tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52463852011-04-21T12:15:22.629-07:00Detailing the things I think about -- all things political (especially as I try to decipher the other side -- seeing as I used to be one, too); Black, Gay, and Male issues; Religion and Spirituality; and some random Geek stuff.Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.comBlogger5171100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1145929324366993292006-04-24T18:39:00.000-07:002006-04-24T18:42:04.520-07:00

Right now Congress is considering ways that use of the Internet might be taxed. I know there have been lots of things like this out there before. But this time it is coming from the pipe. That is, the telecoms, the ones who control access to the Internet, are requesting that bigger players pay a "tax" for their usage of the Internet. It's not a consumer tax. It's not really a tax but a levy, I

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1143048119055657122006-03-22T09:16:00.000-08:002006-03-22T09:21:59.056-08:00

There are a few things out there that have been bothering me of late. And I propose to tackle them here. One at a time. So, look out, cause I'm back.

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1143052777954843672006-03-22T08:22:00.000-08:002006-04-06T16:30:17.270-07:00

I've been reading an awful lot about the Netroots and their disgust with the Powers That Be. I've also been reading a lot from the centrists folks who trust the PTB. Clearly there's a divide here. And that divide just isn't going to work for very long. Something has to give.Frankly, I don't think this should be a either or situation. Just yesterday, the PTB (Establishment) candidate won in the

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1129942305311117002005-10-21T17:51:00.000-07:002005-10-21T18:01:08.513-07:00

Tagging, bookmarking, folksonomy, social networking, RSS, and all of that are all of the rage these days. There's even a browser being built to take advantage of all of that stuff. But, I think there's an inherent problem with all of the hype. And I do believe it's hype.I was caught up in it for a while. I joined Friendster and Tribe. I joined del.icio.us. I have Furl and Spurl accounts. I even

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1127318884754416202005-09-21T09:07:00.000-07:002005-09-21T09:08:04.796-07:00

Check out Political Wire. It's probably the best place to get your daily political fix from. They do a really great job giving you a look into what's being talked about politically. It has a progressive slant. But, it tends to cover things from all over the map.

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1126659354032478092005-09-13T17:55:00.000-07:002005-09-14T08:20:22.606-07:00

UPDATE: I got lassoed into the joke. This was a satire. Though, it was so close to what Robertson would do that I believed it. Sorry about that.Sometimes some things are just so far beyond the pale (pail?) that you just have to laugh amidst the travesty of it all. This announcement that Pat Robertson blames Hurricane Katrina's devastation on Ellen DeGeneres' hosting the Emmy's is one of those

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1124506227603362662005-08-19T19:50:00.000-07:002005-08-19T19:50:27.663-07:00

Here's a meme I'm happy to go along with. I'm thinking of trying it. I'll let Jane know if I do.How to Serve the Ministry of Reshelving1. Select a local bookstore to carry out your reshelving activities.2. Download and print "This book has been relocated by the Ministry of Reshelving" bookmarks and "All copies of 1984 have been relocated" notecards to take with you to the bookstore. Or make your

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1124496926849397952005-08-19T17:15:00.000-07:002005-08-19T17:15:26.886-07:00

I can hardly believe it, but Tyson's Chicken has just been hit with a federal lawsuit claiming racial discrimination in the form of segregated bathrooms and break rooms. Frankly I'm stunned. I know the South is a bastion of continued racism. But, this just goes beyond the pail (pale?). It is so blatant. And it's not something these people can just not deal with or ignore. I mean, how did they

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1123450743735466432005-08-07T14:39:00.000-07:002005-08-07T14:39:03.786-07:00

There's something about the whole push toward treating Internet access as a utility that really resonates with me and so many other people. There's a rural section of Oregon now that has free WiFi access over a 600 square mile area.Turning Internet access into a utility is just the type of strong, forward thinking initiative that progressives should be pushing for. It is both pro-business and

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1120758825319418722005-07-07T10:54:00.000-07:002005-07-07T10:53:45.363-07:00

Here's a super neat tool that uses the new Google Maps to help you track the distance you run or are going to be walking or whatever. It's pretty cool, and I can see some nice uses for it.

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1120753848084719572005-07-07T09:31:00.000-07:002005-07-07T09:30:48.130-07:00

If you're thinking of getting a new cell phone or have an old one lying around somewhere, consider recycling it thorough RipMobile. Not only do you get point for getting cool stuff, you also help save the environment.

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1120673691199330652005-07-06T11:15:00.000-07:002005-07-06T11:14:51.246-07:00

I was extremely touched by this article in the NYTimes. What is amazing to me is how sensitively the issues of race, class, sexual orientation and gender are all handled. It's a truly Southern inspired article in that all of these things are dealt with starting from food. Food is the great Southern neutralizer. It kind of made me want to go back home to my native Tennessee and eat some down home

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1120009668756144712005-06-28T18:48:00.000-07:002005-06-28T18:47:48.810-07:00

I had not read about the passing of Paul Winchell and John Fiedler who voiced Tigger and Piglet in the Winnie the Pooh movies until just a few moments ago. I remember their voices well, as well as that of Sebastian Cabbott who narrated.The movies they starred in were precious to me. I have a Pooh plushie. And I have the books. I plan on reading them to Lucinda as she gets older and hope they

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1119650059284054982005-06-24T14:54:00.000-07:002005-06-24T15:08:10.273-07:00

As a black gay man living with HIV and as someone who has lead a couple of HIV prevention organizations in Boston and in San Francisco, I have to take issue with the wholesale criticism of Andrew Sulllivan's article in the Advocate on how he's doing being HIV positive. I'm a dyed-in-the-wool liberal and a strong proponent of safer sex practices. But, Sullivan's article is actually a plea for

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1118886681327592482005-06-15T18:51:00.000-07:002005-06-15T18:51:21.383-07:00

I'm sure I'm not the first one to use that headline to describe Lizz Wright. I just got her new album, Dreaming Wide Awake, and it's quite spectacular. It takes off straight from where she left us with her debut CD, Salt. She's an amazingly soulful singer, combing jazz, blues, pop and R&B in a vein similar to Cassandra Wilson's but with a different click to it. Her voice is prettier than

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1118775282614248512005-06-14T11:55:00.000-07:002005-06-14T11:54:42.660-07:00

I haven't blogged in, it feels like, months. But, I haven't forgotten about it.Anyway, today I read this article in the NYTImes about the Supreme Court ruling on a black man convicted of murder in Texas. Well, that's always suspect considering the the way race plays out there. But, the evidence in this case looks like it was particularly egregious -- 10 or 11 black jurors were kicked off the jury

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1115169374384317802005-05-03T18:16:00.000-07:002005-05-03T18:16:14.386-07:00

I've been working very hard (heh, I'm George Bush) on developing a conference for spiritual progressives to help us figure out who we are and to find a way to counteract what's been happening on the religious right and their incursion into politics.It's all going to happen online over a two week period from May 9 through 20. So, come on over and find out what all the fuss is about. It's going to

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1114188479062220862005-04-22T09:46:00.000-07:002005-04-22T09:47:59.063-07:00

I've been thinking some about the whole problem of the proliferation of email. Specifically, I've been thinking about how I get tons of forwarded emails along with a good bit of spam that my filters haven't been able to catch. One of the problems is that some of these forwarded emails have great information in them. But, I hate passing them along most of the time. It feels impersonal and usually

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1114181069128624282005-04-22T07:44:00.000-07:002005-04-22T07:44:29.130-07:00

Jump to save the planet. That's right, they are trying to get 600 million people in the western hemisphere to jump simultaneously in order to change the orbit of earth. This could result in a reduction in global warming and averaging of temperatures (especially in global south countries). So, join me in a little jump. There's not so much to it, eh?

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1113966987677056222005-04-19T20:16:00.000-07:002005-04-19T20:16:27.676-07:00

These are the colors that wash over Los Angeles in Walter Mosley's Easy Rawlns mysteries.But scarlet, which covers the city in Walter Mosley's latest mystery, Little Scarlet, is the deepest and most pungent color he's painted with. This is a tale told of the 1965 Watts riot in Los Angeles. The title character has been killed by a white man she'd taken in after he was dragged out of his car and

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1113763762282620172005-04-17T11:49:00.000-07:002005-04-17T11:49:22.283-07:00

Via Boing Boing I read about an interesting new-ish science called neuromarketing. Basically, it studies how branding affects the brain. Here's some information that has come out of it regarding the Pepsi-Coke Challenge:What he found was the first data from an entirely new field: neuromarketing, the study of the brain's responses to ads, brands, and the rest of the messages littering the cultural

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1113629722162848902005-04-15T22:35:00.000-07:002005-04-15T22:35:22.163-07:00

I liked this article about Doris Eaton Travis, a former Ziegfeld Girl who has returned to the stage at 101 to do some fundraising for AIDS. But, it's not so much that touching story that got me. It reminded me of years ago when I was in college and working during the summers as a National Park Ranger for the Boston National Park Service. We gave tours of the Freedom Trail. It was great fun. I

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1113510396446727352005-04-14T13:26:00.000-07:002005-04-14T13:26:36.446-07:00

So, here are some of the search items people have used to get to my blog this week. Very amusing:Jude Law religioneggplant parisianJohnny Weir gay (very popular)friendly or flirtingare there more racists in the south (I'm the #1 Google result here)Betty Dodsonfamous INTJ marriagesSeventh Day Adventist Children's Programs for Mother's Daychampagne veuve cliqout picture"debbie thomas" skaterdo you

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1113509493174538312005-04-14T13:11:00.000-07:002005-04-14T13:11:33.173-07:00

I just looked through my Furl archive, that's the links I post over to the right there (Yeah, go over and just click on one of them). I had no idea so many people were looking at the things I link to. One link had been clicked on 21 times. Pretty cool. I guess I'd never checked before because I simply thought not many people were really looking over there. But, I guess I'm wrong.

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1113457424597550232005-04-13T22:44:00.000-07:002005-04-13T22:43:44.596-07:00

A millionaire who loves trains works for, in his words, "pocket change" of $52K a year as a train conductor. He's a professional rail rider. He loves it. Ever since I saw the Station Agent I have an extreme affection for train lovers. I still remember the haunting Woo Woo of the passenger train that came through our town every now then when I was a boy. It sounded like a ghost. At first I was

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1113454652928313152005-04-13T21:57:00.000-07:002005-04-13T21:57:32.930-07:00

I have to say that I think this is an interesting idea, even if it's only a good experiment. I don't drive and can't participate. But, if you do, please consider joining in.I've pasted the entire email below. Whoever wrote it takes a bit to get to the meat of the proposal. So, don't get frustrated. Essentially, it's "Don't buy gas from Exxon and Mobil."Oh, and there's something almost too

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1113327379557166022005-04-12T10:36:00.000-07:002005-04-12T10:36:19.556-07:00

Some people are always ready to take up the question of whether technology can be taken too far. I'm not generally one of those folks. I mean, over just the past 10 or 15 years we've seen an explosion of the incursion of technology in our lives. Even one of my best friends, who portends toward Ludditeness, felt crippled when his Internet connection was down.Most of these folks talk about the

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1112817117738278792005-04-06T12:52:00.000-07:002005-04-06T12:51:57.736-07:00

So, I haven't gotten too hett up on the whole Google satellite feature on the also new Google map feature. But, when I read about it in a post today from Jason Kottke, I decided to go check it out. I googled my home town. Then I googled Cedine Bible Camp where I spent a majority of my time when I wasn't at home. As those who've read this for some time know, my parents were missionaries there.

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1112303317034888412005-03-30T16:22:00.000-08:002005-03-31T13:08:37.036-08:00

It's funny, but I almost didn't know what was happening right at first. I am right now in a cafe that is owned by this really lovely Arabic gentleman. We have become friendly acquaintances. He lets me come in and use their wireless Internet connection without having to buy $5 worth of food. It's a family and friend establishment. His family comes in and out quite often, whether to work or just

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1111719686460658972005-03-24T19:01:00.000-08:002005-03-24T19:01:26.463-08:00

This is a reason to love Flickr. Go to the link and just type in a tag and get lots of fun pictures. It's wonderful and crazy. It's quick. And it's just great to be able to see these pics in this way.(For Marnie: If you type in Lucinda, you get the little gherkin featured along with a bunch of other tikes.)

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1112303412449037162005-03-24T18:01:00.000-08:002005-03-31T13:10:12.453-08:00

Yahoo! has released a way to search for material on the Internet that has been released for public use. Check it out!

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1111695916687036412005-03-24T12:25:00.000-08:002005-03-24T12:25:16.686-08:00

So, as many of you know I used to be a fundamentalist Christian. So, when I read about the guy who implanted a radio frequency chip, RFID, (via Darren Barefoot via Boing Boing) in his hand to be able to open his car without keys, I immediately thought about the Mark of the Beast.What is the Mark of the Beast? Well, as many fundamentalists interpret the book of Revelations, when the end times come

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1111351842427243002005-03-20T12:50:00.000-08:002005-03-20T12:50:42.426-08:00

Darren Barefoot referenced another person regarding the phenomenon of FOLORM -- fear of lack of reading material. This is something I understand far too well. When I was in Paris I took with me quite a few books. When I was nearing the end of my supply I desperately cast about for an English language book store so I could keep the supply going. I didn't want to have to jones. I read on the train.

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1111265191308754692005-03-19T12:46:00.000-08:002005-03-19T13:05:52.270-08:00

Today is ostensibly National Corndog Day. It has all of the markings of organization and whatnot. But, I'm still fairly dubious of its pedigree despite Foster Farms sponsorship. Even so, my friend Greg Nelson is having a party today, and I'm headed over in a few minutes. This party also sports tater tots and really bad beer. So, it was fairly weird when I ran across this Boing Boing post about

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1111118782545274452005-03-17T20:06:00.000-08:002005-03-17T20:06:22.576-08:00

Slate has an interesting article talking about the concept of, what the author calls, newsmashing. Basically, it's the concept of having some electronic way of writing on a Web page. Paul Boutin argues that it could become the killer app for political bloggers.I think he's on to something. Rather than, though, his idea of creating new pages using HTML where the old page is hosted (you'll have to

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1110990549464809002005-03-16T08:28:00.000-08:002005-03-16T08:29:09.470-08:00

Johnny Weir (subscription or free day pass is required) is the next big ice skating phenomenon. He's rather outrageous. And he's definitely young. He's delightful in the ways that celebrities should be. Where would our celebrity royalty be without a touch of style and outrageousness? Too many famous people don't quite make the cut because they're just a tad boring. So, I say, rock on, Tinkerbell

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1110739340165228372005-03-13T10:42:00.000-08:002005-03-13T10:42:20.166-08:00

Via Yglesias, a Red State - Blue State meme (or something like that).bold the states you've been to, underline the states you've lived in and italicize the state you're in now...Alabama / Alaska / Arizona / Arkansas / California / Colorado / Connecticut / Delaware / Florida / Georgia / Hawaii / Idaho / Illinois / Indiana / Iowa / Kansas / Kentucky / Louisiana / Maine / Maryland / Massachusetts /

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1110737296887892332005-03-13T10:16:00.000-08:002005-03-13T10:10:31.603-08:00

Back when I was a kid growing up on the Cedine Bible Mission compound we had a policy called The Clean Plate Club. A lot of people had it, I'm sure. But, it said that what you put on your plate you needed to finish eating. It was about waste, and it was about taking seriously our wealth here in the States.Being the cheeky guy I've always been, when at home my family would try to make me eat

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1110224065732122312005-03-07T11:34:00.000-08:002005-03-07T11:34:26.546-08:00

This one is for Marnie:

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1110055865439180092005-03-05T12:58:00.000-08:002005-03-05T13:00:44.456-08:00

You've gotta listen to this mash-up. It is just way too cool and frankly brilliant. It's called No One Takes Your Freedom. You don't know what a mash-up is? Well, basically it's when a DJ takes two often very different songs and mixes them together to come up with hopefully divine synergy and not some Frankenstein mixture. I've been hearing a lot about them. In fact, they are on the verge of

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1109889510983750572005-03-03T10:57:00.000-08:002005-03-03T14:38:31.006-08:00

Last night I got to spend time with the gherkin. She is simply adorable. She and her parental units moved out to Vallejo this past weekend. Evidently, even though it's just been a few days, they've had quite a number of people over to their house. I got to spend the night and be comforted by the four dogs, the two cats, the two moms, and the one very special little Lucinda.Anyway, Marnie and I

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1109869888899709762005-03-03T09:11:00.000-08:002005-03-03T09:11:28.926-08:00

Minister Farrakhan embraced activist and author Keith Boykin. Keith had gone up to Farrakhan to thank him for stating that women and gays would be welcome at the next Million Man March. If that weren't enough, when Keith thanked him, Farrakhan embraced him and stated that we're all family. Wow! Keith's analysis that this could be a turning point for black gay acceptance in the black community

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1109709978325972722005-03-01T12:46:00.000-08:002005-03-01T12:46:20.196-08:00

It occurs to me that Progressives have been on the defense for years. The public conversation is controlled by Conservatives. And all we do is respond to it. Just look at how some of the biggest conversations in the Democratic party are about whether to moderate our policies or not. Why would we moderate our policies if the public conversation were not saying that more conservative views are the

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1109527298610065482005-02-27T10:01:00.000-08:002005-10-03T12:51:46.496-07:00

Senators Clinton and Boxer issued a new piece of legislation to ensure that everyone has a chance to vote. It feels like significant legislation that would restore our collective faith in the voting system. Hunter over at DailyKos thinks that the Republicans will simply ignore this legislation. But, this is too important to ignore. Perhaps there're factions here like Josh Marshall's successful

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1109468733670884252005-02-26T17:45:00.000-08:002005-02-26T17:45:33.686-08:00

Darren Barefoot posted his predictions which come directly from the odds as perceived here. I then realized that I have no idea how to read odds. So, I googled it and found the instructions for reading odds here.

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1109224284810928032005-02-23T21:51:00.000-08:002005-02-23T21:51:24.836-08:00

I have always maintained that Bush is shrewd. Now, here's more confirmation of that. He wants to win badly. I'm afraid that bodes ill for the Social Security battle which has looked good for those of us who want to preserve it. But, we can't count Bush out, yet. He doesn't take losing lightly.

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1109184551411993902005-02-23T10:49:00.000-08:002005-02-23T10:49:11.440-08:00

This it the town I grew up in. I was surprised to see it has a full entry in Answers.com and Wikipedia. I was looking it up to follow Van Hilleary. He was a member of the Spring City Hilleary dynasty. Our neighbor growing up, Maude Robinson, cleaned their house which sat up in the rich section of town. I remember that house with it's huge manicured lawn and circular drive. My brother got his

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1109057701916669202005-02-21T23:34:00.000-08:002005-02-21T23:35:01.940-08:00

An old friend and college compatriot has published a book. Here's what the release says about it:Craig Hickman has just published a new book, Fumbling Toward Divinity: The Adoption Scriptures (Annabessacook Farm Hardcover; February 14, 2005; $27.95).  In this memoir, Hickman chronicles his quest for his birth heritage and the aftermath.  At thirty-three, Craig heeds the signs of his life and

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1108575014298000742005-02-16T09:38:00.000-08:002005-02-16T09:54:20.333-08:00

I simply had to do a posting about this. Over at MyDD it was suggested, among several others, that Condi Rice might become the next Republican candidate for president. Well, most of the posters ignored her and talked about Guiliani and McCain. Those who said anything about Rice, for the most part, talked about how conservative Christians in the South would never want to elect a Black woman. They

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1108357862043008792005-02-13T21:11:00.000-08:002005-02-13T21:11:02.083-08:00

I have a VoIP phone right now provided through Packet8. It's a great service. I can take the phone with me and plug it in wherever there's a broadband Internet connection and be able to have my local number. I'd heard recently about the possibility of combining cell phones with Internet telephony. It's now happening. Skype is going to be selling these phones in March. Now, I don't use Skype

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1108332695191318932005-02-13T14:11:00.000-08:002005-02-13T14:11:35.220-08:00

I was reading an article in the NYTimes today about the proliferation of spam, even since the so-called anti-spam legislation went into effect. Well, I'd never heard of the Penny Black Project. And the article introduces it near the end. It sounds intriguing. It basically would make the sender pay with a cost of engaging your computer in some sort of puzzle (the easiest way to describe it). They

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1108271418739876852005-02-12T21:10:00.000-08:002005-02-12T21:10:18.766-08:00

Have you seen the show Wickedly Perfect, yet? Oh my god! It's almost as good as sex. All of those Survivor wannabes leave me cold. I'm just not all that into eating worms or even into so much testosterone. But, this show is all about style. I mean, it's just so much fun. It's a tad bitchy. It's instructive (I learn a little something each time I watch). And I like the characters. It's a gay man's

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1108234744280346062005-02-12T10:59:00.000-08:002005-02-12T10:59:04.326-08:00

So, Barbara Boxer continues her outspokenness. It's nice to see. Here's a little excerpt of her speech on social security privatization. She calls it like she sees it. She's clearly finally living up to her name. Did Crankreport have anything to do with it?

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1108149014750468132005-02-11T11:26:00.000-08:002005-02-13T14:13:37.140-08:00

So, I was reading a post on MyDD and the ascendency of Howard Dean to the DNC chair. I was struck by the following quote from the Rockridge Institute:There are clear distinctions between the Nurturant Parent (NP) family and the Strict Father (SF) family. The logic of the models are contradictory, but we all have both models present in the synapses of our brains--either actively or passively.(...)

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1108008254946449592005-02-09T20:04:00.000-08:002005-02-09T20:04:14.966-08:00

If this were to happen, it'd be all over for the Democrats for many, many years. Blacks would flock to the Republican party and would probably remain loyal. Latinos would come over, as well. I mean, how many of us could turn away our first black, female (lesbian?) president? There's already talk about it, but then again, consider the source.(Courtesy of Political Wire)

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1107834512452743052005-02-07T19:48:00.000-08:002005-02-07T19:48:32.483-08:00

This is an amazingly cool idea. $100 laptops. It even seems like it might work. If this works out, I can see a whole nonprofit industry developed around getting these laptops to the poor and hooking them up with Internet support and training. I know these are being thought of as being developed for global South countries.

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1107805121070172642005-02-07T11:38:00.000-08:002005-02-07T11:38:41.100-08:00

Josh marshall notes (I can't believe I'm actually using that blog-trendy verb now) how Alabama is turning out to be a seat of opposition to Social Security phase-out. Interesting. Something positive from Alabama for a change.

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1107652399333674952005-02-05T17:12:00.000-08:002005-02-05T17:13:19.353-08:00

So, if you ever wanted verification that there's a vast right wing conspiracy, read about it here in the LATimes. It's quite scary, actually. Though, when I think about it, it's nothing more than the Left is trying to do. But, unfortunately, we've been rather inept in our efforts of late. Thank goodness the Dems are getting a spine again with their standing up against Social Security

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1106851409849068532005-01-27T10:43:00.000-08:002005-01-27T10:43:29.883-08:00

Talk about savvy. I thought that Senator Clinton was being savvy in her call to bring together the pro-choicers and the pro-lifers. But, reading this piece in Slate made me think about it more and give her additional credit. I have new respect for her and her approach. This speech and the attendant position is just the way, I think, for a winning candidate to emerge on the Left.

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1106673228284818262005-01-25T09:13:00.000-08:002005-04-22T11:51:20.600-07:00

Today the Oscar nominations were announced. And, guess what? Five of the 20 people nominated for best and supporting actor awards were Black folks. Well, Jamie Foxx was nominated for both best and supporting actor. There is one definite Latina. Now, if only we can get more Asian representation in Hollywood we'll be doing fine.

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1106672999708145692005-01-25T09:09:00.000-08:002005-04-22T11:50:52.566-07:00

Today the Oscar nominations were announced. And, guess what? Five of the 20 people nominated for best and supporting actor awards were Black folks. Well, Jamie Foxx was nominated for both best and supporting actor. There is one definite Latina. Now, if only we can get more Asian representation in Hollywood we'll be doing fine.

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1106609552279388362005-01-24T15:32:00.000-08:002005-01-24T15:32:33.810-08:00

I'm mighty grateful to my alma mater. But, a $22.1B endowment is just obscene. I'm glad they are finally making it easy for financially poor folks to attend and be at parity with the wealthier students. Just wish that had been in place when I went.

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1106517008439051102005-01-23T13:49:00.000-08:002005-01-23T13:50:08.883-08:00

As a former fundamentalist Christian who is now a gay-identified bisexual who revels in his outsider status, I was deeply touched by this article about the son of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker. Jay Bakker has developed a ministry to punks and other outsiders. He preaches love. So many fundamentalist Christians have not learned what love is all about. They want to be part of the insiders, the group

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1106422836861828482005-01-22T11:40:00.000-08:002005-01-22T11:40:36.966-08:00

Here are two free phone services. I wonder if any of you has used either of them before? They sound technologically right, but they also sound too good to be true. But, if they are true, then I think I might try it out. Really cool!

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1105651607621489272005-01-13T13:26:00.001-08:002005-01-13T13:26:47.636-08:00

I've been taking somewhat of a hiatus from blogging. I've just been focussing on other things of late. But, I'll be back soon.

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1105651582077119862005-01-13T13:26:00.000-08:002005-01-13T13:26:22.276-08:00

I am just as disheartened by this as the author of the TNR blog entry that alerted me to this fact:At a news conference on Wednesday, leaders of five groups, including the National Alliance of Black Panthers and D.C. Anarchist Resistance, discussed plans that include anti-Bush rallies, marches, a bicycle ride and at least one act of civil disobedience.What has the world come to when this is how a

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1104860420644484992005-01-04T09:40:00.000-08:002005-01-04T09:40:20.676-08:00

This is a project I've been working on for over two months. It's been fun and exciting. And now there's some there there.The Rockridge Institute would like to invite concerned Americans to join an online discussion on framing and policy issues. The Rockridge Action Network (http://forum.rockridgeinstitute.org) is a pilot of an online community focused on framing and public policy based on

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1103829933911572232004-12-23T11:25:00.000-08:002004-12-23T11:25:33.996-08:00

Go read this article now. I know it's nearly a cliche right now about how great Barack Obama is. But, it's true. I've been on a tear lately about the elitism of the Left. And a lot of that comes out of our skepticism of religion. It comes out in the trust we have in science to the exclusion of religion and the delicate balance that duality plays in most people's lives. It has come out in the way

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1103652728367410062004-12-21T10:12:00.000-08:002004-12-21T10:12:08.563-08:00

Okay, I'll do the Eminem thing first. But, he's come out with a fairly pro-gay song. This is on top of his interview with German TV where he dropped trou to give the gays a little something. Eminem is listened to by millions, and I'm glad that the protests of various gay activists is finally having some effect. I never thought that he was anti-gay, myself. I thought the anti-gay stuff was about

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1102973875603006362004-12-13T13:37:00.000-08:002004-12-13T13:37:55.676-08:00

I've been out of the AIDS industry for a while. I got burned out. Perhaps it's time I got back in -- for my sisters this time and not as a healing for myself.

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1102660856514464212004-12-09T22:40:00.000-08:002004-12-09T22:43:06.303-08:00

Okay, I don't like all of the Blogthings. But, some of them I find rather addictive. Here's a new one. My results are below, and I have to say I find it inspiring. I had been feeling that I was a terrible hack at this writing thing. I had been having trouble getting what I wanted to write out anymore. And what I had previously written was basically shite (English accent appreciated here). But,

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1102544364737122672004-12-08T14:19:00.000-08:002004-12-08T14:19:24.766-08:00

Noam Shrieber, of The New Republic, succinctly shows why many people voted for Bush over kerry when Kerry's proposals might have been better from a self-interest perspective in many areas. Rumsfeld was caught flat-footed in his response to soldiers' questions about inadequate armor. Even so, these soldiers believed in the war and in defending our country (as quoted in TNR):In an interview,

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1102396357163316712004-12-06T21:12:00.000-08:002004-12-06T21:12:37.270-08:00

George Tenet is floating a trial balloon to regulate the Internet saying: "Access to networks like the World Wide Web might need to be limited to those who can show they take security seriously."That's quite the balloon. I think it needs to be burst. We live in a nanny state. But, I don't want the government operating as my Net Nanny.

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1102359341573237852004-12-06T10:55:00.000-08:002004-12-06T10:55:41.633-08:00

My friend Justin writes of his travails in finding a Parisian apartment. It's both sad and quite amusing, or at least in the ways he tells it. I think his observation that people are insane here in the States, too, but just differently than in Paris, is particularly astute.

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1102101118213500882004-12-03T11:11:00.000-08:002004-12-03T11:11:58.286-08:00

I have to say that having the Democratic Governors, as part of their association meeting, stepping up and setting an agenda for the Democratic party is heartening. I think governors have tended to be politicians who have to remain accountable to their constituents, and not just to one side or the other. Also, they have real executive experience. And they don't get to sit in the drafty echo

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1101761795070149702004-11-29T12:56:00.000-08:002004-11-29T12:56:35.730-08:00

Go here for a rather amusing take on Great Britain revoking the USA's independence. It is halfway down the page on the right.

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1101745311199020522004-11-29T08:21:00.000-08:002004-11-29T08:21:51.230-08:00

Well, this article about prominent theologian Harvey Cox in yesterday's Boston Globe has a quote by me. It's rather cool. It dovetails nicely with the book I'm writing about my life. Now, if I could only concentrate more on the writing. Well, it will happen soon.

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1101595751806655222004-11-27T14:49:00.000-08:002004-11-27T14:49:11.900-08:00

For all of my life I've had tremendous food phobias. Actually, it's not that I have a whole lot of them. It's more that the foods I don't like or am literally scared of tend to be fairly ubiquitous. So, what are they? Mayonnaise is the one I'd venture to say I'm afraid of. It's a disgusting substance that at some point in my childhood I developed a revulsion for. It could have been because my

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1101169701757023622004-11-22T16:28:00.000-08:002004-11-22T16:28:21.833-08:00

The My Yahoo! functionality now allows you to add RSS feeds from sites like the Bloglines service. Interesting. A good way for them to go. I'll stick with Bloglines, though.

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1101145586087662862004-11-22T09:46:00.000-08:002004-11-22T09:58:07.853-08:00

Honey Bee from the album Glamoured by Cassandra Wilson This tune takes me back to Paris. I went to hear Cassandra near Place Pigalle with Phillipe. What a lovely, amazing, transcendent concert. It reinvigorated my faith in the diva Cassandra. Recently John was in Paris and I hooked him up with both Phillipe and Justin. John seemed to enjoy meeting both of them. Justin appears to be in love --

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1100987275152203052004-11-20T13:47:00.000-08:002004-11-20T13:47:55.166-08:00

I love cars. I love Paris. Here's a French car in a commercial -- none other than the Citroen, too. Takes you back a bit, too.

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1100984435400604862004-11-20T13:00:00.000-08:002004-11-20T13:00:35.426-08:00

Hey Folks, I wanted to let you know about a project I'm working on and give you an invitation to it, too. I'm working with the Rockridge Institute of George Lakoff framing fame to set up an online community platform (soon with lots of additional interactive tools). If you'd like to register for this service pre-alpha, just let me know (mflorence at gmail punto com -- where punto is actually for

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1100750432321809372004-11-17T20:00:00.000-08:002004-11-17T20:05:31.770-08:00

Marnie and maybe John (yes, that's you) may have been able to figure this out, but I still think it's wrong: "You're a liberal Republican." I took this test and it came back with that label for me. Arghhhhhh! I'm not a Rudy Guiliani. I'm more a Howard Dean. I am not always in favor of the status quo, that's true. Just because things have been done the same way forever doesn't mean that it's the

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1100707453671072142004-11-17T08:04:00.000-08:002004-11-17T08:04:13.746-08:00

I see horses coming from the four corners of the sky. Sponge Bob Square Pants and Barney are recording "We Are Family" to promote tolerance and diversity.I actually like Sponge Bob. But, Barney scares me. I wouldn't be surprised if he turned out to be the anti-Christ, waiting for his children to grow up to finally exert his influence.

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1100628407884454502004-11-16T10:06:00.000-08:002004-11-16T10:06:47.926-08:00

Quote of the Day: "So today, Condi Rice is the big story and a few people are surprised. The general consensus is that she is the closest person to [the President], second to his wife. It's an interesting relationship because from what I've seen, their personalities are polar opposites. She always appears angry, quiet or withdrawn and seems to be one of those excessively intellectual people

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1100309944520925822004-11-12T17:39:00.000-08:002004-11-12T17:39:05.076-08:00

Unfortunately, it looks like ABC is planning on running a major investigations piece on the murder of Matthew Shepard. This is unfortunate. Matthew's death was such an iconic moment for the gay community that, in a sense, even suggesting that his death was about money or drugs and not that he was gay feels like an attack against us. It's like, to a certain extent, the truth of his death doesn't

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1100305449873380542004-11-12T16:24:00.000-08:002004-11-12T16:24:10.080-08:00

GMail POP access update: Everything stays the same on the Web user interface to gmail when you do POP access. So, if you want it, get it. It's the best of both worlds. Or just get a notifier -- which I think you can do if you use a WinTel computer, but not for the Mac. Alack alas.

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1100277918793595922004-11-12T08:45:00.000-08:002004-11-12T10:03:04.866-08:00

I know I should probably just link to this article on the side. But, I can't help myself. I just love cars. And the idea of the Italian Polizia using a Lamborghini as a police car is just way too cool. I had visions of sitting behind the wheel of one of those things and just letting it rip. One of these days I'm going to get precision driving and race car driving training. One of these days.

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1100277078396291832004-11-12T08:31:00.000-08:002004-11-12T08:31:19.150-08:00

Here's an interesting article from the New Democratic Network's blog about what values actually meant to folks. It turns out that by values, most voters meant the Iraq War and only 20% meant abortion and gay marriage.That's comforting. I still think gay marriage was a lightening rod. I'm not trying to pick on gay marriage. But, I do think that the Democrats (and progressives in general) have to

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1100235973242608252004-11-11T21:06:00.000-08:002004-11-12T10:14:18.230-08:00

Well, that's one of my favorite songs, unfortunately. And, while I didn't for a long time know it was a bit racist, a friend clued me in. Well, Alabama is raising its ugly racist head again. Now, mind you, I think that getting rid of segregation led to a demise of the black community. The reason I think so may not be the same as everyone else does, though. Before segregation blacks had accepted

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1100117484439460852004-11-10T12:11:00.000-08:002004-11-10T12:11:24.460-08:00

Google is planning on adding POP access to its gmail service! I'm sooooo excited, I just can't hide it. Gonna download my email, and I know I like it.

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1100113053257150252004-11-10T10:57:00.000-08:002004-11-10T10:57:33.286-08:00

Darren Barefoot, one of the most eclectic bloggers I know, writes about the history of the term "covering" a song. I had no idea it was a racist tool back when black and white radio stations were segregated. Well, in a certain sense, they're still segregated. But, that would be the topic of another post.

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1100056388761594742004-11-09T19:13:00.000-08:002004-11-09T19:13:08.953-08:00

Okay, Lynn S. pointed me to a blog entry that truly says it all. I don't agree with everything this young woman says, but I hear her. It's MUST reading for all Democrats, I think. It says very eloquently what I've been trying to understand and say lately.

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1100048279775803662004-11-09T16:57:00.000-08:002004-11-09T16:57:59.816-08:00

Josh Marshall continues to be my blogger of choice. Here he looks at the issue of morality and values in blue and red states and contrasts it with statistics. He also looks at the issue of reaching out and understanding, albeit with a more strategic focus in mind. Good reading. Go do it!

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1100036408039673102004-11-09T13:40:00.000-08:002004-11-09T13:40:08.060-08:00

I was reading this LA Times article about the continued vote counting in Ohio (use BugMeNot for access), and I was struck by how some of the Democratic reaction perfectly mirrors Kubler Ross's theory of grieving. The "conspiracy theorists" are in the bargaining phase, though I would suspect they went through the anger phase a while back. I love seeing these things in action from a collective

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1100030083752932232004-11-09T11:54:00.000-08:002004-11-09T11:54:43.796-08:00

I may add this to some more permanent feature. I just wanted to explain to folks what I'm trying to do here. Yes, I'm a liberal. But, I'm strategic and pragmatic. If you get into Myer's Briggs I'm an INTJ with a strong P in Saturn (Sorry, I couldn't help myself, but my P has been developing in response to such a strong J). That means that I often take the long view and come at things from an

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1100024696839040002004-11-09T10:24:00.000-08:002004-11-09T10:24:56.863-08:00

Okay, this is totally nonpolitical. And it might even seem rather out of character for this blog. But, I want Jude Law to knock me up. He's just the hottest thing going. And I've thought this for many, many years. So, I don't care what kind of reviews Alfie is getting. I'm going to see it. I can't help it.

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1099981166137579322004-11-08T22:19:00.000-08:002004-11-08T22:19:26.346-08:00

I was just reading about a case in Georgia where in science books in a public school a sticker has been placed that states about evolution "a theory, not a fact" (For access use name: opensewer, pw: iswatching). The American Civil Liberties Union, on behalf of five parents, is arguing the case to take the stickers out.Evolution vs. Creation has always been an interesting case. I actually grew up

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1099968344371381462004-11-08T18:45:00.000-08:002004-11-08T18:45:44.410-08:00

I'd thought about pointing to this post on DailyKos which talks about Christianism vs. Christianity -- i.e. the desire to turn our government into a religious one. But had decided not to because there wasn't any firm evidence backing it up. Also, I'm trying to understand folks and not be a playa hata (as my people's would say). But, then I read this from Talking Points Memo which talks about Dr.

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246385.post-1099959469172164492004-11-08T16:17:00.000-08:002004-11-08T16:17:49.206-08:00

Check out this map of the red and blue states weighted for population as opposed to simple geography. It definitely changes the picture.

Matt Florencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11443400624288574308noreply@blogger.com0