I'm a pretty enthusiastic Obama supporter and I plan to vote for him when Kentucky holds it's Primary in May, but I can't help but feel that the man this country so desperately needs won't be on the ballot. I'm speaking of course of Al Gore, the Elder Statesman of the Democratic Party and the man who had the 2000 Presidential election stolen from him by five conservative Supreme Court Justices. He is perhaps the only person who could save this country from the mess it finds itself in and yet, he doesn't appear to want the job. We can't blame him of course, who the hell would want to try and clean up the cluster-fuck Dubya has left behind, but he would nonetheless be the sanest choice to occupy the Oval Office.
I still find myself fuming over the results of the 2000 election and one can't help but wonder how different America and the World would be today had Gore not had the will of the voters overturned. While it's probable that 9/11 probably would have happened, Gore most certainly would not have responeded the way Dubya did to that fateful day. Gore would not have attacked Iraq, would not have let Bin Laden get away and he for sure would not have taken the Constitution of the United States, the most sacred document ever penned by the hand of man, to a paper shredder. Gore would not have tarnished the image of this once great country, he would not have illegaly spied on his fellow Americans and most likely, America would be a leader in combating Climate Change, not the poster boy for ineptitude we currently are.
That the media so shamelessly helped but Dubya in office makes me even more pissed off. They never tired of calling Gore a robot, of making fun of how wonkish he was and repeating over and over the lie that Gore claimed to have invented the internet. They told us what a great guy Dubya was, how he would be much more fun to have a drink with, how Dubya was charming and a regular joe while Gore was stiff and boring, only wanting to talk about policy. Well, nearly 8 years later, the country is in ruins and they are doing it all over again, putting John McBush up on an altar, telling us what a "Maverick" he is and having BBQ's at McBush's "rustic" cabin. The past 7 years have worked out great, haven't they, and now they want to do it all over again.
Dogs At Play
It's not the best camea work, but entertaining nonetheless, especially if you love dogs. Sammy is the Border Collie with the nearly all black face, River is the Border Collie with the black and white face and the Lab is Shadow.
Our Public Face
I can't think of a better person to be the public face for transsexuals. Jennifer Boylan's memoir, She's Not There, is by far the best book written about what it's like to be born the wrong gender. She's a role model, an inspiration and a remarkable woman. Pretty cute as well.
Racing
It's time to start the engines. Two weeks ago, the 2008 Formula One season got underway and tomorrow, The Indy Racing League season will begin under the lights at Homestead Motor Speedway in Miami. To celebrate, I wore a lot of my Indy Racing gear to work today and of course I got razzed about that. More than a few people seemed curious that I would be so into something so "testosterone filled" as Indy Car Racing. Well, last time I checked, sports don't belong to men. Two women, Danica Patrick and Milka Duno will be racing tomorrow evening, with Patrick having a realistic shot at winning. So there!
Anyways, I thought I would step out on a limb and give my 2008 Indy Car Season Preview and Prediction Thread. It's an exciting time for American open-wheel racing fans as for the first time in over a decade, we have one unified series with all of the top drivers competing under one sanctioning body. When the flag goes green, 25 cars will race 300 miles at over 210 mph, the largest field in ages. Had Graham Rahal not wrecked his car in practice, we would have a field of 26 cars. Most of those new cars will be at a severe disadvantage as they try to come up to speed with a new chassis, new engine and new format of racing, namely ovals. Only two of the former Champ Car drivers have any meaningful experience on ovals and to expect any of them to finish high, much less win, is unrealistic.
That won't necessarily be the case next week when the series heads to St. Petersburg for the Grand Prix on a temporary street circuit. That is what makes the Indy Car Series so challenging and what for me, makes it the most competitive racing series in the world. The schedule features a challenging mix of high speed ovals, temporary street circuits, road courses and small ovals. Throw in the 33 car field Indianapolis 500 and you have one hell of a schedule. I'll get to see two races this year, the 500 and the race at Kentucky Speedway in August. Should be fun. So, without further ado, here are my picks for the season:
1. Season Championship: Realistically, 4 drivers have a shot at the season title and should be quite a shootout. My pick for season championship is Scott Dixon of Target Chip Ganassi. Challenging him will be Tony Kannan of Andretti Green, Helio Castroneves of Penske and Dan Wheldon also of Ganassi.
2. Rookie of the year: This will be an interesting battle as all but two of the new drivers from Champ Car will be classified as rookies because of a lack of oval racing experience. My pick is Newman Haas driver Justin Wilson. Wilson was expected to be the heavy favorite to win the Champ Car title and I see no reason why he won't perform better than any of the other rookies. He's a former Formula One driver and is immensely talented. Best bet for runner up: Graham Rahal, also of Newman Haas.
3. Will she or won't she? Perhaps the second biggest story line of the year is whether or not Danica Patrick will finally notch her first victory. She's steadily improved with each season and racing for Andretti Green doesn't hurt. I say yes, she gets not one, but two wins this year and finishes in the top six of the standings.
4. Will any of the former Champ Car drivers win a race this year? My gut feeling is no, but if it's going to happen, two drivers have a good shot at pulling it off. Orial Servia has 27 oval starts and is a talented driver and is the only one with a chance to win an oval this year. The best option to win however belongs to Wilson and it will come at Surfers Paradise in Australia or Edmonton, Alberta, street circuits that none of the drivers from the IRL have raced over.
5. Who will win the Indianapolis 500, the crown jewel in the series? I'm going to predict Scott Dixon will drink the jug of milk on his way to the season championship. Look for Kannan to finish second with Patrick third.
6. Will Paul Tracy land a ride? Amazingly, the most popular driver in the former Champ Car Series, Paul Tracy, doesn't have a seat this year. In a last minute decision, his team decided not to field a car for the merged series, leaving Tracy on the outside looking in. It's a shame as Tracy brings a lot of personality and would have been a great rival for some of the Indy Car drivers that used to race against him in CART. I suspect that a seat will indeed come open for Tracy and within a couple of races, we'll see him mixing it up and going upside down as he is want to do.
7. Besides the 500, what race am I most excited about? Belle Isle in Detroit. This beautiful circuit was the most exciting race last year and the Champ Car drivers should love it. I'd give just about anything to go see this one, even if it meant having to go to Detroit.
8. What am I most looking forward to? As excited as I am about this year, next year will be even better. The former Champ Car teams will have a year under their belt and expect them all to be much more competitive next year. Also, next years schedule should greatly expand and hopefully we'll see some exciting new additions to the race calendar. I'd love to see a 22 week schedule with the following sites included:
Homestead Speedway, Miami- Oval
St. Petersburg, Florida Grand Prix- Street Circuit
Twin Ring Montegi, Japan- Oval
Long Beach Grand Prix, California- Street Circuit
Indianapolis 500, Indiana- Oval
Texas Motor Speedway, Texas- Oval
Kansas Motor Speedway, Kansas- Oval
Iowa Motor Speedway, Iowa- Oval
Michigan Motor Speedway, Michigan- Oval
Kentucky Motor Speedway, Kentucky- Oval
Chicago Motor Speedway, Illinois-Oval
Belle Isle Grand Prix, Michigan- Road Course
Grand Prix of Edmonton, Alberta- Street Circuit
Toronto Grand Prix, Ontario- Street Circuit
Surfer's Paradise Grand Prix, Australia- Street Circuit
Monterrey Grand Prix, Mexico- Street Circuit
California Motor Speedway, California- Oval
Cleveland Grand Prix, Ohio- Burke Lakefront Airport Circuit
Portland Grand Prix, Oregon- Street Circuit
Mid-America Road Course, Ohio- Road Course
Nashville Super Speedway, Tennessee- Oval
Las Vegas Grand Prix, Nevada- Streets of Vegas
Anyways, I thought I would step out on a limb and give my 2008 Indy Car Season Preview and Prediction Thread. It's an exciting time for American open-wheel racing fans as for the first time in over a decade, we have one unified series with all of the top drivers competing under one sanctioning body. When the flag goes green, 25 cars will race 300 miles at over 210 mph, the largest field in ages. Had Graham Rahal not wrecked his car in practice, we would have a field of 26 cars. Most of those new cars will be at a severe disadvantage as they try to come up to speed with a new chassis, new engine and new format of racing, namely ovals. Only two of the former Champ Car drivers have any meaningful experience on ovals and to expect any of them to finish high, much less win, is unrealistic.
That won't necessarily be the case next week when the series heads to St. Petersburg for the Grand Prix on a temporary street circuit. That is what makes the Indy Car Series so challenging and what for me, makes it the most competitive racing series in the world. The schedule features a challenging mix of high speed ovals, temporary street circuits, road courses and small ovals. Throw in the 33 car field Indianapolis 500 and you have one hell of a schedule. I'll get to see two races this year, the 500 and the race at Kentucky Speedway in August. Should be fun. So, without further ado, here are my picks for the season:
1. Season Championship: Realistically, 4 drivers have a shot at the season title and should be quite a shootout. My pick for season championship is Scott Dixon of Target Chip Ganassi. Challenging him will be Tony Kannan of Andretti Green, Helio Castroneves of Penske and Dan Wheldon also of Ganassi.
2. Rookie of the year: This will be an interesting battle as all but two of the new drivers from Champ Car will be classified as rookies because of a lack of oval racing experience. My pick is Newman Haas driver Justin Wilson. Wilson was expected to be the heavy favorite to win the Champ Car title and I see no reason why he won't perform better than any of the other rookies. He's a former Formula One driver and is immensely talented. Best bet for runner up: Graham Rahal, also of Newman Haas.
3. Will she or won't she? Perhaps the second biggest story line of the year is whether or not Danica Patrick will finally notch her first victory. She's steadily improved with each season and racing for Andretti Green doesn't hurt. I say yes, she gets not one, but two wins this year and finishes in the top six of the standings.
4. Will any of the former Champ Car drivers win a race this year? My gut feeling is no, but if it's going to happen, two drivers have a good shot at pulling it off. Orial Servia has 27 oval starts and is a talented driver and is the only one with a chance to win an oval this year. The best option to win however belongs to Wilson and it will come at Surfers Paradise in Australia or Edmonton, Alberta, street circuits that none of the drivers from the IRL have raced over.
5. Who will win the Indianapolis 500, the crown jewel in the series? I'm going to predict Scott Dixon will drink the jug of milk on his way to the season championship. Look for Kannan to finish second with Patrick third.
6. Will Paul Tracy land a ride? Amazingly, the most popular driver in the former Champ Car Series, Paul Tracy, doesn't have a seat this year. In a last minute decision, his team decided not to field a car for the merged series, leaving Tracy on the outside looking in. It's a shame as Tracy brings a lot of personality and would have been a great rival for some of the Indy Car drivers that used to race against him in CART. I suspect that a seat will indeed come open for Tracy and within a couple of races, we'll see him mixing it up and going upside down as he is want to do.
7. Besides the 500, what race am I most excited about? Belle Isle in Detroit. This beautiful circuit was the most exciting race last year and the Champ Car drivers should love it. I'd give just about anything to go see this one, even if it meant having to go to Detroit.
8. What am I most looking forward to? As excited as I am about this year, next year will be even better. The former Champ Car teams will have a year under their belt and expect them all to be much more competitive next year. Also, next years schedule should greatly expand and hopefully we'll see some exciting new additions to the race calendar. I'd love to see a 22 week schedule with the following sites included:
Homestead Speedway, Miami- Oval
St. Petersburg, Florida Grand Prix- Street Circuit
Twin Ring Montegi, Japan- Oval
Long Beach Grand Prix, California- Street Circuit
Indianapolis 500, Indiana- Oval
Texas Motor Speedway, Texas- Oval
Kansas Motor Speedway, Kansas- Oval
Iowa Motor Speedway, Iowa- Oval
Michigan Motor Speedway, Michigan- Oval
Kentucky Motor Speedway, Kentucky- Oval
Chicago Motor Speedway, Illinois-Oval
Belle Isle Grand Prix, Michigan- Road Course
Grand Prix of Edmonton, Alberta- Street Circuit
Toronto Grand Prix, Ontario- Street Circuit
Surfer's Paradise Grand Prix, Australia- Street Circuit
Monterrey Grand Prix, Mexico- Street Circuit
California Motor Speedway, California- Oval
Cleveland Grand Prix, Ohio- Burke Lakefront Airport Circuit
Portland Grand Prix, Oregon- Street Circuit
Mid-America Road Course, Ohio- Road Course
Nashville Super Speedway, Tennessee- Oval
Las Vegas Grand Prix, Nevada- Streets of Vegas
Is This It?
I've long been convinced that we (America and really the World at large) were living on borrowed time and that eventually all of the excess of the past half century would finally catch up with us. As little as a couple of months ago, I didn't really think that the current economic crisis would be the big "IT" that so many have been worried about. I actually did believe that this thing could be controlled and that after a year or so of slow economic growth, we'd rebound for a few more years and get to continue "partying on". Evidently I was wrong.
Whether anyone really wants to admit it, and judging by the way most people seem to be going about their happy ways, they don't, it's becoming increasingly clear to those who are actually paying attention that the wheels have fallen off and we are careening out of control into unchartered territory. You can see on Wall Street as the market just can't quite figure out what to do. Helicopter Ben drops some money their way, stocks go up for a day, and then reality sets in again and billions more simply disappear. Meanwhile, commodities are at record highs as a genuine food shortage takes shape and global oil production peaks. Food and gas prices are soaring, retail sales are falling, credit is increasingly difficult to come by and the housing market has completely collapsed.
Americans are leveraged to the max, as deep in debt as they have ever been and the sad thing is, there may be no way out. When one looks at the staggering debt burden that America is under, it begins to sink in that there will never be a way to pay it all back. We are increasingly owned by Chines and Middle Eastern consortiums that for the time being are willing to do their part to prop up their biggest consumer of cheap plastic goods and expensive liquid petroleum. How long that will last is anyones guess, but signs are out there that it might not be much longer.
As I've mentioned many times before, the two biggest threats to modern civilization are runaway climate change and peak oil. That they are happening concurrently will only make matters worse. For nearly three full years, we've been on an undulating plateau of global oil production, unable to surpass the May 2005 production. We still might see a brief increase in production this year, but by this time next year, we'll begin the long and very, very painful decline that will finally bring the world to it's knees.
Energy Use in Human History. Notice Anything?
I have absolutely zero doubt that future historians will consider the Industrial Revolution, of which everyone alive has always been a part of, to be a historic aberration. For all of human history, save for the past 200 hundred years, humans have lived in a low energy, low growth and low subsistence world. Oil, coal and natural gas changed all of that and the past two centuries saw unprecedented population, economic and standard of living growth. We are now entering the final phase of that brief window of prosperity and this time, the ride won't be nearly as fun as the one going up was.
ONE LAST THING TO LEAVE YOU WITH:
The boom in housing is what propelled the past two decades of US economic growth as the manufacturing base that sustained us for most of the 20th century disappeared to China and other havens of cheap labor. There really is no way to sugar coat this so I'll just let the facts speak for themselves. Remember, don't hurt the messenger.
1. US Existing Home Sales- For February, sales were down 23.8% from the previous year.
2. US New Home Sales- For February, sales were down 29.8% from the previous year.
3. American Home Owners lost an average of $338 a week in the value of their home. That comes to $17,576 lost in just one year in the value of ones home. At this rate, I'll be using my mortgage payment coupons as toilet paper in a year or so, so worthless will my house be.
4. If you happen to live in California, it's even worse as home prices fell by an average of $2788 a week or $144,976 total.
As Ilargi says, "Do numbers like that make it easier to understand what is going on? If not, what else can I do to make you wake up?"
Whether anyone really wants to admit it, and judging by the way most people seem to be going about their happy ways, they don't, it's becoming increasingly clear to those who are actually paying attention that the wheels have fallen off and we are careening out of control into unchartered territory. You can see on Wall Street as the market just can't quite figure out what to do. Helicopter Ben drops some money their way, stocks go up for a day, and then reality sets in again and billions more simply disappear. Meanwhile, commodities are at record highs as a genuine food shortage takes shape and global oil production peaks. Food and gas prices are soaring, retail sales are falling, credit is increasingly difficult to come by and the housing market has completely collapsed.
Americans are leveraged to the max, as deep in debt as they have ever been and the sad thing is, there may be no way out. When one looks at the staggering debt burden that America is under, it begins to sink in that there will never be a way to pay it all back. We are increasingly owned by Chines and Middle Eastern consortiums that for the time being are willing to do their part to prop up their biggest consumer of cheap plastic goods and expensive liquid petroleum. How long that will last is anyones guess, but signs are out there that it might not be much longer.
As I've mentioned many times before, the two biggest threats to modern civilization are runaway climate change and peak oil. That they are happening concurrently will only make matters worse. For nearly three full years, we've been on an undulating plateau of global oil production, unable to surpass the May 2005 production. We still might see a brief increase in production this year, but by this time next year, we'll begin the long and very, very painful decline that will finally bring the world to it's knees.
Energy Use in Human History. Notice Anything?
I have absolutely zero doubt that future historians will consider the Industrial Revolution, of which everyone alive has always been a part of, to be a historic aberration. For all of human history, save for the past 200 hundred years, humans have lived in a low energy, low growth and low subsistence world. Oil, coal and natural gas changed all of that and the past two centuries saw unprecedented population, economic and standard of living growth. We are now entering the final phase of that brief window of prosperity and this time, the ride won't be nearly as fun as the one going up was.
ONE LAST THING TO LEAVE YOU WITH:
The boom in housing is what propelled the past two decades of US economic growth as the manufacturing base that sustained us for most of the 20th century disappeared to China and other havens of cheap labor. There really is no way to sugar coat this so I'll just let the facts speak for themselves. Remember, don't hurt the messenger.
1. US Existing Home Sales- For February, sales were down 23.8% from the previous year.
2. US New Home Sales- For February, sales were down 29.8% from the previous year.
3. American Home Owners lost an average of $338 a week in the value of their home. That comes to $17,576 lost in just one year in the value of ones home. At this rate, I'll be using my mortgage payment coupons as toilet paper in a year or so, so worthless will my house be.
4. If you happen to live in California, it's even worse as home prices fell by an average of $2788 a week or $144,976 total.
As Ilargi says, "Do numbers like that make it easier to understand what is going on? If not, what else can I do to make you wake up?"
Interesting
I really don't know what to think about this, but once this gets picked up by the more mainstream media, expect a firestorm of controversy. I must confess, I really didn't think this was possible, but evidently it is. I had assumed that like male to female transsexuals, female to males lost the ability to reproduce with heavy doses of hormone therapy. My endocrinologist told me that one of the first side affects of estrogen would be sterilization. That weighed heavily on my decision to start hormones but in the end, I decided that children really weren't for me and thus began the process. My "equipment" long ago quit working and I rarely, if ever, think about that fact. My only acknowledgment of my penis is that it is not what I would prefer to have. Anyways, it will be interesting to see how this unfolds.
What's Next, A Beatdown?
The only thing that hasn't happened is getting the shit beat out of me by someone who finds my existence not just repulsive, but nauseating as well. Sometimes, when the public mocking becomes so bad, I would almost prefer physical abuse, as at least those bruises heal. These now common episodes have sucked the life out of me and sapped my soul. Some days, I just feel like an emotionless being walking aimlessly through life. For the time being, the tears still flow, but once the ability to feel pain stops, they too will one day stop. How I'm still going is beyond me and speaks to the utter desperation of my inner feelings. Still, one can only run into a brick wall so many times before deciding that maybe this isn't the best route.
An Easter Long Ago
I must have been 3 or so and I guess we would have been living in Ft. Riley, Kansas that year.
Easter?
The calendar says Spring and today is Easter, but you wouldn't know it by looking out the window. We have 33 degrees and heavy wet snow. Friday was in the 70's and today it's snowing. Of course, this is the earliest that Easter can fall and it won't happen again till the year 2228, at which point I will be 258 years old. Anyways, here are some pics.
A Vanity Fair MeMe
One of my favorite things about my favorite magazine, The Proust Questionnaire. I do this month's here:
1. What is your idea of perfect happiness?
I can't even comprehend such a thing, so I don't know.
2. What is your greatest fear?
What life will be like after my Mom is gone.
3. What is your most marked characteristic?
I don't know.
4. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Negativity, though it wasn't that way till 2004.
5. Which living person do you most despise?
Dubya!
6. What is your greatest extravagance?
Dining out.
7. What is your current state of mind?
Despair mixed with cautious optimism.
8. What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
All virtues are overrated.
9. On what occasion do you lie?
I seldom lie, if ever.
10. What do you dislike most about your appearance?
My face and it's an expensive one at that.
11. What is the quality you most like in a man?
Modesty.
12. What is the quality you most like in a woman?
Intelligence
13. Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
"I'm sorry"- Mom says I apologize too much, especially for things that I didn't do.
14. What or who is the greatest love of your life?
My family and my dogs.
15. When and where were you happiest?
My years in West Virginia. The mountains have a way of soothing the soul.
15. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
That I could have been comfortable being a guy.
16. Which talent would you most like to have?
I wish I could sing.
17. What do you consider your greatest achievement?
My education. That I not only have a college degree, but also a Masters Degree, all of which puts me in rather rare company.
18. If you were to die and come back as a person or thing, what do you think it would be?
A dog. There is no other creature that is more pure than a dog. The only thing I would ever change about dogs is their tragically short lives. Something so sweet, so loving and so dedicated should be blessed with a longer life.
19. Where would you like to live?
I can think of no finer city than London.
20. What is your most treasured possession?
My memories. No one can ever take them away.
21. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
Being a transsexual and not being able to successfully transition. It's what my life is.
22. What is your favorite occupation?
Sleeping.
23. Who is your favorite hero of fiction?
Atticus Finch and Winnie the Pooh. All you need to know in order to live a good and decent life can be found in those two amazing characters.
24. What are your favorite names?
Sammy, River and Shadow of course.
25. What is it that you most dislike?
Mans cruelty to animals. We do not deserve our place at the head of the food chain.
26. How would you like to die?
Doing something that I enjoy. Perhaps riding a roller coaster.
27. What is your motto?
"Why do something today when you can do it tomorrow."
1. What is your idea of perfect happiness?
I can't even comprehend such a thing, so I don't know.
2. What is your greatest fear?
What life will be like after my Mom is gone.
3. What is your most marked characteristic?
I don't know.
4. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Negativity, though it wasn't that way till 2004.
5. Which living person do you most despise?
Dubya!
6. What is your greatest extravagance?
Dining out.
7. What is your current state of mind?
Despair mixed with cautious optimism.
8. What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
All virtues are overrated.
9. On what occasion do you lie?
I seldom lie, if ever.
10. What do you dislike most about your appearance?
My face and it's an expensive one at that.
11. What is the quality you most like in a man?
Modesty.
12. What is the quality you most like in a woman?
Intelligence
13. Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
"I'm sorry"- Mom says I apologize too much, especially for things that I didn't do.
14. What or who is the greatest love of your life?
My family and my dogs.
15. When and where were you happiest?
My years in West Virginia. The mountains have a way of soothing the soul.
15. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
That I could have been comfortable being a guy.
16. Which talent would you most like to have?
I wish I could sing.
17. What do you consider your greatest achievement?
My education. That I not only have a college degree, but also a Masters Degree, all of which puts me in rather rare company.
18. If you were to die and come back as a person or thing, what do you think it would be?
A dog. There is no other creature that is more pure than a dog. The only thing I would ever change about dogs is their tragically short lives. Something so sweet, so loving and so dedicated should be blessed with a longer life.
19. Where would you like to live?
I can think of no finer city than London.
20. What is your most treasured possession?
My memories. No one can ever take them away.
21. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
Being a transsexual and not being able to successfully transition. It's what my life is.
22. What is your favorite occupation?
Sleeping.
23. Who is your favorite hero of fiction?
Atticus Finch and Winnie the Pooh. All you need to know in order to live a good and decent life can be found in those two amazing characters.
24. What are your favorite names?
Sammy, River and Shadow of course.
25. What is it that you most dislike?
Mans cruelty to animals. We do not deserve our place at the head of the food chain.
26. How would you like to die?
Doing something that I enjoy. Perhaps riding a roller coaster.
27. What is your motto?
"Why do something today when you can do it tomorrow."
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