30 May 2000

After a wonderful seven mile walk yesterday, seems I've snagged the g-d's head cold.

I'm hoping that Ella and Louis will be beacons to guide me out of my fog!

There was an interesting piece in this Sunday's New York Times Magazine about the aftermath of the brutal murder of PFC Barry Winchell. Seems that his boyfriend was actually a pre-op TG person. The article makes a compelling read. There was a quick response from the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network. Even if it's not "the facts" that the S.L.D.N. agrees with, it does - even if fictional - illustrates the tendency of advocates...and advertisers... to put people into neat little boxes, so to be more readily understood by the "general public". Unfortunately, the New York Times requires registration to link to their pages.

I'm starting a list of "P" words that get in the way of truth...
For starters: packaging, passion, politics, power, prejudice and pride. Are there any others?

Lots to choose from at this year's Lesbian and Gay Film Festival. The real challenge? Finding enough time to see everything I want to see.

And only a few more days left to see the restored "It Happened Here" at the Roxie. I've wanted to see this film since I first read about it, say around 1966.

Interesting new stuff to ponder on at Alamut.

29 May 2000

Just like that. The new Daniel Burston book on R.D. Laing is out. My reward for a half hour of browsing at Cody's on Telegraph.

23 May 2000

While still buried in work, I'm feeling whimsical enough to begin reading two books by Umberto Eco, "The Search for the Perfect Language" and "The Name of the Rose".

We love kitties, but watch out for cat bites!

20 May 2000

Alan Price reminds us that "only wealth can buy you justice..."
Price wrote the score for one of my modern day favourites, "O Lucky Man", directed by the fabulous Lindsay Anderson.

Last night the g-d and I found ourselves at the Metreon. She was nice enough to let me take her to the new Woody Allen movie, "Small Time Crooks". It got a few chuckles from her but was not exactly her cup of tea. As payback, I had to accompany her into the Microsoft Store. We have evidence of our visit.

I'm excited. I'm sad. I'm glad. Well....I'm excited that the calendar for this year's San Francisco International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival is promised to be up on Frameline's web site on May 24. I'm sad...that Drew's going back to Florida. I'm glad he's not leaving until August.

7 May 2000

The piece from Alamut, yesterday, left me reflecting further on democracy, old and new. Years ago I read "The Athenian Assembly in the Age of Demosthenes", by the great Danish scholar, Mogens Herman Hansen. As I recall from my reading, democracy, or rather that practised by Athenians of Demosthenes' time, recognised three key elements essential to democracy:

1. Rotation in office, what we might call these days "term limits",
2. Sortition, that is, selection by lot, and
3. Accountability, as the Athenians were not averse to, say, stoning their generals if they had a bad day at the office.

This is to contrast with our form of "representative" democracy, in which those who are elected, most usually, represent that group in our society who can afford to spend enough to get elected, and thus tend to represent more of the interests of the people who finance their campaign...and a system in which high value is placed on "taking responsibility" but very few are actually held accountable. And those are most likely to be ones who lack the means or the connections to stay out of harm's way.

I am seeming a bit querulous this morning, in spite of my brisk walk in the rain. Here's access to more information on athenian democracy via google.

6 May 2000

Last night I went and saw "Where the Heart Is" at the Sony Metreon. The grand-daughter's choice. I would have opted for the new Heather Graham vehicle, "Committed", or Ridley Scott's "Gladiator". The movie is a real trailer trash transcendent weepie. It's gotten mixed reviews, but I enjoyed it. Good thing I brought my hankie!

Thanks to Alamut for a great quote: "We've come here from the past." We have indeed. We are, after all, only visting the present, passing through on our way towards the future. It reminds me of a quote from H.E. Bates, "The past is a foreign country. They do things differently there." The quotes are related, but not the same. I have to think more on the why part. Also thanks to Alamut for an interesting reflection on ancient democracy.

Next weekend I plan to be at the PLANETWORK conference at the Presidio. My friend Drew is planning to be there too.

I have to strive to be a nicer, more thoughtful, human being...especially towards the people I love.

Okay. I've said it. Now back to work!

2 May 2000

It's so good to finish one major task...until you remind yourself that 5 more are waiting for your attention.

And that's not to mention that I still have patio bricks left to scrub at the Zen Hospice on Page Street.

I do appreciate my friend Drew. When he's not busy working hard at housing homeless families in San Francisco - or updating his web site - he's busy reading "Crooked Cucumber", the biography of Shunryu Suzuki. Suzuki was a truly remarkable man. The book is a wonderful introduction to his life and work... at least it was for me....

There I go again. Being "tentative!" Okay, Drew. Time for a trip to Wendyland.

Maybe because it's springtime, but querylily's been thinking more about hormones. Don't get so excited! Querylily's just thinking!

Hey! I'm excited that Terri and Dana have stopped smoking! And no patches!

1 May 2000

The new First Monday is up. At first glance it seems a particularly good issue. Now...if I only had time to read...sigh...

This google search is in honour of you know who! Now let's talk grapenuts.

From the UK Daily Telegraph, more on last week's Germaine Greer story.

Drew has been busy. He follows the ancient teaching, "When in doubt, go for the ice cream."

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