November is done
No Haiku for tomorrow
Sonnet December?
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Friday, November 28, 2008
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Friday, November 21, 2008
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Shameless
I'm one of the worst people in the world when it comes to remembering birthdays. I usually just sign the cards that my wife hands me, and many gifts have been from "us" when the truth is that they were from Kirsti, and sometimes I gave her a little bit of money to help pay for it.
That being said, I don't ever expect anything from my birthday, but some people are inclined to get me stuff anyway. So, if that's the case, then here's what I'm hoping for: Gift cards at MoreBeer. If you're somebody who gets beer from me, you stand to gain, as I will no doubt be sure that you get even more from me. I plan on stepping up my equipment and potentially make some lagers.
Like I said, I expect nothing. But if you're just dying to get me something...
Oh, and my birthday is November 24.
That being said, I don't ever expect anything from my birthday, but some people are inclined to get me stuff anyway. So, if that's the case, then here's what I'm hoping for: Gift cards at MoreBeer. If you're somebody who gets beer from me, you stand to gain, as I will no doubt be sure that you get even more from me. I plan on stepping up my equipment and potentially make some lagers.
Like I said, I expect nothing. But if you're just dying to get me something...
Oh, and my birthday is November 24.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Monday, November 17, 2008
Why I'll vote no on Prop 14.5-B
Today's blog entry comes to you from the future! It looks like in the year 2099, I'm still alive and blogging. Apparently, I'm a severed head in a jar, and I do all my blogging via thinkwrite. Still, it's good to see that I'm still around, and I still care about the issues. I had a look at a few of my entries, and it looks like I'm still reading comics and making homebrew. Not much has changed. Anyway, without further ado...
A lot of people have been asking me about how I'm going to vote on Prop 14.5B, and I've been avoiding the issue. Why? Because it always brings up a barrage of questions from people. They take that one issue and use it to judge me. They assume that I'm a supporter of President Lohan. They think that I support the war against Frabelmany. They figure that I voted to have Auszealand added as the fifty-seventh state. I mean, I must feel that way, because that's what everybody else who's against clone/android marriage is like, right?
Well, I'm still my old self. I think that President Lohan made for a better actress than a President, and while I supported our allies in Portupain, I'm still against this current war. Oh, and Auszealand? Are you kidding?
So then, you're probably wondering how I can possibly have problems with clone/android marriage. It's true; I was very outspoken about allowing androids to marry once they achieved sentience. I also marched and stood in the rain to support the rights of clones to marry. And let's not forget who one of the most vocal pro-alien marriage advocates was - me. (My wife tells me that I was also very outspoken about allowing gay people to get married. Honestly, I didn't even remember that until she showed me the passage in my great-great-grandson's history book. I actually laughed out loud, believing it to be a hoax of some sort! Gay people weren't allowed to get married? How absurd! But apparently, yeah, people really were that ignorant back in the early part of the century.)
Here's the thing with android/clone marriage though - while I believe in the right to pursue happiness on the part of any sentient, I think that this is where the line should be drawn. What am I afraid of? I'm afraid that we regular humans are going to become absolete. After all, why should regular humans marry when the far physically superior clones and androids can marry and even reproduce (with the latest android models!)
We're becoming an extinct species, people. This is where the line should be drawn. Of course, all of my grandkids say that I'm just an old fart who's afraid of change. What do they know?
A lot of people have been asking me about how I'm going to vote on Prop 14.5B, and I've been avoiding the issue. Why? Because it always brings up a barrage of questions from people. They take that one issue and use it to judge me. They assume that I'm a supporter of President Lohan. They think that I support the war against Frabelmany. They figure that I voted to have Auszealand added as the fifty-seventh state. I mean, I must feel that way, because that's what everybody else who's against clone/android marriage is like, right?
Well, I'm still my old self. I think that President Lohan made for a better actress than a President, and while I supported our allies in Portupain, I'm still against this current war. Oh, and Auszealand? Are you kidding?
So then, you're probably wondering how I can possibly have problems with clone/android marriage. It's true; I was very outspoken about allowing androids to marry once they achieved sentience. I also marched and stood in the rain to support the rights of clones to marry. And let's not forget who one of the most vocal pro-alien marriage advocates was - me. (My wife tells me that I was also very outspoken about allowing gay people to get married. Honestly, I didn't even remember that until she showed me the passage in my great-great-grandson's history book. I actually laughed out loud, believing it to be a hoax of some sort! Gay people weren't allowed to get married? How absurd! But apparently, yeah, people really were that ignorant back in the early part of the century.)
Here's the thing with android/clone marriage though - while I believe in the right to pursue happiness on the part of any sentient, I think that this is where the line should be drawn. What am I afraid of? I'm afraid that we regular humans are going to become absolete. After all, why should regular humans marry when the far physically superior clones and androids can marry and even reproduce (with the latest android models!)
We're becoming an extinct species, people. This is where the line should be drawn. Of course, all of my grandkids say that I'm just an old fart who's afraid of change. What do they know?
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Polygamy Haiku (with blog)
Being a husband
to just one wife is enough
for me anyway
In discussions with gay marriage oponents, one of the common arguments is the slippery slope of, "If we allow gay marriage, then what's to stop us from allowing ____________." The most common thing to fill in the blank is polygamy, of course.
Of course, some people will also bring up pedophilia and bestiality too. Well, I'm not even going to dignify those arguments with a comment. After all, if you're so stupid that you can't see the difference, then I can explain it forever and you still won't get it.
And let's say that when we're talking about polygamy, we're not talking about these cult leaders who basically brainwash their children and marry girls at the age of fourteen or even younger. For argument's sake, let's take a look at consenting adults who want to be in a polygamous relationship. What about that?
Well, as far as the law is concerned, you really can't compare it to same-sex marriage. After all, with same-sex marriage, the only thing that changes is that it's between any two consenting adults instead of solely adults of the opposite sex. There's nothing in the marriage laws that say anything about procreating or anything like that. As for allowing polygamy, the very nature of having a relationship between more than two people completely changes the dynamics of the situation. Who gets the inheritance? How are divorces handled? Who gets child custody rights? And who exactly is going to determine how all of this is straightened out?
Essentially, a whole new legal contract would have to be created for polygamy. And polygamists can't say that they're being denied equal protection because NOBODY currently has the right to have more than one spouse - whether you're straight or not. With gay marriage, you currently have straight couples with rights that gay couples don't have. That's where there's inequality. With polygamy, it's a completely different situation that currently has no equivalent under the law.
So, what about polygamy? As of right now, I don't think that there's enough of a demand for it for the government to start getting involved. Personally though, so long as it is indeed between consenting adults, I don't have a problem with it. Just like gay marriage, it's not the lifestyle that I'd want for myself, but who am I to deny anybody happiness? So, I don't really think that it should be illegal either.
But what if the demand for it starts to increase? Honestly, I just don't see that happening, but I certainly could be wrong. Perhaps if it does, then society needs to start figuring out a way to protect these people and their children.
Still, the bottom line is that it's not so simple that it's the automatic next step after same sex marriage is allowed. There are far too many questions that would need to be resolved first.
to just one wife is enough
for me anyway
In discussions with gay marriage oponents, one of the common arguments is the slippery slope of, "If we allow gay marriage, then what's to stop us from allowing ____________." The most common thing to fill in the blank is polygamy, of course.
Of course, some people will also bring up pedophilia and bestiality too. Well, I'm not even going to dignify those arguments with a comment. After all, if you're so stupid that you can't see the difference, then I can explain it forever and you still won't get it.
And let's say that when we're talking about polygamy, we're not talking about these cult leaders who basically brainwash their children and marry girls at the age of fourteen or even younger. For argument's sake, let's take a look at consenting adults who want to be in a polygamous relationship. What about that?
Well, as far as the law is concerned, you really can't compare it to same-sex marriage. After all, with same-sex marriage, the only thing that changes is that it's between any two consenting adults instead of solely adults of the opposite sex. There's nothing in the marriage laws that say anything about procreating or anything like that. As for allowing polygamy, the very nature of having a relationship between more than two people completely changes the dynamics of the situation. Who gets the inheritance? How are divorces handled? Who gets child custody rights? And who exactly is going to determine how all of this is straightened out?
Essentially, a whole new legal contract would have to be created for polygamy. And polygamists can't say that they're being denied equal protection because NOBODY currently has the right to have more than one spouse - whether you're straight or not. With gay marriage, you currently have straight couples with rights that gay couples don't have. That's where there's inequality. With polygamy, it's a completely different situation that currently has no equivalent under the law.
So, what about polygamy? As of right now, I don't think that there's enough of a demand for it for the government to start getting involved. Personally though, so long as it is indeed between consenting adults, I don't have a problem with it. Just like gay marriage, it's not the lifestyle that I'd want for myself, but who am I to deny anybody happiness? So, I don't really think that it should be illegal either.
But what if the demand for it starts to increase? Honestly, I just don't see that happening, but I certainly could be wrong. Perhaps if it does, then society needs to start figuring out a way to protect these people and their children.
Still, the bottom line is that it's not so simple that it's the automatic next step after same sex marriage is allowed. There are far too many questions that would need to be resolved first.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Protest Haiku (with blog)
It is not over
and it won't ever be so
'till we have justice
This morning, Kirsti and I, along with a handful of friends, went down to City Hall in Walnut Creek to join one of the many prop-8 protests across the state (and across the world as well, it seems).
Even though I felt pretty sad at the passing of this unjust amendment, I still feel pretty positive about the future. Even if it wasn't clear that the younger generations are bound to eventually overturn it, I even have some confidence regarding these lawsuits that have been filed. The one that makes the most sense to me is the one that claims that Prop 8 isn't an ammendment so much as it's a revision of the Constitution. After all, if it declares that we all have equal protection, but then an ammendment says that we don't, that's a bit of a contradiction now, isn't it? Supposedly revisions require a lot more than just a simple majority vote.
I promised myself to be on my best behavior if I saw any of the "Yes on 8" crowd. I didn't really get much of an opportunity, but there were a couple who showed up. One was a guy who wouldn't talk to anybody, including the little kid who asked him if he loved anybody. There was another guy with a cardboard sign that read "Your making yourselves look stupid." Scott and I were quick to mock his bad grammar. I figure that sort of a thing is fair game. We even chanted "Yes on grammar!" at him.
One thing that I really think was cool about it is that I really wasn't sure exactly who was gay and who was straight. In some cases, I could probably make an educated guess; however, I didn't feel like some sort of token straight guy in a gay crowd. I felt like we were all Californians - Americans even - who all felt the same way. It really didn't even seem to matter.
What was also cool is that a friend of Kirsti's, who's a lesbian, was with us and was much more open about her sexuality than I had ever seen. The thing is, I imagine if you're gay you probably have a tendency to not bring it up, as you don't exactly want people pointing the finger of judgment at you all the time. Kirsti's friend and I had never discussed my feelings on the issue, so perhaps she didn't want to test it out only to find that I was anti-gay rights or something. She probably figured that it was pretty safe to discuss it openly if I was at an anti-8 rally though.
Oh, and don't get me wrong. By saying that she was "open", I'm not saying that she was describing her sex life to us. I'm referring to how she and I were joking about the "gay agenda", and I told her that I was tired of her always pushing it on me. It was pretty funny because a lady standing behind us turned to her and asked her, "When you find out what that is, could you let me know?" She also made it a point to thank us for protesting with her, as everybody else in our group was straight.
So, we're not where we should be - but we're getting there.
and it won't ever be so
'till we have justice
This morning, Kirsti and I, along with a handful of friends, went down to City Hall in Walnut Creek to join one of the many prop-8 protests across the state (and across the world as well, it seems).
Even though I felt pretty sad at the passing of this unjust amendment, I still feel pretty positive about the future. Even if it wasn't clear that the younger generations are bound to eventually overturn it, I even have some confidence regarding these lawsuits that have been filed. The one that makes the most sense to me is the one that claims that Prop 8 isn't an ammendment so much as it's a revision of the Constitution. After all, if it declares that we all have equal protection, but then an ammendment says that we don't, that's a bit of a contradiction now, isn't it? Supposedly revisions require a lot more than just a simple majority vote.
I promised myself to be on my best behavior if I saw any of the "Yes on 8" crowd. I didn't really get much of an opportunity, but there were a couple who showed up. One was a guy who wouldn't talk to anybody, including the little kid who asked him if he loved anybody. There was another guy with a cardboard sign that read "Your making yourselves look stupid." Scott and I were quick to mock his bad grammar. I figure that sort of a thing is fair game. We even chanted "Yes on grammar!" at him.
One thing that I really think was cool about it is that I really wasn't sure exactly who was gay and who was straight. In some cases, I could probably make an educated guess; however, I didn't feel like some sort of token straight guy in a gay crowd. I felt like we were all Californians - Americans even - who all felt the same way. It really didn't even seem to matter.
What was also cool is that a friend of Kirsti's, who's a lesbian, was with us and was much more open about her sexuality than I had ever seen. The thing is, I imagine if you're gay you probably have a tendency to not bring it up, as you don't exactly want people pointing the finger of judgment at you all the time. Kirsti's friend and I had never discussed my feelings on the issue, so perhaps she didn't want to test it out only to find that I was anti-gay rights or something. She probably figured that it was pretty safe to discuss it openly if I was at an anti-8 rally though.
Oh, and don't get me wrong. By saying that she was "open", I'm not saying that she was describing her sex life to us. I'm referring to how she and I were joking about the "gay agenda", and I told her that I was tired of her always pushing it on me. It was pretty funny because a lady standing behind us turned to her and asked her, "When you find out what that is, could you let me know?" She also made it a point to thank us for protesting with her, as everybody else in our group was straight.
So, we're not where we should be - but we're getting there.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Dead American Idol Fan Haiku (with blog)
Paula Abdul saw
a crazed fan dead on the ground.
Could see it coming.
I'm not really a fan of American Idol. Kirsti watches it, but that's because she's more of a fan of vocalists than I am. I'm more of a fan of music in a more general sense. The kind of talent that comes out of that show, while I can appreciate on some level, really just doesn't do it for me. I think that I watched about half of the first season, all of the second, half of the third, and then only bits and pieces after that.
The one part of the show that I continued to watch even when I gave up on it in general was the beginning. You know, where all the crappy, deluded singers try out and get laughed out of the building. It's like watching a train wreck - you just can't keep your eyes off of it. (There's also a lot of that on So You Think You Can Dance? - a show that I like a bit more than Idol - must be all those women with their dancer legs or something.)
A few years ago though, I just had to stop watching even that part. Something about it just made me feel dirty - like I was delighting in the pain of others - schadenfreude, if you will. It started to occur to me that a lot of these rejects were probably people with mental conditions and/or special needs. They were deluded, but for many of them, it might not have been solely out of a general sense of cluelessness. It started to feel like I was laughing at a guy in a wheelchair trying to climb the stairs.
So, I don't watch it at all anymore. Now this whole thing with this one Idol reject who killed herself in front of Paula Abdul's house has only confirmed how I already feel. This obviously was a person who was suffering from some sort of mental problems, and America (maybe even I as well) laughed at her.
Kinda sad, isn't it? Maybe they should just focus on the talented people from now on? All the rejects can make the cutting room floor.
a crazed fan dead on the ground.
Could see it coming.
I'm not really a fan of American Idol. Kirsti watches it, but that's because she's more of a fan of vocalists than I am. I'm more of a fan of music in a more general sense. The kind of talent that comes out of that show, while I can appreciate on some level, really just doesn't do it for me. I think that I watched about half of the first season, all of the second, half of the third, and then only bits and pieces after that.
The one part of the show that I continued to watch even when I gave up on it in general was the beginning. You know, where all the crappy, deluded singers try out and get laughed out of the building. It's like watching a train wreck - you just can't keep your eyes off of it. (There's also a lot of that on So You Think You Can Dance? - a show that I like a bit more than Idol - must be all those women with their dancer legs or something.)
A few years ago though, I just had to stop watching even that part. Something about it just made me feel dirty - like I was delighting in the pain of others - schadenfreude, if you will. It started to occur to me that a lot of these rejects were probably people with mental conditions and/or special needs. They were deluded, but for many of them, it might not have been solely out of a general sense of cluelessness. It started to feel like I was laughing at a guy in a wheelchair trying to climb the stairs.
So, I don't watch it at all anymore. Now this whole thing with this one Idol reject who killed herself in front of Paula Abdul's house has only confirmed how I already feel. This obviously was a person who was suffering from some sort of mental problems, and America (maybe even I as well) laughed at her.
Kinda sad, isn't it? Maybe they should just focus on the talented people from now on? All the rejects can make the cutting room floor.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Olbermann gets it right
I wrote a review of Keith Olbermann's Countdown show some time ago. Basically, I wrote that his show is good so long as you only watch it in small, bite-sized Youtube clips. Other than that, he's pretty much a partisan hack, and even though O'Reilly might deserve it, Olbermann nitpicks away at him (and other conservatives) a bit too much.
With that said though, he really hit the nail on the head when it comes to Prop 8. Anybody who voted yes on it should have to watch this.
With that said though, he really hit the nail on the head when it comes to Prop 8. Anybody who voted yes on it should have to watch this.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Okay, I'm a True Believer now!
According to this article from Telegraph.co.uk, Barack Obama collects Spider-Man comics.
If I would have known this from the start, then I wouldn't have been so conflicted about voting for him. (Just watch - the conservative pundits are now going to start wondering about Obama's ties to the Hobgoblin. Didn't he serve on a committee with Roderick Kingsley? Come on, Obama! Come clean about this relationship!)
If I would have known this from the start, then I wouldn't have been so conflicted about voting for him. (Just watch - the conservative pundits are now going to start wondering about Obama's ties to the Hobgoblin. Didn't he serve on a committee with Roderick Kingsley? Come on, Obama! Come clean about this relationship!)
Happy Birthday, Mom
Tomorrow is my mother's birthday, so I figured that I'd devote this particular entry to her. She's all the way in Germany, as she moved there when she divorced my father, so chances are pretty slim that I'll see her. I was going to send her one of those cheesy e-cards, but I figured that this might be a nice surprise as she's a regular reader of my blog. (In fact, we've had a few heated exchanges - mostly on the MySpace version - as a result.)
My mom is thirty years and two weeks older than me. She was born two years before the end of World War II, so she knows a thing or two about what war can do to a country. She married for the first time when she was seventeen and she had her first child when she was nineteen. (I think that I'm getting my numbers correct here.) She divorced her first husband and met my father when he was stationed in Germany for the army. Not long after that, she came to the United States, hardly knowing any English, and married my father. Of course, this is the sort of thing where if I had a daughter who was going to do something similar, I'd tell her that she was crazy and that I was going to chain her to the floor until she wised up. Thankfully, my grandfather did no such thing, because then I wouldn't exactly be here.
Of course, she eventually caught on to that whole speaking English craze that was sweeping America, and by the time she had me, she hardly spoke any German to me (at least in comparison with my older sister).
Anybody who knows my mother realizes that we're quite different. For one, she's extremely extroverted. Last New Year's, she asked me what my plan was. When I told her that I didn't have a plan, she told me that she used to "like to party" on New Year's. I, of course, wasn't partying by design, as I really can't stand parties. Still, I realize that it's a good thing that my mother was so extroverted, as I inherited her basic social skills. That's why people are genuinely surprised to find out that I'm an introvert - I sometimes wear the mask of somebody who actually enjoys human interaction. (I'm exagerating, but you know what I mean.)
She's also a theist. I suppose that I could call her a Christian, but she has her own unique mish-mash of beliefs that hardly makes her the conventional Christian. She seems to be holding on to some hope that I'll one day be a believer again. Maybe she'll get her wish - I like to keep all possibilities open. I will say though that I'm glad that she exposed me to a lot of religious stories when I was growing up. The older I got, the more I realized that many so-called believers were extremeley Biblically illiterate. I think that my mother shares my love for stories in general, and obviously Bible stories would be emphasized. So, that's definitely something that I got for her and am grateful for. After all, if I didn't have such an appreciating for the art of storytelling, I don't think I'd be able to do my job.
Growing up, she played a lot of classical music - including opera. I still can't quite seem to get into opera, but I do occasionally play some Beethoven on my MP3 player while walking my dog. That's not so much what's important though. My mom gave me an appreciation for "high art". She made me realize that there's some stuff out there that might not be as catchy and instatly accessible, but those sorts of things become much more satisfying in the long run. For me, it might not have led to a love for classical music, but there are other things that I can appreciate as an adult - like classic films and Shakespeare - that many people my age still don't get.
Of course, I've also inherited many of her idiosynrasies - like an obsessive need to make sure that I've gone to the bathroom so I won't have to go later. I don't have bladder problems, but I try to go number one at every opportunity because I'm afraid that I'll be stuck having to go really bad later on. She's to blame for that one. She also is hyper self-critical. If I tell her something about her parenting that I didn't care for, she interprets it as me saying, "You were as bad as Cronus was when he swallowed his children!" No doubt I'll be the same way. I can have twenty students tell me that they love my class, but one kid tells me it's boring and I feel like a huge failure.
At least I recognize that this is something that's part of my nature, and I've gotten pretty good at overriding it and focusing on the positive. Hopefully all the good stuff about her in this entry will be enough for her to focus on the positive.
Have a happy birthday, Mom. I love you.
My mom is thirty years and two weeks older than me. She was born two years before the end of World War II, so she knows a thing or two about what war can do to a country. She married for the first time when she was seventeen and she had her first child when she was nineteen. (I think that I'm getting my numbers correct here.) She divorced her first husband and met my father when he was stationed in Germany for the army. Not long after that, she came to the United States, hardly knowing any English, and married my father. Of course, this is the sort of thing where if I had a daughter who was going to do something similar, I'd tell her that she was crazy and that I was going to chain her to the floor until she wised up. Thankfully, my grandfather did no such thing, because then I wouldn't exactly be here.
Of course, she eventually caught on to that whole speaking English craze that was sweeping America, and by the time she had me, she hardly spoke any German to me (at least in comparison with my older sister).
Anybody who knows my mother realizes that we're quite different. For one, she's extremely extroverted. Last New Year's, she asked me what my plan was. When I told her that I didn't have a plan, she told me that she used to "like to party" on New Year's. I, of course, wasn't partying by design, as I really can't stand parties. Still, I realize that it's a good thing that my mother was so extroverted, as I inherited her basic social skills. That's why people are genuinely surprised to find out that I'm an introvert - I sometimes wear the mask of somebody who actually enjoys human interaction. (I'm exagerating, but you know what I mean.)
She's also a theist. I suppose that I could call her a Christian, but she has her own unique mish-mash of beliefs that hardly makes her the conventional Christian. She seems to be holding on to some hope that I'll one day be a believer again. Maybe she'll get her wish - I like to keep all possibilities open. I will say though that I'm glad that she exposed me to a lot of religious stories when I was growing up. The older I got, the more I realized that many so-called believers were extremeley Biblically illiterate. I think that my mother shares my love for stories in general, and obviously Bible stories would be emphasized. So, that's definitely something that I got for her and am grateful for. After all, if I didn't have such an appreciating for the art of storytelling, I don't think I'd be able to do my job.
Growing up, she played a lot of classical music - including opera. I still can't quite seem to get into opera, but I do occasionally play some Beethoven on my MP3 player while walking my dog. That's not so much what's important though. My mom gave me an appreciation for "high art". She made me realize that there's some stuff out there that might not be as catchy and instatly accessible, but those sorts of things become much more satisfying in the long run. For me, it might not have led to a love for classical music, but there are other things that I can appreciate as an adult - like classic films and Shakespeare - that many people my age still don't get.
Of course, I've also inherited many of her idiosynrasies - like an obsessive need to make sure that I've gone to the bathroom so I won't have to go later. I don't have bladder problems, but I try to go number one at every opportunity because I'm afraid that I'll be stuck having to go really bad later on. She's to blame for that one. She also is hyper self-critical. If I tell her something about her parenting that I didn't care for, she interprets it as me saying, "You were as bad as Cronus was when he swallowed his children!" No doubt I'll be the same way. I can have twenty students tell me that they love my class, but one kid tells me it's boring and I feel like a huge failure.
At least I recognize that this is something that's part of my nature, and I've gotten pretty good at overriding it and focusing on the positive. Hopefully all the good stuff about her in this entry will be enough for her to focus on the positive.
Have a happy birthday, Mom. I love you.
You're a Racist Haiku (with blog)
I'm not a racist,
but I have a problem with
all other races.
Okay, the above Haiku doesn't represent the way that I feel, but have you ever noticed that usually the phrase "I'm not a racist" is usually followed with a "but" and then something incredibly racist? Of course, there's also the variation where people say that they're not "prejudice." Yeah, I know, the correct word is "prejudiced", but those people say "prejudice". I'm not prejudice myself, but I am euphoria.
There was actually a woman on TV (to be fair, not a Republican but a Hillary supporter) who said that she doesn't want to vote for Obama because she wasn't "ready for a black president". To do another slight variation, she immediately followed up that statement with, "I'm not prejudice or nothin'." Hate to break it to you, lady, but if the reason why you won't vote for a guy is because he's black, then you're a racist. Are you ready to join the KKK? Maybe not, but you're definitely a racist.
Speaking of being a racist, my mother-in-law was recently forwarded some email by a right-winger relative (which is funny because my mother-in-law is definitely not right-wing. She's probably more conservative than I am, but she's not exactly quoting Sean Hannity - and I'm fairly certain that she voted for Obama). The email was obviously addressed to conservatives, and it was full of style, but it contained very little substance. Whatever, that's fine. The only thing that I took issue with is how it said that the reason why Obama won is because of "white guilt". In other words, us white folks still feel so bad about slavery, that we'd elect any black guy into office in order to make ourselves feel better. (Flava Flav/Rodney King 2012!)
Is it possible that some white people voted for this reason? I suppose so. I suppose that some black people voted for him only because he's black. I'm fairly positive that a lot of white people didn't vote for him because he's black. (Or because he's an Arab, even though, ya know, he isn't.)
The thing is this though, if you're a white person and you can't think of any other reason why a white person would vote for Obama other than white guilt, you're a racist. Again, are you KKK material? No. But if you can't conceive of the fact that a lot of white people voted for him simply because they thought he was the better candidate, then there's something misfiring in your brain.
Hey, I just happen to be a white guy myself. My mother was white, and my father was of white origins, which makes me half white and half white, which equals something like 100% white. I also voted for Obama. Why did I do that? Because I thought that he was better than McCain, and I definitely thought that he was better than Sarah Palin (but then again, I think that the squirrel who steals from my bird feeder is better than Sarah Palin. Squirrel/Beaver 2012!)
If I think about it, and I imagine that Obama is a white guy (which he kinda is, if you want to get all DNAey about it) and McCain is a black guy, I'm still voting the same way. (If I picture Palin as the same as she was before and Biden as a moss-covered tree stump, I'm still going the same way.)
Why? Because I'm not a racist, but I gotta say that I think that all Scandanavians are perverts.
(Calm down - I'm part Swedish.)
But I'm able to curb my perversions since the rest of me is normal human.
but I have a problem with
all other races.
Okay, the above Haiku doesn't represent the way that I feel, but have you ever noticed that usually the phrase "I'm not a racist" is usually followed with a "but" and then something incredibly racist? Of course, there's also the variation where people say that they're not "prejudice." Yeah, I know, the correct word is "prejudiced", but those people say "prejudice". I'm not prejudice myself, but I am euphoria.
There was actually a woman on TV (to be fair, not a Republican but a Hillary supporter) who said that she doesn't want to vote for Obama because she wasn't "ready for a black president". To do another slight variation, she immediately followed up that statement with, "I'm not prejudice or nothin'." Hate to break it to you, lady, but if the reason why you won't vote for a guy is because he's black, then you're a racist. Are you ready to join the KKK? Maybe not, but you're definitely a racist.
Speaking of being a racist, my mother-in-law was recently forwarded some email by a right-winger relative (which is funny because my mother-in-law is definitely not right-wing. She's probably more conservative than I am, but she's not exactly quoting Sean Hannity - and I'm fairly certain that she voted for Obama). The email was obviously addressed to conservatives, and it was full of style, but it contained very little substance. Whatever, that's fine. The only thing that I took issue with is how it said that the reason why Obama won is because of "white guilt". In other words, us white folks still feel so bad about slavery, that we'd elect any black guy into office in order to make ourselves feel better. (Flava Flav/Rodney King 2012!)
Is it possible that some white people voted for this reason? I suppose so. I suppose that some black people voted for him only because he's black. I'm fairly positive that a lot of white people didn't vote for him because he's black. (Or because he's an Arab, even though, ya know, he isn't.)
The thing is this though, if you're a white person and you can't think of any other reason why a white person would vote for Obama other than white guilt, you're a racist. Again, are you KKK material? No. But if you can't conceive of the fact that a lot of white people voted for him simply because they thought he was the better candidate, then there's something misfiring in your brain.
Hey, I just happen to be a white guy myself. My mother was white, and my father was of white origins, which makes me half white and half white, which equals something like 100% white. I also voted for Obama. Why did I do that? Because I thought that he was better than McCain, and I definitely thought that he was better than Sarah Palin (but then again, I think that the squirrel who steals from my bird feeder is better than Sarah Palin. Squirrel/Beaver 2012!)
If I think about it, and I imagine that Obama is a white guy (which he kinda is, if you want to get all DNAey about it) and McCain is a black guy, I'm still voting the same way. (If I picture Palin as the same as she was before and Biden as a moss-covered tree stump, I'm still going the same way.)
Why? Because I'm not a racist, but I gotta say that I think that all Scandanavians are perverts.
(Calm down - I'm part Swedish.)
But I'm able to curb my perversions since the rest of me is normal human.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Geography Haiku (with blog)
Learn geography.
Kenya ain't Arabia.
Get yourself a clue.
I'm trying to keep a level head about things. I've read several blogs and comments from Obama supporters who basically are acting as though he descended to Earth on a cloud. I can understand these feelings on some level. It is a great symbolic triumph for this country now that we have our first black President. I can understand why many African Americans (and other minorities) feel inspired by this. And of course, anybody who has any empathy for minorities in this country would no doubt feel inspired as well. I'll admit that I've caught a bit of that as well, and I'm starting to feel - dare I say it? - hopeful about the future of this country. I certainly haven't felt that way in a long time. And whenever I hear him talk, I finally feel like my President is a guy who "gets it". Check out his speech on the separation of church and state (you have to get past the guy at the beginning though):
Still, while I don't consider myself a cynic, I am a bit cynical when it comes to politics. Obama is not going to live up to some of the expectations that have been placed on him. It's good to be excited and hopeful, but let's not go overboard, eh?
Anyway, then there's the other side - the people who will be disappointed if he doesn't turn this into an Orwellian dystopia. In today's paper, one letter writer wrote that Obama is "clearly a Marxist." Clearly. Isn't it funny how the socialists and communists aren't supporting him? I mean, if it's so clear, then wouldn't he be their guy? The thing is, I only know the bare minimum about Marxism, but I'm feeling like I'm a Marxism scholar when it comes to these people. They use it as a buzzword to get people all riled up - despite the fact that they don't even have a clue as to what it means.
Another person wrote about he's not qualified to be President because he's an Arab and he attended that Muslim school when he was young. Dear Helios - how can a person in this day and age, in the flippin' INFORMATION AGE be this exceedingly ignorant? He's an Arab? Arabia is the same thing as Kenya? I'm guessing that I'm Turkish then, and my wife is of Chinese descent. I mean - why not? Apparently, geography is some sort of elitist subject, and anybody who tries to be accurate regarding where a person's ancestry comes from is out of touch with "real America".
And let's just take it as a given that we shouldn't have a problem with a President who's an Arab - or a Muslim even. Honestly, I'd have an easier time with a moderate Muslim than a fundamentalist Christian.
So, I guess if I'm going to fall too far into one trap or another, I'd rather go with the hopeful than the hopeless.
Kenya ain't Arabia.
Get yourself a clue.
I'm trying to keep a level head about things. I've read several blogs and comments from Obama supporters who basically are acting as though he descended to Earth on a cloud. I can understand these feelings on some level. It is a great symbolic triumph for this country now that we have our first black President. I can understand why many African Americans (and other minorities) feel inspired by this. And of course, anybody who has any empathy for minorities in this country would no doubt feel inspired as well. I'll admit that I've caught a bit of that as well, and I'm starting to feel - dare I say it? - hopeful about the future of this country. I certainly haven't felt that way in a long time. And whenever I hear him talk, I finally feel like my President is a guy who "gets it". Check out his speech on the separation of church and state (you have to get past the guy at the beginning though):
Still, while I don't consider myself a cynic, I am a bit cynical when it comes to politics. Obama is not going to live up to some of the expectations that have been placed on him. It's good to be excited and hopeful, but let's not go overboard, eh?
Anyway, then there's the other side - the people who will be disappointed if he doesn't turn this into an Orwellian dystopia. In today's paper, one letter writer wrote that Obama is "clearly a Marxist." Clearly. Isn't it funny how the socialists and communists aren't supporting him? I mean, if it's so clear, then wouldn't he be their guy? The thing is, I only know the bare minimum about Marxism, but I'm feeling like I'm a Marxism scholar when it comes to these people. They use it as a buzzword to get people all riled up - despite the fact that they don't even have a clue as to what it means.
Another person wrote about he's not qualified to be President because he's an Arab and he attended that Muslim school when he was young. Dear Helios - how can a person in this day and age, in the flippin' INFORMATION AGE be this exceedingly ignorant? He's an Arab? Arabia is the same thing as Kenya? I'm guessing that I'm Turkish then, and my wife is of Chinese descent. I mean - why not? Apparently, geography is some sort of elitist subject, and anybody who tries to be accurate regarding where a person's ancestry comes from is out of touch with "real America".
And let's just take it as a given that we shouldn't have a problem with a President who's an Arab - or a Muslim even. Honestly, I'd have an easier time with a moderate Muslim than a fundamentalist Christian.
So, I guess if I'm going to fall too far into one trap or another, I'd rather go with the hopeful than the hopeless.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Republican VP Nomination Application
Thank you for your interest in becoming the Republican Vice Presidential nominee. Before we process your application, you must pass the following vigorous test. Please read each question and circle the correct response.*
1. How long ago did dinosaurs live?
a. 50 years ago
b. 4000 years ago
c. Over 65 million years ago
d. Dinosaurs are an invention of the liberal elite
2. What countries are a part of NAFTA?
a. The U.S., Mexico, and Canada
b. America, Mexico, and Alaska
c. 'merica is the greatest country ever
d. I'll get back ta ya nafta I do a little research. (insert wink)
3. Africa is _________
a. a country
b. a continent
c. where the Garden of Eden was probably located
d. The Heart of Darkness
4. What newspapers do you read?
a. The New York Times
b. The New York Post
c. The Paris Business Review
d. All of 'em. (Too many to name any - even one, because then it would look like I'm playing favorites)
5. Which of the following is not a Supreme Court decision?
a. Roe v. Wade
b. Brown v. Board of Education
c. Dred Scott v. John FA Sanford
d. Whopper v. The Big Mac
6. What the difference between a pit bull and a hocky mom?
a. lipstick
b. pit bulls are all boys and hockey moms are all girls
c. choke collars
d. Pit Bulls are too dignified to make folksy-sounding jokes that impress the rubes.
7. What is the job of the Vice President?
a. Break ties in the Senate, attend funerals
b. Be in charge of the Senate
c. I don't know
d. Oversee the construction of a new, more powerful, Death Star
*If you are unsure of an answer, go ahead and circle all of them and we'll count it as correct since after all, you did circle the correct one.**
**Or don't circle any at all. That's what a maverick would do!***
***A real maverick doesn't read.
1. How long ago did dinosaurs live?
a. 50 years ago
b. 4000 years ago
c. Over 65 million years ago
d. Dinosaurs are an invention of the liberal elite
2. What countries are a part of NAFTA?
a. The U.S., Mexico, and Canada
b. America, Mexico, and Alaska
c. 'merica is the greatest country ever
d. I'll get back ta ya nafta I do a little research. (insert wink)
3. Africa is _________
a. a country
b. a continent
c. where the Garden of Eden was probably located
d. The Heart of Darkness
4. What newspapers do you read?
a. The New York Times
b. The New York Post
c. The Paris Business Review
d. All of 'em. (Too many to name any - even one, because then it would look like I'm playing favorites)
5. Which of the following is not a Supreme Court decision?
a. Roe v. Wade
b. Brown v. Board of Education
c. Dred Scott v. John FA Sanford
d. Whopper v. The Big Mac
6. What the difference between a pit bull and a hocky mom?
a. lipstick
b. pit bulls are all boys and hockey moms are all girls
c. choke collars
d. Pit Bulls are too dignified to make folksy-sounding jokes that impress the rubes.
7. What is the job of the Vice President?
a. Break ties in the Senate, attend funerals
b. Be in charge of the Senate
c. I don't know
d. Oversee the construction of a new, more powerful, Death Star
*If you are unsure of an answer, go ahead and circle all of them and we'll count it as correct since after all, you did circle the correct one.**
**Or don't circle any at all. That's what a maverick would do!***
***A real maverick doesn't read.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Not like this
Okay, I'm going to start this off by making it clear that I'm aware that I might be coming at this from a perspective that's skewed because of who I am. I'm a heterosexual male who got to marry exactly whom he wanted to marry. I'm not gay, and I don't know what it's like to live my life as a gay man. I also can only begin to imagine what gay people are going through right now with what's happened here in California.
With that said, I just read about how some people are suing over the results of Proposition 8. I read it a couple of hours ago, but the basic premise is that they're claiming that it was an illegal change to the Constitution, and since it took away rights, it needed to have gone through the legislature first before going to the voters.
I'm no legal expert, so I'm not going to comment on that. All I know is, if they are successful, it's just going to add fuel to the whole "activist judges" fire. Now, that particular argument was total bull the first time around, and it might very well be bull in this instance too. However, what I'd rather see happen is us biding our time. I had several students express disappointment in the results - they seemed genuinely bewildered how anybody could vote the way that they did. This is quite a sight - because as much as I'm against it, I do understand the mindset of the Yes on 8 crowd, as I had to get over a lot of my own ignorant attitudes regarding gay people. These kids though - they were as baffled as I was when I was in second grade and first learned about segregated drinking fountains during the days of Jim Crow. It simply didn't make any sense to me why they'd ever do that.
We're going to need to put some trust in the new generation. We might not be getting what we want right now, but it will indeed come. Of course, I realize that there already are some gay couples out there who got married since the lifting of the ban several months ago, and they're going to do whatever they can to protect their marriages. Personally, I think that they should fight tooth-and-nail to protect what is theirs. After all, love is worth fighting for - even when it is in vain. Shoot, that's the whole point of Cyrano de Bergerac, and you're not going to argue with Cyrano, are you?
Again, I might feel differently about this if I was a gay man. Still, wouldn't it be better if we could simply say that gay marriage is the will of the people AND guaranteed by our basic human rights?
With that said, I just read about how some people are suing over the results of Proposition 8. I read it a couple of hours ago, but the basic premise is that they're claiming that it was an illegal change to the Constitution, and since it took away rights, it needed to have gone through the legislature first before going to the voters.
I'm no legal expert, so I'm not going to comment on that. All I know is, if they are successful, it's just going to add fuel to the whole "activist judges" fire. Now, that particular argument was total bull the first time around, and it might very well be bull in this instance too. However, what I'd rather see happen is us biding our time. I had several students express disappointment in the results - they seemed genuinely bewildered how anybody could vote the way that they did. This is quite a sight - because as much as I'm against it, I do understand the mindset of the Yes on 8 crowd, as I had to get over a lot of my own ignorant attitudes regarding gay people. These kids though - they were as baffled as I was when I was in second grade and first learned about segregated drinking fountains during the days of Jim Crow. It simply didn't make any sense to me why they'd ever do that.
We're going to need to put some trust in the new generation. We might not be getting what we want right now, but it will indeed come. Of course, I realize that there already are some gay couples out there who got married since the lifting of the ban several months ago, and they're going to do whatever they can to protect their marriages. Personally, I think that they should fight tooth-and-nail to protect what is theirs. After all, love is worth fighting for - even when it is in vain. Shoot, that's the whole point of Cyrano de Bergerac, and you're not going to argue with Cyrano, are you?
Again, I might feel differently about this if I was a gay man. Still, wouldn't it be better if we could simply say that gay marriage is the will of the people AND guaranteed by our basic human rights?
Post Election Haiku (with blog)
Got some good changes,
but they came with some bad ones.
One fight's not over.
As I mentioned in a previous entry, I went ahead and voted for Obama. There might be some of you out there saying, "But you said that you wouldn't!" That's true. I did say that for quite some time, and I absolutely meant it when I said it. As I wrote in the aforementioned previous entry, my disgust at some of the Republican campaign techniques, and the sheer lunacy of having Palin as our Vice President, pushed me over the edge, and I had to give my vote to Obama.
So, the guy I voted for won. He doesn't represent everything that I stand for, but at least he has some good things going for him. More on him later though.
Regarding the other things that were important to me, Gary Eberhart and Sherry Whitmarsh won the Mt. Diablo School Board positions, and April Treece is out (which is exactly what I wanted). This one was an odd situation, as it's no doubt the one that affects me directly the most, but it's one that I was unable to have my vote, since I don't live within the district where I work. I figure that I did my part by blogging about it, letting some people know, and holding up a sign along a busy Concord street.
There are some other issues. I voted yes on the animal treatment one, mainly because I believe that if an animal is treated well, then it will taste better.
Oh, and then there's that Prop 8 thing. While there are some on my side who are still holding out hope while the results come in, it looks like I lost on this one. Two things make me feel better though. One is the knowledge that this isn't over, and it's only a matter of time when there'll be enough support to once again amend the Constitution. The other is that even though I may have acted somewhat immaturely and irresponsibly on the day of the No on 8 Demonstration (which I was suitably chastised for by a commenter on my Blogspot blog), at least I didn't have to resort to telling lies to make my case. In fact, nobody on the No on 8 side had to tell lies. All of the misinformation was coming from the Yes side, so the moral victory is ours.
As for Obama, my prediction is that amongst some right-wing pundits, he will never be able to do anything right - even if he parachutes into Pakistan and single-handidly takes out Osama bin Laden, they'll still find fault in it. Likewise, the true believers will find no fault with him and support every move he makes. I'll probably wind up supporting a lot but opposing other stuff. I'll try to keep and open mind.
The thing is though, I feel good when I hear him speak. While that's a stupid and ignorant reason to vote for a guy, I'd be lying if I said that it wasn't important at all. The President represents my country. I don't want some guy who can barely utter a sentence without a malopropism of some sort. I don't want somebody who doesn't seem to know what the hell the VP's job is. I want somebody who sounds like he's smarter than me.
Roger Ebert recently wrote an article where he said that when you don't bother to speak correctly, you are showing a lack of respect for your audience. That's exactly how I've always felt with Bush. He didn't speak well because he couldn't be bothered to speak well. There was an obvious contempt in his voice, and even when he was speaking decently, he would talk down to us with lines like, "Look, I'm the decider."
Like I already pointed out, it's hardly the most important thing. After all, Hitler was awfully good at making speeches, and from what I understand, he was a bit of an asshole. Still, I will be so bold as to say while it might not be the most important thing, it is an important thing.
but they came with some bad ones.
One fight's not over.
As I mentioned in a previous entry, I went ahead and voted for Obama. There might be some of you out there saying, "But you said that you wouldn't!" That's true. I did say that for quite some time, and I absolutely meant it when I said it. As I wrote in the aforementioned previous entry, my disgust at some of the Republican campaign techniques, and the sheer lunacy of having Palin as our Vice President, pushed me over the edge, and I had to give my vote to Obama.
So, the guy I voted for won. He doesn't represent everything that I stand for, but at least he has some good things going for him. More on him later though.
Regarding the other things that were important to me, Gary Eberhart and Sherry Whitmarsh won the Mt. Diablo School Board positions, and April Treece is out (which is exactly what I wanted). This one was an odd situation, as it's no doubt the one that affects me directly the most, but it's one that I was unable to have my vote, since I don't live within the district where I work. I figure that I did my part by blogging about it, letting some people know, and holding up a sign along a busy Concord street.
There are some other issues. I voted yes on the animal treatment one, mainly because I believe that if an animal is treated well, then it will taste better.
Oh, and then there's that Prop 8 thing. While there are some on my side who are still holding out hope while the results come in, it looks like I lost on this one. Two things make me feel better though. One is the knowledge that this isn't over, and it's only a matter of time when there'll be enough support to once again amend the Constitution. The other is that even though I may have acted somewhat immaturely and irresponsibly on the day of the No on 8 Demonstration (which I was suitably chastised for by a commenter on my Blogspot blog), at least I didn't have to resort to telling lies to make my case. In fact, nobody on the No on 8 side had to tell lies. All of the misinformation was coming from the Yes side, so the moral victory is ours.
As for Obama, my prediction is that amongst some right-wing pundits, he will never be able to do anything right - even if he parachutes into Pakistan and single-handidly takes out Osama bin Laden, they'll still find fault in it. Likewise, the true believers will find no fault with him and support every move he makes. I'll probably wind up supporting a lot but opposing other stuff. I'll try to keep and open mind.
The thing is though, I feel good when I hear him speak. While that's a stupid and ignorant reason to vote for a guy, I'd be lying if I said that it wasn't important at all. The President represents my country. I don't want some guy who can barely utter a sentence without a malopropism of some sort. I don't want somebody who doesn't seem to know what the hell the VP's job is. I want somebody who sounds like he's smarter than me.
Roger Ebert recently wrote an article where he said that when you don't bother to speak correctly, you are showing a lack of respect for your audience. That's exactly how I've always felt with Bush. He didn't speak well because he couldn't be bothered to speak well. There was an obvious contempt in his voice, and even when he was speaking decently, he would talk down to us with lines like, "Look, I'm the decider."
Like I already pointed out, it's hardly the most important thing. After all, Hitler was awfully good at making speeches, and from what I understand, he was a bit of an asshole. Still, I will be so bold as to say while it might not be the most important thing, it is an important thing.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Monday, November 3, 2008
No on 8 Rally
As my Haiku indicated, I stood on a corner with some folks and waved some No on 8 signs. I got rained on, but it wasn't too bad, and it was well worth it. I had made a few signs, but the wet weather kinda ruined them. My personal favorite was, "Is this a free country or what? No on 8!" I actually watched a guy read it while he was stuck at the light. He smiled when he got to the end of it and nodded his head. I don't know if I changed his mind one way or the other, but it was nice to see that there's somebody else who sees it the way that I do.
I had a good time, and I saw some friends there and got to talk to a few people. I didn't ask people if they were gay or not, but one guy mentioned that he was. (I mean, if you can't feel comfortable talking about whether you're gay or not at an anti-8 demonstration, where can you?) He was a cool guy, and when I left I shook his hand and wished him luck, telling him that I knew that he had a lot more riding on this than I did. He was such a cool guy, and I had a lot of fun joking around with him. That's one more reason why I'll be sad if this stupid proposition passes.
On the way there, (I was giving my friend Scott a ride - I wonder how many folks thought we were a couple?) we drove past a lot of "Yes on 8" people. I flipped them off and yelled obscenities. Was that mature? Not really. Will it change any minds? Probably not. Did it make me feel better? Yup.
Before I got ready to leave, the Yes on 8 people started to show up at our intersection. I actually tried to talk to one of them. I expected a high concentration of stupid, but this guy was just unreal. He kept doing this really lame white-boy rap, and when I finally got him to just talk to me as a person, he said that he didn't want to argue. I asked, "Why not?" I then tried to get him to explain his sign. It read "Prop 8 = Free Speech" which is probably the dumbest thing that I've ever read. I can't even begin to understand that. Do we not have free speech now, but we will when 8 passes? Anyway, I tried to get him to explain it, but then he started to do his rap again, and his friends told him to get away from me and not talk to me. Yeah, heaven forbid you might hear something other than ridiculous pro-8 propaganda.
Oh, there was also some fella who dropped a bunch of videos about the "gay agenda" on the lawn behind us and told us (quite ironically) that "knowledge is power". While part of me wanted to check it out, for a Triumph of the Will sort of curiosity about it, I just proceeded to toss them all in the trash.
Oh, and they were VHS. What the hell? I mean, I wasn't expecting Blu-Ray, but come on - who the hell watches VHS anymore? Just goes to show that they're living in the past.
I had a good time, and I saw some friends there and got to talk to a few people. I didn't ask people if they were gay or not, but one guy mentioned that he was. (I mean, if you can't feel comfortable talking about whether you're gay or not at an anti-8 demonstration, where can you?) He was a cool guy, and when I left I shook his hand and wished him luck, telling him that I knew that he had a lot more riding on this than I did. He was such a cool guy, and I had a lot of fun joking around with him. That's one more reason why I'll be sad if this stupid proposition passes.
On the way there, (I was giving my friend Scott a ride - I wonder how many folks thought we were a couple?) we drove past a lot of "Yes on 8" people. I flipped them off and yelled obscenities. Was that mature? Not really. Will it change any minds? Probably not. Did it make me feel better? Yup.
Before I got ready to leave, the Yes on 8 people started to show up at our intersection. I actually tried to talk to one of them. I expected a high concentration of stupid, but this guy was just unreal. He kept doing this really lame white-boy rap, and when I finally got him to just talk to me as a person, he said that he didn't want to argue. I asked, "Why not?" I then tried to get him to explain his sign. It read "Prop 8 = Free Speech" which is probably the dumbest thing that I've ever read. I can't even begin to understand that. Do we not have free speech now, but we will when 8 passes? Anyway, I tried to get him to explain it, but then he started to do his rap again, and his friends told him to get away from me and not talk to me. Yeah, heaven forbid you might hear something other than ridiculous pro-8 propaganda.
Oh, there was also some fella who dropped a bunch of videos about the "gay agenda" on the lawn behind us and told us (quite ironically) that "knowledge is power". While part of me wanted to check it out, for a Triumph of the Will sort of curiosity about it, I just proceeded to toss them all in the trash.
Oh, and they were VHS. What the hell? I mean, I wasn't expecting Blu-Ray, but come on - who the hell watches VHS anymore? Just goes to show that they're living in the past.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Sarah Palin has inspired me
Well, if you read my last Haiku, you know how I'm going going to be voting on Tuesday. I realize that there will be a lot of you out there who will be pleased to hear that I'm voting for Obama. There are a few of you who will be disappointed. Still, I've been on the fence for a while now, and something has finally pushed me over the edge to vote for Obama.
Sarah Palin - she's the reason. For the love of all that's good in this world, we can not have this woman a heartbeat away from being the President. The thing is, all of the criticism from the left about why McCain picked her is correct - it was a cynical ploy to win over the Hillary supporters. Of course, every woman with a brain who originally wanted Hillary realized that Palin was a poor substitute. Of course, there are some women out there without brains who are now voting for McCain/Palin, but what can you do? (And for the record, I voted for Obama in the primary because I can't stand Hillary Clinton. However, I think that even if she won the Democratic nomination, I'd still be choosing her as the lesser of two evils. I may think that she's a pandering centrist in liberal clothing, but at least she's not the one thing that Sarah Palin is - an idiot.)
I was concerned when I heard her response to the question about teaching creationism in science classes. I got more concerned when I heard that she believes that dinosaurs lived at the same time as human beings. These feelings grew when she was unable to name a Supreme Court decision other than Roe versus Wade. My fear began to grow to mild terror when she said that we don't need to know the cause of global warming in order to fix it. It went from mild to severe terror when she said that the job of the Vice President was to "be in charge of the Senate". It ramped up a few notches when she was dismissive of fruit fly studies (which can lead to not only preventing infestations but to genetic research that can have practical medical benefits for humanity). Finally, her quote regarding the First Amendment, where she doesn't even seem to understand what it is, has pushed me over the edge.
We can not let this woman be this close to the highest office in the land. All of that alone should be enough, but on top of it you have her politics of division (comments about "real America") and her tactics of fear ("palling around with terrorists") to make her the prime example of everything that a President should not be - divisive and stupid.
She also says "maverick" too much.
Anyway, does Obama represent everything that I want in a President? No, of course not. Is he going to fix all of our problems? Nope. Does he frighten me? Nope. Do I like at least some of the things he says? Yeah. In fact, I like quite a lot of what he says. I like the fact that he's willing to talk to us like we're adults, along with his willingness to give thoughtful, nuanced answers. In other words, I can live with him as our President.
If McCain/Palin wins, I think I just might cry. I'm not even kidding.
Sarah Palin - she's the reason. For the love of all that's good in this world, we can not have this woman a heartbeat away from being the President. The thing is, all of the criticism from the left about why McCain picked her is correct - it was a cynical ploy to win over the Hillary supporters. Of course, every woman with a brain who originally wanted Hillary realized that Palin was a poor substitute. Of course, there are some women out there without brains who are now voting for McCain/Palin, but what can you do? (And for the record, I voted for Obama in the primary because I can't stand Hillary Clinton. However, I think that even if she won the Democratic nomination, I'd still be choosing her as the lesser of two evils. I may think that she's a pandering centrist in liberal clothing, but at least she's not the one thing that Sarah Palin is - an idiot.)
I was concerned when I heard her response to the question about teaching creationism in science classes. I got more concerned when I heard that she believes that dinosaurs lived at the same time as human beings. These feelings grew when she was unable to name a Supreme Court decision other than Roe versus Wade. My fear began to grow to mild terror when she said that we don't need to know the cause of global warming in order to fix it. It went from mild to severe terror when she said that the job of the Vice President was to "be in charge of the Senate". It ramped up a few notches when she was dismissive of fruit fly studies (which can lead to not only preventing infestations but to genetic research that can have practical medical benefits for humanity). Finally, her quote regarding the First Amendment, where she doesn't even seem to understand what it is, has pushed me over the edge.
We can not let this woman be this close to the highest office in the land. All of that alone should be enough, but on top of it you have her politics of division (comments about "real America") and her tactics of fear ("palling around with terrorists") to make her the prime example of everything that a President should not be - divisive and stupid.
She also says "maverick" too much.
Anyway, does Obama represent everything that I want in a President? No, of course not. Is he going to fix all of our problems? Nope. Does he frighten me? Nope. Do I like at least some of the things he says? Yeah. In fact, I like quite a lot of what he says. I like the fact that he's willing to talk to us like we're adults, along with his willingness to give thoughtful, nuanced answers. In other words, I can live with him as our President.
If McCain/Palin wins, I think I just might cry. I'm not even kidding.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Victory Haiku
Before I begin with the first Haiku, I'd like to point something out. Scott, over on his blog, declared victory for Blog a Day month, pointing out (correctly) that the winner of Blog a Day month was whoever declared victory first.
I don't want him to beat me to the punch this month, so I am declaring victory for Haiku a Day month right now. That's right. The first day. So here it is, Victory Haiku:
Suck on it, bastards!
I am the King of Haiku
Five, seven, five, bitch!
I don't want him to beat me to the punch this month, so I am declaring victory for Haiku a Day month right now. That's right. The first day. So here it is, Victory Haiku:
Suck on it, bastards!
I am the King of Haiku
Five, seven, five, bitch!
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