Memo to Myself

Do the dumb things I gotta do.

Need More Hate Mail

This morning while absorbing caffeine, I tuned to the local TV news. Pretty typical for a weekday. Also pretty typical was a white-haired, white guy politician who really should be out on a golf course instead of making decisions about a future he won’t live to see. Anyway, this idiot goes on about how there’s no need to repeal the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy because “the system is working.”

After I chocking on my cappuccino, I realized he is right. The process of institutionalized discrimination functions just fine, thank you. The fact that 14,000 individuals have been drummed out of the service is all the proof we need. But why stop there? (Don’t hit that comment button to spew your hate my way yet, I’m about to give you tons more ammunition.)

Then a giant thought hit my little brain. Why do we have a military in the first place? To kill people, of course.

And what’s a basic tenet of both Judaism and Christianity? Thou shall not kill.

So how is that lusting after someone with the same genitals is incompatible with military service yet subscribing to a set of believes that forbids the military’s most basic purpose is okay?

If we truly want to be fair and equitable, we should ban practicing Jews and Christians from the armed services, too. If they’re really believers, they won’t do the basic job of killing for us. And if they will kill, then they’re just hypocrites—and there’s no honor in that, right?

So that’s the solution for all you white-haired white guy legislators. Keep the gay ban but add a Jew/Christian one, too.

Now go ahead and start firing off those hateful comments, I’ve got some more coffee to drink.

Teenage Dream

It’s coming up on three weeks and I still can’t stop watching the Teenage Dream performance from Glee. I even bought the from iTunes version so I can watch it in HD and 5.1 surround. Obviously, I’m just a softie beneath this cranky exterior.

Afraid

I can’t bring myself to upgrade the iPad to iOS 4.2 because I hate what iOS 4.x did to my iPhone 3Gs. Cut the battery life in half. Made it feel sluggish. And generally spoiled the user experience for very little day to day gain. For the iPad, I will wait until a favorite app requires it. Right now, 3.2.2 feels just about perfect. Third party multi-tasking, folders and the unified inbox are way overrated in my opinion. And the 4.2 specific features like Airprint and Airplay are useless since I’m not buying a new printer or Apple TV. If all this seems overly bitter, it’s because that’s how I feel. I hate that I can’t trust Apple’s updates anymore. Though it’s telling that the underlying OS is so good that piling new features on just slows stuff down.

Staying Home More

People seem to be waking up finally about how the TSA has made the airport experience miserable. I’m kind of shocked it’s taken this long. I’ve been complaining since 2002. It’s prompted me to cut way back on discretionary travel. And this is coming from someone who had elite status on some combination of AA, CO and UA from the late 80s to 2006. I managed to hit five continents so far. And when we still called NYC home, made four-day weekend jaunts to Europe.

These days, I’d just as soon stay home most of the year. Oh sure, Rich and I still manage to take a big vacation every year or so (continent #6 South America has been calling lately) but we’re no longer heading for the airport on the long weekends. It’s just not worth the hassle.

Worse still, and not pointed out by the NYTImes, is the fact that we the traveling public actually pay in the form of the ticket surcharge to be harassed. What a great country we’ve got here.

Even I Noticed

I think there was some sort of SF baseball game thingy tonight.

Nancy Pelosi Represents Me. Again.

Filled out my mail-in ballot today. Very pleased to go on record as voting for Nancy Pelosi. Not just the Democratic principles but the woman herself. As resident of the city and county of San Francisco, I get Ms. Pelosi as my representative. This marks the eighth consecutive time I’ve voted for her, too.

Despite my glee, I have to admit that Ms. Pelosi doesn’t accurately represent my views in Washington. She’s much too conservative. I prefer single-payer health care, a ban on assault rifles and handguns, elimination of the death penalty, reversal of DOMA and federal recognition of gay marriages–just to start.

But the simple fact that she gives so much agita to Republicans and tea baggers across the land means I’m only too happy to compromise my beliefs yet again. So go ahead all you bat-shit-crazy right wingers who somehow find this blog. Send your hate-filled comments now. I do love hitting that Delete button over and over.

Wear Purple?

I missed the entire wear purple thing that all the social kids are blatting about. Not sure I even noticed anymore purple shirts than normal here in SF. Maybe it was a fly-over states thing. Maybe I’m just really, really out of it.

Raising Hope

I’m enamored with Raising Hope. Cloris Leachman plays the whacked out great grandmother Maw Maw brilliantly. Check out the first few minutes of the pilot when she mistakes Jimmy for her dead husband. I laugh out loud every time I see the cigarette scene.

Disturbing Development

I’ve been a fan of Starbucks coffee for nearly 20 years. An art director who had relocated from Seattle to New York spoke about their beans with such reverence that I tracked them down through mail order. Understand this was a good five years before the chain invaded Manhattan. In those dark days, I’d sometimes resort to a “regular” coffee aka lightly roasted and bitterly weak then further disguised with milk and sugar in a futile effort to render it palatable.

Starbucks signature dark roast and pure arabica blends and varietals were a revelation. I never looked back. What’s more I’ve tolerated the proliferation and menu expansion because the underlying coffee has remained good. The fact that I now live in San Francisco and have stores with Clover machines readily available helped blunt the abomination that is Via even.

Now though Starbucks has crossed a line. Flavored coffee.

Not sickeningly-sweet syrup pumped into drinks but flavored beans. The classic bastardization used to mask substandard coffee and justify an obscene markup.

To say I’m disappointed is an understatement. Oh I know, the product managers involved will defend the move by saying customers asked for it. Customers also ask for super-size and artificial sweeteners.

The brands I spend my money on would say no.