I got up early and all I’ve been “ripping” (as-they-say) is Duke Ellington. I guess I didn’t have all my music organized in alphabetical order. It was at one point. Anyway, it’s a Duke Ellington morning. Who knew I had so much and why do I have so much? I mean, I feel a little Duke Ellington goes a long way. But then, I feel badly if I consider not putting it in my music library when I have it.

I am not going to TAM this year. I love TAM too, I’m going to miss it. I have another thing planned then, and it was going to be too hard. And also, as Mulan gets older, she gets harder to leave rather than easier. Now she’s this person I am so entrenched with, in this never ending conversation with, and she has all her classes and so forth, and taking her with me (which I have done before) is difficult because she is not into the skeptic conventions yet and leaving her here is too expensive and I don’t like it. Anyway, I decided to take a break for a year, maybe two, from the skeptic conferences. I don’t want anyone holding me to that – I am going to introduce someone at the Atheists Alliance International in the fall, which is going to be near where I live, in Los Angeles. But that is it. I have gotten some great emails about TAM, and I wish in some ways I were going. But I am not.

I am learning to navigate myself around my new website, and I put up the song that Jill Sobule wrote for my movie, a song called “Letting Go of God.” I think it’s a great song. I helped write the lyrics and anyway, you can listen or download it now off my home page and that makes me so happy.

I’m working now on a trailer for the film – actually a couple of versions of the trailer and the website that will be devoted just to Letting Go of God – the movie. And the forum is going to be back soon, by the end of next week, maybe sooner.

I would still be happy to support Hillary if she gets the nomination. But I think we have an opportunity with Barack that is irresistible. Now I can’t remember if I put this in a blog entry before or not, but last Fall when I was going to vote in our primary – oh jeez, that wasn’t last Fall, that was in February! Lord. Anyway, I was driving to my voting place and Mulan asked me if I were voting for Barack or for Hillary, and I said “Barack” and she said, “Yeah, because a woman can’t be president, right?” OH! That just killed me! It almost made me change my vote right there. Of course all I do now is drill into her how it is possible for a woman to be president and wouldn’t that be wonderful if she were and blah blah blah. Then later, when I was listening to Barack give the speech this week on race, she was listening with me. Now, to Mulan, Barack is not of another race than well, anyone else. He is just a guy. For her the difference between people if mainly if are they are male or female or they are kids or adults and if they are easy or strict. Race is not on her radar in any way. It would be so awesome to have a woman be our president. But I just… It’s very hard for me to like Hillary. Just everything in me, just… well, it’s hard for me. And I hate her religiosity. And I hate that she voted for the war.

Okay, I’m rehashing everything again. BORING.

If anyone is watching “Make Me A Supermodel” on Bravo – and I confess, against all my better judgment, I am -- mostly because of Mulan (see how I blame her!?) – I think Perry will win. But I like Ronnie the best. And I like how Holly looks the best – even amongst all the models – I like her look. But jeez, she starts talking and she’s like a roaming baby deer wandering on the freeway. But then she does the catwalk and she’s all THAT. I don’t know, I like her. The former prison guard frightens me. He seems to be playing out that time old, homophobia, homoerotic dance that feels like it’s going to end up with someone getting killed, where he is the killer. That is probably not fair, just a feeling, y’know… I think Perry will win because he’s got the right personality for a TV competition win, big and grand, young and beautiful, outrageous and insecure, needing it and heterosexual, but willing to do anything with anyone, reckless and arrogant, he's got it all. But Ronnie! Ronnie! He deserves it, I swear, he really does.