Blog Archives – BK By The Bay

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2024 (2)

11/06 : Decency Is Dead: The Celebration Of The American Asshole!
I am not grim, and I am not gutted. The American people spoke, and the results couldn’t have been clearer. For too long, Democrats have tried to be the adult in a room full of republican toddlers throwing food and poop against the wall. Maybe sometimes they’ve been a bit too much of a schoolmarm, ... [Read more...]
11/05 : Don’t Lie! This Election Has NEVER Been About Politics.
My apologies. I haven’t written in a very long time. It’s been a busy and slightly frenetic year. But if there was ever a time to return to the fray, it is now. I often hear comments like this from those who follow me on social media: “Isn’t he awful? I hate him too.” To ... [Read more...]

2023 (2)

12/20 : On Tyler Clementi’s Birthday
I rarely mention my birthday on social media. However, I’m making an exception for this birthday. It was hugely momentous, and felt unlike any I’d experienced before. I turned 60. Sixty. The big 6-0! Far from feeling ‘old’, I brimmed with a joy and happiness that even surprised me. Being happy isn’t particularly unusual. I’m generally ... [Read more...]
06/20 : My ‘Hope’ Hiatus
It’s been over a year since my last post. At the time, I was infuriated by ‘grand wizard’ desantis’ hateful “don’t say gay” legislation. And as with many issues in the past, I felt that a voice needed to be put to that outrage to (hopefully) provide greater understanding, empathy, and maybe even a change ... [Read more...]

2022 (8)

05/17 : Why I’m Certain ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Will Irreparably Harm LGBTQ Youth!
In the spring of 1982, I began having increasingly violent dreams. I’m not sure why. Maybe because wrestling season had just ended, and my wrestling obsession could no longer suppress my need to be myself as a young gay man. Maybe because the finish line of graduation and getting out on my own was so ... [Read more...]
05/16 : Honoring Those Who Lost Their Lives In Buffalo
These are the wonderful souls who lost their lives in Buffalo this weekend. They will be badly-missed by their friends and loved ones. And that’s where the focus needs to stay: on them, and their families. Please honor their memory by doing this. And by all means, feel free to share as much as you ... [Read more...]
01/26 : Is It Possible To Have An Honest Conversation On The Politics Of Race In America? Part 2: Anatomy Of A Failed Dialogue
For the past few years, I’ve made several pleas to have an honest dialogue with someone – ANYONE – from an opposing viewpoint, be it with respect to politics or race relations in America. Though my pleas have generally fallen on deaf ears, I’m still hopeful it can and will happen. If that dialogue ever ... [Read more...]
01/24 : Hey Anti-Maskers, Why Can’t You Respect MY Rights?
I saw an interesting tweet yesterday that paired nicely with a conversation I had with a friend later in the day. No memes, no dramatic verbiage, just a simple statement of fact. In the current state of ‘chaos = clicks’, the only thing we’re shown in MSM (mainstream media) are anti-vaxxers marching with despicable Holocaust ... [Read more...]
01/17 : Is It Still Possible To Have An Honest Conversation On Race and Politics? Part 1: Commitment & Starting Point
No? I don’t know? Maybe? As the country becomes more polarized around the issues of race & politics, I’ve found myself with an almost desperate need to understand why so many, including those in my personal life, are willing to ignore or even embrace actions that would previously have been unacceptable (to nearly everyone), regardless ... [Read more...]
01/07 : To Omicron Or Not To Omicron: Why Is This Is Even A Question?
I don’t understand how this has become a valid question. But here we are. For the past couple of years, the goal has been to make a handful of necessary changes in our lives to avoid catching the Coronavirus or spreading it to others. Wear a mask, wash your hands, maintain physical distancing, and self-isolate ... [Read more...]
01/05 : The Anniversary Of A Failed Coup
No matter how hard top republicans attempt to downplay its’ significance, this is what they had to say in the immediate aftermath of the failed coup d’état that was organized by trump and his subordinates for January 6, 2021. “To those who wreaked havoc in our Capitol today, you did not win. Violence never wins. ... [Read more...]
01/02 : 2021: Wonderful and Horrific
The title could easily have been ‘Horrific and Wonderful’, but I made a choice to first focus on the most awesome moments of 2021 before mentioning anything else. So in no particular order… THE WONDERFUL Vaccination DayLike millions of others, the pandemic shut down my industry and forever changed my role in it once we ... [Read more...]

2021 (19)

12/28 : “The Dispossession of Whites”: A White Nationalist Says What Moderate Republicans Are Afraid To Say
I realize this is the holiday season. But no matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to shake the awfulness I feel from something I saw shared on TikTok a couple of weeks ago. Eddie Huang of Huang’s World sat down for an interview with jared taylor, who identifies as a ‘white nationalist’, for ... [Read more...]
12/02 : The New Slogan For Patriotic Americans: Screw You!
I’m not writing this as to say how great I am or not how much others suck. It’s more just out of my general frustration that, in today’s America, it’s completely acceptable to blatantly not give a shit about anyone but yourself. I was on a completely full flight to Houston this morning. Thankfully, I ... [Read more...]
11/24 : Finding Hope In Disappointment
[Warning: this will be a very tough read for many. If you feel it doesn’t apply to you, then move on.] I’ve been disappointed with the silence of my white friends for way too long. I can post a picture of a Pop-Tart box and it will receive over 100 ‘likes’. But when I post ... [Read more...]
07/16 : Why So Much Silence From So Many republicans?
There are many decent republicans in this country. There are also many decent republicans in my life who I would call ‘my friend’. Unfortunately, only a rare few have expressed any amount of horror, dismay, or outrage at the indecency of their political party. Not that I’d expect to hear anything from the likes of ... [Read more...]
06/28 : Please Stop With Your Casual Acceptance Of White Supremacy!
Imagine driving on a state route in an area that you’ve never driven with not much in the way of commercial businesses, not a lot of other automobile traffic, and few options for roadside assistance. Then imagine seeing a rebel battle flag and wondering if this is one of those ‘sundown’ towns that you need ... [Read more...]
06/14 : Outrage, Personal Resolve, and The Times of Harvey Milk: What Gay Pride Means To Me
What is Gay Pride? What does even mean to celebrate Gay Pride? Is it all about festive parties, lots of alcohol, and rainbow-colored sexy clothing? Or is it a somber recognition of the Stonewall patrons and their fight against police harassment as they sought to simply live as openly as they could in a NYC ... [Read more...]
06/09 : There IS No Middle Ground!
While searching for an image to accompany this article on ‘the political middle ground’, I came across many images that portrayed a person or object as caught in the middle between a opposing Democrat and republican forces. At other times in our country’s history I might even agree that those images were accurate in their ... [Read more...]
06/01 : My Permanent Suspension From Twitter
My reply: Little did I know that less than 60 seconds later, I would find myself suspended from Twitter for violating their Terms of Service with “Targeted Harassment and Abuse”. Two weeks later, I would find out that it was a permanent suspension. To this day I have yet to receive an email from an ... [Read more...]
05/25 : One Year After Floyd’s Murder, Has White America Reckoned With Systemic Racism and White Supremacy?
No. Ignited in large part by last year’s murders of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, America was forced into a moment of reckoning for its continued mistreatment of African-Americans in policing and throughout the criminal justice system. Black Lives Matter protests and demonstrations sprang up across the country to demand justice for their murders as ... [Read more...]
04/21 : There’ll Never Be Justice Until We Eliminate Systemic Racism in Policing!
Eric Garner was murdered on July 17, 2014. Garner became unresponsive after being placed in a prohibited chokehold by one of the many arresting officers. Though he repeatedly stated “I can’t breathe”, none of the officers around him attempted to check on his condition or administer aid. Paramedics arrived on the scene but did not ... [Read more...]
04/18 : When Did ‘America The Beautiful’ Become ‘America The Awful’?
When did aspiring to be the worst of the worst become the American Ideal? For the past few months I’ve had a tough time doing motivating myself to write about anything in particular. I started to write about the aftermath of the white supremacist coup attempt in January, but got sidetracked by the onslaught of ... [Read more...]
04/13 : Stop Killing Black People!
That’s it. That’s my message. To police departments everywhere, and to those who wish we would find better ways to protest all of the ways that this country tries to harm us and take away our voice. Especially those who know me, claim to be an ally, or say that they love me. Just stop! ... [Read more...]
03/02 : My Pandemic Body Breakdown
Previously, I wrote about the need for us all to stay on top of our mental health during this stressful time. Today, I’d like to talk about the impact on our physical health or, more specifically, my physical health during this pandemic. Though I’ve been fortunate enough to escape COVID 19, this year has been ... [Read more...]
02/11 : What Is A ‘Patriot’?
A patriot is defined as someone “who vigorously supports their country and is prepared to defend it against enemies or detractors”. It’s an oft-used word by former President trump to describe his supporters. Yes, the very same supporters who mercilessly attacked the Capitol police, smashed windows and doors, smeared feces and urine on the walls ... [Read more...]
02/09 : My Writings & Posts Were NEVER About trump
“What are you going to write and post about now that trump is out of office?” I’ve heard variations on this theme more than once, and from a fairly wide cross-section of people. Though it pains me to type his name, the answer is simple. It was NEVER about trump! That might seem at odds ... [Read more...]
01/20 : No More MAGA Apology Tours
I love my job, and I love what I do. Immensely. Anyone who knows me can attest to the fact that when I “go to work”, it’s my refuge. It’s the thing that takes me away from whatever struggles my be happening in my life. And it makes me happy. To that end, I’ve refrained ... [Read more...]
01/10 : The Day That White Supremacy Ate Its Own Tail
(This is a quick take on something that’s stuck in my craw since Wednesday’s armed insurrection. If you’re looking for anything more than that, sorry. Please read & add your thoughts on the final questions.) This past week, Americans witnessed an armed insurrection that was incited by the sitting President of the United States. This ... [Read more...]
01/06 : The Dividing Line Has Been Crossed!
Something good happened to me today. My anxiety and PTSD transformed itself into anger and fury. I am done pretending that there can be any further engagement with people who directly or tacitly accepted the behavior of a president who all but ordered an assault on our Capitol today. There will be no further engagement ... [Read more...]
01/04 : Can We Escape The Cruelty of 2020?
That’s the question I’ve been asking myself as an awful year came to anti-climactic close. Typically, the questions I might pose after ringing in the New Year are questions like ‘what was my favorite moment’ or ‘what are my goals for the year to come’. But 2020 was not a typical year. I’m not just ... [Read more...]

2020 (22)

12/03 : Anxiety, Sadness and Sudoku: My Pandemic Companions
Outside of Psychology 101 at Northwestern, I have absolutely no mental health training. But I can tell you two things without any hesitation:1) I’m struggling with anxiety, and 2) I’m struggling with a pervasive sadness. As the pandemic drags on with accompanying limits on work, travel, and human interaction, it’s important that we notice anything ... [Read more...]
11/21 : Joseph Rosenbaum, Anthony Huber, and Gaige Grosskreutz: True Heroes of Kenosha
I initially planned to write about a 17 year-old murderer, and the deplorables who crowd-sourced his $2M bail. But after a period of reflection, I realized that I’d much rather tell you what I know about the heroes who attempted to stop him on that fateful night in Kenosha. Joseph Rosenbaum was the shooter’s first ... [Read more...]
11/16 : Today’s Reminder That I’m A Black Man In America
It’s a beautiful today in Guerneville. So beautiful, in fact, I decided to forego watching the ATP Tour Finals on order to take a walk in the neighborhood. About 50 feet out of the driveway, I turned to take this picture. While doing so, I thought about how nice it was to occasionally get out ... [Read more...]
11/11 : A Conversation About Race, Politics & The 2020 Election
In the wake of social unrest fueled by the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, actress/social activist Danai Gurira (The Walking Dead & Black Panther) began having difficult conversations around the topic of race with her white friends. These discussions were recorded and posted online as a blueprint for others to have similar discussions. ... [Read more...]
11/10 : The Very Real Consequences Of GOP Hatred
As I type, the Supreme Court is once again listening to GOP arguments that aim to throw away, in totality, the Affordable Care Act AKA ‘Obamacare’. Republicans have tried to do this since the ACA came into being. Though the reasoning behind their hatred of this law has shifted wildly, the main reason for that ... [Read more...]
10/25 : The Imperative Need To Share Our Despair With One Another
As I watched this video, I knew I needed to write a comment that might help ease her obvious pain. In doing so, it helped me understand the need that many of us have had to share our despair in the era of trump. Unlike his supporters, we don’t cry over being denied a Frappucino ... [Read more...]
10/20 : Because You Would Have To Look Me In The Eye To End Our Friendship
I finally realized the answer to a question that has dogged me since 2016. The best way for me to comment on that answer, in lieu of a real (short) discussion with any trump-supporting friends, is through video. The only disclaimer is that if any of this offends you, please realize that your offense is ... [Read more...]
10/07 : Will The Supreme Court Strip Me Of My Rights?
On November 4, 2008, Barack Obama was elected the 44th president of the United States. It was one of the happiest and most memorable moments of my life. Unfortunately, the happiness was short-lived. That same night, CA Proposition 8 – eliminating the right of same-sex couples to marry as a CA constitutional amendment – passed ... [Read more...]
10/04 : Is It Ever Okay To Wish Harm On Someone?
Is it ever okay to wish someone harm? Is it ever okay to wish death on someone? These questions are being asked by many in the wake of the president’s recent COVID-19 diagnosis. Let me be clear. Though I genuinely hate him and all of the others around him who have been infected, I don’t ... [Read more...]
10/03 : The Loss of Hope In A Divided America
I gained a bit of insight yesterday that has left me questioning the country I love, and my place in it. Up to now, my working theory about trump supporters has been twofold. Either they are ignorant racists like him, or they are willfully ignorant/apathetic to his affronts on our Democracy and fellow Americans. Their ... [Read more...]
09/29 : Merrick Garland: The Last Legitimate SCOTUS Nominee
Merrick Garland was a standout student. President of the Student Council, class valedictorian, and distinctions as both a Presidential Scholar and National Merit Scholar were just some of his early achievements in high school. He attended Harvard for his undergraduate education, and graduated as valedictorian in 1974. He attended Harvard law school and graduated magna ... [Read more...]
09/25 : No! It’s NOT Both Sides
False Balance aka False Equivalence aka Bothsidesism. In 2016 it was hush-money payments to hookers AND members of an election campaign soliciting foreign assistance from Russia’ being given equal media treatment to ‘her emails’. More recently, it’s ‘fine people on both sides’ when white supremacists march through a city’s streets while the White House labels ... [Read more...]
09/21 : The ‘End Times’ for America and American Decency
I’ll likely never type these words again in my lifetime. At this time, however, I have no other choice. Michele Bachmann was right. She may be crazy and a racist, but she was right. Though her frequent comments about the ‘End Times’ were often made in criticism of President Obama’s policies, we are indeed on ... [Read more...]
06/23 : Grant Gone: White Push-back As Symbols Of Black Oppression Fall
And so it begins…I was involved in a discussion the other night that arose from the news that three statues had been toppled in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. The statues were of Francis Scott Key, Ulysses S. Grant, and Junipero Serra. For what it’s worth, this type of protest action is part of a ... [Read more...]
06/17 : Dear Lisa, Your Apology Is Bullshit! Here’s Why…
Yes, Bullshit! I could have politely used the word ‘disingenuous’, but it would barely scratch the surface in describing Lisa Alexander’s worthless collection of words that were released as an ‘apology’ statement to James Juanillo. “I want to apologize directly to Mr. Juanillo. There are not enough words to describe how truly sorry I am ... [Read more...]
06/14 : The LGBTQ Community Must Reckon With Its’ Own Racist Failures
(Warning: This piece uses words and discussions of a sexual nature that some might find objectionable.) When that cop murdered George Floyd by kneeling on his neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, he wasn’t murdering a person. George was a thing to him. An inconvenience. A nuisance that wasn’t worth enough consideration to even ... [Read more...]
06/05 : We Know What’s Going On
My good friend Kim put out a call the other day for people to send her videos of themselves dancing to this iconic song. The instructions stated “Just dance from your heart”. So while my partner went out to protest march in SF, I went into action working on this. I quickly filmed a couple ... [Read more...]
06/05 : If You’re Truly My Ally, This Is What You Can Do, Part 3: Words Matter
This piece is likely to serve as a bellwether for those who imagine themselves to be my friend and ally, yet who also continue to use the language that attempts to neutralize and dissipate the pain of this moment for Black women & men! I’ll reiterate a point made in Part 2. If your only ... [Read more...]
06/02 : If You’re Truly My Ally, This Is What You Can Do, Part 2: Show Some Humanity
Disclaimer: This post contains actions you can take if you truly want to be an ally. Some might consider it somewhat harsh in tone. If you find doing these things too much for you in your present circumstances, so be it. Some of these actions are bound to make you extremely uncomfortable (and maybe unpopular) ... [Read more...]
06/02 : Reflections on Being a Black Man in Guerneville CA
(This was originally a Facebook ‘post’) I wasn’t initially going to share this story, but realized that I need to so that people can understand what it means to be Black in America, even in the liberal bastion of the Bay Area. My partner has a getaway place in Guerneville, CA. He bought it last ... [Read more...]
05/31 : If You’re Truly My Ally, This Is What You Can Do, Part 1: The Anthem
Over the past few days, I’ve shared personal stories of what it means for me to be a Black man in America. In response, I’ve received touching messages from friends and colleagues who want to make sure that I’m safe and mentally okay in this land where it often feels unsafe and not okay when ... [Read more...]
04/07 : Anger Management
(This is a repost of a Facebook ‘Note’) Hey everyone.I’ve received enough replies on certain posts (and private messages as well) that I think it’s time I publicly addressed the issue of ‘my anger’. I have many friends who have expressed concern that I appear to be sitting at my computer all day long, watching ... [Read more...]

2019 (1)

01/03 : What Does It Mean To Be A “Friend” In 2019?
“People talk about politics as if it’s this isolated, abstract concept that only matters at election time. Somebody’s politics is their world view. It’s whether they think certain human beings deserve rights. It’s how they think the world should be. And if somebody thinks that the world should be colder, meaner, less accepting and downright ... [Read more...]

2017 (3)

01/18 : The Silent Cowardice of the Trump Voter
[Disclaimer: This post is neither agreeable or conciliatory. If you’re a Trump voter, Trump sympathizer, or GOP voter who stuck your head in the sand, you may want to go elsewhere.] A few weeks ago, I posted ‘I Want an Honest Discussion with a Trump Voter!‘ with the sincere hope that such a discussion would ... [Read more...]
01/16 : A Few Idealistic Thoughts on this Particular Martin Luther King Day
A few thoughts swirled in my head as our nation celebrated the life of this great Civil Rights icon while in preparation for the inauguration of the most divisive president-elect in my lifetime. (The term ‘bitter irony’ comes to mind.) The first, shared by many on Twitter as well, was that there’s no way on God’s green Earth ... [Read more...]
01/08 : I Want an Honest Discussion with a Trump Voter!
It’s been a few weeks since my last post and, honestly, I’ve struggled as to what to do next; both personally as well as publicly in my attempts to join the Resistance against the president-elect. Initially, I felt an overwhelming need to vent my frustration and anger at those voters who, defiant in their ignorance, ... [Read more...]

2016 (4)

12/18 : Thank you, Jeremy Mitchell!
When I put my mind to it (and am suitably motivated), I can often put thoughts and feelings into a coherently written blog post. Sometimes, however, there’s not much to say when someone else has done it as eloquently as Jeremy Mitchell has in this quote that I saw on Twitter. (Thank you, Black Aziz ... [Read more...]
11/21 : Privilege, Empathy, and The Dishonest Vote for Trump
I’ve been thinking a lot about privilege in the aftermath of an election nightmare that resulted in president-elect Trump. I’ve been thinking about empathy as well, but let’s start this discussion with privilege. Privilege is defined as “a special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular person or group of people.” ... [Read more...]
11/13 : The Ignorance of Colin Kaepernick
For quite a few months, I’ve been one of the Colin Kaepernick’s strongest supporters. But that support immediately dried up when he didn’t vote in the general election for President. This tweet was once pinned to my Twitter profile. Though the point is still valid (and relevant), it’s since been removed. If you’re outraged when Kap ... [Read more...]
11/10 : Not my President, not my America
I repeat, Donald Trump is not my President. And I don’t know which ‘America’ voted for him on Election Day, but it was NOT my America. I say this not for the sake of hyperbole, nor dramatics. And it’s not a statement made in anger, but certainly one borne out of clear and irrefutable facts ... [Read more...]

2014 (5)

12/05 : No Hope In The Wake Of The Eric Garner Case
In the wake of the Eric Garner case, or lack thereof, I’m left with a feeling that there’s virtually no hope for the prospects of black men in America; especially young black men. I’m certainly not alone in this feeling. All one need do is turn on their television to see tens of thousands of ... [Read more...]
06/27 : Can Someone Please Tell Me Why Covered California Is Still Such A Mess?
After my first Covered California fiasco, I never imagined that I’d be writing another negative chapter to my interaction with California’s Affordable Care Act exchange, yet here I am. Eight months after the rollout of the ACA websites, more than enough time to fix the website and supporting processes, here’s an update on my experiences ... [Read more...]
04/27 : Galaxy S3 Recovery from Submersion in Storm Drain
My rooted Samsung Galaxy S3 is my constant companion. I tell people that it’s almost like carrying a mini-computer, with hotspot capabilities, because of all the things that I’m able to do. So then imagine my chagrin when my Galaxy S3 fell from my pocket and slipped straight through the grates of a storm drain ... [Read more...]
03/05 : I Support the Affordable Care Act, But It Ain’t Easy!
(My tortured-but-thankfully-short journey into the world of ACA healthcare coverage!) My COBRA healthcare coverage ended today. In anticipation of the worrisome period afterward, I’ve been working hard to procure coverage through Covered California, the California wing of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). In fact, it’s been quite an unexpected ordeal. I’ve always been an avid ... [Read more...]
01/13 : A Brief Encounter With Poverty In San Francisco
This story starts at an unlikely location: Whole Foods. Unlike many in San Francisco, I’m not a huge fan of Whole Foods, or rather, Whole Paycheck. Though they provide a great (if overpriced) service by providing organic foods and healthier food options to the masses, they also epitomize the elitism that’s taking over this city. ... [Read more...]

2013 (2)

11/05 : I’m Not a Racist, But…
Homophobia, Racism, and the Misguided Response to the Death of an Unarmed Teen My friends can attest to the fact that I’m a passionate guy about various topics, and love a good conversation/debate of ideas. This weekend, however, a standard-issue conversation on “the gay thing” devolved into a frustrating discussion on race that tested the ... [Read more...]
09/16 : Miss America: Racism Echoed From My College Days
As with the many examples I could highlight surrounding President Obama, I’m alternately amazed and (equally) despondent over how far we’ve come as a country — or not — with respect to racism. The latest example is the ugly aftermath of last night’s Miss America, which resulted in the crowning of the first Miss America ... [Read more...]

2012 (11)

11/23 : 4G LTE Speeds On My Sprint Galaxy S3: Not bad!
The Sprint 4G LTE network is being tested in pockets all around the Bay Area, but hasn’t been officially rolled out to the masses yet. I’ve been lucky to get glimpses of it here and there, but nowhere that I could adequately measure the speed of the connection… that is, until today. The image on ... [Read more...]
11/07 : Regardless Of Who Won, We’ve All Lost!
"Mr. President, Why Do People Hate You?". This was a question that was posed to President Obama by a fourth-grader last week, and it should cause us all to stop for a moment and reflect on what has transpired over the past year or so. Win or lose (depending on your candidate of choice), Election ... [Read more...]
11/07 : Thankfully, President Obama Wins Second Term
One of Paul Ryan’s last speeches on the campaign trail was titled, ironically, “Saving the American Idea: Rejecting Fear, Envy and the Politics of Division”. Tonight, America rejected the politics of division by re-electing President Obama to a second term in office. Last night I could barely sleep. Tonight I will sleep well… God bless ... [Read more...]
11/01 : Force Your OTA Update Using Google Services Framework
Sprint recently announced that they were going to start rolling out their 4.1.1 Jelly Bean update to all customers with Galaxy S3’s, starting on October 25th and lasting for about 3 weeks. The only problem is that there was no specific timetable for when customers would receive the update on their handset. You could get ... [Read more...]
10/26 : Colin Powell’s former Chief of Staff: ‘My party is full of racists’
“Let me just be candid: My party is full of racists,” says Col. Lawrence Wilkerson, Colin Powell’s Chief of Staff during his time as Secretary of State, decrying John Sununu’s comment that Powell only endorsed Barack Obama because they are both black. Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
10/25 : The Facebook “Nuclear Option” And The Conspicuous Lack Of Decency In This Election
A few days ago, there was an article on the HuffingtonPost.com by author Kergan Edwards-Stout titled Please defriend me. The gist of the article was that if you were going to cast your vote for Mitt Romney, it meant that you also viewed him and his family as second-class citizens not worthy of the same ... [Read more...]
10/24 : A Facebook Chat on Gay Marriage and the Nuclear Option!
Here is an edited transcript of a FB interaction I had with friends of a friend of mine after he posted the status below. It was an interesting conversation, but still missed the mark in terms of the gravity of the situation for gays and lesbians in America for this election cycle. I tried my ... [Read more...]
10/09 : Rooting my Samsung Galaxy S3 (Sprint) = Easy As Pie!
It’s easy (and all too common) to share negative stuff. But when something works perfectly or I get great advice/service from someone for my tech questions, I think it’s important to give credit where credit is due. Such is the case with Tim AKA QBKing77. This guy rocks! Though I’ve rooted two phones and two ... [Read more...]
10/03 : To My Republican and Conservative Facebook Friends
Before the first presidential debate, I want to post this for my friends on Facebook (conservative, independent or liberal) so that they can make a choice as to whether they want to filter my updates from their feed. Why? Because, as we get closer to Election Day, my media hits and status updates re: Romney ... [Read more...]
09/24 : Election 2012: What Do I Stand For!
(This is a Facebook status from September 5, 2012, that I posted in response to a friend’s comment on one of my post. Though he didn’t necessarily agree or disagree with my views, he made a valid statement that I seemed to be only commenting on the things I was against, without adequately commenting in ... [Read more...]
01/10 : Rooting My TMo Vibrant Using Super Oneclick (A Full Guide)
And every other step you need to transform and gain control of your stock ROM! Given the fact that T-Mobile and Samsung have made it clear that the Galaxy S Vibrant will not receive Gingerbread, Honeycomb, ICS, or any other functionality update, I made the decision that it was finally time to root my beloved ... [Read more...]

2011 (12)

08/22 : The New Asus Transformer Is Here and I Love It!
I am now the proud learned of Asus tablet. My previous tablet was a Viewsonic G Tablet. It was decent, but only performed it’s best once it was rooted. The last ROM i was using was CM7. It did well for me until new updates to my apps started to bog it down, then there ... [Read more...]
08/14 : My NEW Android Baby – Asus Transformer Tablet
Just purchased, arrives on Tuesday. Thank you Amazon Prime and one-click purchasing! 😉 Pictures to come.
08/14 : G Tablet, Rooting Problems and NV Flash
(This is actually an older post from April 18, 2011 that I found unpublished) Rooting my tablet and experiencing the different flavors of Android and tablet functionality has been a great thing. It has also been a highly valuable experience in learning how to fix shit when I mess things up. This past weekend I ... [Read more...]
08/14 : G Tablet Deficit
Just a handful of months ago I was so happy with my newly-rooted Viewsonic G Tablet running CyanogenMod 7. It was so much better than out of the box and I was really happy. And then… app updates started happening AND jacking up performance. Now with the new market update it immediately force closes until ... [Read more...]
04/16 : G Tablet Root, Part 2
Now that you have ClockworkMod Recovery 8 installed, you are almost there. There are many ways to install ROM’s on Android devices, but I find this one is the one that will work well with many of them on your device. Other methods don’t work well with particular ROM’s. And I think this one doesn’t ... [Read more...]
04/16 : Finally, the Rooting begins Part 1
In reference to my previously-purchased Viewsonic G Tablet from Woot, I now want to share the how-to’s of “rooting” my tablet. It took a bit of doing, but not because it’s hard to root. What took a bit of doing was getting it to be the way I wanted. Yeah there were a few technical ... [Read more...]
04/16 : My Viewsonic G Tablet – the review
I have had my tablet for about two weeks or so with sufficient time to play around with it. So it’s about time that I finally posted my impressions of this Android tablet. My first general disclaimer is that I haven’t spent much time at all with a G Tablet using the stock Android OS ... [Read more...]
04/13 : To Root or not to Root…
… or the “Root” of all evil… the list could go on. Bottom line is that I got my Woot G Tablet and rooted it as I had read so many others had done. Why? Because, out of the box, the tablet looks good and feels good. But man oh man that OS it comes ... [Read more...]
03/27 : SE Open and ATP/WTA Live app addresses
Forgot to add these into the last post. You can get them from the Android Market online here: https://market.android.com/details?id=atpwta.live (recommended) https://market.android.com/details?id=com.zuerchtech.sap (NOT recommended but give it a shot if you want)
03/26 : Sony Ericsson Open android app
Getting ready to go there on Monday so I was all psyched to download for an extra special time while I was there… Too bad the print is so small I can’t read the scores, and there is nothing special about the app. Here is a screenshot of both the scores page and the photos ... [Read more...]
03/25 : Woot tablet root!
I had wanted to do posts last year about “rooting” my Android G1, but never got around to it. And then I got my Vibrant, and well, you know … The other day I bought a cheap ViewSonic gTablet 10.1″ Multi-touch Tablet from Woot for 280 bucks. The specs weren’t that far off from the ... [Read more...]
03/22 : The geek returns: tablet thoughts!
After a year of no updates, I have decided to finally get off my butt and post some thoughts on tablets as my return to the blogging realm. I’m a hardcore Android fan through and through, but was very tempted to get an iPad 2 when it came out. It looked very cool, and very ... [Read more...]

2010 (1)

01/24 : Welcome to the clouds
It’s been a very full life since my last updates. Hopefully I will be better in 2010 on my new webhost in the clouds (new cloud computing servers). More bang for my buck…I hope. 😉

2009 (7)

09/06 : PHP Master Pages Redux
I have been fairly happy with my use of master pages on my site (once I started using site root paths for the components, that is). But I came across this posting on a blog for master pages that uses a slightly different method that would allow me to have a master page effect by ... [Read more...]
09/03 : Long time no post!
It’s been a very long time since my last post, I know. If you visit the main site you will see a snippet of what has taken me away from it for a bit. Work! life! work! health! work! the usual stuff. But it’s finally gotten to the point that I needed to do some ... [Read more...]
02/27 : Self-Sufficient
I’ve never been one to be ‘thrilled’ about using third-party and hosted features for my personal site. So I downloaded my very own wordpress blog today. And you’re looking at it! Got the rss feed working for the home page too. Took a little longer than the 5 minutes they mentioned, but I’m still pretty ... [Read more...]
02/20 : DGS Search
I have been threatening to do this post for at least 4-5 months. So I figured it’s finally time to put up or shut up!!! I found DGS Search some years back as I was looking for search functionality for my website which back then had oodles of journal pages and galleries. Compared to some ... [Read more...]
02/07 : Master pages NOT go bye-bye
Okay, not sure what I was smoking the other day. But I found a way to overcome some of my frustrations at using master pages for php. Part of the problem was that in using master pages I was also using links relative to the document for everything on the site. This is great because ... [Read more...]
02/06 : Master pages go bye-bye
I think it’s time for the master pages to go bye bye until a method can be constructed that allows for a single style sheet as opposed to styles and includes on all directory levels. What do you think?
02/02 : Back in the land of the living
It’s been a really tough couple of months, and not because it was the holidays! 😉 I was working really hard on a new website that we were launching at work. Work on the site started the first week of November and we launched mid-January. Gotta tell ya it was the hardest I have had ... [Read more...]

2008 (18)

12/10 : Long time no update
Been extremely busy at work these days as we build a new website. Unfortunately all of the UI building fell on my shoulders with almost no help. And to top it off the design is not one that could easily be built (yes I said it, BAD DESIGN). So I have no time, energy, or ... [Read more...]
11/05 : Voting in the Presidential Election 2008 and against Prop 8: During and After
Part 2 – This is me casting my Vote in SF. And I’d like to send a special shoutout to Jeff @ Digg and Walter @ Dogster/Catster. They are the two guys I was talking to in line while I was waiting to vote. And I have to say that they really renewed my faith ... [Read more...]
11/04 : Voting in the Presidential Election 2008 and against Prop 8: Before
I made this first video a few days ago to talk about the important aspects of the upcoming election, and made the second video this morning while I was voting here in San Francisco. Part 1 – My Election Preview
10/30 : Keith Olbermann, John McCain, and a plea for decency
First off I should note that even though I find many things that Keith Olbermann writes very funny, I’m not a huge fan of his work. Sometimes it feels a little shrill and over-the-top. Today on MSNBC I read an article that really came across as heartfelt as any I have read in this ugly ... [Read more...]
10/30 : A Comment of Mine from Newsvine
Not sure why I’m gettin’ all political these days, but here’s another entry on the upcoming election. I saw an article on MSNBC.COM about McCain, Palin, and the issue of racism. Or more pointedly, how McCain and Palin tried to play the race card by using subversive racist themes in their speeches a few weeks ... [Read more...]
10/29 : Geek Politics, 2008
Well not really geek politics, but I liked the sound of that. It’s been way too long since my last update. I may have mentioned b4 that work was kicking my butt… well it’s still kicking! However I do think it’s important to weigh in on the upcoming election. First: VOTE NO ON PROP 8 ... [Read more...]
08/29 : Bread Crumbs
A simple question: to add a bread crumb trail or NOT to add a bread crumb trail? I have been experimenting with different dynamic versions of bread crumb trail navigation scripts to add to the top of my pages. It’s always seemed to me that it’s a good idea to let people know where they ... [Read more...]
08/19 : PHP Code Share: RSS Blog Feeds on your website
I don’t have much time today, so I’ll tackle a smaller topic as opposed to the larger “site search” I was going to take on. 😉 This is just as valuable for a site nowadays though, so hopefully others can be spared a little bit of headache with this info. Everyone and their mama, papa, ... [Read more...]
08/15 : PHP Code Share – Random, part 2
Before I forget again I want to throw in the disclaimer that I am not a developer and have just found some pretty good scripts to use for my own site purposes. I make no claims about their security or anything else. So if for some reason you use any of this code and hackers ... [Read more...]
08/15 : PHP Code Share – Random this, random that
Sorry on the long delay between posts. Been very busy at work, and sometimes haven’t had the brain energy to do even MORE web stuff in the off-hours. But I’m definitely due so the next item is an easy one to work my way back into postings: an easy to use random script. Now I’ve ... [Read more...]
08/05 : PHP Code Share: Master pages using PHP
Another disclaimer: I take no credit for this invention. I found it while googling and will provide the link at the end of the post. I work in a .NET environment and have been introduced to the concept of master pages and controls along with the standard aspx page. Even though .NET can be maddening, ... [Read more...]
08/05 : Before "code share"
A couple of disclaimers… maybe a few more than that. 😉 I AM NOT A DEVELOPER! I’m a web designer/developer who wouldn’t be able to write an original piece of php, javascript, or C# code if you paid me. But that’s okay. My skill set (and what I am best at) is quickly learning how ... [Read more...]
08/03 : PHP code sharing
It occurred to me last night that I would like to share as much as possible of the techniques and php code I have found and used on my site HERE in my blog. Why? I have borrowed much of the knowledge and code I use from many others out there on the internet. Most ... [Read more...]
08/02 : Geeking Out
I have done nothing but work on my website every night for the past few days: cleaning code, adding functionality to the homepage, cleaning up my php scripts. I have been a total geek. I’ve even been staying up way too late and not getting enough sleep because of my geekdom. But the finish line ... [Read more...]
08/02 : RSS… who knew???
Along with trying to fix the issues involved with moving to a new host, I also have been working hard trying to find the best way to incorporate an RSS feed onto my website homepage. And let me tell you, it ain’t been easy. Did you know that there are some really janky sites that ... [Read more...]
08/01 : GoDaddy Fiasco
All I can say is: “DON’T DO IT!” That would be in response to someone asking me about GoDaddy’s hosting service. I’m sure many have had no issues with them, but I had them from the beginning. Setup wasn’t very straightforward… they don’t even send you your access/login information via email. They don’t send you ... [Read more...]
07/26 : Lots of site work the past few days!
I have spent a huge amount of time the past few days redoing the code for the pages on my website. It’s been many years since I created this particular version, and it really showed when you looked at the code. There wasn’t effective use of styles, way too many tables, bad formatting… the list ... [Read more...]
07/25 : welcome
Hey all, welcome to my first official wordpress blog entry. This is the official blog for my kevware.com website. This won’t be a personal blog, as many others are already doing that much better than I ever could. This will be a locale for announcements, technical discussions, and stuff of that sort of a more ... [Read more...]