I’ve got a rocky past with California, having grown up in Oregon where the general feeling about the state to our South was “keep it moving.”  We had a Governor back in the ’70s who (perhaps mythically) proposed that I-5 run from California to Washington with no exits to anything other than gas stations.

But I never really bought into that crap.  Heck, some of my best friends came from California.  San Fransisco is in California (though some may argue it actually belongs in Ecotopia with Oregon and Washington), and I really like San Fransisco!  I’ve always had a nice time in California, and it’s rumored by Conservatives to be the last bastion of ultra-Liberalism (though, if they actually think Barack Obama is a far left Liberal, they haven’t met too many people like me and my friends).

Then there’s Ohio.  I was born there, but we left before my sister was born 17 months later.  I’m really happy that we left.  Growing up in Eugene, Oregon had a lot to do with my world views, and I like my world views.  Somehow, though, I ended up living in Cincinnati for ten years before coming here to Maryland a few  years back.  Both of my kids were born in Cincinnati.  Two of my dearest friends and their bitchin’ kids live in Cincinnati.  But I never felt like Cincinnati was “me.”

I loved moving to Maryland, in part, to leave a red state for a blue one but now the world has flipped on it’s head and I have only two things more to say:

“Thank you Ohio, for helping us elect someone I hope to be a great American President;” and “To 52.5%  of California: Fuck you for Proposition 8.  Really.  Fuck you a lot.”

Filed under: Personal | Politics | Queer

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That nonsense with the Facebook-Wordpress integration was a total bust, so here’s a neat little Firefox add-on called ScribeFire that purports to post to my blog.  Wonder it this shiny new marvel of Internet wisdom will actually work.

Filed under: Personal

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P went to Liberty with my mom to visit my Grandmother Marty at the end of the summer. She took our camera with her and took a bunch of really cool pictures. I love seeing how P sees the world and what she things of as worthy of recording. Everything from door handles on a rental car to the shadows on Marty’s courtyard. This is not one of her pictures, rather it was taken by my mom.

From P’s Pictures in Liberty

Filed under: Kids | Personal

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…you will now learn from Harvey Sid Fisher.

Filed under: Music | Personal | Video

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J and I have decided to start a new blog about our family and our experiences getting through life (or just the day) as four card-carrying members of the ADHD club. We’re not all medicated and all have different challenges that arise, at least in part, from the ADHD. Also, given that Julie is a super-powered hero of organizational strategies (organizational strategies - mind you - are quite different from actually being organized) it seemed like we might be able to give folks in similar situations some tips.

Check it out, if’n yer interested.

Filed under: ADD | Kids | Personal

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I was visiting my friend John’s MySpace page a minute ago and saw that he has posted a trailer for a documentary about one of my favorite bands from Seattle, Silkworm. Halfway through the trailer they start talking about Michael’s death. I hadn’t even known he had died.

It was a little more than two years ago when, apparently, his car was hit by a woman speeding and trying to kill herself. Michael was a great drummer with - as I recall - an amazingly sweet personality and no pretension. That was rare in the 90s rock world of Seattle.

I remember standing to the side of the stage at the Off Ramp watching him play. Coincidentally - after posting just an hour or so ago about smiling rock musicians - I remember him smiling shyly as he played. Man, he really hit the drums hard.

I’m sorry he’s gone and my thoughts go out to his family and the rest of Silkworm. Cheers, Michael.

Filed under: Music | Personal | Video

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A List Apart is conducting their first survey of web professionals. It only took a few mintutes and I’ll be really interested to see the results. Oh, and there are prizes!

Filed under: Personal

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There was a man who called himself Stupid. I saw him every time I went to the 5th Street Public Market when I was a kid growing up in Eugene, Oregon. He always sat at the (mostly) same table, drinking coffee, and working on his books - collections of wisdom. I’ve often wished I still had one of his books. Stupid would have hated what became of the market.

My friend Chris was once at the market with his friend and child. The kid asked him why his name was Stupid. His reply was “I used to know a big fat guy and everyone called him Tiny.”

A Stupid biography and a Stupid book

Filed under: Personal

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R smashed into a wall. These eleven stitches (three on the inside) bring his grand total to fifteen, and his number of visits to the ER to four. While that is an average of less than one visit per year, it must be noted that three of those visits have come in the last 18 months. And all but one of them a head injury.

“Action-Boy” strikes again!

Filed under: Kids | Personal

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I’ve been incredibly busy lately and have been mostly blogging (along with several of my brilliant co-workers) on the Beaconfirewire. I’ll continue to sporadically update intensely boring personal news and such here. But the dry spells will likely continue.

Filed under: Personal | Work

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Here it is! My first good mash-up. I’ve been playing around with Acid Pro for a while now and put together a few different kinda-almost mashups. This one is the first that’s really come out well. I’ve been trying to figure out what it is about mashups that turns me on. I guess part of it is that I’m a musician, temporarily without other musicians to play with. But then there’s the appeal of mashups themselves. More on that later. For now, enjoy Jay-z vs. AC/DC - The Girl’s Got Dirt.”

Filed under: Geek Stuff | Music | Personal

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I was in a band in the 80s (no, not that ’80s; the 1908s…like as in the decade?). As it turns out, the band was kind of cool. And now you can all hear it.

• Pelican (mp3)
• Roseland (mp3)
• Dreamtigers (mp3)
• Chrysalis (mp3)
• TheWayTheRiverRuns (mp3)
• Icon (mp3)
• Both (mp3)
• Departure (mp3)

Filed under: Music | Personal

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J and I camped out all night Friday with a bunch of people organized by FamilyPride.org to get tickets for the White House egg roll. It was a lovely night and only rained a few minutes Saturday morning. Next year, we’ll be better prepared with tent and sleeping bags and bring the kids.

The egg roll itself was pretty fun.  There were lots of performers on different stages, and the kids had a great time.  As you see from the photo, young R and old J participated in the roll.  P would have none of it and I hung out with her to cheer her little brother on.

The event was marred only by some really horrible protesters outside the gate telling our kids that they would get sick being out on such a rainy day without god protecting them.  I’m pretty sure that P felt all confidence that the Goddess had her back all the way, and R doesn’t listen to anything anyone else says anyway.

We overheard some White House staff grumbling as we passed that this was a family event and that…well, whatever they said it was stupid.  What would you expect from this White House?

Here are some links to coverage:
CBSNews.com story
CBSNews.com slideshow
CNN.com story
365Gay.com story
SF Chronicle story

Filed under: Kids | Personal | Politics

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My dear friend (and former bandmate), Chris Cook, is drawing some really amazing things. I love the way they feel! There’s a sort of Southwest meets Northwest magical realism that, to me, seems totally Chris. The vibrancy and warmth in the drawings has the same sort of feeling that I used to get sitting in his kitchen, drinking Lipton tea and rolling Top tobacco after a meal of red beans and rice. Thanks Chris!

Filed under: Personal

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It’s really very sad when a voice that you love - a voice that you depend on to challenge and inspire - suddenly goes silent. Science Fiction writer Octavia Butler died unexpectedly on Friday. She was only 58 years old and had just published her first book in eight years. I feel such sadness at losing the words she still had to write.

Octavia Butler wrote with intensity about issues of gender, race, sexuality, and humanity, challenging her readers with her unflinching exploration of what is means to be human. Her stories never shied from sadness or gave easy answers. I still can’t believe we won’t know what happens next.

Thank you Octavia. Thank you and good-bye.

“I’m comfortably asocial — a hermit in the middle of a large city, a pessimist if I’m not careful, a feminist, a Black, a former Baptist, an oil-and-water combination of ambition, laziness, insecurity, certainty and drive.”

Filed under: Books | Personal

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