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Thu.Feb.12.2004

2:59 am EST        64°F (18°C) in rural Pasco County, FL

Calendar of Updates

I know it's late and I should have been asleep a couple hours ago, but I have a few important things I want to say here. First, I have been going over the history of this section, mostly because I am trying to remove all broken links from the entire site, and I have decided that I should make amends for some of the content that appeared here in the past. Many of my updates from late 2000 and most of 2001 spoke about how badly things were going with my family. Though I can't deny history, I have to admit that in looking back on it (with three years' additional maturity and hindsight), some of the things I said back then went a little too far — for example, some of the name-calling and such. I think my folks have some idea independent of my posting this here that I no longer feel the way I let on in those posts, but for the benefit of the rest of the world — if anybody is still even aware of this site's existence — I would like to make my public amends to them here. Granted, things still aren't peachy with them all the time, and sometimes the old traits on both sides have a tendency to show through, but now I can at least get along with them for time periods exceeding 20 minutes. Even that much was next to impossible in 2001.

Once I have time to get around to them, I intend to add at least two new sections to the site. One of them will be a much-improved and greatly expanded section regarding homosexuality; some of you may remember an essay I posted here in November 2000 on the subject. I wrote that within a month of my general coming-out, almost more as a way to seek support than anything else. Three-plus years later, I've gotten to the point where it's no big deal to me to be gay anymore — to understate it inelegantly. As angered as I am by recent events in the political arena, I am going to take a much more militant tone with future writings. In addition to that, I have become quite interested in the subject of roads and highways — they are, after all, my workplace. Such people are termed "roadgeeks" in the various online communities in which they congregate, and I suppose you can call me a roadgeek. There will be another section related to highways and possibly geography before long.

Speaking of politics, a quick belated birthday wish to the last Republican President who was any good, Ronald Reagan. He turned 93 yesterday, which I believe makes him the second-oldest former President ever. (If memory serves me correctly, only Eisenhower, who died at 96, lived any longer.) Unfortunately, I doubt Reagan has much clue what's going on anymore — I had a grandfather succumb to Alzheimer's, so I have some idea what both of them, but particularly Nancy, have to be going through. Correction later given to me by a friend: Reagan is actually the oldest ex-President. Two of them survived to be 90, but Reagan is the first one over 90.