Happy New Year

to everyone may this year be filled with happiness, prosperity and may this year bring peace to country s held hostage to war and violence.

I had insomnia last night. I kept falling asleep only to toss/turn and wake up every 2 hours. I finally got up around 3:30-4ish. I’m completely zonked and want to stay home. I won’t of course, it would only mess up the sleep cycle further. I’ll work today and then go to bed earlier than usual tonight. zzzzzz

I’ve been off work since Thursday and really relaxing. On Wednesday the 14th my department had our annual holiday (oh so politically correct) get together. There is an auction for Charity, I bid on and won the wine basket. There is a catered lunch and there are the Max awards. I received a Max award this year which was presented by the Mayor (of Seattle) and the director for Human Services. When my name was announced almost everyone stood and cheered as I went up to receive my award. There is nothing quite like having almost 200 people standing and cheering for you. It was very validating. I have a picture of myself with the Mayor and Director, a plaque as well as a letter commending my performance signed by both the director and the mayor. That is going in my resume for sure. This was especially important to me in light of the evil machinations of some folks within the IT and HR department.

On other fronts I paid my car loan off on thursday. It was almost anti-climatic. I immediately went to the DMV and paid for a new registration so that my former despotic overlords, Reliable Credit aren’t anywhere to be seen on any legal paperwork for my car. The car thing is a real milestone for me and was a very very important goal. It feels really good to have reached it. The work/award thing is especially nice and almost like the icing on what has been a difficult year all around. Last winter was really difficult for me emotionally. I think the word for this year would have to be draining. My 1/2 sister died, Katrina, the awful Tsunami, George Bush in office, the ongoing mess in the Iraq. I’m glad to leave this year behind like an unpleasant visit to the doctor, necessary to have gone through the experience but thoroughly distasteful. I have great hopes that this coming year will prove to be brighter and filled more with happiness and laughter.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2005/12/18/arguing_for_enhanced_powers_of_presidency/

Article begins… wrote: President Bush’s radio address yesterday was an eight-minute bullet of a speech aimed at his growing number of congressional critics, who have turned on the president in a dramatic set of rebukes over torture policy, the Patriot Act, and his authorization of spying on Americans. … Scores of Republicans defected on the torture amendment, and four GOP mavericks joined a solid bloc of Democrats to tie up the Patriot Act.

Bush calls for enhanced executive power as President to force his agenda over Congressional objections.

What a cry-baby. Is he going to appoint himself King next?

http://channel9.msdn.com/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=147125#147125

With a new version of the open-source browser out, we offer our guide to the nifty, fun Firefox extensions that will change your life. By Quinn Norton.

http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,69781,00.html

Mike and I went to the Cuff for awhile. Is the first time either of us have gone since the no-smoking thing went into effect. I was really nice and a bit odd to actually be able to see across the bar without there being a layer thick smoke. The usual guys were there talking with all of there usual friends, lovers and aquaintences. It always takes for me to go the bar to remember why I don’t like gong. Sure I like looking at the hot guys and I’m sure some of them are just like me as far as why they are there, but the most aren’t.  Anyway, it was an ok time.  We went to taco bell afterwords and now I’m home, sleepy must go to bed.  How am I going to meet anyway if I don’t like going to bars and rarely go to social events? 

I watched Mr and Mrs. Smith earlier, I liked it.  I can totally see why Brad and Angelina hooked up they totally compliment each other and both are really hot, her more than him. 

night night

Butterstick – the new mascot for the leather/SM Bear community, HA

An anonymous tipster reports to us today, “As much as I hate to shame him…Butterstick is into kink.” Whoo! One of us! One of us!

The tipster, who included the picture above, reports: “Spotted at the panda habitat this morning, playing with what appears to be a sex toy – I’ve seen these ‘toys’ sold in this size at the annual Leather/S&M Expo at the Washington Plaza Hotel.” Well, haven’t we all!

It is, of course, entirely possible that introducing this sort of object into his environment is a zoologically sound and sanctioned method to encourage the little guy to explore his primal urges. Or, it could be FONZ courting the Washington Blade — as of right now, the panda is the only lubricated stick in town that hasn’t rated a single column inch in their pages. Whatever the reason, we’re just glad the zoo is putting things in the Stick’s cage that doesn’t poison and kill him.

If anyone can corroborate this account, by all means, hit us up.— DCEIVER

UPDATE: It’s been pointed out that the toy in question is actually something called a “Kong“, a highly mainstream, perfectly natural and god-fearing pet toy. Nevertheless, we do have some photographic evidence that the Stick knows what to do with it, available after the jump:

http://www.wonkette.com/politics/butterstick/i-am-curious-butterstick-142170.php

By far the oddest Hello Kitty object I’ve seen. Useful if but odd

Finally, a Hello Kitty item of some use. Really. The Hello Kitty Breath Tester will draw attention away from your odious halitosis towards the fact that you own something pink and girly. Best used to suss out the situation before a big date. Breath into it and the icons let you know the status. A happy kitty icon means “good to go”, while a wincing kitty would mean your date will probably end after the second course. Via Medgadget

http://feeds.feedburner.com/ubergizmo?m=1466

http://www.dilbert.com/comics/dilbert/archive/dilbert-20051209.html

I’m glad to hear that… I’m going to see this tonight with the Seattle Movie Bears

Charlize Theron is easy to watch as the sexy assassin heroine of the visually striking but overly familiar and never especially gripping futuristic thriller, “Aeon Flux.”

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/movies/250650_aeon03q.html?source=rss