Tag Archives: Juan

Yummy Yummy Yummy

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Well today they promised rain and it rain for a bit but overall it turned out ok. Temperatures were close to the 70’s making it a muggy November afternoon. I was going to participate in another demonstration, this time at New York City Hall, but the threat of rain kept me away, making me a fair weather protester, or perhaps like Sarah Vowel had written, a Partly Cloudy Patriot.

It turns out that it was actually very nice for the hours of the demonstration, and on the news they said hundreds of people had shown up, then they said they covered a few city blocks which, judging by the crowd on Wednesday night, I would say it was more like a thousand or so.

It was also easier to go to the demonstration on Wednesday since I was in the city already. Today I was safely ensconced in Hoboken, far from the maddening crowds. Plus it sucks to go without Bill who is still indefinitely in Stuyvesant Town. I miss the big lug.

Last night was relatively quiet. Watched O & RM, and I have to ween myself from them soon. Daily Show and Colbert Report can stay though. Last night’s repeat of Thursday night’s show had Bill O’Reilly on and he is such an ass. He was trying to be so hip, and he only came off as smug. Jon Stewart had him on the ropes though. Stephen Colbert was actually funnier than the Daily Show. Had me laughing out loud. They’ll repeat both on Monday night I think and both are worth checking out.

Started to watch the news when I remembered Bill Maher was on. Thankfully I missed his monologue. Ashton Kushner was surprisingly outspoken and presented his views quite well. Even rebuffed Dan Savage’s overtures, reminding Dan Savage that he had sent Savage a letter which was replied with some really foul and nasty language.

That seemed to have put Dan Savage in his place. Dan Savage has been in the hot seat this week due to some comments regarding 70% of black people that voted in favor of Prop h8 and were construed as racist following the passing of Prop h8. They didn’t bring that up though and Dan Savage has deleted that column from his archives and is singing quite a different tune.

Then it was a good night of sleep. Waking up this morning had a shower, some coffee then a walk a few doors down my block to Mr. L’s for my monthly haircut. Tony was free and I was determined not to paint as grim a picture on the economy as I did last month. I think my generous tip helped proved my point. He’s a great barber. Gets the gray out of the goatee, and trims eye brows, ear and nose hair. When my goatee gets bushy I know it’s time for a hair cut.

cellphone pic

Went to the market, dropped off some bagels with the Lopez clan on the third floor. Superboy has changed since I last saw him three weeks ago. After that I had breakfast and surfed the net, made some new friends and freaks and walked to the post office to drop off some Netflix dvd’s and enjoyed a Padron.

Now I’m having some pizza waiting for Juan so we can go to the Girl Talk show tonight at Terminal 5 which is at 56th street and 12th avenue. That’s it in a rather large nutshell. The liquor store on the corner has a Christmas display in their window already, Santa and his reindeer on a motorized see saw.

Hoboken’s very pricey (millions!) new World War 2 memorial.

And now that I’m finally getting ready to go out with Juan tonight, the downpour begins….

The Promised Land

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Oh my. It happened. History was made last night and I personally am quite glad, and proud to have been able to help with the campaign by volunteering my time and donating some money. This battle was won, the California battle, the No on Prop h8 was lost. But that’s not over yet.

Nice to see that poverty, homelessness and war has been taken care of so that the mormons and the knights of columbus were able to contribute millions of dollars (25 Million and up they say) to ensure that discrimination will be written into the California constitution and enabling thousands of citizens to be deprived of their rights.

So close those catholic schools, forget about feeding the homeless and while they’re at it, forget the basic principles, the very tenets of your faith because you just know that their lord and savior wouldn’t side with the christianists on this vile, hateful issue.

And as far as the mormons go, well 19th century religions lend themselves to an air of ridiculousness and the church of latter day neck bones are at the top of the list. And the same goes for Arizona, Florida and good old Arkansas denying gay people to adopt children that no one else bloody wants.

Let those children suffer rather than have some one help them and love them. Let them fester in loneliness and feelings of not being wanted, all in the name of religion and fear, amen.

Despite that bitter taste in my mouth throughout the day I was overcome, getting choked up and tears welling in my eyes when I think of what was accomplished by Barack Obama. I don’t know if a lot of people that aren’t of color recognize the shit black people have gone through for hundreds of years.

Slavery, the erasing of identities, the separation of families, fighting for the freedom of Europe and the Pacific and coming home to find that they were still second class citizens, being attacked by police dogs and fire hoses for sitting at a lunch counter or refusing to sit at the back of the bus or trying to enroll in schools or trying to vote, the separate but ‘equal’ Jim Crow laws and being told by institutions that they just weren’t as good as white people.

Systematically told this every second, every minute, every hour, every day, every week, every month, year, decade and century. I was told that I was worthless and no good and an idiot for the first 20 years of my life and that was from my father. I still wear those scars and carry that baggage and my father was just one man.

Imagine a government, a society telling you this over and over for years and years. It will fuck you up. If it’s not easy for me to ‘shake off’ it certainly wouldn’t be easy for a large segment of society.

Barack Obama being elected to the highest office in the land is a remarkable achievement and an historical event and I was glad to witness it with my partner Bill and my dear friend Juan who voted in his first election and hit a home run. My nephew Earl and my niece Corinne also hit home runs voting in their first election and I am proud of all of them

Last night was a bit like New Years Eve, calling up my sister when it was announced that Barack Obama won the election. A few other phone calls, all with celebratory greetings of happiness and tears of joy and calls from friends and family telling me that they were speechless. It actually felt as momentous as New Years Eve 1999.

Last night as it was all unfolding I was fearful, before Bill came home and Juan came over. I turned on MSNBC and they were talking about McCain winning Indiana. I couldn’t believe it and started to feel that same despair I felt in 2004.

I turned it off and waited until Bill came home. Then it was watching the results with Bill and Juan bolstering my spirits. Even as Barack Obama won, I couldn’t believe it though I did. Slept like a rock going to bed at 1:00AM. It only made sense to me today, buying up the big three newspapers for this historical event. I think I’ll keep them under the stairs in the basement.

Letter from Nelson Mandela to the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama.

5 November 2008
Senator Barack Obama,
Chicago
Dear Senator Obama,
We join people in your country and around the world in congratulating you on becoming the President-Elect of the United States. Your victory has demonstrated that no person anywhere in the world should not dare to dream of wanting to change the world for a better place.

We note and applaud your commitment to supporting the cause of peace and security around the world. We trust that you will also make it the mission of your Presidency to combat the scourge of poverty and disease everywhere.

We wish you strength and fortitude in the challenging days and years that lie ahead. We are sure you will ultimately achieve your dream making the United States of America a full partner in a community of nations committed to peace and prosperity for all.
Sincerely,
N R Mandela
courtesy of the New York Times

“Mister I ain’t a boy, no- I’m a man and I believe in the Promised Land!”


Now give those girls a puppy!