OMG! Ossie's a Mom subtitled Baby Octopus Galore

Woke up this morning and started my morning routine. Went to turn on the aquarium light to feed Flit our green chromis as well as the crabs inside the tank when I noticed tiny blobs swimming about our tank. Some were translucent, some were pinkish-purple.

Rubbing my eyes, I took a closer look. There are about 15-30 baby octopus in our tank; our small 5.5 gallon tank which is WAAAAAY too small to handle this many octopus.

This should be the first batch. I believe there might be as many as 3-5 more batches coming to a total of over 100 babies.

Most are going to die. We're hoping to be able to save one or two to raise. Wish us luck!

Cars - The Movie and the Game

So yesterday we went to see Cars, the new Pixar movie. Admittedly, I walked in not expecting much since in my mind, nothing could ever ever top Finding Nemo. I was, however, expecting to enjoy it enough that we went and bought the video game before we even saw the movie.

On a scale of 1 to 8 (let's be weird in our standards, k?) I'd put this at a 5-6. It's likable, but predictable. The whole story is one seen in many stories - big city star has to crash (literally) in a small town, gets in trouble in small town, learns big life lessons and becomes a better person through experience. (One of my ex's produced a movie just like this - Doc Hollywood)

There were SEVERAL spots where both Bratworse and I laughed out loud, but I would say that they were mostly at throwaway lines/scenes.

Overall, it's a decent movie. I'm glad I paid matinee prices; I felt like this was a good deal for my money.

As for the video game (we got the PS2 version and the graphics was a little lacking if you're used the shine and sheen of Grand Turismo) - unless you have younger children, don't bother. The only thing I liked much about the game is that the story part of the game takes place AFTER the movie and builds on what happened in the movie. Too often, games based on movies just rehash what had happened within the movie and that's about the game equivalent of reading novelizations of movies. This was a welcome change.

Aside from that, the driving skills needed for the game is almost minimal; it's too easy to come in at 1st place on the earlier levels. I haven't explored enough of the game to know because frankly, after an hour and a half of playing, Bratworse and I both got bored.

Boys Will be Boys or How Stupid can They Get?

From the NY Times:

The video game publisher Take-Two Interactive said yesterday that it had received a grand jury subpoena from the Manhattan district attorney's office, seeking information about a range of its business practices dating back to 2001 and the inclusion of sexually explicit material in one of its games.

Edward Nebb, a company spokesman, said the district attorney had not told Take-Two whether it or any of its executives or directors were targets of the grand jury investigation. A spokeswoman at the district attorney's office declined to comment last night.

If Take-Two is the focus of the investigation, as the depth and nature of the questions it is being asked by prosecutors suggests, it would be the first time that a criminal inquiry into the activities of the company and its directors and executives had come to light. The company, which is based in New York, said it was cooperating with the investigation.

So basically, we have here a company that has a "bad-boy" reputation in the gaming industry. How does one get a "bad-boy" reputation? First, by creating a game that defies all conventional thoughts - The Grand Theft Auto series is about stealing cars and doing other anti-social behavior. Secondly, within the game itself, hide a section for the uber-dweebs for them to "uncover" so to speak. This scene will have sexually explicit material. Then lastly, lie about inserting the section.

Don't get me wrong, I like the Grand Theft Auto series. I own three of them and one of them on two different platforms.

But the company needs to grow up. If your hand is caught in the cookie jar, admit it! *sigh* but then look at our administration. Maybe these producers at Take Two looked at the Bush administration and said, hey, they lied about WMDs and look, they're still not getting subpoenaed.

Take Two, I hope you're being open and honest with the courts because I do not want to see your company go bankrupt or stop producing games. You've made some really great games. Good luck with this subpoena

New Blog

As if I don't have enough to do, I added a new blog. One that ruminates some of life's more.... quirky questions, let's just say.

It's called Questions that Make You Go Hmmm.

Toll

Ugh! Had to turn down a seminar tonight as well as volunteering for Gay Day activities this weekend because of poor finances. The bridge toll would've been too much.

I hate miscalculating like this... esp. since we were going to visit with friends we'd love to spend more time with.

Oh well, as the Buddhist Abbot we visited last weekend said, it's all impermanent. We are not supposed to deny ourselves the frustrations for then, we also deny ourselves joy. Just realize that it's all impermanent and that this is a passage.

So, hopefully, the passage into July will be quicker.

Trust

This YearlyKos attendee described the experience as building trust - no, that's not quite it. Just go read it.

I got back into the field of comic books after experiencing "the real world" for 10 years. While I was in the real world, I found out how it operates: it operates on distrust. Think about it: Why do you have to put your John Hancock on everything? Why do you make copies upon copies of everything?

I went back to the field of comic books because I felt that there, I could relax and not have to fill out forms in triplicate because someone might be out to get me. I felt that most of my peers grew up on "Truth, Justice and the American Way" and had the same idealism I had, the same principals I had.

To a large degree, they had. This is the kind of field it was: my boss and the attorney CEO/publisher were talking over a contract at a convention and neither bothered to take notes. I repeat, they were NEGOTIATING a contract, and neither took notes. They looked at me in surprise when I suggested (partially because I didn't really trust that particular publisher, but partially because the convention was noisy and distracting and I wanted to be sure no points were missed) taking notes. Both of their responses were, "But I trust him."

Name another field that's like that.

BTW, I'm not sure today's comics pros are like that. After all, these are the ones who grew up on the ilks of the Punisher and Lobo. Not exactly hero-inspiring material there.

More and more, the world is saying in little tinny voices just below hearing - trust no one. I am so sick of that message. I think I'm going to participate in Daily Kose a bit more, if that is what they're hoping to build - trust.

The Internet is for Porn

What Can $25 Million Buy?

So I'm over at Crooks and Liars clicking on videos and I came upon this interview with Michael Berg, the father of Nicholas Berg who was beheaded in Iraq, presumably by Zarqawi. The interview itself is FASCINATING. Michael Berg is a pacifist who understands the repercussions of revenge. (You would too if you grew up on Shaw Brothers kung-fu movies)

But I digress. What really caught my attention was, about a third of the interview in, Soledad mumbles something about Zarqawi's #2 or #3 who turned him in.

[Double-take time]

Excuse me?

All day, I've been hearing and reading about the $25 million dollar reward they're going to honor. There was a $25 million dollar reward for information leading up to Zarqawi's death and/or arrest, I believe.

So, we are going to hand $25 million to Zarqawi's #2 or #3 man. Who is part of Al Qaeda.

Read that again.

I'm just wondering who's being played for a sucker here. Is it the government, who is just going to hand over $25 million to the NOW #1 or #2 man of Al Qaeda in Iraq? Or is it us?

Now ask yourself, who benefits from unrest in the region. Which industry(ies) has been using the unrest in the area, to make massive profits?

Follow the money.

I don't want to pause! I want it to stop!

42 years old and starting menopause.

At least I think I am. I can't tell anymore. I've been on and off crying for the past month. Bratworse is at wit's end.

I wonder what the statistics on divorce rates during menopause is.

Can we change the marriage vows or civil union vows or whatever the hell you call it... can we change it to "in sickness or in health, through menopause"?

I've barely eaten the last few days. I want to just bang my head against a wall or just hurt myself. I hate feeling so adrift.

I want my thirties back. I felt good about myself. I feel so stupid nowadays.

It would help so much if we had a living room to enjoy, and a little extra money. Last three days, we had zero $. It's been quite some time since we had zero $. But between driving down to L.A. twice for a funeral; between fixing our neighbor's unit when our tank flooded (which we took care of right away unlike someone else we know); between purchasing stuff for a 40 gallon tank, then purchasing stuff to take care of the drying out stuff, then purchasing stuff for a 75-gallon tank; between miscalculating when Bratworse would get the 2nd half of her student loan; we kinda lost track of our money and boom, there we were - negative $24.

I looked up classes to attend, but realized we wouldn't have the money. *sigh* I keep telling myself, in two more years, bratworse will be out of college and we'll be able to enjoy ourselves. But only if Bratworse can put up with me pausing.

We Voted...

... Have you?

The Best Day

Recently, as Bratworse's life continued to expand outwardly and mine shrunk inwardly, I'd been anxious about being left behind. For a couple of weeks, we'd made progress about alieviating my concerns by vowing "The other comes first."

But on Friday, with an impending lawsuit and feeling totally icky about having to do it, with my period being on the verge of happening, with just everything in my life, I lost it.

So we talked. On Friday night. On Saturday. And then on Sunday, I woke up to her looking at me with a grin.

I thought I recognized the look. I thought the look meant, "Someone asked me to go to [insert name of 6 hour long dungeon run here], I know I told you I'd spend all day with you, but they NEVER go on this run and I really want this one thing that drops ONLY in [said dungeon] and you don't mind do you?"

I was wrong.

Bratworse had thought long and hard about it on Saturday and had apparently come up with a plan to surprise me.

It started with coffee and toast in bed (though I did help a bit). We took naps together (well, she napped and I played fight night). We played games together in the living room, breathing in mold and mildew. And the whole thing worked. We were like these two the whole day.

So, thank you Bratworse. There are times when I really don't deserve you. (not often, but there ARE times)

Boogie Man

BOO!

Did I scare ya?

I didn't? I should! According to the President of the United States, I should. Bratworse and I are SOOOOOOOO scary, that on Monday, he's going to make a speech about how scary we are. See, we gays and lesbos are SOOOOOOOOO scary that it's going to take a CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT to take care of us.

Now THAT'S scary.

Apparently,

• fixing FEMA in time for Hurricane season
• getting body armor for our troops
• making a deadline for withdrawal of our troops from harm's way
• fixing the national deficit or for that matter our economy
• stemming this tide of corruption
• making sure everyone is covered by healthcare
• giving every child a DECENT education

isn't as important as stopping Bratworse and I from marrying.

See, if we marry, apparently, all Hell'd break loose so, why bother fixing FEMA, the budget, our economy, the inequality of health insurance, the armor for our troops? I mean, we'd be fighting back the hordes of Satan himself! Therefore, it is IMPERATIVE, that a constitutional amendment be adopted so Bratworse and I could never ever be protected legally, if one of us should die in South Dakota, or Texas, or any of the states that thinks we're less than human.

[Added] Just saw this at Pam's House Blend

The proposed amendment reads: "Marriage in the United States shall consist solely of the union of a man and a woman. Neither this Constitution, nor the constitution of any state, shall be construed to require that marriage or the legal incidents thereof be conferred upon any union other than the union of a man and a woman."

Andrea Lafferty, executive director of the Traditional Values Coalition, and others say the second sentence leaves open the option that gays and lesbians could enter unions other than marriage; and that's a deal breaker for them.

Wow, these people are out to punish us. Not just stop us from using the term "marriage." They want us not to have any legal rights such as hospital visitation rights, property rights, etc. Whatever happened to "judge not, lest ye be judged yourself"?

These people are perversions of what Christ taught. The Christ I grew up with, was more Gandhi than anything else. Turn the other cheek? Follow the spirit of the law, not the letter of the law? This is the man who HEALED the lopped off ear of a person who came to arrest him!

If there IS a judgement day, and I am found wanting, my consolation is, these perversions of a good man's teachings will be burning right alongside me.

Personal Responsibility

Apparently, my upstairs neighbor likes being a victim.

Somehow, she is the victim here because my walls are still wet and apparently, we're being irresponsible because we aren't taking care of the problem.

Point one: The water came from HER dishwasher.

Point two: We have no money. How are we going to fix things? We have one income, am borrowing money for Bratworse's education and am late with our monthly payments on bills.

Point three: We have no insurance and even if we did, we don't have the money for the deductible.

Point four: Since May 5th, we have seen her three times, and heard from her one extra time. She has responded to my messages by calling up OTHERS to dump her problem on, like the association.

Point five: She ASKED us not to approach the association and therefore we didn't. According to her, the offsite manager is a "bully" and therefore she didn't want to deal with him.

I've heard through the grapevine that she's trying to play victim, saying "I'm not the bad guy."

Well, lady, (and I use the term VERY VERY LOOSELY) when our tank leaked, over the course of a WEEKEND, we approached our neighbor 4 times to ask if there was anything else we could do. THAT is how you show responsibility.

AND, how is it that WE have to pay for damages YOU incurred?

Wonder if her worldview will change after a judge says that she IS responsible for the damages to my property and that because she told us not to contact the Association as well as make it seem like it WASN'T her fault that the dishwasher leaked (apparently her ex-boyfriend tried to fix it a month prior, due to leaking) so much so that her insurance (lousy as it is) denied my claim, that she has to pay for extra.

I bet her worldview would be akin to those of conservatives: Waaaah, it was rigged, the judge didn't like me, I'm a victim.

These are the same type of people who saw starving people in New Orleans taking food, and condemning them.

I'm SO THANKFUL... subtitle It Does Pay to be Nice

An attorney client of my company has agreed to write the opening letter to my HOA's mangement co. He feels that their insurance would have the best shot of fixing our condo soon.

This was the first guy I learned of, when I started to work. He and my boss had been friends for a long time and I believe this guy gave my boss his start. Apparently, the attorney had been disgruntled at the "help" so I was given instructions to make him happy.

I took extra care over the next three years because I knew how my boss felt. And I must say, this attorney has been pleased with the special care I take, of his clients. And he's willing to meet with me, and write a letter on my behalf for free. If it requires a next step, then we're going to be talking fees.

I am absolutely grateful that my boss pointed this attorney out to me from the very beginning, I am absolutely thankful that some progress is going to happen.

And to thank this attorney, I'm hoping to send tons more business his way. So if you have a problem with a construction defect or home repairs and you are in the Bay Area, California, look up Robert Bruce Bybee at 925.977.9600. He WILL fight for you. And be REALLY nice to his assistant. She's the one who made sure to pass my calls to him.

Warning! Don't Get First American Specialty Insurance!

So you know that leak from the upstairs unit? The one that started right after my neighbor started her dishwasher, stopped when her dishwasher stopped, and that left a trail of water from the dishwasher out? Well, according to First American Specialty Insurance, there is no proof that the water leaked out of the dishwasher.

What does this mean?

If you are insured by First American Specialty, and if there is an accident like the one that occured, YOU ARE LIABLE.

That's what First American Specialty just told me. They are most likely going to decline liability because of the lack of proof.

Therefore, most likely my poor upstairs neighbor will have to dish out $ for my repairs. Doesn't that suck?

So ALL OF YOU CONDO OWNERS, their liability policy basically SUCKS!

Get First American Specialty at your own peril. What good is this condominium policy? This means though they will repair my upstairs neighbor, they won't repair my unit, which has the extensive damage. Which means my upstairs neighbor has to pay out of pocket the repairs.

So now, I have to get a lawyer to get what is rightfully mine, and her insurance rate will go up. Sure sucks to be a little person here in America, doesn't it?

Don't say I didn't warn you.

2 Great New Stoner Games for Mac & PC

It's actually the same game but two different versions. The first one, released about 3 months ago, is called Huntsville. That link will take you to MacGameStore where I'm currently buying most of my games. However, you can also download the games from any game site include Pogo.

The second one, Prime Suspects, you cannot get through MacGamestore yet. You have to go to the publisher BigFishGames and get it directly from them.

Both games are $20 each, and work on the same premise: the first part of the puzzle, you are given different collaged scenes. Within the scenes, you have find any number of items, like 3 bats. The 3 bats could consist of 2 critters that are bats, and a baseball bat. After you find the missing "clues", you get to the second stage which is a little puzzle.

I'm preferring Prime Suspects because they have this neat part where you have to find a battery in one of the other scenes, then use the flashlight to find out the other "clues" in the darkened room.

Two great stoner games.

Gay Men and Misogyny

I love gay men. Ask any of my friends, they'd tell you I'm a fag hag in drag.

But a lot of gay men are misogynists. They don't think they are, but there's a hatred there that stems from being lumped in with girls - as in being called sissy boys.

I've had to deal with them constantly because frankly, I have sensibilities more like a gay man's than a typical dyke. I love Opera, musicals, Judy, Babs, Patsy, etc. and therefore enjoy conversations with gay men more.

But there are times when during a conversation, I feel like I've been punched in the gut.

John Aravosis' post about Pat Roberts - comparing him with Patrick Henry, is a good post. Except he likened Pat Roberts to "a big girl." Which was a put down.

Then his response to his readers who said, waitaminit John, don't do like they (the Repubs who call men they consider weak as girly men) do, his response was to pooh pooh them all.

This was the final straw. I used to recommend Americablog to everyone I knew, but no more.

What makes me a liberal is, when I see my actions as being similar to others I condemn, I apologize and try not to repeat my mistake. This is how we learn tolerance.

How can John Aravosis dig in his feet like this? He says we're ignoring the big issue, that Roberts and what he said was the issue. No, John. We are not ignoring the big issue. We're agreeing with you on that. We're just not agreeing with you on your choice of words.

You say that it's part of the gay vernacular and get over yourself. I can just picture John Aravosis snapping his fingers thrice, each time higher above his head. I know this action well. This is a gay man's reaction to being caught wrong, and refusing to admit the mistake. "Get over yourself, Maryjane."

Well, John. You lost yourself a reader today. Not because of your poor word choice. It's okay to make mistakes. You lost a reader because you told me to get over myself and on this, I can't. All my life, I've fought the image of girls = weak. All my life I was told, but you're one of the guys, Resigned Idealist. No, I am NOT one of the guys. I am a girl. I am a woman. And I will not stand for the equation women/girls = weak anymore. Use another goddamn metaphor.

Hopefully

With any luck, my late afternoon is going to look like this:

Drawing a Line

I spoke to my nephew for the first time today since Christmas. It was nice and polite and civil despite the past.

A line was drawn and he had crossed it. Honestly speaking, I had actually allowed him to cross the line numerous times in the past and had redrawn it. But when he brought the problem into my house, but when he tried to convince me that it was okay to make his mother worry because the worst could never happen to him - a delusion I threw back into his face, but when he dared to compare his addiction with my life with Bratworse, I let the line remain broken.

The reparation to the line is available to him, but it will not be immediate. Years has to pass before repairs can even begin, but it has to start somewhere. I was honest with him on the phone. I wish him well and strength. I hope that we will have our friendship again.

I actually have no doubt that one day, my nephew and I will have warmth towards each other. I just hope that the path there will be smoother than not.

"I Don't Read Comics"

I shouldn't be insulted but I am. This was just said to me, by the same guy who said there's no such thing as global warming. This is also the same guy who thought Da Vinci Code was great and original. Should I have told him that the concept contained within the Da Vinci Code, I first came across in Preacher by Garth Ennis, which was many years prior to the Da Vinci Code, so when people all around me were all agog with the blasphemous concept, all I could manage was Ho-hum?

[Added] I just remembered that this guy keeps quoting from his favorite movie: The Crow, starring Brandon Lee. Do I have the heart to tell him that it was based on a comic book, that had a small cult following (the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles had a much larger following and actually TMNT started off being a satire before becoming what it mocked)? Half the stuff popular culture thinks is cool, had its dang origin in comic books.