on Jun 24th, 2009“you should know better” or sensitivity training anyone?

So, I can’t stop thinking about a conversation I witnessed yesterday.

Person A: Native NJ/NY Staten Islander…white, male, 30ish.
Person B: Native Brooklynite, black, female, 30ish.

Person B: “my cousin is opening a place in NC and will serve Cheesecake”
Person A: “cheesecake?”
Person B: “yes, cheesecake, kind of like Junior’s”
Person A: “what’s Junior’s”

Junior’s is “the” cheesecake in NYC….the institution of cheesecake if you will. He’s from here and he doesn’t know that…frightening.

Person B: “you know, Junior’s cheesecake”
Person A: “oh, is he going to serve fried chicken too?”

Person B: (standing with her mouth open) “what kind of a racist comment is that?!”

Then they both turn to me with “did you hear what he just said!”
My mouth was hanging open as well. These two people have worked together for a few years, she has put up with all kinds of inappropriate discussions with him….she was recently laid off from the job but was there visiting that day. I think she finally let all of the anger she had been storing up out on him yesterday.

Then the “you’re a racist”/”I’m not a racist” arguement insued. Person A even said “I dated a black girl”, at which point I said…
THEN YOU SHOULD KNOW BETTER THAN TO SAY SOMETHING THAT STUPID!

I mean really, are you kidding me?

on Mar 17th, 2009St. Patrick’s Day.

Just a little fun to celebrate. Enjoy.

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

on Feb 6th, 2009I Believe in Love

Charley and I have been married almost 5 years. I have had gay friends together for much longer than that. I have never understood why anyone has an issue with two people loving one another.

Watch.


“Fidelity”: Don’t Divorce… from Courage Campaign on Vimeo.

on Feb 5th, 2009Facebook Fun with Notes — God is a Bullet

There have been many notes (chain letter type) going around on Facebook. I have been having fun reading them and participating in them. This one I found particularly weird and fun.

I didn’t tag anyone on this post. But I would have tagged a few friends that these songs remind me of.

Random Music Fun
11:20PM
1. Put your music on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. Write it down, even if it sounds silly.
I didn’t cheat…this is fun and a bit strange at the same time.

If someone says, “Is this okay?” you say…
Bang that Beat — C+C Music Factory

What would best describe your personality?
Silent all these Years — Tori Amos

What do you like in a guy/girl?
Mama Mercy — Joan Armatrading

How do you feel today?
Mama I’m Strange — Melissa Etheridge

What is your life’s purpose?
Garden — Pearl Jam

What is your motto?
Out of the Window — Violent Femmes

What do your friends think of you?
Changes — Sugar

What do you think about very often?
I Could Have Been You — Melissa Etheridge

What is 2+2?
Still Can’t — The Cranberries

What do you think of your best friend(s)?
Why was I born — Ella Fitzgerald

What do you think of the person you like?
Montage Part 3, Gimme the Ball — A Chorus Line

What do you want to be when you grow up?
These are Days — 10,000 Maniacs

What do you think when you see the person you like?
Old King — Neil Young

What do your parents think of you?
This Moment — Melissa Etheridge

What will you dance to at your wedding?
Honey — Moby

What will they play at your funeral?
Here we go, Let’s Rock and Roll — C+C Music Factory

What is your hobby/interest?
Whiskey Lullaby — Brad Paisley

What is your biggest secret?
Three Cigarettes in an Ashtray — k.d. lang

What do you think of your friends?
Fourteen Black Paintings — Peter Gabriel

What’s the worst thing that could happen?
Witness — Sarah McLachlan

How will you die?
The Space Between — Dave Matthews

What is the one thing your regret?
Bottom to the Top — Joan Armatrading

What makes you laugh?
Yulugna (Spirit Dance) — Dead Can Dance

What makes you cry?
Moonshiner — Uncle Tupelo

Will you ever get married?
Wabazi Heaven — John McCusker

What scares you the most?
Let’s Go Crazy — Prince and the Revolution

Does anyone like you?
Lights — The Jayhawks

If you could go back in time, what would you change
Crash Course — Crash Test Dummies

What hurts right now?
Time of No Reply — Nick Drake

What will you post this as?
God Is a Bullet — Concrete Blond

on Jan 20th, 2009It’s a New Day!!!


View all Washington DC events at Eventful

on Jan 12th, 2009the fight not to be fat…

So, let me get one thing straight first.  I am not at all freaked out about turning 40.  In the past few years I have embraced getting older, hopefully wiser, and would not go back to my 20’s or early 30’s if you paid me buckets of money.  What I am freaked about was what I looked like when I went to NIA class a week ago and the number on the scale the next morning.

So, I went back to a tried and true program that worked for me back in 2000.  Yes, Weight Watchers.

the journey to a fabulous at 40 body begins!

Jan 12, 2009…down 4 lbs!

Jan 19, 2009…down .5lbs…and after the stress of this last week, I’ll take it!

on Jan 11th, 2009Going Out.

billy-hart

It’s sunday.  The sun is shining and I’m laying on the couch looking up a the sky. We don’t have much of a view from our living room window as it looks into the courtyard of the building.  But, it’s quiet and that’s a huge plus in NYC.

We went out last night.  We don’t really go out much so it was a huge treat.  We went to see a few bands in the Village.  One was a very experimental band where one of Charley’s old friends is a member.  I liked a few moments of their music but I woundn’t listen to it on a regular basis.  The other group I liked.  It was Don Byron Ivey-Divey Trio with Jason Moran and Billy Hart.  Billy Hart was a treat to watch.  He’s an old jazz drummer and his presence is that of peace.  I don’t know if I have the words to truly do him justice..but…he was the best part of all the musical groups.  Charley was really hoping for more of a full band, and was a little disappointed in the performance….he kind of felt like he was phoning it in.  I, not being the jazz aficionado that my husband is, was just happy that they played something I enjoyed listening to vs making the horn squeal at the top note it’s capable of….which is the part of jazz I hate.

But, it was just nice to be out with my husband, to feel his hand on my shoulder in the club.  To take that long cab ride home up the West side highway.  2008 really, really sucked for us.  And we are still dealing with some of that.  So it was nice to get out and do something fun together.  Love you honey.

on Dec 12th, 2008Husband Haiku

Haiku Poem
March 23, 2008
When does it all stop -
Embracing this foul hatred -
From so far away?

Arrogance or pride?
What makes it so plain for you -
That which puzzles me?

Would you stone them all -
Adulterers, perverts, queers?
Can YOU cast the first?

Suffering the same
You and I are no different
We can both feel pain

We both have a heart
With truth it only opens
With hate it slams shut

Water, carbon, more -
We are made from the same dust,
Brother and sister

on Nov 11th, 2008Another Dog Breed Quiz…

What dog breed are you? I'm a Labrador Retriever! Find out at Dogster.com

on Nov 8th, 2008New Hope and Connections

The feeling of hope was palpable in the air of Washington Heights the morning after the election.  I was walking to the garage and there was a black guy holding is little son, maybe 2yr old, in his arms.  The boy started to open and close his hand waving to me.  I said “hi, are you waving to me, good morning” in that high pitched talking to a little kid voice.  My eyes started to tear when I thought that this child’s entire life just changed.  That America had spoken and all the fear of Obama not being elected due to his race was over.   Now, I am not naive to think that means racism no longer exists…and that the country is suddenly going to be OK.  Obama has a lot of work ahead of him…but at least he and his staff are going to be in the drivers seat vs Bush.

The other amazing thing for me is my experience on Facebook.  I never thought I’d join a “social networking” site.  My childhood friend sent me an invite so I decided to join.  I have made connections with people from almost every part of my life…a few high school friends, college friends, my old roommate from Seattle, almost the entire cast of the “A Chorus Line” tour I went on from 97-98!, Broadway friends, IT friends, and to see the connections between each of them is also kind of amazing.

History is one of the best things you can have with a friend.  And, those friends that I have that kind of history with…that I won’t see them for months or years and then it picks right backup…that’s amazing.