Wrecked!

I had a dentist appointment today, so I had to drive the car. We have a Honda CR-V. I guess technically it is Shane's car, since he pays for it and his name is on the title. Anyway, I stopped after my appointment to get some groceries at the Harris Teeter grocery store near our house. They have an underground parking garage. I was very happy that they were having a sale on wine. They were selling Oak Creek Merlot for 3 bottles for $10, which is a brand we've had before and like. Also, you get a 15 percent discount when you buy a case. I got 12 bottles of wine for $34.

However, when leaving the parking garage, I failed to notice this huge column behind my car and proceeded to back out of my parking place and zip squarely into the column. The tire is the only thing that contacted the column, but it pushed in the back panel of our car. Suddenly, the wine wasn't so cheap anymore. I can't wait to find out how much that is going to cost to fix. Luckily, neither me nor the wine was injured. The spare tire is now crooked and there is a noticeable dent to the right side of the tire where the metal got pushed in. Shane took the news better than expected. I thought about not telling him and then acting surprised when he noticed the damage, but I didn't want to be too Lucy Ricardo.

West Wing New Cast

I think this show will be much better this year!

Witchiepoo Sings Oranges Smoranges from HR Puffnstuf

I loved this as a kid. What was I thinking? I still love me some Witchiepoo though.

Lasagna Night Turns Romantic

Shane and I went to our local Italian restaurant for dinner tonight
where I had this lasagna with the meat on the outside. It got very
romantic for the couple at the table next to us who became engaged
soon after we sat down. She got very excited and announced the news
to all the diners in the restaurant. Then, her fiancé surprised her
by having flown her parents in from Arizona. He also invited several
more friends and family, until there were about 12 people at their
party. It's a good thing she said yes.

Bathroom Remodel Update

The tiling has begun! The floor is tiled and they started the subway
tiles on the wall. We had a shower door crisis today. The door we
wanted became unavailable. We had a conference call with the
contractor and settled on another model -- for more money of course.

Inauguration Experience -- We Were There

Shane and I walked down to the National Mall to witness the inauguration of President Obama. It was cold and crowded, and we didn't see much --the top photo shows the closest screen we could see -- but we were there. We could hear what was going on. We managed to get on the Mall near the Washington Monument. Just getting on the Mall was quite difficult. We climbed over barriers and squeezed through an area where they had moved a portable toilet. The crowd was so tight that it was difficult to lower my arms after waving my "We Did It" sign that we got from someone handing them out on our way into the crowd. Below is a collection of photos I took, mostly crowd shots. I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

Where Shane Met Barack Obama

Shane shook Barack Obama's hand outside this Dunkin Donuts on DC
primary day. They have some photos on their wall of that day. We
stopped there on our way to the inauguration for coffee and hot
chocolate.

Bystander's Reaction to the Inauguration Rehearsal

This was just the rehearsal on last Sunday! Multiply this by about 2 million today.

100 Facts About Me, Part 3 -- Numbers 21 - 30

This is the third installment of the 100 Facts about me. Again, you may notice there are 11 items listed. That is because one of the items is not true -- the other 10 are true. Can you guess which one is a lie? Everyone that guesses correctly wins a brand new car*! (Don't forget that sometimes I lie.)

I'll post 10 more facts and one non-fact next Monday and tell which one of the items below is false next week.

The false item from last week was #1. I have never been engaged to a woman. The other 10 items I listed are true.

Archer, of Archer Radio, guessed the item about me having plastic surgery was the false one. I have had plastic surgery, but I'll explain more about that another time.

Greg guessed the false item was the one about the forest fire. The fire wasn't as bad as it could have been. I was a bit of a pyromaniac as a child and I was playing with matches in a woods. It was fall and there were dry leaves everywhere. The leaves caught on fire and started to spread fast. Luckily, my grandmother saw the flames from across the road, and amazingly, she and another woman she was visiting with were able to beat the flames out before there was a disaster. I'm not sure why, but my grandmother never told my mother about this and never really punished me for it. She may have felt guilty for allowing it to happen. Anyway, that was my closest call with fire.

CHM guessed the Clorox bleach story was false. As a child, (prior to the forest fire) I was laying on the floor near the washer and the bottle of bleach was beside me. For some reason, I lifted the bottle of bleach up and turned it upside down over my face. The cap was apparently very loose or only sitting on the top of the bottle and it came off and bleach splashed on my face -- a small amount which I swallowed. I wasn't very happy, but I lived. It wasn't as bad as having a mouse run up the inside of my pants. I still get the heebie-jeebies from that.

Here's the third list of 10 facts and one non-fact:

1. When I was a supervisor at a previous job, I had one of my employees arrested after I discovered he was exposing himself to little girls.

2. I have been diagnosed with a heart murmur.

3. As a child, I underwent a medical procedure several times that used radium-tipped rods -- the size of knitting needles -- stuck up my nostrils, which were supposed to shrink my adenoids.

4. My neighbor Kirby and I caused my sister's arm to get broken.

5. I am a certified SCUBA diver and have seen sharks in open water while diving.

6. I have shaken the hands of both President Clinton and Vice President Gore.

7. I sang tenor in my church choir.

8. I have walked on the Great Wall of China.

9. I won $5,000 on a scratch-off lottery ticket.

10. I've been a member of both a volleyball league and a bowling league.

11. I am a Community College graduate.


*Brand new car prize is restricted to imaginary and/or fictional characters.

Diversity's Not Just a Slogan

At the Lincoln Memorial concert today, I snapped this shot of a girl
with an HRC sticker on her hat, but just now noticed the guy in the
turbin in the foreground. Though there may have been fewer older
white men at this event (even if you count me) than were at W's
inauguration events, I saw lots of not only African Americans, but
also Hispanics, Asians, and a few of us old white guys... Actually,
just me and Joe Biden. Oh, and the guy in the beret and the old guy
next to HRC girl. That's 4.

Photos from the Lincoln Memorial Concert

I thought it was odd that they placed this screen directly behind a tree.

Though the pictures don't show it, we could actually see the people on the stage, but they were tiny. I need to get a better digital camera. That was me in the yellow coat in front of the Washington Monument and Shane in the red coat below me. There were lots of people on top of the port-a-potties, until the roof caved in on one and they made everyone get down.

It sucked that HBO didn't carry Bishop Gene Robinson's prayer. We were there and we couldn't hear it. The audio speaker near us didn't kick in until the HBO show started. Though I'm not a religious man, I hate seeing any gay leader snubbed. If it had been Billy Graham (or Rick Warren?), I bet he would have been on HBO.

Though I'm really not a Garth Brooks fan, I'd have to say the best thing in the show was him singing American Pie. Bruce Springsteen singing The Rising and Mary J. Blige singing Lean On Me also were good.

It was very cool just being there and feeling the excitement that the crowd generated. Though there were lots of stars there, they were there to see and hear our new president. I had never been in a crowd that size before, and there were times it was very tight. I could see how people get trampled to death. Big crowds have a life of their own. I was surprised we were able to get as close as we did. I can't wait until Tuesday.

Waiting for the Lincoln Memorial Concert

This is what I see before the show. It is pretty crowded.

I've Been Obamaized

I didn't want to be the only one who didn't do it.

West Side Snory

I don't think the New York reviewers will be kind to the new production of West Side Story.   Though the show has beautiful music and the sets -- particularly the transformation of the stage to the under the highway rumble set, was amazing --  and the two female leads also were very good -- this is not a show I would recommend.   

There was a lot I didn't like.  The male leads were adequate, but dull.  I don't understand what Maria saw in this Tony to make her risk everything.  The show just seemed long and dated -- very dated.  If the Spanish singing was suppose to make it seemed more updated, it did not.  I'd advise them to go back to English.  Sometimes the Puerto Ricans sang and spoke in Spanish and sometimes they sang and spoke in English.  I assume this is how it works in real life, but I don't speak much Spanish and did not understand what they were saying much of the time.  There were prolonged periods of singing and dialogue that were entirely in Spanish.  It was my understanding that they would going to have surtitles above the stage, but they did not.   It would have been nice.

I was hoping to like this show, but was very disappointed.  Overall, the sound was not good.  The orchestra sounded muffled and the actors sound level also seemed low.  Also, the theater became uncomfortably hot during the show, and I was just wishing it would end.  It never seemed to end.  I wanted to shout out, "Die already!"" during the dramatic and prolonged ending scene.  If you are in NYC and want to see a good show, go to Billy Elliot.  

Going to this show did cause me to have a couple flashbacks.  I remember when I was in elementary school, and the movie of West Side Story was shown on TV.  The next day on the playground, all the boys went around bouncing into a hunched position and snapping their fingers pretending they were Jets or Sharks.  They thought they were being cool, but looking back on it, it seemed very gay.  The other memory I had was a Laverne and Shirley episode when the gang was trying out for parts in a production of West Side Story.   The production I saw could have used the Big Ragu!

I tried to find a clip on YouTube from the Laverne and Shirley show on West Side Story, but I couldn't find one.  What I did find was a better train wreck.  There is a sketch, I assume from the old Cher variety show, where Cher plays all the parts in West Side Story.  It was in two parts and about 14 minutes long, and what I did watch of it, was hilarious.   The sound quality is horrible on the clips I found and it was long, so I didn't link it, but it is very easy to find if you want to see it.  It is something. 

West Side Story

There's a place for us and it is row N at tonight's performance of West Side Story, the classic musical revival is heading to Broadway, but we get to see it here in DC first. I've heard mixed reviews, especially about the gimmick of many of the songs being done Spanish. There are surtitles above the stage for us unilingual people. I'm excited! The photo shows Matt Cavenaugh as Tony, and newcomer Josefina Scaglione as Maria. I heard he isn't such a great singer. I'll give a full report tomorrow. But, tonight, tonight, won't be just any night...

A Night Out

Shane and I are out for a drink at the Banana Cafe. Chuck Smith plays
piano at the upstairs bar. My mojito is powerful, but the place isn't
very gay anymore. Chuck is VERY gay and the showtunes were abundant,
but unappreciated by the mostly straight crowd. We love Chuck.

Yet Another Bathroom Update

Progress is being made... slowly, but surely. The top photo is the shower. The next photo shows where the shower seat will be (where the level is laying) and the hole for the toilet (between the broom and the bucket). The next shot is where the sink vanity will go. The bottom shot is the wall where there used to be a door. They have been drywalling this week and the house if VERY dusty and there is more drywall work to be done.

Why Take Diet Pills, When You Could Enjoy AYDS?

I realize this is tasteless, but I thought it was also funny. I saw this on the Daily Dish by Andrew Sullivan (http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/)a few days ago.

The Reading the Bible on the Subway Rant

This is a bit of a pet peeve of mine. There are an amazing amount of people that ride the DC Metro that read the bible to pass the time. I don't have a problem with that. Good for them, in fact, for reading words inspired by their imaginary friend. There are some good stories in there and that Jesus character can be pretty interesting.

However, I sometimes wonder, what would Jesus do (WWJD)? Would Jesus sit in a seat designated for the handicapped -- to read his biography? Somehow, that seems to smack of being a hypocrite. Ya think?

To be fair, this lady did leave a bit of space beside her, and I didn't see any handicapped people looking for seats. But I have seen people on crutches and very old people standing while there were young and seemingly healthy people making themselves very comfortable in the handicapped seats. I'm sure if they were to look up from their bibles for a moment, they might realize that their seat reserved for the handicapped is needed for the handicapped person struggling to stand nearby; but they have bible study on their minds and looking up is not in the cards.

BRACE! BRACE! BRACE! BRACE! BRACE!

These were the words repeated over the loudspeaker during landing of Shane’s flight home yesterday. He had flown up to Maine to spend the weekend with his grandmother. On the return flight last night (US Air from Portland), there was a problem with the plane. They were suppose to land at Reagan National Airport, closer into DC, but landed at Dulles, to take advantage of the longer runway.

Apparently, there was a problem with the flaps or braking system. During landing, everyone had to be in the brace position, bent over with their arms under their legs and their head down low. Prior to landing, they had everyone go over the emergency card in the seat back, and Shane said everyone studied it carefully. They were told that if they had to evacuate, they could not take any carry-on bags with them. Everyone put their coats on and stuffed their pockets with stuff they didn't want to leave behind.

There were only exits in the front and back of the plane, and Shane was in the middle, so he was concerned that it would take a long time for him to get out. The flight attendants instructed some men on how to open the exits and reseated them near the exit doors. Shane said his main concern was fire, and he was worried that the plane would start flipping during landing.

During landing, they turned off all the lights in the cabin and everyone was in the brace position. Apparently, the flight attendant screamed Brace! into the microphone and put it on repeat, so it played over and over during the landing. It was dark and everyone had their heads down and the recording kept yelling Brace! Brace! Brace!

Luckily, they landed safely. After they stopped, the passengers broke into applause and a few tears were shed. They were met by fire trucks that circled around to make a preliminary check after the landing to make sure all was clear.

Shane seemed pretty calm about the whole thing. He did tell me that after they announced they would be landing at Dulles, he asked how they were going to get to Reagan National from Dulles. The attendant told him her focus at that point was just getting down safely. They did provide cabs to National Airport. Shane's first question to me was asking if it was on the news. My cable wasn't working at the time, but I haven't seen any news stories about this so far.

100 Facts About Me, Part 2 -- Numbers 11 - 20

This is the second installment of the 100 Facts about me segment. Again, you may notice there are 11 items listed. That is because one of the items is not true. Can you guess which one? I'll post 10 more facts and one non-fact next Monday and tell which one of these is false then.

Archer, of Archer Radio, guessed that I made up the story about giving my dog the Heimlich Maneuver, but that actually happened. My dog, Chloe, choked on a piece of raw hide in the middle of the night, and she was unconscious and not breathing. Before she passed out she managed to wake me. I held her upside down and squeezed. The raw hide popped out and she woke up. That happened on the second night I had her. I never gave her anymore raw hide chews. She has since gone to doggy heaven due to unrelated health problems.

The false "fact" from last week was #7. I did not donate one of my kidneys to my Aunt Alice. I did have an Aunt Alice, but she never needed my kidney. The other 10 items I listed were true.

Here's the second list of 10 facts and one non-fact:

1. I was engaged to be married (to a woman) for almost 2 years.

2. A mouse ran up the inside of my pants.

3. I have swallowed Clorox bleach.

4. I had to go to the emergency room once after a run-in with a rooster.

5. I've had plastic surgery.

6. As a child, I played with matches and set a forest on fire.

7. I can juggle.

8. Shane moved in with me, moving from Connecticut to the DC area, less than 4 months after our first date.

9. My best friend in high school got amnesia and didn't know me.

10. At one time, I knew all the words to both Evita and Jesus Christ Superstar.

11. I have never smoked marijuana.

January is National Blood Donor Month -- Unless You're Gay!

We gays are not allowed to donate our blood. I've been tested for HIV and am negative, and I'm in a monogamous relationship. I don't think my chances of getting HIV are any greater than anyone else in the general population -- actually, I think my chances are lower.

I can understand prohibiting those exhibiting risky behavior from giving, but to ban all men who have had sex with another man even once since 1977 seems a bit extreme. How do they define sex, anyway? Does it have to be without a condom, or does it matter if there was a condom used? What about the women who have slept with men who have had gay sex?

Anyway, this doesn't prevent closeted gays from giving blood who might be doing the most risky of behaviors. Anyone can just lie and say they haven't had gay sex. I know that some government agencies give 4 hours of leave for blood donors. I'm sure that's enough incentive for many to lie. Also, some closeted men might feel pressure to give blood so it doesn't look like they can't give, because then others might suspect they've had sex with a man. Honest gay men that know they are healthy, however, are banned for life.

Below is an excerpt of an Associated Press story about the ban from last year. Don't get me started on the headline. Obviously gay men physically "can" give blood. It is just not permitted.

--------------
Banned for Life: Gay men can't donate blood

WASHINGTON - Gay men remain banned for life from donating blood, the government said Wednesday, leaving in place — for now — a 1983 prohibition meant to prevent the spread of HIV through transfusions.

The Food and Drug Administration reiterated its long-standing policy on its Web site Wednesday, more than a year after the Red Cross and two other blood groups criticized the policy as “medically and scientifically unwarranted.”
--------------

The good old FDA was in the news more recently when a group of scientists sent a letter to our new soon-to-be new president. It basically said the agency was corrupted.

According to the letter, FDA managers "committed the most outrageous misconduct by ordering, coercing and intimidating FDA physicians and scientists to recommend approval, and then retaliating when the physicians and scientists refused to go along."

Perhaps when the new administration finally arrives, this is another mess they can work on correcting.

All Bound for Moo Moo Land

I was watching some clips from Sordid Lives and I had a bit of a Brother Boy moment. So here's my tribute to Miss Tammy Wynette with the help of KLF. I think you'll agree Tammy would have stood by the jam. And don't forget to TURN UP THE STROBE!

The Problem with Being an Atheist is that the Holidays Suck -- Not Anymore!

Most holidays center around religion. Not just Christmas, but even things like Thanksgiving, Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and Memorial Day all involve religion, praying, or thanking god.

Christmas was originally meant to be a celebration of the birth of Jesus. Many people still celebrate it for that reason, but even many of us non-believers like Christmas. Who can resist the songs, gifts, and decorations -- not to mention the cookies and other goodies?

I think to popularize atheism, we need to develop a kick-ass holiday just for us. I did a search on Wikipedia for "atheist holiday" and got no matches. Zero. I really think we atheists should have at least one holiday of our very own -- a day of realization that we don't need the mythology of the past to cope in today's world. Though we don't understand how many things work in the universe, it doesn't mean we have to make up gods to explain them.

I personally think this holiday should be February 12, the birthday of Charles Darwin. In fact, there already is a celebration of Darwin's birth called Darwin Day.

According to Wiki, Darwin Day is a recently instituted celebration intended to celebrate the anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin on February 12, 1809. This year marks the 200th anniversary of Darwin's birth. The day is an opportunity to highlight Darwin's contribution to science and to promote science in general.

Events on Darwin Day have included dinner parties with special recipes for primordial soup, protests with school boards and other governmental bodies, distribution of information by people in ape costumes, lectures and debates, essay and art competitions, concerts, poetry readings, plays, artwork, comedy routines, reenactments of the Scopes Trial, and recreations of the journey of the HMS Beagle, church . The Perth Mint, in Australia will launch a 2009 dated commemorative 1 oz. silver legal tender coin depicting Darwin, young and old, the HMS Beagle, and Darwin's signature.

Darwin day is only a little more than a month away... don't forget to send out your Darwin Day Cards!

Pinky and the Archer

My friend Archer at Archer Radio (www.archerr.com/blog.html) is posting a picture of himself everyday in 2009. Today's picture inspired me to play with the Photoshop a bit.

Master Bathroom Renovation Update

We are in the middle of completely renovating our master bathroom. Earlier I posted a before and after photo showing the gutting -- where they tore out the entire room -- toilet, bathtub, sink, floor, walls, and ceiling (http://mkr20003.blogspot.com/2009/01/bathroom-guts.html). These pictures show some progress. They put down a plywood floor and have done the pipes and lights. We had to reorder our tile, because it was $6,000 over our budget. We are still going to be way over our tile budget, but we did find a less expensive tile that looks just as good. We had a meeting with the contractor at 7 a.m. this morning to go over some issues, but things seem to be moving along. These photos show the lights above where our shower will be and where our toilet will be. Luckily we have another bathroom to use in the meantime, so we don't have to squat over that hole in the floor.

Job Security

This is my workload. I go through these folders all day, everyday --
day in and day out. The red folders are always a bitch. Also, while
I'm working on these folders, they keep bringing me more folders. It
never ends until you die. Happy Thursday!

Inauguration Map

Double click on the map to get a clear view. Shane and I will

walk down among the throngs to try and see something, but

mostly just to be part of the experience.

More Pictures from Florida

These are some pictures I took with my digital camera, which takes marginally better photos than the iPhone. The first one is the pelicans off Boca Grand. The next two are of Shane, his mom and I at Boca, taken with the little tripod I got for Christmas. The last one is Shane and I on the beach at Naples, also taken with the tripod. I love that little tripod.

Bathroom Guts

They started our bathroom remodel.  They gutted it today.  This is before and after.

100 Facts About Me -- Numbers 1-10

These are the first 10 of the 100 Facts about me. You may notice there are 11 items listed. That is because one of the items is not true. Can you guess which one? I'll post 10 more facts and a non-fact next Monday and tell which one of these is false then.

1. I was born in New Jersey.

2. My father died when I was 1 year old in a skydiving accident (where he drowned).

3. I've run 3 marathons (so far).

4. I can name all 50 States in alphabetical order in less than 30 seconds.

5. I killed a deer with a bow and arrow (mostly the arrow).

6. I was a vegetarian for several years.

7. I donated one of my kidneys to my Aunt Alice.

8. I successfully performed the Heimlich Maneuver on my dog.

9. I've worked for the Government for more than 24 years in five different jobs.

10. I've been interviewed on live TV as a Government agency spokesperson.

11. Because I'm deathly afraid of public speaking, I took my present Government job to avoid having to do live TV interviews.

In the Loo

I don't know what possessed me to snap a photo of myself in the
bathroom of Flight 1468 from Tampa to Washington DC today.

This Is Wrong On So Many Levels

Shane and his mom pose for a photo in Punta Gorda, FL.

Double Rainbow

And they say SW Florida isn't that gay...

Rainbow Inland

As we were driving home from the beach, we ran into a shower and an
accompanying rainbow.

Naples, FL

We're relaxing and sightseeing on the beach today. Perfect weather.

New Year's Day 2009

Shane and his mom relax on the beach at Boca Grand, FL. Not a bad way
to start the year.

The Pelicans at Boca Grand

Shane's mom watches the pelicans. Double click the photo and make it bigger.

We're Off to Florida -- Happy New Year!

We're not going to Miami, but close enough... We're flying into Tampa and heading down to North Port to stay with Shane's parents.

Have a Safe and Happy New Year!

The New Ten Commandments

This list was found on the Atheistic Forum (http://www.atheist.net/) and inspired by the list in Richard Dawkin’s The God Delusion.

1. Treat others as you would like to be treated.

2. Treat the natural world with respect. -- a. Protect and preserve the environment. -- b. Treat living things with respect. -- c. Seek to create a better world.

3. Rejoice in your life. -- a. Live life with a sense of joy and wonder. -- b. Appreciate what you have. -- c. Look after your emotional, physical, social and intellectual health.

4. Seek knowledge and understanding. -- a. Always seek to be growing in your knowledge and understanding. -- b. Always check your understanding, ideas and beliefs against the best available facts or information, and be ready to discard any belief if it does not conform to this best available information.

5. Seek moderation in all thoughts and actions. -- a. Understand your cravings and do not be a slave to them.

6. Have integrity in all your words, actions and thought. -- a. Keep your agreements and promises. -- b. Take responsibility for your action.

7. Protect and care for the weak and vulnerable.

8. Recognize harm and act to prevent, stop or minimize it.

9. Respect the right of others to act and think differently; seek to understand the reasons for their thoughts and behaviors. Honor their contribution to the richness of your world.

10. Strive to make the world a better place --a. Leave a contribution for future generations -- b. Seek to further the knowledge, understanding and wisdom of others -- c. Nurture and support the ethical, intellectual and emotional growth of your family