Pa has the X Factor!

My father-in-law to be was on the final round of auditions for the TV series "The X Factor" in Holland last night. He's a "hero tenor" and his operatic skills were respectufully received by the jury but not appreciated enough to put him through to "boot camp". It was great to see him on TV!

And in other news...

After those last few little righteously indignant posts, I figured I would write about some slightly less political stuff.

Wilbert took me out to a gorgeous six-course dinner at Madam Cheung's in Hoorn as a present for my upcoming birthday. It's a pretty cool Asian fusion place we've been a few times before. We also decided to partake in the six-course wine arrangement they offered, and thought it would be best to stay overnight at the adjoining hotel. A good idea to avoid getting busted or in a wreck, but a bad idea because the room was cold, smokey, noisey and the matrass was too hard. I'm a spoiled bitch when it comes to hotel rooms, so needless ot say I was not impressed. The dinner, as well as Wilbert's generosity, however were both highly appreciated.

Guess what... I'm about to hit the road again!

This week off to NYC for a conference for work... may or may not have to give a speech - still unknown. Depends on whether my boss can make it or not. Am looking forward to also seeing some friends and family there... I know a surprisingly large number of people who have migrated to New York over time. Only one of them is actually a native New Yorker! Three of my cousins and their spouses (/to-be) will be meeting me for dinner one night, which will be fun, as I've never met their spouses before. One of them works for one of our favorite brands in NYC and is going to get us a 75% discount on a long shopping list of stuff for our bathroom. We're both over the moon, because the stuff is usually VERY expensive. I told her I haven't been this happy since a friend of mine at Microsoft got me a 90% discount on a whole list of software at the company store in Redmond! :-)

When I get back from NYC, Wilbert and I are getting officially engaged - a Dutch legal arrangement called "ondertrouw" that is essentially the same as applying for a marriage license up to a year ahead of the wedding. We've both got the day off to enjoy the special day. Work actually gives me the day off, so I'm lucky.

After that, one of the NYC cousins will actually be visiting here for a short while! I'm getting my fill of that part of the family this month (saw his step-father in Paris last week!).

Then off to London for not one but two conferences, with a nice weekend in-between to enjoy London at Christmastime. Hope to see a dear old friend there too.

Then back just in time to receive my best friend from Spain, who is visiting me for the first time in Holland.

Then off to Washington D.C. for the 65th (!) birthday of my dear friend Gail, before traveling to Boston for Christmas - the first Christmas I will have ever spent with my family outside of Iowa. We'll be at my sister's family's new house to take some of the pressure off my mom this year.

So keeping busy and hopefully healthy and happy! Wish me luck and I hope you have a great home stretch to the end of the year as well!

Joyous news of world peace!

They finally found something that would unite Jews, Muslims and Christians in the Holy Land!

Their mutual hatred of gays. Sigh.

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1558015,00.html

What is this world coming to when the only thing that can bring people together is their rabid, irrational hatred of others? Sounds to me sort of what like Hitler did. How soon we forget.

And before you think I'm exaggerating, read the part of the article where ultra-orthodox Jewish clerics were placing death hexes on gays (they think they killed Arafat this way!) and offering $500 bounties per "dead fag".

Another reminder of why I love living in a country that is slightly more evolved (though certain immigrant groups here would like to change that).

Vatican Asks Israel To Nix Gay Pride Parade

The (v)atican continues to attack gays around the world whenever it can... by actively participating in politics. This time they've implored the Israeli government to cancel the long-awaited Gay Pride parade in Jerusalem because it would represent an insult to Christians, Jews and Muslims.

This bunch of old, self-hating queens in dresses needs to mind their own flippin' business and get about the business of helping the poor and ministering to people's spiritual needs instead of actively attacking us at every turn. On the heels of the resounding insult to basic human rights dealt to us by many U.S. states this week, this is all pretty depressing, and makes me VERY grateful that I live in a country with a lot more common sense and respect than (c)atholic leadership or American voters.

Do I sound hateful? Damn straight! Please tell me how else I'm supposed to feel about the cruelty of these people who continue to try to debase and degrade me and my peeps and rob us of our rights?

Paris & American Politics

Took a few days off to go to Paris to see my Uncle Fritz. Unfortunately didn't catch up with my Aunt Lou who was there for a biology conference. Always fun to see either or both of them... I'm very fond of them and their great to be with. Fritz and I just kicked around Paris all day and saw the sights and did some shopping. Was fun.

Am happy about the U.S. elections, but depressed at the seemingly universal success of anti-gay ballot initiatives. They won in every state but Arizona. The one in Virginia, my former state, is dangerously far reaching. It calls into serious question whether or not we will plan any of our wedding activities in that state when we get married in D.C. next year. We'd rather keep our money in D.C. or go to Maryland.

Here's hoping this is just a foreshadowing of greater things to come in 2008!