ironing out the details.

this past friday, i went on an adventure with my boy in search of escaped dogs. see, somehow they magically broke free from the gated backyard. regardless of the details, said dogs were running rampant around the malvern area. or so the story went two hours before we joined steven's friends in search of the dogs.

we ducked around corners, explored streets and, at one point, steven suggested popping through the alleyways. in the depths of the night (ok, 8:30 p.m.), i stumbled upon a really wicked mirror tucked quietly behind a trash can in the alleyway. i stopped. i stared. i told steven that i wanted it. because i have this thing for giant mirrors. i looked at him. he smirked his eyebrows. suddenly, the door unlocked, and i was in hot pursuit. until i noticed the missing chunk from the bottom left corner.

but fear not fellow divers. dejected i felt. but we continued on our original journey in search of the dogs. only to discover, a few homes farther down, an ironing board propped beside another green trash can. steven remarked, 'i need an ironing board.' we jumped out again, claiming the prize. we turned it 45 degrees and in it went. we didn't find the dogs that night (don't worry, they came back two days later), but we did get an ironing board.

so to the group that asked if i would consider going dumpster diving. i guess my answer is done and done.

transgender day of remembrance.

i guess this goes out to will, who passed away a few months ago. at least that's what the news alert said the other week before the memorial. i met him during my stint in syracuse. and while his passing wasn't, to my knowledge, violence related, the violence surrounding the transgender community continues to silence voices, ideas and expressions. it silences their culture. in syracuse i met an incredible array of people identifying as transgender - many who had to combat misunderstanding, stereotypes and judgment from those around them. but to my friends who remain some of the strongest, most vocal and bravest folks i know, i just wanted to say thanks for opening my eyes up. and for showing the power of just being yourself.

so today is the national day to remember those who have been victims of anti-transgender hatred and violence. here's an excerpt from the site:

The Transgender Day of Remembrance was set aside to memorialize those who were killed due to anti-transgender hatred or prejudice. The event is held in November to honor Rita Hester, whose murder on November 28th, 1998 kicked off the “Remembering Our Dead” web project and a San Francisco candlelight vigil in 1999. Rita Hester’s murder — like most anti-transgender murder cases — has yet to be solved.

Although not every person represented during the Day of Remembrance self-identified as transgendered — that is, as a transsexual, crossdresser, or otherwise gender-variant — each was a victim of violence based on bias against transgendered people.

We live in times more sensitive than ever to hatred based violence, especially since the events of September 11th. Yet even now, the deaths of those based on anti-transgender hatred or prejudice are largely ignored. Over the last decade, more than one person per month has died due to transgender-based hate or prejudice, regardless of any other factors in their lives. This trend shows no sign of abating.

The Transgender Day of Remembrance serves several purposes. It raises public awareness of hate crimes against transgendered people, an action that current media doesn’t perform. Day of Remembrance publicly mourns and honors the lives of our brothers and sisters who might otherwise be forgotten. Through the vigil, we express love and respect for our people in the face of national indifference and hatred. Day of Remembrance reminds non-transgendered people that we are their sons, daughters, parents, friends and lovers. Day of Remembrance gives our allies a chance to step forward with us and stand in vigil, memorializing those of us who’ve died by anti-transgender violence.

autobots, transform.

since i'm on this nostalgia kick with g.i. joe, i thought i would share a clip from an event i would love to go to someday: botcon. botcon is the annual transformers convention bringing together crazy people like me who obsess over the show, the toys, the everything. part of my Ph.D. dreams rests in uncovering or studying the affinity for 80s cartoons and how they've remained alive for decades after their initial airings. maybe one day i'll finally get there. enjoy.

swimming around the mill.

this past saturday i spent the afternoon weaving between the masses at potomac mills. my journey started on the way to my friend's condo, trying to duck the uproarious applause of the marathon runners. and i saw a woman screaming on her cell phone as she drove at a 40 mph clip. i hope no one died.

i hadn't been to potomac mills in a while. it's this behemoth of retail space that feels like i need a scooter to get me from place to place. we started at the marshalls mega store and worked our way through the food court, screaming babies and the most terrifying santa ever, to the nordstrom end. twenty-eight miles later. ok, i'm exaggerating. originally, my thoughts as i watched all these shoppers - families, singles, girlfriends, college buddies, white, black, latino, asian, gay, straight, kids, parents, moms, dads, grandparents, friends - centered on the culture of shopping at a perceived outlet mall (which, as times change, becomes less of one). about the search for a deal, the buzz of looking or furor of thousands of people surrounding you. this would be a germophobe's worst nightmare.

but i started to pay attention to everyone's bags. to the stores people spent more time in. for example, how i avoided the papaya store. but i flock to the disney store. or how my friends rush to the fossil store while i demand stopping in hot topic. or how abercrombie is a waste of my time. but the shoe section at nordstrom is my slice of heaven. there are a myriad of cultures working simultaneously as we walked around this retail space: the culture of the mall, the cultures within each store, the cultures reflected by the shoppers and the cultural dynamics of the shopping unit. wow, i think i confused myself.

i don't think it all hit me until i was in hot topic fighting to buy a g.i.joe t-shirt featuring my favorite cobra character. i realized i was playing in a few cultural moments: 80s nostalgia, sleek emo-indie, cartoon, etc. and they were ones not shared by my two friends who looked puzzled at my need to own this shirt. i remember the year-long search to find the storm shadow action figure. and i never found him attached to the original box art. it was just the loose figure. the shirt features the box art -- and a part of my childhood is now complete.

maybe i'm the crazy one.

a tko from tokyo.

on friday night i became one of the addicted, infected, obsessed Wii fanatics. after weeks of putting it off, i finally installed the machine which has, in my lifetime, turned gaming upside down. i've been a gamer at heart since the first time i put a nintendo controller in my hands. i watched mario bounce on goombas. and i hunted ducks with a bizarre little gun controller. nintendo always has been my system of choice, even if i'm late to the game, so to speak. i wanted a Wii when it first came out. but i waited -- too much work to do. and does a boy need distractions when he's saving brands.

but there's something remarkably exciting about connecting with a game you last played at age nine. so friday night, after an abysmal showing at the artwalk, i tangoed with electronic art. by downloading mike tyson's punch-out. i'll have more on my Wii exploits later. but, for the time being, take a look at a game which made me the boxer i never had the body to become.