The Zen Cabin

Google Tin: The Browsering

Well, now I’ve gone and done it!  I was cleaning up a few things on my computer and evidently made some change to Chrome’s base, so now it won’t render certain WordPress sites correctly.  Yeesh…  Guess I’ll have to reinstall or wait for an update.

All in all, I like Chrome, though it’s a complete dog for composing posts - here and at Whiskey Fire - since it won’t maintain proper paragraph formatting.  I had the same problem with Opera and Safari.

Here’s something a bit more exciting:  I’m going to be working on a project with some dKos members to set up a kind of social assistance site / program.  There aren’t too many details yet but it should be interesting and, I hope, helpful for some folks.   I’ll keep you updated as we move along.

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7th Day Ramblings - And a Bloody Mary to go

Over the last several months I’ve developed a habit of sleeping in my easy chair; I don’t know why, I just don’t like the idea of actually going to bed.  I think part of it is that I’ve always considered going to bed as the first step to going to work the next day.  That’s kind of odd, now, because I don’t actually have to go to work in the mornings, though I still usually get up early.  Which is not to say that I actually start doing any work first thing in the morning.  There’s no real relevance to this tidbit of my Life habits, just thought I’d share.

I was thinking about taking in a bloody mary brunch today, but I’m feeling pretty lazy.   And solo brunch isn’t all that fun, imo.  So, here I sit with a morning beer and the internets, the chipper, lilting promise of dreams-fulfilled tickling my ears as the local Sunday morning real estate program plays on the TV.  Hooray, weekends!

I think the last time I went to a regular church service, i. e., not a funeral, was probably 8 years ago or so, when Scooter dragged me to Palm Sunday service.  (It’s for the kids!)  I passed on Communion, not so much because I don’t believe but it was too socially awkward for me.  Well, not awkward, just weird.  Seriously, walking up to the front of the church, with everybody watching, and going thru the whole kneeling and waiting, the motions of taking the wafer and wine, then walking back to the pew… it’s not for me.  I generally dislike formalities and ceremony, especially in the company of strangers.

Even wedding receptions freak me out, because of the sitting down and eating dinner with people I don’t know.  It’s hard to explain.  I once purposely stalled on showing up for a co-worker’s wedding reception, literally waiting outside the building so I’d miss the dinner.  Unfortunately, they were running late, so when my other co-worker and I finally went inside, we were just in time to be seated and had to sit thru dinner.  Gah!

I need to do some looking around to find something interesting to write about.  More later.

- I’m learnding! -

This will come in handy.

I feel smarter already.

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Well, it keeps me out of trouble, at least

(Courtesy of my buddy Jetpacks, at Where’s My Jetpack?
He doesn’t even know he’s my buddy - heh!)

It’s cold and gray here, and I’m thinking it’s a good night to stay inside with some beer and maybe some homemade beef stew.  Usually, in a situation like this, the outcome tends more toward beer than homemade anything, but what are ya gonna do?  The stomach wants what the stomach wants.

I was out with my buddy, Stair Master, last night and some young girl called me ‘old’.  Whaaa?  42 is old?  Sure, my back hurts and my knee hurts and there are a few gray hairs coming in and I have to hold the paper at arm’s length to read it… but, old?  Eh, maybe.  I suppose it’s relative (especially to a 21 yr. old).  But - I’m not one to feel bad about my age.  Another 21 yr. old, as a kind of insult, exclaimed something along the lines of, “Dude!  What are you, like 38???”  Hey, I’ll take it.

I’ve never really “felt my age”, physically or emotionally, in the classic sense.  I guess I’ve always been somewhat oblivious to the age factor - everyone seems older or younger than I am, in my mind.  Frankly, I sometimes have a hard time grasping the idea that I’m actually in my forties - has it really been 25 years since High School?  I don’t really worry about growing older, except in the sense, as the young lady pointed out, that my pool of potential mates is narrowing a bit.  Not that I’m necessarily looking for a 20-something woman, mind you, it’s just that… I don’t know.  It’s not all about looks but there’s still a part of me that leans toward ‘young and pretty’.  And it’s not that I don’t realize that women my age can be and are sexy… It’s hard to explain in writing, I guess.

So, now that I’ve painted myself as a skirt-chasing, dirty old man who leers at the cheerleaders - I’m thinking that this will be the Winter I take up X country skiing.  Lord knows I need the exercise and a hobby that gets me out of the house every now and then.  And who knows, I might look really good in those tight ski pants… or something.

In other news, I’m working on a project that I’m kind of excited about.  If anyone knows a Drupal guru or a gnarly graphic designer, I could use some help.  My goal is to have the basic site up by the end of the month so I can start the marketing and publicity.  There’s been plenty of frustration, so far, since Drupal is completely new to me, but that adds to the excitement (when I’m not tearing my hair out.)

That’s all for now.  I need to get to the store for beer and stew fixings.

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They ain’t heavy

We need to show this nation that we are ONE LOUD VOICE THAT DEMANDS TO BE HEARD! We need to be one organized unit.  Our gay pride shouldn’t be something we celebrate one month out of the year.  Our gratitude towards the ones who came before us shouldn’t be ignored and wasted away with one party after another.  We beg to be given a right that requires responsibility and commitment, yet we, as one strong community, have not proven to this nation that we deserve to be taken seriously!  The gay pride parade has become a great party, but it has lost the memory of Stonewall and therefor given the nation another reason to cast us aside as irresponsible.  It’s time we come together for debate, for public recognition, and for LOVE!

Let’s move as one full unit, on the same day, at the same hour, and let’s show the United States of America that we too are UNITED CITIZENS EQUAL IN MIND, BODY, SPIRIT AND DESERVING OF FULL EQUALITY UNDER THE LAW!

On the steps of your City Hall on November 15th at 10:30am PST / 1:30pm EST, our community WILL take to the streets and speak out against Proposition 8 and all of the other pro-equality losses that we have faced in our lifetimes, in our parents’ lifetimes, and for many generations before us.  WE CAN’T DO THIS ALONE! WE NEED YOUR HELP!  We need organizers in every major city to work with us and get out the protest!  I know you’re all tired from all of the work you’ve done for this great election year, but I’m asking for one more push!  Let the country hear our voices together.  Let them see that we are a strong, adamant, and powerful community that deserves equal rights, and CAN’T BE DEFEATED!

More info here.

I’m a straight guy and I’m planning to show up and support my LGBT brothers and sisters, tomorrow.  I hope you’ll make the time and take the opportunity to support them, as well.

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Let’s call it “writer’s block” for now

I’m having a hard time finding words to fully describe the level of disdain, disbelief and abject disgust I’m feeling for my local Democratic Party organization.  It would blow your damned mind.

Here’s a quick shot of things that come to mind, though:  conniving, disloyal, undemocratic, subversive, arrogant, self-involved…

They might as well be fucking Republicans or PUMAs.  Yeah, I’m pissed off.  Well, no, not pissed off - bewildered and annoyed would be more accurate.

But a little pissed off, too.

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