Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Communication

Definition of Communication: the process of to impart information from a sender to a receiver with the use of a medium.

The medium most often used are words, either typed in email or spoken. Words can relay information from one to another. Words can also be used to uplift or to beat down. To create or to destroy. Not that I think the world is black and white, far from it.

My point is that this week I have experienced a wide range of words with all their varied intentions. Most of the words I have encountered this week have been mundane. A few have been uplifting and a few have been destructive.

I spent some time with a friend the other night exchanging words in the form of stories about the past weekend, plans for the coming weekend, and funny stuff too. We are both having a tough week this week. Her family of origin and my mom of choice both need a good thwacking. (A huge oversimplification but hey, it is my blog so I get to choose what I put here.) The other night this friend and I discussed how the hurts from our respective families were affecting us. No conclusion reached but a bit of healing for my heart, hopefully for hers too.

I haven’t made the final decision about my MOC (mom of choice for the uninitiated). I don’t know if I am really walking away forever (emotionally if not physically) or if it is just for a little while to heal. I guess it comes down to is she really healthy for me (now or in the future…). However, I feel shitty about taking a cold analytical view at a human relationship, especially one so close for so long.

I should probably give a clue to what happened to get me to this point with MOC. Sunday evening, just after spending 5 hours at a clients house finally getting a laptop in good running order, I went by MOC house to drop off something I had borrowed and to hear about how church went. (yes I go to church…*rolling eyes*) I get there and the first words spoken to me were biting and snarky. Oooook, I think to myself that it is time to bail as fast as possible cause I know what is coming. Long story short I didn’t get the chance to bail politely and ended up getting really hurt later in the evening by just one sentence she spoke. (I think the rest of the working through MOC shit will be in a different post.)

Oi!

Missed words can have an impact too. Another friend missed a one sentence statement that ended up causing a whole shitstorm of stuff. All worked out now but the feelings of regret are there and the lines of communication are still a bit strained. No way for me to comfort this person either… Damn.

Here I am today. Totally burned out from months of dealing with insane/unhealthy birthparents, hearing nothing from my daughter (miss you!!!), still doing the long distance marriage thing, studying Shamanism (more on that in another post cause its time to “come out”) dealing with the emotional turmoil from that, working for people who every day do something to make my work life impossible, getting ready to move-but no not yet-but the move is back on-but oh it is on hold again rollercoaster, while missing my best friend who had to walk in the wilderness for a little while.

I am trying to keep my spirits up but yesterday it was a bit to hard to manage and I crashed out. Today is better. Tomorrow we will see…

I am hopefully going to be spending the weekend camping. Rest, recoup, sort out, do the mental fall cleaning and hopefully make some decisions. Keep your fingers crossed that I can recharge my batteries this weekend.

Sunday, November 09, 2008

"An open apology to boomers everywhere"

I wish I had writen this. It is perfect in capturing my generation's view of the world compaired to Baby Boomers. One of my favorite parts in this piece is "There were smiling families, hugging and learning important lessons on every channel, while at home, our parents threw dishes at each other's heads. We went to church and learned about God's divine plan every Sunday, but all it took was one Dr. Seuss cartoon about an entire world that existed on a speck of dust, and our belief in God was deconstructed in an instant. Our childhoods were one long existential crisis. We ate Happy Meals while watching the space shuttle blow into tiny bits."

Perhaps it is one of my favorites because it does such a good job of summing up my growing up. (Yeah, I watched the shuttle Challanger blow up, not on TV, but from the vantage point of standing in the cold air just outside my school in Orlando Florida.)

Below is the entire article. Please click here for the original posting.

"An open apology to boomers everywhere

Your earnest, self-important prattle has gotten on Gen X nerves for decades. But now we finally get it.

By Heather Havrilesky

Nov. 7, 2008 Dear boomers: We're sorry for rolling our eyes at you all these years. We apologize for scoffing at your earnestness, your lack of self-deprecation, your tendency to take yourselves a little too seriously. We can go ahead and admit now that we grew tired of hearing about the '60s and the peace movement, as if you had to live through those times to understand anything at all. It's true, we didn't completely partake of your idealism and your notions about community. Frankly, it looked gray and saggy in your hands, these many decades later. Chanting "What do we want? Peace! When do we want it? Now!" at that rally against the Iraq war made us feel self-conscious in spite of ourselves. We felt like clichés. We wondered why someone couldn't come up with a newer, catchier, pro-peace slogan over the course of 40 years of protests. We knew we shouldn't care that some of you were wearing socks with sandals and smelled like you'd been on the bus with Wavy Gravy for the last three decades, but we cared anyway. We couldn't help it. It's just who we are.

And look, we really did stand for something, underneath all the eye-rolling. We're feminists, we care about the environment, we want to improve race relations, we volunteer. We're just low-key about it. We never wanted to do it the way you did it: So unselfconscious, so optimistic, guilelessly throwing yourself behind Team Liberal. We didn't get that. We aren't joiners. We don't like carrying signs. We tend to disagree, if only on principle.

But when we watched Barack Obama's victory speech on Tuesday night, we looked into the eyes of a real leader, and decades of cynicism about politics and grass-roots movements and community melted away in a single moment. We heard the voice of a man who can inspire with his words, who's unashamed of his own intelligence, who's willing to treat the citizens of this country like smart, capable people, worthy of respect. For the first time in some of our lifetimes, we believed.

Suddenly it makes sense, what you've been trying to tell us about John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. Sure, we knew all about their roles in history, we'd learned about them in a million classes, through countless books and documentaries. Eventually, though, the endless memorials and tributes and TV specials and Oliver Stone films grew a little tedious. We didn't quite understand why you've never let those two go, why you'd speak so relentlessly about a better time.

But how could we have known? We were raised under Ronald Reagan, smiling emptily under a shellacked cap of shiny brown hair like a demon clown, warning us (With a knowing nod! With a wink!) about those evil Russians stockpiling nuclear arms thousands of miles away. We were raised by "The Love Boat" and "Eight Is Enough" and "Charlie's Angels," a steady flow of saccharine tales with clunky morals. There were smiling families, hugging and learning important lessons on every channel, while at home, our parents threw dishes at each other's heads. We went to church and learned about God's divine plan every Sunday, but all it took was one Dr. Seuss cartoon about an entire world that existed on a speck of dust, and our belief in God was deconstructed in an instant. Our childhoods were one long existential crisis. We ate Happy Meals while watching the space shuttle blow into tiny bits.

You and all your boomer friends read "I'm OK, You're OK," and tried desperately to avoid the mistakes of your parents, those stoic alcoholics of the so-called Greatest Generation. But you couldn't quite put your ideals into motion. As our parents, you told us to tell you anything, to be honest, to come to you with our problems, but when we did, you were uncomfortable and dismissive. You didn't really want to know how we felt. When we were emotional, you flashed back to that time your drunk mother threw the jack-o'-lantern into the street. You loved us, but you were passive-aggressive and avoidant in spite of your best intentions.

You did your best. But we rose out of that murky soup of love and confusion, of stated beliefs without the actions to back them up, and we grew cynical. We doubted even the most heartfelt, genuine statements. We didn't want to be blind to our own faults, like you were, so we paraded our faults around, exalted in our shortcomings. The worst thing, to us, was to not see ourselves clearly. The worst thing was to not be in on the joke.

So we cast a jaded eye on ourselves and each other. We drank too much and listened to obscure indie rock bands. We dressed badly and communicated in four-letter words and read books like "Infinite Jest" and "The Corrections," modern-day versions of your precious J.D. Salinger in which everyone is a fake and the high capitalist world is bought and sold and even the purest form of art is a commodity, not to be taken seriously. No one can be trusted, nothing is pure -- these are the truths we held to be self-evident.

No, we weren't always ready to get involved and make the world a better place, because the air we breathed was toxic with absurdity and excess. Consider our head-spinning trajectory: Mister Rogers, Son of Sam, the Iran hostage crisis, Catholic school, the Hite Report, "The Day After," Edwin Meese, rampant divorce, "Fantasy Island," "Endless Love," Jeffrey Dahmer, the Happy Meal, the Lockerbie air disaster, Toyotathons, John Updike, "Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire?" Do you see how far we had to come? How we were primed to hate our own country, and ourselves along with it?

And then most of us became mature, rational adults at the exact moment that a reckless frat boy boomer became our president. Just when we were starting to understand how to be a part of the larger world outside, Al Gore had the election stolen right out of his hands in Florida, and then the twin towers collapsed before our eyes. At first we felt moved to act for the greater good in the wake of that tragedy. But then the whole country seemed to implode in front of us, from our invasion of two sovereign nations to the rise of celebrity culture to tanning beds to McMansions to Guantánamo Bay to Hummers and a big, faceless herd of humans in low-rider ass pants, chattering about whether or not to get Botox. It was so sad and pathetic that it was funny to us, even if it was only sad and pathetic to you. We urged you to get a sense of humor; we'd lived this way for years, after all. Things were much worse now, worse than ever -- but we'd always expected that they would be, eventually. That's one of the few rewards of being deeply pessimistic, of being trained to lower our expectations, of living in a constant state of distrust and learned helplessness.

But on Tuesday night, that changed. We understood, for the first time in our lives, what it means to be a part of something big, without reservation. We saw the joy in that. We knew that history had been made, and we were happy to have made calls and sent money and knocked on doors for this man. We felt like we were really, truly participants in history, that we had a connection to those people in the crowd at Grant Park and those kids crying and celebrating in Compton on the local news. We were all Americans, together, old and young, black and white and Latino and Asian, and it didn't feel hokey or overly earnest to admit it for once.

So we apologize to you, for making fun of your earnestness. We never want to go back to our old way of thinking. Sure, we'll still be our irreverent, self-deprecating, exasperating selves, but we also want to believe. We want to follow this man, and trust him, and give him our full support. The world may not be transformed overnight, the economy may still struggle, Obama will surely make his share of mistakes. But we want to stand behind him, stand behind this country, and show our fellow Americans the same respect that this new leader of ours has shown all of us, in his words, in his manner and in his promises.

On Tuesday night, we could all sense, with open hearts, that this man meant what he said. There's no shame in seeing that clearly, together. There's no shame in trusting someone's words, and allowing those words to move and inspire you. There's no shame in throwing ourselves into this new future with full hearts, with tears in our eyes, unselfconsciously.

And in 15 years, our kids probably won't understand it when we talk about the night that Obama was elected president, either. They'll sigh deeply and roll their eyes and say they've heard this story a million times before, so please shut up about it already. They'll purse their lips and think about how our hair looks stupid and we smell like old cheese.

But maybe, just maybe, we can change the world enough that they'll get it. Maybe if we dare to hope, eventually hope won't feel quite so daring."

Saturday, November 08, 2008

Should have known...

Too much time on my hands this morning. Here are some of my favorite songs from when I was coming of age...

Spin me round by Dead or Alive.


Safety Dance by Men without Hats.


I Ran by A Flock of Seagulls


Pale Shelter - Tears for Fears


That last one there didn't get much airtime on the radio but that and Mothers Talk are a couple of my favorites. I am a huge fan of Tears for Fears to this day. Good to know that I am not the only one. *Giggle* (what is it about Tears for Fears fans and metal music??)

Shout 2000 - Disturbed

Stream of Consciousness

I am at the most interesting time of my current life.

I am healthy.

I am (mostly) free of the mental chains put on me by others.

My finances are still a mess.

I am ok with that.

Mostly.

I have a wonderful mom whom I was not born to.

She may not have given me physical life but she gave me emotional life.

Still does.

I have a daughter I don’t see.

Not by her choice or mine.

That choice was made by the woman who birthed me.

I was just diagnosed with endometriosis.

Been livin with it for years.

Getting treated for it and I feel much better.

I quit smoking 5 months ago the other day.

Yeah, I still miss it.

I quit drinking 5 years and 5 months ago.

Yeah, I still miss it.

I have great people in my life.

Friends who would do SecretSquirrelMissions at the drop of the hat. (bonus fuckeduplink here)

Don’t even need the hat really. (insert Palin wink here)

Friends who would (and have) walked through fire with/for me. (mystickisonfire!!!!)

And some who walked with me that I haven’t talked with in a long time. (Miss you!)

We all journey. Me, not as often as I should.

Journeys are good.

One place to another.

Where am I going?

Where have I been?

Where is my coffee?

There it is!

Now, where are my keys?

Sophie B Hawkins followed by Rush followed by Stevie Ray Vaughn covering Hendrix.

I have weird taste in mix CD’s I create. (insert another Palin wink here)

I should get going and get to mom’s place to help with the store room.

Yeah. Ok. Eventually.

Oh! My ADHD med. I need to go take that!

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Nearly free at last...

Yesterday more than 65,340,608 people judged a man by the content of his character, not by the color of his skin.

Dr. King, here is your dream...

Today I am in an America where I have hope again. Hope for a better time to come. Not immediately but soon.

I decided to paste Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s speech below. I think we should all read this again, take it to heart, and remember that it was but forty-five short years ago that Dr. King gave this speech on the steps of the Lincoln memorial here in Washington DC.

Forty-Five years, 4 months and 23 days later in the same city, on the other end of the National Mall, the United States of America will innagurate its first Black man as President.



"I Have a Dream" by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
delivered 28 August 1963, at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C.

"I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so we've come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.

In a sense we've come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the "unalienable Rights" of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds."

But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so, we've come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.
We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. And those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. And there will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people, who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice: In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.

The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. And they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom.

We cannot walk alone.

And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead.

We cannot turn back.

There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their self-hood and robbed of their dignity by a sign stating: "For Whites Only." We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until "justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream."¹

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. And some of you have come from areas where your quest -- quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.
Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.

And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."²

This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.

With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

And this will be the day -- this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning:

My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.
Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride,
From every mountainside, let freedom ring!

And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.

And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.

Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.

Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.

Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.

But not only that:

Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.

From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:

Free at last! Free at last!
Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!³

Thursday, October 16, 2008

see. . .it's all about perspective.

My partner, two friends and I were talking about how my partner said I was in a baaaad mood yesterday (click here for more on that) and I had said that I was bitchy yesterday. This was the response from one of the two other friends...

"see. . .it's all about perspective.

Bitchy-ness comes in levels: Normal Bitchy is something akin too "all humans are stupid and I will do my best to ignore you but if you ask me a stupid question, I'm going to give you a bitchy answer (that is usually truth just spoken with attitude)

Yesterdays level of Hyper-Bitch is something closer akin to, "All humans are stupid AND I WANT TO KILL YOU ALL. . . . PAINFULLY" see.

You need to be clear about these things."

I will stop laughing soon. I think... Naaah.

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Fou you LittleOne

I love you. Someday we will see each other.

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Governor Sarah Palin Vlog #1

Comedy break.

Governor Sarah Palin Vlog #1


Go to here to view the rest of them. They are a riot!!

Thank you Margarate Cho for putting her letter on your blog.

Tuesday, September 09, 2008

Sen. McCain voting record - Now With Commentary!!

So, because I couldn't help myself I went back and put in my comments. Then I shamelessly stole an idea from Gawd on putting links in the text for more info. If you don't click on any other link in here click on that first one there. Great blog!!!

Anyhoo... as I was saying. I couldn't help myself so I went back and put in my comments from when I was doing the research for the other post. I wanted that one to be just the voting record without my snarkyshit in it. This one on the other hand...

Enjoy!


Senator John McCain voted AGAINST the following amendments:

On Veterans Issues
As much as he spouts on about supporting the troops and supporting veterans he sure has a funny way of showing it… Just sayn’

Tax Rate Extension Amendment - HR 4297 - 02/02/2006
To support the health needs of our veterans and military personnel and reduce the deficit by making tax rates fairer for all Americans.
Amendment Highlights:
- $14 billion for the Veterans Benefits Administration for Compensation and Pensions for the years of 2006 through 2010
- $6.9 billion to the Department of Veterans Affairs for the Veterans Health Administration for Medical Care between the years 2006 through 2010
- $1 billion for the establishment of the Veterans Hospital Improvement Fund
- Modifies tax rates on capital gains and dividends

Notice the date on this one. It is before the scandal about Walter Reed Medical Center broke. You think that $1 Billion would have helped Walter Reed improve their facilities and services?

Oh wait. Yeah, that last line there. Soooo cannot have that changed! What would moneybags Cindy say?


Additional Funding For Veterans Amendment - S 2020 – 11/17/2005
To provide an additional $500,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2010, to be used for readjustment counseling, related mental health services, and treatment and rehabilitative services for veterans with mental illness, post-traumatic stress disorder, or substance use disorder.

Looks like he is saying “screw the mental health of our veterans! PTSD is all in their heads anyway. I survived being a POW, they should be able to suck it up and just deal.” However, I could be wrong…

Health Care for Veterans Amendment - HR 2863 10/05/2005
To ensure that future funding for health care for former members of the Armed Forces takes into account changes in population and inflation.

Oh no! Can’t have health care benefits for vets taking into account inflation. That would be socialized medicine.


On Domestic Security Issues

This one is even better than the shitting on the veterans.

Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 - HR 2082 - 02/13/2008
To authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2008 for intelligence and intelligence-related activities of the United States Government, the Community Management Account, and the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System, and for other purposes.

Nope, no need to fund this.

Striking Telecommunications Companies' Civil Immunity for Surveillance - S Amdt 3907 - 02/12/2008 To strike the provisions providing immunity from civil liability to electronic communication service providers for certain assistance provided to the Government.

Can’t have his corporate donors buddies getting sued for breaking the law now can we.


Habeas Corpus for Detainees of the United States - S Amdt 2022 - 09/19/2007 To restore habeas corpus for those detained by the United States.

Oh, this would be REALLY dangerous. I mean, what would happen if we actually used the Constitution and rule of law to handle the scarwwy terwwawists??? My god, it would be mayhem and there would be no stopping them after that.


Denying Legal Status for Immigrants Convicted of Certain Crimes - S Amdt 1184 - 06/06/2007 To establish a permanent bar for gang members, terrorists, and other criminals.
Project Vote Smart's Synopsis:
Vote to pass an amendment that would prohibit undocumented immigrants convicted of aggravated felonies, domestic violence, stalking, violation of protection orders, crimes against children, or crimes relating to the illegal purchase or sale of firearms, from gaining legal status.

So, its ok to have illegal immigrants gain legal status after being convicted of felonies, domestic violence, stalking, etc…?? I guess this explains the choosing of someone who bills rape victims for the cost of the rape kit processing as running mate. Simple minds think alike.


Security of Cargo Containers Amendment - HR 4954 - 09/13/2006 To improve the security of cargo containers destined for the United States. Highlights of Cargo Containers Amendment: Vote to adopt an amendment that requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop a plan for guaranteeing 100 percent of all cargo containers that pass through U.S. ports are scanned. The plan must include annual goals for increases in the percentages of cargo being screened.

Securing Cargo Containers just wouldn’t do. Nuh uh. Nope. I mean, “we are never going to let 9/11 happen again” right? “Because we are going to elect a president who knows how to fight the war on terror” right? Right???


National Security Amendment - HR 4954 - 09/12/2006 To provide real national security, restore United States leadership, and implement tough and smart policies to win the war on terror. Amendment Highlights: -Establishes national standards and parameters for First Responder, equipment and training (Sec. 1807 and Sec. 1113) -Sets privacy guidelines for government sharing of personal information (Sec. 1213) -Creates security clearance standards (Sec. 1241) -Calls for an increase of hiring and training of border security personnel (Sec. 2313) -Places a prohibition on war profiteering (Sec. 2402)

I just don’t know where to begin on this one. Hmmm… item one there, First responder equipment and training. That would be like, radios that work right? Not like the radios the firefighters had on 9/11 right?

That third one there, hmmmm, nope. Don’t need security clearance standards. What would we do with those? We just know who to trust.

*Snort* Yeah, that last one there. I am betting that this is why this one got a no vote from Senator McCain.


Disclosure of Classified Information Amendment - HR 2360 - 07/14/2005 To prohibit Federal employees who disclose classified information to persons not authorized to receive such information from holding a security clearance.

This has nothing to do with White House aid indictments. Nothing. Move along….


Corporate Financing of Terrorism Amendment - S 1042 - 07/26/2005
To stop corporations from financing terrorism.
Amendment Highlights:
- Allows the President to use his powers under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act or the Trading with the Enemy Act to prohibit U.S. businesses and their subsidiaries from transacting with foreign businesses identified as having links to terrorism
- Forbids U.S. businesses and their subsidiaries from engaging in transactions with any foreign business whose parent country has been identified by the Secretary of State as a supporter of international terrorism
- Requires the President to publish a list of foreign businesses identified as having links to terrorism, and bans U.S. ownership or control of foreign businesses engaged in transactions with such businesses
- Exempts U.S. businesses from prosecution if transactions are terminated within one year after a foreign business is identified as having links to terrorism
- Calls for U.S. businesses to disclose in their annual reports any ownership stake of at least 10 percent in a foreign business that is itself engaging in transactions with a proscribed foreign business

Well, shit! We really cannot have the corporations being accountable for possibly funding terrorism. That will not do!


On Business and Consumer Issues

Price-Gouging During Emergencies Amendment - S 2020 - 11/17/2005
To improve the Federal Trade Commission's ability to protect consumers from price-gouging during energy emergencies, and for other purposes.
Amendment Highlights:
- Sets the civil penalty for charging prices grossly above the original price of crude oil, gasoline, or petroleum during a declared state of emergency of no more than $3 million
- Sets the criminal penalty for charging prices grossly above the original price of crude oil, gasoline, or petroleum during a declared state of emergency at a maximum of five years in prison, a $3 million penalty or both
- Authorizes the Federal Trade Commission to enforce this act

Do I really need to say anything on this one??? Yes. Yes I do. Only a total fucking fucktard would vote against this one. Geeez.

More tomorrow. I have already spent waaaaay too much time on putting all of this together and I need some sleep. Thanks to my friend for the "fucking fucktard" line. She says that all the time and I have just been waiting to use it somewhere on this blog.

Highlights of Sen. McCain's voting record

Senator McCain has an interesting voting record given what he is saying on the campaign trail. All of these details were gathered from Project Vote Smart, a non partisan website that posts the voting records of all candidates for public office. Click here to see more on Project Vote Smart.

Senator John McCain voted AGAINST the following amendments:

On Veterans Issues

Tax Rate Extension Amendment - HR 4297 - 02/02/2006
To support the health needs of our veterans and military personnel and reduce the deficit by making tax rates fairer for all Americans.
Amendment Highlights:
- $14 billion for the Veterans Benefits Administration for Compensation and Pensions for the years of 2006 through 2010
- $6.9 billion to the Department of Veterans Affairs for the Veterans Health Administration for Medical Care between the years 2006 through 2010
- $1 billion for the establishment of the Veterans Hospital Improvement Fund
- Modifies tax rates on capital gains and dividends


Additional Funding For Veterans Amendment - S 2020 – 11/17/2005
To provide an additional $500,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2010, to be used for readjustment counseling, related mental health services, and treatment and rehabilitative services for veterans with mental illness, post-traumatic stress disorder, or substance use disorder.

Health Care for Veterans Amendment - HR 2863 10/05/2005
To ensure that future funding for health care for former members of the Armed Forces takes into account changes in population and inflation.


On Domestic Security Issues

Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 - HR 2082 - 02/13/2008 To authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2008 for intelligence and intelligence-related activities of the United States Government, the Community Management Account, and the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System, and for other purposes.

FISA as Exclusive Means for Conducting Electronic Surveillance - S Amdt 3910 - 02/12/2008
To provide a statement of the exclusive means by which electronic surveillance and interception of certain communications may be conducted.

Striking Telecommunications Companies' Civil Immunity for Surveillance - S Amdt 3907 - 02/12/2008 To strike the provisions providing immunity from civil liability to electronic communication service providers for certain assistance provided to the Government.

Habeas Corpus for Detainees of the United States - S Amdt 2022 - 09/19/2007
To restore habeas corpus for those detained by the United States.

Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2008 - HR 3093 - 10/16/2007 Making appropriations for the Departments of Commerce and Justice, and Science, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2008, and for other purposes.

Denying Legal Status for Immigrants Convicted of Certain Crimes - S Amdt 1184 - 06/06/2007 To establish a permanent bar for gang members, terrorists, and other criminals.
Project Vote Smart's Synopsis:
Vote to pass an amendment that would prohibit undocumented immigrants convicted of aggravated felonies, domestic violence, stalking, violation of protection orders, crimes against children, or crimes relating to the illegal purchase or sale of firearms, from gaining legal status.

Security of Cargo Containers Amendment - HR 4954 - 09/13/2006 To improve the security of cargo containers destined for the United States.
Highlights of Cargo Containers Amendment:
Vote to adopt an amendment that requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop a plan for guaranteeing 100 percent of all cargo containers that pass through U.S. ports are scanned. The plan must include annual goals for increases in the percentages of cargo being screened.

National Security Amendment - HR 4954 - 09/12/2006
To provide real national security, restore United States leadership, and implement tough and smart policies to win the war on terror.
Amendment Highlights:
-Establishes national standards and parameters for First Responder, equipment and training (Sec. 1807 and Sec. 1113)
-Sets privacy guidelines for government sharing of personal information (Sec. 1213)
-Creates security clearance standards (Sec. 1241)
-Calls for an increase of hiring and training of border security personnel (Sec. 2313)
-Places a prohibition on war profiteering (Sec. 2402)

Rail and Transit Security Amendment - HR 5441 - 07/12/2006 To increase the amounts for the rail and transit security programs, and for other purposes.

Disclosure of Classified Information Amendment - HR 2360 - 07/14/2005
To prohibit Federal employees who disclose classified information to persons not authorized to receive such information from holding a security clearance.

Corporate Financing of Terrorism Amendment - S 1042 - 07/26/2005 To stop corporations from financing terrorism.
Amendment Highlights:
- Allows the President to use his powers under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act or the Trading with the Enemy Act to prohibit U.S. businesses and their subsidiaries from transacting with foreign businesses identified as having links to terrorism
- Forbids U.S. businesses and their subsidiaries from engaging in transactions with any foreign business whose parent country has been identified by the Secretary of State as a supporter of international terrorism
- Requires the President to publish a list of foreign businesses identified as having links to terrorism, and bans U.S. ownership or control of foreign businesses engaged in transactions with such businesses
- Exempts U.S. businesses from prosecution if transactions are terminated within one year after a foreign business is identified as having links to terrorism
- Calls for U.S. businesses to disclose in their annual reports any ownership stake of at least 10 percent in a foreign business that is itself engaging in transactions with a proscribed foreign business


On Business and Consumer Issues

Union Organization Bill - HR 800 - 06/26/2007
To amend the National Labor Relations Act to establish an efficient system to enable employees to form, join, or assist labor organizations, to provide for mandatory injunctions for unfair labor practices during organizing efforts, and for other purposes.

Price-Gouging During Emergencies Amendment - S 2020 - 11/17/2005
To improve the Federal Trade Commission's ability to protect consumers from price-gouging during energy emergencies, and for other purposes.
Amendment Highlights:
- Sets the civil penalty for charging prices grossly above the original price of crude oil, gasoline, or petroleum during a declared state of emergency of no more than $3 million
- Sets the criminal penalty for charging prices grossly above the original price of crude oil, gasoline, or petroleum during a declared state of emergency at a maximum of five years in prison, a $3 million penalty or both
- Authorizes the Federal Trade Commission to enforce this act



McCain didn’t bother to vote on the following amendments. Not voting does not mean he wasn't there, it means just what it says, he didn't vote on the amendment or bill in question. Pay special attention to the first one on the list.

For Veterans
GI Bill and Other Domestic Provisions - S Amdt 4803 - 05/22/2008

Defense Authorizations Bill - HR 4986 - 01/22/2008

National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 - HR 1585 - 10/01/2007


On Domestic Security
Limiting Mexican Trucks to Commercial Zones Near the Border Between the U.S. and Mexico - S Amdt 2797 - 09/11/2007
To prohibit the establishment of a program that allows Mexican truck drivers to operate beyond the commercial zones near the Mexican border.

Foreign Intelligence Acquisition - S 1927 - 08/03/2007

Implementing the 9/11 Commission Recommendations Act - HR 1 - 07/26/2007

Department of Homeland Security Appropriations - HR 2638 - 07/26/2007

Border Fence and Customs Appropriations - S Amdt 2480 - 07/26/2007

REAL ID Funding - S Amdt 2405 - 07/26/2007

Inclusion of Consolidated Appropriations - HR 2764 - 12/18/2007
Making appropriations for the Department of State, foreign operations, and related programs for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2008, and for other purposes.
Selected Bill Highlights:
- Prohibits funds made available in this Act from being used "in any way whatsoever to support or justify the use of torture, cruel or inhumane treatment by any official or contract employee of the United States Government" (Division B, Sec. 521; Division J, Sec. 681).
- Directs the President to submit a report to Congress that outlines in classified and unclassified terms a comprehensive nuclear threat reduction plan for ensuring that all nuclear weapons and weapons-usable material at vulnerable sites are secure by 2012 (Division J, Sec. 699M).

Supplemental Appropriations for the Department of Defense and Timeline for Withdrawal from Iraq - HR 4156 - 11/16/2007

Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for the Department of Defense - S 2340 - 11/16/2007


On Business and Consumer Issues

Consumer Product Safety Commission Bill - HR 4040 - 07/31/2008

Medicare Bill - HR 6331 - 07/15/2008
To amend titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act to extend expiring provisions under the Medicare Program, to improve beneficiary access to preventive and mental health services, to enhance low-income benefit programs, and to maintain access to care in rural areas, including pharmacy access, and for other purposes.

Alternative Energy Tax Incentives - HR 6049 - 06/17/2008

Increasing Taxes on Profits, Rescinding Certain Tax Deductions, and Increasing Tax Incentives for Alternative Energy Programs for Oil Companies - S 3044 - 06/10/2008

Carbon Emissions Cap and Trade Plan - S Amdt 4825 - 06/06/2008

Housing Bill with Energy Tax Credit Extensions - HR 3221 - 04/10/2008

Energy Tax Credits Amendment - S Amdt 4419 to S Amdt 4387 to HR 3221 - 04/10/2008

Amendment on Certain Energy-Related Programs, Including the Development of Oil Shale and Offshore Natural Gas - S Amdt 4207 to S Con Res 70 - 03/13/2008
To establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund to improve energy efficiency and production.
Highlights:
- Allows the Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee to revise spending levels on certain energy-related programs in a manner to encourage the replacement of conventional wood stoves, the use of smart electricity meters in homes and businesses, the capture and storage of carbon dioxide emission from coal projects, the development of natural gas resources beneath the outer Continental Shelf off the coast of Virginia, and the development of oil shale resources on public land, so long as the spending level changes do not increase the federal deficit over both the five year and the ten year time spans starting with 2008.

Energy Act of 2007 - HR 6 - 12/13/2007
An Act to move the United States toward greater energy independence and security, to increase the production of clean renewable fuels, to protect consumers, to increase the efficiency of products, buildings, and vehicles, to promote research on and deploy greenhouse gas capture and storage options, and to improve the energy performance of the Federal Government, and for other purposes.
Highlights of Energy Act of 2007:
-Increases Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) to 35 miles per gallon by the year 2020 (Sec. 102).
-Requires a minimum standard of 27.5 miles per gallon for domestic passenger vehicles (Sec. 102).
-Requires an increase in the production of renewable fuels from 4.0 billion gallons to 36.0 billion gallons by 2022 (Sec. 202).
-Stipulates that all renewable fuel refineries built after enactment of this bill reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20 percent of the current baseline (Sec. 202).
-Increases energy efficiency standards for certain household appliances, battery chargers, walk-in coolers and freezers, electric motors, light bulbs, and other devices (Title III).
- Establishes the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Worker Training Program to provide training to veterans, unemployed individuals, and workers impacted by energy and environmental policies (Sec. 1002).

Alternative Energy Subsidies - S Amdt 1704 - 06/21/2007

Friday, August 29, 2008

Love or eating bacon

My parents demanded during visitation negotiations today, that I not expose my kid to the homosexual lifestyle due to the immorality of being gay.

Hmmmm….

Whatever do they mean by Homosexual lifestyle? Do they mean me doing my dishes? Do they mean me working on my truck? What exactly in my lifestyle is homosexual? Shit, what exactly in my lifestyle ISN'T gay???

If they are talking about my wife and I having a committed relationship, loving and supporting each other even when we are living in different cities, forsaking all others till death we do part, sleeping at night in the same bed when we are visiting each other, well, then…

There are only three verses in the Bible dealing with homosexuality (two in the Old Testament – Here and Here and one in the New Testament – Here. Out of all of the verses in the Bible dealing with how to and when to worship God, how to live, stories and whatnot, these three are the ones focused on. Usually the ones about how we are to care for our neighbor, love one another, love God, and not judge, get missed and glossed over.

My parents, who have said “we need more family values in this house!!” (but then couldn’t explain exactly what those were when I asked) have cheated on each other repeatedly. My father drinks (a lot) and verbally abuses my mother. My mother verbally abuses my father and my kid. Ditto for dad about verbal abuse and the kid when he drinks. My mother is the worst kind of “keep up with the joneses” type of person and is obsessed with what the neighbors think.

I am not perfect. Not by a long shot. However, I am not throwing around accusations of immoral lifestyle based on a narrow interpretation of the Bible that I know they have not read nearly cover to cover as I have.

So, if we are going to use Biblical law here, lets have some fun shall we.

My parents are exposing my kid to an immoral lifestyle daily by wearing mixed fabric clothing (http://scripturetext.com/leviticus/19-19.htm), being drunken (http://multilingualbible.com/1_corinthians/6-10.htm), my mother never covering her head when she prays (1 Corinthians 11:4-7), and eating bacon (http://multilingualbible.com/leviticus/11-7.htm).

I am tempted to call my lawyer and tell her that I want all of the above fixed before my kid can stay in that house. After all, what really is the worse sin here, love or eating bacon.

Friday, August 15, 2008

Lesbian in a man’s body

I get this call from a friend of mine tonight. “That gift that he wanted to drop off? It was a dozen roses! Son of a Bitch!”

My friend had two dates with a man that I will call Lisa. This is in reference to the L Word character that billed himself as a lesbian in a man’s body. I thought that was just something funny made up by the writers of the show. Shit was I wrong. He does exist and my friend ended up on two dates with this man.

F and I went to lunch last week and she was telling me about this man that she went out with two times and how he really was not compatible with her. I asked her what she meant. She said that he would open the car door for her, make sure to open all other doors for her and generally drove her a bit nutty with the door and uber nice thing he had going on. She described asking him not to open the doors anymore as being like kicking a puppy. It sucked.

So, she decided that she would just back off and do the subtle thing on ending something that never really began. Not go on any more dates with Lisa and be generally unavailable when he called.

This… has not worked as planned.

Over the last week Lisa has been calling F each day or so. She has either not answered, or has let Lisa know that she is busy. F even told Lisa a mostlytrue thing that she was swamped for the weekend and would not be able to get together. (This was mostlytrue because F did have work to get done but there was downtime too). Lisa apparently then called F’s friend in another city and said that F was having a bad weekend and asked what a good gift for F would be.

A few things to know about F. She is a former Army medic, who is very bright, leans toward the tomboy side, and likes things that are different, or unusual, or interesting or just weird. Weird in a good way though. Weird in a “hmmm hadn’t thought of a Venus fly trap as a gift” kind of way. More like different. Well, shit. She is a friend of mine so you get the idea.

Do… not… give… cliché… gifts… to… her… ever… unless you like having your arm painfully removed from your body and then be beaten with it. (She is a medic so at least she can patch you back up after the arm removal and beating processes. That is unless you have really pissed her off, then well.) However (much as she hates to admit it) she has a good heart and while she has those times where she would like to remove your arm and beat you with it, usually she does not.

Back to this past weekend. After Lisa called the mutual friend to find out what a good gift for F would be, Lisa then called F and said that he had something for her. She tried to avoid receiving said gift to avoid any possibility of encouraging Lisa, however, Lisa thwarted her at the pass. Lisa stopped by tonight and dropped off the gift.

The gift being a dozen roses.

That is where this entry begins. With her calling me tonight to say:

“That gift that he wanted to drop off?!? It was a dozen roses! Son of a Bitch.” I promptly bust the fuck out laughing. After struggling to stop laughing, then apologizing for laughing, then giggling for a little while longer while apologizing for it at the same time, I was finally able to ask her for more information.

She said “I see why he dropped them off, they are starting to wilt.” I said “they aren’t in water?” she said, “Nope, still in the shitty plastic from the store.”

Ok, so cliché roses aren’t enough. Lisa, is also unimaginative.

“And” F says “they aren’t red, they are more of a pinkish color.” Jebus H Crust on a stick, not only is Lisa unimaginative, he is also unobservant. Anyone who spends five minutes with F would realize that pink is just not the color to give to F. Nearly any other color would be better than pink. In fact I can’t think of a woman who would really groove on not-red-sorta-pink roses.

Later I offered to call Lisa and have that “dude, she just isn’t into you” conversation. I offered this because F is rapidly losing the ability to “let down gently” and I don’t want the guilt to follow her around. Whatever immediate satisfaction she would get just wouldn’t be worth it.

But then, I lost my nerve… I am not good at the let down easy and I have little patience right now due to things I have written about over in the dark blog.

So… I am hoping against all hope that dude finally gets a clue and tries to find someone out there that will enjoy opening the car doors and red-sorta-pink roses left on doorsteps.

Anyone know anyone like that?

Friday, July 18, 2008

Two years later

I have been blogging for two years?

Really?

Holy Shit!

Doesn't seem that long does it?

I just read some of my first posts and I realize that I really need to get back to that type of writing. The post Mindfuck is one of my favorites. There are others that are fun as well. Seems that I lost the touch of playing with color and font type too.

Perhaps after I take a spin through the dark side and clean out my head a bit I will be able to write that fun (and funny) stuff again.

Keep your fingers crossed.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Don't Worry...

More navel gazing coming soon. In the mean time... you can entertain yourself over at the dark blog for a little while.

Caution though.... It is where I keep the dark thoughts and hard stuff.

www.drkfrg.blogspot.com

Friday, February 29, 2008

Debate space

I haven't posted here in a while. Been busy and all... more soon.

I wanted to post this entry quickly to give space to a debate I am having with someone. :-)

More later...