Rally4Sanity - Part 2 (Reasonably Satisfied... & Disappointed)

If you look over at my "shared items" list you'll see the same article listed twice. One of those contains my comments on an article, actually. I decided I'm going to post it here, so as not to lose it entirely... I said I was going to explain what I said on Twitter-- for all the hype- meh. i'm reasonably satisfied (and/or disappointed...)- so here it is (Warning- semi-irritated, yet hopefully rational rant to follow):

Finally, someone said what I was thinking while I was standing there, waiting for it to end... Not exactly my first ever rally, but a) I really didn't like that Kid Rock song (um, dude, you can & should do SOMETHING more than just care! Seriously, even a tiny donation goes a long way. Caring is NOT enough. Simply caring gets us nowhere unless someone is willing to take action or say something. "Oh yea, I totally care about ________, but I don't do anything to change it or help." Uh, yea, thanks for being useless. That's all that song says to me - I care, but not enough to even make the tiniest attempt to try to change what I don't like. It doesn't even take a huge action, something small counts too. Change happens, but only when we care enough to do something to make it happen. Just pointing it out doesn't make things different. We can't all be passive, and we certainly can't be passive forever. That's the "definition" of insanity- doing the same shit over and over again and expecting different results every time. Things don't change unless we actively change them.

and b) Part of my frustration with it all - I mentioned I didn't feel like there was much engagement. When I left, I didn't feel encouraged. I wanted to feel like we were actually going to DO something to end the craziness. Not just point and laugh at how insane we are, but actually discuss what we can do to get things back to civility. There wasn't as much of that as I had hoped. (Way too much music. I didn't spend 10 hours on a bus, 2 hours driving to Queens, & an additional 3 hours lost in Northern NJ for a concert of musicians I don't particularly enjoy.) Ignoring problems doesn't make them go away. I get that they are comedians and not politicians. I've always known that. But seriously, sometimes I wonder if Stewart really understands just how much influence he has (really, around 250,000 people showed up to see this) or how much potential he has as an agent for real, legitimate change and progress in this country. It's because of him, and Colbert, that I even ever took an interest in politics. It's because of him that ever even though to challenge my own (Church-&-parent-instilled) beliefs. If he ran for President, he would absolutely have my vote, even against Nader or Gore or Grayson or Franken-Weiner. (Ok, maybe I'd have to think about that...) I am all for promoting civility, and peace, and disagreeing without being a total ass about it; but at the same time, I think it's also important that we encourage people to get involved in changing the things that we can influence. We can work together to promote civility, we can work together to achieve change, and we can find common ground - if we're willing to get engaged in the process, and change the process when the situation requires. This rally felt like it was all about "caring," when I (and many others) strongly desire and need "action."

So like I said, reasonably satisfied, yet still somewhat disappointed. Enjoyed the comedic parts, but for all the hype, I expected to get more out of it than I did. Guess I feel that way about a lot of things, huh. But one of them still has 2 years, and I know that it will eventually get done, whether it's because of him or not. I can be patient now, and still fight for what I believe in. If we can compromise to get progress, that's great too. As long as it works. It will happen, we just all have to pitch in. Caring isn't enough if it doesn't lead to action. I can't stress that enough... That really, really bothered me. "I can't feed the poor." Uh, yes you can!!! Grab a few sandwiches and head outside. Donate a few cans to a food bank. Bring lunch for a friend who lost their wallet. Little actions add up! If we all wander around acting like we're helpless and can't solve anything so we shouldn't bother to do anything except care about it, then yea, we can't solve shit. Useless. Grr.YES WE CAN.  

Take the T off of CAN'T, and you CAN. 

I used to hate it when Mr. Foster said that to me, because sometimes, yea, we can't, no matter how hard we try. Often it's just because we have yet to find a way around the barrier. But you know what, fuck that, I'm still going to try my best. Fake it til you make it. So thank you, Mr. Foster, & President Obama. I do have hope that things can and will change. It's kept me alive when I wanted to die. It keeps me going, even when things get hard and I feel like everything is going wrong. Things will change. Even if you can't do it, that doesn't mean we won't stop (politely) trying.

Sunday Updates - Post Rally4Sanity

Alright, you know I've been talking about it, everyone else is talking about it, blah blah it's the latest thing-- the Rally for Sanity and/or Fear. While I was there, I did have some mixed feelings regarding the actual content and execution-- the energy level I expected simply wasn't there. It was slow, and quiet, and rather low-key for a rally. I mean, really, John Legend? To me, rallies should be "peppy" and lively, regardless of cause. The point is to engage people, not put them to sleep! And for such a large crowd, to spend so much time playing music (the Roots were on for almost 40 minutes) just left us all standing there, watching more so than participating. For all the hype, I honestly thought it would've been... I don't know, more, on some level. It just took a while to get to the heart of it all, the Stewart/Colbert spark and snark we all love. When they finally did, it was great.  Ultimately, I do think it was a huge success, with numbers far outshining those of some of this year's previous rallies at the National Mall-- it's estimated that the Rally For Sanity and/or Fear drew a crowd of about 250,000 people. (You know, just in case you care about that sort of thing - the whole "we beat Beck!" thing, I mean. Mainstream/Sanity "won" over Extreme/Fringe Crazy. Meh.)


Oops. lol. So I guess I may've cheered for the wrong thing this one time.. I think I misheard something or other... Oh well. If you haven't heard by now, it was seriously difficult to hear or any of what was going on. By the time the 10,000 HuffPost bus riders arrived, most of the available space was all the way back by the Washington Memorial, and there were only a few JumboTron screens set up in the middle, by the Smithsonian and the Air & Space Museum (where I was). For at least an hour and a half of the rally, the speakers were too low/quiet for any of us in the middle and back to really hear anything. And even then, the sound would falter in and out, before the chants of "Louder! Louder!" started, before it was later replaced with "Louder, please! Louder, please!" :-D (See, we were polite and cordial with each other, and it was wonderful!) News reports of the rally referred to is as "underpowered." Say it like it is, guys -- the speaker system was crap. They should have known what to expect-- and that goes for the city transit as well. Someone decided to shut down several of the closest entrances to the Metro right when the rally ended. Yay, geniuses!

The Rally/March's schedule was kept a secret up until... well, til it happened. Which made for some pretty cool surprises - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Ozzy Osbourne and Cat Stevens/Yusuf Islam (same guy, name change for some reason...), & the Mythbusters (which, no offense guys, was kind of lame actually. We love to see them blow things up and do geeky science things, but when we can't hear what the hell you're trying to do/measure and all we see are a bunch of cues on the screens, well... Point not made. Just felt silly and irrelevant. Rather insane, actually.)

I definitely feel like, despite the "distraction" of the entertainment - all of the random musical performances and typical Stewart/Colbert comedy-- the point of the day was pushed hard, especially during Stewart's final speech. It's not about picking sides, or sensationalizing the crazy. We work together every day for the little things, we can work together to get the big things done too. There are the extremes and radicals-- but there are more of us in between than both ends put together. So when we ignore the crazies, and partisanship, and psycho-fringe babble about the world coming to an end, we remember that life isn't all that crazy. (I take that back. Stewart, speak for yourself! XD) We're not as different as we (or, as Stewart stressed, the media) try to make ourselves out to be. (I feel like I said that before... Ah, I remember. In an earlier post on politics & conservative/liberal values, I said that ultimately we all want the same things, and we do value the same things. We just have apparently different views on how to our goals.) And Stewart and Colbert did this cute little song about how no one is more American than anyone else here, and everyone can be patriotic in their own way. You already know how I feel about that (agree wholeheartedly, if not fervently.) All in all, it was a fun (and exhausting) day.

Some of our favorite signs/slogans:

• Down With This Sort of Thing...
• Anyone for Scrabble Later?
• Equal Opportunity Lover - I Hate-Fucked a Republican!
• I Masturbate AND Vote! (though usually not at the same time)

While the insanity of America may finally slow down (especially once the mid-terms are over), the insanity of my life is about to pick up. Midnight begins NaNoWriMo!!! Though I'm not sure I'm ready to start yet... I don't plan on writing the entire 50,000 words, but I would like to get at least halfway through... Anyway, I won't be around for a while, so remember this- stay sane, America! Don't get sucked into this crappy political hell of name-calling and violence. Listen, learn, & love. And don't forget to vote on Tuesday! (I can't wait until all of these stupid campaign signs go away. They're plastic/not biodegradable/non-recyclable, look horrible plastered all over the damn highways, and honestly, I stopped caring a while ago.)


Another thing - I'm officially dropping the Discovery network boycott. I can't bring myself to start watching again, because I made a promise/commitment and I like to keep those. But I don't see a point anymore. I've never been a fan of "reality" shows other than the dance competitions, because I find the shows in general to be extremely exploitative. This show is no different, other than the fact that it also features a person whose personality and political history I dislike; and that political history directly conflicts with the overall purpose and message of the network. She does not practice what she preaches (to some point, thankfully), but what she preaches is exactly what the network has been fighting against, especially regarding animal rights and the environment. (If you weren't aware, TreeHugger & Planet Green are part of the Discovery Network, along with Animal Planet.) The only way the network is dropping the show is if their ratings are terrible and no one's making money. So from here on out, the focus is getting the advertisers to drop out, and convincing people to simply avoid the show altogether. I think once people actually see what it's about, odds are few people will watch it, or like it, and it will all fizzle out on its own. Wishful thinking, but what else can we do? An ineffective boycott is an unproductive means of achieving one's goal, so it's time to regroup and restrategize.

Sunday-ish Update Fail

Never got around to updates this weekend-- been incredibly busy preparing for NaNo & the rally this weekend (w00t!), & didn't want to half-ass it (as usual. Sorry, one of these days will actually do this properly again, the way a real blog is supposed to be.) That & I've been tuning in & out of politics again. I'm sick and tired of the pre-election bullshit-- the fighting, the nasty comments, the hundreds of emails every day asking for money to defeat some random evil enemy in a far off state, everything. You're a bunch of 40+ old rich people, so stop acting like 5 year old bullies & grow up already. "Joe called me a stinky witch! I'm not a witch! He's a poopy-head who steals my tax money!" -_-"

Anyway... I won't be able to do them this week, I have a million & one things to do & little time in which to do it. (Though you can check my Twitter feed or the Google Reader widget somewhere on the page. I update that while I'm at work, so new stories should be there every morning.)


I'm off to finish my t-shirts/signs for the rally on Saturday, plus everything else that goes with that (my house needs to be seriously cleaned before ex-roomie arrives...) I'll be back by Sunday the latest with tons of updates, pictures, videos (I mean, really, I do have a youtube channel. I should actually use it sometime...), etc, if not live updates of the event. Plus I have 10 hours to kill on the bus - surely I'll update something! So, until then... Ja, mata.

NJ Sample Ballot Arrived!

Haven't had a post in a while, huh. Anyway, so my sample ballot came in the mail today. (Though I wasn't home. I was in NYC being harassed by PETA members in Union Square to [re]join them, go vegan cold-tofurky, or stop wearing the cute plaid "cashmere" scarf my mother bought me for $5 at the street fair on Bleeker... I'm pretty sure it's a cheap scrap of polyester/cotton blend with a "Made in Scotland-- Dry Clean" tag stuck on it, but it's cute!) I was reading the "Public Questions to be voted upon" section, and I have to admit, at first glance I was a bit thrown by the state question:

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO DEDICATE ASSESSMENTS ON
WAGES BY THE STATE TO THE PAYMENT OF EMPLOYEE BENEFITS Shall the amendment to Article VIII, Section II of the State Constitution, agreed to by the Legislature, which: prohibits collection by the State of assessments based solely on employee wages and salaries for any purpose other than providing employee benefits; dedicates all employer and employee contributions collected for any employee benefit fund, and all returns on investments of those contributions, to the purpose of that fund; and prohibits any transferring, borrowing, appropriating or using of those contributions or returns for any other purpose, be approved?
 
A) Assessments? Assessment of what? What exactly do they do with that information currently? Are they compiling a report for some reason? B) How much should I even care? Because right now, I really don't. Unless I'm supposed to, in which case, I still don't. In fact, I care less. Is that chocolate macaroon still in my purse? I should take it out... C) Wait, what's going on here? What'd I miss?

Yea, I think I just read way too much into that "interpretive statement." Something so simple, but all I see is blah blah blah. All it's asking is if the money we pay towards unemployment/disability/etc benefits should only strictly be for those benefits, or if we think the State should be able to tap into that money if it needs to borrow for other programs. Duh. Stupid me... (Haha, I feel like an idiot today. Is ok, there was chocolate. And kitties in front of Whole Foods, as much as I despise Whole Foods and their greenwashing hypocrisy. I bought a loaf of bread off a sidewalk, for $4 less than what they initially wanted. My day is complete, brain shut down the minute I started watching When in Rome with my little sister. Which, if you've ever seen that piece of crap, you know is a good thing.) If you need/want further clarification, I did a bit of a google search, & found this statement & analysis presented by The League of Women Voters. (Yay for smart, non-partisan ladies! Who, in policy, are rather left-leaning if I do say so... See, reality does have a liberal bias!)

So, from that analysis, I feel like I'm kind of on the fence with this one. (This is one of those reasons I say I'm socially liberal & fiscally moderate. I often see a point to both sides of the argument, and both are certainly important...) But thinking about it, it's not even a question-- I believe that worker benefit funds should be used for the workers, especially since they're the ones paying into it... however, I also believe in prioritizing funds as needed. (And I just answered my own non-existent question. Guess I'm voting for it. Yea... there's no way I could vote no on that. I think my mind is still trying to make more out of it than there is... I do that sometimes. Over-analyze. Because it just can't be that simple.) "Research" also says that this was unanimously approved by both our state Senate & the Assembly. (Sketchy source, sorry, feeling too lazy to find something decent. Long day.) So I'm going to go out on a limb here & say it's probably worthwhile/a good thing, and I'm exhausted and probably won't remember this in the morning, but let's just go with it.

And I while I'm rambling around the topic, I think the municipal question is a good thing too. Maybe it's just the eco-geek in me saying "zomg land preservation yay ftw!!!" but how can I say no to that? Awesomeness > money. Hell, everything is > money. The "tea party patriots" insist that we vote no. [yawn] What else is new? Really, guys, where's your "pride" in your municipality? Don't you want pretty trees to hide behind while you shamelessly massacre deer after deer, and maybe a "illegal" while you're at it? Ugh. Don't mind me, stumbled upon a rather disgusting blog just now... Immigrants are people too, you jerks! Human beings!!! Stop treating people like they're dirt.

This country has gone insane, and I'm trying to find a safe corner. Apparently it's not in NJ anymore... Is it just me, or are people actually making a big deal out of the midterm elections for once in my lifetime?? I've NEVER seen this much crazy before.

Well, that was productive. I'm off to... well, I don't even know. Do research-- last week before NaNo starts, exactly 1 week til the Rally to Restore Sanity, & I have so much to do! T-shirts, read 2 books on gender studies, one on writing (need to improve on descriptions! Hate hate hate describing things. Feels so damn contrived and banal... And I'm totally impressed that I just spontaneously chose those words, because it means my waning vocabulary hasn't completely failed me yet. Yay! Ok, will shut up now. Really.)

Spirit Day Tomorrow 10/20 - Show your support for LGBT youth!

Not going to lie, I'm a little pissed off tonight for various reasons, but just wanted to remind you - tomorrow is Spirit Day, which honors the teens who took their lives due to bullying, etc., as well as supporting all LGBT youth and taking a stand against bullying in schools-- so wear *PURPLE*!

For more details, check out the Spirit Day information at GLAAD. (Which, btw, doesn't mention bi people... so... hey, can we get on that? I'm still learning this "visi-BI-lity" thing, but I think I'm supposed to talk about stuff like this. Or something to that effect. Meh.)

Anyway, I'm off to bed before I go off on a rant... Ja, mata ashita minna-san. Oyasumi.

Story Time! Christine O'Donnell & the Separation Of Church & State

Christine O'Donnell Questions Separation Of Church & State

Please don't let this woman be THAT stupid. (Why is it that Republican women in politics set us back so much by simply opening their mouths??? Is this really what "THE AMERICAN PEOPLE!!!!" [cue shining/twinkling lights & heavenly chorus of angels] want? Um, no.)

Yay, story time! (WARNING: Bitch alert.)

A long, long time ago (i.e. roughly a few hours), a doe-eyed brunette stared out at the sea of reporters, (more experienced) politicians and political scientists, her brow contorted in confusion. "Where in the Constitution is the separation of Church & state?" she asked, in complete seriousness.

"The First Amendment bars the government from making laws respecting the establishment of religion," he incredulously responded. She can't be serious...

"You're telling me that's in the First Amendment??" Ms. O'Donnell inquired, disbelieving what she was hearing. No way! Really?? He must be lying! Where the H-E-double-breadsticks does it say that in the Bible? Or the Constitution? Same difference.

Later in the debate, she declared that her opponent has just "proved [sic] how little you know not just about constitutional law but about the theory of evolution." The political scientists gasped! "What did she just say?" The room was all a Twitter as they frantically updated their Facebook pages and posted short 140 character status updates on teh interwebz, expressing their utter shock and horror. As word spread of this faux pas, the remainder of the country wept for its future, and then proceeded to orchestrate the world's largest [facepalm]. This is a woman who is attempting to become a Senator, for Pete's Sake! (We wish Pete all the luck & duct tape & Excedrin Migraine in the world. He's going to need it if she wins.)

FIN.

Yea, so... Christine... Um-- honey, stop it before you hurt yourself. Asking the moderator to move on does not mean he "can't handle" the conversation as you put it, but that he's sick of wasting time arguing with someone who has no idea what she's talking about, & because he's so embarrassed FOR YOU and your all-too-obvious ignorance that he feels it's best to change the subject, in order to save you from further humiliation. If you're going to argue that we should "follow the Constitution," it would kind of help if you knew what it said, yes? Really, I usually would love to push people towards their dreams and help them to succeed, but I think you're in way over your head & should probably just give up now.

Random "email" from Joe Biden

Aww, how cute, OFA's even started attaching Joe Biden's name to lazy emails!

[my name]------

I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you.

I know many of you are volunteering for this campaign, giving time that is hard to come by. I know you're also giving what you can afford to fuel our work, even though that's also hard for so many.

But you believe in what the President is trying to do to move this country forward.

And we believe in you.

Thank you again,

Joe

Well, at least they didn't make him ask for money.

Story Share - Does the Foster Care System Bully Gay Kids?

Queer and Loathing: Does the Foster Care System Bully Gay Kids? | Mother Jones

Stories like this are appalling & heartbreaking... and make me realize how much I really need to go into social work, despite my many years of trying to convince myself that I shouldn't.

I don't really want to talk about the article, because I think it really speaks for itself. (I know that lately I've been bringing up a lot of gay rights issues, but if there's anything I've learned by this brief foray into politics & social media, it's that America has a one track mind.)

Sunday Updates

I'm not going to lie, today has been a complete nightmare (for personal reasons) so I never really got around to watching the news or anything today. I still feel like crap, so yea, this will be short, completely random, & probably nonsensical. I know you're already here, but you might want to leave now.

• The Cablevision/Newscorp feud (that I wasn't really aware was going on...) escalated this weekend, leading Newscorp (you know, that corporation owned/run by Rupert Murdoch? FNC's parent?) to block Fox5 & My9 (whatever that is???) from all Cablevision customers. Needless to say, we were pretty pissed off. My complaint (as posted on twitter) - "f-ing hell, #fox / #cablevision!!! you take away glee & house, but "let" me keep glenn beck?! wtf?! i demand a trade! beck for kurt & puck!!" Seriously, I get to keep the one Fox channel I DON'T want. Word is Newscorp will also be blocking Fox shows on Hulu, so Cablevision customers, beware. (I'll tell you, the second I read that, I headed over to Hulu to watch the last episode of Glee. No problems whatsoever. So, I don't know about that...)
• Speaking of Glee - It's official, new blonde guy is NOT gay. Very sad about this, because he would have made a nice boyfriend for Kurt (which is who he was originally intended to be, supposedly)-- but seeing as I don't particularly like him much anyway, whatever. (Apparently lgbt issues are finally becoming mainstream discussion again as well... Nice.)
• Yes, I know, there are far more important things going on in the world than a TV show. Back to real news- sort of: Megan McCain again proves herself to be more rational & reasonable than her GOP , with her criticism of Christine O'Donnell.
• Caribou Barbie's show is premiering soon. Ew.
• More violent people threaten to kill/harm those who disagree with Glenn Beck. Should we be surprised anymore? Someone should really do something about all of this crazy...
• Researchers say the T-Rex was a cannibal. (Didn't I say this would be completely random?)
• Human rights (& Women's Rights) - Congolese rape survivors march in the streets against sexual violence. (They are not victims, but survivors. And the title doesn't match the words used in the story...) Stand strong, ladies! Enough is enough!!!
• If you've somehow missed it (I think the "living under a rock" idiom is a bit inappropriate here...), the Chilean miners have finally been rescued after 60+ days underground. (Chinese miners are...?)
• American children now have a new reason to avoid eating their vegetables - shards of glass hidden amongst the frozen peas. If you're in the Southeast US & shop at Kroger, beware.
• If you're going to donate this holiday season, avoid the Salvation Army and head for the Red Cross.
• Had a bit of a "what???" moment when I saw this video of a gay bishop for the "It Gets Better" project. (Episcopalian. Yea, see, now it makes perfect sense.) If you're interested in checking out some other videos from the project, you can see their youtube channel here or join their Facebook page. This is such an incredible project! I wish someone had done this sooner... I personally feel as though their message is relevant to all of us, whether you're LGBT or not, dealing with bullying, feeling awkward or like you don't belong, or just trying to get through life. I know I certainly need to hear this now... Things will get better. (Don't forget. We are the ones who need to make it better for all of us. We are all the ones who must work for change.)

"It Gets Better."

I couldn't not share this. I've been avoiding watching it myself, but I finally did, and it is touching... (Remember how before I mentioned that Councilman Joel Burns gave a speech about bullying in schools?)





I'll let the video speak for itself...

(Again, my updates will be later. I need to find a handkerchief... [Save a Tree.])

xD Oh, Mr. President...

So as usual, HuffPost has totally made my morning...

Unfortunately, I'm going to be late for work if I don't leave now, but you can be certain I'll be back with promised updates...

DADT is..???

So... DADT is....? Unconstitutional, but possibly not ending?? Everyone's still trying to figure out what exactly will be going on, but to make a long story short, the DOJ will be appealing it. They've asked for a stay on the ruling... (will update this tomorrow when my brain works.)

Obama's twitter account posted an update a few hours ago - "Anybody who wants to serve in our armed forces and make sacrifices on our behalf should be able to. DADT will end & it will end on my watch."

So...  yea. If he has any hope for reelection, it will end before the year is out. And our hopes are for a strong, permanent (well, as permanent as laws can be...), legislative solution, it seems, else we take to the streets... We shall see... Fingers, toes, & eyes are crossed... We shall see...

Progress & Regress...

Progress & regress all in the same day--

Progress:

• DADT is O-V-E-R! (For now, at least, temporarily, sort of... but things are looking up!) Today, a federal judge announced a worldwide injunction to stop DADT enforcement, effective immediately. The DOJ has 60 days to appeal- Obama doesn't actually have much of a say in this, but odds are the department probably won't appeal the decision. (If they do, all I can say is that it will not look good for the Obama administration. If they appeal... they're done. There's no reason to trust any of them in the least bit anymore.) We're making some major strides towards equality... Remember how I said that the day Obama was elected President was the first day I ever felt any pride for my country? That didn't last long, obviously, with the way things have been, but progress like this certainly helps... & now I have Taylor Swift singing in my head... "Because these things will chaaaange! Can you feel it now? These walls that they put up to hold us back will fall down. It's a revolution! The time will come for us to finally win..." :-D w00t!
• speaking of LGBT rights, is anyone watching Glee right now?!?! O_O WOW! Haha, I totally thought the comments at AutoStraddle were just wishful thinking... :-D

Regress:

• The federal moratorium on deepwater drilling was lifted today. :-( More deepwater drilling in the Gulf, few decent added protections against spills... It's like we never learn.

On a slightly different note-- I don't typically care about celebrities, but this is amusing - Jack Black & America Ferrera made a short video about health care reform, with Black as "The Mis-Informant."

Also, official rally gear for the Rally to Restore Sanity & the March to Keep Fear Alive are on sale! I'm thinking about getting the "I'm With Reasonable" t-shirt lol... 18 days!!!

RIP, Zach Harrington :'(

I hope everyone had a  National Coming Out Day -- really. We've all seen so much heartache over the past 2 months especially... and so much hatred. We are who we are, and we should be proud of that, but because of society, it can be a very difficult process... I should know, I'm going through it myself. (As of 9/6/10, I'm officially "bisexual," if you haven't heard. Putting the B back in LGBT... So I can say it out loud now. Just not IRL yet... working on that.)

Sadly, I didn't come here to share that, or good news... I have some terrible news... This past weekend saw yet another tragic homophobia-related suicide :-( and I would like to ask you all to keep Zach Harrington, & all LGBT youth, in your thoughts (and/or prayers, if you believe in them).

Please support the Trevor Project, a national crisis center and hotline for LGBT youth, or the Human Rights Campaign at www.hrc.org. Please. This has to end.




If you are suicidal, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 1-800-273-TALK (8255), provides access to trained telephone counselors, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

Sunday Updates! (I remembered this time!)

So the past few weeks have been pretty crazy... I need to be quick about this, because I have like a million tabs open & I don't have time to mess with a Firefox crash tonight & it's already past my bedtime.

• Obligatory Sunday Anti-Tea-Party comments: 
•  UK group allies with tea party (I'm pretty sure I mentioned this months ago, if not last year. Old news or new group?? I think it's a new group...)
• Environmental News: Today was 10/10/10, day of work for climate change. I failed, as far as I'm concerned, but will be making it up as I go by doing a little extra something each day... I don't really know much of what happened today other than what Greenpeace said on Twitter, but I'm sure I'll find out sooner or later.
• What's Happening in Washington?
• It would seem that the federal government doesn't plan to stop foreclosures just because some of them might be legit & accurate. Um, duh-- Temporarily delaying all foreclosures gives you a chance to figure out which ones were just irresponsible people who knowingly got themselves into a bad financial situation, & which ones were the result of the practices of the unscrupulous banks that tricked many people into contracts they couldn't handle, and rushed into the foreclosure process without properly examining the documents and files, just to make a buck. If you're just going to keep doing what you're doing without taking the time to make sure you're doing it right, why bother pointing out the problem at all? I mean, really, if you're just going to ignore it, why even waste our time explaining why there's a problem and you won't fix it? We're all too busy trying to keep our houses from being stolen because the bank "forgot to read the papers" that said we've already paid off the mortgages. Nope, go ahead and keep rushing through it, I'm sure that'll help just oh so much.
  
• Caribou Barbie: Does anyone care? I still don't.
• Can't we All Just Get Along? Peace & Unity In the US- Or not.:
• I'm too pissed off by this story to go into details, but firefighters stood and watched as a family's house burned down to the ground, because they forgot pay a $75 subscription fee for fire protection service. (This article is wonderfully biased. I wasn't going to share, but really, read it anyway.) When the firefighters arrived, the owner offered to pay any amount to get them to do something, and they refused. Thankfully, there are a bunch of wonderful, kindhearted people out there who have raised over $15,000 for this family. I don't have anything nice to say about the unethical behavior of the fire department, so I'm not going to say anything except - you fucking suck, & this is what annoys me most about Ayn Rand & capitalism & strict libertarianism. This world, this society is NOT about "every man for himself," but about a species working together for the common good and for survival. How the hell can anyone put money & greed over someone's life?!?! It's not like he didn't try to get the money to you anyway! What the hell is wrong with you!? (Is what I want to say. But I won't. I'll just quietly seethe over here until I can figure out how Karma is going to right this injustice...) What if someone were trapped inside? Would they have just let them die trying to find a way out? That shouldn't even be a question, but after reading this story, I really have to ask. (UPDATE: 3 dogs and a cat were trapped inside...) It would've been far more ethical if they had done something and then just billed the family later, but no, they had to stand there like a bunch of useless bastards who didn't care that a family lost their home and everything in it. Why bother sticking around to watch if you're not going to do anything about it?!?! It would have been better if they didn't show up at all- I would still be pissed off, but I could understand it more than what they did. When you can't see what's happening, it's easy to distance yourself from a situation. But when it's right there in front of you, and you know you have the power to do something, but you just stand there and watch horrible things happen right before your eyes and you feel NOTHING, I don't understand that. How do you sleep at night? "Just following orders" doesn't cut it for me. Even if my boss said not to do anything, I feel I have a moral responsibility as an ethical human being to help someone in need when I can. As a firefighter, well I know they're supposed to make that promise too. That's your fucking job. If anyone needs any more evidence as to why privatization of public services is the worst thing one could ever do in regards to ensuring the needs of society are met, look no further than this. We pay taxes so that things like this don't happen. If you have a problem with that, get over it. Lives are more important.
• According to this poll, more republicans support a strip club over a "mosque"?! [facepalm] Ok, this is why I hate polls. Either they're horribly inaccurate and misrepresented, or they show that an irritating proportion of the American population is incredibly stupid and hypocritical. And sometimes, it's both. So let me break down what this actually says - 21% of republicans polled said they'd be ok with a strip club at the old Burlington Coat Factory building where Park51/Cordoba House is supposed to be built. Only 4% of republicans polled said they're ok with a mosque being built there. (33%  of polled Democrats say strip club is fine, & 49% say they're ok with a mosque. Independents are 28% strip club & 34% mosque. Yes, we Indies are made of 35% mosque, and a quarter sweaty g-strings & wadded dollar bills...)
• Immigration Reform: Seems like it's all on hold until after the elections...
• Stewart/Colbert: Huge rally on 10/30 in DC!!! And guess what??? I'm going to be there!!! w00t!! Maybe I'll even attempt to live blog/tweet from my iphone. If I remember.
• Coffee Party USA: I gots nothin'. I think there's a meeting this week in NYC about something to do with the implications of the Citizens United decision, but I can't recall when.
• LGBT rights: Tomorrow is National Coming Out Day. Please, please, please sign a petition, post a message on FB/Twitter, or write a letter to your local schools/school board about addressing bullying in schools. Let LGBT people know that there are people out there who will stand up for them, that it's ok be who you are and that we will NOT stand for unfair treatment! Providing a safe and accepting environment for students is crucial to their learning, development, and well-being. No one should ever have to deal with bullying-- or worse:
• The Gay Pride parade in Belgrade, Serbia was disrupted when thousands of anti-gay rioters (est. 6000) attacked the crowd with Molotov Cocktails and stun grenades.
• On the one hand, stories like this almost make me feel like we're lucky that in the US, LGBT pride isn't as big of a deal... Sure, you have the religious nuts & super-conservatives trying desperately to roll back gay rights, and horrifying stories of bullying and the Westboro Baptist Church, but we've still made considerable progress. So I think for tomorrow, whether you're LGBT or not, let's all be be thankful and proud that any American is even able to celebrate NCOD, as we continue to support each other and fight for the rights that we all deserve, no matter what country or orientation. I refuse to marry anyone until we have equal marriage rights for all citizens. (Especially if I were to end up with a woman... I wouldn't really have much of a choice then, would I...)
• Completely Random & Unimportant: Midge & Skipper have last names?! & Husbands??? Husbands with last names! Wikipedia must be lying, right? I feel so cheated! My Barbies never came with last names, I had to make them myself!!! (XD & I would've loved to have the African-American Oreo Barbie. As offensive as that is, I'd finally have a Barbie I can relate to! I still get called that... [sigh] Seems like it's only about $50 on ebay... Might have to check that out, lol...)
• Also related to Barbie - cute Nissan commercial. & of course, Mattel sued.

Random- "Oath of Allegiance" & Why I'm glad I was born here...

I was just on Facebook for the first time in forever, & noticed the little speech a person has to recite in order to become a citizen. Can I just say - I am sooo glad I was born here & didn't have to do that, because I'd need to do quite a bit of editing before I'd believe a word of it:

"I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic unless those laws are ridiculous, offensive, "unconstitutional," hateful/spiteful, pointless, unfair, or infringe on these so-called "unalienable" rights that have been promised to American citizens, let alone those Constitutional rights promised to all human beings on American soil; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same Meh; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law Fuck that. I'm moving to Canada should they ever try to draft me.; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law NO ARMY SHALL EVER HAVE ME!; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law ...like.... what, exactly??; and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion because if I don't, I'll get kicked out of the country & I won't be able to go back to my home country & will be forced to wander international waters forever... with Captain Jack Sparrow! <3; so help me God. Separation of Church & State, dude. FSM/Buddha/Allah is not amused."

Uh-huh... And this little spiel is followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. So you see, I fail horribly at being "American"  by these standards XD So sad...

Yea, yea, I'm going to bed. Eventually. [yawn] I think I just need more HoYay.

I'm all over the place today. But Vote for Rush Holt!

While I have sunken into the oblivion that is yaoi-fangirl-land, I hope that this message finds you well. Tis too late to save me from South Park slash, alas-- go on without me, I'll catch up with you in a few days! :-D

So anyway, this past week went by so quickly!  Yet I've been through so much, personally- freaking out over whether an old crush was even a crush at all (long story, don't ask), finally deciding on what grad school program I'm going to try for (social work. It was my original plan, way back when I was just starting to think about what I wanted to do with my life. The pay sucks and it takes a lot of work, but it's what I love... I'm resigning myself to a lifetime of debt & poverty, but I'll be helping people directly...), & of course I've been bouncing off the walls thinking about the Rally For Sanity/March to Keep Fear Alive. Yes, that's right  - I'M GOING!!! YAY!!! Former roomie & I got tickets for the HuffPost Sanity Bus. It's going to be awesome!!!

Though now I'm a little bit concerned about the upcoming elections. As I've previously mentioned, the incumbent representative for my district is up for re-election this year, against an independent, Kenneth Cody, and the poster-child for Wall Street, Scott Sipprelle. I didn't think there would be much of an issue this year, but now... With this rise in the TPers in my area, Sipprelle signs have been popping up everywhere. And just this morning as I was driving to the local farmers market, 2 women were walking down the side of the road with a giant "Sipprelle for Congress" banner between them. I'm sure they saw me frowning & shaking my head at the sign, because they just held it up even higher & waved their little flags at me... I'm not going to go into why I don't like Sipprelle, because a) I'm pretty sure that if you know what he stands for, it's easy to guess and b) it's really up to you to decide who you want (or don't want) to be your representative. But from my experiences, & from contacting him on issues I care about, Rush Holt is a great, progressive guy and I do truly hope he wins-- and not because I can't stand the alternative, but because I believe he really does a good job. I have yet to find a topic on which we disagree, and he's won so many awards for his work. And really, how many other districts can say they have a rocket scientist as their congressman?? Haha, to me that's like the coolest thing ever! I'm a geek/nerd and proud of it! :-D. I know I'm a "liberal elitist know-it-all," but I love smart people, especially when they support the same things I do and have gone above and beyond my expectations. So, in honor of a politician I will gladly support, I have put in a request for a Rush Holt bumper sticker. (Click to put in a request for your own! I wanted a lawn sign too, but my mother would've had a fit... -_-" I need my own place.) I can't/won't give money to politics, and I think political phone calls are annoying as hell & refuse to become a telemarketer, but I can do this...

Other news - I haven't checked twitter in days so I don't actually know much of what's going on in the world. Too obsessed with yaoi-land & reading AutoStraddle & Aarinfantasy to care :-P (& just remembered I have a phone... Haven't seen it in a few hours, where did it go?? [looks around] Ah, koko desu. Oh look 2 texts, 8 emails, & a missed call. Oops.)

I'm finishing up a few thoughts on that whole Pledge issue, on the Care2 site-- "I have refused to say the pledge since high school, because it feels like a mindless recitation of a lie. We do not have "liberty & justice for all." Those are empty words, & empty promises. And stories like this, and the fact that so many Americans are still oppressed and treated like second-class citizens, only confirm that for me :-("

I've said that before, yea? Many times. And have gotten a few angry comments all over the place for it, including here. (My Memorial Day post. Don't feel like linking to it, but it's here somewhere.)

I just found the most hilarious website ever - www.MarryAnAmerican.ca It's too bad the site's down, but should a Palinite ever attempt win a presidential election, I'm hoping it comes back ASAP. (And then my dreams of starting a [peaceful] underground rebellion can come true ^^" That does sound like such an adventure... I have such cool dreams-- when they don't include 8-legged monsters that is. [shudders]) I have no idea what I came here to say, but I suppose I've said all I should. Plus it would seem I have someone begging for my attention, ;-) lol... [sigh] Did I mention I'm considering giving up guys for a while? :-D What else is new. What was it I said before graduation? "Guys are stupid, I'm not attracted to women, so I'm going to be celibate." & "Will" said "it's never too late to be attracted to women!!!" Haha, maybe he's right? I always though Grace had a secret thing for Karen anyway lol... Bi pride! :-)  Ja, mata ashita!!

Updates...

I knew there was something I forgot to do today... Oh well, Sunday updates will be here by tomorrow evening... It's been a long weekend (brat came home from college, among other things -- including the big One Nation rally!)

UPDATE: California has decriminalized marijuana!!! (Now it's about the same as a parking ticket. War on Drugs finally coming to a close??)

Looks like I'm just going to keep updating this post...

UPDATE: Federal Minimum Wage Unconstitutional?? (The world according to Joe Miller.) Maybe I do believe that humans are inherently bad-- if only because they are taught to be bad, because being bad/selfish generally pays off. ut seriously, who the hell can truly say that a company will pay their employees a decent, living wage if they don't have to? A person can barely survive on minimum wage as it is, but I don't even want to think about how things would be without minimum wage laws. Methinks Joe should probably get a history lesson... Industrial Revolution notes, anyone?



UPDATE: Someone seriously needs to put an end to this :-(

RIP 19 yr old Raymond Chase


Please, please please - I promise you, we are out there, those of us who will do whatever it takes to make it better for you, and for all of us. It will get better. Visit the Trevor Project, or a counselor, your parents if you can, or if you'd like, you can always email me @ darkangelkiely@care2.com. I can understand all too well what you're going through. I know what it's like to be bullied, & I know what it's like to feel like death is the only way out. But gay, straight, bi, whatever-- we're all here for each other. I promise you, it gets better.

"My neighbor is a Tea Partier...?!"

I can't believe it's October already.

Anyway, I spend all morning upset about... my previous post, so I'm trying to take my mind off of it for a few hours. I've been reading around the WaPost forums (lol taking a break from HuffPost!) and there's this one thread about "how would you react if you found out a close friend/neighbor was a Tea Party member?" Ohhh, this is fun. Apparently TPers are upset that they're being shunned by their friends and unfriended on Facebook. (I kid you not.) I have a hard time feeling sympathy for them, to be perfectly honest, especially after all that's happened in my own life with Tea Party "friends" and neighbors. Ever since I saw that damn Gadsen flag on my street, I've had daydreams about stealing it or setting it on fire... Things I would never do, because I believe them to be wrong and unethical, but I find the use of that flag to be so offensive... Everything it's being used to represent...

I was driving down our lovely new roads, with the brand new "Putting America Back to Work" signs that look like this:

Yes, that one. The potholes! They're finally being fixed! We have new, perfectly smooth roads for the first time in years! And jobs! It's amazing! Exclamation point! But anyway, so I was leaving the library and heading down Cottrell towards 34, while thinking about these Tea Party folks and their nonsense... They don't want to pay for the roads, but they want to use them and they want them to be nice. They don't want the government to spend money on things, but they want things from the government. "Keep your government hands off my Medicare and my Social Security! Despite the fact that Medicare is a government health insurance program & Social Security is evil & needs to get cut because no one should get a handout! Come near me and I'll call the cops, whose funding I plan to cut because I don't believe in chipping in for socialist programs that help the entire community!" I mean really, cognitive dissonance anyone? Please? I know that requires actually thinking about what you're saying, and understanding it, but seriously, I'm getting tired of this selfish "stupidity" act. (I know, I'm being mean today. I can't be nice all of the time, can I? I certainly try, but customer service does that to you...)

But back to the forum. Really, it's one thing when people can respectfully disagree with one another without getting nasty all of the time, but every time I've ever tried to discuss something with a TPer, or tried to just end the conversation peacefully and suggest we stop talking about politics, all I ever got in return was nasty, rude, ignorant & racist bullshit and people trying to continue to force their views on me. So yes, if I see something like that on Facebook, or if someone tries to start a political conversation and can't disagree without being a total psychotic bitch/bastard, fuck it, they're getting ignored. Just putting a big Fuck Off button on it and moving on.

(Ooo, just learned a new word - Eristic: Adj; disputatious, marked by specious reasoning. "FNC watchers and "teabaggers" who follow jerks like Glenn Beck, tend to be an eristic and irrational lot who like to argue, but clearly don't have the proper logic and facts to back it up." Eristic. :-P)

So let me just say again, it's not the party itself that annoys me, it's the hatred and ignorance it promotes. It's one thing to promote "small government," and lower taxes; It's understandable that they should be concerned or upset. But it's completely another to deny civil rights, say that anyone who doesn't think like you is "un-American," force your religion on the rest of the country -- & when I was growing up I was always told that even when you disagree with the President, you're supposed to be respectful because he's the elected leader of your country. It's un-patriotic to be disrespectful and unsupportive, and it sends a negative message to other countries. And this was coming from the "conservatives." The worst I've ever called any president is "idiot," and that was after he was out of office. He's admitted it himself too. I can't even repeat all of the horrific things I've heard about Obama. He's received 400% more death threats per year than President Bush. That's 400% of 3,000 = 12,000 death threats per year, over 30 per day. Disgusting... So tell me again why I shouldn't avoid people like this? I have no problem whatsoever with people who can politely disagree, represent a coherent, logical argument with facts to back it up, or people with moderate, non-partisan views. But this vile rhetoric, I don't have to put up with that.

So, all things considered... Yea, you have my answer.


(Fun Fact: Obama's Secret Service codename is "Renegade." ^^" Leave it to this guy to get such a sekushi name :P His wife has a very appropriate, classy codename as well - Renaissance.)

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