President Obama gave an excellent speech yesterday, framing the debate about debt and revenue and the choices we face as Americans. I was particularly happy that he talked about raising taxes on the wealthiest, even if that only means a very tepid expiry of the Bush tax cuts. This will take… Read full post »

I've been freelancing for a while now, over two years. And although I used to freelance in the late 90's, this is by far my most serious and sustained go at it, and my most successful. (Of course, success is a relative and variable term). And in the past couple of… Read full post »

Dear President Obama,

What the hell is wrong with you? Why is your administration defending a ban (DADT) that you admit is discriminatory? During the campaign (and since) you have repeatedly vowed to end the ban, while doing very little to actually accomplish that. Of all the promises… Read full post »

I started out this morning writing a post that was filled with venom and vitriol, aimed especially at certain Democrats who I perceive to be in the pocket of corporate interests to the detriment of the populace at large. But the more I thought about this, the more unhappy it made… Read full post »

A couple of weeks ago I was at the doctor and told him about this ongoing shoulder pain I have been having for the past six months. After asking me to raise my arms in a circle, he concluded that I should get an MRI of my right shoulder to see… Read full post »

This is my very first holiday season living in NYC. Every place in the world has its own special customs and celebrations, and New York is no different. I haven't noticed people being overly xmas "spirity", but then again, I don't live near the ice skating rink at Rockefeller Plaza. Still, there… Read full post »

Oh those giddy Republicans are on the upswing, saying that the "American People" are getting bothered by the "over-reaching" of the Obama administration on health care, the environment, you name it. Things are looking up for them they say. America is a "center right" nation. Blah blah blah.

I don't d… Read full post »

I think we may have dodged a bullet.

I woke up cautiously optimistic today about our chances for some real health care reform in this country. After watching the dispiriting circus of the past few months, it seems we are moving towards significant reform, especially now that the senate version will… Read full post »

There are a vast number of reasons I like Michael Moore.  And his films, for whatever their faults, highlight very real problems confronting our society. His latest film alas, is mostly clownish and amateurish. It takes the mammoth subject noted in its title,  "Capitalism: A Love Story" and… Read full post »

I was walking around yesterday morning and was passing the corner of 57th and 10th avenue when it hit me. This was the first apartment I had ever lived in here in New York, as an architecture student on work assignment semester, way back in 1986. Got that? 23 years ago.… Read full post »

One of the most maddening things about the Tea Baggers (Tea Party movement, whatever) is their utter lack of policy specifics. They don't seem to have a single verifiable, actual policy that they are against. They just hate that "their" guy isn't in charge. While it is true that there was… Read full post »

Price gouging offends common decency. We see examples of it everywhere, from banking ATM and transfer fees, to ridiculous "exchange rate" fees when out of the country, to late fees and rate changes on credit cards. But one of my biggest gouging pet peeves involves the crazy prices AT&T (among oth… Read full post »

A few days ago I was having a discussion with an artist. We were talking about films and one that we mentioned he intended to see. He then indignantly added that a friend of his had offered to burn him a copy and he was horrified that they would suggest "stealing"… Read full post »

A friend sent me the following question in an email today:

out of curiosity, who do you get your medical insurance through? every so often i toy with taking time off and the thing that always stops me dead in my tracks is insurance... i'm kinda curious how coverage works when

… Read full post »

This past weekend, I attended a family reunion held deep in the heart of Tennessee. It was my stepfather's family, and most of them  are from the areas surrounding Tennessee and Kentucky originally. The main three family name branches are "Kennedy" (my stepdad's last name), Dunn and Bowman. For… Read full post »

Last night I was chatting with a friend (who shall remain nameless) over IM. He told me a small group was going to meet for dinner and invited me to come meet them there at 8:30 pm. I asked him what time he would be showing up, and he said 8:30.… Read full post »

When I was traveling about, in order to get the most out of the experience, I set a couple of rules for myself. One of which was to never say no to anything I hadn't already done before if someone should suggest it. I found myself in all kinds of interesting… Read full post »

A week or so ago, friends of mine and I were out at a restaurant enjoying a great meal. Our waiter was quite a handsome fellow, and there was a bit of flirting and eye contact going on between us throughout the meal. A few days later, a complimentary comment was… Read full post »

Ok, I am feeling much more love for the change.gov website and the Obama administration than I was a week ago. Not only did they revamp the site and put back the detailed "Agenda" section, they included the issue that I (and others I am sure) wrote to them about, and… Read full post »

In all the recent uproar over the passing of Prop H8, one of the items that has been central to a lot of accounts is the use of public databases like this one to identify supporters and opponents. As required by law, financial contributions to campaigns are part of the public… Read full post »

I have been following with some interest the change.gov presidential transition website. I think it is a great idea to tell the public what is happening, and give them information about where the incoming Obama administration wants to take the country. I don't remember another administration doing th… Read full post »

I'm sure you all know by now how important I think this election is at a national level and in my home state of California. I have spent a lot of time the last few weeks sending emails and badgering people to vote and/or give money. Recently, I have been wondering… Read full post »