Ultramundane.com -- It's Just Not Natural.

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United States, California, San Francisco, The Mission, English, Spanish, Casey, Male, 31-35.

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Thursday, September 20, 2001

What I'm not doing for vacation.

I'm not watching television.
I haven't fixed my broken Visor Deluxe.
I'm not an action transvestite, nor am I quoting one.
I am not making surrealist art (though I should.)
I'm not clicking the link to Respect the Pussy either. (No, really; don't do it.) (Link via Brad)

What am I doing, then?

12:34 AM PST (link)

Getting Closure.

On the phone with eTrade: "Just a moment, sir; Let me connect you to an Account Closure Specialist." We cried, we talked about the good times we had together, and how we had just grown apart. It's not about you, Hamilton, my Account Closure Specialist...it's me. It's not that the account was bleeding money from your service fees; I...I just need some space right now.

I feel so callous, doing it over the phone....

10:40 AM PST (link)

Beep Beep!

I can't understand a word of it, but it's cute.

10:40 AM PST (link)

Wednesday, September 19, 2001

Elliptical.

12:49 AM PST (link)

Nifsal Meachila.

Kosher gelatin can be made from fish bones, beef, Japanese insinglass, agar agar, carrageenan, and Irish moss.... Contrary to assumptions, it is also considered kosher to use animal-derived gelatin with dairy products. Unless it is specified as being derived from a non-animal source, such as agar agar and carrageenan, it is very possible that kosher gelatin is animal-derived."

As I suspected Kosher gelatin is routinely not vegetarian. And certifications of Pareve and Kosher Dairy nor Halal are no guarantees either.

I'm slowly trying to elimitate gelatin from my diet, but it's in freakin' everything. A number of candies, including Altoid mints. A tasty spinach dip I bought at the store. I just read the ingredients on the Planter's Dry Roasted Peanuts I've been snacking on, and there it is again. On my peanuts too? sigh

11:02 AM PST (link)

Monday, September 17, 2001

Flag-waving.

At an event this weekend, one of the hosts (a man whom I respect) was handing out American flag stickers to wear. When it was offered I took one and put it on my black coat, but only out of respect for him and those around us. I took it off when I got home. Honestly I don't know if I support everything it means right now. That doesn't mean that I don't think the United States is a good country, nor that I entirely know what my feelings are on the issues of retaliation and response to terrorism. Choire echoes my feelings on the matter and sums it up well:

I'm ambivalent about what the American flag means to me at all, and I reserve my American right to express myself in all my confusion and contradiction. Dissent will always be patriotic. Asking for the silence of debate in the name of this vague concept of "unity" can be incredibly harmful.

Chuck also says this better than I can this morning:

It's inappropriate to tell someone they're not being patriotic because they're not reacting to the crisis in the same way you are. It's inappropriate to tell someone they're "un-American" or "unpatriotic" because their house or car happens not to be festooned with flags. It's inappropriate to say awful things to somebody because you disagree with their peaceful yet honest reactions. It's entirely appropriate to support your government in the quest to do the right thing in response to this, but it's inappropriate to accuse someone of being a "traitor" for criticizing your government—even in a time of crisis—if you feel that they're not doing that.

OK, I'm off to go watch the stock market plummet some more.

12:02 AM PST (link)