07.31.04 (9:02 pm) posted by Genia
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I received the following Love Letter from the writer of this blog:
It's so obvious that you're gay cuz you defend gay issues like you've done on this message. Instead of you hating those who hate perversion, why don't you speak out against perversion as well? Oh I see, cuz you're gay.
Being gay must be a bitch when you're overweight and ugly and white.
Rejection must be a greater bitch.
Oh, Paco is oh so smooth . . . and dumb . . . and blind. If he were a girl, I just might be interested, if I were . . . desperate. At least he got "you're" right. So many people get "you're" and "your" wrong. I still say this Paco is nothing more than some psychiatric case doing nothing other than spewing insanity for attention. Pay no attention to the idiot behind the curtain.
SO BELOIT, BY ANY RECKONING a pretty conservative place, is represented by one of the most liberal members of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Nothing could make that clearer than the national debate over same-sex marriage. Baldwin's national profile on the gay agenda is increasing, though her stand surely is not in step with Beloit area views.
Well now. I live in Beloit. I know a whole lot of LGBT people who live in Beloit. It's a town of approximately 32,000 people -- certainly not a big city. I think the residents would be very surprised to learn just how many LGBT people live in Beloit.
This editorial comes as no surprise really. I cringe often when I read Letters to the Editor printed in the Beloit Daily News. One of the last ones that made me cringe was a writer who asserted that our strange weather and the terrorist attacks were happening because we're evil people and God has decided he won't help us anymore. I was sitting in a coffee shop and I blurted out, "What a stupid bitch!"
Anyway, this is my response to the editorial:
Every year, the LGBT members of the Beloit, WI and Janesville, WI area gather together in an unannounced location to celebrate Gay Pride. We gather in this place to be with like-minded individuals -- both gay and straight. We gather in an unannounced location because of the attitude represented in "Baldwin's stand out of touch here."
We are many in Rock County. We are your neighbors. We are your teachers. We are your sisters. We are your brothers. We are your ex-wives. We are your ex-husbands. We hide because of the attitude represented in the editorial "Baldwin's stand out of touch here." I do not hide, but I say "we" because my people do. And if they hide, I must be sure not to slip a name because of the homophobic, ignorant attitude represented in the editorial "Baldwin's stand out of touch here."
Rock County residents should be ashamed of the culture of fear, shame, and hate that suffocates its LGBT community members.
The writer of the editorial claims that Madison, WI and Beloit, WI are very different and that Tammy Baldwin has no business representing Beloit, WI. Rock County has a significant Hispanic population. If I follow the writer's logic, I could argue that Rock County is actually more left-leaning than the writer thinks it is -- based on recent polls that show Kerry is leading among Hispanic voters.
It really is time to let go of the "good ole boy" system. White, heterosexual people are not the only people who live in Beloit, WI or Janesville, WI; no amount of dreaming will make that true.
07.26.04 (4:28 am) posted by Genia
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Yesterday, I attended the last summer gay pride event in my area. It was a small pride picnic/gathering (of about 200 people) held in Rockford, IL, about 20 minutes from my home in WI. Actually, it was held outside of Rockford, in a forest reserve, because Rockford, IL ain't quite ready for a gay pride parade down State Street. The city is still going through desegregation issues in their publc schools; I don't see drag-queens-on-parade and dykes-on-bikes as something that community is ready for.
It was still a nice event -- and really all the Rockford LGBT community has. Very few mullets this year. Drag races. The balloon toss. The egg toss. Volleyball. Great weather. Good food. And lots of familiar faces. The lesbians lost tug-of-war for the very first time this year. Truly a momentous victory for the gay men.
A little history on Gay Pride events:
The first gay pride parade in 1969, known as the March on Stonewall, started as a protest against discrimination and violence against gays in New York City.
And just a quick reminder: while my posts are argumentative in nature, that does not mean I want to bicker via email (or this blog) with strange men and their ridiculously inflated egos. I reserve that kind of energy for more important things -- like taking out the garbage. Or counting the tiles on my kitchen floor. You know where I'm going with this, right?
07.23.04 (10:40 am) posted by Genia
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The House of Representatives passed the "Marriage Protection Act." This act is designed to take away the Federal court's power to review any challenges to the Clinton Administration's Defense of Marriage Act.
Here's what two House Representatives said about the issue:
Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-Menomonee Falls, WI) explained his support for it: "Marriage is under attack as a result of the 4-3 decision of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts. Marriage is the foundation upon which any civilized society has been based, long before the United States of America was established and the Constitution was ratified in 1789."
Look at that: "marriage is the foundation upon which any civilized society has been based. . . " All you unmarried folks are uncivilized. All you people who are unmarried couples and living in the same household are uncivilized (homosexual and heterosexual couples alike). That word just keeps ringing through with those people. And yes, I said "those people." They can't formulate a logical explanation for why two people of the same sex should not marry, so they resort to, "Why, it's just uncivilized!" That's a very weak argument against marriage for homosexuals -- to say the least.
Tammy Baldwin had this to say:
Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Madison, WI) spoke forcefully against it: "With this bill, we face no less than the specter of a sign posted on the federal courthouse door which reads you may not defend your constitutional rights in this court. You may not seek equal protection here. You may not petition your government for redress here. Today, the 'you' is gay and lesbian American citizens, but who will be next?"
Yes, who will be next? So many of you sit back and allow this kind of thing to happen to others because it doesn't involve you. You sit back and let your Representatives decide that US citizens do not have the right to challenge a law we feel is unjust. But somebody will be next. And when it's your turn, remember the power your silence has given your Representatives.
Just a quick reminder to all the Democrat-lovin' homosexuals out there. This is how the House and Senate voted in regards to the Defense of Marriage Act (you know, the largely Democratic Senate and House under the Clinton Administration):
The Act passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 342 to 67, and the Senate by a vote of 85 to 14. Those congressional votes and the passage of similar defensive marriage laws in 38 states express an overwhelming consensus in our country for protecting the institution of marriage.
Keep placing all your faith in the Democrats instead of demanding change by supporting a 3rd party candidate who really does support equal rights for all people. You're cowards. All of you. You're cowards because you accept the same bullshit year after year after year from the Democrats because you don't want to be stuck with a Republican president. Keep doing the same stupid shit, you keep getting the same stupid shit.
07.22.04 (9:25 pm) posted by Genia
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I received this in my email today and it made me cringe:
Thursday July 22, 2004
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Withdraws from LGBT "Unity 2004" Event at Democratic National Convention
Statement by Matt Foreman, Executive Director
"We are dismayed that Margaret Cho has been disinvited to perform at the LGBT Unity 2004 event scheduled for Monday, July 26 in Boston. We had been a co-sponsor of this event.
Throughout her career, Ms. Cho has been a staunch supporter of equal rights for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans, has contributed her time and talent to dozens of LGBT fundraising events, and is much loved by our community. We were proud to give her a Task Force Leadership Award last year. Ms. Cho has said, 'I'm more than bi(sexual).' She is, indeed, one of us.
Under these circumstances, we must regretfully withdraw our support for this event."
The Task Force withdrew support after the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) univinted Cho to perform at the convention because they felt her material may distract from the goal of the convention. Cho's Spokesperson said that the HRC has been aware of Cho's material for years. He poised the possibility that the HRC was just afraid of what Cho's material may provoke.
So, I did a little digging to see what Matt Foreman had to say about Kerry -- not even 2 weeks ago:
National Gay & Lesbian Task Force Executive Director Matt Foreman called the Kerry Edwards ticket the most gay-supportive in American history, but issued a warning.
"We call upon Sen. Edwards to use his strong southern and populist roots and speak out against the ugly, divisive and anti-gay campaigns being waged all across the country in the guise of "protecting" marriage. We need him to call these tactics what they are - partisan, debasing, and profoundly un- American."
Hmm . . . let's see. In February 2004, Matt had this to say about Kerry:
WASHINGTON - February 26 - Statement by Matt Foreman, Executive Director
"We disagree strongly with Sen. Kerry's statement that he would support amending the Massachusetts Constitution to prohibit same sex marriage so long as the amendment 'provides for partnership and civil unions.' As the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court so eloquently stated, 'The history of our nation has demonstrated that separate is seldom, if ever, equal.'
Many times in his public career Sen. Kerry has stepped forward to advocate for equal rights for all Americans. We urge him to do so now, even in the heat of a campaign for the nation's highest office."
Kerry's stance on gay marriage has not changed; he still believes marriage is a heterosexual institution and that homosexuals should opt for civil unions instead. But, Matt Foreman calls the Kerry-Edwards ticket the most gay-supportive in history and was prepared to offer support to the Democratic National Convention -- that is, until Cho was uninvited.
Sounds like political tit-for-tat to me. One gay & lesbian organization putting another one in check -- over what, Cho? Divide and conquer, my people. Divide and conquer. That's the strategy here and both the HRC and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force have taken the bait. What the HRC did was probably not the best way to handle the situation. What the Task Force did seems counterproductive all together.
If you're gonna sell your soul and support the devil, what difference does it make if Margaret Cho is uninvited to the event?
07.22.04 (1:56 pm) posted by Genia
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So, I wasn't going to even touch the Martha Stewart case because I could care less if the Queen of Clean gets some time in the Big House. But, I can't dodge this story because Martha is all the rage these days -- and not for her fancy dineries.
I finally got around to reading the entire story (yes, a few days ago) and I have to say that I was a bit surprised that Martha was that cheap. The woman committed a crime to save herself a little less than $60,000. What is Martha's net worth -- in the millions?
Did the feds make an example of Martha? If they did, the only example they made of her (from what I can tell) was to show that white collar crime is still crime. Ok, so some argue the feds screwed Martha because she's a woman who has done well in a man's world (I actually read that someplace -- a man's world). As far as I know, a man's world doesn't typically include Good Housekeeping and "How to Make Swans out of Napkins." But, cry ladies, cry. Cry out for Martha.
She'll spend 5 months in prison and 5 months on house arrest. Steep punishment? Well, she received a 10 month sentence for a federal crime. I'd say it was pretty lenient compared to the punishment others who commit federal crimes receive.
It's argued she was on trial for a crime she was never charged with. Maybe so, but when ya fuck around with federal laws, the feds will mess with you. That's how it works. Is it right? No. But Martha knew what she was doing wasn't right. She's a smart woman, right? She knew better. Why should Martha be any different than anyone else the feds screw over? Because she's Martha?
Do two wrongs make a right? Nope. But let's not forget who committed the first wrong. In the world of Enron scandals, Martha should have seen it coming. Martha will have the worst $60,000 vacation she could ever imagine -- 5 months in the Big House. I sure hope the $60,000 was worth it.
This is a very interesting trend, apparently starting back in 2002. Police arresting antiwar demonstrators. Police arresting folks who wear anti-Dubya tshirts at a presidential appearance (not a rally, mind you). Tis something in the water in the good 'ole USA, and it stinks.
07.21.04 (6:52 pm) posted by Genia
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I followed a link in my referral list and happened upon this interesting piece on the Sandy Berger case.
Sandy Berger actually stuffed his socks in 2003, a long time ago, and the investigation has been ongoing. If he would have done something really illegal, he'd have been arrested by now. but then again, it took a few years to indict Ken Lay. Perhaps the gov't is building a good case for an indictment. Be that as it may, the investigation has been under the veil of secrecy for sometime. We have to ask, who leaked it?
Yep. Berger is a criminal. The government knew it a long time ago. Dubya's Administration knew it a long time ago, too. So, as this writer has asked, "who leaked it?" The next question: why? The public didn't need to know about this in 2003? If we didn't need to know in 2003, why do we need to know now? Does anyone know if this information surfaced during the 9/11 hearings? If it didn't, why not? I guess it doesn't really matter who leaked it (or why). Secret documents are secret documents and they shouldn't have been removed. But, ya gotta admit, exposing Berger now was a good move.
Any chess players among us? If so, what kind of move would you call this?
It's a good thing Berger isn't a CIA operative. All these leaks from the Dubya Administration -- and with such good timing, as usual.
The divorce act still refers to a spouse as "of a man or a woman who are married to each other".
"This is the first same-sex divorce case in Canada to our knowledge," MM's lawyer, Martha McCarthy said in court documents, according to the newspaper.
How did they forget to make that change to the divorce laws? I haven't found a lot of material on how same-sex divorces in MA (or even those performed in CA before the court halted them) will be handled. Should be interesting to follow.
I'm wondering how these divorces will be any different than heterosexual divorces. That really makes you question how divorce laws are established if the gender of the parties is even important to begin with. This could potentially change the way heterosexual divorces are handled.
07.21.04 (2:02 am) posted by Genia
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It seems it's a crime to wear anti-Bush tshirts to a presidential appearance. A couple wearing tshirts that said, "Love America, Hate Bush" was arrested and had their mug shots taken for . . . annoying Dubya, I suppose. I can't really think of anything else to call it.
A husband and wife who wore anti-Bush T-shirts to the president’s Fourth of July appearance aren’t going down without a fight: They will be represented by lawyers from the American Civil Liberties Union as they contest the trespassing charges against them Thursday morning in Charleston Municipal Court.
Police took Nicole and Jeff Rank away in handcuffs from the event, which was billed as a presidential appearance, not a campaign rally.
Seems this kind of bullying tactic is common at Dubya's public appearances. All those in attendance who wore Pro-Dubya tshirts were allowed to remain at the event -- no police escort required.
The couple is represented by Rush Limbaugh's favorite organization (well, now it is), the ACLU. Seems the ACLU doesn't just help hypocritical, Conservative, pill-poppin' Republicans. They still help the "little" people, too (and yes, the pun was intended).
Berger's home and office were searched earlier this year by FBI agents armed with warrants. Some drafts of a sensitive after-action report on the Clinton administration's handling of al-Qaida terror threats during the December 1999 millennium celebration are still missing.
Berger and his lawyer said Monday night he knowingly removed handwritten notes he had taken from classified anti-terror documents he reviewed at the National Archives by sticking them in his jacket and pants. He also inadvertently took copies of actual classified documents in a leather portfolio, they said.
I am waiting for outcries from the Conservatives ("damn liberal media") in response to this news. I'll probably be waiting awhile, eh? Remember this story the next time a negative one about Dubya breaks. You'll be able to remind the Right that the liberal media (the one they so harshly condemn) had no problem whatsoever breaking this story about Clinton's former security advisor.
I just hope that while they're hanging Berger's ass by his neck for removing those classified documents, that they find out who blew the whistle on CIA operative Valerie Plame and hang that bastard right next to him. Exposing a CIA operative is a crime, too. And someone in the Dubya Administration did it.
07.19.04 (6:47 pm) posted by Genia
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It's on to Iran. Dubya is on the job, digging for signs that Iran (not Iraq, oops! Slight mixup there) may have been connected to 9/11.
The commission investigating the attacks will detail links between al-Qaida and Iran in its final report this week, raising new questions about why Bush turned his focus to Iraq after Sept. 11, 2001. The commission has found more al-Qaida contacts with Iran than with Iraq, officials said.
I can see where Dubya would get those two mixed up. I mean, he does belong to some secret society for the really"special" people. It was a simple typo in one of those memos exchanged between Dubya, Rice, and Powell -- even though the Q is nowhere near the N on the keyboard. The way he probably figured it: Iran, Iraq, same thing. Neither of them is Saudi Arabia. The American people will never know the difference.
07.19.04 (2:34 pm) posted by Genia
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No. I don't trust Dubya. I don't trust the John & John ticket either. But, so many of us are faced with the sickening reality that we have to close our eyes and pray (oh my, did Genia say "pray"?) for the best when we vote for John & John -- even if Kerry can't make up his mind about a damn thing -- if we want to boot Dubya's ass back to Texas.
I won't be one of the scared voters who votes for Kerry; however, I certainly hope the people who do vote for him truly believe he's the best person for the job. Fear has never been a motivating factor in my life. If you knew my mother, you'd understand why. After growing up with that woman, only the Armageddon scares the shit out of me -- that and the idea of losing my children. Other than that, another 4 years of Dubya really doesn't scare me. The way I see it, life hasn't really changed that much for me or too many other Blacks in this country under Dubya. It's the folks who've seen the most changes who are frightened the most. Traditionally, Blacks have voted for Democrats -- regardless of what the 4 years prior to the present election produced. The way my family saw it, it's always been a choice between two evils. I still see it that way, and probably always will.
Back in 1996, faced with the prospect of court-imposed same-sex "marriages" in Hawaii, the Senate passed the Defense of Marriage Act, which clarified that no state is required to recognize same-sex "marriages" performed in other states. DOMA passed the Senate by an overwhelming vote of 85-14, and was signed into law by Bill Clinton. Mr. Kerry was one of the 14 senators who voted no, on grounds that it was "unnecessary and divisive." Back then, he even labeled it fundamentally unconstitutional, on the premise that the Full Faith and Credit Clause of the Constitution requires states to recognize marriages performed outside their borders. Mr. Kerry also said that DOMA was "fundamentally ugly" and amounted to "legislative gay-bashing," and he compared the current marriage laws to a "caste system" akin to bans on interracial marriages decades before.
As the author of this piece pointed out, Kerry now supports letting the states deal with gay marriage. In 1996, that was not his stance. Yes, I know people can change their mind. I do all the time. But I feel, in my opinion, that Kerry's opinions are shaped by his political prospects and aspirations -- as how most politicians decide how they will vote on many issues. For the most part, one politician is no more friendly and compassionate than another; the politician's compassion is shaped by his/her agenda and who's stuffing money in his/her pocket.
Someone posted a comment on the SistersTalk blog that said all I am is rhetoric. Let's suppose that's true for a moment. I don't see that as being a bad thing. Aristotle's rhetoric is still studied in every high school English classroom in America and in many classrooms in the world. Perhaps I should thank the kind Conservative Republican for such a compliment -- unless this person has no clue what rhetoric means.
07.19.04 (1:03 pm) posted by Genia
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During my internet wanderings today, I found the website Crossed American, US Flag Under God. Yeah, I'm circling back around to the "Under God" phrase in the Pledge of Allegiance. I'd thought this horse had been beaten to death (no offense to any animal lovers), but this website made me think again about the dead horse.
Just a few of the quotes I pulled from the website:
Americans have the right to believe in any form of 'God' they desire.
Americans (and activist judges) do not have the right to stifle the history of worship in our nation.
Displaying the Ten Commandments in public as they are the basis for the laws of a civilized society.
Counterpoints:
Yes, Americans do have the right to worship whatever God they wish, in whatever way they wish; however, no one American has any more rights than another American -- not even a Christian American. That means, if in a particular situation, a Christian American's rights violate my rights, then that Christian American shouldn't have those rights -- in that particular situation.
I feel like I'm banging my head against a brick wall with these people sometimes. Ya can't stand in my yard and sing songs about God if I don't want ya to -- especially if I'm an atheist. Go to your own yard and sing all day. THAT's the right you have.
Removing the words "Under God" from public state events is not stifling the history of worship. You can still visit any library you wish and read about all the history of worship you want to read about. Read all day if you want. Besides, Americans and activists judges had the right to remove slavery as a state institution. We still know about slavery. We still study slavery. Americans are still very well aware of this country's rich slave history. I don't think it's been stifled at all.
Hmm. . . I guess that means any country that does not display the Ten Commandments in public is an uncivilized nation? They sure like tossing that word "uncivilized" around, don't they? The Ten Commandments are the basis of all laws? Hmm. . . Which 10 Commandments are we talking about here? The Protestant, Catholic, or Hebrew version? And let's look at them further, in detail:
Catholic Version
1. I am the Lord thy God. Thou shalt not have strange gods before me.
2. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
3. Remember thou keep the Sabbath Day.
4. Honor thy Father and thy Mother.
5. Thou shalt not kill.
6. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
7. Thou shalt not steal.
8. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
9. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife.
10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's goods.
Based on these 10 Commandments, and the logic used by Crossed Americans (Displaying the Ten Commandments in public as they are the basis for the laws of a civilized society), I'd say the US is a pretty damn uncivilized nation. Our crime rate is atrocious. The divorce rate (**cough, cough** consisting of heterosexual marriages) is up to 50%, men screw around on their wives, wives screw around on their husbands (and even with the neighbor), mothers kill their kids (and I'm not even talking about abortion -- Susan Smith comes to mind along with a host of other women, I won't even get started on the race of these women), corporate executives steal . . .
I think the Crossed Americans may want to come up with a better marketing plan to sell those pins. This one is just downright see-through and hypocritical.
Republican Ladies, Bow to the California Governor!
07.19.04 (11:05 am) posted by Genia
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I saw this and I thought of all the good Republican ladies who, regardless of what the Governator said, will continue to support the good ole chap with a vengeance. They'll scream in his support, "The liberals made him do it! They forced him to behave like a sexist pig! Pray for him."
Seems Arnold thinks anyone who doesn't agree with him is "girlie." So following that logic, that would mean all those Republican men and women who do agree with him are . . . manly? Hmm . . . I always did think Barbara Bush looked a bit manly. Didn't you?
I don't need to tell anyone how sexist that comment was. Republicans will just ignore it, as usual -- unless a Democrat said it.
Perhaps the Governator simply didn't consult with the wifey (who looks a bit manly herself) before making his speech. If he had, he would have spoken with a hint of sense and sensibility.
I can't believe the fools we end up with running the government. Thank gawd that fool will never be President; ya have to be born in AMERICA (say that with a Texas accent). Hmm. . . I wonder how Dubya feels about this non-native American being a part of the US government. I mean, with their WKetchup and all. We shouldn't eat ketchup made in other countries, but we should follow a leader who was? Oh, that's right. He's a Republican non-native American. That's different.
Ok, so let me get this straight. . . the US government torched the Davidian complex, but it's ok for a United States President to do whatever he pleases because he feels God speaks through him?
So, as long as one person does what people agree with in the name of God, the Republicans, the US government, and the good Christians have no problem whatsoever with that person having a blank check. But, when a group of citizens become recluses in the name of God it's not okay for them to have a commune in Waco, TX?
And we wonder why so many Americans have joined this anti-American terrorist movement. Because we're constantly fuckin' with one group of people, while letting another group of people do whatever the fuck they want.
If I was dumb, I would believe Dubya. I mean, he is the President of the United States of America. And if God were going to speak through anyone, it would be the President of the United States of America -- not the Pope or anyone like that because, well, the United States is superior in everyone's eyes -- even God's. But . . . I'm not dumb. So, I don't believe it.
07.17.04 (12:17 pm) posted by Genia
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Not that Dubya or any of his cronies care what Elton John has to say (unless it's in full support of the Dubya Administration), but I thought I'd pass this along and see how fast Elton John's career is tampered with:
"There's an atmosphere of fear in America right now that is deadly. Everyone is too career-conscious. They're all too scared," he told New York's Interview magazine.
"I don't know if there's been a time when the fear factor played such an important role in America since McCarthyism in the 1950s, as it does now."
Source:
I'd have to say I agree. And we should've seen it coming. Now how that dumb ass and his administration were able to pull this off is beyond me, but then, a shitload of people believed in Hitler too. That wasn't very smart either.
Peaceful? I don't believe that for a minute. He's the "war-time" President. Why would he wanna ruin that reputation?
We do like to democratize folks, don't we?
I don't care what anybody says, this is Dubya's new pet project -- his new brownie points for his campaign. If Cuba's sex slavery problem was that important to Dubya, he would have been focused on that instead of his Federal Marriage Amendment. Child sex slavery seems way more important to me than two adults of the same sex getting married. PLEASE correct me if my value-system is warped here; I'd be happy to hear your comments.
Oh, and the comments in this article about good Christians being concerned about child sex slavery. . . seems to me the good Christians were more concerned about my bedroom for quite some time. I haven't heard shit from the good Christians about child sex slavery.
07.16.04 (1:04 pm) posted by Genia
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The sheer hypocrisy and tackiness of this ad and website just made me cringe:
W Ketchup: Mmm, mmm, good! "W Ketchup™ is made in America, from ingredients grown in the USA. "
Ok, so . . . didn't Cheney visit CHINA (which, correct me if I'm wrong, is not in the United States) to cook up nuclear power deals?
And ummm . . . isn't Halliburton, one of Cheney's former companies, employing lots of American workers in IRAQ (which, correct me if I'm wrong, is not in the United States) while millions of Americans in the United States could use a few favors, too?
I'm sure the ketchup is delicious though, and it is for a good cause. I mean, after all, Dubya did send those men and women to Iraq on false pretenses, he might as well raise money for their kids.
Folks, I think the Republicans are getting desperate. Ketchup?
A portion of every sale is donated to the Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund, which provides scholarships for the children of active duty service members killed in the line of duty
Ok, so you have to be a Republican to care enough to support the children of active duty service people? Isn't this a divisive and "hateful and negative campaign" putting the nation's military in the middle? Oh wait, the Republicans can do that!
07.16.04 (11:03 am) posted by Genia
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I was warned yesterday that I'd fall over one day from all this stress and anger. She may be right, but until then. . .
I found a picture of this lovely gal online today,
accompanied by an article about a group of activists who want to get rid of the 4 judges who ruled in favor of gay marriage in MA. I certainly wouldn't want to hurt this lovely lady's marriage by marrying another woman. She appears to . . . need all the help she can get.
It got me to thinking about American-style politics. It's quite unique, ya know. See, many Americans have this really odd sense of values. And that value-system guides their political beliefs. For example:
It's ok for the Vice President of the United States to pull strings for his buddies at Halliburton and get them contracts to rebuild Iraq (after we tore the fucker up), but it's not ok for four judges to vote in favor of allowing 2 adults to choose for themselves who they want to spend the rest of their lives with.
Another example:
It's ok that the President of the United States lied about WMDs, Iraq buying Unranium from Nigeria to develop WMDs, Iraq being connected to 9/11, etc -- in order to wage a war against Iraq, spending billions of US dollars while US citizens lack jobs; but, it's not ok for another President to allow an intern to suck his penis in the oval office. Personally, my value system says neither of these is okay, but I'm not a politician, a Conservative, or a Republican.
And here's another example, one I find quite humorous:
It's ok for the President of the United States to purposely prey on every redneck, ill-educated fool in this country who's too dumb to know that cowboy hats do not symbolize truth, justice and the "American way," but it's not ok for Whoopi Goldberg to make jokes about the man by pointing to her chocha.
So, what is this value-system I speak of? Why, it's called "me, me, me." It's typically a stage 2 year olds go through, and then again, at age 5 or 6, when they enter kindergarten and have to learn to play nice with others and develop some empathy skills. You would hope the "me, me, me" stage would be long gone by the time one reaches adulthood.
Which leads me to today's Word of the Day:
Empathy: (a) Identification with and understanding of another's situation and feelings. (b) The attribution of one's own feelings to an object.
That's the one thing seriously lacking in American-style politics. Yeah, I know. It's the bleeding heart liberal in me. Who was it that said people should be left to their own devices and that no one, not even the government, should feel responsible for taking of individuals. Was it Edmund Burke? I think it was, because there was a private, whites only, high school in my hometown in Georgia named after him -- Edmund Burke Academy. Funny, that school was always doing fundraisers -- begging others for money to keep that school going.
07.15.04 (11:07 pm) posted by Genia
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I didn't even know Slim Fast products still existed. This was certainly not the way to remind people.
Let me back up, for those who don't know what's going on. Whoopi Goldberg, John Mellencamp, Jon Bon Jovi, Paul Newman, Meryl Streep, Jessica Lange, John Leguizamo, and a host of other celebrities attended a Kerry-Edwards fundraiser. At this fundraiser, some Bush-bashin' was goin' on. Hey, it's a party, right. Gotta have some fun. According to the report, Whoopi said Bush should stay where it belongs and pointed between her legs. Well, Slim Fast fired Whoopi, claiming it offended some of their consumers.
Hmm. . . Ok, so there was someone in the audience of a Kerry-Edwards fundraiser who was offended by a joke made about Dubya, and Slim Fast gives Whoopi the axe? Even if the joke was a bit crude, it fit the intended audience.
Well, I certainly hope Slim Fast has enough Dubya-Cheney consumers left to keep that company afloat. Because this is certainly not the stance they should have taken at this point -- especially with this whole Atkins diet stuff kickin' Slim Fast's ass all over the diet craze market.
Now, what I don't understand about all this is . . . Whoopi's jokes have never been very clean. If you watch her stand-up comedy, a lot of it is very raunchy in nature. Basically, Slim Fast thought she made a great spokesperson and didn't have a problem with her type of humor -- until it involved Dubya.
Personally, I'd like to thank Whoopi. Well done!
Now, according to reports, there was an email sent out from the Dubya-Cheney camp about this incident and the "liberal left of Hollywood":
"The Kerry-Edwards ticket clearly demonstrated who is waging the hateful and negative campaign by refusing to denounce the performers at Thursday's event."
Oh no they didn't. Did they just call someone out for being hateful and negative? The bastards who just made every attempt to write discrimination into the Constitution? Now, now boys. Let's not forget to open our eyes when we look in the mirror.
WASHINGTON -- The Senate dealt an election-year defeat Wednesday to a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, rejecting pleas from President Bush and fellow conservatives that the measure was needed to safeguard an institution that has flourished for thousands of years.
07.14.04 (10:14 am) posted by Genia
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Last night was my break from reality and politics (no, they're not always the same). I received my Woman Woman DVDs in the mail on Friday and I just got around to opening them. I'd forgotten how beautiful Lynda Carter was (still is).
The first time you see her character in the pilot, she's running along the beach in what looks like a baby blue, thin, nightie. There's another woman with her. I don't even remember what she looked like. So, yeah . . .
Being a liberal arts grad, I spent most of my time analyzing all the feminist theory present in the series -- well, that and umm . . . looking for hints of BDSM. I didn't have to look too hard. There was one scene where Wonder Woman flips this guy (**cough, cough** flips -- get it) and then, places one of her red boots on his chest, "lick my boot, you bastard!"
I'd forgotten about all the evil women in the Wonder Woman series. There's lots of talk about men being evil, bad, and out to destroy the world; but, there's the occassional interjection of talk about vindictive women. You know, "women aren't always victims" kinda thing. And, I agree.
Another thing I caught . . . and here's where my Literary Theory professors at Beloit College would be so proud of my keen observation (ha!): Lynda Carter's hair color. She's a brunette. Typically, blondes are portrayed as pure and virtuous. Most of the evil women she fought were all blonde -- at least in the first series.
So, while talking to my therapist this morning, I asked her why I never realized how much I "liked-liked" Wonder Woman when I was a young girl -- associating it with lesbian sexuality. She said, "you were 8 years old!" She's right. I thought a "dyke" was something that held water back and wondered why my older cousins kept calling my Aunt Henrietta that. I walked in on her and this woman once. I'll have to tell you about that another time.
Oh, and I have an odd fascination with BDSM. I finally realized it all started with Wonder Woman and those red boots.
07.13.04 (3:18 pm) posted by Genia
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We never did figure out the difference between chicken hot dogs and bologna hot dogs. We need two samples. So, here's one sample:
Kerry and his running mate, Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina, oppose same sex-marriage, but argue amending the Constitution is not the answer.
Like many Democrats, they say it should be left up to the states to define marriage.
And here's the second sample:
President Bush says legalizing gay marriage would redefine the most fundamental institution of civilization and that a constitutional amendment is needed to protect it.
Now, chew on both samples real good for a minute. Note the similarities. Note the differences.
Neither party thinks an adult has the right to decide for him or herself what other adult he/she wants to marry. Neither party feels adults should have the right to define for themselves what marriage is. Both parties feel the government should have some say so in that decision -- on one level or another, be it on a state or federal level.
Next to this picture: should be a picture of the 1,000,000 gay Republicans who voted for Dubya in the 2000 election.
And this picture: Oh no they didn't EVEN go there!
So, I couldn't find any pictures of Dubya and his administration bendin' anybody ovah. Not the homos. Not the poor people. Not the women. Not the elderly. Not the working class. Nobody. You know that's what I was lookin' for.
Ok, so let me get this straight (no pun intended). We can keep an eye out for terrorist attacks so we can postpone Dubya's reign, but we can't (pre-911) add extra security at the airports or added security at the borders -- even though we've had warnings of terrorist attacks for months and months?
Hmm. . .
So, not only are we discussing messing with the Constitution to keep the homos from ever gettin' married, but we're discussing postponing a presidential election?
Hmm. . .
These damn people have lost their fuckin' minds. They just do whatever the hell they wanna do, don't they? And use any damn excuse they can come up with to do it.
Personally, I think our enemies would love to see Dubya ousted, so I'm having a hard time following their logic here. But, you're not supposed to be able to think on your own and come up with that idea!
07.11.04 (3:36 pm) posted by Genia
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Well somebody in that family has either (a) brains, (b) balls, (c) a heart, or (d) brains, balls, and a heart.
FINALLY, I see a Republican step to the plate, and it wasn't Mary Cheney -- the Vice President's openly gay lesbian daughter (the one who's making a cool $100,000 a year to run the Dubya/Cheney campaign). What a coward that one is.
``First of all, to be clear that people should be free to enter into their relationships that they choose. And, secondly, to recognize what's historically been the situation, that when it comes to conferring legal status on relationships, that is a matter left to the states,'' she said.
Lynne Cheney said the situation in 2004 is somewhat different from the one four years ago because of the Massachusetts court ruling and its effect on states.
Asked again about the difference between the Democrats and the Bush administration on the amendment, Cheney reaffirmed her preference for local solutions.
The vice president's press office had no immediate comment Sunday.
Maybe there's some hope for Mrs. Dubya yet, eh? A little redemption for the Republicans -- in a woman. I almost feel like rushing over to the DrinkThis lady's blog to see what she's calling Lynne Cheney. [i]Arrogant[/i], maybe?
The "vice president's press office had no immediate comment." Ain't that a curious thang?
07.11.04 (10:22 am) posted by Genia
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I feel like a school teacher on "fun day Friday," except today is Sunday -- which is much more appropriate for this project.
I was snooping around on the Republican National Committee's website this morning. I ended up there because I clicked on the Google ad which contained the following text:
We need your help to advance the responsible Bush/Republican Agenda
Now you know I had to click on it because the word responsible made me choke on my coffee. And, I also wanted to see what his agenda was (which obviously is much more acceptable than the supposed "homo agenda.")
Ok, so I saw homeland security listed as part of his agenda. I also saw renewing the Patriot Act as part of his agenda. But, for the life of me, I couldn't find "fuckin' over the homos" anywhere on that page. My eyes could be going bad, so please, can someone visit the page and see if it's there? Thanks.
So, on to the fun project. I say we list all those things that are missing on the Dubya Agenda List.
Little Susie, seated to my left, raises her hand and says, "stickin' it to the homosexuals!" in a great child-like voice, filled with enthusiasm. That's correct, Susie! Anyone else?
Little Johnny, seated directly behind Susie, blurts out enthusiastically, "Makin' everybody a Christie." I think you mean a Christian, Johnny, but that's correct!
07.10.04 (10:23 pm) posted by Genia
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Yesterday, Senators began debating the amendment that would write discrimination into the U.S. Constitution.
Activists have worked decades to remove discrimination from the U.S. Constitution. Remember women's suffrage in the United States.
In 1776, when Abigail Adams wrote to her husband John Adams and asked that he not forget the women; her husband responded with, the men will fight the "despotism of the petticoat." In 1920, after decades of fighting for the right to vote -- and many women spending time in jail for daring to be "arrogant" enough to think they can break the law and vote anyway-- women finally won the right to vote in the United States.
In 1850, all men who could read were granted the right to vote. Of course, this meant that any illiterate former slaves couldn't vote. That was exactly the point. But in 1866, Congress passed the 14th Amendment, granting all men age 21 and over the right to vote -- including Black men. This made it illegal to prevent even illiterate men from voting.
In 1954, the Supreme Court made it illegal to racially segregate public schools.
In 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a White passenger on a public bus -- defying a southern tradition that was quite prevalent at the time.
In 1960, four Black students sat down at a segregated lunch counter at Woolworth's.
In 1961, the Freedom Riders began taking bus trips designed to test new laws banning segregation in interstate travel.
All these activists, and many more since, worked tirelessly to ensure that discrimination was removed from the U.S. Constitution. And now, in the year 2004, we have a United States President -- the leader of the most powerful free land in the world -- taking a giant leap backwards and prompting the Senate to seriously consider writing discrimination into the Constitution against a group of United States citizens.
Writing discrimination into the Constitution against me will not save your heterosexual marriage. It will not suddenly fix any of your heterosexual marital problems. It will not suddenly make you feel like you're on a that second honeymoon. It will only . . . write discrimination into the Constitution against a group of people who haven't done a damn thing to you or your marriage.
Call your representatives and tell them just that. 1-877-762-8762
Visit this website and tell your representatives just that: tinyurl.com/25wg8
If the number above is busy, try this one: 202-225-3121
Let your representatives know how angry you are that they are not paying closer attention to these issues instead:
Better public schools
Bringing jobs back to the United States
Corrupt corporate America
The millions of homeless people in this country
Affordable prescription drugs for the elderly
The many deadly diseases that need research funding
This whole Iraq mess
For all you conservatives who call yourselves compassionate and often write me upset because I lump you in one big group with the other conservatives: get on the phone and tell your people there are better things to be concerned about. Defeat this Federal Marriage Amendment. Unless, you too believe writing discrimination in the Constitution will save your marriage.
07.10.04 (4:59 pm) posted by Genia
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Ok, so I don't know why I bother with some of the people I run into in some of these lesbian chat rooms. Someone asked me about my interests, and the subject of politics came up. Of course, I went on about the many things that bothered me about Dubya and his politics -- one of which was the US's lack of attention to Zimbabwe's troubles because, well, Zimbabwe doesn't have anything the US wants.
And, as expected, one lesbian said, "Are you anti-American?" And I found myself going through the same song-and-dance about being critical of your country without being anti-American. I felt like I needed to speak to her in kindergarten language. Group-think set in, and another lesbian says, "Chat rooms are not for discussing politics. Go talk to your representatives."
So, I checked the name of the chat room once again. It was "Older Lesbians." I wondered what it was about the title of that chat room that signified non-political chat. I got sarcastic, and said, "Oh, of course not. Chat rooms are for pickin' up chics!"
It was perfectly okay when we were discussing Dubya's anti-gay politics -- for about 20 minutes. That was about all the visitors could stand. But, when the conversation went to politics that did not concern these women (term used quite loosely here), they weren't interested or concerned. And that, people, is the problem.
We sit back and let politicians fuck over groups that we do not belong to. We say nothing. We don't care. It doesn't concern us. It's not a subject to be discussed in "our space." But, when the politicians come after us, we want the very same groups we neglected to come to our aid.
In less than a month, Dubya was able to mobilize his people and get his anti-gay amendment penned and made a real reality. That's because they want something, and they want it bad. We are days away from learning if homosexuals will be banned forever from marrying legally in this country. Politicians can't do anymore than we let them do. But, ya see, we sit in chat rooms -- spaces that can be used to motivate millions and millions of people to get active -- and we use them to . . . pick up chics.
07.10.04 (10:45 am) posted by Genia
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Dubya said so:
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush says legalizing gay marriage would redefine [b]the most fundamental institution of civilization [/b] and that a constitutional amendment is needed to protect it.
Yes, dear Conservatives. That's your leader. Your show of human decency and kindness. Your show of morality. The man boy who said he would bring people together -- not divide them.
Unless my logic and critical thinking skills are severely lacking, I do believe I can indeed read Dubya's statement as one that speaks this loud and clear: homosexuals are uncivilized; gay marriage is uncivilized.
Well, what can we expect, right? This is the boy who has deemed himself the almighty, bessed with the power and authority to civilize whomever he wants -- including the Iraqi people. And well, since there's really no need to lie about the fact that homosexuals desire the right to marry in order to launch a pre-emptive strike against an entire group of American people, he can pretty much walk through this election tactic without being accused of lying.
Let's see. I think I shall list [b]just a few [/b]behaviors I feel are uncivilized, and are committed mostly by heterosexuals (since homosexuals supposedly make up only about 10 - 15% of the US population):
1. child sex abuse (often, daddy sneaking in on his own daughter or son -- don't deny it, we know it happens)
2. spousal abuse (often the god-fearing, good ole christian daddy beatin' up on the wife who just smiles and pretends everything is great, because, well, they're christian conservatives and can't tell anybody that their household is a mess)
3. child abuse (often drunken daddy beatin' up on the kids when he's done with the wife)
4. child abuse (mommy beatin' up on the kids because she's just a bad mom, claims she has psychological issues, but really she just prefers hanging out at the bar drinking to being at home with her kids)
Yeah, I know. These look like "stereotypes" and how dare I (a black, female, lesbian) stoop so low. Well, they're not stereotypes. The facts speak for themselves. Do your research. This country has a serious problem with all the issues I addressed. And, well, most of these people are heterosexuals. And well, I view this behavior as [b]way more [/b]uncivilized than me licking some woman's chocha. But we're not talking about uncivilized heterosexual behavior for the purpose of winning an election, now are we?
07.09.04 (9:32 am) posted by Genia
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Ok, so I would go back through all the comments posted on this blog from all my very kind conservative visitors and point to their adamant defense of Dubya's assertion that Iraq did indeed have WMD when the US invaded Iraq.
But, I'll let the statement released by the largely conservative and Republican Senate speak for itself:
In a hard-hitting report released today, the U.S. Senate's Select Committee on Intelligence described a massive intelligence failure by the CIA and other U.S. intelligence agencies in failing to accurately assess Iraq's weapons of mass destruction before last year's U.S. invasion.
The intelligence community's assessments of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein's possession of prohibited weapons not only turned out to be "wrong" in hindsight, but they were "also unreasonable and largely unsupported by the available intelligence" in the first place, said Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), the committee chairman, in summarizing the report.
All these moves by Dubya and his people look very much like repentance to me -- an attempt to make it look like he's washing his soul clean. Coming clean. Moving forward. And just before the election, eh? All those talks with Catholic priests are doing Dubya some good, well, offering some good political strategy if nothing else. And here I was thinking he was just working with these priests to screw over us homos.
So, I'll start the list of conservative protests to this new "attempt by the liberal media" to make Dubya look like a spoiled rich boy who used his Daddy's money to avoid the draft so he could hang out at bars and have a few cold ones:
You damn liberals. The issue has already been settled. President Bush served his country honorably and faithfully in the [b]National Guard[/b]. Salute the man, damnit!
07.07.04 (7:33 pm) posted by Genia
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. . . you're more excited about blogging than getting ready for a date. Or, is that a nerd?
So, I had to blog about this before I left. Read in the Out & About newspaper today (a gay publication distributed in Nashville, Knoxville, Atlanta, Huntsville, and Chattanooga):
Maria Salas, a leader in Nashville's GLBT community and champion for human rights, may not be reappointed to her position on the Metro Human Relations Commission (MHRC) at the Metro Council meeting on Tuesday July 6.
Out & About Newspaper has learned that the chair of the Metro Council Committee that oversees the MHRC, Michael Kerstetter, is leading opposition to her appointment.
Salas believes this opposition is because she's been a very vocal supporter of equal rights for the LGBT community. Apparently, in February, council members refused to appoint Eileen Beehan to a city commission because of her support for LGBT rights.
I don't mean to make broad, sweeping generalizations about the South, but . . . I've lived there. Born and raised. There are things I love about the South, and there are things I could do without. Homophobia seems to permeate many geographic areas though.
Ok, so I'm visiting a gay SPORTS website and what do I see? I see a user by the name of lovblackdick sporting a nude picture of himself in the top right hand corner -- dick hanging out and everything. That is just UNSATISFACTORY on a SPORTS website. I don't visit heterosexual sports pages and expect to see a straight woman spread eagle showing her pussy to the whole world; therefore, I don't expect to visit a gay sports website and see a gay many showing his penis to the whole world.
You people really need to patrol your members better. That is a blatant embarassment to professional lesbian women like myself who are hosting google ads on our websites which link to YOUR website.
Get it together, people!
Thank you, Genia V. Stevens
That's the kinda shit that just pisses me off. Everything has a place. EVERYTHING!
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