I don’t have children, and that I don’t was both choice and luck. When I was experimenting with sex in my younger days, I was lucky enough not to have gotten pregnant. When I realized the ramifications of having children, I made the choice not to have them. Call me selfish, if you will. I wanted a career. I wanted to see the world, and being a black woman, I did not see how I could do that with a kid in tow, the way I wanted to do it. The same applies for marriage. I don’t believe in marriage, not for women, anyway. Besides, as I have said before in previous writings, that I am gay. I admitted that fact to myself and came to acceptance without having to deal with the consequences of children and marriage. My sexuality is not a choice. It simply is. Children and marriage are choices. Were I married and or pregnant or were raising children, I would still be a lesbian. It is my norm, just like being a woman, being black or being left handed.
I have never regretted that decision. I like kids, as long as I can send them home when I’m tired of them. The four years I spent living with my sister and her four children were the longest four years of my life. I love them all, but I was glad and relieved when they finally moved into a home of their own.
I have been watching with interest the story unfolding around the school teacher who forgot that her two year old was strapped in a car seat in her SUV as she drove to work on one of the hottest days of this year. The mother parked the car in the school parking lot, took doughnuts out of the trunk for a faculty meeting and left the baby in the car seat. She died after going unattended for 8 hours. The body was discovered by somebody else who was parked next to the mother’s SUV
Union Township police wanted the woman charged with child endangering. The Clermont County prosecutor said the whole situation was an accident. Since she didn’t intend to neglect her kid she did not commit a crime and therefore will not be punished.
The Cincinnati community is split with half wanting the woman jailed, while the other half agrees with the prosecutor.
It never occurred to me that the woman would be charged with a crime. Not because I don’t believe one was committed, but because of the surrounding circumstance.
If the woman had been poor, and lived in the inner city, married or not, working or not, she would have been jailed from day one. She would have been charged immediately convicted by the public, written off as an unfit mother and quickly forgotten. That is not a judgement, it is simply fact.
There is a woman in jail as I write this. A young girl, single, poor, who left her two kids in the closet at home while she went to work. This was a bad, bad decision. This was a dangerous decision. But was it criminal? Was there intent to harm? The children are okay, but as I said the mother is in jail, already labeled and in the court of public opinion, convicted. No one that I can see has jumped to her defense.
The offender in this case was a successful, career woman. She is married, living in the burbs, vice principal of a large suburban school. She is probably an expert multi tasker. She drove a Mercedes SUV, although it must be interjected that the car was purchased second hand after a wreck and her husband did the repairs himself. That has somehow been thrown out as a mitigating circumstance in this tragic affair.
In making his decision not to prosecute, the prosecutor said there was no intent to harm.
There was a young woman busted last week because her children were found walking down the street at daybreak while she slept in the house. She didn’t put them outside. She didn’t intend for them to get into a dangerous, life threatening situation. It just happened, an accident. She too, is jailed. The kids survived their ordeal.
Our suburbanite hasn’t spent one day in jail. She did talk with police and apparently cried during the interview, another apparent mitigating factor tossed out. She has an attorney instead of an overworked public defender.
Why is it that our compassion and justice system are apparently driven by economics and station in life? Why can’t poor people catch a break sometimes, like wealthier suburbanites?
A lot of us have too much on our minds. A lot of us spend too much time collecting stuff...cars, houses, jewelry and yes even children.
The decision to have children is a monumental one. It is not a decision that should simply be left to biology. Kids are life altering. They are the number one priority when you choose to have them, not the doughnuts, or the golf clubs, or the job or the house or the car. If they can’t be your number one priority, then you shouldn’t have them, period. Anyone who thinks otherwise, is deluding themselves.
It’s illegal in the state of California to leave a dog unattended in the car. The same should apply to kids regardless of your economic situation.
8.31.2007
Now see, What had happened was....
Coincidence rules the world. How many times have we all ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time, or even the right place at the right time. Coincidence right....When it’s a good thing we’re happy. We go on. But if it’s a bad thing, well then your life may take a turn and you may end up in the middle of a Karma smack down.
Which brings me around to good ole boy Senator Larry Craig who, if you believe his version, heard the call of nature while changing planes and went into a restroom at the airport. Much as luck would have it, he chose to squat in a stall next to an undercover policeman out to trap gay men who like anonymous sex in bathrooms.
The officer was on stakeout looking for illegal activity. He was there because of numerous complaints about this particular restroom. In fact, this particular restroom is listed on the internets as a good place for sex if you happen to be in Minneapolis.
Well, poor unsuspecting Senator Craig, apparently made some strange gestures with his hands like dangling his fingers under the stall wall and bumping the policeman’s foot with his own foot, again under the stall wall and got arrested for disorderly conduct. He was not charged with soliciting, but in his statement after his arrest, Craig accused the officer of soliciting him and entrapping him.
Later, Craig quietly pleaded guilty to reduced charges, paid a fine. He did all of this by mail a couple of months after the incident. He even signed a statement saying he understood the allegations. I believe him, after all, isn’t he a United States Senator? Aren’t these the guys who write our laws....so he must have understood what he signed, right?
Now that the story has come out the Senator is claiming he is innocent.......”I AM NOT GAY” he said in a news conference with his wife fixed firmly to his side, proving that he is a straight man.
At least I think she was a woman, drag queens don’t usually look so dowdy, so she must have been real. But, “I AM NOT GAY!” Ranks right up there with ‘I AM NOT A CROOK!” or “I DID NOT HAVE SEX WITH THAT WOMAN!”
Craig has long been rumored to be gay. The talk keeps coming back every time the very conservative Senator votes against legislation affecting gays and lesbians.
I don’t know what he is, and I don’t really care.
I just think it’s yucky to touch bathroom walls and stalls. And I certainly don’t want to talk to anyone while I’m trying to do the doo. It’s hard to grunt, push and expel while holding a conversation.
But then maybe I’m not as talented as the Senator from Idaho. Judging from the way his fellow republicans are acting, I guess they can’t talk and shit at the same time either.
Which brings me around to good ole boy Senator Larry Craig who, if you believe his version, heard the call of nature while changing planes and went into a restroom at the airport. Much as luck would have it, he chose to squat in a stall next to an undercover policeman out to trap gay men who like anonymous sex in bathrooms.
The officer was on stakeout looking for illegal activity. He was there because of numerous complaints about this particular restroom. In fact, this particular restroom is listed on the internets as a good place for sex if you happen to be in Minneapolis.
Well, poor unsuspecting Senator Craig, apparently made some strange gestures with his hands like dangling his fingers under the stall wall and bumping the policeman’s foot with his own foot, again under the stall wall and got arrested for disorderly conduct. He was not charged with soliciting, but in his statement after his arrest, Craig accused the officer of soliciting him and entrapping him.
Later, Craig quietly pleaded guilty to reduced charges, paid a fine. He did all of this by mail a couple of months after the incident. He even signed a statement saying he understood the allegations. I believe him, after all, isn’t he a United States Senator? Aren’t these the guys who write our laws....so he must have understood what he signed, right?
Now that the story has come out the Senator is claiming he is innocent.......”I AM NOT GAY” he said in a news conference with his wife fixed firmly to his side, proving that he is a straight man.
At least I think she was a woman, drag queens don’t usually look so dowdy, so she must have been real. But, “I AM NOT GAY!” Ranks right up there with ‘I AM NOT A CROOK!” or “I DID NOT HAVE SEX WITH THAT WOMAN!”
Craig has long been rumored to be gay. The talk keeps coming back every time the very conservative Senator votes against legislation affecting gays and lesbians.
I don’t know what he is, and I don’t really care.
I just think it’s yucky to touch bathroom walls and stalls. And I certainly don’t want to talk to anyone while I’m trying to do the doo. It’s hard to grunt, push and expel while holding a conversation.
But then maybe I’m not as talented as the Senator from Idaho. Judging from the way his fellow republicans are acting, I guess they can’t talk and shit at the same time either.
8.28.2007
The Question of Michael Vick
Let me say right up front that I have a problem with dumb jocks. Before I start calling names I have to tell you that back in the day and even now, I’m a jock. I like sports. I love sports. I breathe sports. But I have always had a problem with guys and women who feel that because they can dunk a basketball, score a touchdown or slam a ball where ever the hell they want, that the rest of us should bow down and kiss their ass, or look the other way...just because...
I revel in their athletic ability, and like the fact that they can cash in on their talent and get rich and support their families. But that doesn’t give them the right to live above the law, or the moral boundaries that bind us as a society.
Michael Vick, that beautiful, graceful, talented man....is a dumb jock. He is stupid. So wrapped up in his “I am the world” that he failed to see the lessons of the past.....the lesson....”what the man giveth...the man will taketh away...if you screw up...” And he screwed up.
In this country....you don’t mess with his women and you don’t mess with dogs. OJ committed the first sin, Vick committed the second.
It’s okay to sin against your fellow athletes, jock sniffers and other fans...Pete Rose did it and lied about it...Ray Lewis did it..Packman Jones makes a habit of it, Chris Henry flaunts it and is serving an eight game suspension when the season starts. Screw up and you will be docked some money, but you will still get to play.....unless you do the dirty or carry the lie to infinity like Pete Rose.
Vick bankrolled dog fighting. Americans love their pets. I love my dogs. I have three of them. I abhor dog fighting. I can’t even watch that movie with Jet Li where he plays a man trained to be an attack dog.
Vick got caught and after a little hesitation, has pleaded guilty, will probably do some jail time and lose a whole lot of money. He was contrite and even said he found God.... Bull crap...everybody finds God when it serves their purpose. Keeping God in your life is the trick. Vick needs to work on that one a little. But after watching his off the cuff mea culpa, he does seem to have located his manhood hiding behind the dumb jock peter pan who never quite grew up.
The NFL is trying to disavow him and take back the spotlight that has made him and them so much money. His shoe company has dumped him.
The Atlanta Falcons, it seems are trying to “undraft” him, by demanding he give back his signing bonus..
I don’t agree...he earned that money. He should be allowed to keep it, just as he should be allowed to play ball, if he can make it back into the league once he serves his time and pays his fines.
Punishment shouldn’t go on forever, unless you manage to get away with murder. Vick is like every other one of us....we all deserve a second chance and usually get it.
Michael Vick should be allowed a second chance, too.
I revel in their athletic ability, and like the fact that they can cash in on their talent and get rich and support their families. But that doesn’t give them the right to live above the law, or the moral boundaries that bind us as a society.
Michael Vick, that beautiful, graceful, talented man....is a dumb jock. He is stupid. So wrapped up in his “I am the world” that he failed to see the lessons of the past.....the lesson....”what the man giveth...the man will taketh away...if you screw up...” And he screwed up.
In this country....you don’t mess with his women and you don’t mess with dogs. OJ committed the first sin, Vick committed the second.
It’s okay to sin against your fellow athletes, jock sniffers and other fans...Pete Rose did it and lied about it...Ray Lewis did it..Packman Jones makes a habit of it, Chris Henry flaunts it and is serving an eight game suspension when the season starts. Screw up and you will be docked some money, but you will still get to play.....unless you do the dirty or carry the lie to infinity like Pete Rose.
Vick bankrolled dog fighting. Americans love their pets. I love my dogs. I have three of them. I abhor dog fighting. I can’t even watch that movie with Jet Li where he plays a man trained to be an attack dog.
Vick got caught and after a little hesitation, has pleaded guilty, will probably do some jail time and lose a whole lot of money. He was contrite and even said he found God.... Bull crap...everybody finds God when it serves their purpose. Keeping God in your life is the trick. Vick needs to work on that one a little. But after watching his off the cuff mea culpa, he does seem to have located his manhood hiding behind the dumb jock peter pan who never quite grew up.
The NFL is trying to disavow him and take back the spotlight that has made him and them so much money. His shoe company has dumped him.
The Atlanta Falcons, it seems are trying to “undraft” him, by demanding he give back his signing bonus..
I don’t agree...he earned that money. He should be allowed to keep it, just as he should be allowed to play ball, if he can make it back into the league once he serves his time and pays his fines.
Punishment shouldn’t go on forever, unless you manage to get away with murder. Vick is like every other one of us....we all deserve a second chance and usually get it.
Michael Vick should be allowed a second chance, too.
8.21.2007
Reality Bites
PUT THE PHONE DOWN!......texting while walking can get you run over by a train...an 18 year old Elmwood Place youth was apparently so busy letting his fingers do the walking that he literally walked in front of a train yesterday...Luckily he lived to tell about it. Witnesses said he was knocked some 50 feet, landed and was unconscious for a while, but woke up. He is hospitalized with some bumps and bruises and a helluva story to tell his grandkids...if he lives that long....
******
Another indication that Dubya screwed up by taking us into an unprovoked war with Iraq...We’re apparently running out of bullets...our police that is...I guess we only have finite ammunition and that it’s being used up in Iraq...hmmmmmm....That goes along with not enough manpower for the surge...not enough troops to continue fighting or securing a country....not enough troops to secure America...if the war happens to come to our shores...
*****
Money is another thing running out in America...we keep borrowing from China to make ends meet as a country...deficit is through the roof and circling Mars...
Now comes word, yet again, that the richest 1 percent are getting all the pay raises while the rest of us are forced to live on pre 2000 salaries...
******
Beloit College has released a list of things that the class of 2011 knows...IE...the word “lame” means stupid rather than someone who walks with a limp....or that rap music has always been main stream..The complete list is in USA TODAY...
Got me thinking about my younger relatives....My six year old nephew...born in the year 2000..once asked me what kind of video games I played when I was little. I told him I didn’t have video games when I was little...He then asked me...if I was “poor” when I was little...He couldn’t grasp the idea that video games did not exist and that it was a matter of not having enough money rather than no one had thought it up yet....His older siblings...teenagers, born in the early 1990's...once learned that just because the microwave is broken....doesn’t mean you have no way to pop popcorn...you can take it out of the bag...add a little oil to a pan and do it the old fashion way....NEAT!
Other things I grew up with.....party lines...black and white TV...in fact, my grandfather went out and bought a color TV so we could watch the Wonderful World of Disney on Sunday nights...WWD was the first show to go all color on TV....We weren’t allowed to use calculators in school...got you a failing grade and charges of cheating..We didn’t even know what a laptop was....no cell phones...and the windows in cars...well they roll down...you didn’t push a button....
So...what’s your reality growing up?
******
Another indication that Dubya screwed up by taking us into an unprovoked war with Iraq...We’re apparently running out of bullets...our police that is...I guess we only have finite ammunition and that it’s being used up in Iraq...hmmmmmm....That goes along with not enough manpower for the surge...not enough troops to continue fighting or securing a country....not enough troops to secure America...if the war happens to come to our shores...
*****
Money is another thing running out in America...we keep borrowing from China to make ends meet as a country...deficit is through the roof and circling Mars...
Now comes word, yet again, that the richest 1 percent are getting all the pay raises while the rest of us are forced to live on pre 2000 salaries...
******
Beloit College has released a list of things that the class of 2011 knows...IE...the word “lame” means stupid rather than someone who walks with a limp....or that rap music has always been main stream..The complete list is in USA TODAY...
Got me thinking about my younger relatives....My six year old nephew...born in the year 2000..once asked me what kind of video games I played when I was little. I told him I didn’t have video games when I was little...He then asked me...if I was “poor” when I was little...He couldn’t grasp the idea that video games did not exist and that it was a matter of not having enough money rather than no one had thought it up yet....His older siblings...teenagers, born in the early 1990's...once learned that just because the microwave is broken....doesn’t mean you have no way to pop popcorn...you can take it out of the bag...add a little oil to a pan and do it the old fashion way....NEAT!
Other things I grew up with.....party lines...black and white TV...in fact, my grandfather went out and bought a color TV so we could watch the Wonderful World of Disney on Sunday nights...WWD was the first show to go all color on TV....We weren’t allowed to use calculators in school...got you a failing grade and charges of cheating..We didn’t even know what a laptop was....no cell phones...and the windows in cars...well they roll down...you didn’t push a button....
So...what’s your reality growing up?
8.20.2007
Movie Star Prez and Trophy Wife
Are we ready for yet another movie star in the White House? Apparently some are, if you believe the hype around the maybe presidential run of Fred Dalton Thompson, former congressman, lobbyist and sometime movie and television actor.
He looks good, is tall, speaks well, has a deep voice...all the things that Americans like in their presidents. He also likes blondes. He even married his latest trophy and she reportedly plays a big role in his maybe campaign. Is middle America ready for another bossy blonde female in the White House? Or does she know that her place is really in the great man’s shadow, quietly clutching his hand while whispering orders once the bedroom door is closed.
She has political experience. She was one of Thompson’s campaign assistants when he was in congress, when he was married to wife number two, I think. Thompson’s had several wives. It’s kind of hard to gauge his time line, he’s been in and out of marriage so often. But his penchant for marriage shouldn’t hinder his moral stance, should it? I mean at least he marries em after he beds em. Any blow jobs in the White House would be legal, unless they involved interns.
The no nonsense make believe prosecutor is having trouble raising money, but word is he will jump into the ring anyway. He hasn’t debated yet, but has taken a stance on Roe v Wade and gay and lesbian civil rights.
I don’t know what his stand is on Iraq, but I would guess that it mirrors our current president’s
view. In fact, Thompson and his wife seem pretty, pretty conservative despite their Hollywood lifestyle.
Makes me think he’s more of the same.....”do as I say....not as I do.”
I like him in his day job on Law and Order...but there is no way in hell I’d vote for him..even if he declares...even if he wins the nomination....no way...no how...
He looks good, is tall, speaks well, has a deep voice...all the things that Americans like in their presidents. He also likes blondes. He even married his latest trophy and she reportedly plays a big role in his maybe campaign. Is middle America ready for another bossy blonde female in the White House? Or does she know that her place is really in the great man’s shadow, quietly clutching his hand while whispering orders once the bedroom door is closed.
She has political experience. She was one of Thompson’s campaign assistants when he was in congress, when he was married to wife number two, I think. Thompson’s had several wives. It’s kind of hard to gauge his time line, he’s been in and out of marriage so often. But his penchant for marriage shouldn’t hinder his moral stance, should it? I mean at least he marries em after he beds em. Any blow jobs in the White House would be legal, unless they involved interns.
The no nonsense make believe prosecutor is having trouble raising money, but word is he will jump into the ring anyway. He hasn’t debated yet, but has taken a stance on Roe v Wade and gay and lesbian civil rights.
I don’t know what his stand is on Iraq, but I would guess that it mirrors our current president’s
view. In fact, Thompson and his wife seem pretty, pretty conservative despite their Hollywood lifestyle.
Makes me think he’s more of the same.....”do as I say....not as I do.”
I like him in his day job on Law and Order...but there is no way in hell I’d vote for him..even if he declares...even if he wins the nomination....no way...no how...
8.13.2007
Monday Headlines
Bush loses brain...so what else is new....didn’t know he had one to lose in the first place. Really, now, Karl Rove is resigning effective August 31st. The architect of this most recent political disaster is stepping down to pursue other adventures. Probably going to hook up with Fred Dalton Thompson for a presidential run...
Found out something new today...Rove never graduated from college...any college. Gee, wonder how far the rest of us would get in this world without a diploma or without the sponsorship of one of the scions of America’s first family....always separate and never equal when it comes to the masters of the universe...
*********
Anyone seen Condi lately? Just asking...She hasn’t been heard from for a while...now I guess it is no longer necessary for her to be seen either since we all now know that Dubya’s “compassionate conservatism” was a sham from jump street....
*********
Mitt Romney won the straw vote in Iowa this past weekend....He got a whopping 3500 votes with Huckabee coming in second and Brownback coming third....any minorities cast votes....any women other than GOP stepford wives? Just asking....
*********
Interesting report out this past weekend talking about the least trusted industries in America...the bottom of the barrel.....health insurance industry...the oil industry....the airline industry....
*******
Tiger won another major....I was glad that the other golfers, specifically Ernie Els and Woodie Austin didn’t fold down the stretch and actually made a run at Young Eldrick...It’s good to know that some golfers are finally finding their balls someplace other than the bottom of their golf bag.
He needs the competition...We need the competition...I’m tired of the parades of adoration...If golf is a sport...then let the combatants act like it for a change....
Found out something new today...Rove never graduated from college...any college. Gee, wonder how far the rest of us would get in this world without a diploma or without the sponsorship of one of the scions of America’s first family....always separate and never equal when it comes to the masters of the universe...
*********
Anyone seen Condi lately? Just asking...She hasn’t been heard from for a while...now I guess it is no longer necessary for her to be seen either since we all now know that Dubya’s “compassionate conservatism” was a sham from jump street....
*********
Mitt Romney won the straw vote in Iowa this past weekend....He got a whopping 3500 votes with Huckabee coming in second and Brownback coming third....any minorities cast votes....any women other than GOP stepford wives? Just asking....
*********
Interesting report out this past weekend talking about the least trusted industries in America...the bottom of the barrel.....health insurance industry...the oil industry....the airline industry....
*******
Tiger won another major....I was glad that the other golfers, specifically Ernie Els and Woodie Austin didn’t fold down the stretch and actually made a run at Young Eldrick...It’s good to know that some golfers are finally finding their balls someplace other than the bottom of their golf bag.
He needs the competition...We need the competition...I’m tired of the parades of adoration...If golf is a sport...then let the combatants act like it for a change....
8.10.2007
No Respect, No Love for Life
Another report from the Justice Department confirms once again that “we” are our own worst enemy. The report deals with the latest increases in crime and basically tells us what we already know...that black people kill black people and white people kill white people.
What is so disheartening about this report is that it claims that most black murder victims..93% in fact, are between the ages of 17 and 29 and male. Conversely, white victims tend to be older, only 37% are between the ages of 17 and 29.
Blacks make up 13% of this country’s population yet account for 49% of all murders and 15% of rapes, assaults and other non fatal violent crimes. The only people who die younger and faster than black youth are native americans.
The experts blame easy access to illegal drugs and guns and generations of young black men locked out of economic opportunity.
As I look at these statistics, I guess my own outlook has changed. Usually I am outraged at this senseless loss. My anger usually pores out on the page. But today is different. I’m, well, maybe I’m tired. Maybe I’m resigned. Maybe I’ve given up trying to reach anyone through my words. Outrage doesn’t work. Nobody listens...not the kids, not the parents, not the community, not the politicians, not the police.
I drive through my neighborhood, a once and future vibrant corner of city life and see the hopelessness on every street corner. Young men in white t-shirts and baggy jeans blatantly displaying their designer boxers shorts above their sagging waistbands disrespecting all who bother to glance their way. They’re out there at all hours, no matter what time I pass by. Girls, young women, standing in the shadows admiring the young men, visibly pregnant, with maybe a baby or two in tow. Anytime of the day, this drama unfolds itself for anyone watching.
While the young men pose on the corner, Avondale, one of the oldest of Cincinnati neighborhoods is being taken away from them. It is being revitalized by whites moving back into the neighborhoods in answer to the gasoline crisis. Real estate is cheap. Older black homeowners who bought from the Jews when Avondale was a Jewish ghetto, are dying out being replaced by younger white speculators with cash to burn and money to invest, spawning a new generation of absentee landlords. Avondale is going green and getting a new coat of paint. It is getting set to sparkle once again like when I was kid, some 50 years ago.
The young men and their absent families are being pushed out. I don’t know where the young men on the corner go when and if they go home. Their neighborhood, the very thing that could save them, is being taken. The sidewalks are being pulled out from under their feet as they claw for existence and survival. Home is the foundation for economic well being. They have none. Their families have none. Even if they have a home, they don’t have the skills to take part in the buildup. No one makes them go to school.
They propagate and perpetuate the cycle, making babies, and baby mommas, with no support or way to get a leg up in society, chewed up almost before they’re spit out.
Soon they will be gone from the corners in Avondale. Police crackdowns and enforcement cameras will push them away from the newly revitalized areas. Out of sight, out of mind. The cycle will resume again somewhere else, if they live.
And maybe that is the answer....dying rather than living...their only way out of a bleak and seemingly endless waking nightmare.
What is so disheartening about this report is that it claims that most black murder victims..93% in fact, are between the ages of 17 and 29 and male. Conversely, white victims tend to be older, only 37% are between the ages of 17 and 29.
Blacks make up 13% of this country’s population yet account for 49% of all murders and 15% of rapes, assaults and other non fatal violent crimes. The only people who die younger and faster than black youth are native americans.
The experts blame easy access to illegal drugs and guns and generations of young black men locked out of economic opportunity.
As I look at these statistics, I guess my own outlook has changed. Usually I am outraged at this senseless loss. My anger usually pores out on the page. But today is different. I’m, well, maybe I’m tired. Maybe I’m resigned. Maybe I’ve given up trying to reach anyone through my words. Outrage doesn’t work. Nobody listens...not the kids, not the parents, not the community, not the politicians, not the police.
I drive through my neighborhood, a once and future vibrant corner of city life and see the hopelessness on every street corner. Young men in white t-shirts and baggy jeans blatantly displaying their designer boxers shorts above their sagging waistbands disrespecting all who bother to glance their way. They’re out there at all hours, no matter what time I pass by. Girls, young women, standing in the shadows admiring the young men, visibly pregnant, with maybe a baby or two in tow. Anytime of the day, this drama unfolds itself for anyone watching.
While the young men pose on the corner, Avondale, one of the oldest of Cincinnati neighborhoods is being taken away from them. It is being revitalized by whites moving back into the neighborhoods in answer to the gasoline crisis. Real estate is cheap. Older black homeowners who bought from the Jews when Avondale was a Jewish ghetto, are dying out being replaced by younger white speculators with cash to burn and money to invest, spawning a new generation of absentee landlords. Avondale is going green and getting a new coat of paint. It is getting set to sparkle once again like when I was kid, some 50 years ago.
The young men and their absent families are being pushed out. I don’t know where the young men on the corner go when and if they go home. Their neighborhood, the very thing that could save them, is being taken. The sidewalks are being pulled out from under their feet as they claw for existence and survival. Home is the foundation for economic well being. They have none. Their families have none. Even if they have a home, they don’t have the skills to take part in the buildup. No one makes them go to school.
They propagate and perpetuate the cycle, making babies, and baby mommas, with no support or way to get a leg up in society, chewed up almost before they’re spit out.
Soon they will be gone from the corners in Avondale. Police crackdowns and enforcement cameras will push them away from the newly revitalized areas. Out of sight, out of mind. The cycle will resume again somewhere else, if they live.
And maybe that is the answer....dying rather than living...their only way out of a bleak and seemingly endless waking nightmare.
8.06.2007
George Orwell Bush
Sunday, while the rest of us were engaged in Sunday summer activities, Dubya was signing new legislation further curtailing our rights to privacy as spelled out by the Constitution and Bill of Rights.
Under this latest assault on American freedom, Bush has given the go ahead for the National Security Agency to eavesdrop on our phone conversations without getting a warrant. This latest attack by the prez is an attempt to legalize the nebulous spy program that is supposedly aimed at terrorists.
What the law does is allow government agents to listen in on all international phone calls without a warrant. For example, if I live in Cincinnati and decided to call my niece in Qatar, our government could listen in to our conversations on the bogus assumption that my niece may be a terrorist. They don’t have to prove the allegation or show evidence up front. All they have to do is tap the channel and listen in.
The new law gives oversight power to the Attorney General and the director of National Intelligence.
Hmmmmmmmmmm...I wonder if this is also an attempt to make Gonzo more relevant.
Under this latest assault on American freedom, Bush has given the go ahead for the National Security Agency to eavesdrop on our phone conversations without getting a warrant. This latest attack by the prez is an attempt to legalize the nebulous spy program that is supposedly aimed at terrorists.
What the law does is allow government agents to listen in on all international phone calls without a warrant. For example, if I live in Cincinnati and decided to call my niece in Qatar, our government could listen in to our conversations on the bogus assumption that my niece may be a terrorist. They don’t have to prove the allegation or show evidence up front. All they have to do is tap the channel and listen in.
The new law gives oversight power to the Attorney General and the director of National Intelligence.
Hmmmmmmmmmm...I wonder if this is also an attempt to make Gonzo more relevant.
8.01.2007
Too Much Info
Who cares if beer is only 135 calories, or a glass of red wine is 125 calories or a shot of tequila is only 53 calories?
Our government is becoming expert at avoidance. Rather than deal with the real problems facing our country, our so called leaders want to put nutrition labels on booze. Give me a break!
Who drinks alcohol for nutritional reasons? I certainly don’t. If booze was nutritional alcoholics would be the healthiest people on planet earth.
I drink because I don’t want to think about my current diet or how the war in Iraq is going, or how I’m about to turn 57 and still haven’t reached half the goals I set for myself when I was a sexy, vivacious young fox of 30. I drink because I want to pretend I’m a member of the roundtable at the Algonquin trading quips and barbs with Dorothy Parker. I drink because I want to get smashed and feel like I’m still the queen of the dance floor, not that I ever was, but southern comfort mixed with cranberry juice and a slice of lime, makes me think I am or was. I drink because I need sex and have more courage to ask for it after I’ve swallowed more than my share of tequila worms from the bottom of the bottle.
Booze can teach you a lot about yourself, that is if you’re paying attention. For instance, I’ve learned seven salty dogs makes my bed spin, and that I can stop the spinning by placing one foot firmly on the floor as an anchor.
Four whiskey sours gave me the courage to ask Morgana if I could feel her 55 double D breast implants when I met her at Loll 43. She loved the attention. It was the first time I fondled a woman in public. Whiskey sours also fueled my first visit to the legendary Brass Ass in Kentucky where I saw my first strippers. Man, were they tired looking women. Broke up my fantasy.
I’ve learned not to trade jack Daniels shots with the person who is supposed to be the designated driver and then really let them drive home. We made it, but I don’t know how.
Even hangovers have their uses, like diverting my attention away from, and delaying my self recriminations for going home with the loser with whom I was engaged in sparkling conversation the night before.
C’mon people, who needs another label to remind us that we are overweight, don’t exercise enough and don’t eat right. If you’re like me, you can’t even read the booze label before you start drinking, much less during or after you finish drinking.
Before you know it the government will force women to tattoo their uterus opening with a sign telling babies....Life, extremely dangerous!...enter at your own risk!...sheeesh!
Our government is becoming expert at avoidance. Rather than deal with the real problems facing our country, our so called leaders want to put nutrition labels on booze. Give me a break!
Who drinks alcohol for nutritional reasons? I certainly don’t. If booze was nutritional alcoholics would be the healthiest people on planet earth.
I drink because I don’t want to think about my current diet or how the war in Iraq is going, or how I’m about to turn 57 and still haven’t reached half the goals I set for myself when I was a sexy, vivacious young fox of 30. I drink because I want to pretend I’m a member of the roundtable at the Algonquin trading quips and barbs with Dorothy Parker. I drink because I want to get smashed and feel like I’m still the queen of the dance floor, not that I ever was, but southern comfort mixed with cranberry juice and a slice of lime, makes me think I am or was. I drink because I need sex and have more courage to ask for it after I’ve swallowed more than my share of tequila worms from the bottom of the bottle.
Booze can teach you a lot about yourself, that is if you’re paying attention. For instance, I’ve learned seven salty dogs makes my bed spin, and that I can stop the spinning by placing one foot firmly on the floor as an anchor.
Four whiskey sours gave me the courage to ask Morgana if I could feel her 55 double D breast implants when I met her at Loll 43. She loved the attention. It was the first time I fondled a woman in public. Whiskey sours also fueled my first visit to the legendary Brass Ass in Kentucky where I saw my first strippers. Man, were they tired looking women. Broke up my fantasy.
I’ve learned not to trade jack Daniels shots with the person who is supposed to be the designated driver and then really let them drive home. We made it, but I don’t know how.
Even hangovers have their uses, like diverting my attention away from, and delaying my self recriminations for going home with the loser with whom I was engaged in sparkling conversation the night before.
C’mon people, who needs another label to remind us that we are overweight, don’t exercise enough and don’t eat right. If you’re like me, you can’t even read the booze label before you start drinking, much less during or after you finish drinking.
Before you know it the government will force women to tattoo their uterus opening with a sign telling babies....Life, extremely dangerous!...enter at your own risk!...sheeesh!
7.30.2007
Monday Meanderings
Contempt for Congress
Congress has issued a subpoena for Karl Rove. Does anybody really think he is going to show up? And while we’re at it.....Just what does Congress think Gonzo can clarify, this time? He seems to be compounding his lies about the AG firings rather than explaining what happened. And without a special prosecutor who is going to conduct the investigation of the Justice Dept....the Justice Dept?!
Did you know that Dubya, by order of executive mandate has...
Done away with special prosecutors
Done away with habeas corpus
and
Can declare martial law in the USA if and when he wants to?
All hail King George!
The last time this stuff happened we had a revolution.
*********
Ohio got it right!
Turns out it’s not okay to beat the crap out of your live in girlfriend in Ohio. The State Supreme Court has finally ruled in the Michael Carswell case. Mr Carswell had argued that he could not be charged under Ohio’s domestic violence laws because the state’s newly enacted Defense of Marriage Law did away with all common law legality. According to Mr. Carswell, the term “spouse” could only apply within the confines of a legal marriage between a man and woman. Common law wives and husbands and all LGBT couples were living illegally under DOMA, according to Mr, Carswell’s interpretation and therefore domestic violence couldn’t happen between two unmarried people.
The High Court ruled that while the state can define what constitutes marriage, cohabitation happens when two people decide to live together and therefore domestic violence can happen and is covered by law, DOMA not withstanding.
Congress has issued a subpoena for Karl Rove. Does anybody really think he is going to show up? And while we’re at it.....Just what does Congress think Gonzo can clarify, this time? He seems to be compounding his lies about the AG firings rather than explaining what happened. And without a special prosecutor who is going to conduct the investigation of the Justice Dept....the Justice Dept?!
Did you know that Dubya, by order of executive mandate has...
Done away with special prosecutors
Done away with habeas corpus
and
Can declare martial law in the USA if and when he wants to?
All hail King George!
The last time this stuff happened we had a revolution.
*********
Ohio got it right!
Turns out it’s not okay to beat the crap out of your live in girlfriend in Ohio. The State Supreme Court has finally ruled in the Michael Carswell case. Mr Carswell had argued that he could not be charged under Ohio’s domestic violence laws because the state’s newly enacted Defense of Marriage Law did away with all common law legality. According to Mr. Carswell, the term “spouse” could only apply within the confines of a legal marriage between a man and woman. Common law wives and husbands and all LGBT couples were living illegally under DOMA, according to Mr, Carswell’s interpretation and therefore domestic violence couldn’t happen between two unmarried people.
The High Court ruled that while the state can define what constitutes marriage, cohabitation happens when two people decide to live together and therefore domestic violence can happen and is covered by law, DOMA not withstanding.
7.20.2007
A scary thought....
Dubya is having a colonoscopy. That means that while he is unconscious (for real), Dick Cheney will be in charge of the government for a couple of hours.
Somebody please...please go hide the red button so that fool can’t fire nukes at Iran. We’ve got enough trouble now. We don’t need another war front.
We don’t need expansion of the Patriot Act or suspension of more of our civil liberties.
Hell, he’s already declared himself outside government. He refuses to talk to anyone except his assistants...Is he still even talking to Dubya, except to say, “I don’t have to...I’m the VP?”
Anyone looking at us from outer space would see Dubya in the White House and think that Cheney was emperor of the USA the way he behaves.
After looking at Cheney, I can understand why his daughter feels she can be a lesbian, have a baby and not have to face the consequences that others of us have to live with daily.
Can’t Bush appoint someone else to take over...someone with common sense, common decency and an understanding that other people live in this world beside him, his family and his business friends and associates.
Somebody please...please go hide the red button so that fool can’t fire nukes at Iran. We’ve got enough trouble now. We don’t need another war front.
We don’t need expansion of the Patriot Act or suspension of more of our civil liberties.
Hell, he’s already declared himself outside government. He refuses to talk to anyone except his assistants...Is he still even talking to Dubya, except to say, “I don’t have to...I’m the VP?”
Anyone looking at us from outer space would see Dubya in the White House and think that Cheney was emperor of the USA the way he behaves.
After looking at Cheney, I can understand why his daughter feels she can be a lesbian, have a baby and not have to face the consequences that others of us have to live with daily.
Can’t Bush appoint someone else to take over...someone with common sense, common decency and an understanding that other people live in this world beside him, his family and his business friends and associates.
7.10.2007
Morality Plays
Yesterday, the NAACP buried the “N” word...literally. The organization held a funeral for the word, duplicating it’s actions of a couple of decades ago, when it buried Jim Crow.
Burying Jim Crow will prove to be the easier entombment, I think. That’s because so many of us use the “N” word when talking to each other. We only have a problem with it when white people use it.
It’s always been considered a bad word. I come from the generation where parents didn’t curse in front of the kids. And, we never, ever used the “N” word for any reason to refer to anyone else. It was a term of disrespect with the obvious racist connotations. We were taught not to denigrate ourselves because we would get enough of that when we stepped into the white professional world. Trust me, as someone who has spent her entire life being the “first black this and only female that,” there are actually hundreds of ways somebody can call you a nigger without using the word itself.
Nowadays, kids toss the word around like a water balloon and people have become desensitized to it. The problem with using it so freely is that people with no sense of history or anything else for that matter, think they can use it like we do. That’s when it becomes offensive.
As blacks we can’t be so hypocritical. If we’re going to use it, we must expect that others will too. We need to get over ourselves and really, really make the word inoffensive, much like gay and lesbians did with the word “Queer.” The LGBT community owns that word, having taken possession of it a long time ago. You can’t hurt us with it anymore. Blacks need to do the same with the “N” word. If we intend to use it, then we have to stop reacting to its use by others. Once it loses it’s shock value, then it is buried for real, not symbolically like the NAACP tried to do yesterday.
The NAACP would do better recapturing its relevance if it would go after the things that are killing our communities, like AIDS, Poverty, black on black violence, out of wedlock children, and the school dropout rate.
Remember, the old nursery rhyme....”sticks and stones can break my bones...but words will never hurt me..”
Good words to live by..
Burying Jim Crow will prove to be the easier entombment, I think. That’s because so many of us use the “N” word when talking to each other. We only have a problem with it when white people use it.
It’s always been considered a bad word. I come from the generation where parents didn’t curse in front of the kids. And, we never, ever used the “N” word for any reason to refer to anyone else. It was a term of disrespect with the obvious racist connotations. We were taught not to denigrate ourselves because we would get enough of that when we stepped into the white professional world. Trust me, as someone who has spent her entire life being the “first black this and only female that,” there are actually hundreds of ways somebody can call you a nigger without using the word itself.
Nowadays, kids toss the word around like a water balloon and people have become desensitized to it. The problem with using it so freely is that people with no sense of history or anything else for that matter, think they can use it like we do. That’s when it becomes offensive.
As blacks we can’t be so hypocritical. If we’re going to use it, we must expect that others will too. We need to get over ourselves and really, really make the word inoffensive, much like gay and lesbians did with the word “Queer.” The LGBT community owns that word, having taken possession of it a long time ago. You can’t hurt us with it anymore. Blacks need to do the same with the “N” word. If we intend to use it, then we have to stop reacting to its use by others. Once it loses it’s shock value, then it is buried for real, not symbolically like the NAACP tried to do yesterday.
The NAACP would do better recapturing its relevance if it would go after the things that are killing our communities, like AIDS, Poverty, black on black violence, out of wedlock children, and the school dropout rate.
Remember, the old nursery rhyme....”sticks and stones can break my bones...but words will never hurt me..”
Good words to live by..
7.03.2007
His World
In the wee small hours after midnight, when Dubya is out of the public eye and into his own little world under the covers, I want to know what he is smoking/drinking/snorting. I mean he’s got to be using something to maintain this Buddha-like calm he displays while standing in the midst of his self created shit storm. I haven’t seen this kind of calm exhibited since the self medicating days of the sixties. “Hey man, got any ‘ludes?”
For the past seven years he’s done stuff.....started a war, ripped up the constitution, trashed civil liberties and flooded the judicial branch with inexperienced hacks and extreme right wing politically driven judges. He’s gutted the justice department, compromised and outed our spies to our enemies. He’s lied to the American public, repeatedly. Dubya has all but erased the line that separates church and state. He’s killed scientific study and research. He’s replaced learning with testing in our schools.
His court, after first giving him the election, has now reversed Brown vs the Board of Education. Can Roe v. Wade be far behind? Ladies throw away your Manolos it’s back to bare foot and pregnant unless you have the money to circumvent the law.
His politically appointed cronies have killed the great city of New Orleans, set back women’s health initiatives, and practically done away with birth control in favor of sticking your head in the sand and hoping that no pregnancy results.
He’s thumbed his nose at the rest of the world and sits on his daddy’s yacht while the planet goes to hell in a hand basket.
How is it that this out of control, ex crack head frat boy got elected to the most powerful office on the face of the earth?
Scooter gets tried and convicted and sentenced to jail. Dubya commutes the sentence claiming his boy had been treated harshly and his family is suffering. Well, what about the family of Valerie Plame? He outed her as a spy to get back at her husband. His vindictiveness could have gotten her killed. Does he care? Apparently not.
Generations in the future are screwed because of his irresponsible fiscal policies. Does he care?
Dubya is the original bubble boy...hiding behind his calm inside his dome while his rogue vice president runs rampant, trampling our laws and system of checks and balances.
Dubya needs to share whatever he’s toking, because the rest of us are a bundle of nerves. We’re so stressed out, we don’t take vacations. We’ve got a president who tells us that except for his war on terror, the rest of the stuff is not that serious. Oh, but it is.
I want your drugs Dubya. That way I may be able to relax and share your vision. Your world must be wonderful. I need some of that virtual reality inside your bubble.
Yeah, you really need to share your stuff, man, so that we can all escape this hell on earth world that you’ve bequeathed upon us. Passing the bong, it's the American way.
For the past seven years he’s done stuff.....started a war, ripped up the constitution, trashed civil liberties and flooded the judicial branch with inexperienced hacks and extreme right wing politically driven judges. He’s gutted the justice department, compromised and outed our spies to our enemies. He’s lied to the American public, repeatedly. Dubya has all but erased the line that separates church and state. He’s killed scientific study and research. He’s replaced learning with testing in our schools.
His court, after first giving him the election, has now reversed Brown vs the Board of Education. Can Roe v. Wade be far behind? Ladies throw away your Manolos it’s back to bare foot and pregnant unless you have the money to circumvent the law.
His politically appointed cronies have killed the great city of New Orleans, set back women’s health initiatives, and practically done away with birth control in favor of sticking your head in the sand and hoping that no pregnancy results.
He’s thumbed his nose at the rest of the world and sits on his daddy’s yacht while the planet goes to hell in a hand basket.
How is it that this out of control, ex crack head frat boy got elected to the most powerful office on the face of the earth?
Scooter gets tried and convicted and sentenced to jail. Dubya commutes the sentence claiming his boy had been treated harshly and his family is suffering. Well, what about the family of Valerie Plame? He outed her as a spy to get back at her husband. His vindictiveness could have gotten her killed. Does he care? Apparently not.
Generations in the future are screwed because of his irresponsible fiscal policies. Does he care?
Dubya is the original bubble boy...hiding behind his calm inside his dome while his rogue vice president runs rampant, trampling our laws and system of checks and balances.
Dubya needs to share whatever he’s toking, because the rest of us are a bundle of nerves. We’re so stressed out, we don’t take vacations. We’ve got a president who tells us that except for his war on terror, the rest of the stuff is not that serious. Oh, but it is.
I want your drugs Dubya. That way I may be able to relax and share your vision. Your world must be wonderful. I need some of that virtual reality inside your bubble.
Yeah, you really need to share your stuff, man, so that we can all escape this hell on earth world that you’ve bequeathed upon us. Passing the bong, it's the American way.
6.29.2007
I Mania
I have to admit that I do want an iphone. I like the way it looks. I like the way it feels and most important, I can see the buttons, not that an iphone even has buttons. But at $600.00 I can wait. Besides I just renewed my old verizon contract, so I’m out of the phone market for a couple of years. By then, Apple should have worked out all the bugs in the iphone.
I already have an ipod and although I love it to death, it has bugs...millions of them. I wish I had waited to buy it, but I couldn’t resist the thought of having my entire music collection in my pocket.
Iphones make me realize that I am getting old because despite my desire to own one, I can’t believe that a telephone can be a status symbol. I’ve had my younger friends, meaning those young enough to be my grandkids, actually check out my phone to see what I choose to carry. From these conversations I have learned that the more your phone can do, or the more it costs, then the higher your status.
I’m sorry, but a phone is still a phone to me. It replaces the need to have to find a pay phone like the ones that used to populate street corners. My contract offers free phones in exchange for company loyalty. So every couple of years, I choose the most expensive phone that I can get for free. I also need to be able to read the buttons since my eyes no longer work as well as they used to. I carry this sleek black number that is web ready, bluetooth ready, mp3 equipped, and has a camera and also shoots video. Most importantly, it was free.
I’ve played with all the features, but basically, after I’m done playing, it’s still just a phone, a convenience that keeps me from having to search for one on the corner in order to reach out and touch when I need to.
Knowing me, I will eventually own an iphone. But it won’t be for a couple of years and the phone itself will probably be into it’s third or fourth generation. By then the kinks will be gone, and it won’t cost so much. And I will have a better understanding of phone as status symbol, I guess...maybe...maybe not..
I already have an ipod and although I love it to death, it has bugs...millions of them. I wish I had waited to buy it, but I couldn’t resist the thought of having my entire music collection in my pocket.
Iphones make me realize that I am getting old because despite my desire to own one, I can’t believe that a telephone can be a status symbol. I’ve had my younger friends, meaning those young enough to be my grandkids, actually check out my phone to see what I choose to carry. From these conversations I have learned that the more your phone can do, or the more it costs, then the higher your status.
I’m sorry, but a phone is still a phone to me. It replaces the need to have to find a pay phone like the ones that used to populate street corners. My contract offers free phones in exchange for company loyalty. So every couple of years, I choose the most expensive phone that I can get for free. I also need to be able to read the buttons since my eyes no longer work as well as they used to. I carry this sleek black number that is web ready, bluetooth ready, mp3 equipped, and has a camera and also shoots video. Most importantly, it was free.
I’ve played with all the features, but basically, after I’m done playing, it’s still just a phone, a convenience that keeps me from having to search for one on the corner in order to reach out and touch when I need to.
Knowing me, I will eventually own an iphone. But it won’t be for a couple of years and the phone itself will probably be into it’s third or fourth generation. By then the kinks will be gone, and it won’t cost so much. And I will have a better understanding of phone as status symbol, I guess...maybe...maybe not..
6.11.2007
America Mismanaged
Gasoline
Wow! Gasoline prices have dropped seven cents per gallon in the past week. Man! I need to fire up my 25 gallon vehicle and drive to my nearest filling station for a fill up. Look at all the money I can save! At this rate, next week I can probably afford to buy a Big Mac for lunch.
And don’t say go buy a smaller car. Some of us can’t afford to change cars like we change underwear. With the price of these alleged gas saving hybrids, it will be a long time before I purchase a newer car much less a hybrid.
Tainted Justice
Colin Powell says Gitmo should be shutdown immediately. Defense Secretary Robert Gates calls Guantanamo a “taint” on the reputation of America. Powell was the only member of the Bush Administration who was against opening the facility in the first place. Both Gates and Powell say the facility harms America’s image abroad. Does Dubya care? Is Condi listening? By the way, where is Condi these days?
Powell also apologized for his part in getting us into this civil war. He said the situation in Iraq was mismanaged from jump street and run by amateurs.
Immigration
Bush says he is going to reopen the push for immigration reform when he returns from his trip overseas. I wonder......is he just talking about our southern border with the brown people of Mexico or is he also talking about our porous northern border with pale Canada? You will recall that the TB guy was let into this country through Canada despite being on everyone’s keep out list. The border guard said TB guy “looked okay to him.” If you’ve seen him in his news appearances, TB guy looks just like all the guys in the Bush Administration as well as all the other guys who are considered masters of the universe. Others who have tried to come through Canada, like Moussoui the 9/11 would be hijacker, were stopped and arrested. What happened. Guess he didn’t “look okay.” He is certainly not a master of the universe.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend?!- CNN
We are going to give guns to the Sunnis to fight Al Quaeda in Iraq....now that looks like a plan...well thought out...Question....are we going to pull out our troops first before they get caught in an even bigger crossfire? If my memory serves me correctly, didn’t we use to arm Al Quaeda too?
Bombing Iran
Jolting Joe Lieberman wants to bomb Iran. Like our military isn’t already stretched enough. Why don’t we just go ahead and hit North Korea and China while we’re at it. Note to you war happy politicians....if you want to fight, pick up a gun and go fight, but leave the rest of us alone.
Aggressive military action is being talked up by guys in power who spent all their youth avoiding the military......Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Romney, Guiliani....to name a few.. The guys and women who have been to war don’t want to go back, with the exception being McCain.
Wow! Gasoline prices have dropped seven cents per gallon in the past week. Man! I need to fire up my 25 gallon vehicle and drive to my nearest filling station for a fill up. Look at all the money I can save! At this rate, next week I can probably afford to buy a Big Mac for lunch.
And don’t say go buy a smaller car. Some of us can’t afford to change cars like we change underwear. With the price of these alleged gas saving hybrids, it will be a long time before I purchase a newer car much less a hybrid.
Tainted Justice
Colin Powell says Gitmo should be shutdown immediately. Defense Secretary Robert Gates calls Guantanamo a “taint” on the reputation of America. Powell was the only member of the Bush Administration who was against opening the facility in the first place. Both Gates and Powell say the facility harms America’s image abroad. Does Dubya care? Is Condi listening? By the way, where is Condi these days?
Powell also apologized for his part in getting us into this civil war. He said the situation in Iraq was mismanaged from jump street and run by amateurs.
Immigration
Bush says he is going to reopen the push for immigration reform when he returns from his trip overseas. I wonder......is he just talking about our southern border with the brown people of Mexico or is he also talking about our porous northern border with pale Canada? You will recall that the TB guy was let into this country through Canada despite being on everyone’s keep out list. The border guard said TB guy “looked okay to him.” If you’ve seen him in his news appearances, TB guy looks just like all the guys in the Bush Administration as well as all the other guys who are considered masters of the universe. Others who have tried to come through Canada, like Moussoui the 9/11 would be hijacker, were stopped and arrested. What happened. Guess he didn’t “look okay.” He is certainly not a master of the universe.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend?!- CNN
We are going to give guns to the Sunnis to fight Al Quaeda in Iraq....now that looks like a plan...well thought out...Question....are we going to pull out our troops first before they get caught in an even bigger crossfire? If my memory serves me correctly, didn’t we use to arm Al Quaeda too?
Bombing Iran
Jolting Joe Lieberman wants to bomb Iran. Like our military isn’t already stretched enough. Why don’t we just go ahead and hit North Korea and China while we’re at it. Note to you war happy politicians....if you want to fight, pick up a gun and go fight, but leave the rest of us alone.
Aggressive military action is being talked up by guys in power who spent all their youth avoiding the military......Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Romney, Guiliani....to name a few.. The guys and women who have been to war don’t want to go back, with the exception being McCain.
6.07.2007
Photo Op Terrorism and the Politics of Fearmongering
First came the Liberty City Old School Knuckleheads, then the Fort Dix Six. Now we’ve got the Islamic Reggae Boys, apparently led by a sometimes homeless drug addict.
These guys are terrorists, bent on bringing down America? Please!
The first group were old school militants still living in the sixties with no guns, no cars and no cash. Based on that scenario, they couldn’t land a date these days much less bring down a government. They marched around their warehouse quoting the Last Poets and watching Bruce Lee movies and probably talked a lot of trash that some stupid government informant thought sounded like plotting and turned them in. Now they’ve disappeared into the Just-Us system.
The Fort Dix Six at least look the part, meaning they fit the profile of what a terrorist might look like, if you’re stupid and racist and buy the Homeland Security B.S...you know the type, dark skinned, swarthy, skull cap wearing, bearded, middle eastern looking. But c’mon the feds would have us believe that these men hatched a plot to dress up as pizza deliverymen, go to a full scale military base and shoot up and kill as many soldiers as possible, then escape to tell about it. Further, they recorded their plot on DVD and took it to a drug store for processing?
Now we’ve got the Reggae boys from Trinidad plot. Like the Knuckleheads, these guys had no money, no vehicles and no guns, explosives or nuclear bombs. They talked a lot to a fed informant who was a drug addict working his way into the witness protection program and got turned in to the police, probably after the all ganja was gone. These guys were talking about blowing up JFK airport. The plot announced by one of those political hack attorney generals appointed during Gonzo gate. Airlines security experts from around the world are laughing their collective asses off at this one.
In light of who’s being arrested, I’m scared to death our government couldn’t identify a real terrorist if Osama Bin Laden, himself, walked up to the front door of the White House, pulling his dialysis machine behind him, and said, “I’m here to blow up your country, now arrest me.”
Even the 24 arrested in England last year, were picked up at the behest of our government. The Brits said most of the guys were harmless and in fact, 22 of them were let go a couple of days after the news conference detailing their arrests.
We’re trapped in a cycle of fear. Every time one of these types of arrests is made, there is major news coverage with some government talking head, usually Bush or our invisible vice president, telling us to “be afraid, be very afraid.”
When is the news media in this country going to wake up and realize it’s been had. Not everything is news or news worthy, and most of what is coming from this administration is just noise to camouflage the really bad stuff that they’re doing.
We, as a people, have paid millions and billions of dollars for a state of the art security system to protect our country, while our government is still using tactics dreamed up in the days of civil unrest back in the sixties. No wonder they keep stumbling over these old school militants. The real terrorists are apparently cloaked in 21st century stealth, and don’t register on old school radar.
Yes, we need to be vigilant. Yes, we need security. But not this. With what’s going on, it seems our government uses Keystone Cop movies as training films. If we’re going to go old school, then let’s bring back Coffin Ed and Gravedigger Jones. At least they knew how to find and arrest the real bad guys.
These guys are terrorists, bent on bringing down America? Please!
The first group were old school militants still living in the sixties with no guns, no cars and no cash. Based on that scenario, they couldn’t land a date these days much less bring down a government. They marched around their warehouse quoting the Last Poets and watching Bruce Lee movies and probably talked a lot of trash that some stupid government informant thought sounded like plotting and turned them in. Now they’ve disappeared into the Just-Us system.
The Fort Dix Six at least look the part, meaning they fit the profile of what a terrorist might look like, if you’re stupid and racist and buy the Homeland Security B.S...you know the type, dark skinned, swarthy, skull cap wearing, bearded, middle eastern looking. But c’mon the feds would have us believe that these men hatched a plot to dress up as pizza deliverymen, go to a full scale military base and shoot up and kill as many soldiers as possible, then escape to tell about it. Further, they recorded their plot on DVD and took it to a drug store for processing?
Now we’ve got the Reggae boys from Trinidad plot. Like the Knuckleheads, these guys had no money, no vehicles and no guns, explosives or nuclear bombs. They talked a lot to a fed informant who was a drug addict working his way into the witness protection program and got turned in to the police, probably after the all ganja was gone. These guys were talking about blowing up JFK airport. The plot announced by one of those political hack attorney generals appointed during Gonzo gate. Airlines security experts from around the world are laughing their collective asses off at this one.
In light of who’s being arrested, I’m scared to death our government couldn’t identify a real terrorist if Osama Bin Laden, himself, walked up to the front door of the White House, pulling his dialysis machine behind him, and said, “I’m here to blow up your country, now arrest me.”
Even the 24 arrested in England last year, were picked up at the behest of our government. The Brits said most of the guys were harmless and in fact, 22 of them were let go a couple of days after the news conference detailing their arrests.
We’re trapped in a cycle of fear. Every time one of these types of arrests is made, there is major news coverage with some government talking head, usually Bush or our invisible vice president, telling us to “be afraid, be very afraid.”
When is the news media in this country going to wake up and realize it’s been had. Not everything is news or news worthy, and most of what is coming from this administration is just noise to camouflage the really bad stuff that they’re doing.
We, as a people, have paid millions and billions of dollars for a state of the art security system to protect our country, while our government is still using tactics dreamed up in the days of civil unrest back in the sixties. No wonder they keep stumbling over these old school militants. The real terrorists are apparently cloaked in 21st century stealth, and don’t register on old school radar.
Yes, we need to be vigilant. Yes, we need security. But not this. With what’s going on, it seems our government uses Keystone Cop movies as training films. If we’re going to go old school, then let’s bring back Coffin Ed and Gravedigger Jones. At least they knew how to find and arrest the real bad guys.
6.04.2007
Hostage II
I left the news world back in 1999. I was burned out and quite frankly, didn’t like the turn away from “real news” and toward “infotainment,” which was taking place in the industry. Now, if you miss the first four minutes of the newscast, you’ve essentially missed the newscast. It’s over, except for the recap in the closing 30 seconds. The rest of the time is taken up with features, gossip and weather.
But even though I got out physically, my desire to know has never left. And up until a few months ago I still managed to start my day reading several newspapers (the internet makes it easy). I still read several magazines on both sides of the current issues, in my desire to find all sides of the issues.
I write a blog that most of the time reflects what I’ve read in the newspapers, magazines or heard on CNN or MSNBC. Still can’t stand to watch FOX. It drives me nuts. I ended my career working for the local Fox and a news director who thought that the perfect reporter was one who left the station with prescripted questions written by her or the assignment desk and stuck to script while doing the interview. She actually voiced that opinion in the daily news meeting. I told her point blank that, that would be the day I quit, and it was. She got fired shortly after I quit. It was okay, I needed a change....I needed to write without the constrictions of alleged news gathering, that was no longer happening. But I still carried on my personal search for information...reading and reading and writing and writing, as if I never left the business.
Lately, for the first time in my adult life, I’ve been tuned out of the noise. I mean really tuned out...no newspapers, cancelled my magazine subscriptions, watched less TV news, and I don’t feel all that guilty about unplugging. Haven’t been writing either. I do feel twinges of guilt when I don’t update my blog.
But, hell, I have to remind myself that I created the blog for me. Not for anyone else. I created it to keep in practice with my writing. If I don’t use it, I lose it, understand?
I love to write, it’s just that by creating the blog, I felt an obligation to write every single day, every time I had a thought. That’s good, but there are other things to my life. I play golf. I love to play golf. If I had discovered the game earlier in my life, I might have tried to be a pro. I love being outside, especially this time of year. I have a lawn that needs tending. I have flowers that need love. I have dogs that need exercise. I have me, that needs exercise. I have a car that needs washing. I have a house that needs fixing. I have travel plans to make and trips to take. I need to check out the local flea markets. I have friends and lovers that I need to see. I have wine that needs drinking and food that needs eating.
I have a life outside of my blog and I should never, ever feel guilty about living.
Everything I do and experience comes out in my writing. It will eventually come out in my blog...just not everyday. Maybe not every two or three days. But it will come out, when it’s ready.
So I will get back to politics and the war and having opinions about something. But only when I feel it. In my own time, period.
But even though I got out physically, my desire to know has never left. And up until a few months ago I still managed to start my day reading several newspapers (the internet makes it easy). I still read several magazines on both sides of the current issues, in my desire to find all sides of the issues.
I write a blog that most of the time reflects what I’ve read in the newspapers, magazines or heard on CNN or MSNBC. Still can’t stand to watch FOX. It drives me nuts. I ended my career working for the local Fox and a news director who thought that the perfect reporter was one who left the station with prescripted questions written by her or the assignment desk and stuck to script while doing the interview. She actually voiced that opinion in the daily news meeting. I told her point blank that, that would be the day I quit, and it was. She got fired shortly after I quit. It was okay, I needed a change....I needed to write without the constrictions of alleged news gathering, that was no longer happening. But I still carried on my personal search for information...reading and reading and writing and writing, as if I never left the business.
Lately, for the first time in my adult life, I’ve been tuned out of the noise. I mean really tuned out...no newspapers, cancelled my magazine subscriptions, watched less TV news, and I don’t feel all that guilty about unplugging. Haven’t been writing either. I do feel twinges of guilt when I don’t update my blog.
But, hell, I have to remind myself that I created the blog for me. Not for anyone else. I created it to keep in practice with my writing. If I don’t use it, I lose it, understand?
I love to write, it’s just that by creating the blog, I felt an obligation to write every single day, every time I had a thought. That’s good, but there are other things to my life. I play golf. I love to play golf. If I had discovered the game earlier in my life, I might have tried to be a pro. I love being outside, especially this time of year. I have a lawn that needs tending. I have flowers that need love. I have dogs that need exercise. I have me, that needs exercise. I have a car that needs washing. I have a house that needs fixing. I have travel plans to make and trips to take. I need to check out the local flea markets. I have friends and lovers that I need to see. I have wine that needs drinking and food that needs eating.
I have a life outside of my blog and I should never, ever feel guilty about living.
Everything I do and experience comes out in my writing. It will eventually come out in my blog...just not everyday. Maybe not every two or three days. But it will come out, when it’s ready.
So I will get back to politics and the war and having opinions about something. But only when I feel it. In my own time, period.
5.23.2007
Hostage
One of the many reasons that I loved living in Chicago was that a car was truly a luxury rather than a necessity. I could get anywhere I wanted without having to jump into a vehicle, unless it was public transportation. The buses and trains ran 24/7, 365. I could walk out my door, step to the curb and throw my hand up to signal any of the several taxis passing by. Three large grocery stores were within three blocks, and they delivered. I would walk to the store, choose my food, pay for it, and then tell the cashier where I lived. My groceries arrived within the hour with the eggs not broken.
There were breakfast places for brunch, lunch places, dinner places, bars to drink and watch sports, dance clubs, work out clubs, all within walking distance. And I mean walking distance without breaking sweat or getting leg cramps from over exertion. Since I lived on Lakeshore Drive, I had 22 miles of park, including a golf course right across the street. Wrigley Field was four blocks west. I could open my windows and hear the late Harry Carey sing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” during the seventh inning stretch. The only reason I drove was to visit my sister who lived in the burbs. When I needed to fly, which was weekly, I took the train to O’HARE.
All of these memories came flooding back with the news that a gallon of gasoline is $3.49 at my neighborhood gas station today. I no longer live in Chicago. I now live in Cincinnati Ohio, and I'm old enough to remember a gasoline price war between stations in Mt Healthy, where a gallon cost 28-cents. Cincinnati is a city where a car is a must have, even at today's prices.
Urban sprawl is a nice term for it. Usually good restaurants, good theaters and marvelous clubs inhabit the heart of the city. Now, the best places to eat are right across the river, in Kentucky or out in the burbs of West Chester. The purple people bridge is pedestrian friendly, for those wanting to cross the river, but you need a car to get to the bridge. Here, going clubbing usually means driving to Columbus or Indianapolis. As for getting your groceries delivered intact, well good luck. I consider myself lucky if there is a bagger at the checkout.
Since I grew up in Cincinnati, I was well aware of its cultural limitations for the over 25 set of young adults, both gay and straight. If I want to shop, eat or go to the park, I drive. Everyone has a car. Many people have two or three in case one breaks down. Boycotting rising gas prices will not happen here because Cincinnati, like many other former industrial cities of the Midwest, is not people or user friendly. The Midwest is held hostage by the whims of OPEC.
If you don’t have a car, you better have a friend who has one. The wait between buses is about an hour. Getting a bus late at night is pretty impossible. Looking for a taxi? Don’t go to the curb. Dig out your cell phone and call, it’ll be there in about 20 minutes. Elevated trains? Forget about it!
I’ve been looking at Vespas lately as a means of going green. There is a dealership right around the corner. I like the little European scooters. I wouldn’t think twice about buying one, if I still lived in Europe. But here in Cincinnati, I hesitate because I figure the first time I try to ride it, I’ll be run over by somebody in a big ass SUV hurrying to a radio sponsored gasoline sale.
There were breakfast places for brunch, lunch places, dinner places, bars to drink and watch sports, dance clubs, work out clubs, all within walking distance. And I mean walking distance without breaking sweat or getting leg cramps from over exertion. Since I lived on Lakeshore Drive, I had 22 miles of park, including a golf course right across the street. Wrigley Field was four blocks west. I could open my windows and hear the late Harry Carey sing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” during the seventh inning stretch. The only reason I drove was to visit my sister who lived in the burbs. When I needed to fly, which was weekly, I took the train to O’HARE.
All of these memories came flooding back with the news that a gallon of gasoline is $3.49 at my neighborhood gas station today. I no longer live in Chicago. I now live in Cincinnati Ohio, and I'm old enough to remember a gasoline price war between stations in Mt Healthy, where a gallon cost 28-cents. Cincinnati is a city where a car is a must have, even at today's prices.
Urban sprawl is a nice term for it. Usually good restaurants, good theaters and marvelous clubs inhabit the heart of the city. Now, the best places to eat are right across the river, in Kentucky or out in the burbs of West Chester. The purple people bridge is pedestrian friendly, for those wanting to cross the river, but you need a car to get to the bridge. Here, going clubbing usually means driving to Columbus or Indianapolis. As for getting your groceries delivered intact, well good luck. I consider myself lucky if there is a bagger at the checkout.
Since I grew up in Cincinnati, I was well aware of its cultural limitations for the over 25 set of young adults, both gay and straight. If I want to shop, eat or go to the park, I drive. Everyone has a car. Many people have two or three in case one breaks down. Boycotting rising gas prices will not happen here because Cincinnati, like many other former industrial cities of the Midwest, is not people or user friendly. The Midwest is held hostage by the whims of OPEC.
If you don’t have a car, you better have a friend who has one. The wait between buses is about an hour. Getting a bus late at night is pretty impossible. Looking for a taxi? Don’t go to the curb. Dig out your cell phone and call, it’ll be there in about 20 minutes. Elevated trains? Forget about it!
I’ve been looking at Vespas lately as a means of going green. There is a dealership right around the corner. I like the little European scooters. I wouldn’t think twice about buying one, if I still lived in Europe. But here in Cincinnati, I hesitate because I figure the first time I try to ride it, I’ll be run over by somebody in a big ass SUV hurrying to a radio sponsored gasoline sale.
5.16.2007
The Buck Doesn’t Stop Here
I guess Harry Truman is doing flip flops in his grave over this administration. The straight talking, straight shooting, honest man from Missouri, would never have allowed the White House to be swallowed up by the cloud of mendacity that seeps from every crack of that building these days.
We have a president who “doesn’t recall, can’t remember, blames congress and the democrats, and anybody else he can think of for the current morass.” Now he has appointed a War Czar to handle the quagmire in the middle east.
I thought the president was always the “war czar.” Dubya was the boss in the run up to the war after 9/11. He was the head of state when it came to “mission accomplished” on the flight deck in front of the troops. Why step away now. Why doesn’t the buck stop at Dubya’s desk as it has with every other president we’ve had to this point?
I guess it’s like everything else about this president..paint a big picture, pose for the photo op, and let everyone else fill in the details, no matter how fuzzy or unethical.
*********
Question......Does AG Gonzales ever pay attention to the words coming out of his mouth? He’s got his tongue so far up Dubya’s butt, it’s a wonder if he will ever come clean. Talk about loyalty to the family, and I’m not talking Sopranos here. Maybe the feds need to pay closer attention to what goes on inside la familia in Maine.
**********
OMG! Paris is traumatized about going to jail. Well, join the club sista girl, me too! I don’t think anyone likes being locked up. But MOST of us do the right thing and stay away from jail and police officers with badges and guns. We po folk don’t call em pigs for nothing. We don’t have millions of dollars, a glitzy name or high priced attorneys to protect us. We have to do the right thing or pay the price. Because we know that if there is anything the police like better than beating up poor people...it’s locking up rich people who think they’re above the law. Buy a vowel and get a clue, girlfriend, and please, please, go sit down and pretend to be invisible.
**********
Yolanda King, eldest daughter of Martin Luther King, has passed away. Gone too soon. Rest in peace.
*********
The Reverend Jerry Falwell has passed on too. To quote the late great Moms Mabley...”don’t say nothin’ about the dead, unless you can say somethin’ good.....he’s dead....good!”
We have a president who “doesn’t recall, can’t remember, blames congress and the democrats, and anybody else he can think of for the current morass.” Now he has appointed a War Czar to handle the quagmire in the middle east.
I thought the president was always the “war czar.” Dubya was the boss in the run up to the war after 9/11. He was the head of state when it came to “mission accomplished” on the flight deck in front of the troops. Why step away now. Why doesn’t the buck stop at Dubya’s desk as it has with every other president we’ve had to this point?
I guess it’s like everything else about this president..paint a big picture, pose for the photo op, and let everyone else fill in the details, no matter how fuzzy or unethical.
*********
Question......Does AG Gonzales ever pay attention to the words coming out of his mouth? He’s got his tongue so far up Dubya’s butt, it’s a wonder if he will ever come clean. Talk about loyalty to the family, and I’m not talking Sopranos here. Maybe the feds need to pay closer attention to what goes on inside la familia in Maine.
**********
OMG! Paris is traumatized about going to jail. Well, join the club sista girl, me too! I don’t think anyone likes being locked up. But MOST of us do the right thing and stay away from jail and police officers with badges and guns. We po folk don’t call em pigs for nothing. We don’t have millions of dollars, a glitzy name or high priced attorneys to protect us. We have to do the right thing or pay the price. Because we know that if there is anything the police like better than beating up poor people...it’s locking up rich people who think they’re above the law. Buy a vowel and get a clue, girlfriend, and please, please, go sit down and pretend to be invisible.
**********
Yolanda King, eldest daughter of Martin Luther King, has passed away. Gone too soon. Rest in peace.
*********
The Reverend Jerry Falwell has passed on too. To quote the late great Moms Mabley...”don’t say nothin’ about the dead, unless you can say somethin’ good.....he’s dead....good!”
5.10.2007
The Ballad of Jeff and OJ
Big bad restauranteur Jeff Ruby sidled up to big bad former football player OJ Simpson and told him to get out of his restaurant. It happened in Louisville this past derby weekend. Sounds like a scene out of the movie HIGH NOON. Ruby in the white hat confronted the accused-murderer-judged-not guilty, black hat wearing Simpson and reportedly said, “I’m not going to serve you!” And as the story goes, OJ meekly gathered his party of twelve, tucked his tail between his legs and left the premises amid a standing ovation for the bravado of the seemingly heroic Jeff Ruby.
Today we hear from Simpson’s attorney that the eviction was for racial reasons only and that OJ may sue. Ruby’s retort is that he was merely seeking some justice for Ron Goldman’s family.
I have mixed feelings about this alleged incident. Jeff Ruby owns many restaurants in and around my city. In the black community his rep is a bit tarnished. Seems every time there is a “black” event downtown, like the Jazz festival or black family reunion, Mr Ruby is known for closing his restaurants to take “inventory” or “vacation.” He has even been picketed for such actions in past years. He always denies the allegations, because “some of his best friends are.......” He does know a lot of black athletes and in other times, Ruby and Simpson would be photo op buddies, with Simpson gifted with tab at all Ruby establishments.
But if the closing incidents had happened only once, I would say, well, maybe coincidence, bad timing on the part of the restaurant. After all, what businessman closes his doors to making money? But it keeps happening and he is not the only one downtown who reacts like that. But they say, they’re not racist, just, well...I don’t know how they alibi themselves. I don’t patronize people who obviously don’t want my money.
Anyway, back to OJ. I am totally convinced he killed his ex-wife. He is reprehensible. I don’t understand how he could even have an entourage of twelve people who want to have dinner with him. I wouldn’t want him in my restaurant either. But I would serve him if he showed up. He was found not guilty. He is protected by double jeopardy laws.
Ruby was grandstanding. He saw a chance to grab the spotlight and took it. He got lots of free publicity for his restaurants. At Simpson’s expense, he ends up looking like a good guy, his feet of clay quietly hidden under the table.
Today we hear from Simpson’s attorney that the eviction was for racial reasons only and that OJ may sue. Ruby’s retort is that he was merely seeking some justice for Ron Goldman’s family.
I have mixed feelings about this alleged incident. Jeff Ruby owns many restaurants in and around my city. In the black community his rep is a bit tarnished. Seems every time there is a “black” event downtown, like the Jazz festival or black family reunion, Mr Ruby is known for closing his restaurants to take “inventory” or “vacation.” He has even been picketed for such actions in past years. He always denies the allegations, because “some of his best friends are.......” He does know a lot of black athletes and in other times, Ruby and Simpson would be photo op buddies, with Simpson gifted with tab at all Ruby establishments.
But if the closing incidents had happened only once, I would say, well, maybe coincidence, bad timing on the part of the restaurant. After all, what businessman closes his doors to making money? But it keeps happening and he is not the only one downtown who reacts like that. But they say, they’re not racist, just, well...I don’t know how they alibi themselves. I don’t patronize people who obviously don’t want my money.
Anyway, back to OJ. I am totally convinced he killed his ex-wife. He is reprehensible. I don’t understand how he could even have an entourage of twelve people who want to have dinner with him. I wouldn’t want him in my restaurant either. But I would serve him if he showed up. He was found not guilty. He is protected by double jeopardy laws.
Ruby was grandstanding. He saw a chance to grab the spotlight and took it. He got lots of free publicity for his restaurants. At Simpson’s expense, he ends up looking like a good guy, his feet of clay quietly hidden under the table.
5.03.2007
Ten Men Talking
Well, the first GOP “debate” is over and it went well:
If you deny evolution,
if you think Ronny Ray-gun was the best president, ever, and refuse to criticize Bush, or other members of his evil cabal,
think gays and lesbians are abomination,
think stem cell research is murder,
don’t think women have enough brains to make good decisions when it comes to their own bodies,
Think Alito and Roberts will do great things from the Supreme Court bench,
think congress has a right to mess in private lives like what happened with Terri Shiavo,
continue to equate the Iraq quagmire with a war on terror,
are willing to go to war with Iran tomorrow, despite the messes in Iraq and Afghanistan,
and feel this administration is doing a good job..
They all hate Hillary and one of them (sorry, they all look alike) told Joe Scarborough that every man on stage would make a better president than Hillary Clinton. The answer also shows that she is the one they fear the most. They all ranted against Hillary health care, circa early 90's. They all took pot shots at Bill and most of them voted to impeach him. They all accused Democrats of being soft on defense.
If Hillary gets the nomination, I’m willing to bet that it will be a very negative campaign. Men turn into "mean girls" and get bitchy, when challenged by women, we all know that.
Did anyone stand out.....Mitt Romney looked presidential...but it was that idealized, calculated look of what a president should look like. Listening to him....he’s got the Joe Biden slime factor going on.
Rudy, Rudy, Rudy....got buried in the shuffle. He didn’t stand out or have a chance to stand out. He was trying to be everything to everyone. It’s not working. He doesn’t seem really interested in the job. I think he likes campaigning as long as it holds his interest, nothing more.
And if the GOP hands Rudy the nomination it will illustrate just how hypocritical republicans are when it comes to making moral judgements. Rudy’s so tainted, he should be a democrat.
John McCain....tried too hard. I think the parade has passed him by and he can’t catch up.
As for the rest of them, well, we needed some comic relief....I found myself wishing for Newt or Fred or even Arnold to jump on stage..
If you deny evolution,
if you think Ronny Ray-gun was the best president, ever, and refuse to criticize Bush, or other members of his evil cabal,
think gays and lesbians are abomination,
think stem cell research is murder,
don’t think women have enough brains to make good decisions when it comes to their own bodies,
Think Alito and Roberts will do great things from the Supreme Court bench,
think congress has a right to mess in private lives like what happened with Terri Shiavo,
continue to equate the Iraq quagmire with a war on terror,
are willing to go to war with Iran tomorrow, despite the messes in Iraq and Afghanistan,
and feel this administration is doing a good job..
They all hate Hillary and one of them (sorry, they all look alike) told Joe Scarborough that every man on stage would make a better president than Hillary Clinton. The answer also shows that she is the one they fear the most. They all ranted against Hillary health care, circa early 90's. They all took pot shots at Bill and most of them voted to impeach him. They all accused Democrats of being soft on defense.
If Hillary gets the nomination, I’m willing to bet that it will be a very negative campaign. Men turn into "mean girls" and get bitchy, when challenged by women, we all know that.
Did anyone stand out.....Mitt Romney looked presidential...but it was that idealized, calculated look of what a president should look like. Listening to him....he’s got the Joe Biden slime factor going on.
Rudy, Rudy, Rudy....got buried in the shuffle. He didn’t stand out or have a chance to stand out. He was trying to be everything to everyone. It’s not working. He doesn’t seem really interested in the job. I think he likes campaigning as long as it holds his interest, nothing more.
And if the GOP hands Rudy the nomination it will illustrate just how hypocritical republicans are when it comes to making moral judgements. Rudy’s so tainted, he should be a democrat.
John McCain....tried too hard. I think the parade has passed him by and he can’t catch up.
As for the rest of them, well, we needed some comic relief....I found myself wishing for Newt or Fred or even Arnold to jump on stage..
4.30.2007
Yep, Nothing’s Changed
The Justice Department quietly released a report, Sunday, confirming once again what we minorities already know about law enforcement in this country. Echoing a 2002 report, the Just-us department determined that police are more likely to search, arrest or to use force against minority drivers than against whites.
The popular term for this today is “driving while black” or DWB, you’ve heard the term already, I’m sure. Supporters of the study were quick to point out that other things like “driver temperament” or behavior toward police were not taken into consideration. So, what are they saying....blacks and Hispanics are not polite enough or docile enough when approached by cops?
While recognizing the problem, Just-us doesn’t offer any solutions.
At least this time they issued a press release....back in 2002, they dropped it like it was hot and let it lay there until somebody noticed.
******
Karma smackdown
The ruling party in DC gets another karma smackdown when a DC madam goes to court today to answer prostitution charges. Seems some of the names in her little black book are also listed on the employee log at the White House. At least one guy has already resigned. Another guy is said to be the one who came up with the term “shock and awe” for the invasion of Iraq.
Looks like the GOP moral compass is broken again.
*********
Veto
Did you know that when Dubya vetoes the Iraq spending bill, he will also veto the minimum wage hike? The wage hike is a part of that funding bill.
*********
Update on American Casualties
3350 since the “war” began
3211 since “mission accomplished”
24,912 official wounded
100,000 estimated actually wounded
No numbers on Iraqi civilians
The popular term for this today is “driving while black” or DWB, you’ve heard the term already, I’m sure. Supporters of the study were quick to point out that other things like “driver temperament” or behavior toward police were not taken into consideration. So, what are they saying....blacks and Hispanics are not polite enough or docile enough when approached by cops?
While recognizing the problem, Just-us doesn’t offer any solutions.
At least this time they issued a press release....back in 2002, they dropped it like it was hot and let it lay there until somebody noticed.
******
Karma smackdown
The ruling party in DC gets another karma smackdown when a DC madam goes to court today to answer prostitution charges. Seems some of the names in her little black book are also listed on the employee log at the White House. At least one guy has already resigned. Another guy is said to be the one who came up with the term “shock and awe” for the invasion of Iraq.
Looks like the GOP moral compass is broken again.
*********
Veto
Did you know that when Dubya vetoes the Iraq spending bill, he will also veto the minimum wage hike? The wage hike is a part of that funding bill.
*********
Update on American Casualties
3350 since the “war” began
3211 since “mission accomplished”
24,912 official wounded
100,000 estimated actually wounded
No numbers on Iraqi civilians
4.27.2007
Denying Guns to Terrorists
Overshadowed by the all of the info-tainment that passed as news yesterday was a little nugget about guns that had me doing a double take. Seems that it’s perfectly legal, as we speak, for people who are on this government’s terrorist watch list to buy guns in this country.
In fact, according to the GAO, gun permits were issued to 47 of 58 people who were listed on the watch list in a nine month period in 2005.
This insane action is coming to light because of a proposal introduced by New Jersey Senator Frank Lautenberg, yesterday, who wants to make it legal for the Attorney General to block these types of gun sales, http://www.nytimes.com.
Dubya’s just-us department has also jumped on the bandwagon with a similar proposal. I guess the White House doesn’t want to be caught looking bad again in light of the shootings at Virginia Tech.
Law enforcement officials have apparently been trying to get this loop hole closed since 9/11.
But former AG John Ashcroft blocked all FBI efforts to compare the watch list with gun applications citing the Brady Gun Law.
Lautenberg’s measure was apparently introduced some time ago, but has been stalled by the gun crazy GOP controlled congress. The Senator, his aides and the Justice Dept, now think a Democrat controlled congress might prove more receptive to change. I’m not so sure. The National Rifle Association also has most democrats on a leash as well as the GOP. Getting loop holes closed in gun laws is an uphill climb no matter who is in charge of congress.
So far, the NRA has not weighed in on this issue.
I would think denying guns to terrorists is a “no brainer.” To paraphrase Dubya, why fight them here when we’re already fighting them over there.
********
And speaking of “over there” seems the shaky Iraqi government is taking a page out of this administration’s play book and is going on vacation in July and August. They’re just going to shut the doors and walk away for a while.
Well, why can’t we do that? Walk away? Their walking away seems to be an indication that they think it’s our mess and that we are the ones who should handle it.
I don’t think we can walk away, but I do think we can ease on down the road and out ASAP.
Ya listening Dubya?
In fact, according to the GAO, gun permits were issued to 47 of 58 people who were listed on the watch list in a nine month period in 2005.
This insane action is coming to light because of a proposal introduced by New Jersey Senator Frank Lautenberg, yesterday, who wants to make it legal for the Attorney General to block these types of gun sales, http://www.nytimes.com.
Dubya’s just-us department has also jumped on the bandwagon with a similar proposal. I guess the White House doesn’t want to be caught looking bad again in light of the shootings at Virginia Tech.
Law enforcement officials have apparently been trying to get this loop hole closed since 9/11.
But former AG John Ashcroft blocked all FBI efforts to compare the watch list with gun applications citing the Brady Gun Law.
Lautenberg’s measure was apparently introduced some time ago, but has been stalled by the gun crazy GOP controlled congress. The Senator, his aides and the Justice Dept, now think a Democrat controlled congress might prove more receptive to change. I’m not so sure. The National Rifle Association also has most democrats on a leash as well as the GOP. Getting loop holes closed in gun laws is an uphill climb no matter who is in charge of congress.
So far, the NRA has not weighed in on this issue.
I would think denying guns to terrorists is a “no brainer.” To paraphrase Dubya, why fight them here when we’re already fighting them over there.
********
And speaking of “over there” seems the shaky Iraqi government is taking a page out of this administration’s play book and is going on vacation in July and August. They’re just going to shut the doors and walk away for a while.
Well, why can’t we do that? Walk away? Their walking away seems to be an indication that they think it’s our mess and that we are the ones who should handle it.
I don’t think we can walk away, but I do think we can ease on down the road and out ASAP.
Ya listening Dubya?
4.26.2007
I’m Voting for the Old Guy
Just finished watching the first debate of this latest presidential season. All top tier democrats were on stage and apparently on their best behavior. It was pretty boring except for the old guy, Senator Mike Gravel. I didn’t know he was running for president. Hell, I didn’t even know who he was, but I like the fact that he, at least was willing to throw some bombs and mix it up a bit.
He spoke his mind with no hint of political correctness, and made some folks antsy. But he doesn’t have a snow ball’s chance of getting the nomination. Gravel flat out said the war was wrong and that we should pull out, period. He said if congress was really against the war, it would pull the funding, which is Dennis Kucinich’s major stance.
He excited me, made me want to vote for him. He was raw and plain spoken and is probably crazy. But after the past six years of lies, prevarication and arrogance, I’m more than happy to settle for the old guy senator, over more wet behind the ears polished, professional politicians.
But seriously folks....
Obama....smooth, cool under fire, well studied on the issues...felt like part of the establishment
Hillary (I don’t use Clinton cause there are two of them)....cool, to the point, well studied, I liked her straightforward, albeit boring presentation. And I understand she has to be...too flashy...she’s a tart...too smart and forthright....she’s a B***......too understated and she’s a schoolmarm...she can’t win that publicity war, no matter what she does...
Joe Biden....acquitted himself well, created the best soundbite of the night, but I still don’t like him...don’t trust him...smarmy
Bill Richardson...there is something about him that speaks to me, but I need to hear more, and I really don’t think he’s a strong enough candidate.
John Edwards....I’m not going to lie, reminds me of Dan Quayle....just a hell of a lot smarter...
Kucinich....I love Dennis the menace...he’s a great candidate, just too loopy to make it to the White House....trouble is...he is not loopy at all...and that’s a shame...maybe if he loosened up and took the grassroots, campus route...maybe...he could derail the frontrunners...naaah!
Christopher Dodd....another professional politician...I did like his answer about LGBT civil unions...it was heart felt, honest and human...it didn’t pander...I respect him for that..
Overall, I think the format needs changing. This wasn’t a debate, this was Q&A touching on all hot button issues, with reaction from the candidates...Debates need interaction among the participants.....I had trouble paying attention.
Too much PC in the room....with the exception of the old guy.
He spoke his mind with no hint of political correctness, and made some folks antsy. But he doesn’t have a snow ball’s chance of getting the nomination. Gravel flat out said the war was wrong and that we should pull out, period. He said if congress was really against the war, it would pull the funding, which is Dennis Kucinich’s major stance.
He excited me, made me want to vote for him. He was raw and plain spoken and is probably crazy. But after the past six years of lies, prevarication and arrogance, I’m more than happy to settle for the old guy senator, over more wet behind the ears polished, professional politicians.
But seriously folks....
Obama....smooth, cool under fire, well studied on the issues...felt like part of the establishment
Hillary (I don’t use Clinton cause there are two of them)....cool, to the point, well studied, I liked her straightforward, albeit boring presentation. And I understand she has to be...too flashy...she’s a tart...too smart and forthright....she’s a B***......too understated and she’s a schoolmarm...she can’t win that publicity war, no matter what she does...
Joe Biden....acquitted himself well, created the best soundbite of the night, but I still don’t like him...don’t trust him...smarmy
Bill Richardson...there is something about him that speaks to me, but I need to hear more, and I really don’t think he’s a strong enough candidate.
John Edwards....I’m not going to lie, reminds me of Dan Quayle....just a hell of a lot smarter...
Kucinich....I love Dennis the menace...he’s a great candidate, just too loopy to make it to the White House....trouble is...he is not loopy at all...and that’s a shame...maybe if he loosened up and took the grassroots, campus route...maybe...he could derail the frontrunners...naaah!
Christopher Dodd....another professional politician...I did like his answer about LGBT civil unions...it was heart felt, honest and human...it didn’t pander...I respect him for that..
Overall, I think the format needs changing. This wasn’t a debate, this was Q&A touching on all hot button issues, with reaction from the candidates...Debates need interaction among the participants.....I had trouble paying attention.
Too much PC in the room....with the exception of the old guy.
Xena Lives!
All right ladies, here’s something we can invest in. It’s called Women’s Town. And, no I’m not talking about Province town or any of several cities in Massachusetts. I’m talking about a real live city in China where you can unleash your inner Towanda. It's 2.3 square Km of land named Longshihu Village in Chongqing municipality, that follows the traditional concept of “women rule, men obey.”
Now, according to Chinese tourism officials as told to Reuters, there is a long standing practice in which “traditional women dominate and men have to be obedient in the areas of Sicchuan and Chongqing.....” so the area is now going to be marketed as a tourist destination. All officials need is about 26-40 million dollars of foreign money for the ad campaign, and to build infrastructure like houses, buildings, road, inside toilets, you get the picture.
Women’s Town even has a motto, and I love it...”women never make mistakes and men can never refuse women’s requests..” I hope that’s an accurate translation, since, as we all know, translation suffers big time between Chinese and English. But I guess it’s the thought that counts.
Once it gets off the ground, according to spokesperson Li, when tourists enter the area, the woman takes the lead in all decisions, like where to shop, where to eat, where to go for entertainment. If the man decides to disagree or heaven forbid, to disobey his woman, then he will be made to kneel on an uneven board or to wash dishes in a nearby restaurant or to perform some other nasty household job.
Now don’t rush out and buy your airline tickets just yet. This project was kicked off back in 2005 and is not expected to open for business for another couple of years. That gives you plenty of time to practice being dominate, so that you can hit the ground running when you land in Longshihu. Bon voyage!
Now, according to Chinese tourism officials as told to Reuters, there is a long standing practice in which “traditional women dominate and men have to be obedient in the areas of Sicchuan and Chongqing.....” so the area is now going to be marketed as a tourist destination. All officials need is about 26-40 million dollars of foreign money for the ad campaign, and to build infrastructure like houses, buildings, road, inside toilets, you get the picture.
Women’s Town even has a motto, and I love it...”women never make mistakes and men can never refuse women’s requests..” I hope that’s an accurate translation, since, as we all know, translation suffers big time between Chinese and English. But I guess it’s the thought that counts.
Once it gets off the ground, according to spokesperson Li, when tourists enter the area, the woman takes the lead in all decisions, like where to shop, where to eat, where to go for entertainment. If the man decides to disagree or heaven forbid, to disobey his woman, then he will be made to kneel on an uneven board or to wash dishes in a nearby restaurant or to perform some other nasty household job.
Now don’t rush out and buy your airline tickets just yet. This project was kicked off back in 2005 and is not expected to open for business for another couple of years. That gives you plenty of time to practice being dominate, so that you can hit the ground running when you land in Longshihu. Bon voyage!
4.23.2007
Just Because We Can
The FDA is getting ready to rubber stamp a pill that will take away our periods, period. There isn’t a woman alive who hasn’t wished away “her friend”. But now that we can...should we? I would honestly feel more comfortable if this new pill had been developed by women, with a female spokesperson, instead of some guy telling me I should be happy to get rid of my menses. It kind of feels like when men were pushing Valium and brandy at women to quiet them down in the fifties and sixties. Guess I don’t trust them. Has there been enough study to determine what happens to women who go without periods over an extended period of time?
**************
We can’t save the country or secure the cities, so we build walls to keep people safe? Didn’t they try this already in Berlin? I thought the surge was working. I thought we were making headway in Iraq. My bad!
******
Gonzales says he will stay as Attorney General as long as he can be effective...say what? When was he ever effective?
******
Disney wants to release Song of the South...you know the movie about Uncle Remus that introduced us to the song “Zip pi Dee doo dah”....The blogosphere is awash with controversy about whether it should be released....Most of the folks doing the hyperventilating have never seen it and are discussing it through the prism of later day mores. I say release it...watch it and make up your own mind. Good or bad...it’s history......
For the record...I saw it when I was a kid...in a segregated theater(blacks were relegated to the balcony)...I loved it...It still brings a smile to my heart, even though I am fully aware, now, and recognize it for what it is.
And....I also don’t like Gone With the Wind, either..but if it’s out...so should be Song of the South...
We shouldn’t white wash history (no pun intended)...it is...what it is.....There is already too much revisionism going on as we speak....
********
Dennis the Menace Kucinich wants to impeach Cheney and is in fact scheduled to introduce the articles of impeachment soon. Cheney’s puppet should go first. In fact, let’s just clean house all together...
*******
Newt, I wanna be president, Gingrich, is blaming the tragedy at Virginia Tech on liberalism....Tinky Winky strikes again...I want a hit off of what he's smoking..
**************
We can’t save the country or secure the cities, so we build walls to keep people safe? Didn’t they try this already in Berlin? I thought the surge was working. I thought we were making headway in Iraq. My bad!
******
Gonzales says he will stay as Attorney General as long as he can be effective...say what? When was he ever effective?
******
Disney wants to release Song of the South...you know the movie about Uncle Remus that introduced us to the song “Zip pi Dee doo dah”....The blogosphere is awash with controversy about whether it should be released....Most of the folks doing the hyperventilating have never seen it and are discussing it through the prism of later day mores. I say release it...watch it and make up your own mind. Good or bad...it’s history......
For the record...I saw it when I was a kid...in a segregated theater(blacks were relegated to the balcony)...I loved it...It still brings a smile to my heart, even though I am fully aware, now, and recognize it for what it is.
And....I also don’t like Gone With the Wind, either..but if it’s out...so should be Song of the South...
We shouldn’t white wash history (no pun intended)...it is...what it is.....There is already too much revisionism going on as we speak....
********
Dennis the Menace Kucinich wants to impeach Cheney and is in fact scheduled to introduce the articles of impeachment soon. Cheney’s puppet should go first. In fact, let’s just clean house all together...
*******
Newt, I wanna be president, Gingrich, is blaming the tragedy at Virginia Tech on liberalism....Tinky Winky strikes again...I want a hit off of what he's smoking..
4.20.2007
Do You Hear Yourself?
Have ya’ll done lost your minds? In the wake of the mass tragedy at Virginia Tech, alleged grown ups and so called law enforcement officials here in Ohio are calling for arming teachers or for allowing concealed carry by both students and teachers on all school and college campuses in the state.
Okay, not enough kerosene on this fire, let’s try throwing on some gasoline. Are you all fucking crazy?
Has anyone really thought this through? What happens when a six year old takes his toy Glock with the authentic noise to school and points it at somebody? What happens to the silly teenager who tries to play a harmless prank that makes a loud noise that resembles a loud bang? What happens if a car backfires while driving past the school yard during recess and the history teacher on duty has an itchy trigger finger?
What happens if the school bad ass gets hold of teacher’s gun instead of going home for dad’s, and decides to really do some damage because he’s pissed off about a grade or detention?
People, you’re arming against your own kids. For the most part, these are not stranger attacks at these schools. These are your kids, your children. What happened to parenting?
All of these young killers,,,,Harris, Kleibold and now Cho, exhibited early signs that could have been seen and dealt with, had their parents been involved in their lives. The warnings were there for anyone, teachers, other students, school officials. All anyone had to do was to pay attention and also to take action. A recent study of young murderers acting out showed that 70% told someone before they acted. All of them acted out prior to committing their heinous acts.
Columbine happened in 1999, I have yet to hear a word from either of the boys’ parents. Cho’s parents are also silent. They have in fact, disappeared, although the mother’s family is talking.
Some of the parents in Paducah, Kentucky, for example, paid for their inattentiveness with their own lives, killed by their son before he went to school.
You will never make me believe that these parents didn’t know that their kids were sick. If your kid has enough spending money to buy guns at five or six hundred dollars a pop, to shoot up his school...you have enough money to find a hospital or a shrink to help him cope. If you can buy him a car, you can get him help.
Yes, mental health laws, the courts and gun laws need change. And given the state of mental health treatment in this country, finding help may take some effort. But if you bring kids into this world, then you owe it to them to take care of them mentally, physically as well as materially.
Before arming against your kids, how about metal detectors in doorways. There are many, many other security measures that can be taken before anyone else starts shooting. A simple book bag, with four or five books in it really can stop a bullet.
Please...more guns are not the answer. It is time to stop trying to keep up appearances. Understand that most American families are dysfunctional. Deal with it. Your kids are crying out for your attention, not another IPOD.
Put the guns away, hug your kids and vote these gun crazy idiots out of office. ,
Okay, not enough kerosene on this fire, let’s try throwing on some gasoline. Are you all fucking crazy?
Has anyone really thought this through? What happens when a six year old takes his toy Glock with the authentic noise to school and points it at somebody? What happens to the silly teenager who tries to play a harmless prank that makes a loud noise that resembles a loud bang? What happens if a car backfires while driving past the school yard during recess and the history teacher on duty has an itchy trigger finger?
What happens if the school bad ass gets hold of teacher’s gun instead of going home for dad’s, and decides to really do some damage because he’s pissed off about a grade or detention?
People, you’re arming against your own kids. For the most part, these are not stranger attacks at these schools. These are your kids, your children. What happened to parenting?
All of these young killers,,,,Harris, Kleibold and now Cho, exhibited early signs that could have been seen and dealt with, had their parents been involved in their lives. The warnings were there for anyone, teachers, other students, school officials. All anyone had to do was to pay attention and also to take action. A recent study of young murderers acting out showed that 70% told someone before they acted. All of them acted out prior to committing their heinous acts.
Columbine happened in 1999, I have yet to hear a word from either of the boys’ parents. Cho’s parents are also silent. They have in fact, disappeared, although the mother’s family is talking.
Some of the parents in Paducah, Kentucky, for example, paid for their inattentiveness with their own lives, killed by their son before he went to school.
You will never make me believe that these parents didn’t know that their kids were sick. If your kid has enough spending money to buy guns at five or six hundred dollars a pop, to shoot up his school...you have enough money to find a hospital or a shrink to help him cope. If you can buy him a car, you can get him help.
Yes, mental health laws, the courts and gun laws need change. And given the state of mental health treatment in this country, finding help may take some effort. But if you bring kids into this world, then you owe it to them to take care of them mentally, physically as well as materially.
Before arming against your kids, how about metal detectors in doorways. There are many, many other security measures that can be taken before anyone else starts shooting. A simple book bag, with four or five books in it really can stop a bullet.
Please...more guns are not the answer. It is time to stop trying to keep up appearances. Understand that most American families are dysfunctional. Deal with it. Your kids are crying out for your attention, not another IPOD.
Put the guns away, hug your kids and vote these gun crazy idiots out of office. ,
4.19.2007
Crazy in America
One of the problems with living in an open society like we have here in America is that it is not against the law to be crazy. In America, you can do anything and be anything you want, as long as you don’t hurt anyone. That’s where Cho crossed the line. His craziness led him to believe he was a Messiah, someone who should have been revered. Someone who should have been listened to. Someone who should have been hoisted onto a pedestal.
When society failed to worship him, then his craziness led him to murder and suicide. In the aftermath of his passing, I guess, we are supposed to miss him and feel sorry for ourselves, for having missed a great opportunity to know a great man.
Except that he wasn’t a great man. He wasn’t even a man. He was a boy who had to stand on tip toes to be heard because he whispered rather than spoke. He hid his impotence under a baseball cap and behind sunglasses, choosing to purchase his portable manhood at a gun store.
The so called manifesto that he left us, filled with fantasy pictures taken on his cell phone and pages of writings that would drive the Jabberwocky nuts, don’t tell us very much, except that he was crazy, and had been for a long, long time.
Interviews today from his relatives in South Korea confirm his craziness. His mother’s people said he didn’t talk when he was a kid. His grandmother said he was messed up from the time he was born. It seems, to coin a cliche, that he was a time bomb waiting to go off.
A legend in his own mind, he was a sad little boy who needed help and who was ultimately revealed to be a coward, sucker punching, attacking from behind, killing innocents and himself rather than face his demons and us.
When society failed to worship him, then his craziness led him to murder and suicide. In the aftermath of his passing, I guess, we are supposed to miss him and feel sorry for ourselves, for having missed a great opportunity to know a great man.
Except that he wasn’t a great man. He wasn’t even a man. He was a boy who had to stand on tip toes to be heard because he whispered rather than spoke. He hid his impotence under a baseball cap and behind sunglasses, choosing to purchase his portable manhood at a gun store.
The so called manifesto that he left us, filled with fantasy pictures taken on his cell phone and pages of writings that would drive the Jabberwocky nuts, don’t tell us very much, except that he was crazy, and had been for a long, long time.
Interviews today from his relatives in South Korea confirm his craziness. His mother’s people said he didn’t talk when he was a kid. His grandmother said he was messed up from the time he was born. It seems, to coin a cliche, that he was a time bomb waiting to go off.
A legend in his own mind, he was a sad little boy who needed help and who was ultimately revealed to be a coward, sucker punching, attacking from behind, killing innocents and himself rather than face his demons and us.
4.18.2007
Still Second Class
One step forward, two steps back....The Supreme Court, driven by its conservative male members, continues to dictate to women what they do with their bodies. The decision to uphold the federal ban on partial birth abortions was 5-4...Roberts, Alito, Thomas, Scalia and Kennedy voting in the majority.
I guess women and their doctors will have to check with their congressman before scheduling a procedure to protect their own health. Guys, you still have carte blanche to do what ever you want with your body. Go ahead, pop another viagra and celebrate.
I guess women and their doctors will have to check with their congressman before scheduling a procedure to protect their own health. Guys, you still have carte blanche to do what ever you want with your body. Go ahead, pop another viagra and celebrate.
Hiding in Plain Sight...32...3311
We mourn those who died at Virginia Tech, as the killing escalates in Iraq. 157 die today, victims of a series of car bombs, reportedly orchestrated as an attack on the latest plan to make the country safer. At least 94 wounded in these same attacks.
3311 Americans dead since this farce of a war began. Bush is still playing politics by holding up funding, blaming Democrats for his mess.
Cho Seung-Hui was apparently identified as “troubled” and possibly dangerous and still nothing could be done to stop the rampage. In this country, this open society, you have to make a direct threat, or actually commit a crime in order to get arrested, or it seems to even get help.
This shouldn’t surprise anyone, really. Women victimized by their mates go through this all the time. Nothing can be done against stalkers or abusive husbands and boyfriends unless the abuser takes direct action against his intended victim. More often than not, the victim is killed.
Just thinking or writing about violence or violent behavior will not get you incarcerated. If that were the case, then the guys who write horror movies like SAW or HOSTEL would be locked in padded cells with the keys lost forever.
One talking head on FOX, today speculated that maybe this society should treat everyone like in the movie “Minority Report,” where people were arrested before they committed crimes. These people were identified through their thoughts which were monitored by way of some amazing contraption operated by the government.
But our society cannot force citizens to see a shrink. We, as Americans are allowed to be crazy, as long as we don’t hurt anyone, even when it is obvious that we might, and eventually will. By law, we have to wait until the gun goes off, so to speak.
I would much rather see us as a society tighten up gun laws. I am troubled by the unwillingness of the NRA to compromise on the issue. If you want to own a gun for protection, I’m okay with that. I have a problem with assault weapons. I have a problem with automatic and semi automatic pistols in the hands of everyday citizens.
It’s not that I’m afraid of guns. I know how to shoot. I know how to handle guns. I don’t own a gun because I know that I CAN and will use it if necessary. If I were attacked and had a gun in reach, it would be used, make no mistake about it. So I choose not to have them available. I prefer to rely on my brain and survivor instincts for getting into and out of situations should they arrive. That may sound stupid to gun owners, but there are always other options.
Why not allow single shot for home protection, or rifles for hunting. Again, I’m okay with that. I have a problem with overwhelming useless firepower.
The argument for having guns to protect against crime are weak. The face of crime in America is still the young black male. But young black males are killing other young black males. There is no rampage going on against society in general.
Burglars usually attack a house when the owner is not home.
Home invasions happen to drug dealers, usually staged by other drug dealers or some thug looking to make a quick score.
Campus/school shootings are perpetrated by angry young white men against their peers and their own families.
Gangs rarely venture out of their neighborhoods.
So maybe as a society we need to address our approach to identify and to act against mental health issues exhibited by obviously troubled people before they explode against the rest of us.
How, I don’t know, because any answer that I can come up with makes us less of an open society. I don’t want anything put into place that hinders my American-ness.
3311 Americans dead since this farce of a war began. Bush is still playing politics by holding up funding, blaming Democrats for his mess.
Cho Seung-Hui was apparently identified as “troubled” and possibly dangerous and still nothing could be done to stop the rampage. In this country, this open society, you have to make a direct threat, or actually commit a crime in order to get arrested, or it seems to even get help.
This shouldn’t surprise anyone, really. Women victimized by their mates go through this all the time. Nothing can be done against stalkers or abusive husbands and boyfriends unless the abuser takes direct action against his intended victim. More often than not, the victim is killed.
Just thinking or writing about violence or violent behavior will not get you incarcerated. If that were the case, then the guys who write horror movies like SAW or HOSTEL would be locked in padded cells with the keys lost forever.
One talking head on FOX, today speculated that maybe this society should treat everyone like in the movie “Minority Report,” where people were arrested before they committed crimes. These people were identified through their thoughts which were monitored by way of some amazing contraption operated by the government.
But our society cannot force citizens to see a shrink. We, as Americans are allowed to be crazy, as long as we don’t hurt anyone, even when it is obvious that we might, and eventually will. By law, we have to wait until the gun goes off, so to speak.
I would much rather see us as a society tighten up gun laws. I am troubled by the unwillingness of the NRA to compromise on the issue. If you want to own a gun for protection, I’m okay with that. I have a problem with assault weapons. I have a problem with automatic and semi automatic pistols in the hands of everyday citizens.
It’s not that I’m afraid of guns. I know how to shoot. I know how to handle guns. I don’t own a gun because I know that I CAN and will use it if necessary. If I were attacked and had a gun in reach, it would be used, make no mistake about it. So I choose not to have them available. I prefer to rely on my brain and survivor instincts for getting into and out of situations should they arrive. That may sound stupid to gun owners, but there are always other options.
Why not allow single shot for home protection, or rifles for hunting. Again, I’m okay with that. I have a problem with overwhelming useless firepower.
The argument for having guns to protect against crime are weak. The face of crime in America is still the young black male. But young black males are killing other young black males. There is no rampage going on against society in general.
Burglars usually attack a house when the owner is not home.
Home invasions happen to drug dealers, usually staged by other drug dealers or some thug looking to make a quick score.
Campus/school shootings are perpetrated by angry young white men against their peers and their own families.
Gangs rarely venture out of their neighborhoods.
So maybe as a society we need to address our approach to identify and to act against mental health issues exhibited by obviously troubled people before they explode against the rest of us.
How, I don’t know, because any answer that I can come up with makes us less of an open society. I don’t want anything put into place that hinders my American-ness.
4.14.2007
Me and Ann Coulter?! Ewwwwwwwww!
I can’t believe I’m saying this...Ann Coulter got it right. For once we agree on something. Talking about Don Imus, she said, and I’m paraphrasing, that Imus should apologize to the Rutgers team, but that he doesn’t owe anyone else an apology for his words.
Coulter said that Imus’ slur was directed at innocents, and she was right. There was absolutely no reason to take a potshot at those women. He ruined a good memory for them. Their moment in time is now eternally linked to his stupidity.
Coulter said Imus could have rightfully called her a “blonde ho” and gotten away with it. After all, she said, she is a public figure in the public eye, in the middle of public discourse. Not so, with the women of Rutgers. They didn’t ask for this kind of spotlight. Again, I agree with her.
I’ve been listening to most of the talk on all sides of the Imus controversy. I had even decided not to write about it...just let it go...until Coulter put her two cents on the table, because, in my own opinion, white people in general, and some blacks don’t get it, when it comes to us “dissing” us. It’s like using the “N” word. White people always, always, take it out of the context of culture and community.
It harkens back to playing the dozens, a game that from the outside looking in, seems as if we are simply hurling insults at one another. Actually there are rules to the game and the main rule is, you don’t talk about someone’s momma or sister or grandmother unless you really, really know the person with whom you’re playing.
Crackin’ on somebody’s mother, grandmother, or sister, can get you killed. You never, ever refer to a female relative, as a “ho” or a “bitch.” You never, ever disrespect a sister who is making something of herself, by going to school/college, or has a good job, or is just a good church going sister.
And that’s what white people don’t understand. White people look at us and see us through the stereotypical prism of slavery and racism, whether they consider themselves prejudiced or not. White people seem to think that black men are talking about all black women in the hip hop and rap videos, when actually they are not. Rap and hip hop artists actually do adhere to these rules. They do make distinctions between black women and “hos.”
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not defending the baseless, vicious mysogny that passes for entertainment within hip hop. I’m merely trying to illustrate a point. Rap and hip hop glorify the kind of women that the young men “think” they can get over on, i.e. sleep with, what ever, you know what I’m talking about. The young rappers are not talking about the kind of women they marry.
Snoop Dogg said it eloquently and got roundly booed for his effort. Nelly has also been roundly castigated for his mysogny. But nothing has been said about his herculean efforts to save the life of his dying sister.
Just as it’s not fair, like Imus did, to broadly and unjustifiably paint all black women as “nappy headed hos.” it’s not fair to paint every word from rappers and hip hop artists as wrong, especially when you don’t understand the grey areas involved.
I have already said we need to get rid of the “N” word. Bitch, Ho, and other pejoratives used toward women should also be summarily tossed, pronto.
Coulter said that Imus’ slur was directed at innocents, and she was right. There was absolutely no reason to take a potshot at those women. He ruined a good memory for them. Their moment in time is now eternally linked to his stupidity.
Coulter said Imus could have rightfully called her a “blonde ho” and gotten away with it. After all, she said, she is a public figure in the public eye, in the middle of public discourse. Not so, with the women of Rutgers. They didn’t ask for this kind of spotlight. Again, I agree with her.
I’ve been listening to most of the talk on all sides of the Imus controversy. I had even decided not to write about it...just let it go...until Coulter put her two cents on the table, because, in my own opinion, white people in general, and some blacks don’t get it, when it comes to us “dissing” us. It’s like using the “N” word. White people always, always, take it out of the context of culture and community.
It harkens back to playing the dozens, a game that from the outside looking in, seems as if we are simply hurling insults at one another. Actually there are rules to the game and the main rule is, you don’t talk about someone’s momma or sister or grandmother unless you really, really know the person with whom you’re playing.
Crackin’ on somebody’s mother, grandmother, or sister, can get you killed. You never, ever refer to a female relative, as a “ho” or a “bitch.” You never, ever disrespect a sister who is making something of herself, by going to school/college, or has a good job, or is just a good church going sister.
And that’s what white people don’t understand. White people look at us and see us through the stereotypical prism of slavery and racism, whether they consider themselves prejudiced or not. White people seem to think that black men are talking about all black women in the hip hop and rap videos, when actually they are not. Rap and hip hop artists actually do adhere to these rules. They do make distinctions between black women and “hos.”
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not defending the baseless, vicious mysogny that passes for entertainment within hip hop. I’m merely trying to illustrate a point. Rap and hip hop glorify the kind of women that the young men “think” they can get over on, i.e. sleep with, what ever, you know what I’m talking about. The young rappers are not talking about the kind of women they marry.
Snoop Dogg said it eloquently and got roundly booed for his effort. Nelly has also been roundly castigated for his mysogny. But nothing has been said about his herculean efforts to save the life of his dying sister.
Just as it’s not fair, like Imus did, to broadly and unjustifiably paint all black women as “nappy headed hos.” it’s not fair to paint every word from rappers and hip hop artists as wrong, especially when you don’t understand the grey areas involved.
I have already said we need to get rid of the “N” word. Bitch, Ho, and other pejoratives used toward women should also be summarily tossed, pronto.
4.08.2007
Preaching to the Choir
I have a problem with the Democratic candidates for president refusing to take part in debates sponsored by Fox News and The Congressional Black Caucus Institute.
Yes, we know that Fox is the ministry of information for the neocons, but the neocons still have a large audience that needs to be educated and informed. Wouldn’t it be more practical to take the platform offered and try to win over some folks, rather than simply give up on them? Isn’t that just playing into Fox Noise’s hands, allowing them to level claims of liberal bias?
Playing to liberal or independent audiences is simply preaching to the choir. It’s what Shrub’s been doing for the past six years. He never holds a news conference or a photo op that is not filled with his sycophantic followers. He never allows dissension of any kind. Are we, as a people in for the same kind of thing, if we elect a democrat to the White House?
What has happened to debate in this country? Debates are for looking at all sides of the issues. Good debates teach and inform. A good debate may not ultimately change your mind, but it will have given you something to think about. I don’t give a damn about who sponsors a debate. I only care about what I hear from the candidates.
Shrub has trampled the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. He has shown his fear of free speech, free thought, free debate and expression.
By refusing to take part in what could be a hostile debate, Democrats are showing their true strips...that they are just as chicken sh** and ignorant of what makes us Americans as Dubya and the Neocons.
Yes, we know that Fox is the ministry of information for the neocons, but the neocons still have a large audience that needs to be educated and informed. Wouldn’t it be more practical to take the platform offered and try to win over some folks, rather than simply give up on them? Isn’t that just playing into Fox Noise’s hands, allowing them to level claims of liberal bias?
Playing to liberal or independent audiences is simply preaching to the choir. It’s what Shrub’s been doing for the past six years. He never holds a news conference or a photo op that is not filled with his sycophantic followers. He never allows dissension of any kind. Are we, as a people in for the same kind of thing, if we elect a democrat to the White House?
What has happened to debate in this country? Debates are for looking at all sides of the issues. Good debates teach and inform. A good debate may not ultimately change your mind, but it will have given you something to think about. I don’t give a damn about who sponsors a debate. I only care about what I hear from the candidates.
Shrub has trampled the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. He has shown his fear of free speech, free thought, free debate and expression.
By refusing to take part in what could be a hostile debate, Democrats are showing their true strips...that they are just as chicken sh** and ignorant of what makes us Americans as Dubya and the Neocons.
4.04.2007
Pet Food, People Food...What’s the Difference
I’ve been listening to all the angst, outrage and worry about the bad dog and cat food that is currently dominating the talk at the water coolers throughout corporate America. My question is, “what’s the problem?” I’m truly sorry for those who have lost a pet to bad food, but folks, food is food. Any vet will tell you that animals will not starve themselves to death. Meaning they won’t refuse to eat. So feed them.
I’ve been a pet owner all my life and my pets have always been pretty good at handling people food if there was no dog food around. Hell, they prefer people food, if truth be told. With the way prices of dog and cat food are today, feeding your animals people food is probably a lot cheaper than buying the latest gourmet pet treats, anyway. Go ahead, spend a dollar for a pound of ground hamburger....cook it up...see if your pet refuses to eat it.
I can remember one thanksgiving dinner party that I hosted. Spent hours in the kitchen, served appetizers, drinks, cooked up a big ass turkey. Made my guests feel like they were special and dining at the Taj Mahal. We sat down to this marvelous meal and wonderful conversation just flew around the table. All of a sudden, during a lull in the conversation, when we were all busy simultaneously stuffing our faces, we heard this tiny, rapid fire smack, smack, smack of lips. I turned to the stove and there was my baby cat, “Miz Schizophrenic” joyously stuffing herself with roasted turkey breast. The turkey was bigger than she was, and she had to literally hang on by her claws, in order to dine on her chosen white meat. I did the only thing I could, pulled her off the stove and off the turkey, and served up a portion to her big brother Strider, who knew better than to attack while I was in the same room or within hearing distance.
Trust me, your pets will not be mad at you if you feed them people food for awhile.
Today’s pets are more of an accessory then a pet anyway. Everyone wants the latest designer breed...the cutest...the smallest...the most expensive. And of course, you have to feed the little twit the best food, sometimes vegetarian food, because it is healthy. I’m okay with vegetarian kids, but a vegetarian dog or cat? C’mon now. These animals are carnivores. They eat meat. Feed them.
I like alley dogs. Dogs, that are rough and ready, will eat anything that smells good, hate being groomed, love the water, chase birds and squirrels, kill snakes, and go after anyone I don’t welcome onto my property. I have three of them, one medium, one big and one really, really big. All of them love me to death and while this pet food thing is going on, they are eating the same stuff that I eat.
I’ve been a pet owner all my life and my pets have always been pretty good at handling people food if there was no dog food around. Hell, they prefer people food, if truth be told. With the way prices of dog and cat food are today, feeding your animals people food is probably a lot cheaper than buying the latest gourmet pet treats, anyway. Go ahead, spend a dollar for a pound of ground hamburger....cook it up...see if your pet refuses to eat it.
I can remember one thanksgiving dinner party that I hosted. Spent hours in the kitchen, served appetizers, drinks, cooked up a big ass turkey. Made my guests feel like they were special and dining at the Taj Mahal. We sat down to this marvelous meal and wonderful conversation just flew around the table. All of a sudden, during a lull in the conversation, when we were all busy simultaneously stuffing our faces, we heard this tiny, rapid fire smack, smack, smack of lips. I turned to the stove and there was my baby cat, “Miz Schizophrenic” joyously stuffing herself with roasted turkey breast. The turkey was bigger than she was, and she had to literally hang on by her claws, in order to dine on her chosen white meat. I did the only thing I could, pulled her off the stove and off the turkey, and served up a portion to her big brother Strider, who knew better than to attack while I was in the same room or within hearing distance.
Trust me, your pets will not be mad at you if you feed them people food for awhile.
Today’s pets are more of an accessory then a pet anyway. Everyone wants the latest designer breed...the cutest...the smallest...the most expensive. And of course, you have to feed the little twit the best food, sometimes vegetarian food, because it is healthy. I’m okay with vegetarian kids, but a vegetarian dog or cat? C’mon now. These animals are carnivores. They eat meat. Feed them.
I like alley dogs. Dogs, that are rough and ready, will eat anything that smells good, hate being groomed, love the water, chase birds and squirrels, kill snakes, and go after anyone I don’t welcome onto my property. I have three of them, one medium, one big and one really, really big. All of them love me to death and while this pet food thing is going on, they are eating the same stuff that I eat.
3.29.2007
Humane Burgers, Old Fossils and Getting Fat by Breathing
Unless you live under a rock or somewhere else deep inside the earth, you know that too many calories and not enough exercise will make you fat. Well, there is a new study out that claims that air pollution is also contributing to America’s big butt epidemic.
Researchers cautioned that the evidence is preliminary at this point, but what they are seeing is chemicals in the air that triggers a process called adipogenesis, which in laymen’s terms is fat-cell activity. The findings were presented at last month’s American Association for the Advancement of Science. Scientists even have a name for these fat causing chemicals. They are called “obesogens.”
So what do we do now? Stop breathing?
*********
Well, god love her, that old fossil Phyllis Schlafly is apparently still alive with foot still firmly planted in her mouth. You would think she would’ve choked on it by now. But not so. The former head of the very conservative right wing organization Eagle Forum, has reared her doddering gray head to tell us that women can not be raped by their husbands.
According to Dr. Phyl, once a woman enters into marriage she consents to sex whenever and where ever hubby wants it, period. Schlafly also thinks and says that women are physically inferior to men and should not be firefighters, soldiers, police officers or construction workers, among other things.
No female soldiers? Hmmmm. What about all the women who are fighting and dying in Iraq, sent there by Dr. Phyl’s political party of choice. She dares to call these women inferior?
And speaking of inferior, anyone check on Schlafly’s gay son lately? Or is he still bound and gagged and quietly in the closet?
***********
Burger King, number two and apparently trying harder, has decided to be more humane about the food it is serving up. The giant fast food chain has decided that in the future it will only serve eggs and pork purchased from free range animal farmers instead of from those who confine their livestock to crates and cages. PETA and other animal rights organizations applauded the decision as the humane way to go.
Inquiring minds want to know.....If you’re patronizing Burger King or Mickey D’s, or Jack in the Box or whom ever, do you really give a damn about how the animal was humanely kept or put to death before it got to your plate?
Don’t you really only worry about whether it’s fast, hot, and not breathing on the bun before you sink your teeth into it?
If humane really meant anything don’t you think you’d be vegetarian? Just asking...
Researchers cautioned that the evidence is preliminary at this point, but what they are seeing is chemicals in the air that triggers a process called adipogenesis, which in laymen’s terms is fat-cell activity. The findings were presented at last month’s American Association for the Advancement of Science. Scientists even have a name for these fat causing chemicals. They are called “obesogens.”
So what do we do now? Stop breathing?
*********
Well, god love her, that old fossil Phyllis Schlafly is apparently still alive with foot still firmly planted in her mouth. You would think she would’ve choked on it by now. But not so. The former head of the very conservative right wing organization Eagle Forum, has reared her doddering gray head to tell us that women can not be raped by their husbands.
According to Dr. Phyl, once a woman enters into marriage she consents to sex whenever and where ever hubby wants it, period. Schlafly also thinks and says that women are physically inferior to men and should not be firefighters, soldiers, police officers or construction workers, among other things.
No female soldiers? Hmmmm. What about all the women who are fighting and dying in Iraq, sent there by Dr. Phyl’s political party of choice. She dares to call these women inferior?
And speaking of inferior, anyone check on Schlafly’s gay son lately? Or is he still bound and gagged and quietly in the closet?
***********
Burger King, number two and apparently trying harder, has decided to be more humane about the food it is serving up. The giant fast food chain has decided that in the future it will only serve eggs and pork purchased from free range animal farmers instead of from those who confine their livestock to crates and cages. PETA and other animal rights organizations applauded the decision as the humane way to go.
Inquiring minds want to know.....If you’re patronizing Burger King or Mickey D’s, or Jack in the Box or whom ever, do you really give a damn about how the animal was humanely kept or put to death before it got to your plate?
Don’t you really only worry about whether it’s fast, hot, and not breathing on the bun before you sink your teeth into it?
If humane really meant anything don’t you think you’d be vegetarian? Just asking...
3.26.2007
Color Me Happy and Pass the Almond Joy
I’m at that age where most stuff that I consumed in my younger days will now either kill me, make me fat, increase my cholesterol, or give me gas. Eating is no longer the pleasure it once was. I eat now because I have to, to stay alive, not because I necessarily enjoy what it is I have to eat. The good stuff has long disappeared from my diet except for the occasional binge, for which I pay dearly. Until today, that is.
Chocolate, dark, rich, creamy chocolate is back in my diet and soon to be in my mouth, thanks to a study recently presented to the American College of Cardiology Scientific, which met in New Orleans, last week.
According to the study, dark chocolate significantly increases blood flow function. The study was conducted by one Dr. Valentine Yanchou Nijike of the Yale Research Prevention Center.
During a six week study, 45 people were given cocoa without sugar, cocoa with sugar, or a placebo every day of the study.
Doctors then used ultrasound to measure the upper arm’s artery’s ability to relax and expand to accommodate increased blood flow.
The folks who got the dark chocolate showed a major increase in blood flow. Even those who got the sugared cocoa showed a significant increase. Those who got the placebo showed no increase.
Researchers said the study, while very promising, is not meant to be taken as a sign to binge on chocolate. Further studies are required say the researchers.
Okay. I’ll still take my meds, but I’m no longer passing up the Hershey bars, snickers, milky ways, or baby ruth bars. I need them to make my blood flow better.
Chocolate, dark, rich, creamy chocolate is back in my diet and soon to be in my mouth, thanks to a study recently presented to the American College of Cardiology Scientific, which met in New Orleans, last week.
According to the study, dark chocolate significantly increases blood flow function. The study was conducted by one Dr. Valentine Yanchou Nijike of the Yale Research Prevention Center.
During a six week study, 45 people were given cocoa without sugar, cocoa with sugar, or a placebo every day of the study.
Doctors then used ultrasound to measure the upper arm’s artery’s ability to relax and expand to accommodate increased blood flow.
The folks who got the dark chocolate showed a major increase in blood flow. Even those who got the sugared cocoa showed a significant increase. Those who got the placebo showed no increase.
Researchers said the study, while very promising, is not meant to be taken as a sign to binge on chocolate. Further studies are required say the researchers.
Okay. I’ll still take my meds, but I’m no longer passing up the Hershey bars, snickers, milky ways, or baby ruth bars. I need them to make my blood flow better.
3.21.2007
Rapex? Trojan...Trojan? Rapex
From the “I can’t make this up category” comes a new product from South Africa. It’s called RAPEX.
Rapex is a new kind of condom designed to combat the crime of rape. This is a condom for women and is inserted with an applicator much like a tampon. Inside the condom are teeth that attach to the head and shaft of the penis when it is inserted during penetration.
According to the website, it is a device that can be worn for up to 24 hours and should be inserted prior to dates with men you don’t know, when you know you’re going to be walking down some dark street or alley at midnight, if you’re going out clubbing, if you’re working alone in the office late at night, or in any situation where you’re just not sure about the men surrounding you.
It can even be used if you have an abusive husband who is constantly demanding sex when you have a headache.
This device, which was invented a few years ago by a woman named Sonet Ehlers, is designed to cause the man great pain, if he gets caught in it. According to the Rapex website; http://www.rapestop.net, it’s better than the proverbial “kick in the groin” that martial artists teach women as a form of defense.
Once it bites, according to Ms, Ehlers, it won’t come off without medical aid.
Ms. Ehlers says the condom was tested on a fake vagina and fake penis so no real men were maimed during the experiments. She also says the condom is undetectable in case the would-be rapist decides to inspect before inserting.
Critics have called the inventor a man hater for coming up with such a device.
Give me a break, rape is not a crime of sex...it is a crime of power. Men who rape don’t love their victims. If women want to “bite back,” then so be it. It will save money on dental bills.
And what about protection against the guy who breaks into your house while you’re sleeping? Well, that’s easy. Keep Rapex by the bed. You can quickly insert and be ready for him when he climbs on top of you, as you lay there cowering, like little women do, when under attack.
Hmmmm...think I’d rather put my trust in a 38, loaded, laying in the spot where I would normally keep my Rapex.
Rapex is a new kind of condom designed to combat the crime of rape. This is a condom for women and is inserted with an applicator much like a tampon. Inside the condom are teeth that attach to the head and shaft of the penis when it is inserted during penetration.
According to the website, it is a device that can be worn for up to 24 hours and should be inserted prior to dates with men you don’t know, when you know you’re going to be walking down some dark street or alley at midnight, if you’re going out clubbing, if you’re working alone in the office late at night, or in any situation where you’re just not sure about the men surrounding you.
It can even be used if you have an abusive husband who is constantly demanding sex when you have a headache.
This device, which was invented a few years ago by a woman named Sonet Ehlers, is designed to cause the man great pain, if he gets caught in it. According to the Rapex website; http://www.rapestop.net, it’s better than the proverbial “kick in the groin” that martial artists teach women as a form of defense.
Once it bites, according to Ms, Ehlers, it won’t come off without medical aid.
Ms. Ehlers says the condom was tested on a fake vagina and fake penis so no real men were maimed during the experiments. She also says the condom is undetectable in case the would-be rapist decides to inspect before inserting.
Critics have called the inventor a man hater for coming up with such a device.
Give me a break, rape is not a crime of sex...it is a crime of power. Men who rape don’t love their victims. If women want to “bite back,” then so be it. It will save money on dental bills.
And what about protection against the guy who breaks into your house while you’re sleeping? Well, that’s easy. Keep Rapex by the bed. You can quickly insert and be ready for him when he climbs on top of you, as you lay there cowering, like little women do, when under attack.
Hmmmm...think I’d rather put my trust in a 38, loaded, laying in the spot where I would normally keep my Rapex.
3.19.2007
Shock and Disgust
Four years later and the “shock and awe” of the assault on Iraq has turned to anger and disgust. Those of us who were alive during Vietnam can rightfully say “we told ya so.” This latest quagmire was never about liberation, freedom or the war on terror. It was about politics, religion and rich men’s dreams of getting richer at the expense of the rest of us.
The war platform was built on lies which were shaped by cherry picked intelligence to bolster the prevarications that we needed to liberate the Iraqi people in order to protect our country from terrorism. The war platform was shaped by right wing religious fervor of spreading Christianity to the “heathens.” Bring them to “our” god and making the world a “safer” place. The war was the method that some thought could bring control of the oil rich territories to the west, insuring our energy supplies.
We now know by looking backward that this administration sent our troops over there without proper equipment, armor, and in some cases, training. This administration sent our national guard troops to fight and die in an illegal conflagration that left this country exposed to the elements. Helpless when it came to fighting the natural disasters that have ravaged us in the past few years. There was no one to help those victimized by Katrina except an inept, uncaring group of political hacks appointed by this White House, in order to fulfill campaign promises. There is no one, now, to dig out from under the series of tornadoes and storms that have cut wide paths of destruction across much of the southern half of this country.
Iraq is mired in a religious civil war. We are caught in the middle. Our president is sending more troops while Congress stands around with its thumb up its ass.
3200 dead. We’re running out of troops. The war goes on...........
**********
“Another N**** Dead, “ So What!
When I was about 11 years old, a three year old cousin of mine, who was named after my mother, was hit and killed by a car. It was her fault. She ran into the street, chasing a cat. She didn’t see the car. The driver didn’t see her. She died instantly.
Three days later she was buried. The funeral was held in Cleveland and while the procession wound down Euclid Avenue, I remember looking out a window as my father drove and seeing a young, skinny white dude, jumping up and down and clapping his hands singing a made up song; “another nigger dead, another nigger dead, another nigger dead.” He didn’t stop until all the cars had past him. It didn’t make any difference that we were burying a little girl who just wanted to play with her kitty cat.
This memory came back to me as I watched the news conference about the indictments of the police officers who executed Sean Bell on his wedding day. They were indicted for first and second degree manslaughter. Serious charges, if they are convicted.
But I wanted to hear the word “murder” somewhere in the official reckoning. This was an execution, plain and simple. There was no equivocation. One cop shot 50 rounds. He had to reload at least once. He knew what he was doing.
Another nigger dead, another nigger dead, another nigger dead. So what.
45 years later and I still can’t get that phrase out of my head.
The war platform was built on lies which were shaped by cherry picked intelligence to bolster the prevarications that we needed to liberate the Iraqi people in order to protect our country from terrorism. The war platform was shaped by right wing religious fervor of spreading Christianity to the “heathens.” Bring them to “our” god and making the world a “safer” place. The war was the method that some thought could bring control of the oil rich territories to the west, insuring our energy supplies.
We now know by looking backward that this administration sent our troops over there without proper equipment, armor, and in some cases, training. This administration sent our national guard troops to fight and die in an illegal conflagration that left this country exposed to the elements. Helpless when it came to fighting the natural disasters that have ravaged us in the past few years. There was no one to help those victimized by Katrina except an inept, uncaring group of political hacks appointed by this White House, in order to fulfill campaign promises. There is no one, now, to dig out from under the series of tornadoes and storms that have cut wide paths of destruction across much of the southern half of this country.
Iraq is mired in a religious civil war. We are caught in the middle. Our president is sending more troops while Congress stands around with its thumb up its ass.
3200 dead. We’re running out of troops. The war goes on...........
**********
“Another N**** Dead, “ So What!
When I was about 11 years old, a three year old cousin of mine, who was named after my mother, was hit and killed by a car. It was her fault. She ran into the street, chasing a cat. She didn’t see the car. The driver didn’t see her. She died instantly.
Three days later she was buried. The funeral was held in Cleveland and while the procession wound down Euclid Avenue, I remember looking out a window as my father drove and seeing a young, skinny white dude, jumping up and down and clapping his hands singing a made up song; “another nigger dead, another nigger dead, another nigger dead.” He didn’t stop until all the cars had past him. It didn’t make any difference that we were burying a little girl who just wanted to play with her kitty cat.
This memory came back to me as I watched the news conference about the indictments of the police officers who executed Sean Bell on his wedding day. They were indicted for first and second degree manslaughter. Serious charges, if they are convicted.
But I wanted to hear the word “murder” somewhere in the official reckoning. This was an execution, plain and simple. There was no equivocation. One cop shot 50 rounds. He had to reload at least once. He knew what he was doing.
Another nigger dead, another nigger dead, another nigger dead. So what.
45 years later and I still can’t get that phrase out of my head.
3.12.2007
Presidential Fiddle Faddle
Hillary, Obama, enough with the JFK comparisons. Neither one of you can fill those shoes, before he became president, and certainly not after. Let’s stick to some issues. Any issues besides Iraq. You’re both Senators, let’s do something in Congress for a while. We’ve got time before 2008.
Obama, how about a platform of ideas to spark my interest. So far, the only thing you’re offering is a beautiful smile, and a lot of charisma. Makes me want to marry you, but not necessarily to vote for you.
Hillary, you are proving to be exactly what you are, a professional politician who happens to wear a dress. Please, give me a reason to support you besides your gender, it ain’t enough.
Fred Thompson, please don’t throw your hat into the ring. Your flip flops between acting and politics makes you seem very untrustworthy. If you’re bored go ask David Wolf to write another Law and Order series where you get most of the face time instead of just two minutes of phony prosecutorial pontification from your office.
Bill Richardson, how about the rest of us? There aren’t enough legal Hispanics in this country to put you into the White House without some input from the rest of us.
Dennis Kucinich, I take you seriously, but you don’t have a snow ball’s chance of winning. You’re still the short guy from Cleveland not the John Wayne types we Americans usually get bamboozled into voting for. Besides, you actually have a brain. But vegetarianism is not a selling point in this carnivorous country.
Rudolf Giuliani, your leadership during 9/11 was good. But then showing up Dubya is easy. Cheating on your wife and then marrying your mistress is not a career move. Neither is wearing a dress, unless you’re Hillary. You show a decided lack of follow through...from us attorney to mayor to now wannabe president? Your game may play in New York. It’s not working too well here in the Midwest.
Newt, who the hell wants a President named after a lizard, especially when he acts like one. Slimy. Your mea culpa about what you did to your wife, while persecuting Bill Clinton, isn’t good either. Do you really think the people will trade one hypocrite for another? They might, but it won’t be you.
Mitt Romney. I honestly have a problem with guys who follow religions that listed black people as subhuman as late as 1978. Your flip flops on LGBT issues and pro choice issues means you don’t have even a snow ball’s chance with me.
John McCain. I used to like what you said, way back in 2000, but you’ve got that flip flopitis going on too. Pandering to the right in order to get elected leaves a nasty taste in my mouth.
If you do, by some chance get the nomination, selecting Joe Lieberman to be your running mate won’t work either.
And as for all the other guys whose names that I’ve forgotten, well that says it all doesn’t it. Keep your day jobs.
Obama, how about a platform of ideas to spark my interest. So far, the only thing you’re offering is a beautiful smile, and a lot of charisma. Makes me want to marry you, but not necessarily to vote for you.
Hillary, you are proving to be exactly what you are, a professional politician who happens to wear a dress. Please, give me a reason to support you besides your gender, it ain’t enough.
Fred Thompson, please don’t throw your hat into the ring. Your flip flops between acting and politics makes you seem very untrustworthy. If you’re bored go ask David Wolf to write another Law and Order series where you get most of the face time instead of just two minutes of phony prosecutorial pontification from your office.
Bill Richardson, how about the rest of us? There aren’t enough legal Hispanics in this country to put you into the White House without some input from the rest of us.
Dennis Kucinich, I take you seriously, but you don’t have a snow ball’s chance of winning. You’re still the short guy from Cleveland not the John Wayne types we Americans usually get bamboozled into voting for. Besides, you actually have a brain. But vegetarianism is not a selling point in this carnivorous country.
Rudolf Giuliani, your leadership during 9/11 was good. But then showing up Dubya is easy. Cheating on your wife and then marrying your mistress is not a career move. Neither is wearing a dress, unless you’re Hillary. You show a decided lack of follow through...from us attorney to mayor to now wannabe president? Your game may play in New York. It’s not working too well here in the Midwest.
Newt, who the hell wants a President named after a lizard, especially when he acts like one. Slimy. Your mea culpa about what you did to your wife, while persecuting Bill Clinton, isn’t good either. Do you really think the people will trade one hypocrite for another? They might, but it won’t be you.
Mitt Romney. I honestly have a problem with guys who follow religions that listed black people as subhuman as late as 1978. Your flip flops on LGBT issues and pro choice issues means you don’t have even a snow ball’s chance with me.
John McCain. I used to like what you said, way back in 2000, but you’ve got that flip flopitis going on too. Pandering to the right in order to get elected leaves a nasty taste in my mouth.
If you do, by some chance get the nomination, selecting Joe Lieberman to be your running mate won’t work either.
And as for all the other guys whose names that I’ve forgotten, well that says it all doesn’t it. Keep your day jobs.
3.06.2007
Designer Vaginas, The Search for the Perfect P****
I guess it was inevitable. Some rather enterprising Ob-Gyns, have opened up a new frontier in plastic surgery designed, I can only surmise, to separate stupid women and the men who love them, from more of their money. A report in today’s Washington Post likens the new procedures to dying one’s hair to cover encroaching grey.
Laser vaginal rejuvenation is what it’s called. What it purports to do is to rebuild the muscles of your “cat” to make it more enticing to your partner, that is if you can get him to look at it in the first place. It’s not a body part that we women can see or can stare at on a daily basis, and lesbians don’t have this problem, so it’s obviously a “man-thing,” made up by men, for men.
I didn’t know that the muscle walls were the site of sexual gratification. I thought that was the “G” spot” inside. That’s the reason why men have tools, so they can reach it, isn’t it?
Anyway, there is this board certified brother in DC who offers what he calls the “wonder woman makeover .” For about 15-grand he will tighten up the muscles in your vag-JJ, raise your breasts off your navel, make them bigger with implants, suck the fat out of your stomach to give you that nubile washboard look, and blow your butt up to look like J-Lo’s or any naturally endowed sister walking down the street.
If you really want to go all the way, then you can even have your hymen put back, so hubby or boyfriend can re-enact the taking of your cherry, like he thought he did way back when the two of you first had sex.
I’m sure he will probably do your lips, too. All of this is designed to make your man happy and want to continue screwing you instead of that 18 year old office assistant at work.
Revirginization, as the hymen procedure is called, is said to be the newest and latest gift for the man who has everything. One surgeon claiming to have performed 150 of these “gifts” says his clients are celebrating new relationships or second honeymoons.
The article is filled with happy face testimonials from clueless women who begged borrowed or stole the money in order to have the procedures done for their guys.
Gee whiz, and I’ve always thought that the brain was the best sex organ, guess I’m wrong. All these years, and I’ve been using the wrong head. Damn!
Laser vaginal rejuvenation is what it’s called. What it purports to do is to rebuild the muscles of your “cat” to make it more enticing to your partner, that is if you can get him to look at it in the first place. It’s not a body part that we women can see or can stare at on a daily basis, and lesbians don’t have this problem, so it’s obviously a “man-thing,” made up by men, for men.
I didn’t know that the muscle walls were the site of sexual gratification. I thought that was the “G” spot” inside. That’s the reason why men have tools, so they can reach it, isn’t it?
Anyway, there is this board certified brother in DC who offers what he calls the “wonder woman makeover .” For about 15-grand he will tighten up the muscles in your vag-JJ, raise your breasts off your navel, make them bigger with implants, suck the fat out of your stomach to give you that nubile washboard look, and blow your butt up to look like J-Lo’s or any naturally endowed sister walking down the street.
If you really want to go all the way, then you can even have your hymen put back, so hubby or boyfriend can re-enact the taking of your cherry, like he thought he did way back when the two of you first had sex.
I’m sure he will probably do your lips, too. All of this is designed to make your man happy and want to continue screwing you instead of that 18 year old office assistant at work.
Revirginization, as the hymen procedure is called, is said to be the newest and latest gift for the man who has everything. One surgeon claiming to have performed 150 of these “gifts” says his clients are celebrating new relationships or second honeymoons.
The article is filled with happy face testimonials from clueless women who begged borrowed or stole the money in order to have the procedures done for their guys.
Gee whiz, and I’ve always thought that the brain was the best sex organ, guess I’m wrong. All these years, and I’ve been using the wrong head. Damn!
3.04.2007
Rhythm, Race and Politics
I guess I should be happy that finally, America is talking openly about race. We’ve got new laws and resolutions to ban the “N” word. We’ve got re-enactments of bloody Sunday down in Selma, recalling the events that culminated in the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
We’ve got blogs and news programs and major magazines debating whether or not Obama is black enough and accepted by “real black” Americans. Others want to know if Hillary and her card carrying black man of a husband will steal the White House away from the “blood born” black man that is Barack.
We’ve even got the Cherokee Nation kicking out the descendants of their slaves because they are not Native American by blood. Yes, Native Americans owned black slaves, in case that lesson was omitted from your history book. And up until yesterday, the slave descendants were considered part of the Cherokee Nation. The vote to rescind tribal membership was 76 percent in favor. Some are calling the vote racist. Others say it is self determination.
This Obama thing is funny. For most of this country’s history, what defined people as black was “one drop” of black blood, never mind what the skin color was. Obama is fully 50 percent black, so what is the problem? He looks black. He married black. His kids are black. He goes to a black church. Black man!
If white supremacists ever kick off their racial holy war, Obama will be right there next to Tiger Woods getting his head blown off with the rest of us obviously real blacks. So why question his ethnicity now when he’s running for president? Unlike young Eldrick, he doesn’t appear conflicted about who he is, so why should we be?
Anyone remember the Rainbow coalition. Jesse Jackson used to tell us that there were 64 shades of blackness. Black people, Jackson used to say, come in all colors and shades.
African Americans are a living, breathing rainbow. Obama is one shade of that rainbow.
Again I ask, what is the problem? Maybe it’s because he doesn’t feel black. Bill Clinton feels like a black man even though he isn’t and that is hard to explain. There is a rhythm to blackness... a musical....lyrical way of reacting to and within the universe. I’ll be honest, I don’t feel that rhythm with Obama. But I do feel that rhythm with Bill Clinton. I don’t feel that rhythm with Hillary Clinton. Hillary is a white girl, brilliant, but rhythm-less. Clarence Thomas is very obviously a black man. But he is rhythm-less and clueless and I’m not feeling him at all.
But my feelings don’t make Obama any less black. I can still relate to the brother and I suspect that most of my fellow blacks can too.
Now can we get on with the real issues of this campaign?
We’ve got blogs and news programs and major magazines debating whether or not Obama is black enough and accepted by “real black” Americans. Others want to know if Hillary and her card carrying black man of a husband will steal the White House away from the “blood born” black man that is Barack.
We’ve even got the Cherokee Nation kicking out the descendants of their slaves because they are not Native American by blood. Yes, Native Americans owned black slaves, in case that lesson was omitted from your history book. And up until yesterday, the slave descendants were considered part of the Cherokee Nation. The vote to rescind tribal membership was 76 percent in favor. Some are calling the vote racist. Others say it is self determination.
This Obama thing is funny. For most of this country’s history, what defined people as black was “one drop” of black blood, never mind what the skin color was. Obama is fully 50 percent black, so what is the problem? He looks black. He married black. His kids are black. He goes to a black church. Black man!
If white supremacists ever kick off their racial holy war, Obama will be right there next to Tiger Woods getting his head blown off with the rest of us obviously real blacks. So why question his ethnicity now when he’s running for president? Unlike young Eldrick, he doesn’t appear conflicted about who he is, so why should we be?
Anyone remember the Rainbow coalition. Jesse Jackson used to tell us that there were 64 shades of blackness. Black people, Jackson used to say, come in all colors and shades.
African Americans are a living, breathing rainbow. Obama is one shade of that rainbow.
Again I ask, what is the problem? Maybe it’s because he doesn’t feel black. Bill Clinton feels like a black man even though he isn’t and that is hard to explain. There is a rhythm to blackness... a musical....lyrical way of reacting to and within the universe. I’ll be honest, I don’t feel that rhythm with Obama. But I do feel that rhythm with Bill Clinton. I don’t feel that rhythm with Hillary Clinton. Hillary is a white girl, brilliant, but rhythm-less. Clarence Thomas is very obviously a black man. But he is rhythm-less and clueless and I’m not feeling him at all.
But my feelings don’t make Obama any less black. I can still relate to the brother and I suspect that most of my fellow blacks can too.
Now can we get on with the real issues of this campaign?
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