Happy Thanksgiving
Happy Thanksgiving
Happy Thanksgiving
Happy Thanksgiving
4 years ago
2008-11-27
2008-11-24
Season 5 of Lost, A New Preview
The music is You Found Me by the Fray. I did find a couple of interesting shots that don't even last but a fraction of a second. They are after the jump for the people who don't watch Lost (SHAME ON YOU!) or the ones who don't want to see the spoilers. This has a few more unseen clips in the video than the previous one did. Overall, this season will hopefully rock.
These 2 shots appear in the video for just a brief flash. Very interesting picture. We haven't seen this before. I am wondering if this the logo of the airline that they use to take them back to the island. Of course, since they now have free Oceanic Airline tickets for life, why would they fly another airline? But poor Jack, he just can't get Oceanic to crash there again.
Very interesting!
2008-11-21
Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die!
This is from one of my most favorite movies of all time!!! I love The Princess Bride and watch it quite a bit. For some reason, this scene is a little more modern than my copy of the movie! ;) Enjoy....and as you wish!
Friday Fill-Ins #99
1. The last band I saw live was ___Pet Shop Boys___.
2. What I look forward to most on Thanksgiving is ___hoping that work will be very slow___.
3. My Christmas/holiday shopping is ___short and sweet...only a few gifts to buy___.
4. Thoughts of ___my new job___ fill my head.
5. I wish I could wear ___???___. I have no idea...since I have lost all this weight, I am very happy with what I can fit into again!
6. Bagpipes ___are good only if the guy is wearing a kilt (the traditional way...nothing underneath!)___.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to __meeting Douglass for dinner and then maybe meeting my friends out for a drink or three__, tomorrow my plans include __working and doing laundry__. And Sunday, I want to __enjoy the morning since I work in the afternoon/evening __!
2008-11-18
When I was 7....geez, I did nothing like this!
I stole...I mean I borrowed this from Joe.My.God. Yesterday on the Ellen DeGeneres Show, 7 year-old piano prodigy Emily Bear performed. This girl is 7 years old. She has performed at the White House and has written 126 songs. The song she performs for Ellen is a song she wrote for Ellen's wedding, "because you got your wish and got married." The song is called "Once Upon A Wish".
Let's see, when Ellen was 7, she ate a quarter. When I was 7, I was busy playing with Legos and Hot Wheels. Emily has written 126 songs, memorized a 40 minute Mozart concerto and is a piano prodigy. Yeah, I think all things are equal. And to think, all I got Ellen for her wedding was a toaster oven...oops!
2008-11-17
eCard Meme Madness part 3
Since I have been suffering from Bloggers Block (the updated version of writers block), I thought I would revisit eCard Meme Madness. That is always a quick and easy (two words that have been used to describe me before). Here are the first two: eCard Meme Madness and eCard Meme Madness part 2. For those of you who are unfamiliar, the whole concept is to go to www.someecards.com and pick out 5 eCards that you like. The eCards there have quite a bit of attitude, and with the huge selection, anybody can find something that fits their mood.
 | Let's just say, a month ago I started talking to a guy online. And let's just add to that, THANK GOD FOR GOOGLE! There are some total freaks out there! |
| I love James Bond! (I also have a serious crush on Daniel Craig, but that is another story!) I saw Quantum of Solace the other day, the movie totally rocks, EXCEPT for the song they used for the opening credits! THAT SONG SUCKS!!! Seriously, that is by far the worst James Bond song I have ever heard! |  |
 | I created my Facebook account back in May, but it wasn't until the last few months that I actually started using Facebook. I have found high school classmates, relatives, friends and Fiesta collectors! :) But I spend way too much time there!!! |
| Happy Thanksgiving to all of my 6 faithful readers. I will be spending the day by myself since my family is celebrating in Michigan this year. With the new job, I seriously doubt I will get time off for the holidays! |  |
 | This weather is horrible! The cold nights, the mild daytime temps and all of this wet weather is making my migraines work overtime! |
| But the high point of this cold weather is that it makes me really wish I had somebody to snuggle up with at night. That is one of my favorite things to do! I hope that doesn't sound very desperate. |  |
 | Again this year, I am planning on doing the Secret Santa at Collectible Medium Green (the Fiesta message board). But I have no clue as what to send out. I am hoping that when the names are drawn in a few weeks that I will at least know a little something about who I am buying for. |
2008-11-14
Friday Quiz ~ What Thanksgiving Side Dish Are You?
2008-11-13
Friday Fill-Ins #98
1. Please feel free to ___leave comments about my blog, I don't bite (very hard)...I promise :) ___.
2. When I ___am cooking,___ I can't help sniffing it occasionally. (Wow, my mind went to the gutter, I had to think a lot to keep it clean! LOL)
3. My favorite thing to cook is ___meat loaf patties, lasagna, homemade pizza or beef stew___.
4. ___Bright and colorful dishes___ is are something I can't get enough of.
5. That's the thing I love most about ___my Fiesta___.
6. ___A new piece (or color) of Fiesta___ always makes me think to myself, "what the heck?"
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to __hopefully meeting a few friends out for a few drinks__. Tomorrow my plans include __my first real day of work (now that the training will be done)__. Sunday, I want to __come home from work and be able to relax and have a good meal, hopefully with a good friend__!
2008-11-11
Star Wars - an a capella tribute to John Williams
Awesome tribute to John Williams and his Star Wars, Indiana Jones, ET, Jaws, Jurassic Park and Close Encounters scores.
The lyrics are after the jump.
LYRICS
[Close Encounters of the Droid Kind]
You must use the force (repeat ad nauseum)
[Raiders of the Lost Wookiee]
Long time ago, far far away (repeat)
Kiss a wookie, kick a droid
Fly the falcon through an asteroid
Till the princess is annoyed
This is spaceships, it's monsters, it's Star Wars, we love it!
Come and help me, Obi Wan
X-wing fighter and a blaster gun
Dance with Ewoks, oh what fun!
This is spaceships, it's monsters, it's Star Wars, we love it!
[Super Han]
Get in there you big, furry oaf
I couldn't care less what you smell
I take orders from only me
Maybe you'd like it back in your cell
Your Highness, your worshipfulness, your highness, your worshipfulness
No one cares if you upset a droid
(nobody cares if you upset a droid)
That's because droids don't tear your arms out of socket.
(nobody cares)
I suggest a new strategy: let the Wookie win
That's because nobody cares if you upset a droid.
[ET the DiscoTerrestrial]
Now we listen to Luke whining:
One more season... One more season... One more season... One more season...
I was gonna go to Tashi Station for power converters
Now I guess I'm going nowhere.
It just isn't fair.
[Jaws: the Wookiee]
Wooookie (repeat)
Someone move this walking carpet (repeat)
Kiss your brother, Kiss your brother (repeat)
Princess Leia
Well I guess you don't know anything about women.
Who's your daddy? (repeat)
[Jurassic Darth]
Luke, I'm your father
(That's not true!)
It is useless to resist
(My hand!)
Come with me my son, We will rule
(I'll never join you!)
Search your feelings it is true
So you have a twin sister
Who Obi Wan was wise to hide
(Is that Leia?)
If you will not turn
Then perhaps she will
Give in to your hate
You are mine
Long Long Long Time ago... Far Far Far Far Away
Long Long Long Time Ago, Far Far Far Away (repeat)
Kiss a wookie
Kick a droid
Fly the falcon
Through an asteroid
Till the princess is annoyed
(She's annoyed!)
This is spaceships, it's monsters, it's Star Wars, we love it, it's true
Episode 3
Coming to you
In 2005
So Let's go
(go go go to the movies)
Stand in line
(buy buy buy me some popcorn)
Cause it's al-
(please I'd like extra butter)
most the time
(Join the dark side...)
May the Force be with you all
John Williams is the man
A Bean Can Begin an Adventure
"The difference between a cow and a bean, is a bean can begin an adventure." - Into the Woods
Tomorrow starts a new beginning for me. The path isn't that far from where I was before, but as with all new adventures, there is always some fear of the unknown to begin with. Tomorrow is the first day of my new job. Today is day number 76 of being unemployed, that is 76 days of hatred, fear, depression and loss of hope. Sadly, I have been through worst times in my life. The deaths of my parents, my partner and my best friend all rank up there as some of my worst time periods. So with me knowing worse times, I was able to keep my head above water all of this time. So the hatred I felt towards my last cowardly employer is now nothing more that a sense of shame for their lack of the respect and the dignity that I thought they had. The fear and the depression that grew out of that fear are nothing more than the constant reminder that I am only human. And the loss of hope from all of those job applications that were never answered, or the few interviews that turned out to be nothing more than a waste of time, or the 4 week battle I have had to fight for this new job. All of those were never able to overcome my optimism that there is something better out there for me.
This new job might not be the greatest job out there. It definitely isn't my dream job. But it is a job. And like every other job I have had in the past, I will go in there and give them 110%. And it will definitely be nice to start receiving an income again. The sad part is that this blog will go back to being a part-time hobby for me. So will the ClassifiedAds website. Even the over-the-top Fiesta Sunday and Hump Night Chats will be at the mercy of my work schedule. And I will really miss those guys when I have to work, they are the ones who really helped me stay sane all this time! I also owe a huge thanks to Douglass. Even though we have had our problems in the past, he has always been there for me. I don't tell him very often how special he is to me, but i think he knows how I feel. Thanks D.
KEITH OLBERMANN'S SPECIAL COMMENT ON PROPOSITION 8
This video has been going around all of the gay news blogs. By far one of the best videos I have seen about the impact of Prop8. Thanks to Towleroad.com for the transcript. And a million thanks to Keith Olbermann.
Read the transcript after the jump.
***TRANSCRIPT***
Finally tonight as promised, a Special Comment on the passage, last week, of Proposition Eight in California, which rescinded the right of same-sex couples to marry, and tilted the balance on this issue, from coast to coast.
Some parameters, as preface. This isn't about yelling, and this isn't about politics, and this isn't really just about Prop-8. And I don't have a personal investment in this: I'm not gay, I had to strain to think of one member of even my very extended family who is, I have no personal stories of close friends or colleagues fighting the prejudice that still pervades their lives.
And yet to me this vote is horrible. Horrible. Because this isn't about yelling, and this isn't about politics.
This is about the... human heart, and if that sounds corny, so be it.
If you voted for this Proposition or support those who did or the sentiment they expressed, I have some questions, because, truly, I do not... understand. Why does this matter to you? What is it to you? In a time of impermanence and fly-by-night relationships, these people over here want the same chance at permanence and happiness that is your option. They don't want to deny you yours. They don't want to take anything away from you. They want what you want -- a chance to be a little less alone in the world.
Only now you are saying to them -- no. You can't have it on these terms. Maybe something similar. If they behave. If they don't cause too much trouble. You'll even give them all the same legal rights -- even as you're taking away the legal right, which they already had. A world around them, still anchored in love and marriage, and you are saying, no, you can't marry. What if somebody passed a law that said you couldn't marry?
I keep hearing this term "re-defining" marriage.
If this country hadn't re-defined marriage, black people still couldn't marry white people. Sixteen states had laws on the books which made that illegal... in 1967. 1967.
The parents of the President-Elect of the United States couldn't have married in nearly one third of the states of the country their son grew up to lead. But it's worse than that. If this country had not "re-defined" marriage, some black people still couldn't marry...black people. It is one of the most overlooked and cruelest parts of our sad story of slavery. Marriages were not legally recognized, if the people were slaves. Since slaves were property, they could not legally be husband and wife, or mother and child. Their marriage vows were different: not "Until Death, Do You Part," but "Until Death or Distance, Do You Part." Marriages among slaves were not legally recognized.
You know, just like marriages today in California are not legally recognized, if the people are... gay.
And uncountable in our history are the number of men and women, forced by society into marrying the opposite sex, in sham marriages, or marriages of convenience, or just marriages of not knowing -- centuries of men and women who have lived their lives in shame and unhappiness, and who have, through a lie to themselves or others, broken countless other lives, of spouses and children... All because we said a man couldn't marry another man, or a woman couldn't marry another woman. The sanctity of marriage. How many marriages like that have there been and how on earth do they increase the "sanctity" of marriage rather than render the term, meaningless?
What is this, to you? Nobody is asking you to embrace their expression of love. But don't you, as human beings, have to embrace... that love? The world is barren enough.
It is stacked against love, and against hope, and against those very few and precious emotions that enable us to go forward. Your marriage only stands a 50-50 chance of lasting, no matter how much you feel and how hard you work.
And here are people overjoyed at the prospect of just that chance, and that work, just for the hope of having that feeling. With so much hate in the world, with so much meaningless division, and people pitted against people for no good reason, this is what your religion tells you to do? With your experience of life and this world and all its sadnesses, this is what your conscience tells you to do?
With your knowledge that life, with endless vigor, seems to tilt the playing field on which we all live, in favor of unhappiness and hate... this is what your heart tells you to do? You want to sanctify marriage? You want to honor your God and the universal love you believe he represents? Then Spread happiness -- this tiny, symbolic, semantical grain of happiness -- share it with all those who seek it. Quote me anything from your religious leader or book of choice telling you to stand against this. And then tell me how you can believe both that statement and another statement, another one which reads only "do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
---
You are asked now, by your country, and perhaps by your creator, to stand on one side or another. You are asked now to stand, not on a question of politics, not on a question of religion, not on a question of gay or straight. You are asked now to stand, on a question of...love. All you need do is stand, and let the tiny ember of love meet its own fate. You don't have to help it, you don't have it applaud it, you don't have to fight for it. Just don't put it out. Just don't extinguish it. Because while it may at first look like that love is between two people you don't know and you don't understand and maybe you don't even want to know...It is, in fact, the ember of your love, for your fellow **person...
Just because this is the only world we have. And the other guy counts, too.
This is the second time in ten days I find myself concluding by turning to, of all things, the closing plea for mercy by Clarence Darrow in a murder trial.
But what he said, fits what is really at the heart of this:
"I was reading last night of the aspiration of the old Persian poet, Omar-Khayyam," he told the judge.
"It appealed to me as the highest that I can vision. I wish it was in my heart, and I wish it was in the hearts of all:
"So I be written in the Book of Love;
"I do not care about that Book above.
"Erase my name, or write it as you will,
"So I be written in the Book of Love."
---
Good night, and good luck.
2008-11-09
Metropolitan Building burns down in downtown Champaign
2 days ago (yes, I am very up-to-date) the historic Metropolitan Building (also called the Bailey-Rugg Building) burnt down. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on Nov. 7, 1997 (11 years to the day that it burned down). The second story ceiling was so high, the Champaign High School basketball team used to practice there. The building is actually 3 buildings (219 and 221 North Neil Street and 111 West Church Street). Several dates exist for when the building was constructed, the earliest being 1871 and the latest being 1878. City documents and the registration form for the National Register list 1871 as the year.
| Here are some before pics. The Metropolitan Building is the whole building in this pic. The first floor was the Estate Sale (an antique store). The upper 2 floors were being renovated for upscale condos/apartments. They were scheduled to be available spring 2009. (click on any of the pics to enlarge)  And from the other side of the building.  |
Here is a couple of pics of during the fire (click on any of the pics to enlarge)...
 |  |
 |  |
...and after the fire. (click on any of the pics to enlarge)
| The first picture shows M2 in the background. In the foreground is the poor clock in downtown Champaign. The clock has been moved around a few times. It was repaired a few years ago only to be ran over by a car. It was then repaired again. It looks like it is ok, even though it was directly across the street from the fire. This is the comment on the flickr page:The Bailey-Rugg Building (aka the Metropolitan Building aka the Hamilton Building) was one of the finest Italianate commercial buildings in Champaign (and may have very well have been in downstate as well). It originally housed the Robeson's Dry Good's Store (which moved down Church Street) and the Rugg Shoe Store. It was destroyed by fire this morning in a devastating fire that took the heart out of downtown and my hopes of making downtown a historic district.  |
Here is a better shot of the front of the building. The building on the left was a law firm. They haven't announced yet if the building is structurally sound yet. I heard that over 120,000 gallons of water was pumped into the law firm building. The roof of the Metropolitan Building collapsed into the basement of the building. |
After the jump, watch a couple of videos I found on YouTube of the fire. One during the fire and one after the fire. Very sad!
Here is a map of the area. Please note, the correct address for One Main should be 2 Main Street, but many years ago a business man built his building at that corner. He wanted his business to be at 1 Main Street. He got the city to approve the address swap, so he was at 1 Main Street, the building across the street is 2 Main Street. This is the only place in Champaign that this happened. The building M2 across Neil Street is currently under construction. It is being built by the same company that built One Main. The obviously couldn't call is 2 Main since it isn't actually on Main Street. So the new building is just called M2.
Here is another shot of the building (this time the front). At the end of the video, when the camera pans towards the right, you get a better view of the new M2 building, which is under construction. M2 had a lot of windows break because of the extreme heat. The blue 2 represents about where the cameraman was standing.
2008-11-08
Lost Season 5
I just read this on Yahoo News. ABC has announced when Lost will return with season 5. I have been waiting patiently (people who know me know that I am never patient!) And I am very excited by the titles of the first 6 shows. Especially the last one (episode 6) listed: "The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham" Maybe we can finally "meet" the mysterious man in the coffin.
| Our prayers have been answered! ABC has just confirmed to me that Lost has received an official premiere date for season five, and even better, it's a smidgen earlier than expected. On Wednesday, Jan. 21, Lost returns with a three-hour (you heard me, three-hour!) premiere. "Because You Left" and "The Lie" will air back-to-back, following a recap of the first four seasons (for the very few people who aren't already addicted and/or obsessed). So what does this mean for ABC's Wednesday-night lineup? After the Lost extravaganza premiere, the series will continue on Wednesday nights at 9. Reps at ABC have told me that a decision on new time slots for Private Practice and possibly Pushing Daisies (pleeease?) will be announced next week. Episodes three through six are as follows: "Jughead," "The Little Prince," "The Place Is Death" and "The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham." This news comes on the heels of the casting scoop from earlier today about the part of a Lost man's lover. By chance, anyone excited to find out where the Island went? |
2008-11-07
I HATE Being Sick!
Okay, I know that most people don't enjoy being sick. But since I am not working, being sick has been even more horrible than ever. Plus the fact that I am living by myself, there is nobody around to take the dog out when I feel like this. The bird still wants to eat, so I still have to get up and feed her. I am very thankful for this laptop so I can sit in bed and do this much at least. Plus I have been using the laptop to watch movies, but I usually fall asleep during them and often wake up during the credits.
Yesterday, I had to go to another interview for a job I am trying to get. I showed up 5 minutes early. I ended up waiting 45 minutes before I could talk to this guy. And all he told me was stuff he could have told me over the phone! The whole interview lasted less than 2 minutes. UGH!!! I drug my sick butt out of bed for that???
I am going to have some soup (my sicky comfort food), take some more medicine and then grab another movie...then back to bed for me.
Proposition Hate
This comes from Jake at No Fo. For all of you that believe gays shouldn't marry, and heterosexual marriages are the only marriages, please read this and tell me that again.
| Thomas (not his real name) came to live with us on October 13, 2007. Developmentally disabled since birth, Thomas had been essentially abandoned by his father years ago. He’d been living with his mother for the last 15 years in a personal hell he still doesn’t have the skills or even the understanding to describe. From what he’s been able to tell us, she was grotesquely abusive. Instead of merely beating him, she’d make him bring her whatever she was going to beat him with to prolong his terror and humiliation. When she beat him until he bled, she wouldn’t let him clean up the bloodstains on the walls and floor … so he couldn’t escape the reminders of his beatings anywhere he went in the house. When he didn’t make his bed the way she wanted, she made him sleep on the floor next to it. For five years. When a man she was having an affair with committed suicide, she told Thomas she wished he had been the one to kill himself. She clearly had never taken him to a dentist. Or even taught him how to brush his teeth. And while she was constantly dressed in sequins and hats, she dressed him like a retarded, homeless stereotype: pants that were too short, used underwear that was 12 sizes too big and cracked plastic shoes that made him walk with a limp. Once the domestic partner and I realized what was going on and rescued him (his mother had left him alone for a week while she went on a cruise, telling him he couldn’t go outside or even watch TV while she was gone … and that she’d call the cable company when she got back and beat him severely if they told her he had turned on the TV in her absence) we brought him to live with us. The poor guy was a shell of a man, afraid to talk, assert himself on any level or even make eye contact. And he was clearly terrified that he was going to be punished for causing so much fuss on his behalf. In those first few days in our house, he even apologized to me when I “caught” him using one of our glasses to get a drink of water. Over the last 13 months in our home, he’s learned to smile and talk to strangers and make terrible jokes and hold a part-time job and be responsible for the simple chores we’ve assigned him and feel safe functioning in a world where he knows his caretakers won’t repeatedly, relentlessly abuse him. In our house, he’s free to watch the shows he loves (which, to our chagrin, involves heavy rotations of WWE), socialize with our friends, sleep in a big comfy bed, and live a life free of the fear of beatings and psychological cruelty. In short, we’ve been the first to give him the responsible, loving parenting that gay-hostile “Christian” conservatives arrogantly declare can come only from straight people. And Thomas’ very existence blows massive holes in the meaningless “every child deserves a mother and father” inanity that these cretins parrot endlessly in their emotionally violent crusades against marriage equality. NO child deserves Thomas’ mother and father, so what these moral charlatans are saying is a grotesque oversimplification of the truth. Rational people call it a lie. Legitimate Christians and their autocratic, jealous god call it “bearing false witness.” Now consider the fact that Thomas is my domestic partner’s brother. If the domestic partner dies, their parents have legal access to all our shared property, including our house. The mother who told her other son that Thomas “made her” beat him could share ownership of our home and have every legal right to move in and resume abusing him. The father who has NEVER ONCE contacted us to see how Thomas is doing after surviving 15 years of abuse and then living for more than a year with me, a complete stranger, could assume half ownership of our house and try to sell it, leaving Thomas and me struggling to find a place we could afford to live. And I’d have no legal recourse. Because legally I’m little more than a roommate. And the blame for all of this falls squarely on the shoulders of “Christian” hatred junkies who are so consumed by their unholy loathing for me and my domestic partner and gay people everywhere that they’ve spent billions of dollars convincing voters across our country to deny us equal access to the legal and financial protection of marriage. In addition to “every child deserves a mother and a father,” these self-professed “Christians” use meaningless, grotesquely misleading catchphrases like “sacred institution” and “threat” and “protect” and “redefine” and, when they don’t get their way, “activist judges” to further their loathsome agenda to vilify gay people and teach the nation to hate and fear us. The fact remains that nobody—“Christian” or otherwise—has yet to articulate a plausible or even fact-based justification for denying us marriage equality. “Sacred institution,” “threat,” “redefine” and their ilk are nothing but a lazy, artless code for “religious extremists are consumed by a pathological loathing for gay people.” And whether or not they choose to own up to it, they know in their cold, black hearts that it’s the truth. And while these cretins spent a staggering $73 million in California alone to scare voters into passing Proposition Hate, the domestic partner and I struggle to pay exorbitant dental bills to undo decades of damage wrought by Thomas’ parents’ neglect. And after 13 months, we’re still searching to find someone who will provide him basic health insurance and a social services caseworker who isn’t too overwhelmed to return our calls and help us understand how to care for him and help him build a network of peers beyond the adult gay men who come to our house for the occasional movie or game night. This grotesque juxtaposition of robustly funded propaganda vs. cash-strapped social services is the perverse, inexcusable legacy of Proposition Hate and the so-called “Defense of Marriage Act” and every related money-wasting act of gay-hostile social, political and emotional terrorism wrought by the American Taliban. If you have ever used words like “sacred institution” or “redefine marriage” or “threat to family values” without irony or—worse yet—harbored thoughts or cast votes against marriage equality, you are not my friend. You are not welcome in my life. I honestly see you as intellectually compromised. And I don’t care what you think your god tells you to believe. Your mythology does not trump my reality. And if you try to defend your indefensible thoughts or words or actions to me, be prepared to have your vile, repellant opinions reduced to the vile, repellant garbage that they are. And when I’m done with you, the domestic partner and I will calmly go back to caring for Thomas and working to repair the decades of damage caused by the celebrated heterosexuals who are apparently free to marry and divorce and have affairs and abuse and ignore their own children without generating interest a single constitutional amendment, television ad, campaign platform or even a godfuckingdamned T-shirt by the godfuckingdamned American Taliban. |
2008-11-06
What is the final say on Prop8?
All I can say about Prop8 is thanks to all of the people who voted NO on Prop8. And a very big thanks to those who donated their time, money and voices to try and defeat the hatred. This fight is far from over. There are at least 3 different lawsuits to declare Prop8 as illegal. I am not sure if they can pass or not, but there is still hope.
Now the religious right, fresh from their kills wins, have decided to hit up the rest of the states. 30 of the states already have hatred same sex marriage bans as part of their laws. They want to hit the other 20 states, including Massachusetts and Connecticut who have legalized same sex marriages. This fight is far from over! There have been demonstrations in Los Angeles and San Francisco about Prop8. There is another one planned today in Los Angeles.
I am "borrowing" from Joe.My.God. This is a very well written piece about Prop8.
| "To the kind souls who decided that I’m not equal, and voted to strip me, and others in my community of their constitutional rights, congratulations. Your bigotry and fear have won this day. In 40 years, when viewed through the prism of history, you’ll find yourselves as respected and loved as the racists and segregationists of the 1960s. In 40 years, when the first gay or lesbian wins the highest office in the land, you’ll be sharing the same lonely corner as those folks who yesterday couldn’t “vote for a n*gger,” and woke up to discover that an African American was president, and that history had passed them by. "Until that day, I fear for the lives of your gay sons and lesbian daughters. The ones who can’t talk to you about it, and suffer silently. They’ll be dying for your choice, because teen suicide rates in gays and lesbians is driven by fear, and by feelings of worthlessness that proposition 8 reinforces. No doubt the ones who finally do come out, will suffer the indignity of either the scam of “reparative therapy” or homelessness, as so many do. Until that day, I fear for the children of gays and lesbians, who will face ridicule and discrimination at school because their families “aren’t real” and their mommies or daddies “aren’t really married.” "Finally, I fear for you. If the God you worship is the one about whom I’ve read, you’ve got some serious explaining to do. Like the woman in John 8, I’d offer you the first stone, but I’m already bloodied by Proposition 8." - Lee Tucker |
Sick and Tired
Sorry I haven't been blogging much the past few days. I haven't been feeling very good for the past few days, and yesterday I spent most of the day in bed. I did foolishly go get something to eat last night. I was hungry but didn't think I could stand up for that long to cook. I should have stayed home though. By the time I got home and started eating, I was feeling worse. Even taking the dog outside to do her business was a chore for me. But today I feel a little better, which is good! I am supposed to go in at 10am for my new job. YAY! It has been way to long since I have worked. I just hope I am feeling better!
And you may notice that I spent some time yesterday working on the blog. The large header at the top is gone. I do miss my name in big letters at the top. That might make a reappearance at some point. I changed the appearance at the top of the sidebar on the right side. Being the techno-geek that I am, I saw a new gadget that I liked and wanted to add it to my blog. Don't forget to feed the fish!
2008-11-04
A Very Touching Election Story
This comes from the Talking Points Memo Blog .
| I Didn't Vote For Obama Today November 4, 2008, 9:37AM I have a confession to make. I did not vote for Barack Obama today. I've openly supported Obama since March. But I didn't vote for him today. I wanted to vote for Ronald Woods. He was my algebra teacher at Clark Junior High in East St. Louis, IL. He died 15 years ago when his truck skidded head-first into a utility pole. He spent many a day teaching us many things besides the Pythagorean Theorem. He taught us about Medgar Evers, Ralph Abernathy, John Lewis and many other civil rights figures who get lost in the shadow cast by Martin Luther King, Jr. But I didn't vote for Mr. Woods. I wanted to vote for Willie Mae Cross. She owned and operated Crossroads Preparatory Academy for almost 30 years, educating and empowering thousands of kids before her death in 2003. I was her first student. She gave me my first job, teaching chess and math concepts to kids in grades K-4 in her summer program. She was always there for advice, cheer and consolation. Ms. Cross, in her own way, taught me more about walking in faith than anyone else I ever knew. But I didn't vote for Ms. Cross. I wanted to vote for Arthur Mells Jackson, Sr. and Jr. Jackson Senior was a Latin professor. He has a gifted school named for him in my hometown. Jackson Junior was the pre-eminent physician in my hometown for over 30 years. He has a heliport named for him at a hospital in my hometown. They were my great-grandfather and great-uncle, respectively. But I didn't vote for Prof. Jackson or Dr. Jackson. I wanted to vote for A.B. Palmer. She was a leading civil rights figure in Shreveport, Louisiana, where my mother grew up and where I still have dozens of family members. She was a strong-willed woman who earned the grudging respect of the town's leaders because she never, ever backed down from anyone and always gave better than she got. She lived to the ripe old age of 99, and has a community center named for her in Shreveport. But I didn't vote for Mrs. Palmer. I wanted to vote for these people, who did not live to see a day where a Black man would appear on their ballots on a crisp November morning. In the end, though, I realized that I could not vote for them any more than I could vote for Obama himself. So who did I vote for? No one. I didn't vote. Not for President, anyway. Oh, I went to the voting booth. I signed, was given my stub, and was walked over to a voting machine. I cast votes for statewide races and a state referendum on water and sewer improvements. I stood there, and I thought about all of these people, who influenced my life so greatly. But I didn't vote for who would be the 44th President of the United States. When my ballot was complete, except for the top line, I finally decided who I was going to vote for - and then decided to let him vote for me. I reached down, picked him up, and told him to find Obama's name on the screen and touch it. And so it came to pass that Alexander Reed, age 5, read the voting screen, found the right candidate, touched his name, and actually cast a vote for Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Oh, the vote will be recorded as mine. But I didn't cast it. Then again, the person who actually pressed the Obama box and the red "vote" button was the person I was really voting for all along. It made the months of donating, phonebanking, canvassing, door hanger distributing, sign posting, blogging, arguing and persuading so much sweeter. So, no, I didn't vote for Barack Obama. I voted for a boy who now has every reason to believe he, too, can grow up to be anything he wants...even President. |
2008-11-02
Et tu, Palin?
A hilarious spoof on the debates. This is a debate between McCain and Palin. Watch to the very end...I mean the very, very end!
Election Day -- PLEASE VOTE!!!
| Tuesday is Election Day. I can't remember a more important election than this one (I might say that each time though!) Not only do we need to elect a new president to bring CHANGE and HOPE to this great country. We also need to voice our opinions of the past 8 years. Also, three states, California, Arizona and Florida have an equally important item to vote on. All three states are trying to pass amendments to ban gay marriages. I have been as non-political as possible up until this election. I have never been an activist. I have never been out there pushing any kind of agenda on anybody. I have always lived by the policy of let others do as they wish, because as long as it isn't bothering me then they are fine. But the push by the Religious Right has gone to far. This is by far one of the best ads I have seen so far for the No on Prop 8 campaign. And honestly, why has the Mormon church spent over $20 million to tell others on how to live their lives? That is $20 million to deny rights to Americans! $20 million to put their nose into something that has nothing to do with them. And what exactly is next??? What is the Mormon church going to tell us to do next time? I'm sorry, if you vote yes on this, you are voting for Religion to tell the government what to do. This issue has nothing to do with religion, it is a basic issue of basic rights being offered to EVERYBODY! So instead of spending $20 million to alienate a percentage of the USA, why not spend $20 million on something worthwhile and helpful for their fellow americans! Love knows no boundaries, it doesn't matter if you are gay or straight, love is universal! |
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