Monthly Archives: November 2004

November 9, 2004

Governor James McGreevey of New Jersey retired yesterday (you may remember the brouhaha over his coming out back in August).

In the speech he gave before stepping down, he said (according to the New York Times), “I am not apologizing for being a gay American, but rather, for having let personal feelings impact my decision-making and for not having had the courage to be open about whom I was.”

Whom I was?

I have no problem with his being a gay American. I just can’t accept his grotesque hypercorrective use of the direct object personal pronoun.

At least, I couldn’t until I spoke with my friend L.N., who said, “Well, it’s obvious the Times just left out ‘fucking’ at the end.”

Posted on by Joel Derfner | 8 Comments

November 4, 2004

Here is a conversation E.S. and I had while we were in the mountains (before he made me touch moss).

E.S.: So when we have kids, should we adopt from China or Guatemala?
Faustus: You mean in the alternate reality in which I don’t hate and fear children?
E.S.: We won’t get them too little. We’ll just go to the adoption agency and tell them we wanted some hot teen or pre-teen boys.
Faustus: No. Absolutely not.
E.S.: Why not?
Faustus: Because by that time their minds will have been ruined by TV and video games. We’re getting them at birth and starting them immediately on Dostoevsky and Austen.
E.S.: I thought you said we weren’t getting them at all.
Faustus: We’re not. I was just enabling your delusion.

Posted on by Joel Derfner | 11 Comments

November 3, 2004

So here is the question that has been plaguing me all day: in the concentration camps to which all of us who aren’t white, rich, straight, and male will be carted off in the next four years to suffer the consequences of our president’s having bankrupted our country both financially and morally, will there be low-carb dining options?

‘Cause if not, I’m going to Canada.

Posted on by Joel Derfner | 14 Comments

November 2, 2004

Here’s hoping enough Americans are as smart as this fellow.

(Thanks to him for the picture.)

Posted on by Joel Derfner | 2 Comments

November 1, 2004

E.S. and I got back to Manhattan yesterday just in time for me to run to the drugstore to buy candy for all the trick-or-treaters who would be coming to my door.

Then, once I got back to my apartment with a grocery bag full of candy, I remembered that I’d forgotten to put my apartment down on the building list of people who wanted to be visited. This meant I was stuck with bags and bags of chocolate and no trick-or-treaters.

I put a pathetic “Trick-or-Treaters WELCOME!!!!!” sign on my door but apparently no one was convinced. And the chocolate called more and more loudly as the evening passed. I tried pretending it was moss but to no avail.

It’s a good thing the step class I’m teaching at Columbia starts next Monday rather than today. Because it’s difficult for an aerobics instructor to maintain credibility when he is A SPHERE.

Posted on by Joel Derfner | 3 Comments