleges).
Michelle McClain, 40, who is studying to become a teacher, learned on Friday that she would have to find a new lender after Citibank dropped William Jessup University. The news angered her.
“The loan is between me and the lender,” Ms. McClain said. “I’m the one that’s taking out the loan, I’m the one whose credit is in jeopardy if I don’t pay it, I am the one totally responsible for the loan, and as long as I’m going to an accredited college, I don’t understand why it would make one iota of difference where I am going to college.”
These institutions apparently have high default rates among their student body.

It’s sad that yet another barrier to higher education has arisen. Its hard enough getting through college without the added burden of being denied a loan because of the reputation of your institution’s past students. I know that the lenders are not in this business for the feel-good-fuzzies, but you’d think it would be worth their while to base their credit check based on the individual, and just up the required credit score in order to obtain a loan. That way, “bad” behavior is rewarded or punished on the individual level, without the blunt harm done to Ms. McClain and entire universities fill of students.

The cynic in me says that when push comes to shove, rich institutions will protect rich institutions (banks protecting universities with actual financial and political clout). The sons of the poor being robbed of a chance to get an education and a meaningful chance at a career while the sons of the rich still get their four year birthright of frolicking and fucking amidst vine draped walls and Noam Chomsky.

It’s a crying shame that school loans are becoming harder to come by. I am thankful that I only have to request funds for one more year. Because I see this as getting worse before it gets better.

I Was Heartbroken

2008-06-01T19:59:00.000-07:00

So I’m in Logan Int’l today, and I go to the food court to get some yummies. I stop at the “health food” restaurant. And order the bacon cheese burger. Tasted awful. The meat was dry, tasteless, and it took so long to chew, I probably burned more calories than I gained in the meal's consumption.

This miserable hovel of a food stand also sold “unfries.” I shit you not. That’s what they were called. Healthy, no doubt. “I shall have the unfries, my good man,” I said.

The miserable fast food worker rings up the sale, then waddles into the back to fetch my vittles. He returns, and without emotion says, “the unfry machine is broken.”

Drat. So no report on those, gentle reader. I know you were keen to know my rating. I am keen to guess they were like Know-Fat's fries (that place on Washington Street, just far away enough from Suffolk to stop my lazy-ass from visiting more often). Though they are the only place in all of Downtown Crossing with reasonably late hours.

I Buy My Jewels On The Tarmack!!!

2008-06-01T19:58:00.000-07:00

Why are there stores selling clothing, shoes, and large gadgets at airports? Who in their right mind buys expensive jewelry or fringed leather pursues while they cool their heels in the terminals? I can imagine that someone might need to purchase a fresh shirt and shave after their luggage is lost. But the things you see for sale in airports (minus the overpriced food, cheapy t-shirts decorated by fill-in-the-blank local landmarks, and last week’s Economist) are always luxury items. I imagine they must turn a profit SOMEHOW, though I cannot imagine why.

Anyone here do their spring clothes shopping at Logan Int’l?

By The By...

2008-06-01T19:55:00.000-07:00

So much to do this summer!!! A really rad internship. Brunches with Library Alyson. Parties with SS. Soccer with Tim. Food nights with Dickie. BBQ with the Danimal. Traveling with Ashley. Innumerable mornings running on the Charles. Enlightenment with Jose Harvey. I am one God Damn luck son of a bitch to have found so many friends and seized so many opportunities since I moved here two years ago.

Drink the Juice

2008-05-31T19:06:00.000-07:00

The terrific SS and I want to Castle Island today, and hung around whilst little children clamored over each other to look into windows, but saw nothing (ha).

Then we watched Steel Magnolias. Much fun. Drink the juice.

Off to Toledo tomorrow. Will miss you all - will still report by thoughts from the road.

We!

2008-05-30T11:02:00.000-07:00

Fifty percent of New Yorkers and fifty-one percent of Californians want Sen. Clinton to drop out of the race (thirty-eight percent of Californians want her to stay) for the Democratic nomination. Sen. Obama has a nation-wide approval rating in the mid-60's. Clinton has never broken 45% since 2000. She may be famous, but it appears that people's opinions of her are set, and they can only go down from here. How quickly the mighty fall. Is she in a terminal decline? It's hard to say.

But if she takes this to the convention and tries to nab the nomination through procedural wrangling...I won't vote for her. I'll leave my ballot blank. Because, on the GOP side, I'll hate McCain's policy proposals and temperament. And on the Dem side, I won't trust her character and convictions, and I am disgusted with her lack of humility and her never-ending psycho-drama of a public life.

Please forgive this little summary, but this is how I feel the primary will turn out:

Hillary Clinton: I am afraid Obama cannot win. I am afraid we will be attacked politically, but we know all my scandals. I am afraid, so vote for me. Me Me Me.

Obama: I am not afraid. Work with my campaign to change politics. Not me. We.

So whom are you voting for?

If a candidate is scared now, how will they act while in office? That's why the Senator from Illinois has my vote. Go Obama!

Something Good and Something Bad

2008-05-30T07:48:00.000-07:00

Every appointment (save two) I made this week has had to be rescheduled, canceled, or modified. Frustrating, especially since this is my vay-cay week and have all the free time in the world. Hence these lunches and appointments and meetings. It makes me wonder why I even bother with scheduling stuff anymore.

Also: double mint chunk is my new Ben and Jerry's flavor. FYI.

Crane Plumets, Heron Looks Away With Embarassment

2008-05-30T07:43:00.000-07:00

The second construction crane collapse in Manhattan this year. Two people dead this time.
Last time, several city administrators resigned in disgrace, or had criminal charges pressed against them...it seems like the zeal for building new buildings and creating more wealth on the island of all islands is getting the better of its inhabitants. I hope that this is the last large-scale accident for a long time, and then new safety regulations are passed to ensure that cranes are kept more stable, or shortened, or whatever restriction is necessary to ensure I could walk on the Upper East Side without having to nervously look skyward from time to time.

I Love Coloring

2008-05-29T11:50:00.001-07:00

Yeondoo Jung is this Japanese photographer who has taken children's drawings and renders them into real life. Dreamy stuff. Here are my two favorites.

I'm Sick To Death Of This

2008-05-28T12:39:00.000-07:00

CNN Headline: Green Beret electrocuted in shower on Iraq base.

RIP, Ryan Maseth. You were a year younger than me when you died after being electrocuted in an improperly grounded shower-stall in Baghdad. I'm sorry our nation only pretends to support the troops so whole-heartedly (when we are asked to give them pay raises, better healthcare, better educational opportunities, better equipment., etc...the prevailing attitude then seems to be "to hell with those whiners...when's American Idol coming on?!?!?" )

If this Teddy-Roosevelt-esque-invasion is worth doing, it's worth doing right. But we're not doing it right. Soldiers are dying from electrocution in showers, literally billions of dollars just GONE and unaccounted for, and I've given up hope that ANY presidential candidate will ever get us out. Will this be the straw that breaks America's back? There's alot of chit-chat about invaiding Burma and getting aid to the areas destroyed by that cycolone three weeks ago. Want to know why no help will arrive? Because we have no troops or support staff available. Simple as that.

I am so angry at our government for pursuing an unnecessary war, and then administering it in a criminally-negligent fashion.

In his new book, former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellen writes that President Bush woulda-coulda-shoulda misled the United States for nothing more than ensuring his own personal historical glory.

In Iraq, McClellan added, Bush saw "his opportunity to create a legacy of greatness," something McClellan said Bush has said he believes is only available to wartime presidents.

The president's real motivation for the war, he said, was to transform the Middle East to ensure an enduring peace in the region. But the White House effort to sell the war as necessary due to the stated threat posed by Saddam Hussein was needed because "Bush and his advisers knew that the American people would almost certainly not support a war launched primarily for the ambitions purpose of transforming the Middle East," McClellan wrote.

The best of my generation are dying because the haggard Baby-Boomers wanted one final hurrah of glory before they go on social security. That's what it comes down to. IMO, you understand. When the history books are written...I don't know what they'll say exactly, but there's going to be alot of simple naked disgust for our country's leadership and populace.

Jaunt To The Boston Housing Court

2008-05-28T12:29:00.001-07:00

I had my administrative hearing today for the MBTA's littering citation we received last month. I was put in charge of this violation appeal (which entailed a fine). I went to the sites in question and took photographs, I contacted MBTA employee employees to sign affidavits, I filed an official appeal with the Boston Housing Court, complete with exhibits, photographs, and the whole nine yards.
The scene of the crime...

Showed up today with a witness and my supervisor to observe me plead my case with eloquence and tenacity...in suit and tie, hair gel and cologne, having rehearsed my presentation (ALL ON MY VACATION)...

And I get the charges dismissed because they couldn't find record of the ticket, and said the officer must have filed it incorrectly. So we were free to go and the ticket was dismissed...

...

I could have done NOTHING, and still got the same result. Sigh...this is often what happens in the practice of law, I have found. You only need to give 40% most of the time, but the problem is that you have no idea which 40% it is. So you must give 100% all the time to be prepared.

And I was prepared. I just wish I had a chance to say a few words besides who I represented, and the notice violation number. I would'a shown 'em good.

I Am Half Sick Of Sweaters, Sighed...

2008-05-28T10:11:00.001-07:00

The highest temperature we're supposed to get in the next ten days is a lousy 76 degrees, and the rest of the time will be mired in the mid-to-low sixties. I miss Cincinnati's heat.

My Outrage Stems From The Calorie Amount, But That's Just Me

2008-05-27T17:50:00.001-07:00

Dunkin’ Donuts has yanked this ad with Rachael Ray after some right-wing critic yahoos without lives said that her scarf looked like a keffiyeh, a traditional headdress associated with former Palestinian chief Yasser Arafat.

Seriously -people upset about this need LIVES. They are complaining about an advertisement for iced coffee. While people in Burma are starving to death. I hate fools (see heading).

DD's response:

‘‘In a recent online ad, Rachael Ray is wearing a black-and-white silk scarf with a paisley design. It was selected by her stylist for the advertising shoot. Absolutely no symbolism was intended. However, given the possibility of misperception, we are no longer using the commercial.’’

I don't blame them for just tossing their hands up in disgust and dropping the ads. But this remains yet another quintessential example of the quick-to-outrage making something a big thing by saying it's a big thing. See War on Christmas. That is all.

Such A Perfect Blendship

2008-05-27T10:48:00.000-07:00

Yet another fluff piece by CNN. This weeks advice for the socially inept among us: how to end a friendship.

Hey BBF, want to go fishing on Lake Tahoe with me?

For those of you that don’t wish to read the article (probably because you have…you know…lives), it’s basically a bunch of anecdotes about women getting pissy at each other for no reason, and then over-analyzing it to death. Didn't Penthouse do that once?

CNN offered absolutely no applicable insight on these types of situations – just listing a bunch of wishy-washy do-what-ever-feels-right crap. I am also disappointed that the option of defecating in your now ex-friend’s sink was absent from the list. Take that, Non-Friend and Richard the Mortal!!! (Yeah, I wish). That is all.

What's A Semi-Weirdo Supposed To Do?

2008-05-26T17:58:00.000-07:00

Nice big wheel he's got there, huh? This is the reason I begged for a green big wheel when I was a wee little gay boy in Maumee, Ohio. I got a red scooter instead...I've never quite recovered...emotionally, at least ;-)

Gonzo has always been my favorite Muppet. After years of reflection, and obscene amounts of research, I still cannot quite place my finger on the appeal. It has to do with his utter embracement of weirdness - off-putting, non-sensical, and unexpected. I think my sense of humor matches his perfectly (in fact, might my sense of humor actually have stemmed from our blue-pelted, big schnozed friend?). Whether its blowing his trumpet and tooting out green smoke/confetti/a fog horn/snakes/etc., getting shot out of a cannon, getting slapped by Miss Piggy, or just chilln' with Camilla, Gonzo knew who he was, and made no apologies for it. But there was always a sense of melancholy about him. A sadness that, though he knew what he liked, the "others" would never exactly see eye to eye with him.

"Come and go with me/It's more fun to share/We'll both be completely/at home in mid-air."

This song still touches me. Who could have sung it but Gonzo? He was definitely one of Henson's deepest and most versatile of characters.

When I say I was a fan, I'm not talking "oh ha ha, I'm a fan." When I become a fan, I go hard-core...

I dressed up as Gonzo for Halloween in 1st Grade. I owned a stuffed holiday Gonzo, and three of the late 1980's plastic McDonald's Happy Meal Gonzo figurines, and still maintain two of them in my lucky treasure's box (albeit with much of their paint worn off - come to think of it...was that lead paint? They were made in China...THAT sure would explain a lot about me).

I can remember vividly the day I lost the third at Crane Creek on the shores of Lake Erie (this really rad beach my extended family often visited in the summer). I dropped it in the water when I was playing the lake's sorry excuse for waves, and lost the poor little guy forever in the muck. I frantically searched through the glop and gravel for my lost friend, but to no avail. Crane Creek never quick elicited the same amount of joy in my heart after that day.

In honor of my blue friend, here's his swan song from Muppet Babies (I was OBSESSED with this show back in the day): What's a Semi-Weirdo Supposed to Do? Even in the tasks and activities he loves and excels at, it never seems to be enough. I ponder this trouble everyday. Hang in there, Gonzo - we'll figure it out someday.

I Did This Once, But Didn't Want To Brag

2008-05-26T08:22:00.001-07:00

Update: 41.48!!!

2008-05-26T07:26:00.000-07:00

Official race results were released. Actually, I ran the race yesterday in forty-one minutes and forty-eight seconds. 8.22 mph. 338th place. Ha ha!

$$$ Not-For-Profit $$$

2008-05-26T07:07:00.000-07:00

The NY Times leads today with an article at how government officials are increasingly questioning whether nonprofit organizations deserve their tax-exemption statuses. At a time when nonprofits run businesslike operations, and some private universities (like the Big H up the street) have endowments that total billions of dollars, there is a lot of drooling over those big piles of monet. There are murmurs that it does not make sense for these organizations to retain a status that denies local governments property taxes and other revenues adding up to somewhere around $8 billion to $13 billion every year.

"Mr. May said that the determination process had become increasingly difficult, however, noting that the Mall of America, a major tourist attraction, was seeking tax exemptions as part of its plans to expand, arguing that it aids the state economy by drawing visitors.

“From our perspective in the assessment field, it’s harder to define what’s a nonprofit these days because there are so many different types, and many of them are doing the same thing for-profit groups that aren’t exempt are doing,” he said...

“The nonprofit sector is being pressed to be more business-like and to find new ways to fill the gaps between what government will pay and what services cost, but then assessors want to treat us like businesses, which pay taxes,” said Jan Malcolm, chief executive of the Courage Center in Minneapolis and a former state health commissioner.”

I can see the merits of both sides of the argument - there have been rumblings in the Massachusetts State House about taxing least ten Massachusetts universities with endowments over one billion dollars. And many tax-exempt churches have been acting nakedly partisan - i.e. stumping for political candidates and other not-for-profit no-no's. It'll be interesting to see what develops, though this is a state-by-state issue, so grad sweeping reforms are only likely to occur on the local level.

Professor X Gripes About The Hand That Feeds Him

2008-05-25T14:29:00.000-07:00

A recent article in The Atlantic that I’d recommend. “Professor X,” who claims to teach introductory English Composition and introductory English Literature at two community colleges (“colleges of last resort”), claims that “[t]he idea that a university education is for everyone is a destructive myth.”

This article ticked me off for several reasons. First, the author states that he teaches Hamlet. If this were a college of last resort, wouldn’t a wise professor try to use material that is written in modern English? Hamlet is a beautiful play, but it’s Shakespearean prose can be daunting, and I do not think it’s smart to thrust that on part time evening students who are twenty years our of high school, and probably are not planning on taking advanced writing, literature, or theatre courses later on.

Not that we need to give them picture books. Instead of Hamlet, how about Of Mice and Men? Or something by Mark Twain? These students will need all the help they can get – I don’t think it’s wise to give them something so difficult, creating an unnecessary additional barrier at the starting gate. It sounds to me like Professor X is a bit snooty and likes to repeat the Horatio soliloquy to himself in the shower once too often.

The overall thesis of this admittedly fascinating article is that schools extort money from students who are woefully unprepared to complete their studies, much less succeed in class. To Professor X, I submit that there is no other way to know if you’ll sink or swim than by letting go of the swimming pool edge, kicking off the pool wall, and plunging forward.

It is unfortunate that people fail sometimes. But at least they got to try. I do not think that we should stand in people’s way and prevent them from trying. Especially because I would be very suspicious about the self-appointed person (Professor X might be up for the job) who got to decide who gets to move forward and who gets sent back without even the satisfaction of having tried. Just sayin’.

Professor X states that he tries to help his student utilize tutors, etc. But they do not. Well, that's their fault, and their wasted money. If they were so under-qualified, then write a letter of complaint to the Admissions office. Or quit and go teach high school to ensure that those students WILL be ready for college. But I suspect Professor X would think he's above that.

So basically, my cynical side tells me that this article is just a snobby professor (who has a job not quite as prestigious as he'd hoped) lamenting how dumb his students are, and why it is everyone else's fault that they fail. Lovely, though there are some good point to be made.

42:35

2008-05-25T12:58:00.000-07:00

42 minutes and thirty-five seconds. That's the time it took to run five miles this morning in Boston's Run to Remember. My actual time is probably shorter, but I'm just going off the time on the clock when I crossed the finish line. Approx. 8.5 miles an hour.

The route began at Boston's World Trade Center - surprisingly beautiful up close. From afar, it's always struck me as resembling an unfortunate double-wide, with an Epcot Center theme. From there, it ran into downtown, along Atlantic Avenue, and then curving along Government Center. Up to Cambridge Street, down to Charles Street, and then to Boylston, Washington, Post Office Square, and back over the bridge to the SeaPort. The weather was (and is still) gorgeous. Bright sunlight, cool breeze, azure sky. And a lot of hotties along the way ;-) (with apologies to SS).

Much fun was had with my friends - the Danimal is heading to Holland this week, so I likely won't see him again :-( until the end of the summer. After the race, we got these really rad medals, which we wore without shame to Quincy Market and wandered about amongst the lumbering tourists.

I am sort of toying with running a marathon in the future. Danimal invited me to run with him in the Philadelphia marathon this November, and tells me there's still plenty of time to train...I think I have at least one in me, though I will have to ponder on it a little. What do you think, gentle reader?

Photos to follow...

Yes We Can

2008-05-25T03:32:00.000-07:00

Will you allow me one final jab at Hillary Clinton before I reign myself in? It is MY blog afterall...

Good shall triumph - you'll see. Go Obama '08!!!

I'm A Plantagenet!

2008-05-24T20:42:00.000-07:00

By the by, I got my hair cut this week.

This is exactly how it was for me as well.

RIP, American War Dead

2008-05-24T16:29:00.000-07:00

Happy Memorial Day Weekend to one and all.
If you can, please attend a memorial service, parade, or some other ceremony commemorating the war dead. It's surely the least we can do.

One...Thrilling Combination

2008-05-24T16:24:00.000-07:00

Singular Sensation and I went to the ICA, and then walked along the harbor…and then got hotdogs at Quincy Market, then canoli’s at Mike’s Pastries. Then walked to Copley and bought some veggies for me (I’m making a repeat of my past dish at my friend’s on Memorial Day). Then back to my place. A five hour date. He’s quick with a quip, and has fiery Portuguese blood in him. He’s heading out of town for the weekend, but we’ll see each other on Wednesday.

I hate to say I have a good feeling about this one, since when I say these things, the gentleman caller in question usually runs away shortly thereafter, or has a secret rhinoceros horn hidden in his spiked hair… but I like SS. I like him a lot. I’m seeing him on Wednesday – probably a DVD and then a beer or something. He’s fun to talk to, which is the best quality a partner can ever have. Besides obscene wealth. But I’m a paper plate kind of gal, so I don’t necessarily have to marry a billionaire…

Shout out to SS, who’s likely visiting for the first time. Try the sangria! It’s my friend Vanessa’s recipe!

"With The Kids In The Car?"

2008-05-24T16:10:00.000-07:00

Here's a funny video. Your childhood best friend's mother:

John Roberts, the performance artist in question, is reportedly a genius, and his drag shows in NYC are reportedly standing-room only.

Is Barak Obama A Muslim?

2008-05-24T08:18:00.000-07:00

The answer lies within.

Hillary Wasn't Lying After All!

2008-05-24T08:10:00.000-07:00

It's no secret that I'm no Hillary Clinton fan. Admittedly, she works hard and I will vote for her if she gets the Democratic nomination (though I will invest in the clothespin industry, since so many of us Obama fans will have to hold our noses as we pull the lever).

This made me laugh out loud:

(SFW).

Enjoy your Saturday! Singular Sensation and I are off to the ICA!

Best Buddy Is Back

2008-05-23T21:07:00.000-07:00

I’m back. For good.

Sitting here in my one-room apartment in Chinatown, surrounded by the hum of I-90 and the jackhammers on the nearby street that eerily remind my of my mother's sewing machine...with a sink full of dirty dishes after spending the evening cooking and drinking with friends...as the nice cool May breeze wafts across the Esplanade and the miserable admin people at my law school tabulate my grades...I realize I am happy.

Richard the Mortal is gone from my life for good. He doesn’t have the tools necessary to form a friendship. I left him to himself and his insipid newt of an ex-boyfriend. I hope he can find happiness, because he could not share any with me.

I met a guy in January, and dated him for three months. Then he up and decided to tell me he felt nothing. But, he emphatically stated, he wished to remain friends…I never got a single one of my phone calls returned – not one. So the theology prodigy is gone. Alot of back-story, but he really doesn't merit it, in the end.

I had alot of anger to deal with, and sort of shut down emotionally while I was preparing for, and then taking, my second round of final exams.

But I've done nothing for a straight (ha!) week. Read a book on the Battle of Hastings. Started running 4.5 miles a day (in theory). And now I’m back. For good.

Hence Richard the Mortal’s banishment, and my finally getting the gumption to delete both the afore mentioned gentlemen’s email addresses, telephone numbers, and de-friending them from Facebook.

I met a really nice guy yesterday – he is kind, articulate, and seems warm. He’s a human resources guru, and loves musical theatre – even acted – his fave musical is A Chorus Line. I hence dub him Singular Sensation.

I am almost afraid to tell too much, lest he leave my life too quickly. Then I’d have to explain it to everyone, just like with the Theology Prodigy. We’re going to the ICA tomorrow to look at Very Deep Art. I’ll keep you posted.

Also: I love Barak Obama, wish Hillary Clinton would actually listen to herself once and awhile, love my friends, and feel like things are beginning to look up again.

Watch out, The-Blue-Line, I’m back.

CNN Headline: Complaints spur Texas city to ban sex clubs in residential areas

2007-12-08T07:28:00.000-08:00

Come on, let the guy have his naked twister parties. No money exchanges hands (only donations for food and drink). What's the harm, besides a bunch of self-righteous gasping from down the block?

Sorrow in Nebraska

2007-12-05T14:42:00.000-08:00

Sigh. With each new occurrence, I can't help but feel...despair.

As always, let us hope he knew some scintilla of happiness in this life, for he shall know none in the next.