Self portrait with me and my "finalist cert" from the Bush in 30 seconds contest!

ps - note bottom left signature: Moby! Neat-o!   ¶ 8:18 PM

 

Click the above image if you've got a strong stomach, a sick sense of humor, and you really like sex jokes.

  ¶ 4:07 AM

  QUOTES OF THE DAY:


"While President Bush likes to project an image of strength and courage, the truth is that in the presence of his large financial contributors he is a moral coward -- so weak that he seldom if ever says 'No' to them on anything -- no matter what the public interest might mandate."

Al Gore, MoveOn.Org


"It is unclear to me why anyone would believe anything the president says about our fiscal situation. Keep in mind, this is a man who took three Texas oil companies into bankruptcy."

Molly Ivins, Alternet.Org


"Warning: If we keep moving toward the candidate getting the softest mainstream media treatment, we'll end up supporting Bush."

Jeff Cohen, CommonDreams.Org

  ¶ 2:59 AM

  Due to popular demand, MORE AQUARIUM PICS!


Cuttle Fish (Or Aliens from the Ocean Planet Squishium)


Eel


Leafy Sea Dragon


Stingray


Spiny Crab


Tropical Brian  ¶ 2:07 AM

  Today we went down to the aquarium at Monterey Bay... it is IMPOSSIBLE to pick the best pictures!!! It was an incredible experience of being surrounded by incredible animals... but here are a few:


Anchovies


Kelp


Me with Anemones


Upside-down Jellies


Brian and the Jellies


Me and the Jellies


Brian relaxing after long day!   ¶ 5:13 AM

  If you're ever going to click anything, CLICK ME! (and give me a few seconds to load up!)  ¶ 10:19 PM

  WELCOME TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD

Brian and I have been living in our new San Franciscan home for a few months now, but it didn't take us this long to figure out that we live in a neighborhood, a real neighborhood, with a real community and character all its own.

San Francisco has a lot of neighborhoods, sort of funny-shaped regions of the city that seem to clump together somehow, and every neighborhood has its own character, its own "look," and it's own demographics. Some of the neighborhoods you've heard of: "The Castro," "Haight-Ashbury," "Chinatown"... others you probably haven't heard of. I'd be willing to bet you probably haven't heard of our neighborhood. Even some of the "guides to San Francisco's neighborhoods" don't include The Excelsior. Maybe that's why we could afford to live here?


Lady selling flowers

I don't know how old The Excelsior is (and I don't know why all the neighborhoods in San Francisco are customarily referred to as "THE Mission," "THE Castro," "THE Sunset"...), but you can tell it wasn't always a part of the city. San Francisco houses are narrow and stunningly deep. There are some houses around here are actually square! You can tell they used to have yards! Some of the houses look like old farmhouses. 97 years ago, this part of the city was probably "outside" of the city, a suburb and excape from the city, where maybe some light farming and milking went on.

97 years ago... I didn't just pull that number from the air. A couple of nights ago, Brian and I went for dinner at Joe's Fish Grotto, a restaurant downstairs. When we first moved in, we noticed every day that the street outside smelled like fish... we don't smell it anymore (although I don't doubt the smell's still there). The smell comes from the Grotto, a small, cozy little seafood parlor that does only the most basic recipes. Mom cooks, dad bartends, and the grown daughter (maybe 40?) waits the tables. All three live upstairs (right next to us). We like the place because it's so close that walking there is quicker than making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and the grub's not bad. Anyway, we've been there a few times, and a couple days ago we went down there, and we met a 97-year-old woman (didn't catch her name) who's been eating at Joe's Fish Grotto since she first moved to The Excelsior in the 1930's with her husband and kids.

She told us she was born right in downtown San Francisco, and has lived here her whole life. She told us about the Joe who used to own The Grotto (apparently the uncle of the old guy behind the bar), and how he and his brother (the dad of the guy behind the bar) used to run the place, and how they're both dead now. She also told us that the last time she went bowling, a guy who was only in his eighties kissed her on the cheek! (She then giggled her head off.)


The View From Out Our Front Door

Now, I love meeting old people, and being born as I was in South Florida, I have probably had more opportunities than most to talk to them. And I've noticed that the older I get, the more jealous I get of them. I mean, I meet some pretty young girl, I think, yeah, it would be nice to have her butt, sure. But I don't get really full of covetous desire as I do for the years and years and years lived by the oldest people I've met. I mean, can you imagine? This woman was older than I am now when the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges were being built -- she could SEE it happening, see the networks of steel cable weaving themselves across the bay that had always kept San Francisco just a little separate from the rest of the world. She can remember when these 100-year-old Victorians were newish. Hell, when she was born, Mark Twain was still alive, and Bob Hope was young enough to have been her baby-sitter. Now that's the kind of thing I want people saying about ME some day!


Mission Street -- It's Hilly Here

What is the lesson here? Inner-beauty is more important than outer beauty, sure, but you knew that. The real lesson here is that when we're talking about inner-beauty, what we're really talking about is how attractive your colon is. Eat that fiber, kids. Keep your fingers crossed. And never turn down a kiss from a man in his eighties.

  ¶ 9:54 PM

 

Click the pretty sign for Brian's new site!   ¶ 3:18 PM

  U.S. toll in Iraq over 500
Count matches Vietnam in 1965
click me!  ¶ 3:17 PM