Wednesday, July 11, 2007

When Literature Goes as Freight

how i wished we could sleep in the same bed and cuddle together and talk and laugh and cry. it wasn't even sex i wanted. just him. i left him a note when i left "bye sexy, thanks 4 the awesome evening" it's the closest i came to letting someone in on my secret, but i could always say it was a joke if questioned wrong about it. actually a french guy in my summer school started hitting on me yesterday. the trouble is, maintaining my self-confidence requires being intimate only with people i really respect and admire - or at least, am truly infatuated with. so if someone isn't really hot, i won't get in bed with them. smart idea, right? problem is, that limits my options. anyway, this parisian dude didn't make the cut. nice guy and all, i said we could just be friends. the whole scene was like something out of a movie.

first i was watching tv, and he kept looking over at me. then i got up to go do my laundry and i knew his eyes were following me. he came into the laundry room and tried feebly to strike up a conversation (remember the laundry scenes in 40 Yeary Old Virgin?)

He asked something about the quantity of clothing i was washing, and i responded something about how often i do laundry and liking to keep my clothing clean. i excused myself to get my detergent from my room, and wasn't surprised to find him still in the laundry room when i returned. it was clear already this was more than standard introductions. so i asked his name and where he came from, what he was studying and for how long he'd been here. the standard questions. At some point he asked:

"Do you have a girlfriend?"
"no... do you"
"no, i'm gay, so i wouldn't have a girlfriend. how old are you?"
"howoldiam. how old are you"
"howoldiam. you know, you're really cute"
"thanks [note: i don't add 'you're really cute too']"
:he leans in for a kiss: :i back off slightly:
"actually, i'm a little confused right now"
"that's ok. do you want to close the door?"
"we can go for a walk and talk about it if you'd like"
:walk outside: :silence:
"so. how did you know?" :smile:
"well, i wasn't sure"
:they walk and talk for a while:
:he tries again for a kiss:
"i don't think we should do this. i've never had a friend who i could discuss my true feelings with and it would be a shame to ruin that by having sex" [question: did this sound like an obvious brushoff? cause it was part of my cheshbon. a big part. though admittedly it wouldn't have mattered if i thought he was mad sexy]
"do you want to just try it?"
"not now." [notice how polite i am]
:more talk:
"you know if we do end up having sex, it will be just for fun. i don't want emotions in it, so no one gets hurt. I don't want to fall in love with you or have you fall in love with me [note: if there was any minute chance of that happening, you just blew it] because you are going back to america after the summer and i will go back to france. under the circumstances, it is not a good idea."
"so basically you're saying 'i don't really like you that much, but i haven't got anything better at the moment...'"
"no, i think you are very cute. it's just the circumstances, you understand"

i did understand. but of course though it seems weird to be so open about that, it is only what i would have wanted from it as well to be honest. he's from paris, i'm from new york. it couldn't work long-term even if i did like him. but the other guy, from my old school. he could be a real option. if only i could feel safe enough to talk to him about it...

Tuesday, July 10, 2007


Sunday, July 08, 2007

What's the Redneck Agenda?

The Blogger site is still in Russian and I can't read a word of it and I can't write titles for my posts. Had to post this, from Alice Zheng:

Most people can't understand
how others can blow their noses
differently than they do.
-- Turgenev

Shabbat Dreams in Your

Amazing Shabbat. Went with a friend, stayed by family, great food, wonderful company, caught up with old friends. One guy I saw Friday night and just couldn't get him out of my head. He is so hot and beautiful, cute and sweet. Just perfect. When he said something about putting on weight since coming to Israel, getting a beer belly (it was clear he had no such thing), I wanted to say, "I saw you when you came and you were damn sexy then and you are fucking hot now!" I just had to see him again. Next night instead of returning home, I went back to see him and spent the night. We went out and played pool (my first time) and then chilled, he cleaned up his room, and we listened to Dave Chappelle. I loved every minute. When I'm with you, everything is perfect. Please don't take this the wrong way. I care about you so much. You inspire me. Now, if only you could know. But of course, there is that old "don't want to mess with a good friendship by making it sexual" thing. And the whole awkwardness of coming out and all, of course.

When he was in his boxers and sitting on his bed and I sat on the bed across from him and got an "upskirt" view of his parts when he shifted in his boxers it was like a lick of Carvel. And I love ice cream. They were beautiful. And I'm usually not a fan of men's privates. Gay or not, I'll be kissing and cuddling and a guy will start taking off his pants, and I'm like whoa Johnny, hold it right there boy. And when I do deal with cock, I'm not one of those "I like big dick and and I cannot lie" type of people. I like 'em pretty. But when I'm really in love with a person and worship him from head to toe, well, those parts are just that many more inches of him to love. Sof kol sof, he has a real nice package.

I had a dream that I got married. I was thinking maybe if I got married we would sleep I Love Lucy style on our own beds because lovemaking is fun when you are awake, but I see no reason why I should have to give up on ever getting a good night's sleep without elbows in my face or my dick in funny places just because I'm married. I'm all for cuddling and stuff. I enjoy that as much as anyone, but there is a time for everything and while I'm sleeping, I prefer you to let me sleep. In peace.

Anyway, back to the dream. So those thoughts (above) may have provoked the dream. My new wife is sleeping on the couch and I approach her and ask why doesn't she come to bed. She is unused to the whole concept of being a wife or even being with a man because she grew up in a haredi home where she never even spoke to boys. So I want to be good to my wife and speak gently and caringly, trying to be there without being pushy. She says she isn't feeling well. After ensuring she is well, I tell her that it would make me happy if she would come up to bed, but she should do whatever she feels is best. I don't remember the name she had but it sounded like Lola or Lila, probably based on the opening paragraph of Nabokov's Lolita.

"But Lola," I said, "can we make a date for tomorrow?" And I must have seen this scene in some movie, she replied, "A date? But Teddy. . . we're married!"
"I know, Lo sweetheart, but I just don't get to see you enough."
"You're right Teddy, with both of us working. . ."

The nice thing about dreams is that they are entertaining like watching a movie, but you get to sleep while you are watching them, you get to direct the action yourself, and when there is a sex scene, you are in it! Dreams are God's gift to mankind.

Friday, July 06, 2007

Beautiful Thing (1996)

Such a beautiful movie. I didn't even know what it was, it was just on TV, and then I noticed the boys were so cute and hoped something would happen betweeen them. As luck would have it, that is exactly what the movie was about!

Thursday, July 05, 2007

Religion in the Schools

When we teach the Gettysburg Address or the Declaration of Independence or King's I Have a Dream, we reinforce the message of Creationism. That all men are created equal. Besides the inherent meaninglessness and/or absurdity of the statement, it is a most glaring and blatant violation of the Establishment clause of the Constitution to teach this in public schools. Not only do these works contain the message of Creationism, they promote a specific account of Creation by saying that all men were created Equal. I happen to believe that I was created sugar. And I know at least two people in my school who were created Splenda. My mom was created honey for sure, and Derek Jeter evolved. So what's with created equal, dudes?

Tags Label Topics 3X Fast

Oh my Gpod! What's a Gpod? This was so awesome. I had some of the world's best falafel with amazing ice cream and fantastic company. And then I solved a Tower of Hanoi puzzle in my head. Only level 1, but still cool. Science is cool. People are as interesting as ever. And yes.

Wednesday, July 04, 2007

When You Get Tagged

See here. Now that's cleared up:

1. I love to travel. Also hate to travel, but there is something magnetic that pulls me on.

2. If all men were created equal, life would be damn boring; don't you think?

3. When I do laundry here, I need to do three wash loads to fill the dryer once.

4. I have a crush on Doron.

5. Sandals, not sneakers or shoes.

6. My limit is two and a half liters of beer. (or equivalent?)

7. I read the Star-Spangled Banner on July 4th and found it wanting.

8. I think Doodle is the shizz. (That's a good thing.)

9. Are you saying I can't count?

10. Ice cream is seasonal, but not how you are thinking it. . .

If you are one of the first eight people to read this and haven't yet been IT, I hereby initiate the process whereby you will find yourself in a position of being yourself tagged.

Someone in Tiajuana Love Me Long Time

Seen on a t-shirt. On the topic:

I'm Not Here For Your Entertainment

Why won't Google fucking integrate its websites? Why is it that I can't just click a button from Gmail or GoogleDocs to get iGoogle? Not create a damn pop up window. Not make me type the URL in my address bar. Just transfer me to my homepage. Simple.

I like eat beer for tomatoes. This is a thing.

Hiyeh I'm a Borat. I comeh from a Kazahkstan. I like your titties, yes. Is ok I love your titties? Theya so eh much big eh moneys. We make a sexy fun time, yes?

Too shy to tell you I love you. Know that I do.

That One's Gotta Be Worth a Wank

The site is in Russian today; I guess the last one to use the computer changed the language settings. Beach party for Independence Day. Bar with friends on cheap beer night. Hot boys of MyTown. Crashing by random people. Science on the tongue. A Song for Old Clatterbones. Jewy bitch. What is on your mind? What was? Aww, how sweet! Dumb TV to watch when you are drunk and tired but don't want to go to sleep yet. Stumbling across the street for a water and ice cream, bonus getting to meet some hot boy hanging out at the shop late at night. Not making sense. One of the bonuses of being. Making friends with a girl for the first time this late in life. Step in the [fill in the blank] direction. Getting up early for work when I haven't gotten much sleep at night. Have you ever gone to Jew Camp? Was that a Jewy school? Did you go to Ramaz? Locker room frenzy. Sleazy people. Friendliness. Bliss. God. Heaven. Shit. Random. Up. Power. International. Pride. Love. Death. Words. Flow. Cytometry. Biochemistry. Structural biology. Cell biology. Change. Cartoons. Real live cartoons.

Tuesday, July 03, 2007

A Quarter of Facebook Users Are Gay

In a recent survey of 200 people conducted by Facebook polling, 25% of male respondents reported having had a crush on another male.

Monday, July 02, 2007

L'hiyot Am Chofshi B'artzenu

hatikvah. still relevant.

btw, is there anything more beautiful (and sometimes heartbreaking) than Israeli youth?

Rough Times for Mr. President

Katzav is being dragged through the mud.
Broken Link of the day.

Sunday, July 01, 2007

To Stop Discrimination

School administrators and bureaucrats are so heavily invested in the idea of diversity that they will try an amazing array of policies to get around the ban of the use of race. John Yoo, UCal Berkeley (NYT)

The new US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, in a string of recent decisions, has been steadily eroding American freedoms and expanding the power of federal government. Not surprising, considering he is a Bush appointee.

Notwithstanding, his latest decision was a win for racial equality. In a 5-4 decision, the Court has ruled that schools may not use race as an admissions criteria for public high schools and elementary schools. School disctricts in Seattle and Jefferson County had labeled students "white" "black" or "non-white" and used these values to disadvantage white students in school assignments. In the opinion of the Court, Roberts wrote, "The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race."

Sunday, June 24, 2007

A Dream Deferred

What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore--
And then run?

Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over--
like a syrupy sweet?

Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?

God Bless America

I just got my grades back for this term and was VERY pleasantly surprised.

Pun Intended?

וירוס איידס מהווה את אחד האיומים הרציניים על המין האנושי

What Happened Over the CHAMSHUSH

Going to the sauna with Adonis himself. Salsa dancing. Eilat. Beaches and shops and coral reefs. Seret: Hasodot. Working. Tired. Seinfeld. Smile. Mood swings. Satisfied. Sleeping on the bus.

If my honesty don't kill me, it sure as hell gon' kill everyone around me.

"So, what did you think of Eilat?"
:shrug: :shrug: "Well, it has you."

"So you might get bored of me in a week?"
"Possibly."
"Then put your pants back on."
"Okay." :slip my underwear on: "Now what are you doing? Oh. Ooh. Mmm. You just told me to get dressed. Ahh. I think I'll take it back off then."

"Come on, do something for me. You think sex works one way?"
"Basically, yah. What I'm in the mood for."

Monday, June 18, 2007

Israel Now: Deja Vu?

Katyushas are falling again in the North. There haven't been any casualties yet, but they did cause some property damage in and around Kiryat Shmona. The IDF is preparing to respond.

Jerusalem smells like burning garbage now.

Sunday, June 17, 2007

The Du"ch from Yerusalem: Milchama Ba'ir!

So Shabbat was a party, great people, great food, no pressure. Met an IDF officer who said we are likely in for another war very soon; maybe we'll do Syria this time. Met a family of recent olim and hung out with a bunch of college kids. Joined the war. They are playing haredim versus homo'im. I am on both sides and neither, so it's double the danger, double the fun. The yassams are beating people with sticks and the water cannons are back in action: parade season is here. Wow, there wasn't this much commotion in Tel Aviv and their parade was much more ritzini.

I got to climb to the top of an unfinished apartment building, run around the city like a parkour course, and watch the water cannons blast through fourth story windows and dump broken glass on sleeping babies. Doodle, I finally saw your tapuach signs. This country is awesome.

I got to be mekayem the pasuk of "ki mitziyon tetzei torah" for real when I was asked a halakhic question at work and asked a rabbi in yerusalem on shabbat and returned to home with the answer.

Learned to play poker.

The news spent most of its time on Retzuat Aza, every so often they'd say "Surya", and twice an hour they'd cut to Jerusalem and the haredi riots. Just the riots, mind you, never the violent police response. Israeli news is so simple. The female news anchor is gorgeous, but a poor reporter. Then again, I guess that's all you need. Out.

Thursday, June 14, 2007

Happy Hour With a Purpose

What a brilliant concept: Thursday after work is happy hour. In the lobby. Free beer and refreshments celebrate a week well done. Scientists from the various labs in the building gather and discuss their work, fostering a spirit of friendship, happiness, familiarity, and loyalty, and providing a framework for interdisciplinary collaboration in a casual setting.

Gmail Address Book

This is me being angry at Gmail for its poor handling of contacts. Normally, you write a message, click contacts, and your adress book pops up so you can click on whoever you want to send your email to. But not in gmail. In order to use your adress book to address a mesage, you must first go to the address book and then type your message. Has anyone else noticed this oversight or am I the only fool who hasn't figured out how to do it yet?

Remember to import your gmail contacts to facebook.

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Oops, I Did It Again

stop codons on 288c ethidium bromide gel pcr reactions nil1p beach soccer does this sound like one of those random strings of words you get in your spam mail do you ever wonder why they do that beautiful weather incredible trees and grass and sun air conditioning cafeteria food that tastes good sabbath plans party bye

Monday, June 11, 2007

Tel Aviv Billabong

Tel Aviv Pride: So I get to Tel Aviv, and hail a sherut to kikar Rabin. The drivers are scared to go anywhere in the city center because the parade street closings have created crazy traffic. The parade had moved on by the time I arrived, so I hailed a taxi and asked him to drive to the mitz'ad. He pretended not to have heard of it! This is a taxi driver who suffered traffic all day. You couldn't be in Tel Aviv and not hear of it - 1/5 of the whole city was there. So I guess he was anti-gay and just refused to drive me there.

Finally caught up with them at choff gordon (Gordon Beach). Partied on the beach, then had fun watching people's reactions as we walked around the streets kissing. Friends, don't try this in Jerusalem.

Whatcha Mean'm We, Kemo Sabe

Gene splicing and regulatory pathways anyone? What fun! Putting things in test tubes and taking them out again. Measuring them, mixing them, reading about them...

Beautiful campus, great people, learning a lot, shocking everyone with my unorthodox background - I am a lone psych major in a hard science universe - affirmation of life.

Saturday, June 09, 2007

Last Month GQ Said Gays Make Great Bosses

My award-winning fashion sense received an honorable mention in Shopstyle.com's Set The Trend 2007 virtual fashion contest. Take that, Details! (Details magazine just ran an article questioning the notion that has taken hold of gay men as style-savvy. Of course not all gay men are but it's still more common than by the common folks.)

Crossing the Atlantic

Mon: finish school
Tues: planned to pack, never got around to it, got a haircut at Cutler from James - real cutie
Wed: rushing to pack everything before i miss my flight while my mother is completely nervous and trying to help by not getting in the way but she really would like to be actively helping, flight
Thurs: arrive, meet the group, soccer, Ocean's 13 (before it even came out in US!)
Fri: meet the prof, tour the lab, tel aviv pride parade after-party at gordon beach, sabbath meal at prof's house.
Sat: synagogue, kidush, shiur for teens and young adults about premarital sex, lunch at a really nice guy who randomly invited me out of the goodness of his heart, frisbee on the lawn, nap, read up on molecular biology, met my roommate's really cute brother who stopped by our dorm, updated my blog

Wow, stuff actually happened this week.

Monday, June 04, 2007

Just Ask Yourself: What Would Ashton Kutcher Do?

It's official. Last final is in the past and my flight is days away. Now I just need some serious sleep. And I really must pack. And clean my room. Check out one of my all-time favorite poems, by William Cartwright on platonic love. I can't believe I took my finals going on about 2 hours of sleep in the last 48 hours. I hope my essays didn't come out sounding as hopeless as my last blog post. Oh, don't be silly Ted: you aced 'em! Fasshiz

I Don't Need to be Doing This Now

Sorry I haven't been updating much lately; I'm behind filter software at home and school. Finishing up the last of my finals and set to begin a summer job next week. It's raining. Pretty rain. Quiet as only a rainy morning can be. I read Kurt Vonnegut's A Man Without a Country. A long rant about everything on his mind. Today's politics, the past, the future. My mother just woke up and was shocked to see me up this early. Not in a good way. She's worried as usual. She said she feels like I am ripping out her heart. I feel bad, but helpless. It was just a bout of insomnia. Likely brought on by staying up all night last night. And sleeping a good part of the day. My life is so sorry. So I go clubbing at night till late and wake up late. It's so nice to be on vacation (or is the word 'unemployed'?) and yet so lonely. And it isn't even really vacation yet. Classes are over but we still have finals coming up. My summer job starts next week. My mother is so worried how I'll be able to get up in time for work considering I've been waking up after 10:00am pretty consistently and I'll have to improve on that by several hours. She offered to call the shrink and see if more meds might help. Who knows. If I seem discombobulated and out of character in this post, it's because I am. The Aussie's friends are in DC for the day and he asked me to drop by. And Long Branch and Manhattan and the Bronx. George on Seinfeld - his parents lived in Queens. And I'm flying. You don't believe me. In an airplane, I meant. Very soon. To another country. I've been up all night. Am I not making sense? Ever heard of Jonah? Someone just told me they don't believe the Jonah story because whales have filters in their throats that would not admit a human being. I figure there could be a whale with a holy filter. Anyway there is also a cult for Jews Offering New Alternatives to Homosexuality. Some people might take offense at the cult labeling and perhaps rightfully so. These people sound sincere and there is truth and encouragement in a lot of what they have to say. But there is that feeling, you know?

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Public Bathrooms

So I'm in this restroom at this store with mirrored floors, and I notice that you can look at the guy in the stall next door in the mirrored floor. Weird.

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Everybody Likes a Festschrift

Writing from the Apple store in Manhattan 5th Ave and 59th St. Great place. Free inernet. Exciting atmosphere.

Feel free to check out the looks I put together at Shopstyle.com (http://www.shopstyle.com/page/BrowseStylebooks?searchString=teddydouglas). Cool site.

Congratulations to all the recent and upcoming graduates!

Monday, May 21, 2007

NY Driving Tips

Most of us are familiar with the traffic light. The color of the light signals when we may drive (green light, go) and when we must stop (red light, stop). But what many tourists quickly learn is that in New York, the traffic light is an audio-visual experience. Relative quiet together with a red light means stop, and noisy honking signals an upcoming green and warns you to prepare to hit the gas.

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Where Are All the People?

We did another experiment in lab. It was awful. You stare at the screen and watch little dots appear and disappear. And the monitors have low refresh rates. Not everyone is affected by this, but anything under 75 hz or so bothers me; it looks like the whole screen is flickering.

It's finals season. Classes are winding down it is time to severely hit the books. Incidentally, the weather has been gorgeous and I'd rather be outdoors. I bought a necklace at Guess in the mall, then looked up the piece online when I got home and found it was missing one of the charms. I ordered a new one from Amazon and plan to go back and return the broken one. When I paid in the store, they were training a new rep so it took her forever to ring up the sale. Then she tried to wrap it up and just ended up with a ball of wrapping paper. The saleswoman asked if it was a gift and I almost felt guilty saying no.

Spoke to my mother about my plans for next year. I still don't have any. Work or learn or both, I don't know and it scares me to think about it. One thing I probably will be doing is applying to schools. Actually, just applying. In general. If anyone asks what I am doing next year, I'm applying.

"Applying to what?"

"Doesn't matter; I'm applying."

Either for jobs or for schools or simply applying myself to whatever I'm doing. Like now, I'm applying myself to blabbering.

I finally finished reading Memoirs of a Geisha. Good book; made me think a little. I love Amazon.com. I preordered Harry Potter 7. Don't know if I plan to read it, but I'm sure someone in my family will want to. The book is already a bestseller and it won't be out for over 2 months.

I read a curious little article in the New York Times recently from a book reviewer about the pleasures of reading bad books, so I thought I'd give it a try reading books even if they haven't withstood the test of time and emerged as classics. Makes sense: how will you learn to evaluate books if you only read a certain kind? You won't be able to make the necessary contrasts if you don't have what to contrast with. I haven't yet chosen my first bad book to read. Suggestions welcome. Bad books that are worth it, anyone?

Friday, May 11, 2007

Uncomfortable to Talk About It

I had a lot of fun with the go-go boys at a club in the city the other night. I was so shy, it's funny. Some guy who was talking to me handed me a dollar bill and said to go stick it in the boy's underwear. It was so awkward at first, but fun. You get to feel up the boys and watch them dance on the bar in front of your face. Several people offered to take me home but I declined. I didn't kiss anyone or have sex or anything. Just dancing and touching, so I think that's safe. I don't feel good about it, but then, I don't feel good about much in general so I don't know.

I was very shy, just like standing around, walking around, and people came over to me and said I looked cute and stuff, but I wasn't really interested in most of them. And when I saw someone who was hot, my heart stopped and all I could do was stare and I didn't have the courage to go flirt with him. So I was left in a pretty messed up situation.

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Computers are the Enemy

I couldn't comment directly because of the spam robot test letters which I couldn't see, so I'll put it in a trackback:

Wow, there really is a place where all the boys look like abercrombie models? Aw well, you'll have fun in Brooklyn. It is too bad he'll be Kenny not Cody or Bryce.

pic from Eyecatcher

A Response to Drazen

Has the Court Been Practicing Medicine?

In a recent editorial in the New England Journal of Medicine, Dr. Drazen chastises the Supreme Court for meddling in affairs which he believes should be discussed and decided by "informed and knowledgeable people who are acting in the best interests of a specific patient" and not by blanket rules created by government and regulated by the courts.

Dr. Drazen points out the "disastrous consequences of congressional interference in the case of Terry Schiavo" (namely, that Schiavo's death may have been delayed) and bemoans the Supreme Court's decision in Gonzalez v. Carhart as an unfortunate foray by the courts into the realm of medical practice.

A careful examination of the Court's decision, however, reveals that it did take into account the physician's discretion and the best interests of the individual patient. The Court merely upheld a congressional ruling that once the head or at least half the body of a baby has been delivered, it too is a patient whose best interests the physician must also have in mind. The Court is not telling doctors how to practice medicine; it is performing its duty as set forth in the Constitution, to interpret the law and promote the general welfare.

While it would be unfortunate if this decision became a precedent for more intrusive invasions of government into medical practice, this decision seems confined to a very specific interest in preserving the life of our country's newest citizens. Doctors' practice of medicine remains, as of this ruling, outside the scope of judicial interference.

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

Dangers of Alcohol

Alcohol Warning Video

Today I woke up late as usual. No I wasn't drinking, it would interact with the antidepressants. Just stayed up late reading. Yesterday, when I went to the gym there was a swim meet at the pool which ended just as I finished my workout so the locker room was filled with boys in speedos and less. Hot.

I confronted my professor about an ethics violation in one of his experiments. He shrugged it off. I'm thinking of reporting it, but don't want trouble.

Monday, May 07, 2007

Jakey

Poor Jakey, he's had a rough time. I wish I could make it all better. Good luck with your move!

Pink

Oh yeah, and pink is in. I've been getting this feeling more and more the past few days as I walked the streets of Manhattan. Everybody's doing it. A guy used to have to "pull off" pink. Now, it isn't even fashion, it has almost become the norm. You almost have to have a reason not to wear it. Today, the NYT wrote about it.

Sunday, May 06, 2007

I Missed Charlie Bartlett at Tribeca

So I went to a lag ba'omer bonfire last night, but I quickly forgot about the fire as I became deeply engrossed in conversation with a really cute guy I met there. I am usually too shy to go over and introduce myself to someone I am interested in, so it was a real Rashbi miracle that he came over to me. I was in heaven.

After they put out the fire, the little kids, full of energy at half past midnight, began playing with the charred wood and lighter fluid. They had a blast lighting little fires and beating each other with brooms. Does Fisher-Price know how much fun kids can have with this stuff?

Today, I made up a menu for the week's dinners. My little bro complained about some of the more exotic dishes, but tonight went over pretty well.

Friday, May 04, 2007

Lag Ba'omer Sameach

It is Shabbat Across America weekend, beginning tonight. Contact your local synagogue (call before sundown or just walk in) to find out how you can participate. Saturday night is Lag Ba'omer, traditionally celebrated by songs, bonfires, bow and arrow competitions, visits to Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai's grave site in Meron, and young boys' first haircut.

Speaking of haircuts, I just got mine at Laicale. It came out pretty good, but I still have to see what it'll look like after a shower. The music there was odd, but the service was pleasant.

Do I Worry Too Much? Or Not Enough?

Am I too paranoid? Do I need recognition from others to bolster my lacking self-esteem?

Areas to increase my proficiency for my Resume:

Get more specialized computer education.
Research experience in basic sciences. (Check: upcoming summer job.)
Publish. (Ideas: letter to editor, submit articles to mags, small newspapers, etc.)Trouble is, we don't have local newspapers of value in New York; all people read are the giants New York Times, etc.
Study for GRE, LSAT

Thursday, May 03, 2007

Diagnosing Yourself and Others

So now, I got a new diagnosis. I am so excited by all these wonderful disorders I have! It's cool. If you haven't tried it yet, you should try to have a disorder sometime. Personality disorders are pretty easy, so I recommend you try one of those if you are just starting out.

Car Accidents as a Way of Life

I was just leaving my psychologist's office. I started pulling out of a parking space, when a large white van bumped into my car. The other driver and I got out and surveyed the damage, which b"h wasn't too great. He immediately claimed my blinkers were off, so he didn't know I was pulling out. I said they were on, and anyway, he should have been watching the road. My car isn't so small that he wouldn't have seen it without blinkers. And, anyway, I am pretty sure my blinkers were on.

So he hit me. I should have seen him coming, but someone must have tilted my mirror while I was out so I didn't realize but I was partly blinded so I didn't see him coming.

And so, there are two sides to every story. But moreover, there are two sides because it is a story. What really happened? Who is at fault? Do we need fault and blame?

It is funny. As soon as he began saying to witnesses that my blinkers were off, I knew it almost didn't pay to argue. He had implanted the memory within their minds because they didn't notice blinkers one way or the other, they were busy minding their own business. Whatever. Doesn't matter. The damage was minimal. But this happens every day on a larger scale with more at stake and it kills people and destroys the world that tragedy and fighting always continue on and on.

It would make a great story because you could say I am on antidepressants and feeling reckless and suicidal and was in a heightened emotional state and am disturbed because I was at the shrink. Be great reality TV. Or one of those "high profile" cases. "Gay Icon Teddy Douglas Blindsided by Unidentified Motorist"

Sunday, April 29, 2007

Trouble in Paradise

Tensions are rising in the Israeli suburban town of Ramat Beit Shemesh between English-speaking immigrants and haredi Israelis.

"A group of teenagers were on their way home from an Independence Day celebration last week in the largely Anglo enclave of Ramat Beit Shemesh when they were pelted with eggs and tomatoes." (cross-currents, haaretz)

Very distressing to hear. Very painful.

What if Israel Relaxed the Draft?

I have to agree with a fabulous point the Real Adiel made about the secular Israeli government's approach to Haredim. Israel has a draft. Every 18 year old male citizen must serve in the army. However, the ultra-religious refuse to serve because of religious concerns and use "dchuyot" and "peturim" (deferment and exemptions) lehitchamek (to escape) their service. This is a sore point among secular Israelis who accuse the religious of disloyalty.

The Real Adiel points out that if the government would stop insisting on drafting the religious, they could integrate them in other ways to become a healthy constructive part of society. The current situation hurts everyone. The religious won't serve in the army anyway, but the current means of escaping army service often preclude their ability to get an education and a job. If the government would allow for unpunished conscientious objection, the country would benefit from the talents of the religious, albeit not in the military.

Would Israel really suffer if it relaxed the draft? Most Israelis I've spoken to made their own decision about army service. They all got drafted. Some chose to serve, while others used various means to dodge the call. Many feel it is a duty, honor, and privilege to serve and protect their country. Others feel that joining the IDF threatens their religious identity and morals. Conscription is not such a great factor. It may be time for Israel to experiment with relaxing the draft. This can also have a huge positive impact on immigration, because many are afraid to make aliyah knowing they will have to send their kids to the army.

Friday, April 27, 2007

Applause for Governor Spitzer

A response to Spitzer Pushes For Shameful Bill.

Since when was a doctrine of tolerance "shameful" to Jews? Have we forgotten the centuries of oppression we suffered because others could not accept our religious way of life? Should we now be in the business of depriving others of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness just because the winds of power have shifted?

If, as religious Jews, we are not permitted to engage in an act or way of life, that doesn't mean we ought to impose our values on our neighbors. As Jews, we must continue to champion the ideals of freedom if we hope for our religious rights and freedoms to endure. Let us stop judging others and dictating the "right" way to live, lest power shift again and leave us the ultimate losers.

Thursday, April 26, 2007

Blog Whore

Your blog is your personal space, where you can write what you want. You can set up the page how you want it to look, you are free. You decide.

But then you want to generate traffic. Or, more specifically, you want people to read what you have to say. You want to receive feedback and share ideas. You want to connect with people.

So you begin to add elements to your page that are designed to attract a wider audience. These may not be what you want on your page, but you need them in order to draw a crowd.

Suddenly, your blog is not your own space. You share it with so many others. You have lost control. Yet you have a readership. You are getting hits. You made a trade off: less control for more attention.

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

The Hidden Costs of DVD

Remember the good old days when you popped a VHS into your TV and fast-forwarded to the beginning of the movie? Now you have to wait for the DVD to go at its own leisurely pace until you get to watch your movie which you paid $15.00 for.

It was supposed to be that TV was ad supported and free, but movies you pay for the privilege of watching ad-free. Now we pay and get bombarded with ads. The movie companies don't like us, do they?

I started watching Memoirs of a Geisha after I read the book, and it was so bad I had to stop. It is so melodramatic and unrealistic. The book was very touching and real. It was about a young girl and her life. It was about beauty and oppression and strength. The movie just rips all of that away and leaves you with random camera angles, poor lighting, and bad directing. (Disclaimer: I didn't see the whole thing. It was so bad, I couldn't watch it. There is that odd chance it gets better later.)

Disturbia was decent. Not worth all the hype its got, but ok. The first scene had me saying, "No, no, bad idea. I was thinking scary but not sad and sick." But it turned out ok.

There is a tendency in some movies to take a good looking actor and mangle his face in the first scene (think Lucky Number Sleven), but they let Shia LeBeouf keep his cute looks after the crash, so it was alright. There was one scene, when he looks into the car at his father, where he looks just like a young George Bush. Anyone notice that?

Monday, April 23, 2007

Emmanuel Fires Teacher for No Good Reason

Unacceptable behavior by Emmanuel College as teacher Mr. Winset is fired for discussing Va. Tech shootings with his class (story). This extremist behavior is to the detriment of us all. Like the little kid who covers his eyes and thinks you don't exist. If we ignore him, maybe he'll just go away. My own school said it is reviewing its security policy in light of the shootings. I felt a depth of loss that they would respond so unthinkingly with knee-jerk platitudes and a lack of real open intellectual debate. My school often embarrasses me that way. America needs to face the real issues. It's not campus security. It's not limiting people's rights because they write dark stories (more about that later). Agav, Joyce, Marquez, Poe, and Hitchcock would all have been to the slammer. We would be an empty, Fascist regime.

First, the incidence of such violence is low. This was the biggest mass killing in America since 9/11. By comparison, Iraq saw 3 mass killings bigger in the last three weeks alone. Second, there are some freaks in every society. As long as we take social steps to discourage a mindset where this behavior seems appropriate, we are ok. We do not need to lock people up. Just need to build a peaceful society. As for the freaks who will always want to kill, we need to make sure they don't have access to the weapons.

Give Him a Call

Got something on your mind? Got nothing on your mind? Call Ryan.



I'd love to do this myself, but I just can't right now. If I got a second cell phone for these calls, I would. Keep up the good work! (I hope it is good work. You can never *really* know, but it seems like good work.)

Abortion Ban Upheld by Court

Disclaimer: Abortion is a necessary and proper tool in many cases, and there are a variety of procedures used to accomplish one. The following deals with a specific class of procedure called D&E that is often used in second trimester abortions. Please don't let the details of this procedure bias you against all abortion in general.

The Unites States Supreme Court delivered a decision last week in Gonzalez v. Carhart upholding the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003. Clinton had vetoed similar bills twice during his presidency, and Bush finally signed it into law on November 5, 2003 (you can just imagine his silly proud smile as he signed the thing).
The doctor, often guided by ultrasound, inserts grasping forceps through the woman’s cervix and into the uterus to grab the fetus. The doctor grips a fetal part with the forceps and pulls it back through the cervix and vagina, continuing to pull even after meeting resistance from the cervix. The friction causes the fetus to tear apart. For example, a leg might be ripped off the fetus as it is pulled through the cervix and out of the woman. The process of evacuating the fetus piece by piece continues until it has been completely removed. A doctor may make 10 to 15 passes with the forceps to evacuate the fetus in its entirety, though sometimes removal is completed with fewer passes. Once the fetus has been evacuated, the placenta and any remaining fetal material are suctioned or scraped out of the uterus. The doctor examines the different parts to ensure the entire fetal body has been removed.
Surprise! This procedure is not the one on which the Court allowed a ban. No, this is okay. The banned procedure is similar, except instead of ripping the baby apart as they take it out, they coax it out gently and then crush the skull. This is illegal if the baby is first partially delivered until "in the case of a head-first presentation, the entire fetal head is outside the body of the mother, or, in the case of breech presentation, any part of the fetal trunk past the navel is outside the body of the mother".

If I sound like I'm anti-abortion, describing the details of the procedure and all, I'm not. I'm just pro-life. Just kidding. I'm pro-abortion. No, wait, then I'd have to say I'm pro-choice, right? Talk about abortion and you suddenly get all these stupid euphemisms. Know what the pro-abortion organization that brought one of the suits in the Supreme Court was called? Planned Parenthood Federation of America. How is anyone supposed to know what they stand for? You might get a fund raising letter from them and donate thinking, "Yah, I'm on the pill and my bf uses rubbers, so yah, I support planned parenthood," and then they'll go and rip apart a little newborn baby. Planned Parenthood, indeed.

For the record, I don't have a strong opinion yet on the issue. I just find it fascinating the way different people approach the topic, with cool intellect or with all their raging emotions flying off the handle when it doesn't even concern them. If the issue comes before me for a psak, I'll render one.

Interestingly, when I first read the description of the half-born fetus flailing its little arms and the doctor sticking his scissors into its skull and spreading them and then sucking the baby's brains out with a suction tube, I thought it seemed wrong. How can we end that precious little life (my personal hesitations on the value of life aside)? But then I remembered that a life isn't just a cute little baby. That baby will grow up. An unwanted child. Cared for by a mother who doesn't believe herself capable of raising the child. Often, the unaborted fetus will grow into a criminal, making life more difficult for not only its mother and father, but also other innocent victims. The innocent baby is liable to become a monster. Does that make it right? I don't know. It's just a thought.

Saturday, April 21, 2007

Therapy Mashup

What you do isn't who you are.

Then what are you?

If you can't derive happiness from your job, that doesn't mean you can't be happy.

Depression stems from loss. Loss can be loss of something you had, such as a loved one. It can also be something you never had, but feel incomplete without. That is also loss.

What is the earliest memory you have?

I remember being in kindergarten. Not a specific event, but the scene. An idea of what the room looked like, the teacher talking, something happening like kids playing with blocks or whatever.

What diagnosis would you give yourself? How would you treat yourself if you were the shrink? Can it be that when you say you feel selfish and don't put yourself out to help others, that is merely a manifestation of insecurity?

Well, great going, Chuck.

Inconsistency in American "Establishment"

Why is the phrase "In God We Trust" a fixture in the Courts but illegal in the schools?

Thursday, April 19, 2007

Link Bombs

I know this is old news, but I just tried it myself and it is pretty cool. If you search for "miserable failure" on Yahoo and many other search engines (not Google anymore, they changed it), President George Bush's official page at the White House will pop up as the number one result. There are other link bombs, too. How it works: Search engines use links to sites as one of the ways they determine a site's content. If lots of people call their link to Bush "miserable failure" search engines think that the Bush site talks about "miserable failure" (which, in the opinions of many, it does).

Random Stuff that Caught my Attention

Andrew Christian has an interesting line of underwear and swimwear. It is like the gayest company around. Check out Kyal Marsh, star of TV show Neighbors. I feel so sick right now. Maybe kissing people with colds isn't such a good idea. Started rereading 1984. Every so often, I'll go and pull out one of my old books, you know, make sure it still says what I remember it as saying. Anyway, it's a great read, and more relevant than ever.

Whoops, that's Neighbours with a u. It's not an American show.

UPDATE: Here is the link everyone's looking for; it is surprisingly simple kyalmarsh.com (pics, vids, whateva)

Thursday, April 12, 2007

Should You Start a Business?

Here's another personality quiz thing. This one from WSJ, who I thought would have more self respect. Here's how I did.

Achievement: 66
Affiliation: 49
Power: 42

Your score: You're motivated primarily by achievement. Most entrepreneurial people are driven by the need to achieve.

From StartupJournal, a service of The Wall Street Journal.

Whatever

Wayne Hodgins, interesting
New choices in search Grokker, KartOO

Think I'm not patriotic? I have my ringer set to the Star Spangled Banner. I hear the anthem more than you do.

Ever sat and watched the rain?

Ever sat and watched the rain?

These days, who watches anything that doesn't have a fast forward button?

I figure I'll get the Joost thing out of the way once we are on the topic. They bring TV to your PC. Great, isn't it? Yah, if they did it 10 years ago. Thing is, today we already have something much better than TV. TV subjected you, me, the viewer, to the whims of some dude in Hollywood. We would have to sit idly and watch whatever they stick in front of us. Now, we have TiVo. We have YouTube. We don't have to put up with your content and your schedules. We are free!

Media executives are worried they are losing market share to websites like YouTube and Google Video, so they plan to offer us the encrypted and pirate-proof fully-censored and ad-supported service, Joost (from the makers of Kazaa and Skype, if you're wondering about the name). It works like TV; just plug it in and turn it on. Old-fashioned simplicity in an increasingly complex world. I'll reserve judgment. The test of any 21st venture must be: are they trying to provide a service or a hindrance?

P.S. Brothers can be extremely annoying.

Friday, April 06, 2007

The Legal Limits of Looking

The Kuna High School girls basketball team is in town for a game at Bishop, and the Bishop Kelly High School boys are ready. A group of teenage boys excitedly cluster around an office window with a propitiously discrete view of the girls locker room. Or so they thought. Shortly after the girls begin changing into their uniforms, some of them notice the blinds on the window glancing open. They quickly dress and call their coach. Parents of the girls immediately call the police, who promptly arrest the boys, confiscate and search 13 cell phones, and begin a detailed investigation. The boys face up to five years on misdemeanor or felony charges of Voyeurism.

Voyeurism is a relatively recent addition to the growing list of "Don'ts" here in America. Criminal voyeurism includes any "use of mechanical or digital equipment to watch or record people in any place where they can reasonably expect privacy, which includes any place in which they are expected to be in a state of nudity." Many States have added new voyeurism laws in recent years, and the Sexual Offences Act 2003 imposes Federal sanctions.

What began as a simple harmless act that most of our parents engaged in as teenagers almost landed the BK boys in jail. Luckily, no incriminating pictures were found on any of their cell phones and police had to let them go. The school is still considering whether punitive measures are in order, but the larger issue is whether society really needs to be so highly regulated.

Most Americans buy into the myth of Law and Order because we have been spoon-fed this line since childhood. However, as John Hasnas points out in, "The Myth of the Rule of Law," Order doesn't necessarily equate with Law. There can be Law without Order and Order without Law.

But at a more elementary level, what harm has really been done here? If the boys went and raped the girls there would be a serious problem. But all they did was look. According to Boise Police, the girls were not naked at the time of the incident. Is this a free country? Come on, boys will be boys. And besides, it doesn't hurt to be looked at. Where is the harm? Stop being such a baby. If I was a 14-year-old basketball player and my mother called the police on the kids from the school I was playing against because they looked at me in the locker room, I'd die of embarrassment!

A side point - there were a group of girls dressing together in the locker room. They complain that boys peeked in , yet they all were free to look at each other. Why is this not sex-based discrimination?

with information from
Patrick Orr, The Idaho Statesman, Boise

A 19 year old lifeguard was also charged with photographing a woman at the swimming pool where he worked.

Thursday, April 05, 2007

Short on Time, Quick Update

Happy Passover! It's been a real challenge spending the past few days at home with my whole family, but rewarding as well. Family is one of those things that are worth putting up with.

Loads of wine and matzah were consumed by all.

Now I need a research topic relating to trial consultancy. I'm thinking of comparing rulings in elected-judge jurisdictions with those in appointed-judge jurisdictions against public opinion in the district. Are judges affected by politics?

Thursday, March 29, 2007

New Links and Tips

Other hot sites. Loved this pic from Daily Young Guys. Everybody's naked in 5 Minutes.

We interrupt this message to bring you late-breaking news of alcohol free vacations. I wish I could enjoy myself more sober, but I dance better drunk. Really do. Not totally shiker, but a few beers to loosen up. However, there are many fu things you can do without drinking. Check out Straight Edge, a growing group of dry hipsters. Also, I love visiting museums and stuff which don't require intoxication (in truth, they actively discourage it). If you do hit the clubs, find one with an "anyone can enter, 21 to drink" policy and leave your ID at home. Okay, maybe not such a good idea.

Random site: Shoutwire

Up and Running

Perseverance pays off. See, we got that dropdown menu up and running after all. Please check out our partners in the menu to your right (right under the links column on the sidebar). Many thanks to a magnificent help site, DevelopingWebs.net for making this a possibility. Their site may not look so pretty, but it's a powerhouse of helpful information.

Another interesting idea about what to blog about I found here. And Wyndham surely knows what to blog about at Mad About the Boy! Check out some great examples here and here.

While we're on the subject (what subject was that? You're confusing me.) I want to thank KC for maintaining a great site Closet Conundrums that unfortunately, I can't view too often because of anti-freedom software that is becoming increasingly popular and parading around under names like "SafeKids", "Safe Eyes", or "CyberPatrol", like they are doing a good thing. Filtering tools I believe they call it.

Anyway, check out our partners. L8terz.

You Win Some, You Lose Some





Web Site Optimization

I totally lost what I had written here. It was probably a cool blog entry, but I hit the back button by accident and it was gone. Something about oh, it's no use...

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Up Next: Passover

A dvar torah?! From this sewer mouth? Any Jewish readers that I haven't managed to isolate yet? I learn in yeshiva, spend Shabbos in yeshiva, clean for Pesach, wear tefillin (though I do unfortunately miss when I get very busy or am running late in the morning), daven, sometimes with minyan. You're laughing. My point is, when you ask, "Will the real Slim Shady please stand up?" You never know who might stand up - every single person is a Slim Shady lurkin, haha, Guess there's a Slim Shady in all of us. Fvck it, let's all stand up. (Em)

But no, you say. My [son, daughter, sister, brother, father, mother, friend] isn't like that. By us frum yidden everyone is an angel. Things are different in our community (how do you draw that emoticon for :snort: ?). We aren't like those filthy goyim. Please! Can't we treat all people like people?

The Haggada has a hava amina, yachol meirosh chodesh. Why? We ask the 4 questions about food. Why? We blunt the teeth of the wicked son. Why? We tell the wise son about the law of not eating after the afikoman. Why?

Why did the five scholars remain up until their disciples reminded them to pray the morning shema? Did the disciples not want to remain awake discussing the tales of the Exodus with their masters? What is the meaning of kol hamarbeh lesaper sipur yetzias mitzrayim harey zeh meshubach?

Rosh Chodesh is proclaimed by the av beit hadin (or av beis din, just practicing my accents) and then everyone answers after him mekudash mekudash. Why?

All answer after him because rosh chodesh isn't something that is declared in heaven (shomayim). It is decreed by people, and each person must decree it for himself. Yachol meirosh chodesh, from the time of personal control over time, that we begin to feel the freedom of individual control and redemption from slavery.

The four questions pertain to what and how we eat on seder night because food gives each person a unique enjoyment. Al taam varei'ach ain lehitvakei'ach (lehisss'vakei'ach for the snakes and yeshivish people. Ow sorry that was wrong. I really like you, just like the 't' sound better in this phrase). This uniqueness in our sense of freedom is paramount to the night's special quality.

It doesn't say the action of marbeh lesaper is meshubach, but hamarbeh lesaper is himself a meshubach. The scholars' disciples would have loved to spend the night with their masters, but they didn't feel it. Only one who is on an exalted plane will be able to feel his personal yetzias mitzrayim.

The wicked son who generalizes all the stuff you do doesn't understand the significance of an individualized sense of freedom that each person can experience his way. So we blunt his teeth, the key to enjoyment of food. Anyone can get generic nutrition from a liquid diet, but the flavors and textures of food are released by the teeth. This quality the wicked son lacks.

The wise son, who appreciates the distinction between eidot, chukim, and mishpatim is reminded to savor the unique flavor of the afikoman and enjoy his personal sense of freedom from Egyptian bondage.

The message of seder night, isarusa dele'eyla, is without overly corrupting the Rabbi's message, that we should enjoy the special gifts Hashem has given to each of us and not look with envy at what our neighbor has. Appreciate that God took each and every one of us out of slavery in Egypt. It isn't just a yetzias mitzrayim for the klal, but a yetzias mitzrayim for the prat, for the yachid. I was a slave. He led me to freedom. He didn't just sign the Emancipation Proclamation, he signed my get shichrur. Nobody else can appreciate what I went through in captivity, so no one can truly share in my bliss upon release. But I thank you, God.

Spring Break is in the Air

With midterms behind us and warm weather back at last, a sense of revitalization sweeps the nation. Sun is shining, people are smiling, that spring scent in the air. Flowers popping up from the ground, not quite worth winter to experience its end, but magnificent nonetheless.

If a not-so-impressive 30-ish guy offers to buy you a drink and you have no intention of anything with him, is it taking advantage to accept the drink? I said no thanks, but he ordered anyway, so I drank. We talked for a while, and then he was ready to leave and I wasn't coming with him. He asked for a kiss goodnight, and I gave him a light peck because I saw he really wanted it and it didn't cost me anything. Then he said, sounding hurt, "If someone asks for a kiss a little tongue would be nice." I didn't want to laugh in his face, and I'm not known for controlling my laughter, but I held it in and kinda mumbled some sort of apology. I'm a nice guy.

Then went upstairs to the dance floor and found an interesting pair. One of them was really cute, so I went over and asked for a dance. The other one responded, but it was just as well. The cute one said he wasn't quite gay, but then he took off his clothes and got in bed and it didn't matter. I can't believe I didn't read his last name when he showed me his GI ID.

My mind has taken to pairing songs with guys. So one is from Greenday, "My fingertips have memories, I can't forget the curves of your body, so when I feel a bit naughty..." Another will be, "There's something 'bout your body. Something 'bout your body, baby..."

Eadem Mutato Resurgo

Service Our Servicemen

Suck a Soldier, Support the Troops

Try it, you'll like it. Many of our boys are quite fit. And so tasty, too!

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

What Is Your Political Iama?

You know what's funny? It's all the same people who want to end the war in Iraq and save the residents of Darfur. These people claim to be humanitarian and peace-loving, but leaving the huge mess we made in Iraq may permit as much bloodshed there as we've seen in Sudan.

Then again, maybe the civil war in Iraq has to happen, and will happen regardless of any intervention, before the new republic matures. I prefer to believe there are other ways.

There is a zeitgeist that sweeps people up and directs them as to what to believe. Why is politics divided in to Left and Right? There are more than two dimensions. Nobody talks about the political Up or Down. I guess those terms, like Forward and Backward have too much baggage. So come up with new ones. Point is, there should be more than 2 if it were about the issues. I's not. It's about the group. I am a - this. And I am a - that. You identify with your iama, and choose your positions to match.

Obscure Literary References (Don't Look)

Got my penis stuck in the vacuum cleaner the other day. I think it's like a rite of passage or something. I was vacuuming cobwebs around the dryer and all I had on was a robe, and it just seemed an interesting thing to try. It sucked me harder than anyone I've known, but not better - it's missing the tongue, the lips. I pissed into the thing to lube it up, and it slid right out. I hope I'm not being too graphic.

"In the case of a praying mantis, necrophilia may also take place as a form of reproduction. The larger female will often decapitate or otherwise kill her mate during copulation." ~Wikipedia

Anyone up for Snow Patrol at the Garden?

Sunday, March 18, 2007

Not Much Going On

I've been so frustrated about not being able to watch Skins. First they took it off VEOH, then they took it off YouTube. And I can't get into P2P or DailyMotion because of restrictions on my computers.

Google's speedy growth has finally caught up with them. They don't have the bandwidth to serve all their customers (read: everyone in the world), and as a result many of their services have begun to run more slowly. I've experienced serious slowdowns in gmail and google video. And I'm beginning to expect more than we're getting from the search engine as well. Google is just no fun anymore.

Saturday, March 17, 2007

PDAs and other Ambiguous Abbrvs

Personal Digital Assistant?
Public Display of Affection?

How about APA:
American Psychological Association or
American Psychiatric Association

Or EPA:
Environmental Protection Agency or
Eastern Psychological Association

Sunday, March 11, 2007

Quotes on Innocence

Your verdict will be “Guilty” or “Not Guilty.” Your job is not to find innocence.
~Russell R Leggett

The innocent and the beautiful
Have no enemy but time;
~William Butler Yeats

Yes, Lord, you are innocence itself: how could you conceive of Nothingness, you who are plenitude? Your gaze is light and transforms all into light: how could you know the half-light in my heart?
~Jean-Paul Sartre

You may have known your neighbor yesterday for a thief, a drunkard, or a sensualist, and merely pitied or despised him, and despaired of the world; but the sun shines bright and warm this first spring morning, re-creating the world, and you ... feel the spring influence with the innocence of infancy, and all his faults are forgotten.
~Henry David Thoreau

Old Laws Die Hard

§ 18.2-361. Crimes against nature; penalty.

A. If any person carnally knows in any manner any brute animal, or carnally knows any male or female person by the anus or by or with the mouth, or voluntarily submits to such carnal knowledge, he or she shall be guilty of a Class 6 felony, except as provided in subsection B.

Although the Supreme Court has declared it unconstitutional, this archaic law remains on the books in Virginia.

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

Please Apply Six Months In Advance

Been looking for some summer work, finding it hard to break into the job market. Great school credentials, but little in the way of practical skills: Quark, Excel, SAS, Molecular Biology, etc. Got back my LSAT score. A bit disappointing, but maybe good enough for some of the schools on my list. Might have to take it again.

On a brighter note, I got accepted to a top science internship in a Molecular Genetics lab. They sent me a form-letter acceptance letter where they fill in the blanks: I am pleased to inform you that. . . Your host will be Professor so-and-so. . . You will receive a monthly subsistence allowance of ~ $US0 per month. . .

So I'll be raking in the dough if I take this offer. But it's a great opportunity to do some exciting work and pick up valuable experience.

So it's like Law, Journalism, Natural Science, or Social Science. Or something else. Do I seem confused? This is the short list.

Thats the update.

Thanks to Mad About The Boy for maintaining a wonderful blog and referencing mine here.

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

How You Doing

New York. Newww Yoooorrrk. I was on line at Rite Aid and there were three girls and a guy behind me. They had been shopping together for condoms and lube and a bit uneasy about it. From the conversation it was clear the boy was gay. And then one of the girls turns to me and says, "He thinks you're cute." It was pretty cool. I'm used to that at bars, but not just on the street.

They banned "the N-word" (nigger) in New York. Bro, whad my niggaz think a dat? I think ihs a gross vy-o-lation o' da first amendment. (story)

Monday, February 26, 2007

Fashion or Porn?

Dsquared
Photo: Marcio Madeira
Courtesy of men.style.com

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Skins

I love Skins! New TV show on Britain's e4 network. Not usually into the British stuff, but this is really good. And refreshing to be away from Idiot America stuff. Poor America doesn't realize how far it has its head stuck up its Oh, never mind. I was so annoyed when the episodes were removed from veoh. I had downloaded episode 1 and 2, and the next day when I returned for 3 and 4, they were gone. Luckily, they were still available on youtube, but split up into 10 minute segments. And undownloadable, so when they are removed I won't have them :-( Oh well.

I was happy with the network, but then I saw them get uptight on the compyright and all, and now they don't seem so hot. Bad PR, if you ask me. How can 50,000 extra viewers be bad for a TV network, right? And when I considered paying (1 pound and episode), I found that it could only be downloaded from e4 within th UK. How dumb is that?

Btw, it seems the Brits have issues with the program: It reflects their way of life, which isn't always pretty. I think it's the same thing that bothers me about watching US TV: Why watch it when I live it? Let me watch something different and learn about other cultures. Oh, and have some fun in the process.

Thursday, February 15, 2007

The Wrong Way to Reheat a Pizza

Wrap it in aluminum foil, stick it in the oven, and forget about it.

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Is This In Poor Taste?

Onions and Lemons

The Onion

Chrysler Halts Production Of Neckbelts

DETROIT-Paralysis and violent decapitations contributed to the recall of all automobiles containing neckbelts.


The Onion

Nation's Teens Disappointed By Banned Books

WASHINGTON, DC-Huckleberry Finn, Slaughterhouse Five, and The Catcher In The Rye are just a few of the many banned books to which U.S. teens are reacting with disappointment, the American Library Association reported Monday.


Not a worthwhile endeavor, but the Onion makes a nice diversion sometimes.

Friday, February 09, 2007

Hussein is Running for Prez in US

Did you know that Barack Obama's middle name is Hussein? (Now where did I see that?) I won't support him any less because he shares a name with Saddam. Will you? Winner and Loser were a pair of twins, Winner was convicted of a string of crimes and sent to jail, while his brother Loser is a successful lawyer. So what's in a name?

Anyway, five CW Post students are undergoing an investigation and punitive action for making a comic film about kidnapping a rubber duck. Apparently, local Muslims were insulted by the Middle Eastern accents used in the short. They want everyone to know that they don't kidnap rubber ducks. . . they've got more important things to do. . . I didn't say that!

If Barack Obama wins America in 2008 and Ehud Barack wins in Israel, imagine the fun the media will have playing up the Barack/Barack relationship.

GQ Should Do a Cover with Shawn Hornbeck

GQ vs. Esquire? No contest. Esquire is inconsistent, has no image, no niche and is just random and weird but not in a good way. GQ is much more relevant and fresh. I was thrilled by their Shameless Left-Wing Magazine AgendaTM message to Congress ("Dear Democrats") on the last page of the February issue:

1. Protect gay marriage
2. Environmental protection
3. Stop trash-talking the immigrants
4. Step up gun control
5. Legalize euthanasia
6. Respect separation of church and state
7. Iraq war reforms
8. Legalize marijuana

Granted, I don't agree 100% with this agenda, but it's the best I've heard anyone suggest to this Congress so far to help get our country back on track.

I was just listening to the radio and every five minutes the radio host (Richard Bey, fyi) wants to say something that he "can't say on the air". THERE IS NO FREEDOM IN THIS COUNTY ANYMORE. It died with 9/11 and the Bush administration. It took a few years of living abroad and then coming back to realize this because they have everyone here on subliminal mindf**k. Everyone is brainwashed with rhetoric, but bottom line is that we are awash with anachronistic restrictions.

Forgive me flying off the handle.

Anna Nicole Smith dead? I never heard of her before, and when I went to look now I saw she is uglier than Brittany.

Survey says most women would give up 15 months of sex for a new wardrobe. Hey, isn't the wardrobe to help you look attractive to the opposite sex? If you are abstaining anyway, why do you need the nice clothes? That's how a man sees it. I guess for gals it's different. Or the results are inaccurate.

"Some people say clothes make the man, but the right clothes can even replace him," fashion designer, stylist and TV personality Carson Kressley from the reality TV show "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" said in a statement accompanying the poll.

Did anyone else notice that Shawn Hornbeck is really cute? I know, it isn't PC to say that about a boy who spent most of his teen years as a captive to an alleged child molester, but I think it's an important point and this goes back to the Anna Nicole Smith story. America is paying attention to stories about good looking people.

There was a recent scientific study done about implicit effects of political party affiliation on aesthetic judgments of candidates' appearance. Similar pictures of Bush and Gore from the 2000 presidential campaign were shown to participants, who were asked to judge physical appearance of the pics. Sure enough, party affiliation predicted aesthetic judgments with impressive accuracy.

It is foolish to deny the effects appearances have on us. Let's own up and then we can deal with the effects and correct our decisions. I hate to harp on the poor Aken family, but they composed a message published on their website and signed by Shawn that just wasn't written by a 15 year old boy. Especially one who hasn't been to school since 5th grade. He seems like a smart kid, but this speech was written up by lawyers and to sign Shawn's name to it - whose interests does that serve? Why the deception. But it's a delicate case. And one I'll probably be paying especially close attention to because its implications for forensic psychology may make it a fantastic term paper topic.

Oh and about the Aken family, this was a juicy, if irrelevant, factoid that the Post picked up on: Shawn's father Hornbeck was convicted on sexual assault charges and did prison time during Shawn's early childhood. He was released on parole around 1997, but Mrs. Horbeck divorced him and Shawn never had a relationship with his father after that. Shawn's mother remarried to Aken in 1999, three years before Shawn's abduction. That should clear up the name confusion (Uhduh why are Mr. and Mrs. Aken dragging Shawn Horbeck around the country...)

My deepest sympathy, and I know this is not enough, to all who have been hurt in this disturbing (I refuse for the time being to call it tragic; we don't have enough details yet to know if it was that. Remember your Shakespearean tragedies where everyone dies in the end and then you know it was a tragedy? Well here everyone is alive and possibly well) episode. And especially to you, Shawn, you're the greatest. (At least, I think you are; I don't really know you.)

Wednesday, February 07, 2007

Case #1

You are a forensic psychologist asked by the court to assess the accused's current and prior mental state to determine his competency to stand trial as well as potential criminal responsibility.

You try to interview the suspect (alleged attempted murder of a police officer), but he refuses to talk. You explain the procedure, his rights, the potential for this interview to open the door to a possible insanity defense; you also explain the unconfidential nature of the assessment. He continues to refuse to talk, claiming he isn't feeling up to the interview and anyway is suffering retrograde amnesia so he doesn't remember any details from the incident.

Following the unsuccessful interview, you call the suspect's wife. At first, she hesitantly corroborates her husband's story. She says at the beginning of his recovery from the bullet wound to his head dealt him by the police officer during their altercation, he was very regressed and had difficulty with basic hygienic functions. Later in the interview, she leaked more information.

"Will my husband find out what I tell you?"
"I will have to include it in my report to the court. Are you scared about that?"
"He's killed people before. He made me promise to back up his story."

You must now go and file your report to the Judge. Analyze the actions of the court psychologist up to this point and recommend the next step.

Monday, February 05, 2007

Sands of Time Flow Always In the Hourglass

Postmaster: Please note change of address. I returned from the Holy City back to the economic capital of the world. Left the Land of Canaan, returned to the erstwhile superpower of the world. Alas my time abroad has come to a close. But there is always a chance that this time next year, or even sooner I'll be someplace even more exotic. And anyway, there is plenty exotic in New York City. Like Eliot Spitzer and Michael Bloomberg, Hillary Clinton and George E. Pataki. I hear there is a big art show here next week, and the MLB All-Star game.

The city truly doesn't sleep, doesn't stop. But it is so BIG. Maybe next time I'll try some little remote village. I stick too much to capitals and big influential cities. If I get that internship in London, at least it won't be influential. LOL. But I figure London is pretty big as well. And not all that clean. NY is pretty clean. For a city this size, for all its shortcomings give them credit. This city runs so well for a city so full of people. And people are like animals. And animals are like people. And I'm overtired.

Four score and seven years ago, our fathers
Four score and seven years ago, our fathers
Fourscoreandsevenyearsago. Our fathers
FourSCore and seven years aagoo, ouur fathers brought forth
Four score and seven years ago, our fathers

Four score andseven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a NEW nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that ALL men are created equal.

Speech class. I think I've just set the record, along with my compatriots, for hearing the greatest number of Gettysburg recitations in a row.

Sunday, February 04, 2007

The New Elementary School - Part 1

Imagine those poor Tourette's kids who have to call out "penis!" at random intervals throughout their day. At the cafeteria line in school. What would you like for lunch, Johnny? "Penis!"

Teacher: Who was the general who led the Confederate army at Gettysburg?
Johnny: Penis!

Johnny leads his team to a victory on the basketball court during recess. Michael to Johnny. Johnny takes the pass, he looks, drives, posts up in the paint. Shoots. Two points. Penis!

Oh, no. Yarislov brought peanut butter again. Now Freddie's going to break out in hives because he's allergic to the smell. Go call the security guard to take the peanut butter away from Yarislov and dispose of it according to Environmental Protection Act 11a. Wait. Freddie is angry. Uh oh. He's chasing Petunia. This has nothing to do with the hives, of course, he's just mad that there's a girl called Petunia. He thought her name should be Alexia. Alexia sounds like a nice name; it's too bad it's already taken by a reading disorder.

Jared and Brandon are shooting up in the corner of the schoolyard, Brandon goes on a bad trip and gets so scared he wets his pants. Johnny comes running over, takes one look at Brandon and shouts, "penis!"

Jared: Yes you idiot, it's coming from his penis, what you thought he had a vagina, asshole?
Johnny: I didn't mean anything it's just my Tourettes. What happened to Brandon?
Jared: He's on a bad trip. He'll be okay.
Johnny: Penis!
Jared: You say that one more time I'll rip your pants off, stick you're dick in your mouth and make you suck it.
Johnny: Please don't hurt me. It's a sickness I have that makes me shout strange things. I'm really not like that. You have ADD, I have Tourettes, like, we all have gotta have something.

Psychoanalysis

Let's try some free-association.

Stock markets up down hell sex hey i didn't mean that. It's one of those things you Christians are always saying. Love is great. I love to look at the beauty of good looking people, especially teenage boys. I could be on this topic all day, so that would kind of defeat the purpose, right? I mean, I'm supposed to jump from topic to topic? Do you feel like jumping from topic to topic. No, not really. OK, then just be natural. Write what comes into your mind. This whole exercise is unnatural. It is the most awkward thing. Fine, stop concentrating on the process, just let it happen. Ah, yah that's good. I like to jst let it happen. Like we're out at the club having a great time, and then we're at his apartment, and we just let it happen. Do you think it's odd that I'm always thinking about sex? is this normal? I hear polls from time to time about how often people think about sex, and the choices are like not at all, 1-2 times a day, 3-4 times a day. And I'm like what are they talking about? Try 6 to 20 times an hour. Parents are also one of those thing i think about when I'm doing these psycho thinking things. I think it's because of all that stuff you hear about parents being responsible for children's psychological probs. but maybe I'm just doing the defense mechanism thing. My aunt is a psychologist. Her mom is real proud that she has a daughter who is a "doctor". Now she just needs a lawyer. And maybe a real MD would be better than a shrink, idk. Medical school takes so long. Law is faster, but it's not a fun job. SO maybe I'll try writing. I saw an internship position at The Economist that looked interesting. Gotta write a sample article for the science section of the magazine to apply. I am typing on a keyboard. that is one of those classic fillers that you use when you aren't really thinking about things you feel comfortable talking about, so you just look around.
I'm shopping for a phone, oh yeah. I got this awful haircut Friday. I asked the barber to keep the style, just make it a bit shorter. Next thing I know, it's short where I want it long and long where I want it short. don't ask. made me appreciate my israeli hairstylist i'd been using in the holy land. I thought american barbers are better, but i guess even in this great country, some things are still hit or miss. I got new accuview contact lenses. much more comfortable than my old ones, which weren't disposables like these.
I've noticed people wearing these flashy glasses with big think temples. cut it out. ok. glasses should not be something that i have to look around to see your face. they should complement your face, not obstruct it.
My benchmark is hair you can eat. let me explain. ideally you would have some hair just long enough to reach your mouth, or maybe almost long enough, like just out of reach of your mouth. This allows a certain amount of freedom and flexibility for styling. Not that hair always needs to be this length. in the summer when the weather is hot for sure it should be much shorter. But once in a while i like to let it grow out a bit, especially when the extra thickness can serve as insulation in these cold New York winters.
I decided i like some red near my face. like black jeans, green/cyan/white striped button shirt under a conservative young sweater. shirttails protruding out from under the sweater, red scarf or button. idk.
there is this guy in school who when he walks by i look hard, gaze, try to remember every glorious detail, want to become one with his, eat him, hold him, love him. Why. why? what kind of stupid question s that. he's hot idk he's beautiful. can you elaborate on that. this stuff interests you huh doctor? when i ramble about new york winters you are silent, but talk about sex and you're all ears. ok he's about 5'8", slim, short light brown hair. oh wait, i'll describe this one. he drives me wild. A bit shorter, maybe 5'7", but I could be off. blond hair with a lock that sticks straight out in front at like a 90 degree angle so if i kiss him his hair would basically stab me in the eye. moist red lips, cheeks that make him look if he were blushing, energy. yah, that is part of a visual description of this guy. he looks "energy". you just see it on him. anyway, if i could be with these cuties that would be great. My printer is saying that it is thirsty. it gets that way sometimes after it has done a lot of printing. this post is getting long. shall we continue next week? Will you pay another $100 for a fifty minute therapy hour. No i will not, doctor. I think you are wasting my time. Why am i becoming a psychologist if I don't believe in shrinks? i guess because i know there are others who believe in them and if you believe in it, then at least you can get the placebo effect, so it helps them. Which is good. Unlike mass murder in Darfur. WHich is bad. And the people in hollywood like the people in darfur so they go there and take pictures and maybe they should make movies about them. Hi mr. you live in darfur. you could live in khartoum, but you don't so you get to get killed all the time. hi mr person from darfur, how does it feel to get killed all the f***ing time? To tell you the truth mr hollywood man sir, i like your money and i like that you come here and make movies and give us your money and i don't half recall having been killed all the time, though my neighbor from down the block, he's also mr live in darfur, and he got killed last week. but not all the time. so maybe you could ask him. but he probably not answer you because we bury him good. And can i have a free pair of those Toms shoes you like to give out to us poor people in Africa. And can you help me witht eh AIDS thing. I don't want to die of AIDS and you like to go on TV for helping us Africans with stuff like that. Anyway, it's ben a pleasure meeting with you, Mr. rich american hollywood guy. Now i'd better be off. I have a meeting with an impotent, that is important, terrorist leader to get to and there is not to me car so i would need run.
Go save the environment for us so we could live in this poor place and kill each other and get humanitarian aid from the people who aren't fighting and killing each other, they just fight and kill people in Iraq and destabilize the country so all the Iraqis can blow each other the heck up because maybe they like to die and then they could kill more Israelis in bakeries buying their food. How does that make you feel, Teddy? Feel? like punching you in the face. why do you always interrupt at stupid times? Would you like to punch me in the face? no, i would not. i was just expressing my distaste at your distaste. how do you know how i taste. You, idk but i was with a guy lat week who really tastes excellent. It's like licking absolute bliss. A spark goes right through your tongue straight to the pleasure centers in my brain and i just melt and hold him close. And then I have to finish two more quizzes for experimental psych. And I have to study for my LSATs and you are wasting my time. why do you think that this stuff works, anyway?
What do you think of when you think of wasting time? Try to free-associate to that idea. Computers that crash, lost work, stock markets can crash, lost money. wasting time? dying. the end of time. you get old, you can't do stuff. I want to make the best of my time but don't really know how. my spiritual leader said in a lecture a couple of days ago that there is no happiness like the absence of doubt. That the greatest happiness is knowing exactly what to do. That explains the joy of the hassidim. they listen to their rebbe, and blindly happily do whatever, no questions, no thoughts, no second-guessing. the rebbe did all their thinking for them. so there are no doubts and ignorance is bliss. but it's really bliss.
So back to wasting time. if i knew exactly what to do things might be different. but i don't and i have the feeling i guess (saw a hot pic on a Guess shopping bag) of time slipping away and i want to have lots of sex. i told you that always comes up. as i was saying time slipping away and life ending without meaning and what to do to give it lasting substance and there is religion and i do that. i do lots of religion and the whole secular world looks down at religion and wants people to be secular like them but they don't realize what they are missing because they are missing the essence of life and they live out meaningless existence and are never really happy and they should do more religion. but said spiritual leader (see above) also said that we don't just do some religion in our religion. we do everything according to the rules of religion, i mean every little thing to show we are slaves of god. wasting time? i guess not doing all of the religion stuff means i am wasting my time on earth. and doing all of the religion stuff means i am not having time for other things i value. early memories of wasting time? well, around my parents i would always feel guilty about wasting time because they were always doing important stuff and wanted the same of me. do your homework idk. i've wasted lots of time. like on a school holiday back in elementary, i would play hour upon hour of nintendo or playstation video games and then turn around and have to go back to school and i would feel terrible, that i wasted my whole vacation , and now it's back to school, even though i enjoyed the games. I'll see you again next week then, ok, teddy. go f*** yourself. You'd like that huh? no. If you were as hot as my acting coach then yes. and now you sound like me already.

Life is

Life is

Friday, February 02, 2007

Gay Parenting

"it is vain to blind oneself to the fact that the problem of male homosexuality is in essence the problem of the corruption of youth by itself and by its elders. It is the problem of the creation by means of such corruption of new addicts ready to corrupt a still further generation of young men and boys in the future" (Rees & Usill, 1956, p. 29)

"often have assumed that their children are likely to be emotionally harmed, subject to molestation, impaired in gender role development, or themselves homosexual. None of these assumptions is supported by extant research and theory" (Falk, 1989, p. 941)

"there is no evidence either that homosexual parents are more likely to seduce or allow their children to be seduced than their heterosexual counterparts or that lesbian mothers or their acquaintances molest children more often than heterosexual individuals. However, research on the point is scant" (ibid. p. 944)

you have comments on the adoption/artificial/sex gay parents raising the next gen of americans?

"Researchers have been unable to establish empirically that detriment results to children from being raised by lesbian mothers" (ibid. p. 946)

"[t]here is no evidence of any kind that demonstrates that living with a homosexual parent has any significant negative effects on children. In fact, it appears that gay parents are as effective and may be even more so in some ways than nongay parents" (Bigner & Bozett, 1989)

Bozett (1989) contended that "[t]here is no evidence whatsoever that children reared in households in which one or both adults is homosexual are in any way at harm, either physically or psychologically."

The American Psychological Association accepts the thrust of these conclusions so sufficiently, it provided expert testimony to that effect in the joint adoption of a boy through artificial insemination by male homosexual partners in the District of Columbia in 1992 (Washington Blade, 6/19/92).

More importantly, the American Psychological Association joined the National Association of Social Workers in an amici curiae brief in Bottoms v. Bottoms, November 15, 1993, in which the APA asserted that: "the belief that a child raised in a household with a lesbian or gay parent is more apt to become lesbian or gay is without any basis in fact" (p. 23); "the research suggests that lesbian mothers have parenting skills that are equivalent to or better than those of heterosexual parents" (p. 12); and "there is no social science evidence that even suggests that lesbian or gay parents are more likely to sexually abuse their children, or to allow them to be molested by others" (p. 13).

I've heard people oppose gay marriage on the basis that two parents, including a father figure and mother are needed to raise psychologically healthy kids. Is is not clear how this argument holds up to the empirical evidence.

Get ready, here comes the new forensic psychologist me. One of my new classes for the Spring semester.

i'm out of time, more later