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Spent most of yesterday in labour negotiations. A long day, but it was nice to end on a positive note. Today I committed myself to going to a mental health group's workshop on drug and alcohol issues. Later on, I'm hopeful about connecting with my friend Pattie, then later catch up with the grand-daughter and go to a party in the evening.
27 January 2001
Since no one is inviting Querylily to the Make Out Room, she'll have to console herself with a visit to the MakeUp Place.
24 January 2001
Well, we've now officially reached the slippery slope. The brand new administration has mandated its own version of "don't ask, don't tell" on foreign aid going towards family planning efforts. Over next few years it will be interesting - and frightening - to watch how many of the rights of women to have power over their own bodies slip away into the muck of rationalization "that it's not as bad as it seems". I think that the truth is, only a man would say it will be "interesting".
23 January 2001
Last night I picked up a copy of Mike Davis' new book, "Late Victorian Holocausts" and started reading. Engrossing, relevant history, given the current battles over "globalisation".
23 January 2001
And I'm still busy reading the collection edited by Joan Nestle, "The Persistent Desire". Good, powerful stuff. I've read most of the pieces recommended by Drew, and was especially moved by the dialogue between Cherrie Moraga and Amber Hollibaugh. The latter's articulation of femme sexuality seemed to be describing my own feelings/emotions as someone living - trying to live - across the gender divide. Can't wait til we finally settle on the next date for our little reading group. This coming Monday's off as Pattie has a conflict.
23 January 2001
I spent most of my waking hours yesterday at the conference on homelessness organised by U.C. Berkeley. I particularly enjoyed the presentations by Martha Burt, Gary Blasi, Dennis Culhane and Paul Koegel. Though I sat way too long, all in all it was an enjoyable, engaging way to spend the day.
23 January 2001
W's speech was short, pious and patriotic. Inspiring it was not. I'd like to say something nice - it's that Southern thing - but my thoughts quickly focus on Bush's embrace of Bob Jones University and its "traditional virtues" and his nomination of another fan of Bob Jones U for attorney general.
20 January 2001
I can't recall who wrote that America would never be at peace until it made peace with its Native Peoples. I think it might have been D.H. Lawrence. Anyhow, I was not surprised, but was disappointed and pissed off, to find out this morning that out-going President Clinton had chosen not to pardon Leonard Peletier. Of course a whole bunch of other folks got presidential passes, including Clinton's own brother. Like for like, eh?
20 January 2001
I was all set to go with friends this morning over to San Francisco for the anti-Bush rally. But I couldn't convince the g-d to accompany me. So I guess I will have to get some work done today, instead of complaining that I never have enough time to accomplish anything.
20 January 2001
Last night I took the g-d out to a "farewell party" for two co-workers who are going on to other things. One to a new job, the other to college full-time. They're both excellent people, hard workers and good colleagues. Both will be sorely missed. As the toast goes, "To absent friends!"
20 January 2001
From reading our Queer Book of the Month selection. Last night I found a used copy of "Sister and Brother, Lesbians and Gay Men Write About Their Lives Together", co-edited by the same author.
10 January 2001
Unexpectedly, I received a little boost in my line of credit. Enough for a bed for the grand-daughter and, perhaps, some cool purple fishnets. Actually, there should even be enough for a shopping expedition to Sephora.
10 January 2001
"The Decalogue", Krzystof Kieslowski's film trilogy, "Blue", "White" and "Red" is playing at the U.C. Theatre. Drew and I are planning a movie marathon this Wednesday evening.
8 January 2001
Yesterday I took the grand-daughter and myself out to see the Mel Gibson/Helen Hunt vehicle, "What Women Want". It was kinda sweet, kinda sappy. Just my kinda movie.
8 January 2001
Is my injunction to myself. I made the mistake of picking up Dorothy Allison's "Bastard Out Of Carolina" immediately after finishing her "Two or Three Things I Know for Sure" and I'm finding it impossible to put down. What I really should be reading is my homework for our reading group, "The Persistent Desire".
8 January 2001
Via the Gate:
The model citizen. John Ashcroft, Poster Boy of the Religious Right.
It seems that a few less Democratic senators are rolling over and playing nice and...that Joe Biden Has Second Thoughts.
No wonder the Christian Coalition Is So Enamoured of John Ashcroft.
From another article it seems like the few who really had a Reason To Be Proud yesterday were members of the Congressional Black Caucus.
7 January 2001
"Two or three things I know, two or three things I know for sure, and one of them is that if we are not beautiful to each other, we cannot know beauty in any form." - Dorothy Allison
I've used a portion of this beautiful sunny Saturday morning finishing up my reading of Dorothy Allison's "Two or Three Things I Know for Sure", buying coffee, fetching the mail and picking up my purple dress from the cleaners.
On the other hand, I've spent another part of my morning getting angrier and feeling more depressed about the current situation in Washington.
Frank Rich writing in this morning's New York Times: "Mr. Bush also tried to camouflage Mr. Ashcroft's hard-line views by simultaneously anointing the pro-choice Christie Whitman to head the Environmental Protection Agency - as if such a pairing might pass for another example of ideological bipartisanship. But a pro-choice E.P.A. administrator can only protect the reproductive rights of spotted owls."
6 January 2001
Y'know, I'm glad that HHS nominee Tommy Thompson has been good on HIV/AIDS issues and has been supportive of the rights of lesbian and gay people in his home state of Wisconsin. However, unlike The Human Rights Campaign, I can not so easily dismiss his "staunchly anti-choice" beliefs. He and Attorney-General-In-Waiting, John Ashcroft, represent a double whammy threat to the notion that women should have control over their own bodies. Shouldn't gay, lesbian and transgender folk be united in support of reproductive rights?
I'm glad that Elizabeth Toledo of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force is clearer on this issue.
4 January 2001
...the new, new millennium has arrived. I've put all my December scribblings into the archives. I've finally finished Dorothy Allison's "Skin" although I must confess that I didn't want it to end. I'm halfway through her memoir, "Two or Three Things I Know for Sure", and I believe that our little queer reading group, led by the glamourous Ms. Pattie, has decided to read Joan Nestle's "Butch Femme Reader", postponing a read of Lesile Feinberg's "Stone Butch Blues" until a later time.
Sunday morning, pre-millennium, everything was comin' up Dusty. I had a wonderfully brisk six mile walk and then joined Drew and Pattie for coffee. Pattie agreed to let me interview her for this site - which I think is wonderful. She is glamourous, smart, passionate, and committed to doing good work. Now the onus is on me to think of intelligent, interesting questions.
I have plenty for which to be grateful, including the friendship of these two beautiful people.
Tomorrow night, after my therapy, I'm looking forward to a post-session drink with the Glamourous Pattie and Drew (he's pretty glamourous too!). Oh but what to wear around such glamourous friends?
3 January 2001
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