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16:13 - Friday, Aug. 16, 2002 Tomorrow I am going home to Texas for the weekend. Here is what I plan to do: 1. Play with my awesome dog. 2. Have long talks with my dad. 3. Go see some funky foreign movie with my mom. 4. Hang out with my brother who rocks turntables now in 2 cities! 5. Celebrate my sister's birthday. 6. Spend time with her still newish baby who is so cute and cool. 7. Sneak in as much decent Mexican food as I can, because it ain't happening here in DC. The other big news is that I am working on my 101. You know, one of those lists of 101 things. Since I may be away for a bit I am going to go ahead and post it here in its rough form and edit it later. These are just 101 things that I am into, I know about, think about, love, etc. So here we go: 101 Things I like that I think others should know about: 101. New College of the University of South Florida a great school for folks who like to think and write, but who want some flexibility in their education. 100. Cirque Du Soleil woke me up and brought some color into my life. 99. The Red Violin is one of my Top Ten films. See it! 98. Disney is Dirty 97. Common Dreams is an awesome website for the progressive left. Focuses on politics with a lot of press releases, etc. from various organizations. It also has links to progressive columnists, publications, and media outlets. 96. Sarah Hickman is a singer-songwriter from Texas who does great music and great activism. 95. Trader Joe's is the best place to buy Orangina and groceries and Kiss My Face products. Check them out for prices on Orangina, organics, cool snacks and awesome vegetarian food. 94. The Center for Third World Organizing is a hub for progressive, multi-issue organizing. 93. The Foundation Center is the place to begin your search for foundation funding for your nonprofit organization. Also has great articles and resources. Check their class schedules for free classes in many major cities. This is where I am beginning to learn how to write grants! 92. Bust Magazine an interesting and creative magazine that explores gender, feminism, race, pop culture, etc. Subscribe, buy, or support them. We need these voices to be heard! 91. Television Without Pity has recaps of TV shows and hilarious users forums to (dis)cuss them. 90. Elizabeth Fraser is the lead singer of The Cocteau Twins, and I love her voice. Her vocals on "Song to the Siren" a track recorded under the name This Mortal Coil are haunting and awesome. 89. Tuscadero sang songs about candy and leather. I am so sad they are gone, but am becoming a fan anyway. 88. The Palotta Teamworks Scandal--As a professional fundraiser, I think we have to work hard to make sure as much money reaches the programs we are working for/on as possible. Palotta needs to work on that. Update: They have gone bankrupt. 87. This Bridge Called My Back: Writings By Radical Women of Color changed my life and continues to serve as a vital tool for thinking about how I want to live my life. This is a must-read for feminists, anti-racists, and just about anyone. 86. The National Labor Committee does a lot of the legwork on sweatshops both in the U.S. and internationally. 85. The Peel Sessions are the hippest of the hip. An obscure rule on BBC radio forced programmers to play a large amount of live music. The Peel sessions of The Cure and other bands have recorded some of rock's best groups live and often very different than what you here on their albums, cd's, etc. 84. The Plutonium Circus -- a documentary about a nuclear weapons plant in Texas where weapons were built for years and then were disassembled for more years. Is an amazing peek at how people can get pretty funky working so close to such places. 83. Margaret Cho's New Movie, The Notorious C.H.O.-- I have not seen it yet, but I was on the street promotional team for "I'm the One that I Want" which rocked my ass. 82. Sark and Camp Sark A creative woman with boundless juicy succulence. 81. Monica's Aca y Alla in Dallas is home of some of the best Mexican food and margaritas you could hope to taste. The owner frequently walks the floor and checks in with folks. And she is stylin'! 80. The National Organizer's Alliance is a great resource for activists! Here is their links page to progressive and community organizations. 79. Laurie Anderson is one of the most amazing and important artists working today. Her work is edgy, always creative, thought-provoking and often just the right amount of off. 78.  77. Osho Zen Tarot-- a cool place to get a card reading sent to me by Dharmaqueen. 76. The Sisters of Mercy are/were one of the best bands out there. Their album Floodland is in my top ten. And they are goth. As a fairly non-goth guy myself I think that is a ringing endorsement. Although it is a slow droning heavy deep cavernous ring. 75. I am lucky to love Leonard Cohen. He has always been my grandmother's favorite, but her Republican friends might be apalled that she loves him. 74. Fannie Flagg's Daisy Fay and The Miracle Man is just a damn good read. 73. Bitch Magazine: A Feminist Response to Pop Culture is guanteed to kick your ass. I love this magazine even though the name of it is not my favorite. But hell, it's not really about ME anyway (for the most part)  71. Allison Moyet (w and w/o her band Yaz)was one of the defining voices of my teenage years. Deep, sultry, sexy and friggin' powerful! 70. My Suzanne Vega Story: I went to see Suzanne Vega many years ago at the Tampa Theatre in Florida. I was with a large group from my college and one person decided she really wanted to dance. So she stood up in the aisle of the theatre and began dancing. Several people in the audience told her to sit down, but Suzanne Vega stopped the show and told people that she preferred it if people danced at her shows. She encouraged my friend to keep dancing. The link here is to the Dance Liberation Front, a group in New York City that formed in response to the city's crackdown on people dancing in places that are not licensed a certain way. It is soo Footloose I can't even stand it! 69. The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh was another of my favorite childhood movies. This is the tale of a basketball team that sucks until Stockard Channing comes in as their astrologer and re-forms the team with just Pisces. Watch out for Debbie Allen and Margaret Avery (from The Color Purple) who play fans in the film. Allen also does the choreography for the team's half-time funked out, satin-drenched dance show where the dancers come out of a box of "Mrs. Smith's Fish Sticks." 68. I was reminded about Progressive Secretary by one of my favorite diarists. It's a letter writing cooperative for progressive causes. 67. HIPS is a group folks should know about. "Through care, kindness, unconditional support, and education, HIPS empowers sex workers who may face abuse, violence and discrimination. With the leadership of the HIPS staff, volunteers, the community, and the police department we can make a difference in the lives of sex workers in the DC metropolitan area." 66. Why The Gap sucks. Yeah, lots of places suck, but sites like this are worth checking out. 65. Joni Mitchell moves me. From her site: Singer-songwriters as different as Tori Amos, Seal, Annie Lennox and Prince cite Joni as an influence; Other respected artists such as Sarah Mclachlan and Shawn Colvin have also been inspired by her music. Even Madonna said recently that the album "COURT & SPARK" was a favorite of hers while in high school. 64. Rent-a-Picket is an idea for a company that would consist of a mobilizable group of people that political organizations could call to be a presence at rallies and protests, etc. It was a funny idea for a while, but now it seems politically twisted and a total suck-up to capitalism. 63. Your Dekalb Farmer's Market is where I did my grocery shopping when I lived in Decatur, GA. Check out the cheese section! 62. Men Can Stop Rape is an incredible organization working to educate men about sexism and violence. 61. NOW vs. Scheidler: a crucial case that folks who are pro-choice should know about. 60. The Vagina Monologues is a phenomenal and powerful play. Yes, buying the book is a great idea, but go see it. If you are in or near New York, it plays off Broadway. I went for Father's Day with my mother and partner and was astounded. 59. V-Day is the organization that grew out of the great work Eve Ensler and others were doing with The Vagina Monologues. Check them out! 58. The Astraea Foundation is the one of the most important, vital and active organizations working on supporting organizations and individuals who do progressive gay-positive work. I love them! 57. The 50 Grovers Project: I want to spend a Halloween with 49 other people dressed up like Grover 56. Sorority Life on MTV is a new addiction. I am so torn between being freaked out by the Pledgemaster Posse and wondering why the girls in the pledge house are even there. I'm like, "Go start your own sorority of drunk girls who like to dirty dance." C'mon there is room for everyone. There could be 2 groups. that way the girls in the pledge house wouldn't have to be worried about fucking up the sisterhood every time they farted. 55. One of my dreams is to go to Dollywood: It's a fundraiser and an amusement park all in one. 54. Molly Ivins was often my lone political lifeline while living in Texas. If you want to cut through the b.s., especially on Bush, she is a must-read. 53. Molly Ivins book, Shrub: The Short But Happy Political Life of George W. Bush. 52. I have a food crush on Vanilla Sorbet 51. Dance Party USA 50. Trading Spaces is my porn. 49. Bush Files:The city where I grew up was home to a nasty GW Bush experience 48. I am attending my first lesbian wedding in September! 47. Going out for Dim Sum is always a special treat. The more folks that go the merrier. It is like appetizerville for those who love Chinese food. 46. DC Vote. That's right. I have NO representation in Congress, but I do pay taxes. 45. Mijo's is some of the most unique and tasty Mexican food in Dallas-Fort Worth. It's original incarnation was a lesbian-run fresh-mex place for soccer mom's and their kids. Gotta love me some subversiveness in the suburbs. 44. Home Made Salsa! Throw this in the food processor: 6 Roma tomatoes cut in 1/4s, 1/2 a bunch of cilantro (leaves only), one seeded jalapeno pepper (small), 2 small cloves garlic, 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar, 8-10 vigorous shakes of cumin, 1 onion diced, salt and pepper to taste, lime to taste, a touch of honey, cayenne to taste. 43. Molten Cherry Chocolate Cakes are always a hit when we have people over. We make the cherries with rum and they are heavenly. 42. Audre Lorde is one of my greatest teachers. I never met her, but have learned a great deal from hger words and actions. Lorde was a poet, author, essayist, activist, lesbian, warrior, mother. 41. American Friend's Service Committee is a Quaker organization that includes people of various faiths who are committed to social justice, peace, and humanitarian service. 40. Stuckey's  39. River's Edge is the beautiful Inn where Mr. Radical Tenor and I spent our 2nd anniversary. It is also where I proposed to him after quilting an engagement ring into a pillow inscribed with our favorite poem and a collage of images that reflect our life, activism, and interests. 38. Alfre Woodard is one of the most talented actors out there. 37.Booksenseis where you can go online to order books from independent booksellers. 36. In 2nd grade we learned that words that were difficult to spell were called Snurk Words. 35. Yet another of my favorite movies is Hairspray. And now they have made it into a musical!
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. We would convene twice throughout the city as if by chance (coming from different directions) and do musical numbers to "Shake Your Groove Thing" and "Downtown" by Petula Clark.