dalla mente, dal cuore

Teaseorama follow up and a request for info

cancangal — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 19:24:37 GMT

Greetings friends and fans, I am only now somewhat recovered from the Teaseorama weekend and the events immediately following. ToR was incredible, all I had hoped it would be and more. I was bummed to get there so late Friday night, but my rockstar date, Chester (of the Cock-T’s), made up for all that stress by having a perfect seat waiting for me when I got there and was just looking so doggone good a girl could hardly remain frazzled from 2 hours of traffic. I *heart* Chester. While I was too late to get things going in the bazaar Friday night, I was able to put my 4 days of no sleep to better use on Saturday night, when after my performance (rocking it to Cameo’s “Word up!” with my other burlesque main squeeze, Gorilla X) I was able to set up shop and had a surprisingly profitable night. Folks seemed to love my feathered hair pieces and vintage notion jewelry and I even got orders for two sets of “sprung*” pasties. Yay! Enough to pay back my sweetheart and have enough left over to pick up my pain medication on Monday morning. Phew. (and a real triumph, as my sweetheart – tho he never came out and said it – was dubious as to whether these things I seem to spend so much time making, would actually sell. And sell they did! To the tune of nearly $300. not bad for a couple hours of hanging out in the bazaar. My poor sweetheart has been so supportive whilst I’ve been unemployed; job hunting and not finding and this was going to allow me to pay for some stuff myself.) After ToR, Pookie, Miss Marion and I headed over to the after-party at the Climate, where I was scheduled to perform a new routine to “American Woman” – that’s the Guess Who, btw, not Steppenwolf or Led Zeppelin or any of the other bands people asked about - with Siren Sapphire, which went off very well, I think. That, my friends, is where thing went awry. After the number, I went down to the bar and got a soda and a cocktail from my girl Jenya at the bar. I dropped my little bag with my money from the ToR bazaar sales and the receipts into the bottom of my costume bag, and set off for some fun. I made a round of the party and went upstairs to see if I could track down Don, Pookie or Marion, but all were AWOL. I went back downstairs and didn’t get far before I was derailed by Tigger and Millionaire in the cushion room. I spent quite awhile in there, (what happens in the cushion room stays in the cushion room) and eventually, Don and Pookie wandered in. We finally decide it’s time to get outta’ dodge, when I realize that my little plaid bag, the very one I had dropped into the bottom of my bag is now sitting on top of the few costume pieces that had not made it back onto me after the gig upstairs. The little bag is soaking wet and has some coins in the bottom, but no receipts and no money. And I fall apart. All of my profits went the way of a party pickpocket. SUCKS! We search the cushion room and my bag several more times, no dice. Eventually Don & Pookie have to take off. And I am sitting there, paralyzed with anger and frustration by this turn of events. DAMMMMIT to bloody hell. I really want to thank D & P, Millionaire, Rose Pistola, Sparkly and Fudgie (who won my heart forever by making the photog delete the photos of my crying jag in the corner) and anyone else who helped me out that night. Marion, I owe you a ride home, from Paris if necessary, and thank you for understanding and letting me head home. As if this isn’t enough (I feel like Job right now – Jobella) the next afternoon, someone sideswiped my car, fresh back from my sweetheart’s trip to Napa and took off the driver side mirror, rendering it un-driveable. Damn again. Now I am out all my profit, have no contacts or accounting for my recent sales and I have to get my car fixed. Double damn with a spooning of damn on top and great big helping of goddammmit on the side. Please, please, please, If you bought anything from me on Saturday night, or signed my mailing list or made an order for the “sprung” pasties or a feather/veil cloche hair ornament, I need your info again. (Jake & Mynxie, I still have yours). I will do my best to get those together from memory, but it would be a huge help to get your info via tribe/myspace or my website. I also need to know where to send stuff! (www.opheliaswaterfall.net) If you have a charitable heart and want to contribute to “the betty blue door & mirror repair fund,” or to help me get back on track, that would rock the world and make me eternally grateful. (via paypal: cancangal@aol.com). I have *tons* of new designs for hair ornaments and jewelry in the making and plan on having it up on my website for custom order or sale by the beginning of November. I can’t wait to show off the new pretties and all the cool things one can do with springs! Yours in gratitude & rhinestones, ~ophelia coeur de noir www.myspace.com/opheliaswaterfall www.people.tribe.net/cancangal www.opheliaswaterfall.net cancangal@aol.com *If there exist any photos of the heart spring pasties and codpiece from the “Word up!” number, I’d love to see some. I also lost my ToR goody bag and the two ToR programs I had managed to score. (One for me and one to send to my papa in NY)

upcoming dance & choreography gigs - oliver! and more...

cancangal — Sat, 21 Jul 2007 04:32:08 GMT

http://marintheatre.org/conservatory/conservatory_pages/camp_shows.php --- In this special burlesque choreography session, we will be focusing entirely on the choreography for the favorite Burlesquercise numbers from the last 6 months of classes! Get caught up and ready to perform the steps for several popular dance numbers: "Minnie the Moocher" ... "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" ... "Electricidad" (the Latin number with veils) ... and both the exotic and gogo versions of "Miserlou." That's a lot of dancing! As a special bonus, guest instructor and local burlesque starlet, Ophelia Coeur de Noir, will be stepping in for one week to teach a Cancan Dancing and Flexibility class! Starting off with a ballet warmup specially modified for cancan dancing, we will then progress into traditional cancan kicks and poses, traveling steps and stationary moves, kick lines, petticoat manipulation and the art of flirting. For this class, you will want to bring a petticoat or full skirt, if you have one, and be sure to wear low, comfortable heels you’ll feel be able to hop, kick and dance in! Bombshell Betty's 715 Bryant Street #102 @ 5th Street in San Francisco This series is available on three days, so take your pick! Mondays, 7:00-8:30pm Aug 20, 27, Sept 10+, 17, 24 and October 1 Register here: tinyurl.com/39hed2 OR Tuesdays, 7:00-8:30pm Aug 21, 28, Sept 4, 11+, 18 and 25 Register here: tinyurl.com/3crs6e OR Wednesdays, 7:00-8:30pm Aug 22, 29, Sept 5, 12+, 19 and 26 Register here: tinyurl.com/3crs6e "+" Denotes special Cancan class with Ophelia Coeur de Noir REGISTRATION: Only $95 for all 6 classes, including the special Cancan class. You can register online by clicking the appropriate link above or contact Bombshell Betty for additional payment options. ABOUT THE GUEST INSTRUCTOR: Ophelia Coeur de Noir is a San Francisco based performer, director and teacher with over 25 years of dance training and performance experience. She holds a BA in acting from the Theater Arts Department at San Francisco State University and a secondary teaching credential from Notre Dame de Namur University. For more info about Ophelia Coeur de Noir, go here or check out her website! * To read the Bombshell Betty Dance terms and policies: www.bombshellbetty.net/terms.html

sci-fi/astrology/future fantasy book question (nerdcore for life!)

cancangal — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 03:07:30 GMT

ok this is a long shot, but david and i are boggled. ("what seems to be your boggle?") when i was in elementary school/middle school in NJ, i read this book. it was about an alternative future world where everything was based on astrology. people lived in certain parts of the world based on their signs. their clothing, occupation, home decor, mode of transport (i remember some type of space type travel too, i think) was all based their sign as well. it was also a murder mystery. it would have had to have been written sometime between 1960 and 1986. one of the main characters was a piscean ballerina who had been crippled. i think her name was onde baleine. funny, i can remember a random name, but not the author or the title. during my first year in college, my mom went on a major spree and tossed pretty much everything i had left at home (books, photos, my roller skates; you get the picture) so i never had a chance to grab it before i moved all the way out. i think it may have been part of a series, but honestly, it's been too long. we've been searching all kinds of websites, wiki's, bookstores etc, under every possible search term and cannot track it down. we've looked at a lot, but i am willing to hear from anyone who thinks they may know my mystery-astro-fantasy-scifi novel.

music emergency! - from moulin rouge soundtrack

cancangal — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 22:09:08 GMT

I'm having a music emergency... need an mp3 copy of the rufus wainright song (la complainte de la butte) from the moulin rouge soundtrack to send someone before i'll be able to get home tonite. anyone have it on their current computer that they can send to me this afternoon? pm me and i'll tell you where to send it. THANK YOU!!!

Today's headline...

cancangal — Mon, 09 Oct 2006 16:33:48 GMT

10/9 Student Fires Gun in Mo. Middle School (from sfgate.com) --- Schools across the country have been on alert since three deadly school shootings in three states in the span of a week, and several schools have been locked down or closed entirely during the past two weeks because of threats. In Pennsylvania Amish country Monday morning, church bells tolled across the region in remembrance of the five young girls who were shot to death at their one-room schoolhouse one week earlier. --- ...and folks still ask me why i left the profession.

lunchtime diversion.

cancangal — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 20:07:24 GMT

1. Explain what ended your last relationship. poor communication 2. When was the last time you shaved? 4 days 3. What were you doing this morning at 8 a.m.? to work 4. What were you doing 15 minutes ago? eating lunch 5. Are you any good at math? not really 6. Your prom night? ecstasy high 7. Do you have any famous ancestors? of course 8. Have you had to take a loan out for school? too much 9. Do you know the words to the song on your myspace profile? no words 10. Last thing received in the mail? ER bill 11. How many different beverages have you had today? lotsa caffeine 12. Do you ever leave messages on people's answering machine? rambling tomes 13. Who did you lose your CONCERT virginity to? beach boys 14. Do you draw your name in the sand when you go to the beach? almost always 15. What's the most painful dental procedure you've had? my braces 16. What is out your back door? back door? 17. Any plans for Friday night? laundry night 18. Do you like what the ocean does to your hair? yay saltwater 19. Have you ever received one of those big tins of 3 different popcorns? eww yuck 20. Have you ever been to a planetarium? pink floyd 21. Do you re-use towels after you shower? few times 22. Some things you are excited about? dancin lots 23. What is your favorite flavor of JELLO? jello shots 24. Describe your keychain(s)? silver airplane 25. Where do you keep your change? my head 26. When was the last time you spoke in front of a large group of people? almost daily 27. What kind of winter coat do you own? green peacoat 28. What was the weather like on your graduation day? painfully hot 29. Do you sleep with the door to your room open or closed? closed. always.

so excited for tomorrow night's show!! - Haute House Burlesque Revue

cancangal — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 19:11:22 GMT

Spent several hours Monday night revamping the "My Heart Belongs to Daddy" routine and working on costumes and tightening up choreo for the "Sleepwalk" number. Also, I am performing with Mynxie in a fabu new number. Itsa gonna be hot! My sweetheart is home from NY, where his premiere was a phenomenal success, (as it should be!) and my new job is great so far. Finally, a much needed respite from the stress of the summer. Pheww. Still hoping to find a way to make it to NY this weekend for my cousin's wedding, but all in all, I can't complain. purrmeow. :-) Show info below: --- Bombshell Betty Dance presents… The Haute House Burlesque Revue A retro song and dance extravaganza paying tribute to the glitz and glamour of `50s style cabaret with over-the-top chorus dance numbers, classic shimmy-shaking striptease and naughty nightingales crooning your jazz and blues favorites. Come indulge your champagne and caviar tastes on a beer and pretzels budget! Don't miss Bombshell Betty and Lily le Rouge in their singing debut! Starring "Bottoms Up! Burlesque", including: Bombshell Betty Lily le Rouge Sweet Cheeks Miss Banana Peel Coconut Cream, Mynx D'Meanor Ophelia Coeur de Noir and San Francisco's own Living Legend of Burlesque: Isis Starr, "The Vintage Goddess of Burlesque" And the chorus line cuties of the "Burlesquercise!" student ensemble: "Bombshell Betty's Debut-Taunts" Live musical accompaniment by: Lucifer's Old-Timey Strip Club Band Riff Ditties Thursday, September 28 Jon Sims Center for the Arts 1519 Mission Street, San Francisco (Between 11th and South Van Ness) Doors at 8pm / Show at 8:30pm $10-$15 sliding scale (no one turned away for lack of funds) Formal attire and fancy dress encouraged. More info: bombshellbetty.net/hautehouse.html Performer info: www.bombshellbetty.net www.lilylerouge.com www.sweetcheeksart.com www.mynxdmeanor.com www.burlesquercise.com www.isisstarr.com www.opheliaswaterfall.net www.bottomsupburlesque.com

one word (and a brief note)

cancangal — Sat, 17 Jun 2006 17:43:24 GMT

moving this weekend. once that's done (and i find a new job), i expect that i will find great delight in my two (and a half!) new housemates. orion and i are very much looking forward to creating a wonderful home with leigh and barbara and genna. --- i like this, because it forces brevity; something i know i could use from time to time! (from robyn) "Please leave a one-word comment that you think best describes me -- it can only be one word long. Then copy and paste this in your journal so that I may leave a word about you."

in search of the perfect boudoir (in san francisco)

cancangal — Wed, 26 Apr 2006 19:40:41 GMT

my darling pussycat and i are in search of the perfect pad. we love our current digs, but unfortunately, my paltry teacher salary isn't quite cutting it anymore. we are seeking a spacious boudoir in a place with openminded, creative, kitty loving folks. i can afford about $900/month. About me: i'm a teacher (high school english, currently), dancer, actor and all around performer with a prolific costume collection and a serious craft habit. i have lots of unique musical instruments, which i can play with various ability. i love to sew, cook, knit and have a passion for soapy water. (hence the dishes are ALWAYS done) i'm pretty private, and enjoy solitude, but i am just as likely to instigate impromptu weeknight cocktails or sunny day picnics with fruity rum drinks and fabulous snacks as i am to hang out in my room reading. i'm a pisces with moon in aries, recovered deadhead/raver/punkrock academic who loves music and community with openminded, intelligent people. About my pussycat(isn't it really *all* about the pussycat?): Orion is 14, super fluffy and gets on well with other cats and critters. he's kinda macho, but a total lover once he knows you. he's got a serious catnip thing, and a gift of the nip and some delicious treats will make him your pal for life. we're looking to live with 1 or 2 other people and perhaps 1 or 2 other cats. I have some great furniture (the cushest couch in the west) and lots of kitchen stuff. i'm a pretty fabulous cook, and since i'm half italian, i always seem to make enough to feed a medium sized army and i am all about sharing. i'd like to live somewhere with parking or (the sf oxymoron) easy parking, some storage, no indoor cigarette smoking and no more than 2 other people. i'd love a good sized room and positive energy in common spaces. if you are looking for a reliable roommate with a friendly cat to make your place a home, i'm your girl. i'm looking to move by july 1, but could move sooner if i find the perfect place and people. please contact me via tribe mail.

awesome rant...

cancangal — Tue, 21 Mar 2006 06:07:59 GMT

hallelujah! preaching to the choir, i know, but right on anyway. From Jon Carroll's column in the San Francisco Chronicle. 3/20/2006. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- I believe I lost it. I believe I yelled. It was in an empty room, so no animals were harmed in the making of that yell, but still. I felt frustrated. And you know what's really good when you're feeling frustrated? Remembering that you have a newspaper column. Last year the Ford Motor Co. started to buy ads in several publications aimed at gay readers. They did so, one presumes, because they realized that gay people buy automobiles, and Ford has, alas, not been selling many automobiles lately. Then the company got assaulted by the American Family Association, a creation of the Rev. Donald Wildmon, a clever right-wing agitator with a hate-based agenda. So Ford announced that it would stop advertising in gay publications. But then, whoops, Ford reversed its reversal and said, never mind, it was going to advertise in gay publications after all. So then a representative of the AFA announced that it was reinstating its boycott. "We cannot, and will not, sit by as Ford supports a social agenda aimed at the destruction of the family." What a vile sentence. What a vile sentiment. What overbusy, underbrained worms these people must be. I am not yelling. My older daughter is a lesbian. She is also the single mother of an adopted child, working to make and sustain a family with jaw-dropping tenacity. I am a member of that family, but she is the head of it. The idea that any part of her social agenda involves the destruction of the family is insulting and stupid. She adopted a child, which means that a child who would not have had a home now has one. It means that a child who would not have rested safely in a mother's arms now does so. These are real family values, not the poison spouted by these thoughtless, gossip-mongering abominations. Sure, I feel strongly because it's my daughter who's being smeared, but it ain't just my daughter. All over this nation there are gay and lesbian families working hard to make a life for themselves and their children. I know a few of them. They could have done it the easy way, stayed in the closet and decided not to endure the hassles of having children, but they didn't. They wanted a family. They wanted a lover and companion to share their lives with, and they wanted children to love. And for this they get insulted by cretins. The gay and lesbian parents I know are too busy to have an agenda, unless the agenda is "1. cook dinner, 2. wash clothes, 3. find frog." They're doing the usual stuff, teaching manners and insisting on homework and keeping doctor's appointments and reading bedtime stories. It's all very conventional and humdrum; families with kids often look pretty boring from the outside. But when you're in such a family, the last thing you are is bored. Tired, maybe. Irritated, occasionally. Bored, no. The reality is the mirror image of the stereotype. The real keepers of the American flame, the real practitioners of daily love and a life of the spirit, are gay and lesbian parents. They are, gosh darn it, what made this country great. Someone get a damn fife and drum. The people who hate America are the members of American Family Association and its ideological fellow travelers. They're the ones who do not believe that all people are created equal and are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights, and that among these rights are life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. They're the ones who believe that this country was founded on hate and fear; they're the ones who want the hate and fear to continue. "Where's Daddy?" "He's out picketing a funeral of a gay veteran." "Will he be home in time for the flute recital?" "Your father is very busy, dear." I mean, render unto me a break. If your family feels so threatened by my family that you think you have to organize a boycott of a car company, then your family has problems my family can do nothing to solve. If you think a woman kissing a woman is going to get your daughter hooked on drugs and drive your son into a life of crime -- get home. Have a pizza. Talk about stuff. Go to a ballgame. That's what gay and lesbian families do, and it seems to work out fine. Take a lesson. And, please, shut the hell up. ________________________________________ Danger: Intemperate language ahead. If used carefully, this volatile mixture can be handled safely. If you are a child under 12, thank you for reading a newspaper, any newspaper.

coolest birthday gift!!

cancangal — Fri, 17 Mar 2006 02:50:49 GMT

sooooooooooo excited!! being the folk music nerd that i am, i've been wanting to learn to play the autoharp. wednesday night, i got one for my birthday!! yay! it's from the 1940's and i've named her zelda. i still need to pick up a tuning wrench, and perhaps find someone to give me a lesson or two. of course i'll be making my neighbors nuts for the next few months as i learn to make sense of it... huge thanks to david and bob for making my music nerd dream happen. soon i'll be rocking it like mother maybelle & june carter cash! wooohooo! or is it yeeehaww? ;-)

thanks bonita!!

cancangal — Tue, 07 Mar 2006 00:19:34 GMT

http://kevan.org/johari?name=lorita very interesting tool considering my own path recently. :-)

I wanna rock with you...

cancangal — Wed, 09 Nov 2005 04:22:49 GMT

... (all night) Dance you into day (sunlight) I wanna rock with you (all night) We're gonna rock the night away I just spent the last half hour enraptured by michael jackson videos. found a website (while looking for the billie jean choreography) that has a bunch of code for videos. I watched Rock With You, Thriller, Beat It and Billie Jean. What fucking incredible dance. Brother really can move. I forgot how great the dancing was and how good the songs were. Now I'm gonna go download "Off the Wall" and "Thriller" for my iTunes. <grooving to "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough">

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

cancangal — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 05:53:36 GMT

i'm tired tonite. I don't mean tired like a day of hiking tired, or tired like after spending the holidays with your family tired. I mean tired like bone deep, hard to focus tired. Tired to the roots of my hair. even my eyelashes are drooping. the past 2 weeks have been whirlwind; feels like 3 times that much. i started a new job last monday. which is really cool, and totally something i wanted, but i'm working so much. working all day and coming home and working more to catch up. i know i'll get caught up soon, but i am impatient and probably overdoing it,; stressing a little too much and expecting perfect classes in two weeks. i'm laying low tonite; looking forward to Sunday - sleeping in, working out and catching up on some big work projects that will make my days at school a lot easier. i may even go crazy and tidy this place up a bit. that may be too ambitious though. i've been going pretty non stop since the castro theatre gig and as always the place is strewn with feathers, sparkly garments, shoes and makeup acoutrements. lately all i can stand to watch on tv is the home and garden channel. you know, the ones where people redecorate houses and redesign backyards. i feel a sense of completion when a closet gets organized, or someones house gets a facelift and it sells right away. i get misty when someone finds the perfect house or when some surprised pal comes home to find their living rom redone. i marvelled at the girl whose bed came down from the ceiling. did you know that there is a job called "professional organizer?" there is. i'd love to spend the day being crafty like that. i think i envy theses crafty folks a bit too. there is something about the fact that these projects always end up successful at the end of 30 min or an hour that appeases something in me. i have so many unfinished projects and ideas that i haven't started, it is soothing for me to watch them go through the process and see it through. i think to myself, " someday, i'll paint my tiny apartment to make it seem warmer and larger. when i need to know how to make copper garden candle holders, or have time to make purses out of books, i'll know how." these shows are like tetris to me. like i said, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz... and soon to bed i will go. o will jump on the bed and sleep next to my head and hopefully our sleep will not be disturbed by a drunk crashing into a bunch pf parked cars at midnight. ;-)

Special election info & recommendations

cancangal — Sun, 16 Oct 2005 20:29:37 GMT

Here’s some information about the propositions you will be voting on in the November 8th, 2005 special election. For more info, please check out: www.betterca.com. This organization is an affiliate of the California Teachers Association as well as many other public service groups. These new propositions affect public employees in many ways which makes it important to know how you and your children will be affected by them. I have also included the CTA’s recommendations on the propositions. I personally tend to agree with this organization, they are truly a public service organization that looks out not only for teachers, but for parents, children and other public service workers. Whether you agree with these or not, it is vital that you get out and VOTE on the 8th. We're paying for this election, so we had better make it count. ------ Prop 79: Prescription Drug Discounts. State Negotiated Rebates. Initiative statute. Sponsored by consumer, senior, and health organizations, Proposition 79 would provide deeper, enforceable discounts to twice as many Californians than the drug industry-backed Prop. 78. Proposition 79 would use the purchasing power of the state of California to negotiate the best price for up to ten million Californians, who now pay more than anybody else in the world for prescription drugs. Prop. 79 saves taxpayers money by reducing prescription drug costs by 50% or more, and ensuring that more people can afford needed medications now, rather than get more expensive care later. Proposition 79 is supported by Consumers Union, Health Access California, Breast Cancer Action, Congress of California Seniors, the League of Women Voters of California, and many other organizations. Recommendation: vote YES! on prop 79 Prop 80: Electric Service Providers. Regulation. Initiative Statute. This is a common-sense consumer initiative that will help prevent energy blackouts and massive fraud by unregulated private energy producers like Enron. It will override the failed energy deregulation policies, put utilities back in the business of serving the public, and encourage development of more renewable energy sources. The ultimate result will be more affordable energy for ALL Californians. Recommendation: vote YES! on prop 80 ------ Prop 74: Public School teachers. Waiting Period for Permanent status. Dismissal. Initiative statute. This measure would do nothing to improve public education or deal with the real problems facing our schools. It unfairly attempts to blame teachers for the problems in our public schools, ignoring the realities of underfunding, overcrowding, and the lack of materials and resources needed for effective teaching and learning. If this measure passes, new teachers would serve a 5-year probationary period rather than the current two years, and would lose the right to even have a fair hearing on their dismissal for a full 5 years. Current law already allows for firing teachers who are not performing in the classroom, no matter how long they’ve been on the job. This proposition blames teachers instead of addressing the issues of underfunding, overcrowding and lack of materials and resources needed for efective teaching and learning. Recommendation: vote NO! on the “blame teachers” act, prop. 74 Prop 75: Public Employee Union Dues. Required Employee Consent for Political Contributions. Proposition 75 is a deceptive measure put on the ballot by the big corporations and out of state billionaires. It unfairly targets teachers, nurses, firefighters, police and other public employees with restrictions that don’t apply to other groups or corporations, which regularly spend shareholder money on politics without permission. Prop. 75 is designed to reduce our ability to respond when politicians would harm education, health care and public safety, effectively clearing the opposition to the Governor’s education and health care cuts. It would effectivelt silence the collective voices of teachers and other public employees. It wouldr equire unions to obtain oppressive amounts of paperwork before using dues for political action. It would effectively reduce worker’s ability to respond when politicians want to harm education, health care and public safety. Recommendation: vote NO! on prop. 75 Prop 76: School Funding. State Spending. Initiative Constitutional Amendment. This measure would devastate our public schools and other vital services, cutting school funding by over $4 billion every year - $600 per student, leading to more overcrowded classrooms, teacher layoffs, and fewer textbooks and classroom materials. Our schools lost two billion dollars when Governor Schwarzenegger broke his promise to repay the money he took from education, and if this initiative passes, the Governor will never have to repay that money to our schools. It also overturns the voter-approved Proposition 98, eliminating the minimum funding guarantee for education. It also cuts funding for local government –– cutting police and firefighters, as well as local health care services that protect children and the elderly. This initiative hurts our most vulnerable populations including the sick, the elderly and the young. Basically, this proposition undermine’s the states’s system of checks and blances and gives the governor power to cut funding without any legislative oversight at any point in the school year. Recommendation: vote NO! on prop 76 Prop. 77: Reapportionment. Initiative Constitutional Amendment. This measure would take away the right of elected officials to reapportion legislative and congressional districts and give it to a panel of retired judges who would draw new lines for upcoming elections, essentially thwarting the will of the majority. Prop 77 was put on the ballot by politicians who want to change the Constitution’s redistricting rules and give themselves more power. They want to hand over redistricting to three unelected and unaccountable retired judges. But redistricting California, a diverse state of 37 million people, is too big and too important a job for just three unaccountable retired judges. Giving one set of politicians more power over another is no reason to change the Constitution. Recommendation: vote NO! on prop. 77 Prop 78: Prescription Drugs. Discounts. Initiative statute. The big drug companies are going to spend millions trying to fool voters and keep them from passing the real prescription drug relief contained in the Alliance-backed Prop. 79. This measure offers drug companies the choice to voluntarily offer discounts, but it has not enforecement mechanism if they decide not to do so. They have no real incentive to lower the sky-high cost of prescription drugs. A “No” vote on this measure is necessary to provide consumers with real relief from soaring drug prices, because whichever measure gets the highest number of votes becomes law. Recommendation: vote NO! on prop 78 sources: www.betterca.com California Educator, periodical of the California Teachers Association. Sept 2005. vol. 10, issue 1.

sweet tuesday night

cancangal — Wed, 05 Oct 2005 05:52:05 GMT

came into a pair of comp tickets for menopause, the musical yesterday. on such notice, i was unable to find pal to see the show with. my busy friends were working or rehearsing for their own shows. so... i went to the show alone. which for a second kind of weirded me out, and i felt a little guilty about not using a comp ticket, but i figured, what the hell, i'm good with going out alone. why not? tonite, at pier 39, it almost balmy for san francisco. as i walked the few blocks to the theater, i thought to myself, funny how when you live here, pier 39 and the wharf are not really places you go. in fact, you pretty much avoid them like the plague. It was gorgeous down there, totally clear, and no breeze. I got clam chowder in a bread bowl and sat outside listening to the seals while i ate. had some ice cream on the walk from the pier to the theater. i forgot about the cool vibe down there. Really incredible musicians were playing just outside too, just good stuff. if you have to go down there, tuesday night is the night to go; the sidewalks weren't crowded and there was plenty of street parking. i also checked out the displays in the windows at the wax museum. i am alternately creeped out and fascinated by that place; every few years i go back and check it out again. there is something just a little eerie about the wax figures. (fyi... angelina and brad are the primary display.) ;-) the show was good. i don't know what i was expecting, actually. the theatre is awesome, smallish, intimate, good set up lighting and soundwise, decent acoustics. menopause, the muscial is performed by 4 actresses, about 20 singing numbers with bits of scenes in the middle. The music is 50's - 70's rock and roll, r & b and disco with lyrics switched to be about "the change", hot flashes, memory loss, etc. The one that really got me was 'margaritaville' number, complete with line dance and the 'i've got you babe' was pretty funny too. good audience interaction, well directed. they are totally having fun, that's for sure. i'm a little jealous of that actually. they are working actors! about to meet my sweetheart for a late night snack at mel's. thus continues my sweet san francisco night. :-) lalalalala...

sf's sauciest school girl?

cancangal — Mon, 26 Sep 2005 20:18:53 GMT

Slept in late this morning, after one of the most fun and busiest weekend I've ever had. (and i've had a lot of fun weekends, so that's really saying something!) Started friday night with my show in Berkeley, then home to meet my sweetheart, dress up and hit the House of Burlesque at Benders. Super fabulous show, saw some friends and had some drinkies... I have to say, that out of all the producers and promoters I have worked with, Ms. Maraschino is one of the best. She takes such good care of her performers and always makes sure they get paid. I wasn't even expecting it, and got paid for the August show at the Elbo Room. Wooohoo, first windfall of the weekend. Also super happy to have finally met Miss Monikaboom, who i had only mailed with on tribe, and wow, she is a hot chiquita with a beautiful smile. Ran into some other pals too, and really glad to have reconnected with Cherry, someday I would love to get her into Bijou. I have been so impressed with the performers I have met at these gigs. The ladies of the burlesque scene are so awesome. I have been in a lot of backstages and shows and been around a lot of actors/dancers who are nowhere near as generous and supportive as these ladies. They are encouraging and talented and beautiful... they take care of each other and cheer each other on. What a breath of fresh air. I am so happy to be getting to know these enchanting vixens. Saturday night, after the show, went home and dressed up again to head out with David to the Slick party at Rawhide. I knew there was some kind of dress up contest that night, and I knew it was a "back to school" party, but somehow didn't connect the two until I WON THE NAUGHTIEST SCHOOL GIRL CONTEST!!! Heeeheeeee! Who knew. In the midst of all those other saucy girls, my charmingly clumsy, blackheart pastie, plaid skirt and sweater wearing Ophelia was the best dressed school girl out that night. That was the second windfall of the weekend, the prize was $500, and I guess about $500 in other prizes I am supposed to get as well. Either way, very freaking cool, especially at a time when I could really use a lil extra $$. I was feeling kind of bummed, because I had lost out on a choreography gig I really wanted. Pay would have been $400, for weeks of work. In one night, just playing dress up and having fun, I won more than that. Somehow I feel vindicated. Perhaps my luck is changing. (keep fingers crossed) Sunday, David and I got cuted up again and headed out to the Folsom Fair. Haven't been in a long time, not since Joe Buck played about 5 years ago... I really miss that band. Ran into our new friend Mark, and danced for ages; sidenote to that: we lost Mark when a beautiful showgirl in spangles and feathers snapped him up... good for him, he's a great person and a real delight on the eyes. Saw some really outrageous stuff out there, and lots of naked booties and booties in chaps that may not have seen the sun ever. There are gonna be a lot of sunburned fannies at offices all over the bay area today! The day at the Fair ended with the Ethel Merman Experience on our way out... She sang Nirvana and Jet and some other great stuff, in true drag diva style. What a rockin band and awesome way to end the most gorgeous SF day I've seen in ages. It was like someone dialed up the fetish gods and made a request for sunshine. And they listened! Anyway, now to get back to real life and responsible working/job hunting/line learning for an audition next weekend. Nicky Goes Goth closes next weekend, and as much fun as it has been to do a show again, I am ready for it to be done. The cast is awesome, I have made some good friends (keep your eyes out for Miss Laura Jane Bailey, she's a super talented sweetheart and Mr. Patrick Alparone, another wonderfully talented and super cutie) that I will miss a lot when this is done. Next weekend is also Tease-O-Rama, and I am hoping to be able to get out to a few events, especially the day time classes and bazaar at the Swedish American Hall. All those super star saucy ladies in one place, not sure my po' weak heart can take it!! I am reading the most amazing book, that may get in the way of everything until it is done... It is by Sarah Waters, titled "Tipping the Velvet." It is about two girls who do a pants act in music halls in Victorian London. My wheels are already spinning about how to incorporate some of this stuff. :-) It is well researched, but also just a good story, with a main character that my heart is just bleeding for as her heart breaks. I'm such a sap. Well, lalalalala, I have a few phone calls to make and lots of costumes to put away. The house is full of high heels and sparkly accessories that must be put to right. Mmmm, the sweet complete feeling of a weekend well spent. And now for your BQ history moment with Ophelia: The photo above is of a 1950's burlesque dancer named Tinker Bell. "Everybody knows good things come in small packages," Tinker Bell asserts, "And that applies to girls just as well as gems." At five foot two, Tinker Bell carried on her own campaign in support of small women in the cabaret field. Unlike many of the exotic dancers, Tinker Bell was a real dancer. Before starting in burlesque she had been dancing for 14 years, ballet, tap and even acrobatics. Her first foray into the dance clubs came in January of 1956 when she started on a trial basis at the Wayne Room in D.C. She passed the trial and within weeks became a head-liner at the club. Her musical preferences were Mambo, Cha Chas and Maringues and this was reflected on stage, combining Afro Cuban rhythms with sizzling torso twists and the sensuous movements of classical ballet.

The Speech Bush Won't Give

cancangal — Tue, 06 Sep 2005 21:25:23 GMT

Yesterday I spent 3 hours in the park as part of a fundraising project by the Albion Schoole. We performed some scenes from our show and did some swordfighting demos... not a huge undertaking, but between what we participants/performers gave and what passersby contributed we'll be sending about $200 to the Red Cross. I wish it were $2000, but every little bit helps. There is so much to do and so much that should have been done so this incredible tragedy could have been averted. I read this today and it, to me, spoke in all the right words exactly what I wish the president would say. From SF Chronicle Open Forum author: Robert Rivkin -- In his weekly radio address to the nation Saturday, President George W. Bush attempted to sanitize the blistering criticism from virtually all shades of the political spectrum that his administration had received for its handling of the tragic (and partly avoidable) Hurricane Katrina calamity. Words like "death," "chaos," "anarchy," "squalor," "incompetence" and "national disgrace" -- among the most descriptive and emotive ones uttered last week by thousands of people -- were omitted from the president's speech. So, I am offering here a straightforward address to the nation that President Bush could give next Saturday. This speech might restore his credibility as a leader: My fellow Americans: First, I want to apologize to you, and particularly to the citizens of Mississippi and Louisiana, for my administration's failure to prepare for Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. I apologize for our excruciating slowness in getting life-supporting essentials -- food, clean water and medicine -- to the flood victims in New Orleans. Sadly, I realize that the federal government's inexcusable delay of at least two days in providing these essential items caused many unnecessary deaths, and unnecessarily prolonged the agony for thousands of mostly poor, black citizens of the United States, who were barely surviving in disgusting conditions. For that I am truly sorry. I confess that last week, I tried to excuse our neglect by claiming that "I didn't think anyone anticipated the breach of the levees." Also, I'm aware that my Homeland Security secretary, Michael Chertoff, has claimed that this was an "ultra-catastrophe" (a hurricane plus a flood) and that nobody could have reasonably predicted that both would happen at the same time. Our comments were wrong -- and actually misleading. My administration will no longer try to shift blame to others, nor to an "uncooperative" Mother Nature. Years ago, experts tried to warn the Army Corps of Engineers that a category 4 or 5 hurricane would likely overwhelm the levees and flood most of New Orleans. These reports were also widely published in newspapers and magazines. The Corps dismissed these experts' warnings as overblown. What happened late last month was almost exactly what the scientists had predicted. The result was that by Sept. 2, when life-sustaining aid and National Guard units finally began to arrive, many people -- mainly the elderly and seriously ill -- had perished. This did not have to happen. We must now look to the future. So far as I am aware, nobody in the federal government has leveled with you yet about the enormity of the tasks that confront us as a nation. I want to do that now. We must not only repair the physical damage to the Mississippi coast and New Orleans. We have a moral obligation to the hundreds of thousands of surviving victims of this mammoth calamity to restore a sense of normalcy to their lives. Let me tell you right now that the losses resulting from this national nightmare will almost certainly total half a trillion dollars in the next five or six years. Maybe more. Included in that number are the costs not only of rebuilding, but of relocating hundreds of thousands of people, not in temporary shelters like the Astrodome, but in homes -- at least for the medium term -- by which I mean six months to three years. It is the federal government's obligation to find housing quickly for the evacuees, so that their continued suffering -- being forced to live communally in sports stadiums -- is not prolonged. It must be done so they can have privacy. So they can have dignity. So they can have hope for the future. Therefore, I am instructing the Secretary of Defense to provide a list of domestic military bases where empty and underutilized barracks, apartments and houses are located. For those evacuees who want to be housed in federal military housing, we will also provide educational facilities, medical care and the possibility of finding new jobs. For others, we will provide funds to help integrate these American citizens into other communities throughout the country. The federal government will also provide jobs for those evacuees who want to work on rebuilding their own communities in New Orleans and Mississippi. Insurance companies, private industry, charitable and religious organizations will of course all pitch in to help make life livable again for our fellow citizens. But they cannot provide the guidance, the infrastructure and the financial muscle. In a crisis as huge as this one, that is the obligation of the government -- any government. Therefore, I am submitting legislation to Congress to make this happen. It will be expensive. It will necessitate an increase in the tax burden, especially for those Americans who are better off than others. But, in the long run, it will be worth it by enhancing cohesiveness, equality and justice in our society. And it will enhance our prosperity as well. I realize that I am urging a new approach toward disaster relief. I realize that this noble project may not generate as many profits for private contractors that earlier projects have done. I realize this approach may surprise and disappoint some who, like myself, have long embraced the concept of "the less government, the better." Philosophically, it still appeals to me. But we must be pragmatic. Monumental catastrophes require extraordinary flexibility. Fixed ideological positions must be abandoned. We are a country in crisis. We need to pull together. We cannot neglect those most desperately in need. Everyone needs to share the burdens. For those who may find this new approach difficult -- get used to it. Thank you, and God bless America. Robert S. Rivkin is a San Francisco-based author and lawyer who has trained foreign judges and prosecutors on human-rights issues.

mmmmmm... cookies!

cancangal — Fri, 02 Sep 2005 21:00:56 GMT

i just baked a batch of chocolate chip cookies to bring for the cast of my show tonite. smells so good in here now. so homey. makes me thankful for the little things i have that are good: fresh baked cookies, good friends, a snuggle ball of a cat sleeping on the bed and a job interview tuesday. meow. :-)

streets of san francisco!

cancangal — Fri, 02 Sep 2005 07:43:41 GMT

ok, so it's midnight. been asleep about half an hour, when screech, crash, crash, bang. then the frustrated sound of broken engine trying to start and tires rolling but not going anywhere, they can't, because they are bent under the car. one more accident at this intersection. that makes 4 or 5 since june. all the same type of damage... you'd think the people in the building next door would have stopped parking their cars here. a really hammered driver trying to get away, an angry neighbor ready to rumble. total damage looks like it's 2 cars plus the driver's car. cops are here, the guy is staggering. one of the neighbors had to reach in and pull the keys out of the ignition so that guy would stop trying to drive away in his poor, banged up car. looks like one of the cute 'friends of the urban forest' trees has been taken out too, a parking meter and maybe a lil damage to the front of the building next door. can't quite tell from here; i'll have to survey the extent of the carnage tomorrow. brother is sitting on the curb getting booked and the neighbors are absolutely furious. somewhere across the street, a car alarm is howling. guessing now might be a good time for the city to look into this intersection. now that i think about it, there was an accident in that intersection the day i moved in. most of these are at night though. drunks careening down geary at about 50 mph, then, to my best guess, just freaking out in the bus lane or something. sheesh. if you're that wrecked, call a freaking taxi. last time it was two younger guys, dressed in their hip hop club best. time before that an older lady. tonite it's this middle aged asian guy, tan windbreaker and all. he's bummed now, but was a little feisty with the cops at first. there are, i am not kidding, 5 cops outside and 2 squad cars. 1 is talking to the guy, 1 looking in the car with a flashlight and 3 standing around in the street talking. i guess it doesn't really matter who ya are, this intersection seems to punish indiscriminately. heeeheee, one of the cops is a ringer for the cop from the Village People, he's got a huge, black, bushy mustache! meanwhile, brother is failing his field sobriety test miserably. i think that cop actually just laughed at it. Hopefully they all have insurance. Hopefully O and i can get back to sleep at a reasonable hour; after the tow truck with its flashing lights of course. Good night. Don't drink & Drive.

playing faire & more...

cancangal — Mon, 29 Aug 2005 20:19:07 GMT

What fun I had at the Golden Gate faire this weekend! I got to wear my pretty Irish dress and be my old washerwoman character for a while. Yaaaay! It was so nice to have few responsibilities beyond being eye candy and a 4:30 song set with the Dogs. It made interacting with customers that much more fun too, knowing that I didn't have a show to run off to or notes to get. Not that I haven't loved doing all the shows, but it was a good change and one of the best times I have had at a faire in a long time. Reminded me why I used to love faire so much. Bummer, tho, I left my tamborine in the capable hands of Rick Zegri during the song set and wandered back to the Fraternitie camp and home before I realized it wasn't jingling along with me. Really, really hoping it will make it's way back to me. On another note, Nicky Goes Goth opened this weekend. I ran home from the Dogs song set on Saturday night, changed my clothes and headed to Berkeley for the 3rd performance. Only 5 more weeks to go. Saturday night was a good show, stronger then the open or preview was; I think cuz we weren't so nervous and felt a lot more confident with it. It is a weird arty show, with a cast full of fabulous and talented folks, all of whom I am very glad to have gotten to know. One of our actors was in a motorcycle accident on opening day; he is ok, but pretty badly banged up. Our show TD (who is also an actor and Impact company member) stepped up and filled in flawlessly. Much love and healing energy to Thomas, he is missed by all of us. Excited to be dancing again too... Bijou is auditioning for some new dancers, and we'll be rehearsing regularly again. I have a break from burlesque, as the Impact show will be dominating my weekends for the next few weeks, but I am hoping to get in on the Oct. House of Burlesque and to participate in Tease-O-Rama as much as I can. I have a really cool idea for a pirate burly-q number... just have to find the right music. Think I'll take a few daytime dance classes while I am waiting for the work situation to sort itself out. I am never so happy as when I am dancing. Even dance rehearsals pick me up like no other thing can. yay for music and movement. Got some work lined up too, which I am really excited about. I will be helping to run the extracurricular theatre program at a school in SF. Still looking for another part time morning gig, but this is a great opportunity to get involved at that school, which is very close to where I live. The first show they are doing is a commedia, the King Stag. I love commedia so much and I am excited to have a chance to play with one. This will be a great opportunity to try out some new stuff with a new group of kids. A huge thank you to Eileen for the good word to the school on my behalf. I'll also be subbing at the school I'll be working at once I get the paperwork done, and I'm also in the sub pool in my old district (every school but the one I used to work at, I won't give that putz of a principal the privilege of my skills) so that should take care of things in the meantime. Overall things are good, much better than they seemed at the end of summer school. The apartment feels like a home (thank you to David for the storage of those last few boxes) and O and I even had our first soiree here. Gina's bachelorette evening was huge fun. It was awesome to have a night out with the girls. I hope to have more of them, and to spend a little more time with the lovely girls in my life. Lalalalalala... off to meet my sweetheart at the gym. :-)

yaaay for my cute lil apartment!!

cancangal — Sun, 07 Aug 2005 21:22:10 GMT

I've spent most of this weekend organizing, cleaning and creating order in my (new) place. I know I moved in months ago, but because it was never totally unpacked it still feels new to me; especially now that it is just about done. I still have a couple boxes (pix & christmas decor) that I need to deal with and a few boxes of classroom stuff (hopefully these will be in a classroom or office soon) that I have to reorganize and repack, but overall, this place finally feels like a home. O is resting peacefully on my bed and I am feeling like all the work has paid off. I am afraid to lose my momentum now, but I am a little drained from going through all the boxes of files, knickknacks, pictures and papers. It's like reviewing the last several years of your life in fast forward. Some of it is painful, some makes you angry, some makes you laugh and some makes you cry. Kinda feeling like it is time to take a break from the clean up and leave the house. Maybe go to the gym, maybe go color my hair, and work on lines or choreography. Maybe do the laundry... but that seems to be too much like working on the house. I still have finals and essays to grade for summer school, which ends Wednesday, so I guess I could go hit some coffeehouse somewhere and take in the ambiance while grading and sipping. Hmm, maybe I should go hit the Zeitgeist and grade and sip. I may get less done, but it would be fun!

busy night on cathedral hill

cancangal — Sat, 06 Aug 2005 17:55:16 GMT

Last night was one of the busiest nights on my street in a long time. I think perhaps the busiest since that multi-car crash that took out the parking meter, several cars and left the wall in front of the building down the street in a crumbled mess. (that was the closing night of thanatics; when i left that night everything was fine, when i got home at 4:30 am, there was carnage for 100 yards on both sides of the street) At about 2:45 this morning, I awakened to what I thought at first was someone leaning on my doorbuzzer outside my apartment. Scared the bejeezus outta me, thinking someone was just outside the door, then i listened a little more and heard my neighbors upstairs and outside in the hall. i go outside and the hallway smells like kinda burnt something, but there is no smoke or anything. It's the building fire alarm, and boy is it LOUD. Which, of course, I am glad for, but I am shaking with nerves and Orion's fur is standing on end. Finally, we find out that a neighbor in an upstairs unit left their stove on with a pot on it. Woke up the whole building, the fire dept was here, whole 9 yards. About 3:15, I get back into bed and try to fall back to sleep. O is standing guard facing the front door, where he can see both me and the door. (my brave protector!) I am sorta dozing off again when I hear a squeal of tires, a crash and another squeal followed by a car alarm, right outside my window. I look out and there has been a beauty of crash, and the crasher is trying to drive away. The other car is up on the sidewalk, mashed into the pole that the City installed to replace the parking meter from the last crash, till they put in a new one. Crasher, unfortunately for him, can't drive away; the owner of the car he hit comes outside, shuts of the car alarm and promptly loses it on his very drunk self. She was one angry lady, the torrent of langauge that I heard while trying to go back to sleep was quite something. So the cops come, the guy driving the car gets taken away and his car towed. She calms down and goes back inside. Her poor car is still out there. I bet she gets a ticket, knowing the City of SF. What a night! I've come out of it with a few thoughts, one being this: If there really was a fire here, how would I get myself and O out of the building if we had to use the fire escape? I wonder if there is some sort of carrier or something. Obviously I would need my hands free and couldn't be struggling with him. Hmmm...

laid off, but not knocked down

cancangal — Thu, 14 Jul 2005 20:21:50 GMT

Tomorrow is my last day of work. Summer school is nearly over and I find my self a bit daunted by the fact that I have no job lined up yet. Not having much luck using CL, various teaching job websites (they keep directing me to jobs in Kansas and Illinois; not that there is anything wrong with any of those places, but i live in San Francisco and would like to stay here for the time being), the newspaper, and some other sources; it's so frustrating. There just aren't a lot of teaching positions available for English or theatre teachers. If only I was ever in any way good at math... they seem to REALLY want math teachers. especially ones that are bi-lingual in cantonese. I would really love to find a job in the arts or teaching. But... I am willing to take on something part time or temporary to pay the bills while I am waiting for that awesome job i've been hoping for to pan out. It's July, so there is no one around in any schools to meet or drop resumes off with. I am a credentialed teacher, for crying out loud, with over 5 years of teaching, special education case management, and theatre production experience. This should not be so freaking difficult! I've worked admin/office management, retail and wait/bar staff jobs. I'm to the point where I would be willing to work in these any of these fields again, some albeit temporarily, if it meant getting the rent and bills paid come September. Ack! I feel like a fledgling 20 year old looking for a first job, maddening at this point. At what point do I just give in and start applying for those office manager jobs? Sooo... today I will go home, send out some resumes to some theatre jobs I saw on TBA and visualize myself finding the perfect job (no commute, satisfied and intelligent co-workers, stimulating, arty environment, great pay, good benefits, decent hours) and keep hoping for something great to happen. Which it will, right? :-)

the punishment should fit the crime

cancangal — Tue, 12 Jul 2005 19:52:27 GMT

i seldom use this to rant, but i will today. this morning i left the house at the usual time, with plenty of time to get to work; to get to work EARLY in fact, because I had a few things I wanted to get done before the kids got there. I leave before 7 am, so generally the freeway traffic is pretty light. Usually traffic picks up around 7:30ish. UNLESS... some idiot has gotten into some kind of ridiculous accident because they had the entire freaking freeway to themselves and that wasn't enough. They had to hit someone and run off the road. No one really hurt, no real carnage, just a few banged up cars and major freeway backup nearly into SF. It took me more than an hour to go the 32 miles to work today and I was late for my class. What should the punishment for this crime be, you ask? You should be banned from driving (especially freeway driving) for 1 hour for each person you made late as a result of your carelessness. I am sure that you math geniuses out there can decipher the equation that would make it work and figure out how long it would be. I vote for a year minimum. Get off the phone, sleep off your hangover and stay the hell off the road. Sheeesh. Some of us have jobs to get to. And another thing, if the accident in question is on the freeway going the opposite direction... please resist the urge to look at it. You can't see anything anyway and you're causing more traffic in your direction. Save your curiosity for looking at porn at work. If you can make it there on time. Wow. I really feel a lot better now. :-)