By Popular Demand...

...more vacation photos -

Interior of Lincoln Memorial.

The north side of The White House as seen from Lafayette Square.

The National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception as seen from the top of the Washington Monument.

Looking west at sunset from steps of the Capitol Building.

The World War II Monument at night.

The south side of the Jefferson Memorial with the Wasington Monument in the background.

The Iwo Jima Memorial on the Arlington side of the Potomac.

The World War II Memorial.
The Washington Monument seen from The World War II Memorial.

The Lincoln Memorial seen from the top of The Washington Monument.

The Jefferson Memorial seen from The Washington Monument.

The south side of The White House from atop The Washington Monument.

Inside The Jefferson Memorial.

The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial.

The Korean War Memorial.

Chuck at The Lincoln Memorial.

The Vietnam War Memorial.

The Capitol Rotunda

The Old House of Representatives Chamber in the US Capitol Building.

The Old Supreme Court Chamber in the US Capitol Builiding.

The interior of The Library of Congress.

The Jefferson Memorial and Tidal Basin.

Days Three and Four

Saw alot more stuff!! The National Archives, National Portrait Gallery, National Building Museum, Petersen House (were Lincoln died) and Union Station. That was all on Saturday. On Sunday was Mt. Vernon, Arlington National Cemetery and Dupont Circle.

Here's some pics...

This the actual first page of The Constitution at the National Archives.

This is the interior of The National Building Musuem. This beautiful room is home to one of the Presidential Inaguartion Balls.
This is a reproduction of a paintinf of Abraham Lincoln at the National Portrait Gallery. The original hangs in The White House above the firelplace in the state dinning room. Which we saw when we toured The White House, however no cameras are allowed in TWH.
The front of Mt. Vernon, George Wasington's home on the Potomac river. Also located here is the tomb where George and Marth Washington are buried.
The Eternal Flame marking the gravesite of President and Mrs. Kennedy.

At Dupont Circle we ate dinner at Afterwords Cafe...crab cake appetizer and for dinner...lobster, asparagus and marscapone cheese ravioli...YUM!!!!! Oh yeah and pecan rum cake for dessert!

Day Two

Our first full day and my feet are ready to come home! We walked and we walked and we walked and then walked some more! The weather is nice and warm...it was 83 today...the humidity is awful though. Thankfully the buildings are nice and cool in side. Today was Smithsonian Day!

After hitting the Starbucks across the street from the hotel we made our way to the Castle.


Inside the Sample Exhibits Hall...just what the name implies it's a sampling of things you'll see in each of the museums of the Institute.


Here are some of the highlights...there was so much to see...I took 264 pictures.

The Ruby Slippers


Mr. Roger's Sweater


From the National Art Gallery - The only DaVinci painting in the United States


From the Natural History Museum - A Fossil...



...and a rock - The Hope Diamond


After all that we then went to "The Capitol Steps" funny comedy show where they change lyrics of well-known songs to fit political figures. Then a hamburger...mmm...delicious!!

Tomorrow more walking.

DC - Day One

We finally made it!! We had some delays and had to sprint to our connecting flight in Minneapolis, but we made the plane. However, our luggage did not but it was put on the next plane and arrived 35 mins after us. We got free meal and drink vouchers from the airline for having to wait...SWEET.

We got to our hotel and it is right in the middle of everything. Here are some picks of our evening walk.

The Old Post Office



The White House





The Washington Monument



Capitol



Old Executive Office Building (west of White House)



That's about all the time and energy for this evening. We went back to the hotel and had dinner at Harry's it was a warm evening and they had patio/sidewalk seating.

Time for bed and tomorrow....The Smithsonian! Ruby Slippers here I come!

The System Works

Yesterday was a great day for America. The people voted and the Democrats took control of the House and are poised to take the Senate. Two races, in Virginia and Montana, have the Dems leading but the races are too close to call.

I am deeply saddened that 7 of the 8 state initiatives to ban same-sex marriage have passed (it's still too close to count in Arizona **EDIT - 11/17/06 measure was NOT passed!!!**), some, like Virginia, which passed, are very wide sweeping not only banning marriage but banning the recognition of "another union, partnership, or other legal status to which is assigned the rights, benefits, obligations, qualities or effects of marriage."

Although some state Supreme Courts, unlike Washington state, are striking down then bans as unconstitional. The battle this round may be lost but the war is by no means over. It will be interesting to see what happens in New Jersey. While I'm saddened I'm also hopeful that fairness will prevail.

We have a long way to go in order to, again, "form a more perfect union", last night proved that the system does work. The people voted and things changed. Some for the better and some for the worse, but things changed. I have to believe that deep down Americans are decent people, just misguided and unaware sometimes, marriage equality is coming, maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but it's coming.

To all that voted, whether it went the way you wanted or not, you stood up and were counted.

To all that did not vote - SHAME ON YOU!!

School, Work, Movies and Civic Duty

I just realized it's been awhile since my last post. Lots going on with school, work and movies. Where to start...hmmmm.

Taking 15 credits and doing everything thing else has proven to be a bit of a challenge. The quarter is 1/2 over and my head's still above water. I'm looking forward to the Christmas break though. For the most part I am enjoying school. I was really looking forward to the Political Science class I'm taking but it has proven to be disappointing due the WACKO instructor. Oh well, the book is really good and I'm getting a lot out of that.

Work? Well, work is still work. I'm unhappy there but realize that there really isn't anything I can do until I finish school. So I persevere.

The movie stuff is going pretty good. We’re gearing up for a shoot the first part of December. I’m looking forward to it, we have some really good actors and the script is a good bit more serious than “The Adventures of Boss and Vasquez.” I’m still a little unsure about the direction the production company is headed, we have filed the papers and all that so we are an official company and we bought a domain name and are working on getting a website up, but as to actually what our business is going to be is still largely undecided. There are some of us that want to exclusively focus on developing and producing movies and then others that want to do stuff like corporate and wedding videos too.

Lastly, I would like to encourage everyone to vote on November 7th. I attended a rally this morning at Bellevue Community College…my current institution of higher learning. The rally included local, state and national politicos. This is the first such rally I have ever attended. I don’t think I could have picked a better one for my first. I was very excited to see Governor Gregoire and Senator Cantwell. I am very proud to have voted for them and will vote for Senator Cantwell on November 7th. Even though it was an honor to listen to these luminaries the real star of the event was Illinois Senator Barack Obama.

I can not even tell you how amazing it was to hear him speak. I remember listening to his speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention and recently, thanks to CSPAN, had the chance to see that speech again. I love this guy!! Today his remarks were rather brief as he was basically stumping for Cantwell and US Representative candidate Darcy Burner from the 8th District. She is running against Dave Riechert, former King County Sheriff, who was elected after former Rep. Jennifer Dunn retired. When Riechert was elected we lived in the 8th District. However, now that we moved we are in the 1st District which is represented by Jay Inslee.

Back to Obama. His message is one of inclusion. In his 2004 speech he said -

“…there's not a liberal America and a conservative America — there's the United States of America. There's not a black America and white America and Latino America and Asian America; there's the United States of America. The pundits like to slice-and-dice our country into Red States and Blue States; Red States for Republicans, Blue States for Democrats. But I've got news for them, too. We worship an awesome God in the Blue States, and we don't like federal agents poking around our libraries in the Red States. We coach Little League in the Blue States and have gay friends in the Red States. There are patriots who opposed the war in Iraq and patriots who supported it. We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of America.”

His message also includes hope. Today he said -

“Because the American people are a decent people, there's no reason why we can't have a decent government. There's no reason why we can't close the gap between the government we have and the government we deserve.”

Check him out at http://www.barackobama.com/main.php you can read speeches, etc. A particularly good one is, “Call to Renewal Keynote Address”, June 28, 2006. You can also watch the 2004 DNC speech.

Don’t forget to vote November 7th!!!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

This is an article from the Yakima Herald Republic. This my Aunt Terri -

Terri Barron

When Terri Barron was 43 years old, she picked up a brochure at a doctor's office and shoved it in her purse to remind herself to schedule her first mammogram.

Six months later, when she finally scheduled the procedure, it wasn't because of the brochure.

"I woke up one morning with a lump," she says. "It was the last type of cancer I worried about."

Today, the 49-year-old carries around a different reminder.

In the depths of her large leather purse, she keeps a pair of photographs from her 44th birthday party. They show a tired woman surrounded by hats her family gave her at the beginning of 14 months of an intense chemotherapy trial that took away her hair, but, she believes, saved her life.

"I look at these pictures and I can hardly believe this was me," she says.

She doesn't pull them out very often. They're there so she'll always remember how fragile life is and that she's willing to do anything in the name of awareness.

Anything.

This spring, Terri became a volunteer for the Angel Care Breast Cancer Foundation, a Seattle-based nonprofit that matches survivors with newly diagnosed patients seeking mentors.
In June, she reluctantly posed as Ms. June in the foundation's annual fundraising calendar, sitting in a stream wearing scarcely more than a pair of angel wings.

The indignity was worth enduring, because as she well knows, life is short and cancer sometimes comes back.

"I think you always have that worry," she says. "Once you've been diagnosed you live with that kind of fear."

So she has fun with her husband and her children and her job and sees each day for what it is: an opportunity.

And in the bottom, back part of a drawer in her bedroom she keeps the best of the hats she received on her 44th birthday.

"Just in case," she whispers.

* Terri suggests that people who want individual or group support to help them deal with their diagnosis and treatment should contact:

Angel Care Breast Cancer Foundation: 425-861-5655

Wellness House: 575-6686

* On Nov. 18 from 1-3 p.m. Terri will be selling and signing the foundation's $15 calendars at Borders Book and Music at 700 E Washington Ave. in Union Gap.

Check out a sample of the calendar (Terri is June) and also order a few here - CALENDAR

Rain, Rain, Rain

It's raining today. It's the first measurable rain we've had in what seems like months. I guess summer is over for us...the forecast for the next week is clouds, clouds and clouds.

In other news....No winner in the screenwriting competition. Oh well, it was a good experience and I'm proud of the script we wrote. Especially since we only had a week to write it and were restricted in genre and subject.

Got up at 4:30 this morning to get C off to Las Vegas. So it's just me and the Giz until Sunday afternoon. I think I finally got my financial aid stuff all straightened out. I had a tuition deferment on my fall quarter registration. I've been checking and it still said I owed the full amount. I was getting a little nervous cause the deferement expires today....but when I checked this morning it said total due: $0.00. SWEET!!! I got my books yesterday....my spanish book alone was $164.00!!! Although I was pleasantly surprised when I picked them up, the spanish book not only included the text book but 2 workbooks, 2 CD-Roms and a dictionary...so I guess $164 for all that isn't too bad.

Speaking of school....it starts Monday!!! I'm excited but nervous, I think I may have over extended myself...15 credits, working full-time and trying to do movie stuff...what was I thinking???

Well, better get some work done so I can knock off early and get a nap in this afternoon. Have to go to a production meeting tonight for the short we're shooting the last weekend of the month. I think we've got a good start with the script, needs some work though. Hopefully we can make some progress tonight. I read the latest draft Tuesday night and sent some notes to J, the writer, so he wants to "pick my brain" tonight.

September to Remember

Lot's going on and the month isn't even 1/2 over yet!!

Labor day weekend in Spokane was a blast except for the traffic. We left Bellevue at 4pm on Friday and didn't get to Ellensburg until 7:30...that's 3 1/2 hours incase your wondering!!! Usually only takes about 1 hour and 45 minutes. Supposedly there was an accident but we didn't see anything. We finally arrived in Spokane about 11pm...OY.

Saturday was fun. My mom and D got us hooked on geocaching. You may have noticed a new little icon on the right part of screen near to bottom of this page. This is my geocaching status bar from www.geocaching.com. It tells how many I have found or hidden. I'd heard about this whole geocaching thing before but honestly I thought it was kinda nerdy...but all it took was one find and we were hooked.

Basically you go to www.geocaching.com and look for caches in your area. A cache can be anything from a film canister to an ammo can filled with anything from just a paper logbook to action figures, travel bugs, money, postcards...etc. The catch is on the website all you get is the coordinates of the cache and then you must a GPSr (Global Positioning System receiver) to find the cache. Bottom line its excersise that doesn't feel like work...at least that's how I look at it :-)

After geocaching for awhile Saturday morning we then went to Pig Out in the Park which was a huge outdoor food festival at River Front Park in Spokane. I had Shrimp Tacos....YUM!!!! and for dessert....a Ben and Jerry's Chunky Monkey ice cream cone....double YUM!!

Sunday more geocaching and then off to Silverwood for rollarcoaster fun!!! Then Monday it was back home...even though we left Spokane early...10am..we didn't get home until 4:30. Ah well!

Last weekend was the PAWS walk. My sister came over Friday night with her dog Cody and we met her friend Jenny in Bothell for dinner at The Ranch Drive-In....AWESOME HAMBURGERS!! Plus we did a quick goecache that was just up the street. Saturday morning was the PAWS walk. All turned out great. I raised a total of $250.00 and our team raised $485.00! The weather was a little drizzly but not too bad. After walking 3 miles we had lunch and then heading out to do some geocaching...3 hours and 5 miles later...we got 4 of them in the neigborhood.

Sunday we were wore out but couldn't just sit around with all those caches just laying around. We headed out to breakfast at The Brown Bag Cafe....SO GOOOOOD!!! This was our first time going there and let me tell you DELICIOUS!!!! Then we headed to Petco to get Cody (my sister's dog) a water toy and then off to Marymoor Park we went in search of caches. We found the three we set out to plus had a nice walk around the park and even let Gizmo off her leash in the off-leash area...that was a first...she did GREAT!!! We were both shocked!

Needless to say we've been recovering ever since. To top it all off I may have a sinus infection. Went to the doctor on yesterday and results were inconclusive. I got an Rx but was instructed to wait a few days and if I get worse then fill it and start taking but it may clear up on it's own.

Today is the day the results of the New York City Midnight Madness 2006 Screenwriter's Challenge...I have to wait, as of this post, another 3 hours and 15 minutes before results are announced. I'll post results here when I find out.

This weekend I get a little rest while C is in Las Vegas for week. He leaves Thursday morning and won't be back tl Sunday afternoon. So it's just me and Giz for four days. We'll probably just hang around the house....may do a couple geocaches....but just laying around and watching TV sounds pretty good.

School starts Monday the 18th. I just got an e-mail that my book are ready for pick up at the bookstore...total this quarter $290.15...OUCH! Oh well gotta get it done.

Coming up.....the 23rd...Elton John....can't wait!!

A Quick Update

The Contest -

We finished our short script for The 2006 Screenwriter's Challenge and turned it in July 28th. The winners will not be announced until September 12th....the wait is killing me! The way the contest works is we were given a genre and a subject and then had 1 week to turn in a short script (20 pgs max). Our genre and subject was Drama and Soldiers. Our script is title "As You Were" and is the story of a retired Army Colonel that rallys injured troops in a VA hospital, and in doing so finds purpose at the end of his career.

I posted the script on the Screenwriter's Challange message board and we have received really good feedback from the other entrants. So far our script has been viewed 187 times and we've received 16 very positive comments like -

"You have a very beautiful story here. I think it is structured perfectly and I love the character of the Colonel."

"Being a soldier myself, I had to read this. I liked it. I totally understood where the Colonel was coming from. If you don't have a military background, you wouldn't know it from reading this short. The Colonel's character was a spot on depiction of a career military man who doesn't know how to do anything else but be a soldier. I've known many of these men."

"Your story moved me. My grandfather was a Colonel and it was hard for him to leave that life behind. You captured the feeling wondefully. Nicely done."

"I thought you did a great job with the pace of the story, it was moving and well done. "

"Overall a top notch script nailing both, genre and theme."

Naturally these great comment just make the wait all the more unbearable. Especially in our heat we are competing against 17 other writers and so far only 6 have posted their scripts to the message board so there are still 11 out there that I haven't read. Did I mention the wait is killing me?? Only 26 more days!!!

Oh well there's a bunch of other things going on. The month of September is going to be busy!!!

The first weekend we're going to visit my mom and go to Silverwood! The following weekend my sister is coming to town and we're walking 5 miles in the PAWS walk...for which I've raised $200. If you would like to donate Click Here!! Also that weekend I have a script pitch and pre-production meeting for another short our production company, 50 Prime Studios (formerly Count It! Productions), will be shooting the end of the Septemeber. The weekend of the 15th and 16th C will be in Las Vegas...lucky bastard! Then the 23rd we're going to see Elton John. Then the last weekend I'll be shooting as mentioned above.

Did I mention school starts the 18th?!?!?! Oh well, looks like October is going to pretty low key. Then on to November which is already shaping up to be busy. The first weekend is our annual company party and then next weekend we're leaving for California to see Barbra Streisand and then might have a weekend rest and then we're smack into the holidays....Uh where did 2006 go??

That's about it for now.

Let Down by the Washington State Supreme Court

Today the Washington State Supreme Court upheld the state's ban on gay marriage stating the state has "a legitimate interest in regulating relationships that produce children. " What a bunch of crap. What about the woman who's had hysterectomy or the man that has had vasectomy are they not allowed to marry because their marriage will not produce children?? So the entire purpose of marriage is to have babies? I don't think so.

The times are changing and gay marriage is coming. It wasn't so long ago that popular opinion supported slavery, segregation, refusing to let women vote, ban on interracial marriage, and on and on. Popular opinion is a risky thing to bet the farm on.

Liberty and justice for ALL beats popular opinion every time!!!

The Screening and The Contest

The screening for the 48-Hour Film Project went well. We did not win an audience choice award but we're still in the running for Best of City. This was the first contest we entered that held the screening in an actual real movie theatre. Let me tell you it is a little unnerving to see yourself on the big screen 15ft tall....CRAZY!!!

Oh well, we're keeping our fingers crossed hoping we place in Best of City.

Now for the contest...my friend and cohort Accidental Housekeeper...entered a screenwriting contest that started on July 21 and we have until the 29th to turn in our completed script. So far it's going well we have our story and outline completed and I'm working on writing the 1st draft.

That's about all I have time for right now...got get that 1st draft done!!!

48-Hour Film Project

So I'm just now recovering from last weekend to blog about it. I'm too getting to old for this crazy stuff....can't bounce back like I used to.

The weekend started Friday at 6pm with me meeting other team members at The Seattle Film Institute to draw our genre and find out what the other requirements would be. We drew comedy and the requirements were as follows -

Prop - Sleeping Bag
Character - Bob or Bonnie Henry, Insurance Agent
Dialouge - "I expect you to prompt - prompt and courteous."

Once the drawing was complete we headed to Bothell were the rest of the team was waiting. We phone ahead and let them know what the requirements were and by the time we arrived some serious brainstorming was underway. We finished the script about 1:30am. By time I got home and too bed it was well after 2:00am.

The alarm went off way to early...6:15am...I had to meet the crew at 7:00am at Whole Foods in Bellevue...barely had time for a shower and cup of coffee. We shot at Whole Foods tl about 8:15AM then it was off to dowtown Seattle to film in an office building and adjacent martini lounge. We wrapped about 2:00pm and headed to Bothell to shoot a kickball game...yes I said kickball game...we wrapped in Bothell about 8:00pm.

After grabbing a quick bite we headed back to Seattle to film on a rooftop on Capitol Hill. We got a great shot of the Space Needle and Lake Union at sunset...so I guess it was worth it. We finished up about 10:30pm. One last location...we headed to Bellevue to shoot at a doctor's office. We finally finished about 1:15am. As you may imagine I was exhausted having only gotten about 4 hours sleep the night before and then having been up for almost 20 hours it was all I could do fall into bed. I slept tl noon on Sunday!

Despite the lack of sleep I think we did a pretty good job. The screening was Tuesday night in Seattle and we got a lot of laughs! I think we're a long shot to win but at least I thought we were on par quality wise with the other contestants.

You can see for yourself - Click Here

(Give it time to load)

Eventually I think that it will be available on the national 48-Hour Film Project site but so far they only have last years up there. There's is one more public screening tonite so I'm sure after that they'll put them on the site. In the meantime you can look at using the link above.

Pink's New Song.....Pink? Yes, Pink!

I came across this song called "Dear Mr. President" by Pink the other day on You Tube and all I can say is - WOW. That takes some guts y'all. There's no clever wordplay, no sugar coating, and no apologies. It's smack in your face and balls out. I know this is going to sound cheesy but it actually brought a tear to my eye.

Check it out

Relocated

We're officially moved in and settled...for the most part.

Loving the new neighborhood. There are tons of places for walking, even a few trails.

Here's some pics of 4th of July festivities.

It's Getting Serious Now

There's been another, exciting, development in the movie world. Last weekend we had a pre-production meeting to prepare for the 48-Hour Film Project that's coming up in July. Nothing too major, we all brought a dessert, and talked about the rules of the contest and took inventory of our assets, equipment, props, access to locations, etc.

After about an hour or so the meeting wrapped up and people started to leave then myself and two others were asked to stick around. I was all, "sweet", cause there was still dessert left. After everyone else had left we get down to business...literally. Turns out the reason for the meeting wasn't so much about the 48-hour project but to get us together to talk about taking the next step in our careers. Basically there are six of us that are the "core" group and then a couple others that kinda float in and out. It was proposed that the six of us form a production company and start raising money to produce a short-film to submit to festivals.

Once I picked myself up off the floor it was very exciting. The more we talked the more sense it started to make. Each of us brings a unique skill to the group but we also work very well together. "J" has mad producer skills, "T" has mad directing skills, I have mad production management skills, "F" has mad camera skills, "H" has mad post-production skills and "J2" has mad writing skills....put it all together and what do you get?? Count It! Productions. Like I said we work together very well and collaborate on all aspects of production...we've worked together for about a year now and really are a good team!

After the announcement was made we went around the room and each shared our thoughts and it was really interesting because we pretty much all shared the same "story" of how we've always wanted to do this and how we feel that time is slowly ticking away. I think four out of the six are over 30 and we all seem to be in the same place. Actually one of the guys is from eastern Washington too and our stories are really similar, we both moved here to get into the movie thing and we're in our 30's and aren't getting any younger, etc. It really made me feel good and I realized how close we really are. Also expressed was the desire to do more "substantial" material, which was really nice to hear. The three minute stuff has been fun but I know that I was ready to tackle meattier material, so it was good to hear that the rest of the group wants to as well.

Right now we're in the process of the getting a website up and actually forming the company. "T" is meeting with an attorny on the 16th to get details on forming an LLC and what that takes and how much it costs and all that stuff. Then we need to nail down all the other stuff...like how we're going to raise $15,000 - $20,000 we need to shoot the film. Obviously not everyone will be able to invest at the same level. We are truly from every walk of life, two are home owners, the rest aren't, four of us have good jobs and are for the most part financially secure, and then a couple are college kids that are working 2 part-time jobs, etc. We're not thinking that all the money will come from us...I imagine probably 1/2 will but that still leaves a pretty good chunk so we'll have to come up with some fundraising schemes. Plus it's going to be a good 1 to 2 year committment. Obviously none of us are quitting our day jobs so it's going to take awhile to get everything in place and raise the money and then shoot it and edit, etc.

That's all I know now.....stay tuned for more information!!!

The Count Down Has Begun!!

I can't believe the waiting is almost over!! We move next week!! In fact today I called the cable company and got my install appointment all set up to ensure that my access to the internet is in no way interupted!!

We can actually start moving in on Tuesday the 20th and might take a few boxes over that evening but the major portion of the move won't happen until the weekend of 24th and 25th. Then thankfully I have June 29th through July 6th off from work so I'll have plenty of time to get settled in and all that good stuff.

It's a good thing that we've already started packing stuff up cause we're heading to Yak this weekend so won't have time to do anything. Next week is going to be busy!! Oh well I work from home on Tuesday and Thursday and C is off on Wednesday so I'm sure we'll have it well in hand. I'm pretty sure that we can have the guest bathroom, dining room, guest bedroom and non-essential kitchen items moved before the weekend. Then when the weekend comes I'm thinking 1/2 the day on Saturday we're done.

I'm sure I'm over simplifying but we'll see :-)

No STIFFY...:-(

Sadly we were not voted a winner at the "Weekend Film Challange" screenings over the weekend as part Seattle's True Independent Film Festival (STIFF). I do feel that we made a strong showing and the caliber of our work was on par with the winners. It was a fun, creative and great learning experience.

Stay tuned for information about the 48-Hour Film Project coming up in July.

Oh yeah...if you haven't already check out the new website of Angry Mo Productions at ...www.angrymo.com! That's right it's own domain!! You'll find more information on the 48-hour Film Project as well as information about other projects!!

Finally, if you haven't already, telephone or e-mail your US Senators and ask them to oppose the Federal Marriage Amendment.

Washington Won't Discriminate

The Angry Mo needs your help! Keep discrimination out of Washington State. Click on the logo below to see how you can help.

First they came for the Communists, and I didn’t speak up,
because I wasn’t a Communist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak up,
because I wasn’t a Jew.

Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn’t speak up,
because I was a Protestant.

Then they came for me, and by that time there was no one left
to speak up for me.

--Pastor Martin Niemöller

The Dixie Chicks, The Economy and The FMA

Oy….where to start?

The Dixie Chicks – GET OVER IT! It was three years ago. For those of you that say they are entertainers and should just shut up and sing I don’t pay to listen to your opinion, don't be a hypocrite. Not a day goes by that a celebrity isn’t saying something about something. So the next time a celebrity uses their voice to bring awareness to poverty, genocide, famine or human right issues remember to tell them to just shut up and sing. I guess freedom of speech only applies when it's inline with the popular opinion of the time. Just because someone says something you disagree with doesn't mean they don't have the right to say it.

I know the “America, love it or leave it” types don’t get it but let me try to explain it. The fact that they said what they said and didn’t get beheaded, thrown in jail or otherwise tortured or punished is EXACTLY what America is all about…not “love it or leave it.” That’s whole point – YOU CAN DISAGREE. And, by the by, people usually speak out because they love it. Patriotism is NOT just waiving the flag, bowing your head and saying yes sir, it’s speaking out, it’s taking chances, it’s about trying to make things better and it’s about having a voice!

All over the county folks vowed to never buy another Dixie Chick album or ever go to another concert, they even convinced some radio stations not to play their music. Fine that’s their choice. Some folks even went so far as to send letters saying the most horrible and hurtful things. These letters called them unpatriotic and accused them of treason and those were the “nice” one. Some of these letters included death threats, not only to the band, but death threats against the band’s (at the time) unborn children, their parents, their brothers and sisters. Now, compared to what the Dixie Chicks said about Bush, who's the bigger asshole?

Just an FYI…The Dixie Chick’s new album is #1 on the Billboard chart and is the most purchased CD from Amazon.com since it was released a week ago? That my friends is truly “America the Beautiful.” Hope springs eternal for the Angry Mo.

The Economy – WHO’S GETTING RICH?? It ain’t me. A recent poll reports that 60% of Americans are unhappy with how President Bush is handling the economy. Naturally Bush doesn’t get it because the economic indicators are up. Good Morning America sited gas prices as the major contributing factor to people’s dissatisfaction with the economy. While gas prices are high what I have the most problem with is how can the economic indicators look good? I don’t even really know what these indicators are but let me share some of my own indicators and then you tell me if the economy is UP?

• Gas prices are up 49% since 2004


• Home prices (King County, WA) are up 18% in the last year alone (**UPDATE 06/12/06 - new figures announced on the news last night...the increase over last year is 22% and in neighboring Pierce County one city saw a 32% increase. In an area that is 2,307 sq mis, roughly twice the size of the state of Rhode Island the average home price is $405,000.**)


• Grocery prices are rising at a rate of 10% a year


• Healthcare costs are up over 15% since 2004




• My salary is up 4% since 2004

Hmmmm, you can definitely count me in the 60% of Americans that are unhappy with the way the economy is being handled. GRRRRRRR!

The FMA – LEGALIZING DISCRIMINATION. Nice, “all men are created equal”, which apparently only applies only to white heterosexual men with a PSI of at least of $98,234.67.43. With all the talk of family values and 50% of marriages ending in divorce I’m not sure I fully understand what the problem is. As a gay man, who is an American citizen, I feel that I have the right to marry my partner of 5 years. I find it insanely ridiculous that I could walk down the street, conk the first girl I see over the head and drag her off to the courthouse and get married no questions asked.

I’m about 99.99999999999% certain that the opposition is based on religious belief. That’s fine you have your belief, as do I, yes gay people believe in God. I’m fully 150% behind you, and respect your belief. However, I’m not asking that my marriage be recognized by you OR your church, I’m asking that it be recognized by the so-called non-religious government. All I want, as a taxpaying American, is equal protection under the law. My partner and I live as a married couple, we are monogamous, we combine our incomes, we make decisions based on our mutual success, we share hopes and dreams and have a made a life together.

Throughout American history, the Constitution has been amended to expand and protect the rights and liberties of the American people. It has been amended to abolish slavery, and give women and young people the right to vote. It should not be used to single out some Americans for discrimination. As gay Americans we are just a regular people, we go to work, pay our bills and our taxes, respect our neighbors and are just trying to get ahead like everyone else. We aren’t asking for special right, we are asking, if not demanding, equal rights. We just want to be treated like everyone else.

This is a civil issue NOT a religious one.