This morning on the way to work I stopped off at San Francisco City Hall, filled a parking meter with a huge handful of spare change–for a grand total of only 29 minutes–and went to the Office of the County Clerk, where 19 minutes and a check for $112 later, I was sworn in as […]
This isn’t an explanation why; it’s an honest (if hyperbolic) self-entreaty. What exactly does having a Democratic-controlled Congress give us? We haven’t seen any real pushback on Bush’s unitary executive claims. We haven’t gotten any movement on addressing civil liberty abuses and curbs. We can’t seem to get any bills out to control war spending […]
From a mailing to the Harvard Gay and Lesbian Caucus: My name is Benjamin Donner and I am a clinical psychology doctoral student at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. I am currently carrying out my dissertation research on gay identity development across cultural groups in the United States, and thought you might be willing and/or […]
Have all the copy editors at nytimes.com been laid off? Most days it feels like I can’t read an article there without finding at least one mistake. The current top feature, for example, entitled “Democrats Place Hurdle to Mukasey’s Nomination”, contains two errors in just the single paragraph below, one of which–a missing verb–even leaves […]
immaculate conception church, san diego Originally uploaded by thomwatson Tomorrow morning I have a 7:00 flight to San Diego, where I’ll be attending a conference at UCSD (which technically is in La Jolla) for the editors/managers of the top-level University websites across the UC system, so I’ll be meeting my peers, for the first time, […]
I was the one in my extended family that everyone expected would leave home, despite strong familiar pressures to stay, if not in my small rural hometown at least nearby. When I went away to college in Massachusetts and came out of the closet, I knew that as much as I loved my family I’d […]
As an atheist, almost casually, in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. Surprising that she’d admit it, but, well, I really have to give her some credit for that, at least. Are you religious? No, I’m an atheist. But I absolutely love religions and the rituals. Even though I don’t believe in God. We celebrate pretty […]
Apple today announced some new iPods, including the new iPod Touch, which boasts a wide, touchscreen display, like the iPhone. I’d been waiting for Apple to release a widescreen iPod for a couple of years, now. What’s more, it has wi-fi and web browsing. I was really excited, and was ready to order one the […]
shades of alex Originally uploaded by thomwatson Today we spent about an hour at the Peninsula Humane Society shelter in San Mateo, scoping out the kitties. It’s been about three-and-a-half months since Alex was lost, and he still hasn’t been found or returned to us, and Jeff and I have decided that it’s time to […]
tiki king sandals Originally uploaded by thomwatson Ok, I’m a bit of a shoe queen. It’s almost an Imelda Marcos kind of love. Over the past couple of years, though, I’ve begun exercising some self-control. No, I haven’t stopped buying shoes–there’s no call for extremism–but I do have a commitment with myself that whenever I […]