1/29/05
Love that Cho
Chris posted a link to Margaret Cho's Equality Resource Site, which advocates for legalization, acceptance, and embracing of gay marriage. You should all check it out and do some of the things listed under "Simple Things You Can Do." Here are the first five:
1) Send a free fax to your Representatives, telling them you oppose the Federal Marriage Amendment (courtesy of ACLU)
2) Pledge to oppose politicians who support anti-gay amendments to the US Constitution (courtesy of Don't Amend)
3) Sign the "Million For Marriage" petition & tell Congress that you support Equal Marriage Rights (courtesy of HRC)
4) Sign this petition to Congress to tell them you oppose the FMA (courtesy of People for the American Way)
5) Sign the "United not Divided" petition against the Federal Marriage Amendment (courtesy of MoveOn)
Number 13 is the best, but I guess you'll have to go to loveisloveislove to find out for yourself, won't you?
1/27/05
1/20/05
Dear Scott...
It is time for you to post something, anything, on your blog. Do it. Do it now. Write things!!!
Sincerely,
Sara :-)
If you would like to send your own nagging email to Scott, email scott@scottdunlap.com.
$17.3 Million Dollar Party for Duhbya
Why does our money need to be spent (and external funds collected) for extravagantly swearing in a man who is already president in these times of war and poor social funding? As I sit here, my tuition is preparing to raise and I am carefully planning a career in public education, which I will never have adequate funding to optimally perform (based on the Oregon Quality Education Model) and for which I will never earn what I am worth. We are fighting a $5 BILLION a month war that brings constant news of uprepared forces. We have a $4.2 BILLION national deficit. Our economy is ever on the decline. Americans are jobless, homeless, poverty-stricken, without healthcare, and dying of unresearched diseases and natural disasters.
But whatever... I guess I'm silly to think that we should prioritize our spending based on what this country desperately NEEDS to improve and meet the needs of its citizens. I guess it's silly to think that having such a big shin-dig in the midst of war is inappropriate. Sure, one other inauguration has cost more than this one, woo-fucking-hoo. And President Johnson had a pricey party (only $1.6 million, which is less, even with inflation) during Vietnam. And I know that $17.3 million would hardly make a dent in any of our national problems. Great freakin' arguments, people...I guess it's silly to expect that (not my) President Bush would hold a more modest event as a gesture given our nation's current climate.
A big fucking party is exactly what we need. Party on, George.
Feds to pay some D.C. inauguration Costs (Oregonlive.com)
Some Now Question Cost of inauguration (FindLaw)
inaugural price tag in line with history (Washington Post)
P.S. If anyone comments in a way that severely pisses me off I reserve every right to remove it. So be respectful even if you don't agree with me. Support your claims with fact and your opinions with reasoning.
1/16/05
Not Quite a Homer
I took a Simpsons quiz and did better than I expected. My score was "Not Quite a Homer:"
Not Quite a Homer
You know who shot Mr. Burns and that Bart owns a pair of Krusty the Clown underwear. You may even know Paul McCartney lives behind the beer section at the Kwik-E-Mart. (That's pushing it, though.)But you don't dissect every episode detail by detail which is probably a good thing. Stay strong.
Apartment Living
To Whom it May Concern:
This letter is to inform you of the recent behaviors of the tenants at apartment number A-7 at West Oaks Apartments. I have already informed the Eugene Police Department of information enclosed here, but wish to keep you informed and to document what has occurred.
Since the tenants of A-7 moved into the unit, living next to them has been highly unpleasant for a number of reasons, particularly the extent to which they smoke cigarettes in the apartment, the messes that constantly appear outside of their doorstep that I must walk past to reach my apartment, and the repeated verbal assault the two residents inflict upon each other late at night.
The two residents of the apartment smoke incessantly, and while this is apparently allowable according to those I have spoken with, it makes for an extremely repulsive walk past their door. As a former smoker, I am extremely sensitive to the smell of cigarette smoke, and living next to these tenants is difficult for me. Similarly, I understand that this is allowable, so I am mentioning it purely for the sake of describing all aspects of the behavior next door. This is the least of my complaints.
Secondly, the cleanliness of the area around the door of A-7 has become increasingly poor since the current tenants took up residence. In late November a carved Jack-O-Lantern was still sitting on a chair in front of the unit almost a month after Halloween had passed. The pumpkin was molding and filled with maggots. When I came home from my Christmas travels, a cardboard box containing a well-used cat litter box was sitting in front of A-7. After walking back and forth passed the disgusting, smelly box, I finally put it in the dumpster myself. Currently, small scraps of paper litter the sidewalk outside of the unit. These are only a few examples of the gross behavior of these tenants.
The last and most unendurable behavior exhibited by these tenants is the fighting, yelling, slamming of doors, and other forms of verbal abuse that the tenants inflict upon one another. This very loud fighting occurs at least three times per week, and usually begins around three o’clock am. Often, the fighting has occurred on week nights when I had to work very early in the morning. I have lost sleep because of their fighting on a number of occasions. In early November I knocked on the door of A-7 following such an outburst and asked them to please be more considerate of me. The fighting has ensued since, despite my asking them to stop.
The most recent example of this abuse occurred very early this morning. I awoke at around 3:30 am to the sound of the two tenants arguing with one another in the room attached to my apartment. Soon after, one tenant moved into the living room and they yelled at one another from different rooms. 3:30 in the morning is an incredibly unreasonable and disrespectful time to have such an argument, although this behavior at this time of the morning is typical of this couple.
Finally, at 3:45 am, I got dressed and went next door to again ask the tenants to quiet down. As I approached their door, the fighting continued, but after I knocked, they quieted down and did not answer the door. I knocked several more times, but the tenants continued to ignore me, pretending as if they were not there. This reaction was immature and only added insult to injury in a situation where their actions have caused me to experience repeated anger, anxiety, and sleep loss. I then called the non-emergency number for the Eugene Police Department and reported their behavior as a noise disturbance and potential for violence. The Police Department arrived shortly and the tenants quieted down after their departure.
Again, my purpose for writing this is to inform those interested of repeated behaviors of the A-7 tenants that are highly unpleasant and will likely continue. I am not an unreasonable person, and quite contrarily, I have withstood this fighting for a lengthy period of time, assuming that it would eventually stop. It has not stopped, however, and at the current time the fighting is unbearable. I have studied social health issues in depth as a part of my university course work and will therefore not tolerate behavior that is a risk factor for escalated violence.
Please take note of this information and take appropriate action if these behaviors continue. At the present time, I am considering moving to get away from this situation, although my ultimate choice is to remain because I am not the cause of the disturbances. Please feel free to contact me if necessary and I will keep you informed of further problems regarding this matter.
Sara (last name omitted)
1/15/05
Spending Time with Da School Ladies
My Friend Sammy Likes Tequilla...
...and so does Tequilla Drink-Off challenger, Bryan. After eighteen shots, there was a variety of drunk behavior and Sammy was crowned champion. She was helped to bed shortly following victory and kept company by a slew of people playing loud games on her bedroom floor. Sammy was not phased and continued sleeping, and much to our relief, breathing. Woo-hoo!
Mandy got Married
1/14/05
I Can Post Song Lyrics Too
“Oops, I did it again.”
---Brittany Spears
“What kind of love is this that keeps me hanging on despite everything it’s doing to me. The kind of love that keeps me coming back for more when it will only be misery.”
---Sara McLachlan
“I’d rather walk alone than chase you around. I’d rather fall myself than let you drag me on down.”
---Ben Harper
“Fuck you and your untouchable face. Fuck you for existing in the first place. Who am I that I should be vying for your touch? Who am I? Bet you can’t even give me that much.”
---Ani DiFranco
“Bound by wild desire, I fell into a ring of fire.”
---Johnny Cash
“People spend so much time every single day running around all over town, giving their forever away. No, not me, I won’t let my forever roam. And now I hope I’ll find my forever home. Give me your forever.”
---Ben Harper
“This is all I have so please take what’s left of this heart and use… please use only what you really need. You know I only have so little so please, mend your broken heart and leave.”
---Jack Johnson
“If I could save time in a bottle, the first thing I’d like to do is to save every day till eternity passes away just to spend them with you.”
---Jim Croche
And finally…
“Barmaid, bring a pitcher- another round of brew. Honey, why don’t we get drunk and screw?”
---Jimmy Buffet
1/13/05
~SUSHI~SUSHI~SUSHI~
New Thursday afternoon tradition: Lunch at the Empire Buffet with Patrick, Liz, & Robin.
In preparation, we ate minimally before our 2:00 lunch date. My breakfast consisted of a fruit juice popsickle and Patrick's was an english muffin. Going to the Empire takes preparation and endurance. There's no room for snackers or filling up on bread at the buffet, baby.
Our meals consisted largely of sushi, paritally of fruit and fried_____ (insert vegetable/meat), and minimally of soda (which does not come with the meal, frugal people be warned!). Over the course of the meal we ate too much, laughed about republicans, and shared gossip. Three plates and twenty minutes of sitting/digesting later, we went our separate ways, back to the non-sushi world.
See you next Thursday
1/11/05
Momma Dreams of Ice Cream Cones
Okay, so I apologize for repeated posting of cat pictures, and I do realize that this is a one way ticket to old-cat-lady land, but look how silly my cat was when she was napping this afternoon. What a goofy cat. My cats have hardly left the house in weeks because of the weather, which is odd for them, since they typically behave like ferrell cats that hate me. Maybe it's because I take embarrasing photos of them in the Winter and they rebell for the rest of the year. Maybe it's time for me to go to bed.
Hey, doesn't this cat kinda look like Chris's FACE???!!
1/5/05
Long Awaited New Year's Eve Pics
As we celebrated at Scott's house in Portland, these events were taking place around the country:
- Cowboys in Kingsport, TN held on as long as possible to mechanical bulls. Oddly enough, I lived in Kingsport, Tennessee when I was in 1st and 2nd grade. Hmm.
- A trailer was burning in Erie, PA. No one died. Check out the newscaster's mustache.
- Gay men went smoochy smoochy at Clarke's in Chicago. Yeah, baby.
- 150 Members of the Monument Beach Polar Bear Club dove in to 38 degree water to resolve that 2005 will be a better year than 2004. Crazy bastards.
- People attended the 2005 Guitar Drop in Nashville Tennessee. Yee-haw.
- Motley Crue announced that they would add 25 more dates to their Red, White, and Crue tour while on the Jay Leno show. They're not coming to Oregon...Awww, darn it.
You can find some random shit on the internet. Happy New Year and a shout out to all the homies that went to Scott's soire (pictured below).
I Got Another Job
Adios Enskies, Welcome Back Max's
1/4/05
Blog Readership Surges in 2004
The Pew Internet & American Life Project released a study this week that showed that blog readership in 2004 increased by 58%, with 6 million Americans getting news and information fed to them through RSS aggregators. The same study shows that there are over 8 million people creating web-based logs or diaries. However, the same study shows that 62% of online Americans do not know what a blog is. Blogs are online diaries or where Internet users posts their opinions, thoughts, observations, or whatever else they like to the world. The Pew Internet & American Life Project is a non-profit that studies the social impact of the Internet.
Source: Socialtech.com