Queercents

Those are the words of my mayor, Gavin Newsom, who shared some vindicated words about yesterday’s California Supreme Court ruling that declared a ban on gay marriage unconstitutional. After all, he’s the guy that started a gay marriage frenzy here in San Francisco in 2004, and then saw those marriages ruled invalid months later.

It was a celebratory scene yesterday here in San Francisco. Homos everywhere were hands-up in joy, dancing in the street. See for yourself: click here.

Straight supporters were beaming with excitement too. One straight girl in my journalism class happily asked, “Do you think there’s a lot people getting engaged tonight? I wonder if there’s going to be a rush of June weddings.” [Maybe a mid-June rush: it will take at least 30 days for the ruling to go in effect. This SF Gate article has more info.]

Of course I was excited and grateful for the court’s decision, but at the same time I thought, OK, that’s just one more state that thinks I’m good enough to get married. You’re telling me I should be jumping up for joy because I’m being granted rights I already deserve? Read the rest of this entry »

Beginning February 17, 2009, full-power television stations are required to switch from analog to digital broadcasting per the Digital Television Transition and Public Safety Act of 2005.

You may need to purchase a digital converter box to receive network channels if:

1) you do not subscribe to cable or satellite programming
2) you have a television made before 2004 (Most televisions made before 2004 do not have a built-in digital tuner.)

To learn more about the digital broadcasting conversion, click here for the FAQ page at the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration site. (Do yourself a favor and expand all FAQ for faster reading.) Read the rest of this entry »

Chrysler’s latest incentive to reverse faltering car sales is fascinating. Car and Driver reports (via Yahoo!) that Chrysler will guarantee $2.99 gas to customers who purchase a new Dodge, Jeep or Chrysler vehicle from May 7 through June 12.

Here in San Francisco, the average cost of gasoline is $4.05 per gallon. (You can check prices for your location at MSN Autos.)

Sounds like an amazing deal for those of us in pricier metropolitan areas. However, looking at restrictions that apply and doing some number crunching makes this program look a bit… shrug inducing. Read the rest of this entry »

As I’m sailing toward finals week in school, I figured this is a good time to wrap up my Bliss Chronicles series. Soon I’ll have lots of time on my hands during the summer break to think about where my career is going. Heck, I’m already thinking about it now, even though I should be focused on finals.

I’ve found that it’s easy to get caught up in distracting thoughts of the future when you’re in the thick of a career transition. At least when I was an undergrad many years ago, my anxiety about life after college actually helped me focus on my schoolwork. Studying kept me from dreading about what I will do after graduation.

Now I’m older. All my friends are moving along in their careers; those annoying alumni reception newsletters I get in my inbox make me wonder how I’m doing compared to everyone else I graduated with; my mom and dad always find some way to communicate their worry that they failed me in life because I’m 30 and don’t have an official job. It’s easy to feel behind in these shoes.

However, I feel surprisingly patient and more in control of my career than ever before. What gives? Read the rest of this entry »

For this week’s News Bites, I’m doing a semi-rant on news, although, I’m not quite ranting about news because I’m mostly responding to the tech buzz Apple generates, a lot of which shows up in financial press blogs.

Screw it — I’ll just make this an open letter to Apple. Feel free to chime in.

Apple,

I cannot keep up with you. You spark more rumors than Miley Cyrus.

I need a new computer, and I’m not one of your customers who can afford to replace mine every time you update a model. But you keep updating your damn models every 6 months! When the hell should I buy my computer? Read the rest of this entry »

Before deciding to go back to school, I had to research what’s available and what I could afford. I was happy to find a certificate program at my local community college that would only cost me about $500 for each semester, including books and tuition.

Since both the program and price sounded great, I then had to figure out how I would pay for living expenses while I was in school. If I had to do this process all over again, I would have eaten the cost of talking to a financial advisor instead of enduring the messy and hectic process I endured.

I’ll skip forward past how the process worked for me because it’s a private matter with unique circumstances, and also, you need to examine the condition of your own current finances and tailor a personalized solution that will keep your finances healthy. Read the rest of this entry »

Welcome to our new feature News Bites where we discuss money in the news: Be aghast, discuss, or just lurk. We don’t mind.

Here’s an item from the San Francisco Chronicle about a global rice shortage that may sour Costco and Sam’s Club shopping trips this weekend:

The worldwide rice crisis lapped over into the United States this week when Costco Wholesale and Wal-Mart’s Sam’s Club, the two biggest warehouse retail chains, limited the amount of bulk imported rice customers can buy. Sam’s Club said the restriction is due to “recent supply and demand trends.”

Try not to complain. Apparently, the rice shortage caused rioting deaths in Cameron and hungry protesters in Haiti to boot their prime minister. Read the rest of this entry »

[If you’ve been following along with The Bliss Chronicles, you’ll notice I’m taking a different approach to money writing. I’ve always felt personal finance could use some more humanity, although in this week’s edition I’m plowing further ahead in my detour. Brace yourself.]

No career transition is easy, though some are more manageable depending on circumstances. I’m lucky to have a supportive partner and a fairly stable financial situation. I don’t take these facts for granted. Not anymore at least.

When I was being overworked as a paralegal, I had to abandon time I’d dedicate to most of my interests. I had little or no time for reading books, cooking, enjoying nature, or finding obscure music and movies. I barely had time to date Zac, but I made it happen because I met an incredible person.

Zac turned out to be my mirror during a time when I didn’t recognize myself, and I don’t just mean that in some annoying dramatic way. I mean it literally too — there were weeks that I was pulling so many all-nighters at work that I couldn’t even think straight, unless it was related to the facts of a case I was working on. Read the rest of this entry »