Clinton vs. Obama in the gay community

Here's a Bloomberg article picked up through Yahoo.

Gays in general have been very stalwart backers of Hillary Clinton's candidacy, due to her husband's support of the community, Hillary's own marching in the 2000 New York Pride Parade, and Barack Obama hiring a homophobic minister for outreach to the African-American communities of faith. But that may be changing now.

Obama has been very upfront about admitting the mistake of hiring the minister, as well as his commitment to overturning the Defense of Marriage Act, which was signed into law by none other than Bill Clinton. Both Bill and Hillary have also been supporters of the military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy, also signed during Bill's presidency, which doesn't sit well with the gay community. Meanwhile, Obama has also been blunt about facing the rampant homophobia in the African-American community.

As for me, I was committed to John Edwards after learning of Obama's hiring of the homophobic minister. But now that Obama has clarified his position, and Edwards is out, I ended up voting for Obama, and will again do so when the general election comes around in November. My honest opinion is that the Clintons have become insiders themselves, and are no longer capable of shaking up the corrupt Beltway system to the degree required, though Hillary will still make a much better president than John McCain.

Among the high-profile gays supporting Obama are lesbian icon (and my idol) Melissa Etheridge, and Hollywood mogul David Geffen of DreamWorks, both major former Bill Clinton supporters.

Yahoo! News

End of an Era on the Internet

An icon of the early days of the Internet will bite the dust, as of tomorrow. It's the once-popular Netscape Navigator.

I remember my early days on the Web, when I was running a very buggy version of Mosaic - on a hand-built 486 running Windows 3.1 and 16-bit winsock.dll for Internet access. (Of course, 16-bit winsock.dll has itself been history for ages.) This was in 1994. Mosaic couldn't even center text, much less display animated graphics or tables; nevertheless, I used this primitive World Wide Web to get enough information to, say, meet Mariah Carey. (Back then, most of the serious stuff on the Internet was available through other primitive technologies, such as Telnet and FTP, as opposed to the Web. There was very little commercial content.)

Not long afterwards, beta versions of Netscape Navigator started to circulate, with its distinctive blue N, moving in and out to indicate browser status. It was downloaded from mcom.com (Mosaic Communications), later renamed netscape.com. That blue N lasted until the first official version, 1.0N, then was replaced by a more elaborate graphic scheme starting at version 1.1. It was with this browser, by now much more stable, that I visited the first commercial websites available, such as Toyota and American Airlines, in 1995. By version 2, framed browsing was available, and I used those functions in my own website projects.

Those were the early days. I stopped using Netscape Navigator when version 6 came out, with its extremely buggy HTML editor and email program. I had preferred Netscape due to its leaner architecture over Microsoft Internet Explorer, but by Version 6, it was MSIE that was leaner and more stable. I haven't used Netscape since about 1999 for this reason, preferring MSIE, which was bundled with Windows anyway. In the past few years though, I've migrated over to Firefox, which uses the same Mozilla technology once used by Netscape, and is leaner, more stable, and easier to use than MSIE. And with my migration to the Macintosh platform, using Firefox has become a requirement, as I don't like Apple's own Safari, and MSIE is no longer available for Macintosh.

Netscape died due to Microsoft's predatory practices, but also due to Netscape's own faults, especially in releasing the bug-infested Navigator 6 that turned me off for good. But it's still sad to see an early icon of the Internet, one with many memories associated with it, disappear into oblivion. Here are some links dealing with Netscape Navigator:

BBC
Wikipedia
Netscape Archive Page

1988 vs. 2008

In many ways, 2008 looks a lot like 1988. The United States is ruled by hardcore right-wing ideology today, as it was in 1988, with a neoconservative Republican administration. The Summer Olympics are being held in a less-than-deserving East Asian country - South Korea then, China now. Even some of the fashion trends today look a lot like 1988 - think skinny jeans and leggings.

There is one difference though: technology. Instead of paying $2500 for a bulky brick phone with at most one hour of talk time, today I pay $400 for Apple's iPhone, with Internet access and many other features, as well as 8 hours of talk time. Instead of paying $1400 for a 286-class PC running MS-DOS, I pay about $1000 for dual-core powered PC running Windows Vista, large LCD monitor included. At $35 per megabyte, today's terabyte hard drives would have cost millions of dollars in 1988; back then, 150 MB was incredibly huge. Internet access went from $6-$20 per hour to about $20 per month, with huge increases in speed and content. And while Sony Discman would've been state of the art in 1988, today it is obsolete, thanks to cavernous Apple iPods with far longer battery life and far more capacity.

PC World has an article comparing these technological improvements, and more, between 1988 and 2008.

PC World

The changing American religious landscape

Here is a survey that I just found, from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.

It says 25% of Americans have switched from the religion of their upbringing to another (or no) religion, and the number rises to 44% if Protestants changing denominations are counted in. Lots of other interesting findings, as follows:

• 78% of Americans are Christians, but only 51% are Protestants, and that number is shrinking. Protestants will soon be a minority.
• Roman Catholics lose more believers than any other religion; 10% of all Americans are ex-Catholics. Their numbers are sustained only through Latin American immigration; half of under-30 Catholics are Latinos.
• Hindus retain the most childhood believers. Jehovah's Witnesses retain the least.
• Most evangelicals convert from other Protestant faiths, as opposed to non-Christian faiths. Nondenominational churches are gaining, while Baptists and Methodists are losing. About 10% of all Protestants are now non-denominational.
  
• Most American Buddhists are whites, and most are converts. Buddhists outnumber Muslims, in fact, though both number under 1% of the population each.

Would've loved to see more specific numbers, including numbers on Unitarian Universalism, but since a link is not provided at MSNBC, I can't find out.

MSNBC

Orlando wrap-up

This is how my final Orlando day went.

I returned to Epcot early, and took a photo of this dedication plaque.

I continued my tour of Future World, where I noticed that all major attractions had a corporate sponsor. This is Nestle-sponsored greenhouse, toured aboard a slow-moving boat, in the Land section. I also took a ride on Soarin', a glider simulation flying over various California landmarks.

By 11, I realized that I pretty much covered everything in Epcot, in a grand total of 12 hours spread over two days. After a lunch at the Mexico pavilion, I decided to upgrade my ticket to a Park Hopper for $45, then took the monorail to Magic Kingdom.

Statue of Walt Disney and Mickey at Magic Kingdom.

Here, I decided to find out what the key similarities and differences were compared to the original Disneyland back in California. The layout of themed lands was identical, but the rides were somewhat different. For example, It's A Small World loaded from an indoors dock, as opposed to Disneyland's open-air dock; this worked out pretty well today, due to heavy showers pounding the place. Despite the showers, Magic Kingdom was packed!

Magic Kingdom's Cinderella fountain, next to the magic castle.
This is the last float in a long parade, showcasing Disney's key cartoon characters.

I took many familiar rides, including the Haunted House, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Space Mountain, as well as a few rides unique to Magic Kingdom, such as an alien-themed ride. Although Space Mountain was a mild roller coaster, it was more intense than the Disneyland version, with many sharp turns and negative G forces; I had to be mindful of my wig.

I turned in around 7PM, heading back to Epcot for a Chinese dinner before leaving Walt Disney World altogether, for the final time.

All in all, I ended up covering three of the four parks, as well as a glimpse of many of the resorts spread over the landscape. If I ever return to Orlando, I would probably go for a 4-5 day Park Hopper ticket right off the bat (after 3 days, the extra days are practically free), and explore all four parks at my own pace. I still don't like the rampant corporatism and reactionary politics of Walt Disney Company, but these people at least know how to run theme parks. (I also appreciated the rainbow Mickey pins available for sale, though I didn't buy one.)

I have an early flight tomorrow. Hopefully I'll get to catch up on sleep in my first class seat.

Visiting Epcot

As planned, I spent most of the day at Epcot, after finishing up my business in the morning hours. Here is how my day went at Epcot, as I arrived at noon.

Although the Florida humidity was very noticeable, and temperatures were very warm (80s), it wasn't too bad. The showers held off, which helped.

Spaceship Earth, the symbol of Epcot. Inside is a slow ride talking about the human communications evolution. But I decided to save that ride for later, and hit the back half of the park, the World Showcase, right away.

The World Showcase has pavilions representing eleven different nations, ringing this huge lake. It's possible to make out, from left to right, Chinese, German, and Italian pavilions. I spent most of today here, to see if the presentations of the nations were authentic (I've been to a good number of the nations represented).

I went counterclockwise, starting at Canada, where I saw a CircleVision movie called "O Canada" narrated by Martin Short. It was very lovely to see the familiar Vancouver and Montreal skylines again - and get hints of the Rockies, Toronto, and other Canadian locales I have yet to visit. In front of the pavilion is this garden, modeled after Butchart Gardens in Victoria, British Columbia.

The UK pavilion was next. It was a dud, save for some fish & chips. There is a Beatles tribute band performing here, but I missed it.

This waiter plays with the chairs at a cafe in the French pavilion. Here, I watched another movie, this time about the various parts of France. Again, it was so refreshing to see the Parisian cityscape. I noted that the attendants here were native French speakers, and their heavily accented English was hard to understand. Of course, basic French lesson was given, from "bonjour" to "oui" to "merci."

This gate, in Morocco, is based on a city gate in Fez. Behind it lies markets and restaurants. Although I was hungry at this point and the kebabs sounded pretty good, I moved on.

I liked the Japan pavilion, complete with three restaurants and a huge department store. This storyteller (in orange) tells the story of a fisherman named Taro, who rescues the turtle and travels to the underwater world, only to return 150 years later. The man next to the storyteller is a guest playing the role of Taro. Just like France, Japan's staff were natives with heavy accents.

After listening to a drum troupe, I ate fast food lunch here, consisting of sukiyaki beef and teriyaki chicken with rice.

This drum and flute troupe in Revolutionary War costumes played various patriotic music at the US pavilion, culminating in "God Bless America" which all spectators were expected to sing along. Here, I entered a colonial building, where an a capella group in 19th Century costumes sang even more patriotic and folk music, before showing a movie about the American spirit. Glad to see the unique, in your face, American-style patriotism, but I dozed off during the film, so I will need to return here tomorrow.

Italy simulates Venice's St. Mark's Square. A man was juggling soccer balls, but beyond that, not much to see.

Next was Germany, where these figurines are ringing in the 4 o'clock hour already. This clock tower, along with the beer hall, was supposed to represent Munich; honestly I was disappointed, since I was expecting something more elaborate, like Glockenspiel in the real Munich. There was a band playing in the beer hall, but I had to buy the expensive buffet to get in, so I gave up, and moved on.

China was represented by this small replica of Beijing's Temple of Heaven. Having seen the real thing, I was nevertheless impressed by how good it looked. It led to a few things...

These are fake terra cotta warriors representing the Qin emperor's tomb in Xi'an. Alongside were exhibits showing Chinese burial practices. After seeing these, I watched another CircleVision movie, showcasing the major landmarks of China. Again, I was glad to see the familiar sights of Beijing's Forbidden City.

The China gift shop had various goods for sale, including these Buddhist sculptures, from Buddha to Kwan Yin. Honestly I wanted to buy a traditional Chinese dress in mini length, but the ones for sale were too long for my tastes.

The Norway pavilion had a Viking boat ride with a long wait. I obtained a FastPass and spent some time over at the Mexican pavilion next door, before coming back for the ride, which was gentle despite a drop. After the boat ride, I had to watch a 5-minute movie on Norway before exiting.

The mariachi band played at the last pavilion, Mexico. They almost made me homesick - with Los Angeles being so close to Mexico (and having so many Mexicans), mariachi music is a fact of life for me. After enjoying their performance, I hopped on a boat ride, much like It's a Small World except that everything was Mexican-themed.

I saw this collection of Disney princess dolls for sale. From left to right: Cinderella, Belle, Sleeping Beauty, Ariel, and Snow White. Not in the picture, but just above them, was Jasmine from Aladdin.

This pretty much wrapped up my World Showcase tour, leaving me about three hours to spare before park closing. I immediately went on General Motors' Test Track, which propelled me at 65 MPH in open air (I had to really watch my hair on that one!). Then I took a long ride on Ellen's Energy Adventure, which was a dud despite the presence of lesbian icon Ellen DeGeneres. Rides on Mission: Space and Spaceship Earth wrapped up my day.


As the night fell and the park closed, this fireworks show, called IllumiNations: Earth, took place at the large lake in the middle of World Showcase. It was a good sight to end the day with.

I will return tomorrow to finish Future World, revisit some of the World Showcase pavilions, and have good time in general, before preparing for the flight home. All in all, a wonderful day, and a wonderful end to a nice week. I've always wanted to visit Epcot since its opening in 1982, and it surely did not disappoint today.

Lawrence King

This was an underreported story that completely escaped me until today - even though this happened in my home metropolitan area, right before I came to Orlando.

Last week, an eighth grader by the name of Lawrence King was shot in the head by a bully at his school in Oxnard, California. He was declared brain-dead, and the incident was determined to be a hate crime, due to King's openly gay sexual orientation and sometimes feminine gender expression. King had complained of harassment by the school bullies and jocks to the school authorities, but they did not pay attention until it was too late.

Vigils have been held across the state in King's memory, and state legislators have introduced a new bill requiring more diversity training for the students. The emphasis this time is not only on remedy, but prevention of similar future tragedies.

I know how homophobic Southern California is, from my personal experience at all levels. Not only are the white natives of the John Birch Society types - especially so in outlying areas and Orange County - but the immigrants come from the most despicably homophobic nations on the planet. Of course, there are tolerant areas like West Hollywood and Santa Monica, but they are little bubbles at best.

And as much as I harbor a huge distrust of the anti-motorist and anti-business liberal Democratic ideologues of Northern California, this is where I do need their assistance, namely in shoving their more enlightened values of tolerance and acceptance down the southerners' barbaric throats. Something must be done this time, to combat the hate-filled lobby of powerful religious and socio-political groups throughout the state that have passed Proposition 22 and almost passed other barbaric laws.

It's sad that it took another death (King will be taken off life support once his body organs are donated) to make these urgent changes happen.

Lawrence King memorial
Towleroad's coverage of media reports

Photos/Update

My hotel Internet connection is acting better now. So here are the Sunday pictures.

Here is my rental car - a red 2007 Toyota Prius, with Hybrid Synergy Drive. The CVT and the push-button starter take getting used to, but it is a blast to drive, and I've averaged 47 MPG. Driving like a grandmother actually gets fun, when the onboard computer tells me how much fuel I am saving that way.

As the opening time nears at the Animal Kingdom, Minnie, Goofy, and Pluto put on a brief show for the waiting guests. Mickey is nearby at the huge Tree of Life, the centerpiece of the park.

I immediately headed for the popular African safari, where I could see this hippo.

Another safari scene, with zebras and impalas.
I saw other great animals, from lions to a pooping elephant, but the photos came out blurry, due to the continuous motion of the safari truck (it wasn't allowed to stop at all).

A Lion King-themed show, with Simba.

The Asian section of the park had a walk-through trail, the pedestrian equivalent to the African safari. I could see these bulls toward the far end of the trail, as well as tigers and bats.

I continued on to Cape Canaveral and Kennedy Space Center. In the distance is Launchpad 39B, one of the two launchpads used during the Apollo missions and the space shuttle program. The first shuttle launched from 39B was Challenger in January 1986, which exploded 73 seconds afterwards... The gravel road in front is used to carry the Apollo and space shuttle launch vehicles from the assembly building to the pad.

The business portion of my trip is going well, and I just came back from souvenir shopping at Downtown Disney. No photos tonight though, and no more photos until I hit Epcot at the end of my week.

Orlando kickoff

Due to the unreliable Internet connection at my cheap extended-stay hotel, I won't be able to upload pictures until I return home.

Today was spent at the newest of Disney parks, the Animal Kingdom, as scheduled, after a sleepless night. I only spent four hours though, since I took most of the popular rides early on, negating a need for a FastPass. The crowd level was below what I had expected; I am suspecting the current economic recession. The African safari was impressive with its variety of real animals, but the rest left a bit to be desired, delivering neither the presentation of other Disney parks nor the authenticity of real zoos. After watching a few shows, I decided to head out, skipping a Yeti-themed roller coaster which did have a long wait even with FastPass.

This unexpected early exit from Disney's Animal Kingdom allowed me to visit Kennedy Space Center today, instead of on the 22nd as originally scheduled. I was able to visit the buildings used for the space shuttle program, explore the space shuttle and Apollo programs, and watch an IMAX movie. Although Endeavour was being prepped for next month's launch, it was hidden inside the vehicle assembly building and couldn't be seen. I stayed until the closing hour of 6PM, though I had no luck buying suitable souvenirs. (I'll head back to Disney parks for souvenirs.)

My rental Prius continued to deliver 48+ MPG even with high-speed freeway cruise. I've never been this engaged with a rental car, since I rented a Citroen Xantia in London 10 years ago. The Citroen was my first right-hand-drive and my first stickshift car; the Prius is my first hybrid and my first CVT car. The Prius will now do duty as my commuter, as I start doing my work duties for the weekdays.

Those duties will be done Friday morning at the latest, however, leaving me with 1 1/2 days to spend on Epcot. I still have high hopes for Epcot, as it is the most unique of Disney's four Orlando theme parks. I'll probably also spare a weekday evening for Downtown Disney and another for a local mall.

It will be very busy, exhausting, yet fun stay here in Orlando, until I return to California.

Arrived in Orlando

The flight here was very rough due to severe storms over Texas and Louisiana, but United Airlines' first class was wonderful, and I arrived in Orlando in one piece.

I'm also glad to report that my rental Toyota Prius got 53 MPG on its way to the hotel, according to its on-board computer.

Tomorrow, Disney's Animal Kingdom awaits. Hoping for a good day, even though forecast calls for hot and muggy day.

A few new songs

I've been listening to some new music lately.

Anna Nalick

My favorite new song of the year, by far: "Shine" by Anna Nalick. I've always enjoyed listening to her, I enjoyed meeting her too, and now, she delivers again. The lyrics are great; they are for people who suffer through public mishaps that are considered "entertainment" for the masses (think Britney Spears). I'm already hooked - even though for now, the only place to hear it is her website (though today, Sirius played it once too). Can't wait for the rest of her album to come out.

Anna Nalick

Speaking of people I've met in person, I also got to take a listen to Mariah Carey's newest single, "Touch My Body." I'm not as impressed with it, and if the rest of the album sounds similar, then it won't be the hit that The Emancipation of Mimi was.

Countdown to Orlando

Only four days until my departure.

This is a well-needed trip due to rising tensions at work and home. I'll see how I can come back more relaxed AND more ready to work.

I've changed my plans and decided to take my laptop after all. I will do some writing - definitely during the evenings, and maybe on the flights as well. Moreover, contributing to the Democracy Cell Project blog with an iPhone does not work (and even if it did, typing on a laptop is a whole lot faster anyway).

I've double-checked all details for the local attractions I plan to visit on my days off, as well as reservations for my flights, hotel, and rental car. I'm also monitoring the weather forecast; for now, it looks like I will have a muggy, possibly wet Sunday as I visit Disney's Animal Kingdom, but cool and dry out as I start the week. As for the work-related activities, I am also reading a book that happens to cover the very subjects I will learn during my trip.

It's a long trip - 9 days, 8 nights. I really hope this trip helps my spirits.

Offending head honchos of an ethnic community...

can have deadly consequences.

The article below, from San Francisco Chronicle a week ago, states that a reporter for a Vietnamese-language newspaper was killed for being supportive of the Communist government of Vietnam, and that a reporter for a Chinese-language newspaper was killed by the Taiwanese government's hit men for exposing the Nationalists' corruption. These two killings have helped make ethnic journalism one of the most dangerous jobs in the US.

McCarthyism is alive and well in the Vietnamese and Chinese (and Korean too) communities across the US, and being seen as a sympathizer of communism (or left-wing political parties in general, such as Taiwan's pro-LGBT Democratic Progressives and South Korea's New United Democrats) can be deadly.

Perhaps the only silver lining is that for the Chinese-speaking community, rabid hatred of anything resembling communism has *not* translated into blind support of the Republican neoliberal and neoconservative agenda.

SFGate

Pack light - or pay!

Or fly often. That's the message United Airlines is putting out today.

Starting May 5th, passengers with nonrefundable economy class tickets will get to check only 1 bag for free, and pay $25 if checking a second bag. Frequent travelers who put in more than 25,000 miles per year, either on United or a Star Alliance partner airline, still get to check two bags free. Passengers flying outside US and Canada also get to check two bags free.

Even though I book as much of my air travel with United and Star Alliance as possible, the most I've ever done in a year is 23,000 miles, so the frequent traveler exemption is not applicable to me.

For my upcoming Orlando trip, which is on United, this will be a non-issue. I'm checking only one bag, it's before May 5th, and I am upgraded to first class anyway. But all my future United flights will come under this new regulation.

While a normal traveler should suffice with one checked bag at most, there are circumstances (i.e. biking, fishing, and hunting trips) where the equipment will make up the second bag, and cause the $25 surcharge. It looks like another way to fleece the leisure traveler. United already fleeces the leisure traveler through two different economy cabins - roomy Economy Plus for frequent travelers, standard Economy (or Economy Minus, as travelers call it) with tight 31" seat pitch for everyone else. (Depending on availability, mere mortals like me can still fly Economy Plus - but yes, it costs extra.)

I will see if other airlines follow suit. I do realize that airlines have to constantly fight to keep their planes as light as possible - to save precious fuel. But ticking customers off, especially leisure travelers, may not be the best way to go. After all, today's leisure traveler may be tomorrow's frequent flier. And in any case, this is another move that makes air travel less and less tolerable.

MSNBC
United Airlines

Britney Spears, hospitalized

Britney Spears was hospitalized a few days ago. And now, word has it that she will be stuck in a psych ward for two weeks, and that she is under a court-ordered conservatorship, meaning that she is unable to manage her own affairs.

Britney seems to be suffering from bipolar disorder, and in a very public way, which is not pretty at all. The life of a high-flying celebrity is never easy, especially when so many fans worship you like a god. And when there are struggles within like Britney's bipolarism, it's really difficult to even realize that help is needed - much less actually seek help.

The best thing for Britney to do right now is to disappear from public life, and quietly get the help she needs. Bipolarism can be treated, but it's not easy. Britney also needs to rebuild her life doing things she truly likes to do, away from the public spotlight; writing a novel was such a thing for me, as I struggled with my own bipolarism. (Novel writing also had a nice side effect: getting to know many new great people, especially in women's peace movements.)

And the best thing for the fans to do at this time would be to wish for a speedy recovery, and have patience.

One silver lining in all of this: Mariah Carey self-destructed similarly in 2001, but by 2005, she had recovered very nicely, and regained her fame. Britney can surely learn from it - Mariah herself said so once. And Britney has the support of her family, which is more than Mariah could say (her father had just died).

More primary thoughts

I have made up my mind on Propositions 94-97, the Indian gaming compacts.

The YES camps are the beneficiary gaming tribes themselves, and almost all other Indian tribes throughout California. Chambers of commerce, labor unions, and community organizations, plus both the Democrats and the Republicans, support these propositions.

The chief opponents are the horse racing companies, and the major newspapers throughout the state, which are funded by them. I am also sure that the Nevada casinos are against this as well.

Given these facts, and that the state government needs all the money it can get (thanks to cuts from the feds, tax freezes, and corrupt politicians), a YES vote will be in my best interests. Otherwise, tax increases will need to happen, and Californians are very anti-tax despite their liberal reputation. Besides, the Indian gaming industry has injected fresh wealth into many tribes, and improved their lives; keeping this source of revenue on track will be in everyone's best interests.