2008 in Review

If 2007 was a year of preparation, 2008 was the year events came into fruition.

Of course, the news event that most people will associate with 2008 is the election of Barack Obama. I intended to vote Democratic, as I have in nearly every election since I came of age. But I struggled with who to support in the primary. (For the record, I don’t have a good record for picking the winner in the primaries. Some of my previous selections: 1988 - Jesse Jackson; 1992 - Jerry Brown; 2004 - Howard Dean). After much internal struggle, I decided to support Obama in the primary due to his consistent opposition to the Iraq war. If Hillary Clinton had come forward earlier, and said “I was wrong” about her 2002 vote, I may well have supported her. But she didn’t, so I selected Obama, despite his weaker position on gay issues. In the end, he won. Time will tell if he merits reelection.

Danny and I did not take a joint vacation in 2008. For me, there was only a brief trip to Florida for my niece’s high school graduation.

Careerwise, after years of attempts, I’ve finally been relieved of my phone job, at least temporarily. I’ve enjoyed my new position, testing our new policy servicing system. It’s scheduled to roll out in April, at which time I may have to return to the phones. But I’m hoping to spin it off into a permanent position in my new department, and my new manager seems eager to help.

In August, after months of scouting the market and saving money for a down payment, Danny and I made an offer on a house. After some negotiations, the deal was finalized, and our loan was approved mere days before the economy suffered a ground quake. For someone who’s used to stumbling while reaching for the goal, it was a rare moment of serendipity in my life. Between the deflated housing market and low interest rates, we secured a very good deal. Buying a house is a major hassle, and I don’t plan on doing it with any regularity. Unless we have a massive increase in income, or leave Northeast Ohio, Danny and I plan to remain here until we retire. The house was built in 1942, and many of my plans for 2009 revolve around sprucing up the exterior, and, of course, buying furniture!


But for me, the greatest event of 2008 was adopting Mason. Indeed, one of the primary reasons for getting a house was so I could get a dog. Ever since my childhood, I’ve related to dogs on a level where I often encounter failure with humans. I’ve wanted a Labrador for over 20 years. Mason is not purebred, but I’ve learned the benefits of mixed breed, or All-American dogs, and I couldn’t be happier with him. He sits by my side as I type this. All too many people treat pets as toys. But I’m always cognizant that Mason is a living creature. It’s a major responsibility, but I welcome it. In less than two months, Mason has taught me so much. Dogs don’t spend time worrying about the future or fretting over past events. They live for the moment, and Mason is helping me to do that. Theologians debate whether animals have “souls.” Although I’m not particularly spiritual, when I look into Mason’s eyes, I know he has a soul.


Mason on November 3rd.

Mason on Christmas day

On to 2009!

Being Screwed Without Getting a Kiss...

Here are two articles about the controversy surrounding President-Elect Obama's selection of Rick Warren to lead the invocation at his inauguration. The first goes a little over the top, but I can't argue with the basic premise. The second is more measured, but also condemnatory.

I've already commented on this issue, but it's worth asking those who are defending the selection: would they feel the same way if Obama chose a minister who favored the deportation of illegal aliens, or one who said non-Christians wouldn't get into heaven, or one along the lines of Jeremiah Wright?

In the aftermath of Warren's selection, Obama defended the choice and called himself a "fierce" advocate of gay rights. There is no evidence to support that statement. During the campaign, he didn't even make a "I have a vision and you're a part of it" speech ala Bill Clinton in 1992.
President-Elect Obama may surprise GLBT America yet, and champion our issues. But I'm not holding my breath.

Danny & I quietly enjoyed our first Christmas in our new home, with our new addition, Mason.  Our friend Zsolt was ill and had to beg off. 

After we finished opening our presents, I took Mason for a walk.  Then we crashed on the sofa for a nap.


Since 1978, it's been my Christmas tradition to go to a movie.  Danny and I went to see Marley & Me.  I don't care what the critics say, this was a wonderful film.  Word of caution, if you go to see it, bring some Kleenex.

Keeping Obama to his word

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/12/17/obama.warren/index.html

I think Obama is taking this "big tent" keep everybody happy thing a bit too far. He needs to remember who got him elected, and it wasn't Rick Warren or his ilk.

In his campaign, Obama promised the following:

* Expand Hate Crimes Statutes: In 2004, crimes against LGBT Americans constituted the third-highest category of hate crime reported and made up more than 15 percent of such crimes. Barack Obama cosponsored legislation that would expand federal jurisdiction to include violent hate crimes perpetrated because of race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or physical disability. As a state senator, Obama passed tough legislation that made hate crimes and conspiracy to commit them against the law.

* Fight Workplace Discrimination: Barack Obama supports the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, and believes that our anti-discrimination employment laws should be expanded to include sexual orientation and gender identity. While an increasing number of employers have extended benefits to their employees' domestic partners, discrimination based on sexual orientation in the workplace occurs with no federal legal remedy. Obama also sponsored legislation in the Illinois State Senate that would ban employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

* Support Full Civil Unions and Federal Rights for LGBT Couples: Barack Obama supports full civil unions that give same-sex couples legal rights and privileges equal to those of married couples. Obama also believes we need to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and enact legislation that would ensure that the 1,100+ federal legal rights and benefits currently provided on the basis of marital status are extended to same-sex couples in civil unions and other legally-recognized unions. These rights and benefits include the right to assist a loved one in times of emergency, the right to equal health insurance and other employment benefits, and property rights.

* Oppose a Constitutional Ban on Same-Sex Marriage: Barack Obama voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment in 2006 which would have defined marriage as between a man and a woman and prevented judicial extension of marriage-like rights to same-sex or other unmarried couples.

* Expand Adoption Rights: Barack Obama believes that we must ensure adoption rights for all couples and individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation. He thinks that a child will benefit from a healthy and loving home, whether the parents are gay or not.

* Promote AIDS Prevention: In the first year of his presidency, Barack Obama will develop and begin to implement a comprehensive national HIV/AIDS strategy that includes all federal agencies. The strategy will be designed to reduce HIV infections, increase access to care and reduce HIV-related health disparities. Obama will support common sense approaches including age-appropriate sex education that includes information about contraception, combating infection within our prison population through education and contraception, and distributing contraceptives through our public health system. Obama also supports lifting the federal ban on needle exchange, which could dramatically reduce rates of infection among drug users. Obama has also been willing to confront the stigma -- too often tied to homophobia -- that continues to surround HIV/AIDS. He will continue to speak out on this issue as president.

* Empower Women to Prevent HIV/AIDS: In the United States, the percentage of women diagnosed with AIDS has quadrupled over the last 20 years. Today, women account for more than one quarter of all new HIV/AIDS diagnoses. Barack Obama introduced the Microbicide Development Act, which will accelerate the development of products that empower women in the battle against AIDS. Microbicides are a class of products currently under development that women apply topically to prevent transmission of HIV and other infections.
We need to hold President Obama's feet to the fire on those issues, and make sure they are enacted. Bill Clinton made big promises to the gay community in 1992, and all we got from him was DADT and DOMA. Let's not allow history to repeat itself.

On Saturday, I had a free gingival graft done.  It was not pleasant, to say the least.  While I breezed through the removal of my wisdom teeth last year, the recovery from this is becoming a trial.  The left side of my face is swollen, and my mouth bled intermittently yesterday.  Thank heavens for Vicodin.

Still, I was determined to head out and see Milk.  I'm not well enough to go into detail now, but let me say it was simply the best movie I've seen this year. 

Danny and I have been incredibly busy. The house is now more or less in order. Repairs needed to get us through the winter are complete, I bought a snow blower, and the Xmas decorations are up. The only item remaining on the agenda is to buy a medicine cabinet for the bathroom and replace the rather tacky option by the previous owner (he simply hung a mirror over the hole in the bathroom wall).

 

Instead of Xmas presents for each other, Danny and I each got something for the house. I bought the Washer/Dryer which was installed the day before we moved in. Danny got a 47” LCD TV last weekend. I think I’m going to indulge in some couch potato-hood this winter. 

 

The rest of the past month has been taken up with work and Mason. He’s growing by leaps and bounds, both in physical size and behavior. Mason weighed in at 14 pounds at the veterinarian’s office on Monday. He’s very smart and is mostly housetrained, although he has had a few accidents (such as last weekend when our friend Zsolt visited and Mason wet himself with excitement). He’s also freakishly neat. I’ve noticed that he places his toys back in his cage after finishing with them – often in the same spot in the cage where they were before. Although friendly, Mason is now basically a toddler, and is in the “terrible twos” stage of behavior. For the last week, he has been rebellious and testing the limits of what he can get away with. Danny and I try to be patient and give him an activity to appease his restlessness, or put him in a restricted area for a time out.

 

On the work front, things are proceeding apace with our project. Our team had a very heavy work load, so we were given a two week extension to complete our testing – which ends today. Despite the extension, not all our tests were completed, mostly due to system outages and tests which had to be listed as invalid. Management has asked us to divide into two shifts: one starting at 6am, the other at Noon. So, beginning next week, I’ll be setting the alarm for 4:30am. It actually works out well for me since Mason won’t be alone at home too long. Amusingly, I discovered a few weeks ago that I went to high school with one of the members of my team. Same school, same year. But she and I didn’t share any classes, apparently.

 

Danny and I have been appalled by the economic news, but I have not been especially surprised. America has been living a debt heavy lifestyle for too long, and the chickens have come home to roost. I really think that GM in particular has dug its own grave. Carrying eight brands of automobiles with that duplication of models (like the Pontiac G5, which is a rebadged Chevy Cobalt) was recipe for disaster. Troubling is GM’s apparent plan to ditch Saturn, one of their only brands to show any innovation over the past few years. I’m aware most Americans are opposed to any bailout of the Big Three. And as a Honda driver, I don’t see myself driving a Ford, GM, or Chrysler anytime soon. But we can’t afford to lose this industry, as clumsy and idiotically run as it is. I think the government should place them in receivership, and a reformer should be appointed who would have broad authority to nullify union and dealership contracts and reorganize the companies. GM should drop the Buick, GMC, and Hummer labels, and sell Daewoo. Saab and Saturn should be spun off into their own, independent, companies. Ford should eliminate the Mercury brand, sell Volvo and sell their stakes in Mazda and Aston Martin. Then Ford needs to learn marketing, build fewer models (one compact, one midsize, one luxury car model) and not change the model names every three years, which is confusing to consumers and annoying to dealers. (Honda and Toyota know how to market autos. Civics and Camrys have been around for decades and have a defined image). I don’t know enough about Chrysler’s situation to comment, but the PT Cruiser I had as a rental a few months ago was a total piece of crap.   


I've been following President-elect Obama's handling of the transition, and I've been very impressed.  He's picking strong leaders for the Cabinet, although I don't agree with every one of them on every issue.  Hillary Clinton at State is undoubtedly his most controversial pick so far.  But most Americans don't appreciate how incredibly popular both Clintons are world wide.  Hillary can help America restore its image as a leader rather than a bully.  I must also admit, to my surprise, that President Bush has been handling his end of the transition with a graciousness sadly lacking during the bulk of his reign.  By the way, this whole "smooth transition of power" thing is rather new.  The first president to pledge one was Harry Truman, who knew something about assuming power under difficult circumstances. 

 

Neither Danny nor I face an immediate threat to our jobs. Progressive is in pretty good shape (in fact, we seem to have profited from AIG’s troubles and have 337,000 more policies than a year ago), and people will always need health care – so Danny’s job is safe. Still, I have decided to reign in my furniture purchases for now, so the house will continue to have one empty bedroom and a partially furnished living room.

 

Time to enjoy the weekend…