Oof… I stayed up way too long, ignoring my to-do list to make two new themes. It’s comforting to code… It takes my mind off of packing (bleh!) and worrying (meh!).

There’s a new ThemeSwitcher area on the sidebar to set your preference. I couldn’t make up my mind. Feedback is appreciated.

This new stuff wouldn’t have been possible without the help of the very fun and FREE compilation of “avant-pop” from adult swim and Ghostly International (whose site inspired the new themes): Ghostly Swim!

I have a new camera to take on my Pakistan trip, the Canon Powershot G9. I posted some test shots at Flickr recently. It’s a great little camera.

Hopefully, I’ll live long enough to write another blog and share more of my silly adventures. I love you, my dear readers!

Just uploaded a bunch of stuff to Flickr. I also added some VIDEOS. Flickr is afire with anti-video sentiment, but I think it’s a neat feature.

I’m going back to Pakistan in about two weeks. It’s been three years… eep!

First: Leslie Hall was featured on NPR Music recently. Thankfully, they have the episode online: Taking Over the World One Sweater at a Time.

The episode reinforces why Leslie is so dear to me and all her fans. The 5′ 10″, 200-pound, size-16 beauty says of her size, “I like to eat cookies. Peanut butter cookies. And I don’t like to exercise that much, so this is what I got.” Fantastic. I love cookies, too. :-)

She’s much more comfortable with her body than I’ll ever be with mine, but she’s inspiring nonetheless. During her concert in the episode, she says, “I’d like to sing a song, now, about my butt cheeks — so round, so ripe…” referring to her song “Blame the Booty”.

Second: While reading a recent NYTimes article, “India Nurtures Business of Surrogate Motherhood“, I was inappropriately disturbed to find out that one of the clients of the surrogacy business in India works for Greenpeace. Of course, as a human, he’s free to be as silly as he wants, although it’s still sad to me. It would be unrealistic to think that all Greenpeace employees don’t have or want children, but using a poor woman as your baby carrier is beyond that.

I suppose it’s because I tend to think of activists associated with such remarkable organizations, that want to change the world and make a difference, as people who really TRY. They really want to eliminate oppression, obtain justice, save a tree! My experience (with myself as well as others) tells me no one is perfect and we all could do more. But somehow, flying to India, ejaculating into a cup and sitting back while a stranger makes a baby for you to enjoy while millions of children in your own country and in the birthplace of your offspring wait around in orphanages doesn’t seem like a “Greenpeace-y” thing to do.

Maybe that’s just me, being an arrogant, childfree, cookie-loving, condescending idiot. (Just to save you the trouble of commenting. ;-))

[Edit: Some follow-up: I’m not the only one to have pointed this out. A commenter on Salon.com also noticed that this doesn’t look good for Greenpeace to be associated with this guy.

IHT.com has the article with photos and voiceovers from the client.]

The date: Friday, February 15th. The place: A horrible bar in Philadelphia where I probably got the flu.

LESLIE HALL. The Diva, the Myth, the Legend.

I finally had the honor of witnessing Leslie and the Lys. Since being visited by Mother Gem in a dream long ago I have been a fan of hers. She lived up to every expectation. She kicked, flipped, be-dazzled and christened a few sweaters. She educated us about zombie outbreaks. In summary, she dropped a giant gem on Philadelphia.

She’s actually a great singer and a wonderful performer. She’s just lovely. If she comes to your town (or if you’re going to ROFL CON) PLEASE see her and imbibe her Wisdom.

Corn-fed, unwed, drop-dead gorgeous.

More at my Flickr album!

I just got over a terrible flu. That sucked.

I’ve been medicating myself with Rufus Wainwright, Web Drifter, Tekzilla, various other Revision3 podcasts and Super Deluxe madness.

Who needs drugs?

I love Martin Sargent and Patrick Norton. And Tim and Eric, too.

Yes, indeed. It will rock. [Edit: IT ROCKED. HARD.]

Another thing that rocks is getting back my glasses that I left halfway across the country over a year ago. They are amazing. I missed them so much.

Although Donna Karan is an idiotic bitch for continuing to use fur in her designs… damn it.

I recently got myself a “job” on Second Life, for whatever reason. I found it while browsing the SL Classifieds one day and Googling the name of the company. It turned out to be a great project to be a part of; it’s much more than a job, it’s a performance.

The project/job is called Double Happiness Manufacturing, also known as “Invisible Threads: Sweatshop Jean Factory in Second Life“.

The project uses “virtual” workers to produce a real-world product. As I understand it, there is a computer and printer set up at a real-world location and customers give the order through the computer to the workers in the factory. We, as workers, select options (one person per machine per option) that the customer desires and send the virtual product to the printer, which prints the result on a fabric, where it is assembled and given to the customer to wear.

As an added bonus, this installation of Invisible Threads in which I’m taking part is set up at the Sundance Film Festival! While we work, there is an audio and video stream from the RL installation to our factory so we can see and hear the customers. During our job hours this evening, Robert Redford himself observed our process and said he liked our exhibit. Amazing!

Some videos: Double Happiness Demo, Double Happiness Factory Tour

1. If there is anyone reading this blog who lives in Virginia’s 6th District, please give your support to Sam Rasoul. (My home in VA is sadly in the 5th disctrict.) When I last visited VA and saw the huge Sam Rasoul signs in Vinton, I said “He must be a Republican, too bad!” After visiting CAIR’s 2008 Elections site, I saw his name again and checked out his website. Amazingly, he’s a Democrat! He’s also pledging half his salary for two new orgs. Good luck Sam!!!

2. In other CAIR news, I forgot to celebrate my one year anniversary working with CAIR-PA. I blame it on item #3.

3. We’re buying a house. OMG? :-|

4. Barack Obama (apparently) didn’t know what Current TV was, when approached by a journalist who recorded a pod for the station. This is important is because AL GORE was a co-founder and the launch of the station was big news. Disappointing… unless he knew but just forgot because of all the campaign running-about. (Video here. Segment starts about 1:01)

5. Current TV also did a spot about the “Saudi rape case” and the reporter said that the Quran commands punishments for drinking alcohol and stoning for adultery. Um. No.

That’s about it for now.

Is this a $#@!* joke? What the hell? Calls in Sudan for Execution of Briton. Come on, stupid “Muslims”, save your energy for something important… (yeah right.) Still we wonder why so many hate “us”!

Today, I’m giving my pet dogs the middle name Muhammad.

Global Climate Change and Population Growth: Two Challenges in One

Scientists across the globe agree that the influence of humans and their activities on the earth’s atmosphere and climate is an established fact. If population growth and climate change are closely linked, then they should be integrated into policy and challenged together. Long-term strategies to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions in an equitable manner will need to account for the current broad differences among nations in per capita emissions. Effective, voluntary family planning plus improved educational and economic opportunities for girls and women are a central part of good population policy as well as a key to greenhouse gas reduction.

Danya recently linked to another important article, The Guardian’s “How to save the planet“.

One of the greatest environmental dilemmas is the issue of the world’s rapidly growing population. Many argue very persuasively that we have no hope of confronting all our environmental problems without greatly reducing the number of people on the planet.

I’m doing my tiny part to help balance against “the Duggars” and “Jon & Kate” (those famous “be fruitful and multiply” Christians) in the US and the Daad Muhammeds of the world.

Related and interesting: VHEMT