I've just given 3 weeks notice at my job.

Starting in Janaury, I'll be working doing development research at the Friends and Foundation of the San Francisco Public Library.

What a month. I turn 30, get engaged, find a new, exciting job. How do I follow this up?
11/30/2000 04:45:47 PM

Wednesday, November 29, 2000

This man might very well be living in my neighborhood.

(link stolen, once again, from rebeccablood.)
11/29/2000 09:03:59 AM

Tuesday, November 28, 2000

I've spent all day feeling alternately belligerant and teary and have been mentally shaking my fist at the world. How is it, I wonder, that I should spend all day working out silly logistics for business purposes? Why aren't people allowed to think? Bah...
11/28/2000 03:33:30 PM

Monday, November 27, 2000

And before you start in, none of these suggestions should involve harming the cat!!!
11/27/2000 04:48:37 PM

So my kitty won't stop crying at night. She doesn't keep me up, but she does keep my roommate up. I sleep much more heavily than she. Suggestions from the peanut gallery about how to get her to stop would be helpful.
11/27/2000 12:05:29 PM

Saturday, November 25, 2000

James and I saw Peter Murphy at the Great American Music Hall last night. This is the fifth time I've seen him perform, but I've never seen him this serene, disciplined, or intense. And I've never seen him backed only by an electric violin and guitar.

Peter came onstage after screening a 20-year-old art film, The Grid, which was originally shown during a Bauhaus tour in 1980. The film, populated by urban wasteland, black and white sky images, Peter as an elven, silent film figure, and singing claymation worms really defies description.

He moved from a restrained a cappella version of Cool, Cool Breeze and, warming gradually up to full on synthesizer and guitar solos, played a whole string of my favorites, among them My Last Two Weeks, Time Has Got Nothing To Do With It and I'll Fall With Your Knife.

I especially loved the addition of the electric violin, from which Hugh Marsh called haunting, unfocused melodies that added depth without challenging Peter's voice. Last March, at the Warfield, Peter's band nearly drowned him out in places. He was in much better voice last night, and his talents were really showcased without the usual rock presentation.

He closed with a new song with a trance - y middle eastern feel, "No Home Without Its Sire." I've been neglecting his new stuff, and will have to rush out tomorrow and buy it.

I think I'm like most Peter Murphy fans in that I feel religious about his performances. I always leave his concerts feeling that I've reacquainted myself with spirit and shed some of the tedium of my daytime world. I don't think he likes wearing the mantle of a god, however, so I've refrained from Peter-worship here, even though there's a gap between my words and the truth.

These words I know are bound and stuck/These words I know are bound and stuck/But use as much I know we must...
--Peter Murphy
11/25/2000 06:09:07 PM

Friday, November 24, 2000

I'm here putting in a couple of hours at work to help dig out my desk in anticipation of December's grantmaking rush (the tax year ends in...37 days). Yesterday James and I went to iLen's for a really very good Thanksgiving Dinner. We've agreed that the next round of costumes should be '20s. I'll be lugging costuming books to her house in the next couple of weeks.

James and I mangled our first pie together yesterday. The filling was very good, but my standards for crust are very high, and our crust will have to be improved a thousand fold before I'm happy with it. I'll be calling my mother for coaching before we try to make another from scratch. Anyway, we brought the pie (and a store bought pie), because we wanted to contribute something we'd actually made to dinner.

That's enough mundanity for the day, I suppose....so I'll just go back to overtime.
11/24/2000 02:39:26 PM

Tuesday, November 21, 2000

Oh, and thanks to Pyra for fixing Blogger!

[although there are still archiving issues to iron out, everything is much faster]
11/21/2000 07:03:10 AM

Received just fascinating spam on my obscure account today:

DEAR CRIDER, 21/11/2000.

URGENT BUSINESS PROPOSAL.

FIRST,WE SEEK YOUR KIND ASSISTANCE AND CONFIDENTIALITY TO OUR BUSINESS PROPOSAL WHICH INVOLVE HUGE TRANSFER OF FUNDS FROM OUR FOREIGN RESERVE ACCOUNT INTO YOUR NOMINATED ACCOUNT.
WE ARE TOP OFFICIALS OF {N.N.P.C},THE CONTRACT REVIEW COMMITTEE AND THE FEDERAL MINISTRY OF WORKS AND HOUSING.
WE ARE SEEKING YOUR ASSISTANCE TO ENABLE US TRASFER THE SUM OF USD17,320,000.00{ SEVENTEEN MILLION,THREE HUNDRED AND TWENTY THOUSAND U.S DOLLARS ONLY}INTO A RELIABLE BANK ACCOUNT OVERSEAS,WHICH YOU HAVE ABSOLUTE CONTROL OVER. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT.
THE FUNDS IS AS A RESULT OF GROSSLY OVER-INVOICED CONTRACTS SUM WHICH WERE EXECUTED FOR THE NNPC & FMWH BY FOREIGN CONTRACTORS DURING THE PAST MILITARY THE FUNDS IS AS A RESULT OF GROSSLY OVER-INVOICED CONTRACTS SUM WHICH WERE EXECUTED FOR THE NNPC & FMWH BY FOREIGN CONTRACTORS DURING THE PAST MILITARY GOVERNMENTS .
DURING OUR VERIFICATION PROCESS, WE DISCOVERED LOTS OF ACCOUNTS DISCREPANCIES AMOUNTING TO THE SAID SUM WHICH WE WANT TO SAFELY PAY INTO YOUR ACCOUNT FOR INVESTMENT IN YOUR COUNTRY AND TO BUY GOODS BACK TO OUR COUNTRY. I HAVE BEEN MANDATED BY MY COLLEAGUES TO ASK AND SECURE YOUR UNALLOYED CO-OPERATION.
THE PERCENTAGE SHARE TO BOTH PARTIES IS NEGOTIABLE . ALL WE NEED IS YOUR AFFIRMATION TO KEEP ALL INFORMATION TO THIS TRANSACTION BETWEEN US, MAINTAIN TRUST AND HIGH SENCE OF INTERGRITY TO ITS COMPLETION.
THE PROJECT IS LEGAL AND GENUINE. YOUR POSITIVE REPLY TO THIS PROPOSAL WILL STIMULATE OUR APPLICATION PROCESS FOR THE APPROVAL AND CLEARANCE OF THE FUNDS PAYABLE BY SOLAR DRAFT OR CHEQUE IN YOUR NAME.
THIS DRAFT OR CHEQUE CAN BE CASHED INTO YOUR ACCOUNT IN ANY BANK OF THE WORLD.
THE PROJECT IS RISK-FREE NOW OR IN FUTURE.
FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS ON RECEIPT OF YOUR REPLY.
BEST REGARDS .
MARTINS OGUMA.

Any takers?
11/21/2000 06:49:21 AM

Monday, November 20, 2000

For that matter, could someone let me know when Blogger is working again? It's a free service, so I don't really feel I can complain too much, but...it's been not working for a long time now.
11/20/2000 01:57:06 PM

Could someone let me know when we have a president? I can't believe that it's been 13 days and we're still fighting it out over Florida.
11/20/2000 08:38:19 AM

Friday, November 17, 2000

Friday.....

yay!
11/17/2000 04:00:40 PM

Thursday, November 16, 2000

I like this: http://www.digsmagazine.com/.

I can't remember where the link comes from, but it makes me want to RUSH home RIGHT now and refinish all of our beaten up secondhand furniture. And that's just to start with.
11/16/2000 12:55:31 PM

Well, the friend was mugged about 4 blocks from my house on Folsom Street. A homeless man threw a brick at his head and stole his wallet. But then, he was carrying the wallet in his hand . . .

On my way in today I encountered a man pushing along his very bruised friend up the street in a shopping cart. He had trouble getting the cart over the uneven pavement across sixth street, and I stopped to try to help. He seemed embarrassed. I felt useless. I wonder whether I should have just kept going? These things trouble me.

More troubling is that the streets around my house south of market seem to be becoming more crowded with homeless people every day. People have pointed out that I could move elsewhere (maybe. if we could find a place we could afford.) and not have to see them, but you see, even if I move the people are still there.
11/16/2000 09:13:43 AM

Tuesday, November 14, 2000

Disturbing things for the morning:

A friend was mugged last night. He's apparently alright; I'm waiting to find out where the mugging happened, and hoping that it wasn't in our alley or immediate environs.

I walked to work today, and was startled by a burnt effigy laid out in front of the Howard Street Harm Reduction Center. It was wearing yellow, with a half burned head made of white tissue paper, and had scraps of dot.com and concert tshirts (including google, for one; I didn't pause to take an exhaustive inventory) pinned all over it. I hope this was a demonstration on the Center's part, and not a demonstration against Proposition 36.

Looking at the thing, I can only imagine how much they must have upset people in the preindustrial world (which is to say, before "special effects").
11/14/2000 08:45:31 AM

Monday, November 13, 2000

Dan Rather's ludicrous commentary in this year's election coverage was perhaps my favorite thing about the evening. Here, the Chicago Tribune gives us a guide to Ratherisms.
11/13/2000 12:39:00 PM

So I haven't posted anything for a week because the MOST important thing that happened to me last week couldn't be related on line until the correct people had been told:

James asked me to marry him.

I accepted.

Wedding will be the summer or fall of 2002, hopefully at some historical site in the Greater Washington DC area.

:)
11/13/2000 10:02:46 AM

Wednesday, November 08, 2000

It probably goes without saying that I am considering holding my breath until someone figures out that Gore carried Florida.

It probably goes without saying, too, that we are going to have another Bush for President. *sigh*
11/8/2000 11:28:47 AM

Monday, November 06, 2000

Just bought these, partly with the amazon gift certificate my brother gave me (you should read glee in here; I love these books, though the sewing isn't particularly easy for me):

Pattern of Fashion 1: Englishwoman's Dresses and Their Construction: c.1660-1860, and
Patterns of Fashion 2 : Englishwomen's Dresses and Their Construction C.1860-1940

Now, if someone would just do brilliant equivalents for MEN's clothes, I could work on costumes for James as well. Anyone know a good place to buy a pattern for a frockcoat?
11/6/2000 04:39:15 PM

Well, I turned 30 today.

It's turning out to be a rather good day: I got gifts and a card from James, a gorgeous handmade card from Toni, some Joseph Smith chocolates from Mark, scented soap and candles from Phyllis, and nice emails from liz, kevin and a couple of people at work. I also picked up my repaired and polished BOOTS and sometime today I'm going to buy books (gift certificate from brother). I know it is shallow to be so happy about getting loot, but I am happy about it anyway!

I know people are supposed to dread being 30, but I'm hoping that being yet another decade removed from being an adolescent will give me a new sense of purpose. It's been over half my life since I started high school, now! We'll see, hm?

Let's hope the world surprises me tomorrow by electing Al Gore AND getting the Green Party Nader's 5%. (I'm not a fan of Nader and won't be voting for him, but I can see great virtue in having a stronger green party in the next elections.)
11/6/2000 09:38:39 AM

Thursday, November 02, 2000

Bush says he regrets 1976 DUI arrest

But it was a "Youthful Indiscretion," of course, because you can't be held responsible for anything if you are under 40.
11/2/2000 07:22:20 PM

"At bottom, Nader's all-or-nothing gambit is not politics, it is moral fundamentalism -- as if by venting one's anger, one were free to remake the world by willing it so, despite all those recalcitrant people who happen to live here."
11/2/2000 11:07:00 AM