My Musings

One of the places my wife has volunteered

Jeff — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 08:30:17 GMT

http://www.womenscommunityclinic.org/news/2004_WCC_Newsletter_VI.pdf check her out! first on the list: Adriel Ahern.

Desperate times...

Jeff — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 04:08:51 GMT

Well I'm at the end of my rope with the housing situation. This is a cry for help. Does anyone have any leads on housing in San Francisco in the $800-1000 range? We have been searching craigslist and a few other sites for four months now, but the competition for housing is so great that whenever we find a place that seems right (not in the tenderloin, hunters point or china basin and larger than a prison cell) there are at least 15 people just at the open house. Because my wife and I are poor, and are looking for places at or just above our pricerange, the landlords always go with the prospect with disposible income. We can't compete. We decided that we just couldn't afford to have a place of our own, so we started looking for sub-let and roommate situations, but IF we get a reply back it inveriably says, "I'm sorry, but we were looking for one person. A couple is just too much for our house right now." I completely understand this point of view, but there is a part of my brain that always reads this as, "Fuck you. Please remain homeless." I'm getting to the point where I am considering breaking into one of the many empty "investment" properties in the city and squatting! This is not what I pictured at all when I decided to attend SFSU. I'm just thankful that my family lives in Novato, or I would really be homeless, living in a tent, instead of an RV in front of my parent's house (they don't want us to take it to SF, and I'm grateful enough not to press it). Unfortunately, we are paying sooooo much on gas and bridge toll that we are even more poor. Anyway, enough complaining. I just wanted to put the word out, and start networking, 'cause the formal rout doesn't seem to work. Please keep Adriel and I in mind if you hear about a room opening up or a friend moving. Thank you all! By the way, if you do hear something, here is a bit about Adriel and I from the letter we send to people who are offering a place. <<My wife and I are looking for a room to help us settle in San Francisco as we move from Santa Rosa, CA. We have been married almost two years and have excellent communication skills and no drama. Living with us would be just like living with one person. My wife, Adriel, has a job as a clerk at Trader Joes and is continuing to look for work in the field of Women's Health. I am a full time biology student at SFSU, and have a number of jobs in the department as well. We are a vegetarian friendly couple, looking for a place to call home where we can read and bake and enjoy each others company. In our rare free time we like to walk around the parks and museums, enjoy our friends in SF and travel north to visit our extended families. Please give me a call at (415) 479-0837. jeff and adriel ahern scarborough>>

A public service announcement from the pharmaceutical industry. . . sorta!

Jeff — Tue, 05 Dec 2006 04:58:21 GMT

Do you suffer from shyness? --Do you have feelings of inadequacy? ----Do you sometimes wish you were more assertive? If you answered yes to any of these questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist about Tequila. Tequila is the safe, natural way to feel better and more confident about yourself and your actions. Tequila can help ease you out of your shyness and let you tell the world that you're ready and willing to do just about anything. You will notice the benefits of Tequila almost immediately, and with a regimen of regular doses you can overcome any obstacles that prevent you from living the life you want to live. Shyness and awkwardness will be a thing of the past, and you will discover many talents you never knew you had. Tequila may not be right for everyone. Women who are pregnant or nursing should not use Tequila. However, women who wouldn't mind nursing or becoming pregnant are encouraged to try it. Side effects may include dizziness, nausea, vomiting, incarceration, erotic lustfulness, loss of motor control, loss of clothing, loss of money, loss of virginity, delusionsof grandeur, table dancing, headache, dehydration, dry mouth, and a desire to sing Karaoke and play all-night rounds of Strip Poker, Truth or Dare, and Naked Twister. Tequila. Leave Shyness Behind.

Tagged By Adriel

Jeff — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 08:54:12 GMT

RULES - Once you've been tagged, you have to write a blog with 8 facts/things/habits about yourself, saying who tagged you. In the end you need to choose the 4 people 2 be tagged and list their names. No tag backs. 1. I just took a bag of day-old donuts out of the trash behind the local donut shop. 2. I can distinctly remember running, (or should I say waddling) full-tilt, under my parents dining table without having to duck. This memory is complete with the sound of my diaper rustling with each step. 3. I have been in 7 accidents in my life, 4 of which where my fault. Two of the remaining 3 someone else was driving. 4. Before I turned 18, I was a ditto-head. (for those of you who don't know that term, that means I thought Rush Limbaugh could do no wrong) Once I turned 18 I realized that I had to actually think if I was to vote. 5. I am having a difficult time not making this a depressing list of facts, because Adriel is out of town for about a week and a half, and I miss her. I love her so much. 6. My second girl friend was also my fifth, my third was also my fourth, my sixth was also my eighth and ninth (she later became my wife). Each time I count someone more than once, that means that we broke up for more than six months (average break-up: one and a half years). 7. When I am stressed out, I display mild obsessive-compulsive behaviors. 8. In the third grade my teacher gave each of her students personalized "prizes". Mine was for "Most encyclopedias read". I would read them like some kids would read comic books. I have tagged: Jerusha, Dr. Robert, Jeenie, and Erik. By the way, the picture is proof of one of the things in Adriel's blog.

This is not for children... or conservatives

Jeff — Sun, 16 Jul 2006 22:14:44 GMT

Someone linked this in one of my tribes, and I had to pass it on. It's a little music video entitled, "Keep your Jesus Off My Penis" http://youtube.com/watch?v=exDo2SMdB-0&search=jesus%20penis

Interview

Jeff — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 22:23:03 GMT

Sorry this took so long. I was out of the state for a month and some of these are tough! I did my best, but I think you might be disappointed by my lack of History Nerdiness. 1) The Matrix is real, but you only to install ONE new program into your Matrix self. What new knowledge do you pick? and it can't be Kung Fu, 'cause Neo already used that one. Speed reading. I’m not talking about the speed reading that can be done in the real world. I’m talking about the ability to “download” entire books as fast as I can flip the pages. I would also need total recall. I don’t think of that as a second program, it’s part of this special ability. 2) You can make any two people in the world, from any time period sit together and talk. You may mediate their debate, ask them questions, etc. Who would you pick and why? Jesus Christ and Pat Robertson… but only if it could also be televised. What would be better than to watch modern christianity's lead "thinker" be confronted by the man (God) they proport to follow. This could lead to one of two end results. There would be a shake-up in the church, and the BS that they spout in his name would come to an end, or Pat would tell Christ that he's a communist and a sinner and going to hell. Either way I would get a good laugh. 3) You use the 10 dollars of the month to buy lotto tickets, and one of them wins the 126 million dollar prize (before taxes). You've opted for lump sum payout. What are the first three things you do with the money? a) I would buy some property where Adriel and I could live and raise food and animals. b) I would shore up my parent’s eroding retirement c) I would put aside money for my education and future research facility (bio lab) 4) What do you remember about the very first time you met Adriel? It was the second or third day of Introduction to Ornamental Horticulture. I was sitting in the front row. At the end of the class the teacher offered to take us on a guided tour of the greenhouses. As I stood up I noticed a beautiful girl, back in the third row, tucking the side of her outer skirt into her belt. I walked up to her and said something like “I noticed you tucking in your skirts. Do you go to Ren. Faire?” As you might know, Adriel is very shy with strangers, so she mumbled some response along the lines of “Um, yeah… uh, well, I gotta go now.” I thought she hated me. Despite that, I caught myself stealing glances at her throughout the tour. Sometimes I got the feeling that she had just been looking at me when I glanced her way. I don’t really remember much about the greenhouse or what the teacher said, but I remember every time I caught her eye. 5) If you could make one new law right now (and only one) that the whole world would have to follow what would it be? I am going to assume that by “have to follow” you are talking about individuals being compelled on a personal, self-control level. Therefore, I would outlaw the killing of humans, with exceptions (for those nutballs who think a ball of human cells = a human) for reproductive rights and embryonic stem cell research. It would include the training of an animal or machine to kill or starting of a process (such as an avalanche) that would result in the death of someone. This would effectively end war, murder, bloody rivalries, and etc. Once faced with the fact that we can no longer dedicate the majority of our resources to either killing or preventing the killing of others, we might actually be able to make this world a better place for all people to live. --------------------------------------------------- THE GUIDELINES: 1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me." 2. I will respond by asking you five questions. I get to pick the questions. 3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions. 4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post. 5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions. I triple dog dare you.

This is old, but I just felt like posting it.

Jeff — Fri, 31 Mar 2006 23:42:10 GMT

Dear Red States:. We've decided we're leaving. We intend to form our own country, and we're taking the other Blue States with us. In case you aren't aware, that includes Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois and all the Northeast. We believe this split will be beneficial to the nation, and especially to the people of the new country of New California. To sum up briefly: You get Texas, Oklahoma and all the slave states. We get stem cell research and the best beaches. We get Elliot Spitzer. You get Ken Lay. We get the Statue of Liberty. You get Dollywood. We get Intel and Microsoft. You get WorldCom. We get Harvard. You get Ole' Miss. We get 85 percent of America's venture capital and entrepreneurs. You get Alabama. We get two-thirds of the tax revenue, you get to make the red states pay their fair share. Since our aggregate divorce rate is 22 percent lower than the Christian Coalition's, we get a bunch of happy families. You get a bunch of single moms. Please be aware that Nuevo California will be pro-choice and anti-war, and we're going to want all our citizens back from Iraq at once. If you need people to fight, ask your evangelicals. They have kids they're apparently willing to send to their deaths for no purpose, and they don't care if you don't show pictures of their children's caskets coming home. We do wish you success in Iraq, and hope that the WMDs turn up, but we're not willing to spend our resources in Bush's Quagmire. With the Blue States in hand, we will have firm control of 80 percent of the country's fresh water, more than 90 percent of the pineapple and lettuce, 92 percent of the nation's fresh fruit, 95 percent of America's quality wines (you can serve French wines at state dinners) 90 percent of all cheese, 90 percent of the high tech industry, most of the U.S. low-sulfur coal, all living redwoods, sequoias and condors, all the Ivy and Seven Sister schools, plus Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Cal Tech and MIT. With the Red States, on the other hand, you will have to cope with 88 percent of all obese Americans (and their projected health care costs), 92 percent of all U.S. mosquitoes, nearly 100 percent of the tornadoes, 90 percent of the hurricanes, 99 percent of all Southern Baptists, virtually 100 percent of all televangelists, Rush Limbaugh, Bob Jones University, Clemson and the University of Georgia. We get Hollywood and Yosemite, thank you. Additionally, 38 percent of those in the Red states believe Jonah was actually swallowed by a whale, 62 percent believe life is sacred unless we're discussing the death penalty or gun laws, 44 percent say that evolution is only a theory, 53 percent that Saddam was involved in 9/11 and 61 percent of you crazy bastards believe you are people with higher morals then we lefties. By the way, we're taking the good pot, too. You can have that dirt weed they grow in Mexico. Sincerely, Author Unknown in New California

RIP Maria Rifo

Jeff — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 20:49:27 GMT

I wish I hadn't been so busy. I wish I hadn't told myself that I would sit down and talk with her "someday". This amazing woman lived in my small apartment building, and I let the opportunity to learn about history first-hand slip through my fingers. Maria Rifo died last night. This has not been a good year for civil rights. This is an excerpt from an press release by the local chapter of the ACLU about an award they were giving her. ***At age 95, Maria Rifo has a lot to be proud about. Unlike many who have reached this age, she gets up early to walk Santa Rosa's streets. She lives simply and does not have much money but is able buy food for those who are down-on-their-luck. "I'm not doing this for money or power," she said. "I do this because I like doing this." Raised in Santiago, Chile, she spent the first part of her life teaching school and caring for her parents. At age 56, she started exploring the world, first Europe, then the United States. She came to Washington D.C. to visit a friend from Chile for a week. Her friend asked her to watch her house while she went back to Chile for a vacation. Maria agreed and soon decided to stay in America. She applied for a job as a Vista volunteer and was sent to New Mexico where she became active in the Latino community. After hearing Cesar Chavez speak, she moved to California and for 12 years she worked as his secretary, translating the grower's contracts into Spanish and helping make the union run. Her apartment is filled with photos of Chavez, whose lessons in putting people before profits resonate with her today. In 1980, she debarked on a road trip with a friend across America. Luckily for us, she came to stay in Santa Rosa. Maria has been active in Sonoma County working with Mujeres Unidos, a Latina group active in community and political affairs. She has raised money to fight alcohol and drug abuse in the Latino community. Maria helped start the Alternatives to Violence program, and is a consultant to the Girl To Girl mentoring program. She established a scholarship fund at Santa Rosa Junior College, and teaches Spanish. On top of all of this, she finds the time to counsel inmates at Folsom State Prison to try to break the cycle of violence. Ms. Rifo has worked with the Catholic Diocese as a liaison for the Hispanic Community with the Sonoma County Faith Based Community Organizing Project. Ms. Rifo lives her life by the following maxim: "Try to find a thing that is good in a thing that is not so good. Take advantage of the disadvantage!"***

This one's going out to Emily!

Jeff — Tue, 21 Feb 2006 08:26:06 GMT

Em, you are gonna love this! Everyone will, but I thought of you specifically. http://www.potterpuppetpals.com I recommend sexy snape (no relation to the picture). You will fall out of your chair!

Jeff — Mon, 20 Feb 2006 05:51:58 GMT

"I find the television to be very educational. Whenever someone turns it on I go in the other room and read a book." -Groucho Marx

Tribe addiction can be tough to kick.

Jeff — Mon, 06 Feb 2006 10:23:41 GMT

Tribe is taking all my time, when homework and lab reports and reading should have first dibs. I here-by swear to only sign on once a day, and limit it to half an hour. Ouch! I don't know what step that was, but it hurt. I'm gonna miss all of you. **Raise violins, fade out on me waving as the camera pans out**

Ever wish you had a camera?

Jeff — Mon, 09 Jan 2006 06:37:33 GMT

While walking around campus recently, I happened upon a class doing Tai Chi out on the lawn. In the back of the class was someone in FULL cow costume! Huge utters, white with black spots, the works. This cow was doing Tai Chi with the rest of the class, and I would have sold my soul for a camera at that point. Alas, that image will have to live on only in my brain.

belated catharsis

Jeff — Mon, 19 Dec 2005 10:19:00 GMT

I finished my finals! (four days ago) Two days of Chemistry, Nutrition, Physics, and Political Science. By the end of the second day my brain had been scooped out with a spoon and pureed. I actually spent three minutes wracking my brain, trying to remember the word "cynical" (one of the key words in my lexicon). I'm glad it's over and I have a month to recuperate and read silly fiction like the Narnian tails and hopefully something by Vonnegut. I Love This! I'm going to go for hikes and clean the house (finally), and just have a good ol' time of it. This I promise to myself.

Can you help me I.D. these?

Jeff — Fri, 02 Dec 2005 20:56:27 GMT

Hey. I found these mushrooms in coast live oak duff in Santa Rosa, California. They are uniformly red-brown including stem, cap and pores. When cut it has off-white flesh, but VERY quickly stains purple. After about ten seconds it fades, but then slowly becomes darkish green. It bruises purple. The pores are very small (~1-2mm.) More pictures in my pics. feel free to write with questions or more tests I can perform.

Is this thing on? tap tap tap

Jeff — Sat, 26 Nov 2005 21:05:29 GMT

Hello? Can you hear me in the back? I just got my site up and running. I thought I would tell the world "Hi"... "how are you all doing?" After that I think I'm spent. Don't have much more to tell the world. Please enjoy imagining living in the alternate universe from which this magizine came.