Greek Fiesta

Toga + Sombrero = GREEK FIESTA!

Jenni, Beth, and Riah hosted a graet party last weekend and tons of Fremont friends (some whom I haddn't seen for 3 years) were there.


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In On It

I love theatre, but part of being a fan is to branch out to all performance art types and venues. As many shows as I see, I am guilty of not visiting the smaller SF theatrical productions. I've only seen a handful of local Bay Area shows (The Next Stage, New Contemporary Theatre, and Wilde Irish).

Thanks to my buddy Reynaldi, (Company Manager/Publicist for Encore Theatre Company), the regional theatre scene is starting to add itself to my repetoire. He awesomely offered me complimentary tickets to their current show, In On It Friday, Feb. 17th, nestled in the Thick House on the sweet streets of Potrero Hill.


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Anthony Rapp SF Booksigning

Thursday, Feb.16 I attended the Anthony Rapp booksigning at The Booksmith on Haight. Anthony Rapp was the original Mark in Broadway's Rent and also played the role in the recent film adaptation. He is touring America promoting his new autobiography "Without You"

The evening was great. Not only is Anthony a charming and intelligent man, but there were over a dozen of my friends and acquaintances there to chill with. Quite the theatre-freak gathering! I had the opportunity ask him a few questions during the Q/A session, and got some autographs and photos.


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I've Been There...

Extremely relative to what we read in BECA 670 this week...

I work as a Senior Resident Assistant in Mard Ward Hall for the SFSU Housing Dept. I'd like to share more about my job but frankly, I CAN'T!

That's where I begin my story. You see, as an RA, your work is your home. You go to school, you come home, and you're in your office. It is a non-stop 25-hour day because you cannot get away. If you want to get away, you're not at home anymore. Luckily for me, I'm a pretty good master of the skill of getting away, but it is still a very high-stress, thankless, slave-driver job.



It's nearly impossible to express your opinion. In fact, I'm not even sure if I'm allowed to be typing this. Because SFSU H&RS is 100% Anti-Blog. RAs HAVE been fired or put on professional probation because they blog about the job, either directly ("I HATE MY EMPLOYEES!") or indirectly ("TODAY WAS A SHITTY DAY.") No lie. They're sticklers.

Superiors don't understand people my age, especially in high-stress environments, need a place to vent. Characteristic of our generation, The Millennials, the use of interactive technology (ie: Blogs, MySpace, AIM) is that venue.

As RAs, we can't turn to each other to bitch because we're all going through the same thing. We can't bitch to our friends because "No one knows what it's like to be an RA than another RA." We can't turn to alcohol or recreational drugs because we'll get fired.

So instead, RAs have a tradition of blogging on LiveJournal.com (LJ). We're all there. We finish work, we need to unwind... we write and read each other's LJs because it's the only way we can bitch and relate to each other without feeling like we're under the microscope. BUT WE STILL ARE!

Some supervisors read the RAs' blogs and if there's an ounce of subordination or scandal, we get fired, no questions asked. I have been brought into my employer's office TWICE because of a slight slip-up on my LJ that wasn't even carrying any emotional value. It was fact and still I was asked to take it down.

Just like the SF Gate Article, we are under the same guidelines. Employees of SFSU Housing cannot post pictures of themself in uniform other than at SFSU Housing events. We cannot share any information that isn't public knowledge (even if it is just facts). And we most definitely are asked not to share opinions of the job, other employees, or residents. All at the risk of termination.

And it sucks so bad. For example, yesterday something really really really REALLY shitty happened on staff. LIKE REALLY SHITTY! But I can't tell a goddamn soul other than my mother. Is that healthy? And people wonder why anxiety, over-eating, depression, and teenage-alcohol use is on the rise... Maybe because we're freakin' fucked up in the head and have no other outlet but prescription meds?

Bloggie 2006 Choice

After looking at the list of nominees/winners for the 2006 Bloggie Awards, I decided I was most impressed with Good As You.org and glad it was recognized in its category (Best GLBT Blog).



But there were about 4 other blogs that I totally loved. I describe them briefly below.

I'll be honest, I'm not a big blog reader. I tend to get most of my political, entertainment, and theatre news via TV, CNN.com, and Broadway-related sites. I am by no means an apathetic citizen, but would much rather surround myself (physically and mentally) with positive news and people.

I acknowledge that there is bad in the world, and I'm not out of tune with the world's goings-ons by any means. But I find no appeal in reading blogs that bad-mouth celebrities, (namely, Go Fug Yourself, which has 3 nominations) poke fun at a system, or offer gossip shit-stirring with no offer for a solution. Not interested. Seems counter-productive.

But forget about all that!

I must say that *damn* some of these Blogs were just awesome. I was having a really crappy day and by some lovely twist of fate, the first blog I clicked on was Cute Overload.com (4 nominations) and thank goodness! That's the cutest blog I've ever seen! I'm a huge animal lover and it's so rewarding to say "Awwww!" out-loud. Additionally, Flickr (2 nominations) had a pretty damn make-ya-feel-good feel to it. I like that.

I was having luck in the Best American Blog category so headed over to Post Secret (4 nominations) and what an awesome idea. This totally inspired me for a few minutes because (guh) this is such a perfect outlet for people of today's day and age. I almost felt like sharing the fact I (age 10) killed my pet tadpole for fun... but didn't. Ha!

Okay, okay one more before I say my favorite. Check out Overheard In New York.com (2 nominations)! OMG! Okay, maybe it's my personal bias because I♥NY and will live there in the near future, but it's such a good laugh. Sorta similar to the daily column on the back-page of the San Francisco Chronicle, this blog lists over-heard conversations in the Big Apple. Some of them are so hilarious. I live amongst people like this and I know damn well I'm guilty of just as bizarre conversations, so it's great. That's my 2nd favorite only because people *really* need laughter in their lives.

But when the cards are all laid out on the table, I chose Good As You.org because it is providing the best service to its readership. And my own personal bias. I'm gay and like good gay reporting. Good As You.org is not only informative and extremely well-researched, but it adds that much-needed flare to its reporting. Of course objectivity is respected and a good deal of the posts are very informative, but cynical paragraphs to top off a story, to remind the reader of the ridiculousness of (mostly anti-gay) news.

I subscribe to weekly email newsletters from the popular LGBT magazine, "The Advocate," which gives me basic headlines on what is going on in the world and how it effects the gay community. But GoodAsYou.org adds the (usually leftist) needed 2 cents. Plus, there are stories on this blog that "The Advocate" doesn't cover. As a social minority, I often find myself having to "speak for" the people of my identity, so it helps to be well-read and well-versed on LGBT issues. A good gay boy is a smart gay boy. Good As You.org not only provides news and commentary, but stimulates paths of thinking.

Good As You is a self-explanatory acronym. And the catch-line: Gay and Lesbian Activism With a Sense of Humor

I tend to take a nihilistic position on many political issues. I hate political correctness. I've also started to notice this kind of pattern of thinking in several other blogs (and blog-readers). GoodAsYou.org gives me a breath of fresh air with LGBT affairs. It's no secret that people hate my kind. Good As You.org helps me remember that, in essence, you're "better than" if you're able to rise above that stupid ish. I'd much rather be in tune to my community and know what to use as a rebuttal if ever put in a debate.

Lastly, to touch upon the aesthetics of the site. Yes, there seems to be a surplus of advertising but at least you know where to read (right in the middle). However, as you scroll down, what appear to be ads in the left column are in fact click-able icons that lead the reader to the more popular GAY.org articles. Additionally, there are links near the top of the left column for contact information. At the top of the right column are links to anti-gay campaigns (Know Thine Enemy). And thank goodness the archives are easily accessible.

My eyes hurt. Goodnight.

I learned how to embed music tonight.

BECA 670 - Day 1

Created Blog. I already know HTML.
Some basic stuff...

I am already using my SFSU Webspace:

Making a Hyperlink
BroadwayWorld.com

Posting a picture


bold italics underline strikethrough

*voila*
I can do other stuff too but prefer to blog in my LiveJournal, but I'll keep my BECA 670 related stuff in this blog.