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Tuesday, March 30, 2004
The countdown begins... Tomorrow at noon, the liberal response to conservative radio begins... Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly, and Michael Savage beware. Air America Radio begins airing Al Franken's show, "The O'Franken Factor" tomorrow. Listen to it on streaming audio.  | private feedback |
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Quote of the Day "Yes." Nancy Pelosi, House Democratic Leader in an interview with Fox News. Pelosi was asked if she supported the rights of same-sex couples to marry. She added, "And I don't think that they should be discriminated in the Constitution and my goal is to defeat that resolution, and I'm not going to be sidetracked." Pelosi also stated that she supports the granting of marriage licenses by the city of San Francisco. During the interview, Pelosi stated that as House Democratic Leader, she will "use my leadership to defeat a desecration of the Constitution that the president is putting there to diminish freedom in our country." | private feedback |
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You know what, I'm NOT sorry! I must look like a smoker... I'm always stopped by strangers who want to bum a cigarette. The conversation goes a little something like this... Them: "Hey man, you have a cigarette?" Me: "No. I'm sorry." Short and sweet. And I was happy with the way this little exchange would go... until I realized what I was saying. Was I really SORRY that I didn't have a cigarette? Hell no. I was just being polite. Was I apologizing that I couldn't help someone out? I decided years ago that I won't enable smoking habits.... I won't hold a cigarette if you've lit up and realize that you left your hat in the restaurant and need to go back in and get it... I won't buy a pack of cigarettes for someone... I once held a pack of cigarettes, although it was at arms length like I was holding a dirty diaper, and probably with a nasty look on my face. So maybe I was being too polite. I wasn't really sorry at all that I couldn't give someone a cigarette, nor was I sorry that they didn't have one. So I had made up my mind that I would stop adding the "I'm sorry" part to my response. And it's harder than you think. That ingrained politeness is really a hard habit to break. *grin* But two nights ago it happened without thinking about it. Someone asked me for a cigarette at like 3 in the morning as we passed on the sidewalk... and without even thinking about it I said, "No, I don't." and kept walking. And that was it... I am so proud of myself! Life is all about setting and achieving the SMALL goals. :-) | private feedback |
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Whatever that means Ithaca was rated the #1 "emerging" city as reported by USA Today... | private feedback |
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Sunday, March 28, 2004 Maroon 5 If you haven't gone out to get the new Maroon 5 album, go get it!! (Or download the songs like I did.) I have had "Sunday Mornings" on repeat for the last five hours... and it makes me wanna get up and dance. :-) | private feedback |
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Until I get my account of yestserday's game... Check out CNN's coverage of Oklahoma State vs. St. Joe's, "Thriller Puts Oklahoma State in Final Four" It was the most amazing thing being in that arena last night... *gulp* I might have been bit by the sports bug. | private feedback |
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Friday, March 26, 2004 Sweet Sixteen Basketball OK, OK. I know that as recently as a few days ago I was saying that I am not really a sports nut and I don't follow college basketball. But Cheri's mom bought her tickets to see her beloved Oklahoma State University play Pittsburgh in a game at the Meadowlands. And her mom said, "Why don't you take Shane?" I don't blame her for asking two other people before me. I mean would you ask your gay male friend who normally rolls his eyes at the mention of anything sports related? But, I had a flexible enough schedule that I could go, and I'm open to new experiences. And how many times is someone just going to hand you a ticket to an NCAA playoffs game? I had a blast. Not only was the ride down a great way for her and I to catch up on what was going on in the other's life... but the game was actually really fun. We were surrounded by Pitt fans but had a clear view of the OSU section which I referred to as the "orange menace" because of the sea of orange shirts. We may have been the only orange shirts in our section... (Cheri said I couldn't go unless I wore orange.) The teams seemed closely matched, I don't think either team pulled ahead by more than four, maybe six points for the majority of the game. It was a constant back and forth... Pitt led at the half. I didn't know a thing about the rules, or the significance of fouls, or what the point of basketball even was... but Cheri didn't seem to mind my asking questions. It was really fun to just sit back, watch the skill (yes, I could recognize good shots when they happened), and get sucked into the energy in that arena. I think I only used the term "sports game" once, and referred to a player as a "cutie" maybe twice. *grin* I even started trash talking towards the end when Oklahoma State broke away and gained a significant lead. Whenever Pitt would make a basket I'd say, "Yeah, we'll let ya have that one!" or when the announcer said that Pitt was using a time out I'd say, "Of course you are!" (Those comments didn't seem near as lame during the game as it does now typing them out.) Oklahoma went on to win, 63-51. Which means that Cheri and I will pile back in her SUV for another trip to the Continental Airlines Arena in New Jersey tomorrow to see the Oklahoma State Cowboys take on the St. Joseph's Hawks... The winner goes on to the Final Four.  Vs.  | private feedback |
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Wednesday, March 24, 2004 Overflowing with thoughts  Last night I saw what is easily the best movie I have seen so far this year... probably the best movie I have seen in the past few years. And it even had someone in it that I normally can't stand (Those who know me will know who I'm talking about... *ahem* Jim Carrey *ahem*) Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind takes the idea of "ignorance is bliss" to the next level. The premise is that a doctor has perfected the art of memory mapping and scrubbing. He will wash a person's brain of any painful and traumatic memories that they feel they would be better off forgetting. The time is Valentine's Day, which the doctor asserts is "a very busy time." Too many romances gone sour and too many traumatic romantic memories conjured, I suppose.
As hard as it is for me to type these words... Jim Carrey is brilliant. And Kate Winslet is masterful in her portrayal of his love interest. (At one point, Kate Winslet's character actually uses the term "boring" to describe Jim Carrey's character at one point and you believe her!!) The supporting actors and actresses are very well casted. And there are some great cinematic tricks used to transition scenes and portray the washing of memories. This movie is also brimming with great themes and questions (some answered and some not.) How important are memories? Even if you could get rid of your memories, is there a place... a deeper place that exerts influence over how you act and the way your life unfolds? Is getting rid of memories enough to enact real change? And, maybe most importantly... If you knew the outcome of your journey and knew you had done this all before, would you do it all again? [Watch the Trailer] | private feedback |
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Monday, March 22, 2004 The only reason I'd follow sports Yesterday on CNN, some talking head was trying to find a correlation between basketball teams that make it into the final four and the reelection of an incumbent president. Apparently Kentucky has made it into the final four the last two times that an incumbent president has successfully been reelected. And when Kentucky gets knocked out early the incumbent president has lost. OK, OK, its a pretty weak link, but the guy said that George Bush had better root for Kentucky. And thankfully I didn't have to follow sports long... Kentucky lost last night in a surprise upset. | private feedback |
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Friday, March 19, 2004 Number drop I know I haven't been posting a lot lately, but my web traffic has gone down precipitously. For about the past year or so I've been staying at between 75 and 80 hits a day. I think I hit 90 one day and I dropped down to 70 on another. All in all, no matter what I did, I just couldn't bump my traffic above the 80 mark consistently. But yesterday I was dealt quite a blow... only 19 people had come to my site that day. Hmmmmmm. We're back up into the 30's today... but that's mighty strange. I haven't seen numbers drop like this since Dubbya's approval ratings after the mission in Iraq was declared "accomplished". And I didn't even invade an innocent country! Karl Rove never would have let this happen. | private feedback |
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Thursday, March 18, 2004 I-Resign.com In honor of giving notice at my part time job and having to write the first "resignation" letter of my career... I thought I'd share this hilarious online archive of some of the funniest resignation letters ever. Enjoy! | private feedback |
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Bartending... Last night was the Common Ground's St. Patrick's Day Party. It doubled as a fundraiser for Ithaca Pride who provided a few guest bartenders including yours truly and the ex mayor of Ithaca, Alan Cohen. All tips went to fund Ithaca's 2004 Pride Celebration. I think we made a good amount of money for our effort, people were so generous once they knew it was for a good cause. It was really easy, and I had a blast in spite of the fact that I remained fully clothed (unlike my last bartending stint at CG). A bunch of friends, my business partners, and even clients came up to get a drink and chat. And I learned something... you make a "Cowboy Cocksucker" with butterscotch schnapps and a little bit of bailey's floating on top... and if you top it off with whipped cream it's called a "Blowjob." My, my, the creative names people come up with for drinks... pardon my french. | private feedback |
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OH. MY. GOD. Tennessee County Wants To Ban Gays Rhea County, about 30 miles north of Chattanooga, wants the state to give it the power to arrest gays for "crimes against nature". In a unanimous vote the county passed a motion asking its state representatives to introduce legislation to allow it to lay the charges. For Commissioner J-C Fugate, the issue is simple. He wants to keep "homosexuals out of here.'' When the motion passed some people in the audience applauded. Rhea County is famous as the scene of the "Scopes Monkey Trial". In 1925, high school teacher John T. Scopes was convicted of teaching evolution and fined $100. The conviction was later overturned. Rhea County holds an annual festival commemorating the Scopes Trial. The school system teaches Creativism as a viable alternative to evolution. In 2002, a federal judge ruled unconstitutional the Rhea County school board's Bible Education Ministry, a class taught in the public schools by students from a Christian college. Fugate also proposed a motion that would direct County Attorney Gary Fritts to find the best way to enact a local law banning gays from living in Rhea County. Commissioners asked Fritts to bring a resolution requesting the ban to next month's commission meeting for another vote. [Seriously, let's just let the south go... they can keep Dubbya and we'll take John Kerry.] | private feedback |
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Shocked and awed No one in the Bush Administration said "Immediate threat", eh? Hmmmph | private feedback |
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Sunday, March 14, 2004 My Mom is the coolest My mom left no less than three messages last week asking for my mailing address. I've given it to her a bunch of times, she said she lost it. In the messages she said, "I need to send you your St. Patrick's Day card so call me with your address as soon as you can." As soon as I can!? Strange, my mother never seems to care about getting cards out. I think five birthdays have gone by without a single card sent to me... but St. Patrick's Day? Apparently, this card is a must send. So I call her back and leave my address on her answering machine. Alot of our conversations happen this way... over answering machines. And her card came in the mail yesterday. In a bright green envelope, of course. Hand addressed. I thought, "Gee, this must be the card that my mother was so in a hurry to get me." And I opened it... On the front was a picture of a half naked man in a green hat with shamrocks on it, and the message, "Sean wants to rock your world this St. Partick's Day!" On the inside, was a picture of the same guy, in 1/3 size sitting on the arm of a couch and the completion of the message, "Unfortunately, Sean's a leprechaun." On the back, a hidden gem... a picture of "leprechaun Sean" from the rear in little green speedo shorts and the caption, "What a cute little butt!" I started laughing hysterically... my mother sent me... her gay son... a card with a half-naked man and sexual innuendo in it!!! And she signed it, without even an exclamation point, as though it was just everyday banter for us... "Thought you would appreciate this. Love, Mom." I love my Mom. | private feedback |
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Friday, March 12, 2004 Good company... A poll by our very own Cornell University shows that voters who favor gay marriage tend to be young, educated and earn a comfortable living. And they tend to watch CNN. Voters who oppose gay marriage are usually older, less educated, vote Republican and are not as wealthy. And they tend to watch Fox News. I.e. If you support gay marriage, you're cool. And if you don't... you're a loser. Read the full press release here. (I don't think any major news sources have picked up on it... yet. Just remember you read it here first.) | private feedback |
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Thursday, March 11, 2004 Thank God for answering machines I finally got the courage to break up with my hairdresser. Sort of. I wouldn't exactly call leaving a message on her answering machine in the wee hours of the morning courageous. I called one night after work. Her machine said that the shop would be closed for a few days due to a funeral. So I left a message for her saying that I wouldn't be coming anymore... and that I was sorry for her loss. | private feedback |
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Tuesday, March 09, 2004 Maybe its time to let Georgia go... First they toyed with dropping evolution from the syllabus of their school system. Now, some crazy lady tried to buy merchandise at Wal-Mart with forged money... but not just any forged money, a forged $1 million dollar bill. (If you're going to go... go big, right?) But the series of events is hilarious... imagine being the cashier for this lady... She tries to use a fake $1 million bill to buy $1,675 worth of merchandise. Then, she tries to use two gift cards worth only $2.32 to buy the same merchandise, but when that did not work she asked to cash the $1 million bill again. All at Wal-Mart! Hilarious! | private feedback |
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Monday, March 08, 2004 Stop the insanity The quote of the day... just one moronic statement you can expect to hear from republicans during the campaign cycle... "I promise you this, if George Bush loses the election, Osama bin Laden wins the election, it's that simple." Republican congressman Tom Cole. You've got it, folks. A vote for John Kerry is a vote for Osama Bin Laden. | private feedback |
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Referrers... Thanks to the following sites who, in the following order, refer the lion's share of my site traffic... 1. jasewells.com 2. Quistilton Family Blog 3. That Happy Feeling 4. Fear This Factor 5. ISleepInADrawer.com | private feedback |
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Good News For Democrats The projected electoral college map for 2004... | private feedback |
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Thursday, March 04, 2004 Pushin' The Issue in New York 
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We all knew... ... that Dubbya was going to get cocky and abuse his "wartime president" status... produce ads that completely politicize 9/11 and use it to strike fear in voters across America... but perhaps we didn't expect that he'd do it so soon... It seems beyond John Kerry, Dubbya's biggest adversaries might be the families of 9/11 victims who will stand as watchdogs and who are hell bent (rightfully so) on keeping Dubbya from using 9/11 for political gain. [CNN.com] President Bush's re-election campaign on Thursday defended commercials using images of wreckage of the World Trade Center, as appropriate for an election about public policy and the war on terror. Some families of the victims of the attacks are angry with Bush for airing the spots, which they called in poor taste and for the president's political gain. Well... duh! "It's a slap in the face of the murders of 3,000 people," Monica Gabrielle, whose husband died in the twin towers, told the New York Daily News for its Thursday editions. "It is unconscionable." "It's as sick as people who stole things out of the place," said Firefighter Tommy Fee of Queens Rescue Squad 270. "The image of firefighters at ground zero should not be used for this stuff, for politics." Amen! "I would be less offended if he showed a picture of himself in front of the Statue of Liberty," said Tom Roger, whose daughter perished on American Airlines Flight 11. "But to show the horror of 9/11 in the background, that's just some advertising agency's attempt to grab people by the throat." Maybe there's hope for American voters yet... | private feedback |
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Wednesday, March 03, 2004 Fabio Responds! In response to the "hunk" on Average Joe Hawaii dumping the star of the show after finding out that she dated Fabio briefly... "If that guy is looking to date someone Fabio hasn't, he should date guys." Poor Larissa... from one dumb guy to the next. [Fabio's International Fan Club] | private feedback |
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Tuesday, March 02, 2004 Average Joe 2: Hawaii  Let me climb down from my serious place for a moment to recap the finale of Average Joe 2. Did anyone watch this? I only started watching this series from the mid-point... after the "hunks" arrived to challenge the "average joes."
First off, this batch vying for Larissa's heart, as far as i could tell... were a bunch of major losers. NOONE stood out as a good choice. (Oh my god, the tragic facial hair alone...) The final choice came down to two guys who were completely opposite stereotypes... one a nice, stable guy with a good heart, not much of a looker but will pine away for you forever... and the other a handsome, blonde, somewhat lower intelligence guy who will care more about his hair and tan than his eventual girlfriend. And in true shallow form, Larissa chose the hunk over the average joe. This shouldn't have been such a shock considering the hissy fit she threw earlier in the show when her average joe potential mates were revealed. She finally gave them a chance, but she had to have been more than relieved when the boat full of good looking guys pulled up to shore. And, in a case of karma coming back to bite Larissa in the ass much sooner than she would expect, in a case of sheer bitter ironic justice... after choosing the hunk, they spent three romantic days together and she revealed a much-hyped secret... and the hunk dropped her like a bad habit. Even after she KNEW (and said as much) that he probably wasn't ready for anything serious. She trusted her "instinct" and still picked him anyway. And I'm glad to say her instinct was wrong... In what might be a reality dating show first, Larissa, the girl who was supposed to have had her choice among men was dumped by the one she chose. And what was her secret? Her tearful secret that she was afraid to tell until the very end of the show and that finally ripped the woman and her hunk apart? Her ex-boyfriend was Fabio. Seriously... This might be enough to wean me from reality television... not. | private feedback |
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Quote of the Day "We wouldn't have won." New York's Attorney General Elliot Spitzer refusing to stop the same-sex marriages that are taking place in New York. Pataki had directed Spitzer last week to go to court to stop the weddings that were being performed by New Paltz's maverick mayor, Jason West. | private feedback |
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There I Am! Pictures from the Ithaca Journal... and there I am in the orange sweater...  And where Ithaca hit the press... The Ithaca Journal, Cornell Daily Sun, The New York Times, 365Gay.Com, and News Channel 10, among others... | private feedback |
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Monday, March 01, 2004 Ithaca and Gay Marriage  Carolyn Peterson, Ithaca's Mayor, called a press conference this morning to discuss the issue of same-sex marriage. The press conference was announced in Saturday's paper... and shortly after, I got a phone call asking if I would be willing to come to the meeting beforehand at which Carolyn would be seeking feedback from the LGBT community about the city's position.
Apparently, our Mayor has gotten more emails about the topic of Gay Marriage than any other including road construction, traffic calming, and development. So, she decided to hold a press conference to address the issue and talk about her and the city's position. I, along with eight other members of the LGBT community got to stand behind her at the podium as she staked out a strong position in support of gay marriage. (No, you don't see me in this particular one. The room, by the way, was packed to overflowing with community members who had come out in support of the Mayor and the LGBT community.) The City of Ithaca has a long history of support for GLBT families. We were the first city in the state to pass a Domestic Partnership resolution, and our Common Council has also voted on proclamations that have strongly urged our state to make gay marriage legal. So, it wasn't a huge surprise that Carolyn Peterson would stand up today and say that the city supports gay marriage... that any marriages performed legally in other places would be recognized by the city without question, that the city would submit each application for a marriage license to the state Department of Health individually so that the state would need to deny each application, and should a party choose to sue the state, the city of Ithaca would support those plaintiffs and stand in support of their right to marry. She said that as Mayor she would do everything in her power to see that the citizens of Ithaca had all the same rights and responsibilities as anyone else in the state. And as an added bonus (and surprise), the Supervisor of the Town of Ithaca took the podium and said she agreed completely with the Mayor's position and would do the same... as well as the Chair of the Tompkins County Board of Representatives. As of the time of the press conference, two couples had already applied for licenses in the City and one couple had already applied for a license in the Town. I imagine many more will do so today and in the coming days. Far from a big symbolic ceremony or an act of civil disobedience, as in New Paltz, and far from distributing marriage licenses here in Ithaca (unlike California, in New York State only the City Clerk can sign marriage licenses), it was a strong start and one that many communities could follow. What if the mayors and city councils of Rochester, Syracuse, Buffalo, Albany, Binghamton, et al., followed our lead and held press conferences saying that the mayors of our state were strongly behind gay marriage. Would they help sway public opinion? Would they together, be able to lobby our state assembly and state senate to change New York's marriage laws? Every bit helps. And after this morning, I'm optimistic. | private feedback |
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Hey! I'm Shane... a proud gay progressive Democrat who has recently relocated to New York City from Ithaca, NY. As I am no longer in Ithaca, I haven't quite decided the fate of this blog. Drop me a line!
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