Being sick and on the road

So I'm a liver transplant patient (pre-op, as we say), and despite the fact that someday I'll be sick as a dog, I've been remarkably healthy for someone in my condition. So it is that I decided it was a good idea to drive from Southern California to Colorado Springs for the holidays. With, as mentioned last night, two young boys and a wife. No prob!

Of course, as soon as we get here, we start the process of getting sick for the holidays. Growing up, my sister and I would trade off on who was sick at Christmastime. And now the family just came from So Cal to snow and cold, which we're not used to. So over the last couple weeks, the boys and I have been battling runny noses, coughing, and general nastiness.

I was better for one day and a night, and then things came back. New Years' Eve, Jacob and I went to urgent care and got some meds to kick this stuff. Mostly so I could make the trip back hope, sick people or no.

And so far, I got to pretend that I'm not otherwise sick--meaning all the nastiness that can accompany liver disease. Until New Years' Day, that is.

I still don't know if I caught a 24-hour bug, had a touch of food poisoning, or just used up all the good health I had stored up. But the chills, body aches, and problems...let's say in my nether regions kicked up, and it occurred to me that I was 1200 miles from home with none of the meds I could use to combat any of the symptoms. I knew that if the worst had started, it was going to be a very long month. At the very least, a very long drive home.

But my luck held out, and before midnight that night the symptoms broke. Hallelujah!

It did underscore the lack of seriousness I've been giving my condition, and the potential for bad things to happen if I continue down this path. While waiting on a liver transplant, I won't be healthy forever. I need to start preparing for the day that really starts up.

Glædelig New Year!

So it's 2009. Yay. This year's starting out with a kick to the head. Or, to be more precise, a kick to the sinuses.

The family's been in Colorado since Dec 18, and we had every intention of heading back to CA by Jan 2. But everyone except Leanne has nasty things coming out of our noses, and lovely hacking coughs. Just the thing for a 1200 mile car trip. Jacob and I have been to the doc, and Kyle goes later today. So we're opting for a couple more days for the meds to kick in so we just might enjoy the car trip.

Luckily my parents haven't changed the locks on the house. Yet.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

Dealing with Definitions

So I’m “officially” disabled. After going through state disability here in California, and then waiting on the interminable process of being approved for Federal disability, I’m finally official, according to the government. Heck, I even got one of those nifty blue placards for parking my car, which I intend only to use when my legs go all gimpity on me (although those disabled spots look pretty good during the holiday season).

And what’s the first thing I discovered upon being brought into the System? That I can’t afford to live on what the System allows. I have no idea how anyone with a family can. My monthly check is just a hair more than what my health insurance (which I must pay for myself) costs me.

This means that if I want to stay in Southern California (and that is by no means a given), I need to work. Despite what my doctors think, I need to return to the field that I have come from, which generally calls for 60+ hour work weeks. How I’ll do that, I don’t know, but I know that I have to for my family.

So I’ve begun the job search. And in over three months, I’ve had one interview, one rejection, and over three dozen applications that receive no response whatsoever. I don’t know whether to chalk it up to the fact that this is a truly rotten time to be begging for decent work, hat in hand, or if it’s a case where in many cases it’s better to hire two twenty-somethings with no experience (but a lot of moxy!) than a forty-year old who can get the same work done quicker and right the first time, but will ask for a little more money because of it.

So that’s a humdinger to deal with.

And then there’s the ongoing drama of realizing that I am disabled. Maybe not in the sense that first springs to most people’s minds, but the truth is that my life is not what it once was. So often I get frustrated because I can’t do it all. The truth of the matter is that some days I nearly can’t do much of anything, or that I shouldn’t do much of anything, but I push myself farther than I should.

I want to do the best for my family, for my wife and kids, and for myself. But the combination of health, family, financial, and economical circumstances have come together in that perfect storm that’s put my back against the proverbial wall.

I’ll keep fighting, because I know that I have to. I know that there’s a better situation if I continue to persevere and believe that God has a plan in all this. It doesn’t change my view right now, but it does help me hold on as I wait.

A dunderhead’s opinion of politicking: Prop 8

Continuing my useless fascination with the Proposition 8 phenomenon, I will now attempt to take my size 13 foot and get it six feet or so higher than it likes to be in order that I may place it into my mouth. Here goes.

Let’s start with the Official Title and Summary, as handed to us voters from our Attorney General: “PROP 8 — ELIMINATES RIGHT OF SAME–SEX COUPLES TO MARRY. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.
- Changes the California Constitution to eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry in California.
- Provides that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.
Summary of Legislative Analyst’s Estimate of Net State and Local Government Fiscal Impact:
- Over the next few years, potential revenue loss, mainly from sales taxes, totaling in the several tens of millions of dollars, to state and local governments.
- In the long run, likely little fiscal impact on state and local governments.”

Bear in mind that all this text (especially the title, which specifically uses the word “eliminates”) was prepared by California Attorney General Jerry Brown, who has publicly stated his opposition to this Proposition. It is my contention that he used his position to attempt to sway swing voters by painting the title and initial summary in as negative a light as possible to help swing the middle of the road voters. Who wants to eliminate something from another person, unless they are mean, cruel, heartless fascists?

Read the San Francisco Chronicle and this “Right Wing website”. Is this the Attorney General’s job, to editorialize propositions? I doubt it’s in his job description, but as creating this text for all the Propositions falls under the duties of his office, he certainly didn’t do anything wrong under the letter of the law regarding his job. But the spirit? That’s irrelevant, apparently.

I’ll take a few lines to remind us of the ENTIRE text for Prop 8:

“This initiative measure is submitted to the people in accordance with the provisions of Article II, Section 8, of the California Constitution. This initiative measure expressly amends the California Constitution by adding a section thereto; therefore, new provisions proposed to be added are printed in italic type to indicate that they are new.
SECTION 1. Title
This measure shall be known and may be cited as the “California Marriage Protection Act.”
SECTION 2. Section 7.5 is added to Article I of the California Constitution, to read:
SEC. 7.5. Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.”

As I mentioned yesterday, I’m sure most of you are weary of the entire issue. I’m exhausting myself. I really need a job.

So I’ll get to it: the differences between the financial supporters on both sides of the argument, and the differences in at least how I perceive each side representing itself, before and after the election. I know, I copy and pasted that from yesterday. Sue me for self-plagiarizing.

You can scroll down to read my exhausting…I mean, exhaustive notes on the major donors. I’ll just reiterate them by name.

Some of the donors supporting Prop. 8:

- Knights of Columbus, $1,400,000.
- Howard Ahmanson Jr., $1,150,000.
- John Templeton, $900,000
- National Organization for Marriage, $785,750.
- Elsa Prince, $650,000.
- Fieldstead & Company, $600,000.
- American Family Association, $500,000.
- Focus on the Family, $411,000.
- Doug Manchester, $125,000.
- The members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, $20 million or so.

Some of the donors in the opposition of Proposition 8:
- Human Rights Campaign, $2,057,981
--- > Bruce Bastian gave $1,005,000 to HRC. I believe that’s part of the HRC total.
- David Maltz, $1,100,000.
- California Teachers Association, $1,300,000.
- No on 8 - Equality California, $1,250,000.
- Robert Wilson, $1,200,000.
- David Bohnett, $600,000.
- Tim Gill, (Gill Action Fund), $350,000.
- James Hormel, $350,000.
- Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), $250,000.
- Center Advocacy Project Issues PAC, $234,000.
- Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Service Center, $225,000.
- National Gay & Lesbian Task Force, about $215,200.
- GLAAD, $100,000.
- Horizons Foundation, $100,000.
- Apple, $100,000.
- Google, $100,000.

SELF-PLAGIARISM ALERT: So there it is, the hardly complete list of where the money came from, for and against. I hope I have been able to present some of the data behind where the money came from, and perhaps even a glimpse of why it came from where it did. Which represents my first conundrum.

Let’s take the crowd that’s for Prop 8. Every major contributor, save perhaps Elsa Prince, is connected with a church somehow. It’s my contention that the motivating factor in supporting this Proposition financially springs from their core beliefs and values. We could debate endlessly on whether that view is right or wrong (and no one would change their minds, so let’s leave it alone for a change), but I would like to think that if the opponents to this cause could take a step back from their emotions and feelings on the issue, they could at least appreciate that in almost every case the support comes from very personal, cherished beliefs. I’d like to think that Ms. Prince falls into this category as well, but in the limited research I’ve done (hey, I ain’t getting paid for this, folks) I can’t ascertain her stance, other than that she apparently agrees that marriage should be between a man and woman. That’s what her money tells me.

In looking at the opponents of Prop 8, I mostly see a reflection of the supporters: a group of individuals, organizations, and foundations that publicly state their sincere beliefs and are willing to pay and fight for what they believe in. There are a smattering of very rich people who, like their opponents, have the freedom to let their money work for them in the things that are precious to them. America in action. And it comes as no surprise to see the list of Gay and Lesbian (GLBT, or LGBT if you prefer) groups donating and working toward their causes; they are being true to who they say they are, and are true to their beliefs.

Honestly, I have a little trouble connecting Apple and Google to this issue, except for the fact that each is a corporate entity that holds in reserve a certain budget to give toward charitable causes, and this is where the board has decided to dedicate this money. Again, this speaks to the freedom that America stands for.

A little further from the connection is PG&E, as I don’t see the significance of a utility company getting involved in the issue. The only thread I see is that they are the main power supplier to the San Francisco Bay area, and that their customer base would see this as a positive customer relations move. Additionally, I have to believe a majority of the people on the board of PG&E are personally opposed to the proposition, and have made it an issue for the utility. If that’s the case, I’ll return to my position that this is an example of something that is fundamentally American, and leave it at that.

BUT, as a newly credentialed teacher in the state of California (with friends who have taught for over 15 years), I cannot fathom the CTA’s stake in the fight, especially when their financial outlay make them the number two contributor to the fight (according to my research). And although I am personally in favor of Prop 8 (there, I said it, OK????), I’d have the same opinion if they had donated an equal amount in favor of the proposition. In my opinion, they should be advocates of teachers’ rights (and, by association, students’ rights), and not allocating money toward something that their own press releases say doesn’t affect education in this state. But that’s as close to a rant as I’ll make on this subject today. After all, I’m not really a teacher yet (stupid California budget).

My second conundrum revolves around how each side has represented itself, before and after the election. This is entirely based on my impressions gathered from sitting in my nice quiet suburban house, watching TV and surfing the internet (the two best sources for forming any opinion).

Before the election, both sides were largely civil. We’d put up our signs, they’d put up their signs, everyone would hear the stories of the occasional sign that got stolen, vandalized, or otherwise tampered with, and that was about it, except for the occasional middle-school-style name calling (“Stupid-head!” “Oh, yeah? Well, you’re a poo-poo breath!” “Am not, smelly pants!” “Are so, farty-fart-farter!” “I’m rubber and you’re glue…”).

After the election, the backers of the proposition seemed largely to go home from their polling place, take down their “Yes on 8” (and, let’s be honest, “McCain/Palin” and, in my town, “No on Measure U”) signs, turn on the TV, and hope that the world would return to normal soon. (Note for posterity: realize that in California, about 1.5 million people voted for President-elect Obama and Prop 8. If it were just McCain supporters, Prop 8 would be deader than Texas roadkill in August.)

The opponents of Prop 8, upon seeing that they had lost this battle, went on to stage at least five days of protests here in LA, mostly in front of churches (and not just LDS temples, either), where the emotions seemed to get higher and hotter with each day. And they weren’t just calling their opponents “poo-poo heads” this time.

Some of that is to be expected. This is a very emotional issue, to be sure. However, to those who are disappointed that Prop 8 passed, bear in mind that perhaps the strongest message you can send to the world is how you conduct yourself in these times. It’s been mentioned (on conservative talk radio, so it must be true), that if a re-run were made on this issue now, two weeks after the fact, the vote would likely go from the 52% for/48% against to more like 60% for/40% against, for the simple fact that moderate Americans don’t appreciate angry and belligerent outbursts when people are trying to make a point.

So wrap it up, Fear! Here’s the lowdown from this jobless disabled graphic designing teacher with a penchant for writing (anyone have a job for me?):

The folks for Proposition 8, wanting to define marriage as between a man and a woman, are largely God-fearing, religious people who are voting their values and their conscience. Most of the money supporting this proposition came out of these beliefs. Believe it or not (and I know most don’t), many of the people on this side of the fence are supportive of civil unions, and are not, in fact, seeking a constitutional ban on “gayness.” We are not, contrary to the opinions on many Op/Ed pages post-Nov 4, the new generation of Nazis.

The folks against Proposition, wanting to open marriage to any two people who love one another, are either part of the GLBT movement or are enlightened heterosexuals who believe this to be a civil rights issue. And while a fair amount of the financial backing came from these two sources, a large amount came from sources that seem to have a purely political agenda. Additionally, the activists in opposition to this proposition do their cause a great disservice by using intolerance, violence, and hate speech to accuse their opponents of intolerance, violence, and hate speech.

As the bumper sticker I don’t have on my racecar says, “Shut up, sit down, and hang on.” Whatever that means.

Ow. I think I broke my liver.

Just the Facts, ma’am:

A dunderhead’s attempt at figuring out Prop 8

This doesn’t have anything directly to do with my liver, health, or immediate life. But it is something I have to get out of my head and onto the (virtual) page. I’m in the midst of a bit of research on the subject, so please excuse my verbosity. Just look for the stuff that you care about, ignore the rest, and then declare me a moron. Isn’t that the American political system in a nutshell?

Today’s missive focuses on some facts I’ve gathered regarding California’s Proposition 8. For those of you who haven’t heard about it, California (my current home state) just passed Prop 8, which is a state constitutional amendment that effectively defines Marriage as being between a man and a woman. The official state website containing the analysis, official arguments and rebuttals, and complete text of the proposition can be found here.

As much as possible, for today I’ll try to keep my opinionated fingers out of the pie and present just the facts as I have found and understand them. I’ll blather my way into a corner tomorrow.

This is the Official Title and Summary, as handed to us voters from our Attorney General: “PROP 8 — ELIMINATES RIGHT OF SAME–SEX COUPLES TO MARRY. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.
- Changes the California Constitution to eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry in California.
- Provides that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.
Summary of Legislative Analyst’s Estimate of Net State and Local Government Fiscal Impact:
- Over the next few years, potential revenue loss, mainly from sales taxes, totaling in the several tens of millions of dollars, to state and local governments.
- In the long run, likely little fiscal impact on state and local governments.”

What is the text of the proposition itself? Turns out it’s short enough to include here. This is the ENTIRE text for Prop 8, by the way.

“This initiative measure is submitted to the people in accordance with the provisions of Article II, Section 8, of the California Constitution. This initiative measure expressly amends the California Constitution by adding a section thereto; therefore, new provisions proposed to be added are printed in italic type to indicate that they are new.
SECTION 1. Title
This measure shall be known and may be cited as the “California Marriage Protection Act.”
SECTION 2. Section 7.5 is added to Article I of the California Constitution, to read:
SEC. 7.5. Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.”

The opening of the entry on this topic in the Wikipedia (which every high school student knows is the definitive collection of reliable information on the planet) is this:

“Proposition 8 is a California State ballot proposition that would amend the state Constitution to restrict the definition of marriage to a union between a man and a woman. It would overturn a recent California Supreme Court decision that had recognized same-sex marriage in California as a fundamental right. The official ballot title language for Proposition 8 is "Eliminates Right of Same-Sex Couples to Marry." The entirety of the text to be added to the constitution is: "Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California."
“The campaigns for and against Proposition 8 raised $35.8 million and $37.6 million, respectively, becoming the highest-funded campaign on any state ballot that day and surpassing every campaign in the country in spending except the presidential contest. The proponents argued for exclusively heterosexual marriage while claiming that failure to change the constitution would require changes to school curriculum and threaten church tax benefits. The opponents argued that eliminating the rights of any Californian and mandating that one group of people be treated differently from everyone else was unfair and wrong.”

That’s just the slightest dip in the water of all the ancillary issues that cropped up over this proposition. But I’m sure most of you are weary of the entire issue, as am I.

My interest, however lies in two areas: the differences between the financial supporters on both sides of the argument, and the differences in at least how I perceive each side representing itself, before and after the election.

A little more internet research (because if it’s on the internet, it’s obviously true) gives us this information: The main donors supporting Prop. 8 were:

- Knights of Columbus (a Catholic-based fraternal benefits organization, raising $1,400,000)

- Howard Ahmanson Jr. (again, according to Wikipedia, “an heir of the Home Savings bank fortune… [and] a multi-millionaire philanthropist and financier of the causes of many conservative Christian cultural, religious and political organizations, $1,150,000)

- John Templeton (from the Templeton Foundation website: “…an investor and mutual fund pioneer [worth billions]. As a member of the Presbyterian Church, Templeton was dedicated to his faith. However, [he] remained open to the benefits and values of other faiths. Commenting on his commitment to what he called spiritual progress, “But why shouldn't I try to learn more? Why shouldn't I go to Hindu services? Why shouldn't I go to Muslim services? If you are not egotistical, you will welcome the opportunity to learn more.” $900,000)

- National Organization for Marriage (according to their own website, “a nonprofit organization with a mission to protect marriage and the faith communities that sustain it. Founded in response to the growing need for an organized opposition to same-sex marriage in state legislatures, NOM serves as a national resource for marriage-related initiatives at the state and local level.” $785,750.)

- Elsa Prince (the widow of Edgar Prince, who founded Prince Automotive and invented the lighted sun visor mirror, which made them billionaires; in 2004 she was the top individual contributor to Citizens for the Protection of Marriage. $650,000.)

- Fieldstead & Company (from the company website: “Fieldstead is a private company that manages the assets of the Howard F. Ahmanson, Jr. family [see above]. Among other things, one of the functions of Fieldstead & Company is to help manage the family's various philanthropic programs as part of a Christian worldview.” $600,000.)

- American Family Association (from their website: “The American Family Association represents and stands for traditional family values, focusing primarily on the influence of television and other media – including pornography – on our society.” And on their founder, Don Wildmon: “Donald E. Wildmon is an ordained United Methodist minister, having earned his MDiv. from Emory College in 1965. After serving in the U.S. Army's Special Services he pastored churches from 1965 until he founded National Federation for Decency in 1977. NFD became American Family Association in 1988.” $500,000)

- Focus on the Family (from their website: “We believe that the institution of marriage is a sacred covenant designed by God to model the love of Christ for His people and to serve both the public and private good as the basic building block of human civilization…Christians are called to defend and protect God's marriage design and to minister in Christ's name to those who suffer the consequences of its brokenness.” $411,000.)

- Doug Manchester (from his website: “Mr. Manchester is Chairman of Manchester Financial Group, one of San Diego's largest and most profitable private companies…He is known internationally for owning and developing two of the largest hotels in the United States. Those hotels are The Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego and the San Diego Marriott Hotel & Marina.” And this, from the San Diego Union-Tribute’s website: ‘Manchester said he was motivated [to donate this money] by his strong Catholic faith. “I personally believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman,” he said.’ $125,000.)

However, the group mostly singled out as the “true backers” of this proposition is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (aka LDS church, or Mormons, if you prefer). Back to Wikipedia: “Contributions from Mormons were said to amount to between 33%-40% of the total amount raised in support of Proposition 8.” Note that the contributions came from individuals within the church, not from the church itself. Opponents point out that the church sent out Pro-prop 8 messages to be read at church services, urging members to work toward passage of this proposition. True! In fact, this is reported on the LDS website itself (http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/commentary/california-and-same-sex-marriage), which starts their internal press release dated June 30, 2008 with “The following letter was sent from the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to Church leaders in California to be read to all congregations on 29 June 2008.” Best guesstimates are that Mormon congregants raised $20 million in their effort to pass this proposition.

Now let’s turn to the opponents of Proposition 8. Some of the donors to the No on 8 campaign included:

- Human Rights Campaign (from their website: “The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.” $2,057,981)
- Bruce Bastian gave $1,005,000 to HRC. (From his website: “Bruce Wayne Bastian was born in Twin Falls, Idaho [to] a conservative, Mormon family... [He] started a small software company offering word processing software on mini computers. In 1983, soon after the IBM Personal Computer was announced, Mr. Ashton and Mr. Bastian rewrote their word processing product to run in the PC world. That product was named WordPerfect.” and “Bastian’s foresight and generosity have provided more personal and financial support to local GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bi-sexual, Transgender) organizations than any other single individual. He is also a major donor for several national GLBT organizations.”

- David Maltz (a Cleveland businessman) donated $1,100,000 (from the L.A. Times, October 25: “I'm contributing to No on 8 because it's wrong to eliminate anyone's fundamental rights and unfair to treat some people differently," Maltz said in a statement. “I hope my contribution will encourage others to donate, get involved and help defeat this attack on families.”)

- California Teachers Association, $1,300,000 (From their website: “The California Teachers Association (CTA) is California's largest professional employee organization, representing more than 340,000 public school teachers, counselors, psychologists, librarians, other non-supervisory certificated personnel, and Education Support Professionals. CTA is affiliated with the 3.2 million-member National Education Association. More than 1,100 chapters or local teachers associations are chartered as CTA affiliates. Two unique CTA Chapters are "statewide" affiliates: The California Faculty Association, the bargaining agent for professors in the California State University system and the Community College Association, representing members in 42 chapters who work in 72 community college districts across the state.”)

- No on 8 - Equality California, $1,250,000 (From their website: “In the past 10 years, Equality California has strategically moved California from a state with extremely limited legal protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals to a state with some of the most comprehensive civil rights protections in the nation…EQCA works to achieve equality and secure legal protections for LGBT people. To improve the lives of LGBT Californians, EQCA sponsors legislation and coordinates efforts to ensure its passage, lobbies legislators and other policy makers, builds coalitions, develops community strength and empowers individuals and other organizations to engage in the political process.”)

- Robert Wilson, $1,200,000. (According to the San Francisco Chronicle, “a retired Brooklyn hedge-fund manager.” That’s all I could get on him in the time I’m allowing myself for this research.)

- David Bohnett, $600,000. (From his foundation’s website: “David Bohnett is…Chair of the David Bohnett Foundation and head of private equity firm Baroda Ventures…He founded GeoCities, an Internet based media and e-commerce company…The company became publicly traded on NASDAQ and was subsequently acquired by Yahoo! Inc.” and their mission statement: “David Bohnett and the David Bohnett Foundation are committed to improving society through social activism. We pursue our mission by providing funding, state-of-the-art technology and technical support to innovative organizations and institutions that, in addition to meeting our funding guidelines, share our vision.”)

- Tim Gill, (Gill Action Fund), $350,000. (From the Action Fund’s website: “Gill Action was founded in 2005 by philanthropist and entrepreneur Tim Gill with the mission of securing equal rights for all Americans regardless of sexual orientation and gender expression. Gill Action emphasizes strategic partnerships with allied organizations that result in the lasting and effective realization of its mission through the legislative, political, and electoral process…Gill Action values bipartisanship, not only in its staff, but in its strategy to advance equality.” and about Tim Gill: “In addition to funding the gay and lesbian movement for equal rights, he is also a strong supporter of social justice organizations and educational institutions. Tim was one of the first major contributors to the Colorado AIDS Project and has long supported local public radio and television through program underwriting. Through the Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado, a project of the Gill Foundation, Tim has provided financial support to numerous organizations which serve the general public, including nearly $1 million to the American Red Cross for Hurricane Katrina disaster relief. Tim is founder and former chairman of Quark, Incorporated. He is recognized for revolutionizing the publishing industry with innovative, affordable, page-layout software.”)

- James Hormel, $350,000. (From Wikipedia: “James Catherwood Hormel is a philanthropist and grandson of George A. Hormel, founder of Hormel Foods (producers of SPAM and other meat products). He lives in San Francisco, California.
“Hormel…was a member of the 1996 U.S. delegations to the United Nations General Assembly and the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, and the boards of directors of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce and the American Foundation for AIDS Research. He was appointed United States Ambassador to Luxembourg by President Bill Clinton in 1999. When he was appointed through a recess appointment, he became the first openly gay man to represent the United States as an ambassador.
“The James C. Hormel Gay & Lesbian Center at the San Francisco Public Library is the gateway to collections documenting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) history and culture, with a special emphasis on the San Francisco Bay Area.”)

- Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), $250,000. (From their website, insight into their corporate philanthropy: “Through its corporate Foundation and lines of business, PG&E Corporation has demonstrated its commitment to the communities it serves with a wide range of programs, activities, and donations and grants to educational, environmental and community organizations.” And their Environmental Justice Policy: “PG&E Corporation will conduct its operations in a manner that is consistent with and promotes environmental justice principles. We are committed to:
* Comply with the letter and spirit of environmental justice laws and regulations in our operations.
* Set high standards of environmental performance to minimize environmental impacts from our operations.
* Work diligently to address all environmental justice issues.
* Incorporate environmental justice considerations in the purchase of existing facilities and the planning and development of new facilities.
* Work with stakeholders to ensure that future development around our facilities is compatible with our existing and planned facility use.
* Maintain open and responsive communications with all stakeholders.
* Communicate and reinforce our environmental justice values within the corporation.
* Accept responsibility for our operations, and in so doing work collaboratively with our neighbors and surrounding communities.”)

- Center Advocacy Project Issues PAC, $234,000. (From their website: “The Center Advocacy Project, Inc., [is] a new, non-partisan 501 C4 organization whose mission is to is to secure equal civil and human rights for the LGBT and allied communities through public education, legislation, and issue advocacy. The Center Advocacy Project will actively and consistently engage in lobbying and campaigning on the core social issues that affect our community. From hate violence, to employment discrimination, to school safety, to the freedom to marry, The Center Advocacy Project will be on the front lines to advocate and protect LGBT San Diegans.”)

- Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Service Center, $225,000. (After some digging, I assume this to be in reference to the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center; if I’m correct, this is their info from their website: “Since 1971 the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center has been building the health, advocating for the rights and enriching the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Today it is a $51 million organization with 300 employees and 3,000 active volunteers. The Center’s wide array of services includes: free HIV/AIDS care and medications for those most in need; housing, food, clothing and support for homeless LGBT youth; low-cost counseling and addiction-recovery services; essential services for LGBT-parented families and seniors; legal services; health education and HIV prevention programs; transgender services; cultural arts program and much more.”)

- National Gay & Lesbian Task Force, about $215,200. (Mission statements from their website: “The mission of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force is to build the grassroots power of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. We do this by training activists, equipping state and local organizations with the skills needed to organize broad-based campaigns to defeat anti-LGBT referenda and advance pro-LGBT legislation, and building the organizational capacity of our movement. Our Policy Institute, the movement’s premier think tank, provides research and policy analysis to support the struggle for complete equality and to counter right-wing lies. As part of a broader social justice movement, we work to create a nation that respects the diversity of human expression and identity and creates opportunity for all.
“Mission of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Action Fund: …founded in 1974 as the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Inc., works to build the grassroots political power of the LGBT community to win complete equality. We do this through direct and grassroots lobbying to defeat anti-LGBT ballot initiatives and legislation and pass pro-LGBT legislation and other measures. We also analyze and report on the positions of candidates for public office on issues of importance to the LGBT community.”)

- GLAAD, $100,000. (From their website: “Our Mission: The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) is dedicated to promoting and ensuring fair, accurate and inclusive representation of people and events in the media as a means of eliminating homophobia and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation.”)

- Horizons Foundation, $100,000 (Mission statement from their website: “A community foundation rooted in and dedicated to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community, Horizons Foundation exists to:
* Mobilize and increase resources for the LGBT movement and organizations that secure the rights, meet the needs, and celebrate the lives of LGBT people.
* Empower individual donors and promote giving as an integral part of a healthy, compassionate community.
* Steward a permanently endowed fund through which donors can make legacy gifts to ensure our community's capacity to meet the future needs of LGBT people.”)

- Apple, $100,000 (The computer company. I’m typing this on one right now. ‘Nuff said.)

- Google, $100,000 (The search engine company. I’ve used them indirectly to gather most of the information here. If you’re reading this blog, you know who and what Google is.)

So there it is, the hardly complete list of where the money came from, for and against. I hope I have been able to present some of the data behind where the money came from, and perhaps even a glimpse of why it came from where it did.

I’ll open my big, fat, stupid mouth tomorrow.

Awakened from a lengthy slumber

Has it really been over 10 months since I’ve written here? How sad for me.

Highlights: started student teaching in a high school art class. Applied for federal disability (SSDI). Finished student teaching at a high school art class. Received my Preliminary California Teaching Credential. Got called in for a liver transplant. Liver transplant didn’t happen. Looked for teaching jobs for the fall. Found none. Got approved for SSDI (after almost 8 months of waiting). Discovered families in California can’t live on SSDI. Discovered that my family makes too much money (unemployed, but on SSDI) to qualify for any other public assistance. Started looking for a job that will support my family. The economy collapsed. No one’s hiring, but the mortgage companies have slowed down the foreclosure process. So we have a place to live, for now.

The boys are now five and two. The financial burdens of raising a family are stressful, but the joys of parenting more than make up for it. And as long as I’m out of work, I can at least take comfort in the time I can spend with them. They drive me nuts and sometimes I’m convinced they’re conspiring to kill me, but I sure do love them anyhow.

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Tomorrow is Veteran’s Day, and I should spend some time reflecting on that. Dad’s a veteran, after all, and being an Army brat I appreciate the sacrifices that our men and women in uniform make on our behalf.

So I found it interesting that while most schools and school districts are closed tomorrow, the one that I went to drop off the final paperwork for a job consideration chose to eschew the traditional Tuesday off for a Monday, making it a three-day weekend for their administration. Not only did it annoy me that I wasted a morning attempting to do things face-to-face (in the probably mistaken belief that it will somehow increase my chances of at least getting an interview), but as a patriotic American it makes me question if I really want to work for this organization. They’ve told me, through their actions, that Veteran’s Day is less about Veterans and more about a convenient day off.

Still, a job’s a job. So we’ll see.

Another Great Day, Just Like the Last

Welcome back to Groundhog Day. I’ll be playing the part of Bill Murray, except for the part where I’m famous and rich and everyone wants to be me. Or at least close to me.

Where were we? Well, I’m taking my meds again. Started back up today. Only felt sick for about 15 or 20 minutes after taking them, and I’m hoping one of the side effects will be sleep, glorious sleep. Of course, it’s now quarter to midnight and I’m still going. So it may take a few days. Or not.

And on a positive note, all four wheels of my Miata held air all day long. I know, that’s a pretty random thought, but it’s a problem that’s plagued me for a few weeks now, and even when I bought new tires last Saturday the problem persisted through the holiday weekend (it being New Years and all). I guess the monkeys at the local tire shop aren’t fully trained. They do fling poo, though.

Getting back to the liver thing (more or less), I hope most of you noticed and took note that there was a float in the Rose Parade this year dedicated to organ donation and transplantation. It was almost as cool as the Honda Ridgeline that turned into a spaceship…kinda. No, come to think of it, that float was pretty lame. The organ donation one was better. If would have been more memorable if it had stopped in front of the judges’ booth and sprayed blood like I did in the E.R. a couple of years ago, but I think the portion of the population not hip to the wacky sense of humor those of us on “the inside” have might have found that in bad taste. I would have laughed until milk came out of my nose. And I don’t drink milk.

And I noticed, in looking at my blog (such that it is) that I had last left you, gentle readers, with a tale of betrayal, disappointment, and bitterness. Odd that I’d revisit this on the day of the Iowa caucus, but the Lord moves in mysterious ways.

ANYWAY, to put a bright pink ribbon on the package of that story, as near as I can tell our first nanny is in the midst of getting her comeuppance, and we hired another person who started in the middle of December. The new gal—I’ll call her ChicaDee for no other reason than it probably would annoy her—is a REAL PERSON. She’s not a caricature or a shell wherein various personalities dwell, but a real flesh and blood young woman who has been nothing but open, honest, and forthcoming about herself. Refreshing!

Of course, she arrived in Los Angeles from the Pacific Northwest-ish (I don’t want to say exactly where she’s from, but it involves tubers) just in time for our family to stop our regular routines for the craziness of the holidays, and she’ll have been here a month before she starts to really see how life is at Casa de Fear. But she has been here long enough to stop talking about when she’s returning home to finish college and to start talking about finishing her degree (or degrees!) here in Southern California. Ha! We’ve trapped another one!

So basically her honeymoon phase may be coming to an end, and as school and work resume (and the boys’ foolishness gets going again) she’ll have plenty of reasons to hate life. Unless she’s really good at what she does…and then she’ll only hate me. Or at least my liver.

Wacky sense of humor!

Happy #@%n New Year

I’m back and I’m pissed. Or maybe just tired. I’ll let you know for sure when I’ve had some sleep.

I’m not tired because of my boys, or because of my liver condition (as far as I know). I’ll admit I’ve been off my medications for several weeks now, as they tend to slow me down and I’ve needed to be at full strength (meaning 75%, of course). To be honest, things are getting back to the point where I can comfortably go back on my meds and believe that everything’s going to be all right, at least in terms of the boys’ safety and upbringing. More on that in upcoming days.

So am I worried about money? No, not any more so than at any other time. We’re in a “float downstream and watch out for rapids” period at the Casa de Fear, and if you have any clue what that metaphor really means you get a gold star and the chance to explain it to the rest of us. I don’t think even I have a clue what I’m talking about.

Mainly I’ve just let life and my household get away from me, and everywhere I turn I’m constantly reminded of all the things I need to get done, or all the things I haven’t done, or all the things that keep slipping between the cracks of the twenty-four hours a day there potentially are available to get them done in.

At the end of the day, or the end of the week, or the end of some vast business that marks my time on this planet, I’d love to just sit. I’ve watched with envy those who have been able to watch the Bowl Games that have been broadcast recently, and I’m not really a football fan. I just can’t currently imagine having two, three, or four hours to just sit and be a spectator. I have to be busy getting things done, because if I don’t, they simply won’t get done, which adds to the problem.

I feel like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day. Every day I awake with another chance to clear off that counter, move (and empty) those boxes in my office or garage, straighten up that mess. Then I collapse at the end of the day, finally too exhausted to do anything else, and by the next morning (or certainly, by noon) it’s as though the previous day never happened—I’m back to the same place I was, getting one more chance to do it the right way this time.

Oh well. At least my liver hasn’t exploded.