Month: April 2007

funnies, hmm interesting, is it just me?, listen up!, venting

hey troops:

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Here’s what we Americans have to say about respect, honor, and your service for our country:

FUCK YOU! Enjoy your extended stay in HELL! BWUAHAHAHAHAHA!

Great news, and support, courtesy of Mr. Robert Gates; true supporter of the troops and visionary of peace.

The preceding message is sponsored by the Robert Gates is an effing douchebag campaign. Also sponsored in part by Capitol Hill Idiots Union; “when you need an idiot, look no further than Capitol Hill! We got ’em by the bushel!”

But hey sad clown, don’t fret, because you know, we do have a guy watching out for you for reals! AWWWW YEAH!

Mr John McCain backs you, troops, and points out how us Democrats are the evil forces that have turned their backs on you! He believes things in Iraq are going so great that there is no reason the Democrats should deny the senseless oil war you are dying for more money, and allow the big ass mistake of a war to go on! Cool! In fact, Mr McCain has personal knowledge and proof that Iraq is safer, now more than ever! Knowing this information should make you feel okay about sticking around longer, as Mr. Gates has decided for you, because it means that you guys are in a safer place, so no need to fret, right?! Hooray, joy and love in Baghdad! We are winning the senseless, initiated under false pretenses, oil war, and violence is coming to a halt; DESPITE everything you hear about it increasing!! No more soldiers are dying! No more people are dying! It is fucking party in Baghdad time!

But don’t get all sloppy now, because remember that things could quickly slip away from us. Remember that bastard Saddam??? Remember how we gave him all that money and all those guns and shit? Yeah, that kinda blew up in our faces, so we don’t want the cleaning up of that mess to bother us again. Four years into a senseless war waged under false pretenses and lies is a long time to put into this, and now that we have re-established the peace, the peace that we caused to be taken away, you can’t forget the journey you have endured. But live it up! Because we appreciate your efforts so much, that we will continue to ignore your needs for combat training and appropriate materials, because hey, that’s how we show you we care! And don’t worry, sure the Republicans will continue to blame us silly Democrats for taking away these things, even though you were never getting them before, but again, don’t worry! According to Mr. McCain, things are fine anyway, so you shouldn’t even need it anymore. In fact, you are probably just going to be hanging out there forever, but that is nothing to worry about, since things are going so fetchingly! Rock!

But since you are there for a while longer, and have nothing to do since things are so safe and awesome, make sure to do yourself a favor and take in some culture. And don’t forget to pick up your cheap ass carpets! Only a dollar each! What a deal! Also, enjoy your extended stay in Baghdad, which is now the closest thing to a peaceful Indiana marketplace on the planet; that is, other than an actual Indiana marketplace in Indiana! Woo Hoo! Nothing else to worry about, other than sun tanning and enjoying that fabulous desert heat (darn, too bad the beach isn’t nearby… then it would be paradise! aw shucks). God, it must be great to be deployed… And it must be super awesome to know that a Republican candidate for president has your back! Shit, if he wins, I am sure you will get to enjoy more awesome deployment time!! Stay safe (but you don’t need to, since it is sooooooo safe there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)!!! War is awesome!

This glimmer of awesome news is courtesy of Mr. “totally awesome humanitarian” McCain. Work it!

The preceding message is sponsored by the John McCain must be smoking some serious amounts of crack if he thinks he has a snow cone’s chance in hell of getting elected as the POTUS campaign. Also sponsored by the “shut the fuck up McCain, because you are a completely and utter dumbass” fund.

all about me, hmm interesting, near and dear, tragic

examining vivid dreams

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Usually, I don’t remember dreams. If I do, they are usually pretty weird, or off the wall, and don’t really seem that vivid or realistic. This morning’s dream was definitely different from my usual dreams. In fact, I have been having very vivid dreams lately; but this one was especially real.

When my dream started, I was on the way back “home” to visit my parents, interestingly enough, in their old house. I was to be staying in my old room, and I went alone.

Shortly into the dream, there was altercation between me and my mother, after which, everything they have ever done or said to make me feel bad in my life poured out. I didn’t hold back. I packed up my stuff (it was my old room before they completely moved all my stuff out), and got in my car and left.

I kept waking up during the dream, and I forced myself back to sleep to see where it was going. It was so vivid, that it was almost like it was really happening. The part that worries me the most, is that in the dream, neither of my parents would own up to, or admit fault in any of the things I said they did. They both continually said that they were hurt that I was “accusing” them of hurting me, which only made me madder and more flippant, causing me to pack up my things and leave.

When I finally woke up and thought about this dream, I thought to myself, “I wonder if this is how it will really happen. I also wonder if this is a sign that this confrontation should happen soon.”. Eerie thoughts, since I am definitely not in a place to lay it all out on the line for them, but the idea of this potential outcome is interesting nonetheless. I go back and forth between wanting to tell them how I feel, and what they have done that has hurt me, and between doing nothing and avoiding them completely (as I am currently doing). I know that my mom reads this blog (even though she won’t admit it), and I am sure that other people in my family will see this, so in some way, I guess I am saying something about how I feel, but leaving out the specifics. Either way, this vivid dreaming provided me with a glimpse into a potential future action.

It is weird how dreams can speak for us sometimes, and in this case, it truly captured how upset and angry I feel about my family situation. Perhaps it is my subconscious telling me to take action, but unfortunately, I am not ready to listen to that advice. Someday, maybe, but not today; frankly, right now I am over the whole thing, and doing a pretty good job of avoiding it. I am also thinking of going off my depression medication… but that is a different, although related, subject.

all about me, is it just me?, listen up!, politics, that is so gay, the catch-all-egory, venting

thinking on tuesday: the results

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See! Sexual orientation is not a choice! Science is doing what it can to prove what we “sexual deviants” have always known to be true. Now, getting people to accept it… that’s the tricky part.

I don’t see how an anti-American protest and a call for American forces to leave Iraq on the 4th anniversary of the fall of Baghdad shows “progress” in the “war on terror”. To me, that just gives us more and more face time with the reality that we shouldn’t be there at all. The progress will come when we stop occupying a country that we have no business occupying. Sure, they weren’t able to assemble like that under Saddam (which is why it was touted as progress), but, uh, can’t we see that WE are their enemy? We weren’t the enemy before the war, so apparently, the progress here is in creating new enemies for ourselves.

On another war related thought, why don’t we hear more about the American troops that are killed every day in Iraq? I mean, there were 30 some odd troops killed over the weekend, and I don’t see that article or that reference anywhere. Instead, you have idiots like Mccain saying that Iraq is actually safer, speaking from under his body armor and from inside his heavily guarded human border. If Iraq is getting safer, how come more than a hundred people are killed there almost every day? That doesn’t sound very safe to me, especially since violence is surging in other parts of Iraq. So I guess “saving” Baghdad is all we need to say that things are going great? Gah.

Who the fuck eats peeps? I mean, they are pretty and all, but they are fucking gross. I love marshmallows, and I wonder why they had to ruin them by coating them in sugar. Who even eats just sugar anyway? It is gross! I did get a bunch of them though, and have been, and will continue to, take pictures of them. Like I said, they are pretty.

I worried about Sydney. He is still not feeling well, and I am letting my emotions get the better of me. I hope that he is back to normal very soon. I don’t know what I would do if something happened to him. I pray that nothing will.

Drinking every day is not a bad thing. Nope, not at all. Would you like another glass of wine?

I am really looking forward to dinner and drinks with my friends tonight. I love spending time with good friends.

That’s about it.

is it just me?, listen up!, near and dear, public health, tragic, venting

one step forward, two huge steps back

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Remember when I freaked out because someone thought that spreading the good news about circumcision in Africa was a good idea? Yeah, well, apparently, my fears were correctly placed, as New York City has decided to go forward with suggesting circumcision to reduce the spread of AIDS.

Now, I know that this isn’t as bad as saying, “hey! Have as much unprotected sex as you want now! You’re cut and therefore less likely to get AIDS!”, but it might as well be; because it is crystal clear, that there are so many men out there that already think with their dicks, and any excuse to take accountability out of the picture is an excuse they are willing to accept. I for one am seriously upset with the people that decided a research study conducted half a world away where the HIV incidence is extremely high, and where condoms are not readily available, and where this is used as a “last ditch” alternative, should be used and applied to the HIV situation in NYC. Additionally, something not widely talked about, is that the strain of HIV in Africa is different; meaning this may have NO effect in preventing transmission here. This is EXACTLY why I was so pissed at the article that was written, and this is a sad and extreme example of the right people taking the wrong information out of context and disseminating it as a viable alternative to prevention.

This really bugs me, because I was so happy to see NYC take such a grand step forward with the NYC condom campaign, and show how a city can be truly accountable for public health, and offer true prevention; but now, I am horrified to see these gigantic leaps backward. Can anyone tell me why people are so willing to bury their heads in the sand on issues like this? Seriously, HIV is a terminal illness, and isn’t something to fuck around with; especially when you are fucking around with other people’s lives.

If HIV incidence is affected by this in any way, it will surely increase the prevalence of unsafe behaviors, and therefore put more people at risk for HIV infection. People are already tired of having to worry about protecting themselves in the “heat of the moment”, and now that there are officials telling them that having a cut cock is protective against the virus, they are going to capitalize on that thought and throw caution to the wind. I for one hope that this gets buried quickly, and I hope that someone who has a truly holistic and factual understanding of the study they are pulling this information from puts a stop to the whole thing. This is just as bad as saying there is a cure that might work about 40% of the time, because people are always willing to believe they are part of the cured; even though the odds are largely stacked against them.

This just makes me hang my head in sadness. Why oh why, in this day and age, can’t people be more responsible, especially when it will affect so many? Sigh. I can’t fucking believe this.

If you are sexually active man, especially in NYC with this nonsense spreading, listen up:

MEN, if you have a cut cock, or if you have an un-cut cock, PUT A FUCKING CONDOM ON YOUR DICK BEFORE YOU HAVE SEX!!! If you are a bottom, MAKE SURE HE WEARS A RUBBER! Don’t trust everything you hear, because it is YOUR LIFE at risk. Don’t bury your head in their sand, because AIDS is real, and you will greatly increase your chance of getting it by following this HORRIBLE advice. Please, PROTECT YOURSELVES! YOU are the only one that can protect yourself from infection; take action!

hmm interesting, the catch-all-egory

good to know…

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Yesterday, I had a cookout for a few good friends of mine, and we had a problem getting the grill going when it was time to prepare the meat. Basically, every time it gets cold outside, our grill (which is a gas grill), has a problem heating up, because the flames stay low, and the gas doesn’t want to come out quickly for whatever reason. I knew that this was because the gas in the tank is actually liquid, and it turns to gas when it is released (at least, that is what I think it does), and because of the cold, it just does it slower. Well, we have never been able to remedy that situation before, and I thought that all was lost, until, low and behold, we stumbled on an accidental solution!!!

Basically, there is a place on the side of the tank that you can pour hot water on to test and see how much gas you have left. To be sure that it wasn’t low on gas, and that was actually the problem, I conducted the test. Much to my surprise, pouring hot water on the tank made the flames come out much faster and more intense! It was almost instantaneous! So, I took a few more glasses of hot water out, and doused the sides of the tank, and we were back in business! The temperature quickly rose to where it needed to be, and all was saved. I was pleasantly surprised to find this accidental solution, especially because this problem has plagued us before, and we could never think of a solution. Well, that is something that is defeinitely good to know!

Hope everyone is having a great weekend, and hope you have a relaxing and happy Easter as well!

hmm interesting, near and dear, the catch-all-egory

what next…

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I was awoken by a familiar sound this morning, a sound you don’t like to hear; a dog barfing in my bed. Poor little guy wasn’t feeling good, and proceeded to hack and upchuck every 30 minutes or so for a few hours. I held him and hopefully, I made him feel better. I am going to take him up to the vet this afternoon just to have him checked out; this is the second time he has thrown up dog food since this whole recall fiasco. I am seriously freaked out to maximum right now, and really hope that nothing happens to my little baby. I will update as necessary, but right now, he at least seems to be feeling better. I do know one thing for sure; there will be NO MORE dog food in his bowl for a while. No more treats either, which he is going to hate! I will have to think of a substitute…

Also, there was apparently a high speed police chase this morning, in which 2 suspects were apprehended, and another is on the loose. The best part is, that the chase ended like 2 blocks from my house, interestingly enough on the street where my friend Deb lives. I have heard helicopters swarming overhead all morning; it is good to know what they are looking for… but bad to know it is just outside my door!! Ah, the joys of hood living, right? I hope that they catch whoever they are looking for without further incident. This is the type of thing that really freaks me out. Add that to the puppy sickness, I am all wound up this afternoon!

Alright… off to the vet! Here’s hoping little man is alright, and just had a little bout of upset tummy. I can’t handle much else.

UPDATE: Apparently, he is fine, it was just a bout of tummy ache. He got a shot and some medicine, set me back $50, and got a new toy out of the deal. Mr. dog is doing well.

get involved, is it just me?, listen up!, near and dear, politics, tragic, venting, well?

they are the poor and the homeless; not the lazy

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Do people really think that people are poor, live in poverty, or are homeless because they are too lazy to do anything about it? I ask, because I know that there are a few readers and commenters that have either hinted that they believe this, or have stated it repeatedly. While I do always welcome comments and opinions here on this blog, I also ask this question, because it upsets me that people over simplify serious issues in this manner, in order to justify their beliefs and make themselves feel better about the problem. I ask this, because I couldn’t just let it go without saying what I truly think and feel about this subject. And so, this blog post is born.

To begin, I will illusrate just a few of the real reasons why we have poverty and homelessness in this country:

  • mental illness
  • lack of affordable health care
  • lack of jobs that pay living wages
  • addiction
  • veterans that lack the support they require upon returning home wounded
  • domestic violence
  • bad luck (living paycheck to paycheck, and then something bad happens you can’t control)
  • accidents (which coincides with the lack of affordable health care, as well as bad luck)
  • lack of ability to compete for living wages (education, or more importantly, the lack thereof)
  • disability
  • decrease in public assistance for those that need it

The sad fact is, that these are just a few of the reasons people are living in poverty, or are homeless. Are these all of the reasons? No. But, you have to realize and understand that not all people start out with the same opportunities in life. The American dream is not real for most people, and most will never truly see a rags to riches story written about their lives. Many people that live in this country live paycheck to paycheck, with little or no savings in the bank; barely making ends meet to feed their family, and themselves. If something happens, something unexpected, something that you cannot afford, you have to choose; what goes? Power? Food? Clothes? Home? Car? These are the real facts that many people face everyday. Working more isn’t going to solve this problem. If you are sick, you can’t work, and if you can’t work, you can’t get the medical attention you need to get better. It is a vicious cycle. The fact is, that these people aren’t lazy. They aren’t looking for a free hand out or a free ride. They are looking to survive.

Without decent wages, affordable housing, and a chance, they won’t. They can’t. The system, that is, our capitalistic system, is built to exploit and forget about them. But it doesn’t have to be that way. First we use them for jobs that we won’t do, and then we turn a blind eye to their troubles, all the while those at the top of those very exploitative corporations cash multi-million dollar annual paychecks. Again, many of these people aren’t lazy at all; working two jobs just to make ends meet and still, they can’t get a leg up. They work and try, but yet, they can’t seem to get out of debt, and are at a constant risk of losing their homes. If they get sick, it could result in a loss of everything.

Sure, there are people that are lazy out there that are looking for a hand out. In fact, there are many lazy people that lucked out, and got all the money and power that they could ever want or need from their families. They did absolutely no work for it, they just happened to be born to the right people at the right time. And there are those that are too lazy to do anything that live in poverty, too; but I refuse to allow people to classify all people suffering from the effects of poverty and homelessness as lazy. Lazy is not a cause of poverty, lazy is a choice, lazy can change. Blaming homelessness and poverty on laziness is sheltered and ignorant. Survival isn’t as easy as “don’t be lazy”.

I write this because I was upset at some comments that transpired on previous posts about homeless people and people that live in poverty in this country. Mainly, it really pisses me off that people don’t realize that there are any number of contextual factors that contribute to a person’s daily life, and they continue to deny these things to justify their own selfish beliefs. If you truly believe that all poverty-stricken people, and all homeless people are the cause of their own problems, and are all just looking for a hand out, you are not only out of touch with reality, you are obviously not cognizant of the fact that each and every one of us, given a shitty set of circumstances, could end up right where these people are.

I know that I don’t have tons of money in the bank, and if a myriad of problems were to suddenly occur, I could be facing many of these problems. In fact, we all could (at least, those of us not lucky enough to be born with a silver spoon in our mouths). But the reality that I could face poverty or homelessness isn’t because I am lazy, it is because this is the way the world works, and sometimes, it isn’t enough to just want to survive.

Sometimes, as a part of calling ourselves a society, we have to help those that cannot help themselves. We have to empower those that do not have the voice to empower themselves. If we don’t, we will never truly respect that delicate balance in which we too are a part of; you never know when you are going to be the one in need. You never know when you are going to need that hand to help you up, and hopefully, it won’t happen to you, but realizing that it does happen doesn’t have to go unnoticed and unaddressed. We can help, and we should. If for no other reason than because we can. Sure, there are those that will exploit the system, but they are not the majority. Turning your back on everyone because of them is cruel and merciless. I just can’t let it go that the richest nation in the world can turn a blind eye to these problems; the problems of its own people.

civil rights, is it just me?, that is so gay, venting, well?

shame on you Out magazine

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I don’t really know how I should feel about this, other than, I think that it is pretty messed up. Neither Anderson Cooper, nor Jodie Foster have publicly come out of the closet, and I don’t think that Out Magazine should be doing it for them. I personally would be extremely offended and freaked out if I were outed without my permission, and without my consent, especially on the cover of a national magazine. Sure, they MAY or may not be gay [retracted], but, either way, that is their press conference to hold; not Out Magazine’s. Bad form, Out Magazine, bad form. I know that it is important to have gay figures in society, and especially, in the public eye, but it is not right to go around outing people that, for whatever reason, have chosen not to come out publicly themselves. Not everyone needs to be pressured into a situation where they have to air their private lives in the tabloids. If Jodie and Anderson are true to themselves, and comfortable in their lives, and are out to their friends and lovers, it is up to them to choose who to share that information with.

What do you think? Do you think that Out was out of line? Or, do you think that because it is pretty clear that both Anderson and Jodie are gay, that it is Out’s privilege to push them out of the closet and proclaim them as gay to the world? I personally would be deeply offended if I were in their position; not because they were smearing my name or saying anything wrong about me, but because they took the extremely personal thing of coming out, out of my hands. Again, what do you think?

hmm interesting, is it just me?, listen up!, politics, well?

funding vs. veto: where to really point your finger

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Mr. Bush, if you veto a FUNDING bill, then YOU are the one that is denying the troops funding. The bill is giving them money, and for that money to forward, YOU have to okay it. Since you haven’t come up with any plan other than “this is unacceptable” and “we aren’t leaving”, I suggest that you realize how hypocritical it is for you to continually say you support the troops when you take actions like this. The blame for the troops not getting the funding they need, and are being offered by the Congress, lies solely on your Mr. President. Your veto is a strong statement; it says loud and clear that you cannot accept responsibility for anything as complicated as rational thought and rational decision making, and that you, above all, do not support the troops, and do not want to give them the funding they need and deserve. Passing the buck here isn’t going to work. (link)

I for one hope that Congress doesn’t back down. I say, that if Bush does veto it, then that’s fine, just make sure that people realize that he had a funding bill sitting in front of him, one that would have given the troops the funding they needed, and he turned it down. HE turned it down. Ridiculous. But then, so too is the logic these people use, right? I for one am sick of this mess. Either give them the funding they need, and be realistic and realize that the American people want to actually get out of Iraq, or be your usual “head in the sand”-self, and pretend that you are the “decider”. I just hope that this time, credit is given where credit is due, and this isn’t blamed on the Democrats (who, again, are offering funding). Offering a funding mechanism that the President turns up his nose to and refuses is NOT taking money away from the troops, at least, not on the part of those offering up the dough. THIS JUST IN… Apparently, Bill O’Reilly is the voice of those idiots I was speaking of, that think that this has anything to do with the Democrats “holding up funding”:

Americans fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan are caught in the middle of a nasty political brawl between President Bush and the Democratic party. Democrats led by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Speaker Nancy Pelosi want a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq. The president says that’s a foolish military strategy and will not do it, so the Democrats are holding up military funding. (source… I know it is hard to link fauxnews, but that’s where the idiocracy is…)

Hey Bill, sweetness, um, Bush is holding up the funding, the Democrats are trying to give them the money. And it isn’t just the Democrats, it is the Congress. Be a peach and gain some perspective, mmmkay?
Also, this is hilarious how completely daft these people are:

Harry Reid is wrong to force a timetable and try to cut funding at this moment. He and Speaker Pelosi are putting American troops in a very bad position.

Can anyone explain to me how PROPOSING FUNDING is CUTTING IT? Or better yet, how it is DENYING funds??? Wow. Can’t. See. Past. Own. Bullshit. Wow, we really do have a long way to go if these are the people that are running the world. Perhaps there needs to be another “i” and one less “n” in running… (ruining anyone)?

all about me, tragic, venting

damn damn damn damn

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No, I am not frustrated because I can’t get Eliza to learn to speak properly, I am frustrated because I just got off of the phone with Geek Squad. Yep, you heard me right. 3 days into this new computer, and already, there is something amiss. Fuck.

Basically, I noticed it yesterday. Whenever the computer goes into “sleep” mode, and is then “awoken” from this state, it no longer recognizes the sound card. That is only a problem if you are using the computer to play music and use it for mp3s and what not. Being that is like 1/2 of the reason I got a new PC, I have to take it in to see what the issue is.

He mentioned that they would swap it out, and to be honest, I hope that it isn’t anything that major. I had to wait for like 2 hours for them to put the spyware and virus software on there, and to add the memory I purchased; I don’t want to have to wait for them to do that again.

Let’s hope it is MINOR, and that the sound card is just loose or something. Or maybe, they will just give me a new sound card. Either way, I am on the one hand glad that this happened NOW, as opposed to a few weeks down the line, but when you buy something so shiny and new, you don’t want it to break ever, let alone three days into using it.

Oh well, wish me luck. On another Best Buy related note (because that is where I got my copy), the new fantastic Hilary Duff CD is out today. If “Outside of You” doesn’t make you go into a gay fit, then I need to see your gay card so I can tear off a corner. It is seriously wonderful! I heart you Hilary!