Ravings of a Random Mind...

John Stewart on "Christian Persecution".

2012-01-15T11:52:00.000-08:00

Seriously. It's not like the rest of us are throwing you to the lions. Get off that cross; somebody needs the wood.

The Commercial Value of Social Progressive-ness.

2012-01-10T09:00:00.000-08:00

This morning I ran across this ad from Renault. Now, I realise that the primary focus here is to sell cars, and the target demographic is a more Socially Progressive market - but they aren't the only people who are going to see the ad. I'm sure it'll be up on tellys all over, and as you can see, it's on the interwebs as well.

So the question I have is this: Does the Commercial nature of this type of media (advertising) cheapen the value of promoting social change and a more equal society? Is the good done by exposing the public to diversity, to showing the "other" as "normal" worth more than the manipulation of the public by Mad Men? When does it stop being a force for good, and become just one more gimmick.

What Our Media Says About Us

2011-11-27T09:55:00.000-08:00

TIME Magazine is one of the most respected Media outlets in the US. So why is it altering the cover stories for it's US market?

Here is the cover for the 5 December 2011 issue. Notice that the European, Asian & South Pacific issues all have a common cover story - only the US edition is altered.

Interesting to know that TIME has a different cover for US consumption than the rest of the world. Not for the first time, but definitely one of the most enlightening disconnects. Here is the cover from the 8 August 2011 issue, where "Travels Through Islam" is the cover story - everywhere but in the US, where "ISLAM" is a bad word in much of the country.

It says a lot about the quality of conversation in our country - that discourse on world events is not only discouraged, but that our Media actively restricts access to the information that we need to have a healthy discussion - on any topic. If you don't believe that your "news" is being spoon-fed to you by your Mainstream Media outlets, think again.

I think this quote from Chuck Pahlaniuk's "Lullabye" pretty much sums it up.

“Big Brother isn’t watching. He’s singing and dancing. He’s pulling rabbits out of a hat. Big Brother’s busy holding your attention every moment you’re awake. He’s making sure you’re always distracted. He’s making sure you’re fully absorbed.”
― Chuck Palahniuk, Lullaby

Media is the puppet; who is pulling the strings behind the puppet show?

Is Russia the new Zimbabwe?

2011-11-27T09:12:00.000-08:00

The newest attack on the lives of homosexual men and women is not in a Third World nation, an unenlightened educational backwater where local superstitions supercede science. No, it is in Russia, a culturally, scientifically, and intellectually rich nation.

Moscow is now proposing legislation that would bad the "promotion" of a gay lifestyle, UK Gay News reports:

The move comes less than 48 hours after the legislature in Russia’s ‘second city’, St. Petersburg, passed the first of three readings by a 27-1 (with one abstention) margin of their measure, ‘The Promotion of Homosexuality, Lesbianism, and Transgenderism to Minors.

"Yes, we plan to adoption of this law in Moscow and now [are] just working on its development,” chairman of the Moscow City Council Committee on Health Care and Public Health, Lyudmila Stebenkova told the newspaper, adding that the committee “commends the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg”.

The New Yorker published an essay on the subject:

The sponsor of the bill—it still has to go through two more votes to become law—is Vitaly Milonov, from the ruling United Party. He explained the legislation by saying, “children have to be protected from destructive information.” What that meant was subject to interpretation. According to Milonov, this information could be found in sex-education classes where such values were “advertised,” as well as in the works of that gay cabal—show business. This was not in any way meant to be an intrusion into the personal lives of Petersburgers, Milonov added, but what could he do when his city is drowning under “a wave popularizing sexual perversion”?

Milonov’s colleagues chimed in, lumping sexual assault of a child in with consensual gay sex. “Children maimed by pedophiles jump out of windows, they take their own lives. Pedophilia is an attempt on a child’s life!” one of them said, adding that spreading such propaganda should be a criminal offense. Another deputy, Elena Babich, from the nationalist-crazypants Liberal Democratic party, agreed that the proposed penalties were too light. “What is a three-thousand ruble fine to a pedophile when they are supported by an international community?” (Did she mean show business?)

The legislation, which was rushed through the local parliament, is not unique. A similar law was passed this summer in the northern city of Arkhangelsk, where legislators expressed concern about the effect of gays on the city’s already low birthrates, and in the Ryazan region. But those were the provinces.

St. Petersburg, long Russia’s window to Europe and its bastion of high culture, is both a strange and logical place to pass such a law. For one thing, it was the first place with an L.G.B.T. organization: Kryl’ya (or “wings”) was founded in October 1991, having fought for its creation in the Soviet courts at a time when homosexuality was still criminalized and punishable by five years of hard labor. (That provision, the notorious Article 121, was repealed two years later, in 1993.) Moscow used to have a mayor, Yuri Luzhkov, who denounced homosexuality as “satanic.” St. Petersburg, in contrast, was in some ways the center of organized gay life in Russia: the Russian branch of the I.L.G.A., the international L.G.B.T. rights organization is run out of St. Petersburg; pride parades, long the subject of violent battles with the Moscow authorities (who won’t allow them), have passed through this city peacefully, until this year. Imagine passing an anti-gay law in San Francisco.

Interestingly enough, this didn't get much media coverage here in the US. Mugabe's ravings about homosexuals, the criminalisation of any homosexual act - or even of being gay, no acts necessary - that got news. Why? We can afford to criticise Zimbabwe. The only thing I've ever seen with a "Made in Zimbabwe" logo on it was a t-shirt from The Gap. Once. A long time ago. Oh sure, let them be crazy down there in Africa, but in Europe? No, we won't report on that.

I am angered at the Russian legislation; I am disgusted with the American media. Even the State Department made a statement about the goings-on in St. Petersburg, not that you heard about it.

From the AFP:

"Gay rights are human rights and human rights are gay rights," the State Department said, repeating a declaration by top US diplomat Hillary Clinton.

"We have called on Russian officials to safeguard these freedoms, and to foster an environment which promotes respect for the rights of all citizens."

Thank you, Hillary. Nice to know that somebody in Washington, D.C. still has some balls.

REVIEW: Elephant's Graveyard | Balagan Theatre | Seattle, WA

2009-09-07T11:29:00.000-07:00

"It was September and there was a town... there was a circus... there was a railroad... and there was an elephant... Mary."

This is the opening line of "Elephant's Graveyard", the current selection on display at the aptly named Balagan Theatre ["balagan" is Hebrew for "problem" "trouble" or even "Chaos"]. This Theatre, while entertaining, strives to make you think about humanity, humanity's place in the universe, and your place in humanity.

Sol, Koko, Ruslan and I went to see the show this past Saturday, expecting to be entertained. It was, after all, a show about a town, a railroad, a circus and an elephant, right? Yes. And no.

It starts off introducing you to the characters in the show, and they come across as all being very likable. These could be your neighbors, your friends, your family - even yourselves. The show is a solid piece, 75 minutes, no intermission. There is no clear break between the likable characters from the beginning, and the ugly mess some of them become at the end; their portrayals are very real and very raw. You get to know Mary the Elephant through the stories of the circus folk; you only get to meet Mary directly at the end of the show.

You can feel the show building to a climax, the confrontation between the townies and the circus folk coming on with the rhythym of iron wheels on steel rails. Like a locomotive bearing down on you, riveted to the spot unable to move out of the way; when it hits you, you realize it's not yet finished. You wish for a better outcome, but you know it isn't to be - yet you keep hoping.

Perhaps that is why this type of cautionary tale needs to be told; in the hope that one day, things of this nature will not happen. [Spoiler warning: following this link will affect how you see the show - watch the show first, THEN read about it.]

This show is darkly comic; it will make you laugh, but it also made many in the audience cry through frustration, sorrow and not a few through anger and hatred. Like the complicated stories of peoples' lives, this show will tangle your emotions into a twisted skein you will be untangling the whole rest of the evening - I suggest walking to the show and walking home afterwards in the company of somebody you can talk with.

I highly recommend everybody see this show.

Did California Fuck It Up For Everybody?

2009-04-30T19:15:00.000-07:00

In a news article today on gather.com Bluprnt z. writes that there could be an incredibly unforseen result of Proposition 8: the California Supreme Court could rule that Marriage in it's entirety is unconstitutional and scrap the State's Marriage Laws in their entirety.

Wouldn't that be a hoot!

I make no secret that I do not entirely support Gay Marriage. I believe that Marriage is a religious ceremony, and as such, various religious institutions have the right to regulate it as their scripture and beliefs demand.

I do not believe that Marriage is something that States (or the Federal Government) should be involved in at all. There is no State Religion in our country, and as Marriage is a religious institution, it has no place in Governance; to include or exclude anybody in it is not for Courts or Governments or Legislatures to decide. It's not even up to the People. It properly belongs in the perveyance of Religious Leaders. If you don't like what your religous body has to say about Marriage, then perhaps you're not going to the right church, coven, grove of oak trees, mosque, temple, et cetera.

The potential in California is for all State-sanctioned Marriages to be ruled unconstitutional, and here is why:

1. Revision It Is Not: If the California Supreme Court holds that the proposition is a simple amendment instead of a revision, it will need to act like an amendment. Therefore, it can not make major changes to the constitution. Since equal protection of the laws is a central tenet in the California Constitution, those protections would necessarily need to remain intact. The proposition would not be able to be interpreted as an exemption of equal protection for gays and lesbians.

2. Proposition 8 Simply Defines a Term: In oral arguments before the California Supreme Court, the proponents of proposition 8 claimed that it did not affect any rights of gays and lesbians, and that the proposition merely defined that marriage was to remain between a man and a woman. Proposition 8 doesn't require that the state sanction 'marriage' or instruct the legislature that marriage laws must only include a man and a wife. This is particularly important. When ruling on the effect of a constitutional phrase, it is interpreted narrowly when it limits rights or freedoms.

3. Suspect Class: In it's decision in re: Marriage Cases, the California Supreme Court determined that gays and lesbians are a suspect class. This means that they have historically been the subject of discrimination and are do not have sufficient political power to address the discrimination. In application, this finding requires that all laws which limit the rights of gays and lesbians are assumed to be discriminatory and are reviewed using 'strict scrutiny.' Less than 30% of laws that are reviewed using strict scrutiny standards withstand that test. This is a very important and unique finding. Since Proposition 8 was written prior to the decision, it could simply not have anticipated or addressed this issue.

4. Separate is not Equal: In re: Marriage Cases, the California Supreme Court had ruled that there was no compelling interest for the state in establishing a separate designation for gays and lesbians (domestic partnership) even if the rights established were exactly the same. They note that denying gays and lesbians the respect and dignity of a common designation, caused appreciable harm to gays and lesbians and relegated them to 'second class citizens.' The supreme court even noted that upon determining that the marriage laws were discriminatory, they had two options; either extend the rights of marriage to gays and lesbians, or strike the marriage laws in their entirety.

This means that ALL Marriages, by their nature, cannot be recognized by the State. Instead, another term ("Civil Unions", anybody?) will have to be codified into State Statutes to cover ALL citizens, regardless of sexual orientation.

My perfect solution. Keep Church and State separate. If you want a legally binding social contact, get one through the State. Call it Civil Unions, Domestic Partnerships, I really don't care. Call it Marriage? No. If you want one of those, talk to your clergy. If they won't do it, then find another who will; there are plenty of open-minded Imams, Pastors, Preachers, Priests and Rabbis who will.

Amazingly, something wonderful might just come out of this mess in California after all. As Blueprnt Z puts it,

This is not the outcome that was envisioned by the citizens of California, but is perhaps the most likely result when, as Prop 8 attorney noted, the 'people rule themselves unwisely.'

At the very least, it's certain that those who wish to emulate Prop 8 in their own states, may very well take a moment to rethink what they may unintentionally let out of Pandora's Box.

Fucking Brilliant!

Why Miss California is Wrong...

2009-04-20T21:21:00.000-07:00

In the Miss America Pageant (forgive me for going here, but you'll see my reasoning shortly - whether you agree with it or not, you'll understand my POV) Miss California is quoted as saying,

“We live in a land where you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite. And you know what, I think in my country, in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anybody out there, but that’s how I was raised.”

While many will attack her for her views, I'm going to refrain from doing so. Not because I agree with her - I don't - but because she has a right to her POV. What she does NOT have the right to do is misrepresent the reality that we, as Gay and Lesbian citizens of the United States of America, face every day.

“We live in a land where you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite."

I don't know what land she lives in, but here in Washington State, I do NOT have that option. Recently, our Legislature passed the "Everything But Marriage" law, granting residents of the Evergreen State every protection and responsibility of marriage, all of it without using the word "Marriage". While that is a step in the right direction, there are many states, including the Republic of California that do not grant those rights and responsibilities to their Gay and Lesbian citizens. Her statement is, if not an out and out lie, then at the very least it is a gross misrepresentation of the reality in the land in which she lives. If she is referring to the United States as a whole, she is also incorrect in her statement. To date, only the States of Vermont, Iowa, Connecticut and Massachusettes grant marriages to all of their citizens, regardless of sexual orientation (I do not include gays and lesbians in opposite-gender, "one man and one woman" marriages, because I don't view those as honest relationships. If they could, they would also be in same-gender relationships).

Politics do not belong in the Miss America pageant, that is correct. Perez Hilton should have remembered that bit before asking her this question. If you don't want to politicize the pageant, then don't ask the contestants political questions; however, if you do, then be prepared for their honest responses. I applaud her for expressing her viewpoint when asked; on the other hand I also castigate her for not knowing what the Hell she was talking about. You can't praise a country for values and morals that it does not espouse - or that when it does "Freedom and Justice for All" - that it does not follow through on it's promise. She felt free to express her POV, but she also was afraid of saying anything that reflected poorly on the USA, a country she hoped to represent by winning the Miss America Pageant. In that, she showed cowardice; she could just as easily have said that while she personally disagreed with same-gender marriages, the nation as a whole has a responsibility to have equal access under the law for all of it's citizens. She failed in that, and so I am glad that she did not win that crown. I am disappointed in the pageant judges that she did get so far as to win First Runner-Up, but honestly, that is the USA that we live in.

It's not a Perfect Union; but after the news around the country over the past couple of weeks, I am certain that eventually we will get it right. We have a history of injustices: slavery, women's sufferage, immigrant rights, Native displacements and outright thievery. However, what makes the USA different from any other nation in the world is that we, the citizens of the USA, do not sit idly by and let our country become something that we are embarrassed of, but rather strive to rectify our mistakes and truly be "A Light unto the Nations".

Rise of Anti-Semitism in the 21st Century...

2009-02-01T21:33:00.000-08:00

...sure didn't take very long to raise it's ugly head. Here is the article about the most recent attack; on a synagogue in Caracas in Venezuela.

Venezuela? Anti-Semitic? It's far from Europe, which is historically the most anti-semitic place in the world. It's far from the Middle East where most anti-Israeli bias fuels anti-Semitic behaviours. So what's the cause?

Venezuela is an ally of Iran. Iran is the most vocal opponent of Israel, denying her right to exist. Iran also supports the Syrian regime in Damascus. Hizbollah in Lebanon (supported by both Iran and Syria). Hamas in Gaza. The goal? Eradicate the Jewish State. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has made no secret of his hatred of the "Zionist state." The one grace that he has is that he has made a differentiation between Zionists (Israelis) and the Jews of his own country - so long as they don't speak to each other, he can keep them clearly separated in his mind.

Hugo Chavez, President of Venezuela, has done no such thing. He openly spouts vitriol at Israel, and like many converts, does so with more energy than those who've grown up in it. He makes no differentiation between Israel and Jews. He incited violence against members of his own population in his hatred.

If anyone is to blame for the violence in Caracas, it is not Israel. It is Hugo Chavez - who does nothing to prevent it; in fact, quite the opposite.

And the most reasonable voice in the Arab world is...

2009-01-22T23:19:00.000-08:00

...Muammar Qaddafi?

That's right, I said Muammar Qaddafi. This is his op-ed piece on NYTimes.com today. I couldn't believe it either. I started out with the idea that this would be another Times op-ed piece of vitriolic ranting, chock-full with anti-Israel bias. After all, this is the leader of a county that used to sponsor terrorism around the world and actually began his leadership career in Libya with the eliminaton of Israel as one of the pillars of his philosophy.

Now it would seem, Qaddafi has become quite the moderate in his old age. Here is the text of his op-ed piece in full. Amazing...

THE shocking level of the last wave of Israeli-Palestinian violence, which ended with this weekend’s cease-fire, reminds us why a final resolution to the so-called Middle East crisis is so important. It is vital not just to break this cycle of destruction and injustice, but also to deny the religious extremists in the region who feed on the conflict an excuse to advance their own causes.

But everywhere one looks, among the speeches and the desperate diplomacy, there is no real way forward. A just and lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians is possible, but it lies in the history of the people of this conflicted land, and not in the tired rhetoric of partition and two-state solutions.

Although it’s hard to realize after the horrors we’ve just witnessed, the state of war between the Jews and Palestinians has not always existed. In fact, many of the divisions between Jews and Palestinians are recent ones. The very name “Palestine” was commonly used to describe the whole area, even by the Jews who lived there, until 1948, when the name “Israel” came into use.

Jews and Muslims are cousins descended from Abraham. Throughout the centuries both faced cruel persecution and often found refuge with one another. Arabs sheltered Jews and protected them after maltreatment at the hands of the Romans and their expulsion from Spain in the Middle Ages.

The history of Israel/Palestine is not remarkable by regional standards — a country inhabited by different peoples, with rule passing among many tribes, nations and ethnic groups; a country that has withstood many wars and waves of peoples from all directions. This is why it gets so complicated when members of either party claims the right to assert that it is their land.

The basis for the modern State of Israel is the persecution of the Jewish people, which is undeniable. The Jews have been held captive, massacred, disadvantaged in every possible fashion by the Egyptians, the Romans, the English, the Russians, the Babylonians, the Canaanites and, most recently, the Germans under Hitler. The Jewish people want and deserve their homeland.

But the Palestinians too have a history of persecution, and they view the coastal towns of Haifa, Acre, Jaffa and others as the land of their forefathers, passed from generation to generation, until only a short time ago.

Thus the Palestinians believe that what is now called Israel forms part of their nation, even were they to secure the West Bank and Gaza. And the Jews believe that the West Bank is Samaria and Judea, part of their homeland, even if a Palestinian state were established there. Now, as Gaza still smolders, calls for a two-state solution or partition persist. But neither will work.

A two-state solution will create an unacceptable security threat to Israel. An armed Arab state, presumably in the West Bank, would give Israel less than 10 miles of strategic depth at its narrowest point. Further, a Palestinian state in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip would do little to resolve the problem of refugees. Any situation that keeps the majority of Palestinians in refugee camps and does not offer a solution within the historical borders of Israel/Palestine is not a solution at all.

For the same reasons, the older idea of partition of the West Bank into Jewish and Arab areas, with buffer zones between them, won’t work. The Palestinian-held areas could not accommodate all of the refugees, and buffer zones symbolize exclusion and breed tension. Israelis and Palestinians have also become increasingly intertwined, economically and politically.

In absolute terms, the two movements must remain in perpetual war or a compromise must be reached. The compromise is one state for all, an “Isratine” that would allow the people in each party to feel that they live in all of the disputed land and they are not deprived of any one part of it.

A key prerequisite for peace is the right of return for Palestinian refugees to the homes their families left behind in 1948. It is an injustice that Jews who were not originally inhabitants of Palestine, nor were their ancestors, can move in from abroad while Palestinians who were displaced only a relatively short time ago should not be so permitted.

It is a fact that Palestinians inhabited the land and owned farms and homes there until recently, fleeing in fear of violence at the hands of Jews after 1948 — violence that did not occur, but rumors of which led to a mass exodus. It is important to note that the Jews did not forcibly expel Palestinians. They were never “un-welcomed.” Yet only the full territories of Isratine can accommodate all the refugees and bring about the justice that is key to peace.

Assimilation is already a fact of life in Israel. There are more than one million Muslim Arabs in Israel; they possess Israeli nationality and take part in political life with the Jews, forming political parties. On the other side, there are Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Israeli factories depend on Palestinian labor, and goods and services are exchanged. This successful assimilation can be a model for Isratine.

If the present interdependence and the historical fact of Jewish-Palestinian coexistence guide their leaders, and if they can see beyond the horizon of the recent violence and thirst for revenge toward a long-term solution, then these two peoples will come to realize, I hope sooner rather than later, that living under one roof is the only option for a lasting peace.

Muammar Qaddafi is the leader of Libya.

2008-12-03T16:18:00.000-08:00

This very well may piss a great many people off...

And to them I say, "Oh well..."

This was written by a greater man than I, Mr.Olive Schreiner, South African novelist and social activist.

I am merely sharing it with you.

Indeed it is difficult for all other nations of the world to live in the presence of the Jews. It is irritating and most uncomfortable. The Jews embarrass the world as they have done things which are beyond the imaginable.

They have become moral strangers since the day their forefather, Abraham,
introduced the world to high ethical standards and to the fear of Heaven.

They brought the world the Ten Commandments, which many nations prefer to defy.

They violated the rules of history by staying alive, totally at odds with common sense and historical evidence.

They outlived all their former enemies, including vast empires such as the Romans and the Greeks.

They angered the world with their return to their homeland after 2000 years of exile and after the murder of six million of their brothers and sisters.

They aggravated mankind by building, in the wink of an eye, a democratic State which others were not able to create in even hundreds of years. They built living monuments such as the duty to be holy and the privilege to serve one's fellow men.

They had their hands in every human progressive endeavor, whether in science, medicine, psychology or any other discipline, while totally out of proportion to their actual numbers.

They gave the world the Bible and even their "savior."

Jews taught the world not to accept the world as it is, but to transform it, yet only a few nations wanted to listen.

Moreover, the Jews introduced the world to one God, yet only a minority wanted to draw the moral consequences.

So, the nations of the world realize that they would have been lost without the
Jews. And while their subconscious tries to remind them of how much of Western civilization is framed n terms of concepts first articulated by the Jews, they do anything to suppress it.

They deny that Jews remind them of a higher purpose of life and the need to be honorable, and do anything to escape its consequences. It is simply too much to handle for them, too embarrassing to admit, and above all, too difficult to live by.

So, the nations of the world decided once again to go out of 'their' way in order to find a stick to hit the Jews. The goal: to prove that Jews are as immoral and guilty of massacre and genocide as some of they themselves are.

All this in order to hide and justify their own failure to even protest when six million Jews were brought to the slaughterhouses of Auschwitz and Dachau; so as to wipe out the moral conscience of which the Jews remind them, and they found a stick.

Nothing could be more gratifying for them than to find the Jews in a struggle with another people (who are completely terrorized by their own leaders) against whom the Jews, against their best wishes, have to defend themselves in order to survive.

With great satisfaction, the world allows and initiates the rewriting of history to fuel the rage of yet another people against the Jews. This in spite of the fact that the nations understand very well that peace between the parties could have come a long time ago, if only the Jews would have had a fair chance. Instead, they happily jumped on the wagon of hate to justify their jealousy of the Jews and their incompetence to deal with their own moral issues.

When Jews look at the bizarre play taking place in The Hague, they can only smile as this artificial game once more proves how the world paradoxically admits the Jews uniqueness. It is in their need to undermine the Jews that they actually raise them.

The study of history of Europe during the past centuries teaches us one uniform lesson: That the nations which received and in any way dealt fairly and mercifully with the Jew have prospered; and that the nations that have tortured and oppressed them have written out their own curse."

Man Up!

2008-11-25T15:37:00.000-08:00

I hate douches.

Let me say that again. I REALLY hate douches.

If you are a douche and you own it, I will not like you, but I will respect you. If you are a "closet douche", who likes to pretend you're a nice person to gain the trust of others and THEN exhibit your douchiness, then I only have two words for you.

FUCK OFF.

Rewind...

I met a guy - we'll call him ANDREW, cause that's his name - about a year and a half ago, and we got along fine. We worked together, and we became friends. So about 6 months ago he's having trouble with his boyfriend and needs help moving out. I'm not really staying at home a whole lot, so I say "Sure, you can crash at my place," (RENT FREE - Mistake #1). Things move along, and pretty soon I'm thinking it might be a great idea to get a place together (Mistake #2). I need more space, we get along, he's a nice guy, (I can't keep my apartment and go back to college, since it's income-restricted, downtown) yada yada yada...

So we move into a new apartment up the Hill. Two bedrooms. Nice place. We sign a lease, a roommate agreement, set up house, et cetera. Things are going pretty swell. At first.

No money for cat food? Sure, I'll pick it up. Cat litter either? No worries. You ate my cereal? Drank all the soy milk? It's fine, I'll get some more...

Oki, I was pissed when your boyfriend was wearing my clothes - and I told you about it. And when your cat started pissing on the floor - I told you about that too. You said you'd fix it. It took too long.

I still don't have my clothes back... And now?

You can't get caught up, and you need to break our lease? You're SORRY (and no, you don't get to call me "my friend" any more. Friends don't do this shit. That means we were NEVER friends. You mooched off of me. You're not a friend. You're a leech.)

You're a douche.

And let me tell you why...

Wait. You can't afford to live here? Why don't you have money? You "work" two jobs - 70 hours a week... You were supposed to take the time you were living in my flat rent free to "get caught up," so why aren't you? You've been struggling? So what! We all struggle from time to time. The thing is to MAN UP and ask for help when you need it, or to do what it takes to remedy the situation, not BAIL on your responsibilities; avoiding the landlord and your roommates by not answering your email, phone calls or text messages and hiding out at your boyfriend's house (where none of us know where you are).

You lost a job because you called out sick once? BULLSHIT. No employer fires you for calling out to work ONCE.

Then your cat... the bastard is pissing all over the house. Why? He's pissed off you're not home to take care of him. He's acting out. The REAL problem? Now, even though you sent him away (since you can't care for him ANYWAY... probably the ONLY responsible thing you've done lately) I'm still cleaning up after him. AND YOU.

I have no time in my life for you. NO, we cannot be friends at some later point, when you've "figured out" your shit. You and I are done.

Done and done.

Bush Plan Bails out Stockholders - at Taxpayer Expense!

2008-09-24T09:38:00.000-07:00

Why am I not surprised.

The following article is from Sweden's English language daily, The Local. It explains how the Bush Adminstration's bail out plan is based on the Swedish model from the early 1990's, but with one serious flaw - that We, The People not only get to pay for this bail-out, but that we have no way of recouping our losses, and ultimately, once again, get to line the pockets of the wealthiest among us.

One more way in which this administration does not seem to care that "We The People" are more than just the multi-millionaires who support (financially) them.

Swedish model inspires US financial crisis plan
Published: 22 Sep 08 17:59 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/14496/20080922/

The Bush administration's handling of the financial crisis is in part inspired by a successful Swedish bank rescue in the 1990s, but one crucial deviation could cost US taxpayers dearly, one of the architects of the Swedish plan said on Monday.

US learns lessons from Swedish banking crisis (20 Sep 08)
Swedish banks 'well-equipped' to weather financial crisis (18 Sep 08)
Bank experts play down Swedish crisis fears (17 Sep 08)

"In principle (the United States) is following approximately the same route we did, but the (slightly different) model chosen, I'm afraid, could cause problems," Bo Lundgren, head of the Swedish National Debt Office and who recently briefed US authorities on Sweden's experience, told AFP.

Unlike Washington's proposed $700 billion bailout for faltering financial institutions, which has been described as a "no strings attached" deal, Sweden in the early 1990s took control of its struggling banks in exchange for emergency aid, thus making the taxpayers footing the bill owners of the ultimately valuable assets.

Once the crisis was over, the Swedish state sold off nearly all of the nationalized bank investments, getting back most of the money that had been pumped into the sector.

The US rescue package "will certainly lead to more stability and will ensure that things will work better, but there's a risk that the cost for tax payers will be steeper than it would have needed to be," Lundgren said.

Lundgren, who served as Sweden's deputy finance minister in the early 1990s when the entire Swedish banking sector teetered on the edge of the abyss, said last week he had met with representatives of the US Federal Reserve in New York to brief them on how his country dealt with the crisis.

"We have seen a lot of curiosity about what we did in Sweden, since what we did at the beginning of the 1990s worked fairly well," he said, adding that he earlier this year had also told the International Monetary Fund (IMF) about the successful Swedish rescue plan.

Like the current global financial trouble, Sweden's banking crisis was sparked by years of crazed property speculation that followed deregulation of the country's credit market in 1985.

"The similarities consist in the fact that there is a bubble that has burst, and that bubble was linked to real estate," Lundgren said, pointing out however that while the US subprime crisis is centred around private homes, the Swedish turmoil mainly involved commercial real estate.

According to the Swedish central bank, "a tidal wave of bankruptcies" between 1990 and 1994 left Sweden's seven largest banks, which accounted for 90 percent of the market, with loan losses totaling the equivalent of 12 percent of Sweden's annual gross domestic product (GDP).

To alleviate the sector's pain, the centre-right government in Stockholm at the time took a hands-on approach, pumping cash into the banks deemed to only have temporary problems and letting the ones believed to have no prospect of viability go under.

Two banks were taken completely over by the state, which in turn offered a blanket guarantee for all creditors, but not for share holders.

"When you reach a certain situation you have to go in and do something that re-establishes confidence. We introduced a guarantee for all creditors but not for stock holders. That guarantee made it possible for everyone to do business with the banks without risk," Lundgren said.

"If a bank was to receive help, we took over a corresponding amount of influence in the bank so we could ensure that we could get the money back," he added.

The Swedish state took over insecure loans during the crisis worth around 65 billion kronor ($9.9 billion) of taxpayer money, but eventually got most of it back through dividends and later reselling the nationalized bank assets.

In contrast, Lundgren said, Washington's rescue package appears to favour stock holders without much prospect of the tax payer-spent money ever being reimbursed.

"What's happening in the United States now entails a big risk that stock holders will win. If the banks survive, the stock holders' holdings will still be there but the tax payers will have to foot the bill," he said.

"I would rather have seen them choose a route where they -- with the cash injection -- offer to go in as an owner of the banks, giving them influence, and then sell when the crisis is over," he added.

AFP (news@thelocal.se)

Wim's Yummi Lentil Soup

2008-09-23T13:27:00.000-07:00

Totally just made this up this morning, when I remembered that I'd promised a "good" lentil soup to Cheryl, a co-worker of mine at Temple Beth Am (she had an atrocious soup in a can and swore that good lentil soup did not exist).

Fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants, and 5 hours in a crock pot later, I've changed her mind.

Of course.

Here’s the recipe. It’s a bit on the spicy side for some (although perfect for me, and I’m sure Tony would add pepper to it), so it may take some adjustment to suit you.

Wonderful on a cold day or if you have a cold.

Wim’s Yummi Lentil Soup

1 lb lentils rinsed and drained
8 C water
4 medium carrots, sliced
1 medium onion, diced
½ bunch of celery (cut off the top and bottom and use the rest)
fresh cut ginger (to taste)
2 tbsp celery salt (to taste – depending on how salty you like it)
2 tsp red curry paste
2 tsp fresh cracked peppercorn

Add all ingredients to crock pot. Cook for approximately 4-5 hours. Do NOT blend lentils (it changes the texture, I like mine chunky. If you like it smooth, blend away.)

TWO September 11's: Mourning Both

2008-09-11T11:47:00.000-07:00

Taken from an email posting from Rabbi Arthur Waskow's Shalom Center. Interesting correllation, and definitely something to think about...

Today is a day to mourn the dead of September 11. Of TWO September 11's. Below these notes is a special Mourners Kaddish in Time of War and Violence, to help us grieve these dead.

On September 11, 1973, the Chilean armed forces, with the aid and support of the government of the United States, overthrew the democratically elected government of Chile. The result was the murder and torture of thousands of Chileans, and even the death of some Americans murdered by the Chilean junta. One of them was a co-worker of mine, Ronni Karpen Moffitt, murdered three years later by a car-bomb on the streets of Washington DC along with Orlando Letelier, the last Foreign Minister of free and democratic Chile.

On September 11, 2001, thousands of people --- mostly but not only Americans, including Christians, Jews, Muslims, and followers of other spiritual paths and of none, were murdered in New York and Pennsylvania and at the Pentagon by persons who saw themselves as carrying out the will of God as expressed through Islam. Their actions were denounced by the overwhelming majority of Muslims in the world. The deaths they caused were then used as an excuse to bring about the deaths of more than 4,000 Americans and way more than 100,000 Iraqis on the false claim that Iraq had been complicit in the attack.

What do these two despicable "September 11's" have in common? Not just the accident of their dates. More crucial, they both bear the stigma of the willingness of some who seek power to murder and torture the helpless in order to grasp power for themselves. And the coincidence of the dates helps to remind us that we must also look within, not merely at The Other, to condemn such murderous deeds.

So along with our sorrow, our grief, our mourning for the dead of these atrocities, and our condemnation of those who killed them we must also look within our own society and government and turn ourselves in a new direction, one committed to the sharing of power in democratic process and to seeking justice and freedom through compassion and nonviolent commitment.

May we take a glimmer of comfort from the knowledge that through suffering and struggle and ultimately joy, the people of Chile restored their democracy; and the world-wide Muslim community has turned (as for example in the Madrid "World Interfaith Dialogue" called by the King of Saudi Arabia this past summer) to reaffirm and reinvigorate those major threads in the fabric of Islam that are committed to peacemaking among all communities. May the American people also take the steps necessary to fully recommit ourselves to the pursuit of peace and justice.

Today let us draw on the Jewish prayer of Mourners' Kaddish to say a more universal prayer for those who have died as victim of war and terrorism and violent repression.

With blessings of shalom, salaam, peace -- Arthur
(Rabbi Arthur Waskow, The Shalom Center)

MOURNERS' KADDISH IN TIME OF WAR & VIOLENCE

Yitgadal V'yit'kadash Shmei Rabah

May Your Great Name, through our expanding awareness and our fuller action, lift You to become still higher and more holy.

For Your Great Name weaves together all the names of all the beings in the universe, among them our own names, and it is we who give You the strength to lift us into holiness -- (Cong: Amein)

B'alma di vra chi'rooteh v'yamlich malchuteh b'chayeichun, u'v'yomeichun, u'v'chayei d'chol beit yisrael, b'agalah u'vzman kariv, v'imru: -- Amein.

--- Throughout the world that You have offered us, a world of majestic peaceful order that gives life to the Godwrestling folk through time and through eternity ---- And let's say, Amein

Y'hei sh'mei rabbah, me'vorach, l'olam almei almaya.

So may the Great Name be blessed, through every Mystery and Mastery of every universe.

Yitbarach, v'yishtabach, v'yitpa'ar, v'yitromam, v'yitnasei, v'yit'hadar, v'yit'aleh, v'yit'halal -- Shmei di'kudshah, -- Brich hu, (Cong: Brich Hu)

May Your Name be blessed and celebrated, Its beauty honored and raised high, may It be lifted and carried, may Its radiance be praised in all Its Holiness --- Blessed be!

L'eylah min kol bir'chatah v'shir'atah tush'be'chatah v'nehematah, de'amiran be'alma, v'imru: Amein (Cong: Amein)

Even though we cannot give You enough blessing, enough song, enough praise, enough consolation to match what we wish to lay before you -

And though we know that today there is no way to console You when among us some who bear Your Image in our being are slaughtering others who bear Your Image in our being ---

Yehei Shlama Rabah min Shemaya v'chayyim { aleinu v'al kol Yisrael, v'imru Amein.

Still we beseech that from the unity of Your Great Name flow a great and joyful harmony and life for us and for all who wrestle God; (Cong: Amein)

Oseh Shalom bi'm'romav, hu ya'aseh shalom aleinu v'al kol yisrael v'al kol yishmael v'al kol yoshvei tevel -- v'imru: Amein.

You who make harmony in the ultimate reaches of the universe, teach us to make harmony within ourselves, among ourselves -- and peace for the Godwrestling folk, the people Israel; for our cousins the children of Ishmael; and for all who dwell upon this planet. (Cong: Amein)

If I could save time in a bottle...

2008-09-10T15:10:00.000-07:00

Actually, not sure what No. this one is... the number is probably just as random as the Poll itself.

Anyway, was standing in the UDist this afternoon waiting for the 48, and all of a sudden, the wind picks up and the tree above just starts shedding leaves. Look up and see that they're all turning yellow and falling in the wind...

Question: The leaves are turning today... | Where did our summer go?

Adrian: In my pants (am thinking this is a reference to his date last night.)

YT: Oh my! | Speaking of your pants, how was your date last night? DETAILS!

Adrian: There are no details. We had drinks and chatted. (am vastly disappointed.)

Shank: Here too, they slowly started last week of Aug. (Shank's in NYC.)

Gina: Still summer in SATX :)

YT: Am sure. You get summer until November. | Ha!

SK: Where are they turning?

YT: UDist. Montlake.

Binyomele: God hates you

Binyomele: That was Joe

YT: Joe and his God can suck it.

Binyomele: Jealous? (Joe again)

YT: Of what?

SK: Pretty!

YT: It is, but is also means no more summer. | And we really only had August.

Binyomele: Godly suction (still Joe)

YT: No. Neither the suction of Joe or his god would be divine.

Trix: Woah!

YT: I know. Somebody needs to put the brakes on! This ride is moving way too fast.

Binyomele: Btw I'm the devil (am getting irritated with Joe now)

YT: Just another christian god.

Binyomele: In Children of Eden this Nov

YT: What's that?

Binyomele: Musical (have totally lost interest in Joe at this point)

YT: Let me talk to Ben.

Trix: Faster and faster by the day

Dahl: I don't know

Wendy: Still warm here in Pasco. :) So how long have u been in seattle

YT: June of '06.

Binyomele: :(

Binyomele: I'm here... he is sad now

YT: Like any 5 year old, he'll soon forget. Distract him with a lollipop or something shiny.

MM: Summer into fall into winter into spring and the cycle begins again! :)

YT: But too soon. It's turning into an out of control merry-go-round, and I can't get off...

Binyomele: Be nice...

YT: I am... | So what's new with you? Is your summer going too?

Binyomele: It's gone...

YT: And too quickly. | Didn't even go camping, hiking or swimming this year. :(

MM: LOL! Fall is actually my favorite anyway. Although our summer was short this year. September is looking really nice so far! How have you been? Married life treating you well? (am wondering why the gays feel the need to "marry off" anybody who is dating for longer than 3 months)

YT: Life is going well. Getting to be incredibly busy. SCCC. Work. Teaching. Rugby. SMC...

Binyomele: Me neither

Wendy: Other than the frost n stuff, how do u like it?

YT: I love it. I can breathe here, and the climate suits me much better.

MM: Busy is not always bad! Doing well here. No big news. Still single. Getting ready [for] the GSBA Taste again in November. I will be sponsoring a table. Home for Christmas.

YT: And by home you mean not Seattle? | Florida?

MM: Atlanta

YT: That was I originally thought. Should've stuck with it. ;)

Gio: Ach, vere did ze good times go? (Gio is fond of song lyrics. An SMC thing.)

MM: LOL. Yea a couple days in hotlanta with my ex and his new partner. Then some time with the family. Then back in Atlanta for a couple then home for New Years!

PHX: What's new?

YT: Not much, just wondering where summer went.

PHX: Ok, ok. Sheesh, someone won't be optimistic...

YT: The leaves are turning. That's the end of summer. It's a matter of cycles, not optimism.

Gina: January, silly!

Perry: It's not over yet!!! Don't rush it!!! We should hang out sometime... | How's the new place?

YT: It's good, Just cleaning a bit. Thinking about a housewarming party soon.

Speaking of that... I need to get planning and cleaning. Ha!

Random SMS Poll #23

2008-06-20T13:06:00.000-07:00

So I am in the habit of asking my friends (via SMS) random questions that pop into my head and polling them...

Here's todays question.

Q. Why to trannys dress like they shop in 1982?

Do not understand this.

JS: Because the last time they were the other sex was 1986.

Yours Truly: Good explanation. | So basically they're stuck in whatver year they transition?

Rod: LoL (Rod is not the most erudite fellow.)

LELemay: I know! It's like they are all trying (sic) to get a part as a secretary in 'Working Girl'... or interviewing for a job as an 80's JC Penney's sales girl.

YT: Totally. This one I saw in UDist just now was wearing a silver blouse, black leather pencil skirt and gathered black leather ankle boots. | Ick.

MM: LoL :-) (Another less than witty character - has more to say in person.)

Scartozzi: They're confused and transitioning? | I don't know.

YT: Or stuck in the year they transitioned.

JS: That's what I think.

TA Hazel: Because time stands still when you have no clue who you are or what you're(sic) doing.

LELemay: I wonder if it was Rob Gaines? Oh, I'm sorry. It's Maddy Lindsey Gaines now.

Wes: Haha. Maybe its all about being a woman and wearing a dress and they have bad fashion sense. I haven't a clue. We need queer eye for the trannie!

Binyomele: LOL I just love your random texts...

YT: Just wait. They're going to become random blogs...

Rachel the Elder: Value village

Gio: Yesterday I had a DJ gig and trannies dress like that because that is all they can afford after the operation :-D

QBrad: I don't know. I haven't traveled in years. My ankles swelled up on the trip from Dublin to NY. A Dutch tranny gave me (sic) an orange felt cowboy hat.

YT: I guess Dutch tranny's are allowed to do such things.

Adrian: Ew. (Also has more to say in person. Although tends to speak in gutterals much of the time.)

Trix: Its hot looking like ur from the 80s

Gina: Isn't "TOOTSIE" from the year 1982?

YT: Yeah, but she had class.

Gina: she had no sense of fashion...

YT: Well, that WAS IN 1982... not 2008, so she can be forgiven.

Instant Gratification

2008-06-05T12:18:00.000-07:00

We live in society that values instant gratification, almost to the exclusion of all else. I can't tell you how many of my friends gripe and groan about their body-images, and yet, they don't go to the gym, change their diets or their lifestyles for longer than a few weeks at a time, citing failed results.

Anything worth doing is worth the time invested. If we don't invest the time to get it done right, the return will be exactly what you put into it... nothing.

The advent of the internet means that we can "search" for bit of information, however obscure, or that product that we believe is out there - with near-instant results. If we can't find it in just a few moments, then we stop searching, believing that it's just not out there.

Instant entertainment. We sit on our sofas and "surf" through television shows searching for that instant fix. And when we don't find it, what do we do?

Throw the remote and declare, "There's nothing on right now."

Seriously?

You have 150+ channels and you can't find anything interesting, educational or even purely fluff entertainment? Come on...

Porn... why watch the whole video when you can just skip to the "cum-shots" at the end of each scene. You can even string ALL of the "money-shots" in the film together so that you get nothing else.

Wow...

I myself fall into yet another "I-G" category... Instant Messaging-Instant Gratification.

You know - when you send your friend an IM or an SMS and when they don't respond instantly, you think that there's something wrong, or that they're mad at you.

Instant gratification, and when we don't get it, it's instant disappointment/frustration/pissed-off to the highest of pissitivity.

My solution, for me. I'm slowing down and taking time to do something worthwhile. I'm not going to check my phone for SMS's every 30seconds, waiting to hear back from you any more. If you respond, fine. If not, I'll get over it.

And if I don't respond to you quickly, it's probably because I'm surfing wikipedia, learning something new. Or I've decided to take a walk, read a book or finally finish that scarf I've been knitting for the last 6 months.

2008-05-14T11:31:00.001-07:00

How to Make Dandelion Wine - wikiHow

2008-04-24T12:15:00.000-07:00

How to Make Dandelion Wine - wikiHow

Interesting article. Totally random how I came across it - as most things in my life tend to be (did you catch the name of the blog?) and I've decided to do it.

As my boyfriend says, the more random, the more unique, the more likely I am to do it.

He's not entirely wrong in this guess-timate of my nature.

Probably not wrong at all...

...so who's up for collecting dandelions with me?