All Grown Up

Apologies and a second blog

2007-03-06T22:26:00.000-08:00

So I have been out of commission for the past six months due to my own general apathy for the blogging game. I am going to try and get back into that. That said I wanted to let everyone know that while I will keep posting here about stuff going on in my day to day life I have created a second blog to focus on politics, the law and religious issues. I don't plan for it to have much to do with me or my life but more as an attempt at joining the liberal blog-o-sphere. The site: http://www.todayisthefuture.blogspot.com. Take a looks folks, see what you think. More to come on my personal life including work, law school admissions, love life and an impending cross country trip.

Beautiful in my eyes

2006-09-14T11:00:00.000-07:00

She told me last night that her father thinks it's interesting that I don't see her situation as a negative. I understand where he's coming from because I think the vast majority of my gender would but I take a great sense of pride in knowing that I am not in that vast majority. Cancer isn't who she is, it's what she has, right now, for this little bit of time. She asked me when we first started talking how I felt knowing that she was bald at the moment, I don't care about her hair, I care about her heart and soul, her mind, those are things I've fallen head over heels for. I know she thinks about me a lot during the day and I can't stop thinking about her. We talked for a bit last night, which I know was hard on her voice and for some bothersome reason my emails haven't been going through. But hopefully today she'll get some help from her doctor to control the nausea, she's got chemo again tomorrow but she'll have the weekend to recover and I'll be spending most of the weekend at home on the phone with her G-d willing.

Looks like we may be taking control of some new marketing strategies which makes me very happy.

Best Governor Anne Richards quote of all time "Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, she just did it backwards......and in high heels" Rest in Peace Governor.

I've been drinking way too much coffee lately but it's either drink coffee or go face down at my desk, I'll choose the former for the time being.

Kudos to Lindsay Graham, John Warner and John McCain for standing up the Bush Administration with respect to allowing the CIA to torture prisoners. These are not exactly moderates yet they are standing for their convictions and I think it's always worth respecting that irrespective of the party affiliation.

So many other world events to comment on but much of it is just too depressing, whether it's the Taliban taking over Afghanistan again, the executions in Iraq or the Columbine-esque shootings in Montreal. Man's inhumanity to man never ceases to amaze me.

By the way, I hadn't realize this was an Abbie Hoffman quote but it's very profound and I've heard it used many times. "You measure a democracy by the freedom it gives its dissidents, not the freedom it gives its assimilated conformists."

Better days

2006-09-13T14:06:00.000-07:00

I have had better days, I've had worse days too. Let's start with the fact that I apparently aggravated my hamstring at the gym last night. First off, until I did it I didn't know where a hamstring was so in a way it's nice to know that I exerted myself enough to actually cause a strain. In that spirit I put on a shirt this morning (despite how sore my arms are) that hasn't fit in well over a year and that felt great. I'm not going to sit here and say it fits perfectly, but I can wear it again. Have had some stomach issues the last day or so, not sure what that's about but something like that has been going around the office so hopefully it'll pass.

Have another candidate that seems to be seriously in play for an in-house opportunity so that's great. It is very interesting to compare our recruiting practices with those of our larger competitors. I'd really like to to know what it feels like to have resumes coming into us instead of having to go begging for them via cold calls.

I hate chemo days, not as much as she does obviously, but I know that in several weeks the chemo will be over and she'll be ok, I have complete faith in that. It really is amazing to feel as loved as she makes me feel.......and to literally leap for the phone when it rings, hoping it's her on the other end. I do love her and I find myself constantly trying to think of new ways to make her smile.

River of dreams

2006-09-12T08:36:00.000-07:00

I've had some very interesting nights lately. I've spent much of them worrying about her but when I actually have been asleep I've had some surreal dreams. A few nightmares in which I was actually seeing the world with the vision I had prior to my surgery in May and in the dreams I thought I was awake so I kind of convinced myself I'd lost the eyesight, that was terrifying. But I've also had some amazing dreams, about her mostly just hearing her voice, or sitting on a bench overlooking Portland Harbor back in Maine. Sleep has not come easily lately, but it's eventful when it does.

I'll admit it, I'm lousy at compartmentalizing. I can't separate pieces of my life and I am not at all good at leaving worry in whatever ever sphere of life it would be in. Whether it's this candidate I'm working with who is perhaps the least conversationally gifted litigator I've ever met or something else at the office. Whether I'm worried about the safety of my sister's new job or most especially whether something has happened to Bri I just can't shut my mind off. I'm a neurotic Jew, worrying is one of the things I do best, along with my over-developed sense of guilt of course.

Back in college I seldom actually went to class and I'm in that pattern again with the LSAT prep, that's partly because I find it beyond useless and partly because just don't think I'm a natural student. As always I'd rather dive in head first than have someone give me swimming lessons. This may be an indicator that I am not as ready to consider law school as I thought I was.

I'm in love, all the worry and concern in the world can't change that and I feel like I could fly, I can't stop smiling or thanking G-d.

She's got a way about her

2006-09-11T12:42:00.000-07:00

"She's got a way about her I don't know what it is But I know that I can't live without her She's got a way of pleasin' I don't know what it is But there doesn't have to be a reason anywhere She's got a smile that heals me I don't know why it is But I have to laugh when she reveals me She's got a way of talkin' I don't know why it is But it lifts me up when we are walkin' anywhere She comes to me when I'm feelin' down Inspires me without a sound She touches me and I get turned around She's got a way of showin' How I make her feel And I found the strength to keep on goin' She's got a light around her And everywhere she goes A million dreams of love surround her everywhere She's got a smile that heals me Oh I don't know why it is But I have to laugh when she reveals me anyway"

Those words are, as any Billy Joel fan already knows, not mine. They do however sum up Bri nearly perfectly.

When you have to watch people you truly care about go through something like this it damn near breaks your heart but you have hope and faith that everything will be ok. Just waiting to get that call or that email three days a week saying "I'm here, I'm feeling as well as I can" time feels like an eternity just praying.

I'm 28 years old and for the first time, I know where I belong, really belong, beyond a shadow of a doubt........she is my home.

Those of you who know me probably are convinced I've lost my mind/gone off the deep end. Hell, we know this is a bit crazy, we acknowledge it to each other all the time but that doesn't mean it's wrong because it couldn't possibly feel more right.

Holdin' out for you

2006-09-10T10:09:00.000-07:00

It's been a couple of weeks, life is crazy hectic at the moment with my personal trainer twice a week, LSAT prep twice a week and just a bit of general craziness which isn't such a bad thing.

Some sad news to report. Just about two weeks ago I was informed that an old friend from my college years passed away very unexpectedly. I wouldn't say that he and I were very close but I had a sense there was a good deal of mutual respect between us and loosing someone so young and so suddenly was very shocking. My prayers and thoughts are with the Williams family.

But, the reason for the title of this post. I met someone who makes me smile, a lot. I may have had some skepticism about jdate but that's where I met her and she makes me very happy, oh, and get this, she actually feels the same way which is amazing. Those who know me know that my track record is meeting someone I'm interested in and that interest being fully not returned so not only is this woman exactly the type of woman I've been dreaming about for years but she thinks I'm pretty great too and I can't even begin to express how that feels. Bri, if you're reading this, know that even while I was writing it, thinking about you made me smile.

Rosh Hashanah is fast approaching and I still haven't found a synagogue to join around here. There's no place that I really feel at home because most of the congregations around here as so "new age". Even the Conservative synagogue I'd gone to in SF would probably be considered Reform back East.

Work has been interesting, my partner on the legal recruiting team and I have finally been given a lot more independence by our CEO and that's certainly needed so I'm pretty happy. I haven't made another placement yet but I've had two offers go out in the last week and I fully expect another candidate to be flown out for a face to face after passing a phone screen. One of the candidates who is sitting with an offer is driving me a bit batty but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that she takes the offer. We'll see, somehow I think it'll all work out but I have to say this whole "Draw on commission" thing scares the ever-lovin-shite outta me.

Just another manic Monday

2006-08-14T14:38:00.000-07:00

As per usual the weekends fly by way too fast but, such is life. Watched V for Vendetta on NetFlix this weekend. I'm a little dumbstruck that, while there are clearly many parallels to modern times, very few people seem to notice the pretty obvious Nazi allusions. even the name of the "high chancellor" and his appearance eschew images of Hitler. Good flick though, and I'll probably always view the fifth of November a little differently now.

Went out to lunch yesterday with JB and his parents. He's in town for a few days while USC is still on summer break. They, like everyone else I know, with precious few exceptions, seem very supportive of my idea of going to law school even if very surprised at what I intend to practice once I get out. Also had lively political banter about what Lieberman's loss means, and about Israel's present situation. They all had the overtly left-wing take while I think I have a slightly more a. rational and b. practical take on the issues. They argue we need liberal angst and anger to mobilize the electorate in the fall elections. I don't think that the average person, when they go into a voting booth, will vote for someone because of they are not, but rather because of who they are. While Bush and his policies i.e. Iraq and the economy are clearly fair game, and while we can't be afraid to go negative when we know the GOP won't hesitate to do so, we also MUST articulate a clear and strong message about what we are for, not just what we are against.

More LSAT prep tonight. With an early meeting at the office every Monday and 4 hours of class every Monday night the first day of the week is a very long one.

Israel, Jomentum and Mel

2006-08-10T15:24:00.000-07:00

It won't shock anyone that I support Israel in their push to remove the threat of Hezbollah from their soil. Do I like the fact that innocent civilians are dying on either side of the border? No, I do not. Now I could get into a whole "x did y first" or vice versa but that's pointless. What baffles me is how those who criticize Israel fail to consider the intent of the actors in the situation. Does any rational person think that it is the goal of the Israeli government to kill lots of innocent people and "push them into the sea"? I'd love to hear that argument made. On the other side of the coin is the intent of Hamas and Hezbollah to literally remove Israel from the map? Yes, both terrorists groups have such thoughts in their charters. They specifically target innocent people with the hope of forcing Israel to negotiate with them. I get why the UN is working to call a cease fire with Lebanon and Israel but if personally offends me that the UN is willing to negotiate ANYTHING with Hezbollah, would the US be willing to negotiate with Bin Laden? No, and asking Israel to do so is simply wrong. I want as many innocent lives as possible to be spared but Israel has a right to defend herself from those who would maliciously to harm to her citizens.

Ah, smokin' Joe Lieberman. He's a Member Of the Tribe yes, and generally I try to support those folks, in particular if they are Democrats, but sadly in many ways Senator Lieberman ceased to be a Democrat long ago. He probably will be re-elected if he keeps on running as an Indy but I hope he drops out for the sake of the party he claims to still love. Is this a seed change in American politics, no, I don't think it is. Primaries, on both sides of the isle, appeal to party extremes. Both parties tend to punish moderates in the primary and that is not always a good thing. I think that the general election, in most cases where there are two legit major party candidates (the Republican nominee in CT isn't even supported by his own party) we will still see a fairly middle of the road candidate prevail over progessives or neo-cons.

Mr. Gibson, thank you. Thank you for proving to the world what most of the Jewish community knew all along. It seems the apple doesn't fall from the Holocaust denier eh? "In vino veritas". The fact that his (publicists') apology asked for Jewish community to help Gibson heal is just laughable. Kudos to Barbara Walters, Ari Emmanuel, Rob Schneider, Nora Ephron and every other person of influence who had the stones to identify Gibson as what he is. I haven't seen one of his bloodfest movies since Braveheart and I have no intention of seeing anything he does in the future. Fine, Jodie Foster, Patrick Swayze, help your friend conquer his alcoholism, I don't have a problem with that, but don't close your eyes to his bigotry, being a lush doesn't make you say anti-Semitic things, being an anti-Semite though, yeah, that might.

The current issue with Israel, the Gibson thing, even Lieberman to an extent make me very nervous. Now let me be crystal clear on this, most people who do not support the Israeli position are NOT ant-Semitic. That said, I think world events are giving people with long bubbling anti-Jewish feelings a license to voice those feelings. Even Lieberman, he was leading LaMont up until he stood behind Israel in the recent conflict and then his pole numbers dropped like a rock. LaMont may have been talking about Iraq but some of the people in CT clearly resent Lieberman for his support of Israel. Just listen to talk radio, on both the right AND the left mind (some of the ultra-liberal hatred for Israel is straight up anti-Semitism). Just as hate crimes against Muslims have risen astronomically since 9/11 (and just to be perfectly clear, hate crimes against anyone, in my view, are horrible and wrong) so have the numbers of hate crimes against Jews in America. I love living in San Francisco, but for the first time I've actually felt unwelcome in this city since July 12th because I support Israel.

Back to the future

2006-08-09T10:12:00.000-07:00

Well I know I've let this go for just shy of nine months and that's my bad but c'est la vie, stuff happens. I'll try to be a bit more diligent about it but I'm back now and that's what matters, right?

So, what's transpired in the Life'O'Zimmy since November? I've now held the same job, as a legal recruiter, for more than a year. That may not sound like much to most of you reading this but given my prior life was in a campaign world where the longest job I ever had was 9 months this is a pretty great feeling, in particular since I fully expect to reach the two year mark next July giving me some great resume stability. I also am steadily getting better at the job and have a number of things in the pipeline though at this point have only made one placement but I feel very good about the trajectory I'm on.

More big news. I've just started taking a prep class for the LSAT, and will be taking the actual test at the end of September. Assuming I do well on the test I'll be applying to law school for the fall of 07'. I'm really excited about this, as my dad would say "it's time to shit or get off the pot" and I really feel like this is setting me on a path towards something very positive. I think I'll be a good attorney either handling election law or labor & employment. I've got a long way to go to get there but I've finally started the journey and that alone is a great feeling. I also just recently signed up for a personal trainer over at the gym two doors down from my apartment. He's kicking my butt but that's exactly what I need and I made a six month commitment so I am going to stick with it and hopefully it will pay dividends in both my health and physical appearance.

In general I can't complain, life is very good these days, some aspects could be better of course but man, I am sure now more than ever that moving to San Francisco, while impulsive, was the best life choice I ever made. I may not stay here too much longer but if I had never moved here there is so much that wouldn't have happened and my life would, probably, be in a very different place.

Oh, had another cornea transplant in May. Doctor Hwang is great, I had some initial trust issues, which I would have had with any doctor who wasn't Dr. B. but this guy is brilliant, had a very good demeanor with patients and has provided amazing care. The cornea is holding fairly well, even if it likes to act up from time to time. I am back on the anti-rejection pills which mean I can't drink and they do have other side effects on my body but that's just the way it is for now and it's more than a fair trade off for decent eye sight.

Nothing of substance to report in the love life arena, I'm actually trying really hard not to care about that for a bit since I don't know where I'll be a year from now so I don't want to get into anything too serious. She's still back in Philly and we talk at least once or twice a week and I think play a pretty important role in one another's lives but from 3000 miles away there just can't be much there since we didn't have enough time to really establish anything when she was out here.

Staying involved in other community stuff as well which is keeping me busy though generally my weekends are spent chilling in my apartment/the marina.

So much world news to comment on, and I will, but later, this post is long enough for now.

There's gonna be a revolution

2005-11-09T14:54:00.000-08:00

Can you feel it? I know I do. Arnie is reeling today, Corzine and Kaine are Governor-elects and, despite all their posturing, the Republican party is petrified that George Bush and Karl Rove have handed Congress back to the Democratic Party one year from now. Wahooo! It took America a little while to wake up, a year too late, but they finally get it which is a welcome change.

Storey mentions the Kansas school board's 6-4 decision to allow "intellegent design" to be tought in the public schools there. Storey is in support of this rather antiquated move. That said, I do think there is something which often gets lost in this debate. Creationism and Evolution are not, according to a multitude of well respected scientists, mutually exclusive. It is entirely possible that Darwin's evolutionary theory meshes very well with the Biblical account of Genisis. G-d first created fish, then mamanls, then man. This is the same developmental pattern as Darwin suggests and the bible was written long before ole' Chuck ever set foot on the Galapogos Islands. The issue of time seems to be the great hang up but again how are we to know what a divine "day" is? It is equally as likely that one day in the Heavens, given that we are the ones who created linear time in bans of 24 hour periods, is a billion years. We also know through basic physics that the world, at the time of creation, rotated at a different speed than it does today, increasing the likelihood that a "day" as we think of it is not what was meant by a "day" in Genisis. I don't support creationism being taught in the classroom because it is part of a religous dogma that should not be taught in our schools, as I think religion has no place in the school just as I think it has no place in government.

No the Patriots aren't dead, they lost to a better team Monday night and there's nothing wrong with that. They've had an amazing runfour years, they will probably still win the AFC East and maybe a playoff game or two which for most other teams would be a good year. I have no complaints.

My dad is, hopefully, on the verge of starting a new career as a resteraunteur. More on that when things are finalized because I don't want to jinx it but given his career over the past 30 years he knows all the do's and don'ts of the industry and I expect it'll be a very successful venture.

David is heading to London for Turkey Day, his first time out of the US, I hope he enjoys it. It will also be my first Thanksgiving not going to the Turkey Day game (Portland Vs. Deering) but such is the life I chose when I moved out here.

With the election over I expect we will finally have some time to spend together, time I am very much looking forward to.

I was going to go to the Hold em' game at the bar again last night but I caught that election fever, I had to stay home and watch each and every result roll in. Election day is still the greatest natural high there is, it's like crack for me and yesterday made me realize that it will always be a big part of my life, no matter how much I try to leave the grip of the game I'll always be a player in it in some fashion even if it's on the bench for now. "Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in."

Know when to fold em', Know when to hold em.

2005-11-02T12:58:00.000-08:00

This title reflects two of today's topics.

Last night I ventured out to a local sports bar for the first time to join their weekly Texas Hold em' game. I didn't know anyone there but met some cool folks, a few Bostonians, a few attorneys who may morph into candidates eventually, but mostly just enjoyed a night of tournament style poker. I had nothing in my hand all night but managed to win one hand towards the end of the first table. I was playing very tight til I got to the final table and then went out three hands in (I was short-stacked to begin with at the final table). It was a good night and I made it home in time to see a very interesting Boston Legal replete with anti-war talk, quotes from Candace Bergen about Nazi Germany and William Shatner dressed as a flamingo.

So that's knowing when to fold em' as for holding em'. Man am I proud of Harry Reid. I thought he was just another DLC whimp but he and rest of the Senate Dems showed some cojones by demanding a closed session, and action, yesterday afternoon. I think Reid, like many in the country, is very angry that he was duped by people who we have learned amount to nothing more than snake oil salesmen trying to sell America on the Iraq war by showing us smoke and mirrors. I also think it was smart political timing to grab the attention back from Bush who has been doing anything he can do dodge the Libby bullet. Speaking of which, the scientists who are advocating a plan of action on the bird flu say Bush came out with a big old proposal yesterday that is about one third of what they think it will take to effectively combat the pandemic if/when it strikes. Just like the Bush and his cronies, make a big public spectacle, under-fund, and then when disaster does ensue, blame everyone else.

Slammin' Sammy Alito eh? or Scalito as it were, this is going to be interesting........

I think we may have found her a job thanks to some old contacts of mine, she's working on a few things herself so one way another I think she'll be able to stay in SF which is awesome.

Anyone know who Tab Hunter is? I'm supposed to go some book signing of his tonight with some old friends from LegalMatch since he is dating the brother of one of my former co-workers so I guess it could be enjoyable.

To echo Storey's thoughts, Roll Deis indeed. I'm really proud of the team but in particular of Adam Nir. He given his heart and soul to the team for four years and I'm really glad he made it to finals at Brown this weekend. Congrats kids, and enjoy the Brandeis tournament this weekend, wish I was there with you.

It's basketball season, eh, who cares. I can't believe Theo walked away from the Sox! I'm fairly worried now with Damon a UFA and many other strong free agents out there we need to find a GM fast. I wonder what Theo plans to do with his life is baseball isn't going to be part of it.

November already, have I really been a San Franciscan for 9 months?

I have to report some sad news to finish off today. I mentioned several weeks ago that the sister of my high school classmate was missing. They found her Monday morning, she had apparently accidentaly drowned while intoxicated. If you've ever been to the bars in Portland you know that the area where most of them are is right by the water. Lynn apparently fell in to Portland Harbor and had been there since. I can't even begin to conceptualize how much hurt the Moran family must be in so I will simply say that my thoughts and prayers are with you. I know some people will use this opportunity to deride alcohol abuse among young people and there may be reason to make that point but right now, for me, for those who know Lynn's family, it is not appropriate to focus on anything other than the human loss. There will be plenty of time to think about how/why this happened and what we can do to make it less likely to ever happen again.

Lessons from some lives well lived.

2005-10-30T23:07:00.000-08:00

In recent months I have lost several relatives. It began last December with my great Uncle Joe. Joe was one of the quietest, most humble and loving people I have ever been blessed to know. He died at 92. I spoke about loosing Aunt Frances on the blog a few months ago and I believe I addressed Auntie Roz recently as well. Friday night my great uncle Dave passed away at age 88. He was a very good man as well, married to auntie Charlotte for 58 years (I think that math is right). He was a woodworker, I have lots of little trinkets that he made for all his nieces, nephews, friends, grandkids and various other relations. Back in Maine our coat rack is this wood thing Uncle Dave made that reads "smile" with little begs coming out. That one word fairly well sums up Uncle Dave. I don't think I ever heard him complain about anything though there certainly times he would have had every right to. He also was very quiet, kinda shy even, not the world's greatest conversationalist but if ever anything needed fixing, even well into his eighties, everyone new who to call. I will miss him, as I will miss all those I've lost recently. The truth is this trend of loosing people, given the advancing ages of many of my family members, is not likely to lessen at all in the coming years. There is some great sadness in knowing that but there is also a certainty that each of them have lived good lives, been generally happy people who have had, each in their own way, a profound and positive impact in my life.

This news from my family has made me reflect some on the choices I've made in life. I do feel guilty that I couldn't be there for my family because I've chosen to live so far from Maine. I know I could never have built this life for myself back in Maine. I firmly believe that all the choices I have made have lead directly to where I am now. If not for the hard time finding work in Boston than I wouldn't have had the courage and motivation to go after my dream of living in San Francisco. If not for LegalMatch I wouldn't have been able to get my current job, which gave me the financial ability to live on my own for the first time. Do I know for certain if this is where I am supposed to be in some divine sense? Hell no I don't know that. I do know that I like where I am, I love the life I'm building and I have faith that I am making the choices that are right for me and my future. I sometimes feel selfish for having left the work of public service for the private sector. Maybe that's the old song about "liberal guilt" or maybe it is that I know that my dreams won't be fulfilled until I find a way to make public service my life's work. Someday I will go back to that life in some way but for now, at this time, in this place, being a recruiter it where it's at for me. Besides, without all of these choices, if I had walked down a different path, I might never have had the chance to meet RS, someone who I also feel truly blessed to have met and hope to continue to grow a beautiful friendship and G-d willing a, dare I say it given my past history, romance? (I'll say it again, if you're reading this I'm probably opening my proverbial mouth and inserting my rather large foot eh?)

Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to through life son.

2005-10-30T01:55:00.000-08:00

A great quote from a great movie. Can you name it? Anyway I'm admittedly portly and I'm working on that but the title really refers to last evening happenings.

As the work week was drawing to a close (it's so surreal to have work weeks that actually end since having left the campaign world) some of the folks at the office decided to go out for a few libations during the cocktail hour. I, given my distaste for beer, got a side car. If you are not familiar with said drink it's brandy, sour and triple seque (there is no way that's spelled right so just suck it up your grammar watchers out there). They poured this drink in a rather large glass and it is a very sweet drink that slides down real easy. I polished the first one off pretty fast and then they gave me a second in a full pint glass. We were having a lovely time chatting and philosophizing on a variety of issues and I was definitely buzzed. I then went with one of my friends from work and several of his buds up to North Beach where I drank some more. I am not a drinker, have never been, it doesn't take much at all to get me thoroughly trashed. I don't really enjoy the feeling of drunkenness but it can be a lovely release every now and then in a safe environment with people you trust. GO was good enough to help me find my way back to my apartment and I just wiped out from there, that's something I don't and won't do much but it was nice to socialize outside of the office with my colleagues.

I'm pretty surprised actually by the whole Miers thing, glad she won't be serving but I figured the Republicans would force the Dems to expend political capital trying to defeat her, instead they pushed her out themselves and now if Bush, as he probably will, nominates someone in the Scalia/Thomas mold the Democrats will still have a lot of leverage to go after a now weakened President. Between that, Frist's problems, DeLay's troubles and good ole Scooter this is shaping up to be a devastating few months for the GOP and I love it.

One has to wonder if the President of Iran made the statements he made about Israel in an attempt for further goad Bush and Co. To invade Iran. We may view Islamic extremists as fanatics, and they are, but that does not mean they are stupid. Iran knows that if the US does attack it will further inflame extremism in the Muslim world.

I told her she is worth waiting for tonight because she is. I admire the work she's doing and if I have to wait a few weeks to get the chance to spend real time with her then I will do so very happily. It's odd, we haven't had a chance to get to spend much time in person but I relish our conversations on the phone, no matter how brief. Some of my old issues around lack of any self-confidence with the opposite sex seem to be invading my head at times but I need to not project past travails into a place they do not presently exist. RS I guess if you are reading this you're getting a bit of an insight into my thinking, maybe I shouldn't be so open about that stuff in a forum like this?

I feel guilty for not going out to Oakland for poker night in a while. Getting out there in the evenings isn't a big deal, it's having to leave fairly early and still not getting home til around midnight that makes the trek rather daunting. I do need to make it a point to hang out with Storey though, it's been probably six weeks since I've seen the folks from the Big Blue House.

Bruschi is coming back to the Patriots in tonight's game. That's AWESOME, I just hope he's not risking his health by doing so.

On another sports note, in two consecutive years of World Series play the following has occurred. A combined 163 seasons of baseball futility has been vanquished. The American League, and for that matter various shades of Sox, have won eight consecutive games, and Cubs fans everywhere now actually think they might have some reason to hope for the future.

One Flu Over the coo-coo's nest

2005-10-21T14:50:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's that season again. The wild and wooly flu season is in full swing it seems. I caught it early and likely won't be afflicted again but it seems most of the city is getting it square in the face right about now. This, regrettably, includes RS for whom I was planning on cooking up an old fashioned feast tomorrow night. Garlic and herb roasted chicken in a white wine and lemon reduction, rosemary red potatoes, Caesar salad, bananas Foster and of course some nice merlot which seems to be her favorite. Hell I was even planning on spending my day on my hands and knees cleaning the apartment from toilet bowl to light fixtures and those who know me know I do NOT clean. The flu has intruded on these plans it would seem and while that sucks for me, it sucks much more for her. She feels horrid and I wish I could do something, especially since her parents, who are in town visiting, are taking a weekend to go down to Monterrey so she won't have anyone to take care of her. What's worse? Her boss, who is your typical over-inflated ego type of campaign manager who actually accomplishes very little while treating his/her volunteers and staff like ass, would rather she continue to work the insane hours and in fact take on even more work instead of taking care of herself and getting better. Blechy!

On the other side of the flu coin, we are starting to now panic over the bird-flu. Is it possible this could be a serious pandemic that eradicates millions of people, yes it is. Is it equally possible that this could be a nuisance we have to deal with and create a hysteria over that actually ends up being fairly insignificant on the grand scale i.e. West Nile and SARS, uh-huh. Let's slow down and see what happens before we let those with zero medical knowledge start predicting a doomsday scenario and whipping a frenzy in the mass media.

With regard to the mass media I feel the need to talk about a conversation I had with someone on the bus yesterday. We were discussing liberalism and the corruption and evilness of some of the Republicans (I say "some" because unlike many I don't like to over simplify because there are some good ones out there). One of the points this guy was making was about Haliburton getting lots of government contracts and I had to correct him. The problem liberals, or anyone for that matter, should have with Haliburton being awarded these contracts is that they are no-bid, not that they get them. Bechtel, Haliburton and others may be giant companies and there is nothing wrong with that. The fact is they are simply the only companies with the ability and infrastructure to accomplish the tasks they are being hired for. We have to be intellectually honest about things like that. Liberals can not afford to play into the hands of the Neo-cons by creating these myths of economic hedgemony when there are plenty of real critiques to be made.

Anyway, off to a Shabbat service in the Richmond for young professional Jewish types. Wow, it's fairly amazing to be to be real live young professional when for so long I was a young unemployed former campaign staffer. So long for now.

Happy trails to you.........

2005-10-19T18:08:00.000-07:00

Yes, this title is a bit mis-leading. I've been spending a bit of time recently on the campaign trail, a place I thought I left behind me but I had a very good reason to get back in the game. I have a friend who is working to defeat the ballot initiatives proposed by Ahhh-nold. She works a bit outside the city so the only way for me to be able to spend much time with her, given the nature of campaign work, is to go down there and help out. She is someone I've only recently had a chance to get to know but someone I hope I get a chance to know much better and she is unquestionably worth waking up at 6 on a Saturday morning if doing so means I get to spend time with her.

Works has been good though I have had some eyes issues, I've actually found quite a few folks who are randomly thinking about relocating to SF which is great for me since they may be good candidates for one of our open jobs. Given my current employment I am also helping my friend, will call her RS from now on, find work after the campaign is at an end since she hardly has time to do so.

Yes my Sox are out of the playoffs but I'm really enjoying these baseball playoffs, how can I complain, we won the Series last year and we may get to see those other Sox or (if the game I'm watching now ends well) see the 'Stros in it too which means we'd have a team win it that either, hasn't one since before 1918 or a team win that has never reached the brass ring so you can't go wrong there.

Arrest warrant for DeLay, Likely criminal charges, possible withdrawing of nominees, horrible pole numbers, Dems having uber success with candidate recruitment for 06'. Anyone else smell that fresh air, those are the winds of change blowin' my friends....

Just hired a cleaning crew to give this place a monthly once over, so much easier than me trying to do it and more importantly MUCH more likely actually get clean. Not cheap, but not ridiculous either.

I just found out that the younger sister of a girl I graduated from high school with, and whose older brother I also know fairly well, is missing back in Maine. She has not been seen since the very early hours of Sunday morning and, according to the Portland Press Herald, people are praying for the best but fearing the worst. These stories are very often overblown in our media but when you know the person I guess you hope the media never stops talking about it. I too will be praying for the best, my thought sare with you Moran family.

In order to close on a happier note, my dad is applying for a job for the first time in, oh, 30 years I'd say. He is applying to be a regional salesman for a golf supply company which I know he'd love doing, I'll keep my fingers crossed dad, you deserve a break like that after all the BS you've dealt with in your current job.

Career, Family and Inspiration

2005-10-07T00:57:00.000-07:00

Work has been interesting over the past two weeks or so. I have been having some luck finding candidates, though most of them aren't right for the jobs I'm working right now. The candidates are coming via my cold calls but also largely from referrals from other cold calls which is great. I think my boss if pretty happy with the work I'm doing but I feel that I need to get much higher quality candidates. The larger employers that are our bread and butter are very grade conscious and while the candidates I've found are all good people and very competent their grades, for one reason or another, seem to be kinda lacking. As I continue to get the quantity of candidates up I'll be able to focus more on quality and even screen some candidates out. I do work with a very interesting bunch, all unique in their own way and all really great people, people who, for the most part, I suspect will be friends for quite some time irrespective of how long I stay there, which I plan on doing for at least two years or more.

I spoke to my entire immediate family tonight since they were all at the house in Maine together for the first time in quite a while. My dad was over at the house when Dave got in from taking the bus up from Hartford and Amy drove up from Long Island Tuesday night, she's starting a new job and found a friend to move in with which is good because she was pretty unhappy in her current living situation. I keep telling her to call Zirk who I know can help her find a job, hopefully she will listen. David seems to be doing OK at U of H, he has taken some of my advice about an off campus job and taking advantage of his Business school advisor. Dad sounded good for the first time in a while which is always great. Someone asked me a few weeks ago if I had three wishes what would they be, numero uno would be to be even half as good a father to my future kids as my dad has been to his. On that note, Tommy and Megan are expecting again even though Thomas III is only 10 months old, ah those silly Roman Catholics and their lack of contraception.

I was listening to a radio show tonight and someone was commenting favorably on Mayor Newsome which I suppose I generally agree with. This host said it troubled him a bit that he liked a politician because he thinks if he likes a politician said person must have "duped" him somehow. I find that logic scary. I have worked on 10 campaigns since the age of 9 (no my family isn't politically connected I was just a dork, have the Bar Mitzvah pictures to prove that though most kids went with sports or Broadway or something as their party theme, I went with the 2020 Democratic National Convention) and I can honestly say that, at least at the time I worked for each candidate, I believed in them and was inspired by them. Bernie Ward is right, it is rare to find those kind of compelling, honest, politicians so when you do you have to give them your all because society needs more of them. What we need in this nation is ALOT more public servants and a lot fewer politicians. There is a profound difference between the two definitions and it is in that difference that inspiration and hope can be found. I may not agree with 99% of the things Orrin Hatch has said in his life but I respect his commitment to public service. We need more of the Orrin Hatch/Robert Reich/Paul Wellstone types on both sides of the political spectrum.

Lastly let me touch on Harriet Miers. I wrote in an entry a few weeks ago about my position on religion in government. I was worried about Roberts being on the Court due to his theology and yet he seems like a damn pagan compared to this Evangelical nut bag. I respect all faiths, one of my dearest friends is a Born-Again whose Faith I find truly inspiring even if I don't share it, and the aforementioned Tommy is my bestfriend from age 4 and a devout Roman Catholic but I am confident that if J-Fact or Tommy ever ran for office or interpreted law they would not allow their Faith to stand in the way of impartial judgment and public service. Our Legislators, our President and our Supreme Court MUST be public servants, but people like George W. and Miers think their first responsibility is being "G-d's servants" I am sorry but those two divergent responsibilities do not mesh and the latter has absolutely no place in our laws. I implore the Democrats and those Republicans with any political morality what-so-ever to fight against allowing Bush to put this woman on the Court, I may not like the guy but at least Alberto Gonzalez, no matter how right wing, has real philosophy and thought behind his opinions.

High Holy Days

2005-10-06T00:56:00.000-07:00

First off, I do apologize for the little hiatus there. Things have been both crazy and oppressively dull all at once. I am over the little bout of debilitating illness and most of my co-workers have now dealt with their own sickness (which I may or may not be partially responsible for)

Not much going on in life right now, which is not a bad thing actually as I am still getting grounded with the whole completely independent living situation. I am very displeased with how I've been eating lately though that is probably largely a function of boredom, that's kinda why I've always eaten.

Ok, as to the title of the post. Rosh Hashana has just ended (first time I haven't been with family for the holiday and I admit it upset me a bit more than I expected it would). I spent the past two days genuinely reflecting on the year that has passed and thanking G-d for all that I have been blessed with. This has unquestionably been the most eventful, and possibly the best, year of my life thus far. I hope your year has been filled with sweetness and health. I did not go to shul, though I would have if I had found one I liked in the city, instead I sat in my apartment, with my prayer book, and prayed. I read the prayers that I knew and I also just talked to G-d a lot. I also sent out a mass email tonight, now that the 10 days between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur have begun, filling people in on the past year as well as both apologizing and asking forgiveness for any harms I have caused in the past year. In Judaism it is asked of us that before we ask forgiveness from G-d on Yom Kippur we ask forgiveness from those we have wronged. It's a beautiful and important tradition that I do my best to honor every year.

I plan to post a lot more about the Supreme Court, the Red Sox, Tom Delay and numerous other topics in the near future but since I need to be up in six hours, that'll suffice for now.

May you be written in the book of Life on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur may it be sealed. May the coming year bless you with happiness, health, love, compassion, joy, prosperity, and the greatest blessing of all, the blessing of peace.

Anatomy, Solitude and Comment Spam?

2005-09-14T23:54:00.000-07:00

What an odd past few days. As I mentioned yesterday I have been very ill. I will spare you all the gory details but suffice to say my gastro-intestinal system and I have been at war recently. I was severely dehydrated when I arrived at the ER yesterday and hadn't really eaten anything since Sunday around noon. They gave me an IV with fluids to get me rehydrated and advised on exactly what I should and shouldn't eat for the next 48 hours while they determine if this episode has been caused by a viral infection or some kind of bacteria, they say viral is the "good" kind. I'll take their word for it. I was at the ER from about 10:30am to 5pm yesterday, it felt far longer but the people were nice, they kept asking if I wanted to call anyone but I was glad I didn't have family in the area because it would have seemed foolish to worry them over something like this. I'm on the mend now I suppose though my body is strange. I was ok this morning when I tried to head to the office, then as soon as I got to the office I started coughing and wheezing when I tried to breath, so I headed back home less than half an hour after getting to work for the first time all week. I get home and I'm literally fine the rest of the day. I then laid down an hour ago to get to bed and be ready for work tomorrow and poof, chest congestion, tightness in my stomach, and a runny nose, go figure.

I've felt kind of alone through this whole thing, not because my family isn't here, as I mentioned, but I just feel like I'm not meeting many people in San Francisco. I've got a few friends in the East Bay, and scattered folks from LegalMatch and a few other places who I occasionally call who live in the city, but no one ever seems to call me. I come home at the end of the day, or as with the last few days stay home, and sit at this screen, or watch TV, or play video games or pop in a movie from NetFlix or listen to the radio but I don't go anywhere, do anything. I am not really the type who enjoys exploring places by themselves and I don't really have people to go exploring with. I had hoped moving to a younger area of the city would help me meet people, and maybe it will, but many of them here seem so yuppified that they might not really be interested in getting to know a portly, balding guy wielding a cane which (though it is hardly my own perception of who I am) is the first image one has upon meeting me before they know anything other than what I look like. Hopefully things will change with that soon.

On a completely different subject. I noticed someone had commented on my brief post from yesterday only to see it was SPAM? Huh? People are now spamming comments on to blogs? That just sucks. No more comments on this blog, if you want to comment, email me. It's a shame that I have to do that but G-d, people who spam blogs, that's just absurd!

Talk amongst yourselves

2005-09-13T20:23:00.000-07:00

Sorry about not posting yesterday folks. I am going to keep this post very brief and will try to post more tomorrow.

I was very sick yesterday, spent most of today in the ER where they actually did more work on me than I had expected would be needed. I'm going to hit the sack soon so I'll fill you in on the details tomorrow.

Four years later

2005-09-11T16:18:00.000-07:00

I would the title is pretty self-explanatory but I do have a lot of thoughts on where we have gone as a nation since that day.

I will never be able to forget that morning, I doubt any of us will. I walked into a job interview and the guy I was meeting told me not to worry about being a few minutes late given what had happened in New York and DC. I knew nothing so I asked and when he mentioned the WTC I told him I had to go. One of my closest friends from Maine, someone I had known since I was 2, worked on the 38th floor of Tower 1. I called my father and, after had made sure things were ok in Boston, he told me they didn't know yet about Josh. It was nearly 36 hours before we found out that he was ok. That was a terrifying day, not only because of the murderous actions of the terrorists but also because of the murderous thoughts many Americans expressed in the hours following the attacks. I would be lying if I didn't admit that even I thought to myself "just wipe the middle east off the map". Once I was able to take a step back and reflect I realized that responding to this horrible act with violence was exactly the opposite reaction from what we ought to do.

We had so much good will from the world around us after 9/11 and instead over the next few years we took that good will and abused it to the point that we are now far more hated by the world community than we ever were prior to 9/11. We have George Bush and Karl Rove to thank for that.

On a totally different topic it's kinda nice that the NFL is back, oh and if you get a chance to watch Boston College football this year make sure you take note of their QB Quinton Porter, he's a Portland High grad and has the skills and body build to go pro after his senior year.

Wow, great game this afternoon, sucks that the damn Yankees won but it was an amazing pitchers duel. We still have three games on em'.

Homebody days

2005-09-10T13:26:00.000-07:00

I've been fairly sick for the last few days, sitting out in the cold at the ballgame Thursday night didn't help. I was hoping to go out and explore the neighborhood this weekend, and maybe even trek out to Oakland where one of my work colleagues is having a little get together this afternoon. Instead I need to get healthy so I've been hanging out at which would be far more enjoyable if I had my cable/playstation hooked up yet. But, c'est la vie, I don't get sick often so there are far worse things than having a cold for a few days.

I've done some new interior design today. Moved the dresser into the walk in closet, moved the computer desk to a different part of the main room and set up the TV (until I get a tv stand) on top of my little night stand. I also went to a garage sale down the street and bought a nice table and two chairs plus a toaster oven for a very reasonable price, and they even helped me get it back to the apartment which was nice.

Watched a few movies last night. Finally saw Million Dollar Baby which was pretty good, certainly great performances by Freeman, Swank and Eastwood, I also thought the kid who played "danger" was pretty solid. I felt like it was a great boxing movie until the end, at which point I understood why it won so many academy awards though I actually think the end, to an extent, takes away from the movie. Also saw Ray which was pretty solid. I liked how they used Charle's own recordings during the musical parts. Foxx did do a great job though some of the other acting was less than stellar. I would have liked to, at the end, know what happened to some of the pople in Ray's life who played a big part in the movie.

What a gorgeous day today, hopefully I'll shake the cold by tomorrow and be able to go out a bit.

Keep your religion out of my politics

2005-09-09T09:18:00.000-07:00

Faith is a great thing, a very powerful thing. That power can be channeled into good and positive motives or can be used to divide and harm people. We have all seen the horror that religious fanaticism can cause as exemplified by 9/11.

Religion, at it's core, is a beautiful unifying thing but there are those in this country, in our government, who choose to use religion and faith as a weapon to divide people. Of course each person's moral compass is often intertwined with their religious convictions so religion can never truly be separated from government because those making the laws, generally, are people of Faith. Even accepting that premise I find it personally offensive that many people and elected officials on one of the political spectrum feel it is not only ok, but in fact good, to right their religious convictions into law. Gay marriage is not an issue of religion, it is an issue of civil rights. Abortion is not an issue of religion, it is an issue of privacy rights. Arguments made on these subjects MUST be argued from those perspectives. If people have a different philosophy about them that's fine but if that philosophy is solely rooted in religion it has NO PLACE in our government nor legislation. What we are doing is saying that we believe in the separation of Church and State then in the same breath saying that we aren't favoring one religion over another even though the very laws that people are trying to pass in inexorably rooted in Christian theology.
Dubya states he would like to eliminate Islamic fundamentalist theocacies abroad (a task at which he is failing miserably in Iraq by the way) but he has no objection to creating a Christian fundamentalist theocracy here. Well here's news for you Dubya, I have an objection to it, a strong one!

How does age affect our outlook on things

2005-09-08T14:25:00.000-07:00

I spent most of this morning at the eye doctor's. This was my first time going to an eye doctor who wasn't Dr. W or Dr. B, between the two of them they have done all 29 of my eye surgeries and atteneded to every one of my eye issues. Dr. W. was like that goofy uncle we all have and Dr B was really like a second mother, she will still call me at 9:30 PST just so she won't use my cell phone minutes even though it's after midnight back in Boston. Anyway, all of that aside, this doctor was certainly silled but he was old, so old he informed me he is retiring in about six months. Age alone was not the issue I had with him, it was the prespective that his age brought. He out and out told me I was never going to have "normal" vision, nor be able to drive. He seemed genuinely shocked that I had moved cross-country on my own and futher stunned that I live by myself (this is where I wanted to say "yeah, I can wipe my own ass too" but I restrained myself). He continually refused to let me educate him on the treatments and behavior of my eyes over the last 27 years. He wouldn't listen to me explaining what eye drops I needed prescribed, he was just convinced that I needed to "learn how to be blind". I was astounded at his level of pessimism and partonization. I will let him be my doctor until he retires but after that I am going to find someone much younger who has experience with corneal issues and doesn't feel the need to squash all hope that I might be able to have much better vision in the future.

I've chosen not to spend my life in the "blind culture" because of the embittered and hopeless nature many in that community embrace. I would much rather see people working in the sighted world and proving to the rest of the world that people with blindness and other visual disablities can be fully functional, productive members of the work force rather than spend their lives relying on government handouts (as about 75% of those who are classified legally blind do). Independence and self-reliance is incredibly empowering but so often the same blindness groups that preach idependence enduce the exact opposite from those who use their services.

Damn doctor dialated my pupils and now the world is painfully bright for at least the next 12 hours which will probably make seeing anything at the ballgame pretty near impossible, but hey, it's live baseball, I'll find a way to appreciate the beauty that is there without seeing all of it.

It's the little things

2005-09-07T18:49:00.000-07:00

Today really was a good day. I talked to a few attorneys who may be looking to make a move, I came home to find three new DVDs from NetFlix and I cooked a real dinner while listening to some great jazz. Those are the things that one needs to focus on, not the little annoying aspects of life. For a long time I let the little things ruin my day rather than the little other little things brighten it, now I'm able to focus on the little sparks of magic and let the travails of life wash away.

Tomorrow will be interesting, I'm going to see an eye doctor, not the one Dr. B. Recommended because he is in China. I have a hard time trusting people with my eyes and given that this Doc is completely unknown to me is a bit of a concern but he's at UCSF so I suspect he's pretty qualified at least.

Tomorrow night should be fun, going to the Giants-Cubs game with the folks from the office.

People on the bus, especially the young yuppies in the Marina, get so confused when the professionally dressed, leather jacket wearing guy with a cane gets on the bus beebop'in to his headphones, it's kinda fun to keep them guessing.

Think I'll call her tonight, maybe I'll get to see her this weekend.

On Corporate bureaucracy

2005-09-06T13:24:00.000-07:00

I have had to spend a great deal of time today calling various entities. Be they credit card companies, health care providers, HMO's and whatnot. While I know it is a hassle we all must endure it drives me crazy, to no end, to hear Republicans bitch and moan about governmental bureaucracy and red tape and yet sluff off the idiocy that is corporate bureaucracy as nothing more than an understandable annoyance. It is just another way for Neo-cons to bash the social safety net that is our government while giving carte blanche' to corporate America to eat into the lives of Americans by taking time out of the productive work day to sit on hold for hours on end only for the privilege of talking to "Jenny" in Bangladesh. But clearly this administration that outsourced the "war on terror" to Afghan war lords doesn't have any problems with the ever-shrinking American job market being outsourced so I won't even bother making that argument.

Did anyone else the read incredibly sympathetic and compassionate comments of former First Lady, and mother of the present braying jackass who calls himself President, Barbara Bush? I have cut and pasted them below and in case you doubt the validity of them, go to NPR, the comments aired on 9/5 during the "Marketplace" program, they have an audio clip. In a segment at the top of the show on the surge of evacuees to the Texas city, Barbara Bush said: "Almost everyone (the victims) IÂve talked to says we're going to move to Houston." (clarification Soto's)
Then she added: "What IÂm hearing is they (the victims) all want to stay in Texas. Everyone is so overwhelmed by the hospitality.
"And so many of the people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway, so this--this [she chuckles slightly] is working very well for them." I used to have a very high amount of respect for Mrs. Bush but this just shows the kind of elitist, blueblooded way George Bush was raised and it explains why this government has been so slow to act. There was even a story about 300 people being evacuated from the Ritz Carlton in New Orleans via helicopter and flown out to safety despite being on the top two floors of a luxury hotel that sustained relatively minor damage while people in the convention center and Superdome were being raped and murdered (nine murders confirmed in the Superdome thus far). Good job FEMA, nice to know you have a guy who was a HORSE TRADER trying to savhundredsds of thousands of people. You've got to be kidding me?

One last thing about Katrina and it's aftermath. Curt Schilling helped the Red Sox win the World Series, he then went out and stumped for Bush which made me strongly dislike him, but yesterday he and his wife opened their doors to a family froLouisianana who lost their home. Schilling and his wife do not know these people and could easily have simply donated significant money, which I am sure they have also done, to the relief effort. He went above and beyond the call of duty for his fellow man and the more I reflect on him, the more I am inspired by him. I don't like his constant mentioning of G-d but I do respect his faith and I certainly respect his heart and compassion.

Field of dreams

2005-09-06T00:00:00.000-07:00

If you ever get a chance to go to a game where Felix Hernandez is pitching..GO! This kid is 19 years old and using the word phenom would be far to cliche' to describe him. Storey and I went to the game today and sat four rows from the field. A perfect weather day, a great pitchers duel (Joe Blanton ain't half bad either A's fans). Seattle won so Storey was pleased and I was, not being a fan of either team, able to simply enjoy the 2-0 scores. In the last two MLB games I've gone to I've seen a total of 3 runs scored and I love it being a fan of pitching.

Had some interesting discussions over Mexican food with Stor, Em, Drew and Becky. Not the take I would have expected at least a few of them to have on the influence of religion in politics.

My eyes were not my friends tonight (ok, for those who know that I am legally blind they were actually far worse then normal tonight) which could have been problematic for my date. This was a first date with a real sweet girl, brilliant and has led an incredibly interesting life. We will see where things go........

Long day, eyes doing better after drops, work in the morning. I'll actually have food delivered tomorrow night so I'll be able to cook which is great. Till then my friends.

Thoughts on world events

2005-09-05T09:33:00.000-07:00

Saw "Red Eye" last night. Pretty good flick, a bit predictable as almost all movies are nowadays, but solid none the less. I also joined NetFlix yesterday and purchased a PS2 with three games. It feels amazing to actually have, dare I say it, disposable income!

So Bush appointed Roberts as Chief Justice? Wow, I actually didn't see that one coming but it is probably a very smart move, Scalia or Thomas would have caused a huge uproar and Roberts appears to be sailing to confirmation for an associate spot so, since Bush and his cronies think Roberts is just as conservative as they want him to be, give a 40-something year old the top seat who will be in charge of the court for likely 30 to 40 years. We did this to ourselves America.

Part of me really wanted to be down in Crawford this past August with Cindy Sheehan, if I didn't have a brand new job I might have gone down for a long weekend.

I want to applaud Ariel Sharon (wow, never thought I'd say that). He took a bold step and gave Israel a real chance for peace, Abbas seems like a great partner for peace and there is, for the first time in a very long time, reason to be hopeful about the fate of Eretz Yisrael.

Off to the A's game with Storey and then later a date..........

Welcome Back

2005-09-04T21:08:00.000-07:00

It's 9:00pm here in San Francisco, California. I am sitting in my lovely new home, a spacious studio in the Marina, and I've missed filling the world in on the happenings in my life. So much has happened these past seven months. Let's start from the very beginning since (as Maria in the Sound of Music tells us) "it's a very good place to start".

When I left you in July we had an election about to occur and I was without employ. There was an election.........I spent part of my fall 04' working for a State Senator in Massachusetts as an intern and stayed in Newton with the family of my mother's college roommate. Slow fade to January when..........

January 15th of 2005 was a very fateful day. I had been looking for a job for a very long time and made the choice to go on line, purchase a one way ticket to Oakland International Airport. I packed two bags of clothes, convinced my parents it would be ok, and left January 29th. I stayed with a friend from college and his family out in Berkeley for a month (thanks again JB). I was fortunate to find a job within a week of landing, it was glorified tele-marketing but it was a paycheck. I met some wonderful people through that job found a place to live in a cute part of the city with some, shall we say interesting, roommates. Oh, hey look, it's July now..........

July 1st brought some major changes for me. I was offered a new job as a corporate recruiter (yes, that's a nice way of saying "headhunter"). I love the job, the company is MUCH smaller than the tele-marketing thing but the people are equally as cool. I also found a new apartment which turned out to be a complete sideshow. An anecdote from said apartment:

Me "Oh, you're the manager of a theatre? Cool, what kind of shows do you put on, musicals? Plays?"
Roommate "Oh, you didn't know?"
Me "Didn't know what?"
Roommate "The Nob Hill Theater is a gay men's burlesque"
Me (somewhat slack-jawed) "Huh, that's unexpected"

This really was fine until the "talent" started spending a substantial amount of time in the dilapidated, paper-thin walled place we called home. I'm sorry but be it women or men, gay or straight, that's not an industry I'm terribly comfortable with and I certainly do not think the shedding of one's clothes equals talent.

Now it's September, the new job continues to be great and Wednesday last I signed a one year lease on a gorgeous new studio in the heart of the Marina. I am living on my own, much to my mother's trepidation, and loving it.

I said all along I felt like San Francisco was going to be home, it certainly has blessed with many more opportunities than Boston, despite my deep love for it, ever did. Speaking of Boston, I don't know if you heard or not, but apparently WE WON THE FREAKIN' WORLD SERIES!!!!!!!!

I do miss Boston, I have visited once since I left seven months ago. I went back to visit family in Maine and also went to the wedding of Zirk and Samantha and it was beautiful. I am so happy for them that things worked out as I believed they would.

It still blows my mind that Tommy and J-Fact, two very different people but two very good friends from different parts of my life, are dads.

At this time I am going to hold off on commenting too much on the happenings of the world with one exception (I will talk about more things later but this post is long enough already)...Please, if you have the financial ability, donate to the Red Cross http://www.redcross.org/or Salvation Army http://www.salvationarmy.org . The victims of Katrina need our help since the Federal Government seems to have the ability to overtake a foreign country in four days but can't rescue it's own citizens from the horror that has become the Gulf Coast. The fact that our President spent Tuesday golfing, in and of itself, should be an impeachable offense. I'll be back soon, no more 14 month interruptions.