My Positions.

Sat, 1 Sep 2007 01:35:43 -0400

An interesting thing occurred the other day. A girl from Santa Rosa, CA - Where I used to live - contacted me on MySpace, saying she thought the idea of a "20 year in advance grass roots presidential campaign" was amusing, ad that she wanted to jump on board - but that she simply couldn't without knowing what my position was on various issues.

Now, normally, I really don’t mind if a person i've never heard of has issues with my political point of view, but her point was that, for all of my political blundering, I really don’t make a point to clearly state my positions. So, for Nora, and for the rest of you, here is my platform, and my position on various critical issues facing the United States today.

I am against the Death Penalty. I know this is a hard issue for some people to clearly fall one way or the other on, but I am steadfast on this. The state has no right to end the lives of its citizens. All of our citizens, even the most cruel and damaging of them, are granted protection. The death penalty has been proven to NOT be an effective deterrent, so what are we trying to achieve with it? Closure for the victims or their families? Well there's a reason we don't allow the families of the victims to sentence the accused. The goal of a Justice system is not to grant closure to the victims, it is to prescribe a punishment best for the health of society, appropriate for the crime committed. Death of a convict never serves to provide safety to a society, or to teach the convicted. It serves only to satiate bloodlust. The judicial branch needs to be above this.

I am against trying minors as Adults. The sever moral implications of this heinous practice aside, it's this simple. We can not extend the punishments of adulthood to a group that is not granted its benefits. The argument for the prosecution of minors as adults is that they are mature and intelligent enough to understand the severe implications of their decisions. If this is truly the position of the government, then we need to lower the voting age, the smoking age, the drinking age, the pornography age, and the military eligibility age. And I'm sorry, but I don't think lowering those ages is appropriate. Punishing minors, like all criminals, is important - But they're minors for a reason, and the law needs to reflect it.

Gay Marriage is not enough. Marriage is not now defined by the constitution as a union between a man and a woman, but the states continue to proceed as if it were. And allowing gays to marry is not enough of a step to ensure that this kind of discrimination battle will not re-occur. We need to make marriage a legal protection granted to any two citizens. End of story. If we simply redefine marriage to protect Male-Male, Female-Female, and Male-Female couples, we're simply setting ourselves up for legal battles in the future regarding people who choose not to solidly identify with either gender. This kind of institutionalized discrimination needs to stop. The fact that homosexuality makes 45% of Americans uncomfortable is not nearly enough of a reason to continue belittling homosexuality in this country. Equal Rights Now.

Convicts and ex-convicts deserve the right to vote and run for office. Currently, the rights of convicts are severely curtailed after being released. This leads to massive disenfranchisement of a shockingly growing percentage of americans. Americans whose lives are, more directly than most, affected by policies created at the local, state, and federal level. Not allowing these citizens their right to participate in the democratic process is Cruel and Unusual.

Gays should be able to serve in the military. Any other point of view is just stupid. The official rationale for this policy is that gays cant keep their hands to themselves, and will be too busy anal fucking to do their jobs as soldiers. That's institutionalized stereotyping, and it needs to end.

The War on Drugs Needs to End. The VAST majority of the felons in our federal prisons are there on drug charges, and a large portion of those are in prison for use, purchasing, or possession. This is absolutely fucking insane. Drug use is the only victimless crime left. Once again, the common rationale being that drug use can lead to poor decision making, or can lead to criminal action. Driving under the influence, rage, theft, etc. Well guess what. Those things are already crimes! We can't outlaw things because someone "might" do something illegal. How do I know we can't? Simple - Gun Ownership and Drinking are legal. If you own a gun, you may kill someone. If you drink, you may drive. We have plenty of legal precedent proving that we do not outlaw potentials. We outlaw acts. Getting yourself extremely fucked up is your decision. Stupid or not, it's your right to be stupid.

And now the polarizing one.

I support a woman's right to choose. I've got friends I know are going to give me a fucking earful for this, and will probably be pretty pissed at me. But I've been through an abortion. I've impregnated someone, and together we made the decision that was best for us. We are talking about the ability for a a woman to make, what is for all purposes, a biological decision. Once we take away the ability for women to make that decision about their own bodies functions, we take a dangerous step towards turning women into breeding machines, whose beautiful ability to create new life is eerily controlled by governmental decisions. For or against the decision to abort a pregnancy, it simply is too personal of a process to be left in the hands of the legislative system. Our bodies are the only thing we truly own. Handing over control of that to the state is giving away our only god given freedom.

Thanks for paying attention. If there are issues here I haven't addressed that you wish to hear about, please feel free to ask.

-Eliot Cirivello
Candidate for President
General Election, 2032

Flight of the Phoenix

Sun, 12 Aug 2007 00:48:47 -0400

In this particular case, the phoenix represents my constant cycle of death and rebirth when it comes to having any damned interest in Web2.0

It seems so futile most of the time, in addition to taking a near obsessive amount of dedication to have the endeavour be worthwhile, there’s little to no positive result, as anything short of stardom makes it near impossible to gain any sort of readership.

However, I know of at least four people who, were this site maintained and updated regularly, would check it daily. That alone is reason enough to try again, believing that you can in fact inspire people who know you to peer just a tad deeper.

Welcome to etcee.net version 2.0

Please note the following super cool features:

I’ve revamped the entire site graphically, spending the last few days reformatting all old blog entries and pages by hand to have a new, more professional, more streamlined, more aesthetic quality. This replaces the older, scrap-book-esque format.

An all new Cast of Characters has been created. A lot of the actual text was ported over from the old version, though a fair bit has been added as well. This page has the heaviest facelift of any when it came to designing a new style. Some people have been removed, and one person was added. This page has also been removed as a blog entry, and now exists solely as a standalone page.

A new “Locations” page has been created, which will serve to keep readers informed and updated about locations pertinent to events on Etcee.net. Currently this page features only Michigan and California, and they are both very general, but this page will be refined in the future.

The Links bar on the front page has been removed, adding a new “etceelinks” row just below the banner. This has been set up to cross reference Etcee.net with my MySpace, SuicideGirls, and other social networking sites. There is also a direct link to my email and the new embedded EtceeTalk

Speaking of EtceeTalk - A new link both on the main page and in the Navigation bar, Talk With Etcee, has been added. This page is a standalone page with an IM window built right in that allows you to IM me, without having to sign into any IM client, and without leaving Etcee.net. It uses no popups, no ads, and no cookies. It is a clean, simple link to talking with me, and is the biggest addition to Etcee.net. Just look for “Etcee is Online” to start typing

Well, I hope you enjoy the changes, and I look forward to seeing more of you here in the coming future.

Love, Etcee

Please Check Out: You Don’t Know Jack! Online!

Sex.

Thu, 5 Jul 2007 01:55:08 -0400

It's my steadfast belief that humor has a very very important place in sex.

Sex, as we know, is also the ultimate vulnerability. People try so hard during sex to fulfill this roll of what people are supposed to be like during sex. I would claim that most people default to a stoic, serious state of mind, dripping with intensity. And that's all well and good. Sex (good sex anyway) Is indeed intense. But it's also supposed to be an act of enjoyment and, on some level, love. I mean, we've all had friends with benefits. I'm not making the grandiose claim that sex is always and strictly an act of true love, but there is, at least usually, love on some level. Emotionally, Physically, etc. Even if you just want someone because they're hot, there has to be some level of trust there, right?

In a healthy sexual relationship, you've got to have respect for yourself, and for your partner, and subscribing to these insane ideas about sexual normalcy is madness, because these ideas present us with the image of 'a way one should act.' And im sorry, but to me, that image is kinda stuffy, and certainly not comfortable

Sex is fun!

And it's easiest to have fun when you're comfortable. Sex should be an awesome adventure. And who the hell says you cant have fun along the way. When I'm having sex with someone i really flow well with, I'm seriously elated. Yes it's heavy, yes it's intense, yes the intimacy can be overwhelming. But when you can laugh, and smile, and realize the occasional ridiculousness of exactly what it is you're doing and not have that emotion "ruin the mood", but instead enhance the bond between partners, and therefore enhance the experience, because of an inherent level of comfort present - that's fucking golden.

The best sex is fun sex. And fun sex only happens when you're willing to have fun, not trying to 'maintain an image.'

Also keep in mind that this in no way trashes on Roleplaying, which i hope we all indulge in occasionally, because that kind of arrangement is also facilitating the understanding and comfort im talking about.

Summary? Sex is like a really good conversation. You know those friends you just love talking to? Because you all keep the same pace, always on the same page, same sense of humor, all the inside jokes and tones of voice? We all have those friends. The one's you could sit at a diner bar with for hours, one cup of coffee after another, and just talk. Because the conversation is fulfilling. And you're not forcing it. You're not trying to make it Sound like a well written dialogue between two dynamic characters. It's just the way it is.

A great sexual partner is just like that. Ability to meet someone on that level. Have the same sexual inflections, the same pacing, the same sense of desire and the same tone and mood. The same inside jokes. The sex is great just because it is, not because you're trying to make it great.

You'll only find sex like that, or a conversation like that, if you're not forcing it. It just happens.

But christ is it good when it does.

-Etcee
Listening to: Ain't No Sunshine - Bill Withers

And yes, Nathan, I did just relate our hetero late nite diner talks to a successful sexual relationship. You know you love it.

Returning to Shore

Sun, 6 May 2007 06:40:24 -0400

For years, I've felt like i was in some weird metaphorical riptide. It always keeps you moving, sometimes violently and quickly, but you're always moving. And after a while, you realize that the scenery is the same, and you're always gasping for air, barely keeping your head above water long enough to grab one more breath. But you do, and you survive that much longer.

Sometimes, it holds you down so long that you think it's over, the blackness starts to seep in from the edges of your blurry vision, but then, quick as a flash, you pop back up to the surface, and the cycle starts again. I realize that i've been trying to conquer the riptide, to best it, defeat it. I've struggled with it, weakening myself, and making my survival that much more difficult. Finally, i've given into the riptide, become one with it. And it has, as it promised so many years ago, brought me to shore. A place with sand, and light, and air.

Unfortunately for those I love, this shore is on the coast of Lake Michigan.

Friend in Funky Grey

Wed, 24 Jan 2007 04:10:45 -0500

So where did we leave off...

Oh yes. Paul Reubens, aka PeeWee Herman, asked for my autograph and email address, after we met super briefly at a DVD signing on sunday. I obliged, not being sure whether or not anything would come of it.

Well he emailed me the following morning, asking if I was interested in going to the tribute to Paul Reubens in San Francisco that night, as well as the following after-party. I said yes, and called his office as he suggested.

The lady at the office was expecting my call (which was totally surreal) and took down my name +1 for the show and the backstage list.

Later that day, a coworker who I had been relating the story to came up to me and told me Pee Wee Herman was on the phone for me. After giving him some shit for ribbing me, I realized he wasn't joking. I took the call, and Paul and I talked for about 10 minutes, about the logistics of that night.

Meghan K-T and I headed for San Francisco about 7pm and made it to the show right on time. This is where the weird VIP treatment that I'm not used to starts.

There were front row tickets waiting for Eliot Cirivello +1 at will call. Yay :)

We saw the tribute, which as actually pretty good, considering. The interviewer seemed kinda full of himself, but that aside, it was very insightful and enjoyable.

What I have found consistently interesting about listening to Paul Reubens (post peewee) speak, is that he has to know that one stupid Tequila Dance or 'Haw Haw' would get such a huge cheap pop from his audience, yet he resists it. I don't think it's a rejection of that which made him famous, like the whole "Capt. Kirk - William Shatner" thing. I just think that he tries to stay real. And that's really the moral of the story, and the best thing I can say about my new friend Paul. He's real.

Anyway, after the show, we pushed past the hordes of people rushing the stage to to the back. I was on this list as well. "Eliot Cirivello" Another giddy little pop. That's two in the cool category.

We got back stage and met some of Paul's friends, including the old manager of the Pizzeria he used to work for as a young man. When I walked in the dressing room, he looked over and said "Hey, you made it." Which is awesome. Paul was expecting me. So yeah, we hung out with Paul Reubens in his dressing room for a while. We all talked about how we were gonna get to the party at Amante, which is a little bar in North Beach (Little Italy). Paul offered to have us caravan, following his car, which we did.

We all exited out the back door, which was pretty cool, cause when Paul walked out, he had us in tow, and there were people out there waiting. We just got stand there and revel in the 'we're with him' moment.

We got in our car, and pulled around behind his car. We followed it over to Amante and parked. We were, once again, on the VIP list for the club. Cool Pop #3. We got into the club, and were directed by our new friend Zachar to the table we were sitting it, which was the big reserved booth in the corner. So here we were, at the reception, sitting at the reserve table with Paul. We ate and drank, and talked a lot.

While eating I asked Paul, "So man, why me?" his response? "Why Not." He said it's a biz where you dont get to meet a lot of people, so when he sees someone that would be cool talk a bit more with, or hang out with, he tries to get in touch with them. He's got a kind of people radar he's learned to trust over the years. I walked through the line at Amoeba, and afterwards he said to himself "The odds are good I won't be seeing that person again, I should have talked to him for just a few minutes more." Except, I hadn't gone anywhere. I was still standing there waiting for my friends. So he sent his dude over to get my info so we could hang out while he was still in the city.

After a while, we took off from the party. Got pictures with paul, and said good bye. Walked Paul to the car, said our Goodbyes, and we were on our way.

About halfway around the block, Zachar caught up with us and suggested we come hang out for a while back at the hotel. Another pop.

We got into Paul's Limo, and they drove us back to our car. In the car, I got to mention to Paul how watching the PeeWee christmas special with my dad at 2am this year was a really fun and special memory for me. He mentioned that he was really proud of that special. We talked about Zsa Zsa Gabor, Cher, Whoopi, and KD Lang. It was good times. Then we got dropped off at our car.

We drove back to the Omni Hotel, our car was valeted on Paul's bill, and we went up to the room, one of the big suites, and sat around shooting the shit. We were there for like two hours, just talking about whatever. Music, Movies, Disney, etc. We talked very briefly about the 2 Pee-Wee Scripts, and other things. It was totally chill. Just the five of us, hanging out in a 16th floor SF suite. Near the end of the night, I noticed there was a small handwritten note on the table in the Suite.

It was really intense, seeing that Paul had taken the time to write down a note to remind himself that i was going to be at the show that night.

And that was pretty much it. There is one more detail, but I'll tell you that little thing individually. Be sure to ask me. I’d just rather not have it in writing.

Anyway, Paul Reubens is an awesome guy. All and all, we were hanging out with him for like 6 hours, and It was a really killer night. Totally relaxed, lots of fun conversations and stuff, and just really kicking it with someone who used to be a funky childhood memory, is now a friend.

Whenever I watch the playhouse, I can point to it's proprietor, PeeWee Herman, and say, "That's my friend."

That's my friend in that funky grey suit.

-Etcee