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Below are the 25 most recent journal entries.

	2009.11.09  11.41 TAR TIEMZ just a little late Previously on The Amazing Race: Underwear! Dresses! Clogs! Herring! Maria and Tiffany went kaboom! Five teams remain! Who will be eliminated...NEXT? ( This message brought to you by cbs.com )

	2009.11.02  21.17 This is a monofocused entry. I had a moment of utter glee when, driving back from a house call in BFE Union, I saw someone happily twirling a giant rainbow golf umbrella exactly like mine while holding an Approve 71 sign. (I'll have to go get the umbrella, I left it at work.) For anyone in WA who hasn't voted yet -- or anyone who knows people in WA that can vote but haven't yet -- PLEASE. Vote Approve on 71. Please please please. Don't let this state slide back into the stone age, not after we fought so fucking HARD to get those basic rights and protections. And for what it's worth, something that ALL the anti-domestic partnership campaigners are ignoring is that this law also protects the rights of unmarried heterosexual couples age 62 and older. So depriving Grandma of the right to visit her longtime beau at his hospital bedside just because they aren't married is JUST FINE if they can keep Teh Gayz from having anything resembling equality. Marriage is not for every heterosexual couple either, and I bet not a single person banging the anti-domestic partnership drum would say they're against offering protections to unmarried hetero couples. HYPOCRISY, LET ME SHOW YOU IT. Please. PLEASE. Last-minute push. Vote to approve 71. Please. Mood: depressed

	2009.11.01  21.24 TAAAR TIIIIIIEMZ Previously on The Amazing Race: Sam and Dan were lame. Globetrotters were in last but saved their asses because Mika wouldn't get off hers. Canaan was a douchey mcdouchebag who really should be forced to watch that bullshit he pulled over and over and over again and Mika should dump his sorry butt. WHO...will be eliminated...NEXT? ( Yodelay-deehoo! )

	2009.10.25  21.10 On time this time -- TAR TIEMZ IS GO Previously on The Amazing Race: DING DONG THE DOUCHE IS DEAD WHICH OLD DOUCHE THE BOSTON DOUCHE DING DONG THE BOSTON DOUCHE IS DEEEEEEAD ( I bai, Dubai...*shot* )

	2009.09.24  19.27 Dinner. I believe I am indeed coming down with the PAX pox. Ugh. Food of great goodness: Hawaiian Haystacks. I think they're 'Hawaiian' because there's pineapple involved. White rice (PLEASE no minute rice, it gets too mushy to hold up for this, and I guess you could use brown rice but I prefer white) 1 can cream of chicken soup for every three servings (I really like Campbell's cream of chicken with herbs, it's got a great flavor for this) 1/2-2/3 can water or milk per can of soup (depending on your richness tolerance, I use water) 1/2-1 cup cooked and diced/shredded chicken per can of soup (depending on preferences) Chow mein noodles (the crispy kind) Crushed pineapple Diced green bell pepper Diced green onions Diced tomato (if that's your bag) Diced celery (ditto) Shredded cheddar cheese (I like sharp) Slivered almonds (unless you're allergic like me) Cook rice according to directions. Combine soup and water or milk in saucepan; heat until simmering. You want this to have more of a gravy consistency than a soupy consistency, so play with the amount of liquid accordingly. Once the sauce is simmering, add the chicken and stir until everything's heated through. (If you're lazy as hell, get canned chicken. Diced boneless skinless breast is cheaper and meatier but canned can always be available at a moment's notice. Also, chicken proportions are a little bit individual-taste; I like a little more 'gravy with chicken in it' as opposed to 'chicken held together by gravy'.) Once sauce is heated, it's time to get building. Stack: Rice Chow mein noodle Gravy Cheese Chow mein noodle Gravy Toppings (all the veggies and the pineapple go here, to your liking) Cheese Almonds (if you like almonds) Devour. Makes really damn good leftovers too. Mom found the original recipe in this cookbook that's probably as old as I am; the focal point was these few 'mixes' that you could adapt into a bunch of dishes. The chicken gravy was one of those mixes. I just tweaked it to save time by replacing the homemade gravy with cream of chicken soup; she used to make up bunches of the chicken mix and freeze it. It's one of those dishes that generally makes everyone in my family happy.

	2009.09.03  00.11 *cracks knuckles* So, for the most part, it's been a good day. I took Alana up to Seattle and we went to the Pacific Science Center; she got to run around and play with a zillion things and we went through the tropical butterfly house, which she LOVED. Somehow or other we killed three hours without realizing it, which was fun. She enjoyed it, and it was a good way to spend one of the last free days before school starts. I'm glad I got to spend some quality time with my chibi. Now for the knuckle-cracking bit. Referendum 71 is on the ballot, officially. There are challenges to the ratification; the dickwads misrepresented themselves to get more signatures, tried to avoid disclosing their funding, insert your choice of signature irregularity here. They were really low-down dirty bastards about it. But that's beside the point for me right now. What's important is that the measure is on the ballot, and now it's a fight to get the sucker approved. Need a yea vote to keep the domestic partnership law on the books -- and they're counting on confusion to get the law OFF the books by getting people to vote against the referendum, thinking it means they're voting against the effort to repeal the DP law when in actuality it's doing the opposite. Fuckers. I'm going to get into trouble for this, I'm sure. But at this point I'm having a really hard time caring. This is an issue I am passionate about. I am dealing with a religion who is not only against marriage equality, they routinely fund all efforts to block and/or disallow it. I am dead positive that the church is funding the Ref. 71 campaign. I don't fucking care anymore. My God doesn't discriminate, and my ethics forbid me from forcing any religious or moralistic standpoint on anyone else against their will. I deeply, devoutly believe that no man knows the true workings of God's mind, and anyone who claims to do so and uses that as an excuse to force their own views on everyone else via legislation (or any other means) will be called on the carpet for their hubris when the reckoning rolls around. This all reminds me of when Kaden came out of the closet to me years ago. I think I'd been at BYU for...oh...I don't know, a couple of weeks? A month? Something like that. Got a letter explaining everything. I was...a little shocked but in retrospect I don't think I was TOO shocked, all things considered. I was pretty fucking sheltered from anything that wasn't the straight-and-narrow at that point in my life and that was my first direct encounter with someone close to me identifying as GLBT, so there was an element of 'wow someone I'm friends with is gay' going on there, but at the same time I distinctly remember not caring. It didn't change that we were friends and it didn't change who he was, fundamentally, on the inside (though, again in retrospect, since it was before his transition I'm not sure 'gay' is the right word). I mentioned it to one of the guys I hung out with in my ward, and his reaction made me lose my damn jaw. I remember staring at him in total shock when his response was "well I would just have to tell that person I couldn't be friends with them anymore". He truly thought that was the acceptable reaction, and just could not see that someone's preferences didn't change my view of them as a friend. I'm pretty sure I didn't discuss that with anyone else at school after that, because the reaction was SO negative. The more I hear about the church funding anti-equality measures, the more disgusted I get. I wish wish WISH they could just...keep their hands out of politics. I don't LIKE the idea of a church getting into political issues like that. Religious people? I expect that. I anticipate it. I dislike it, but then again I'm vehemently against the integration of church and state. However, I anticipate it. Actual CHURCHES? That...that I have a problem with. It's on, folks. Get the word out. Vote yes on Ref. 71. Mood: fucking rawr, bitches

	2009.07.29  17.44 Reporting in. I am currently at the library. IT IS 105 FUCKING DEGREES OUTSIDE. IN WASHINGTON. WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH THIS GODDAMN PICTURE. My apartment (like every other house in the entire area) is devoid of air conditioning so it's probably a good 95-100 in there, which is insane. Since the computer was freaking out (and I was melting into a puddle of glop) so I got Alana and we made the trek to the library. It is blessedly cooler in the library. The kids' area is stuffed full of parents on laptops, which is sort of hilarious (including one gal who's got the same computer I do, just lime green and there's something sort of cool about lime-green). I'm getting a couple of odd looks because I'm a) actually typing and not just web surfing and b) I type like a damn demon on speed. Not that I care, I'm here to get work done and not dick around on my computer. Some of us type for a living, yo. It's a good sign if my computer isn't frying my knees like it was back in the house. I am...not looking forward to work tomorrow. There's no a/c in the store. It's going to be horrifyingly hot, and they've got an air stagnation warning out so that means the air quality will be shit and there will be no breeze at all. Maybe they'll close up early as opposed to murdering all of us from heat exhaustion. Not that I've any clue where I'd hide if that happens because it's not air-conditioned in my apartment or my parents' house either. I'd figure something out. Probably back to the library or something. Alana's being a little overactive but that's probably to be expected. There's a ten-year-old girl who's been busily giving this random set of parents her entire life story for the past half hour. I'm not sure why, but it's kind of funny.

	2009.06.02  10.46 Some people have no shame whatsoever. On the subject of things that have little to nothing to do with the immediate reality of my life. I've been following this whole Mijn Schatje art theft issue since I was tipped off to it on DoA. (For those of you not in the doll community, Mijn Schatje is a Dutch digital artist whose prints and work sell for quite a bit of money -- and it was recently discovered that her 'art' was actually her taking other people's photos without permission, digitally tweaking them, then selling them as her own entirely original creations.) After reading the DoA thread, bouncing over to DoD and reading THAT thread (they were the ones who outed her in the first place) and seeing the evidence I've found what really cheeses me about the whole thing: the people who insist that it's no big deal and nobody should be getting mad OR the people who insist that all the accusations are groundless. I mean...look at the evidence, it's beyond blatant. I'm not any kind of an artist, nor do I pretend to be. However, it pisses me off when people treat artistic integrity so lightly and think that nobody's got any business in pointing the finger at an "artist" who's been blatantly stealing and misrepresenting her work. It'll ruin her career, they say. I'm in the camp that says "go right ahead and ruin her career because she will not learn any other way." She made a career out of other people's work. She said she plucked those images out of thin air, that they are entirely her own creation. That's a damn lie, no matter what way you slice it, and saying someone's "unethical" for exposing a fraud like this is sort of ludicrous. She's making thousands of dollars off prints of someone else's work. What's unethical about telling people about that, huh? The most ridiculous one I've seen so far is someone getting on their high horse and lecturing the people who are working to expose the fraud and spread the word and telling them that bashing this woman is a waste of time and ruining her career is something to be ashamed of...and then turning right around and admitting they didn't read any of the thread. How can you make a judgement without seeing the evidence? It's incredibly appalling. Part of what I admire about the artists I know is that they have the ability to produce amazing works that are utterly original, unlike anything else. They can put their unique vision on their chosen medium, be it ink, pencil, paint, digital, whatever. I can't do that, and I admire anyone who can. It cheapens their talent when someone who really has no talent save the ability to vector a photograph and slap on some clip art can get paid thousands of dollars for it, and really gifted artists labor in obscurity while painstakingly creating everything without the aid or crutch of another person's artwork. I say expose away. With people like this, the only way they'll learn is to hit 'em in the wallet. If they find they can no longer turn a profit off their unethical actions, then they will stop. That's the aim of legal action, isn't it? To stop the monetary profit? Raising hell and getting galleries to take down her work and cease selling it, getting all the sites and blogs and magazines that have been praising her to denounce her, turning her publicity to the truth rather than the spin? That's the only way to stop a thief. ...and as I type this someone compared the outpouring of outrage to being angry over the Holocaust. Holy shit am I offended. What's wrong with people, anyway?

	2009.05.06  09.44 Friends cut. I'm doing it on my LJ, so I'm doing it on this journal too. Okay, folks. As I mentioned previously, I've got some major major problems that I have to work through. A lot of that is going to involve pulling back, getting myself back on my feet, and focusing on me and the things that really matter. So, to that end, this is a big f-list cut. If you want to stay on the list please comment. I'm cutting almost everyone off and starting over, so if you want to stay on my friendslist PLEASE COMMENT TO THIS. Thanks.

	2009.05.05  18.43 Oh, it's on. Yep. The right-wingers filed Referendum 71 today to repeal the domestic-partnership expansion bill. Hey, guys? IT'S ON. How dare they. Seriously. How DARE they. Granting equal rights and protections to one group doesn't diminish or lessen the rights and protections of another! I think I want to shred something.

	2009.05.05  14.50 Schadenfreude. It tastes like pie. Um. Miss California? Honeypie? People are not publishing hitherto-undisclosed topless photos of you to "silence" you for speaking out against gay marriage. In fact, blaming the pro-gay marriage lobby for this? Sort of stupid. Given that you were supposed to disclose that shit up front and you didn't. The pro-gay marriage lobby didn't force you to not disclose those photos, now, did they? I really hate how the ultraconservative factions always seem to blame everyone but themselves when they make moves that are obviously due to nobody's stupid but their own.

	2009.05.04  16.37 AND IT'S THAT TIME AGAIN Previously on TAR: China. Again. Margie and Luke can't fucking give it up (especially Luke who is a whiny bitch). Jen imploded in the water. And then MEGA-LEG. Which made the redheads freak. Tonight: lots of WEIRD makeup and the cheerbitches STILL can't be polite. ( And here we go! )

	2009.05.03  21.07 Recap later, but for now... Today's life lesson, learned from The Amazing Race: Never. Ever. EVER. Stop to pee.

	2009.05.02  16.50 This is a deep question relevant to my interests. So. For all of you on the flist. If I acquired access to a travel search engine (a la Orbitz/Travelocity/etc), would you purchase tickets via that engine rather than one of the big names? Same prices on tickets, same everything, just different company.

	2009.04.28  10.53 Holy SHIT. Holy hot damn on a POGO STICK, of ALL the people to swap parties. This is unbelievable. Also, unbelievably COOL.

	2009.04.27  20.31 Because I found this on Youtube. Currently watching DWTS, totally reminded of something. I've got one degree of separation from Lacey and Benji Schwimmer -- I took some dance lessons from their dad, way the hell back in the day. Why did I take dance lessons from their dad? This guy. Michael studied with Buddy in California before he came to BYU; he came because of the dance program. He was on the team with J (both he and Kim Teichert were, actually). He was my Dance 280 teacher; silver social, the class where I learned west coast swing. He told me about studying with Buddy, and because of that I JUMPED at the chance to take lessons from him every time he ventured up to BYU (which was frequently, Buddy and the Wakefields go way way way back). The man. Is. AMAZING. I miss studying under Michael. We had a freaking blast. I remember videotaping a competition for him, and his mom smuggling in a Coke for me since caffeine was verboten on the BYU campus. That's why you hang out with the Catholics, they get you the good stuff. I rocked that medal test because I got to dance with him. I firmly believe this. Good times.

	2009.04.27  15.41 This is relevant to my interests. GameFAQ's Best. Game. Ever. 2009 bracket Pitting Metroid vs. Legend of Zelda 1 is BRUTAL. Pitting FFIV and FFVI against ANYTHING is brutal. This is going to be like...the cagematch of my childhood going on here since all these games are sort of making me make this emoticon right here: :3 I mean. Final Fantasy (original flavor) vs. Super Mario World? Seriously? These are CLASSICS, people! Damn. It's like the NCAA tournament for geeks.

	2009.04.27  11.13 TAR TIME Previously on The Amazing Race: MATGATE. This week: POOLGATE. ( And moar! )

	2009.04.22  14.16 There IS justice in the world. So far. CNN just published a breaking headline: Allen Andrade was convicted of first-degree murder in the beating death of transgender teen Angie Zapata. For all of those people who thought that Angie being trans was grounds for lesser charges? You're on notice. People are people, regardless of gender identity. RIP, Angie.

	2009.04.19  21.27 TAR TIEMZ Previously on The Amazing Race: One night in Bangkok...yeah you know. There was karaoke with transvestites. The Stuntmorons and Kisha/Jen were stoooooooopid. Tonight: MATGATE! ( Moar! )

	2009.04.18  12.53 Today I will talk about doll things. Namely, what plans I have for future dolls. Not that any of this will come to fruition without a minor financial miracle, but it's nice to plot things out. Carefully, of course. There are two I want, I've decided. One is an 'oh god I will get this doll if it kills me' doll. The other is a 'the more I think about it the more I think I'd like to have one' doll. The 'oh god I want this' doll? Shirou Tachibana. I've loved that mold for a long damn time and at this point I've decided that if the opportunity presents itself and I have the funds to do it, I'm going to find a way to get one. Sure, it's a Volks mold and I generally don't like the aesthetics of Volks dolls, but there's something about the facial sculpt that just does it for me. I couldn't even tell you what it is, honestly, but the more I look at him the more I love him. Mind you, this never ever would have happened if I hadn't seen one in person but every time I see one, my mind goes 'do want'. Financially, I'm not in a position to think about a new doll and I have other priorities I need to focus on. A goal, though, is nice. The other is...a female doll. I keep seeing all the cute clothes and shoes and going 'gah I have no doll who would wear this alkdjfalskfj' which is a totally shallow reason to want a doll, but it might be nice to have a doll of my old RP character Jes. I think a Lishe would be a good mold for her, to go along with my CP-whore ways. Honestly, if a) they were still being made and b) they weren't so bloody TALL I'd consider an Afghana because the facial structure is very very Jes to me. Second hand market prices and OMGTALL are enough to dissuade me from pursuing that option, though. She should not tower over all the other boys in the collection. I honestly should not be considering dolls, but I find that having a set goal is a nice notion. So, those are my set goals. I'm not considering doing it NOW. Not for quite some time. These are future thoughts, once I stabilize things and get stuff sorted out and settled. I am a fiscally responsible soul, moreso than ever now. So thus.

	2009.04.17  12.18 RAWR SMASHITY. The comments on this article fill me full of rage. Just...just RAWR. People are such insensitive pricks.

	2009.04.15  17.08 So close, so close, so close... Washington legislature passes domestic partnership expansion bill, but... In a nutshell: the Legislature has approved (overwhelmingly) a measure to expand the definition of 'domestic partnership' to grant every single full benefit of marriage to same-sex couples in the state of Washington. The Governor supports the measure and is most likely going to sign it. However, all the opposition needs to do is file the paperwork for a referendum to stall the bill becoming law for 90 days. They've already said that they're going to try and repeal past domestic partnership measures as well via initiative. I hope to god they fail. My state is so progressive in so many ways, the powers that be need to be progressive in this, too. Badly.

	2009.04.14  23.07 Two days late, but... I did actually watch TAR this week, but as I was at Sakuracon and dealing with the twin distractions of a) being online talking to someone else and b) with a peanut gallery I didn't get my recap done. So. GO GO GADGET YOUTUBE! Previously on The Amazing Race: Elephants tried to surprise buttsex racers. Jaime was a Bitchy McBitchface. The Midget Stuntmen fucked up and lost their win because they were dumb and got penalties. Margie fell down went boom. Mel and Mike had to go byebye. And tonight? Kisha and Jen FUCK UP HUGE. ( And mooore! )

	2009.04.13  18.56 Damn, dude. I've heard of scammers and fraudulent doll buyers/sellers before but this? This takes the damn CAKE.