Come on, you know I had an opinion about Bin Laden (warning - conservative content ahead)

I’m going to warn you all this post is going to be all over the place. Be prepared for an ADD-style post.

Okay, so the news comes out yesterday that Bin Laden is (finally) dead – shot in the left eye by Navy SEALS (based out of Virginia Beach – way to go boys back home!). I’m not saying it’s a bad thing he’s dead, however, it’s not reason to celebrate in the streets. It will get worse, someone will take over Al Quada – it’s not like you cut off the head and the body dies. No, it will regenerate, and be even more pissed off. Be prepared. I feel sorry for anyone flying in the next few days – the TSA is going to be crazy insane. (Which is funny because do you really think they are going to do it the same way a second time? Highly unlikely. But now is not the time for my reactive TSA-policies rant.)

My thoughts on Islam tradition
Last night, moments after the news was announced, they said the body was in U.S. custody. Which sent me into a tailspin because I fully believe that was wrong. I don’t care if you had to DNA test the body (yet other stories claim he was identified via facial recognition), Muslims have their own rituals regarding death, and I don’t care how much he was hated, he deserved as much to have his body handled in the way his religion dictated. Some people might argue that he didn’t deserve anything. That’s fine, believe what you want. But if it were a U.S. soldier who was killed, don’t you think we’d throw a fit if his body was not immediately shipped back here so we could do whatever it is that would need to be done?

I admit, I did make the low-blow joke on my Facebook page that, of course Obama will make sure the rituals are followed since he is a Muslim. Look, it was a joke. I don’t care what religion he is. This country was founded on religious tolerance. For the love of all things holy, let’s not be the biggest hypocrites in the world. (We get enough of that for other things.)

A story was placed on Reuters that Obama was making sure to adhere to Muslim traditions. According to the news this morning, he was buried at sea 12 hours after his death.

Of course, no one knows if the traditions regarding prayers and body cleansing were followed. By all rights, doesn’t his family deserve to be the ones to dispose of the body and not the U.S. government? That just seems a little cocky on our part.

I did read a story that ripped them to shreds for burying him at sea, as it was not Islamic custom. I did a little bit more internet digging – and whereas it’s not the preferred method (as is evidenced by the Wiki site this story quoted), it is an option if it is feared that an enemy may dig up the grave and exhume the dead body and amputate its ears or nose or other limbs, it should be lowered into sea, if possible.

Other Muslim scholars are up in arms over it because burial at sea is only permitted if death occurred on a ship. I don’t claim to be a scholar of Islam, but I find it extremely arrogant on the part of the United States to have handled it. It was not our place. Particularly if those performing the act are not versed in Muslim culture (which, generally speaking, they are not – unless, of course, Obama really is Muslim).

The only way we could have provided a bigger slap in the face to the nation of Islam and its traditions is if we cremated the body, which is, in fact, not allowed. Period. End of story. But they have their rites and rituals and it is cocky as hell of us to say, “nope, sorry, cause he masterminded and funded multiple attacks on American citizens, we’re going to say the hell with your religion and do what we want.”

Okay … beat that one into the ground … of course, that is my biggest pet peeve regarding this whole thing.

Virginia Beach-based SEAL team did the deed
I’m very proud to have the ties to Virginia Beach I do, I always have been. I’m proud of our military and what they do, and I’m proud to have as much military in our family as we do. I think it’s awesome that a SEAL team from Virginia Beach did the deed.

However, one might need to remember, it might have been prudent to keep that information secret. As one of the posts on the story said, “These people have families here, and now they will be a target for violence.” I hope names are not released for that very reason.

If you think I’m grasping at straws for this one, think again. I happen to know someone whose husband was taken POW during the Iran Contra affair, and they lived in a perpetual state of paranoia. She never went to and from work the same way twice in a row, she received disturbing phone calls … and this was just because he was a POW, not someone who killed a prominent leader in a terrorist group. You have to think these guys, and their families, while heroes stateside, are the enemy to the members of the terrorist group.

Obama deserves no credit for this
Sorry guys, he didn’t pull the trigger. He doesn’t deserve to be heralded as the hero. Sure, he authorized the op – but any president, regardless of who it was, would have to, and would have. It’s not rocket science.

It’s a little too convenient
Alright now I get to go into conspiracy theory mode, because it’s fun.

Obama’s having a rough time. He’s getting shit on by the Republicans because of the economy. So, what’s he do? Release a birth certificate that he should have done FOUR YEARS AGO, which provides this dog and pony show over on the side to detract from the other issues for which he’s getting harped on.

But wait, that birth certificate thing didn’t go over as well as planned. People still think it’s fake. Oh no, what can I do? I know – let’s kill Bin Laden! Woot. Nothing like a dead terrorist to make me look like a hero as I kick off my re-election campaign. Someone, please, please give me money so I can run this country into the ground for another four years!

It just seems a little too well-timed. Could it be coincidence? Possibly. I’m not going to go out on a limb and say that I know for certain this was well-orchestrated in an attempt to boost Obama’s ratings. But it does seem rather well-timed for that, doesn’t it?

There are other theories, that Al Quada actually sacrificed Bin Laden. They let this happen. He had fallen out of favor with a lot of them. He was dying of kidney disease, maybe this was his way of martyring himself.

There’s also the theory, related to the kidney disease issue, that he’s been dead for awhile, and they chose to release it when they did, to boost Obama’s ratings (see above). I can understand where people came from on this one, it’s been rumored he was dead multiple times.

I don’t have one general belief over the other. But I’m skeptical to the point that I don’t think the timing was happenstance. I don’t know why, but it just seems too surreal that Osama Bin Laden is dead. It doesn’t seem right. The man successfully eluded capture for over 10 years, and he got shot in the eye during a fire fight in a $1 million home in Pakistan? Something doesn’t add up.

Media coverage (*climbing on a higher soapbox*)
Well-known fact #1: I have a Journalism degree.
Well-known fact #2: I have been a reporter, and rather enjoyed it.
Well-known fact #3: I do NOT like the general media – which is why I am currently not a part of it.

I hate the “we have to be the first to break the story so we’ll print whatever, regardless of validity and reliability of sources.” I hate the cut-throat tactics and lack of morals. I hate that the media is controlled by politics.

The point is to present the goings-on in an unbiased fashion. Present both sides of the story so the general public can make educated decisions.

But that’s not what happens.

Because the media is so heavily divided by party lines, conservatives get half the story (the one that paints the libs in a bad light) – libs get half the story (one that paints the conservatives in a bad light), and they end up fighting over who is right and who is wrong.

Really, I think someone missed the point somewhere.

All the conflicting information regarding Osama Bin Laden’s death that floated around last night – and still today – is disgusting. Further proof the media has lost touch with its original purpose.
(*climbing off super-high soapbox*)

Grow up
Look, I understand the hurt and the pain families suffered at the hands of Bin Laden as a result of 9/11. But I’ve said this for years, and I’ll say it again, you must heal. You must move on. Your loved ones wouldn’t want you to continue this way, and there’s no way you can successfully heal until you accept it and move forward. I’ve dealt with unexpected death. I’ve dealt with suckerpunches. You get up and keep going. If you let them consume you, the enemy wins. I don’t care what happens, if you’re still mired in all of this, they still win. Which is what they wanted. Don’t let them. Use it as a learning experience. Use it to grow. Don’t use it as a crutch, hindering you from actually living your life.

Now, I’m not saying to forget 9/11. It’s a reminder that we are not invincible and we have to be ever-vigilant. It was amazing to see people unite after this happened. Because of that fact, those people did not die in vain. It’s a shame that unity within our country had to come at such a great cost, and perhaps we should use that as a lesson.

American supremacy
I will close with the fact that I despise American supremacy. (I’m a full-blown isolationist. I fully believe in keeping our business to ourselves unless otherwise requested. And even then we must proceed with caution. Fuck Teddy Roosevelt’s big stick, let’s worry about our own problems at home before we start trying to fix everyone else’s.)

The reason other countries hate us is because we go in and say, “hey, you don’t do it the way we do, you are therefore wrong, and we will destroy you – but then help build you back up in the way we see fit.” It’s arrogant. It’s rude. It’s wrong.

Anyone who doesn’t see people rejoicing in the streets over a man’s death as arrogant is not paying attention. We rejoice in the wrong things. We don’t need to rub anyone’s face in anything, as we are not without sin and therefore we do not need to be casting stones. But we do. Cause we’re a super-power and we have nukes. Yeah, and? We will also have a huge death toll when it gets nasty – which it will.

Honestly, just because Bin Laden is dead does not mean we need to go around chanting, “U.S.A.” Perhaps, if we weren’t so fucking arrogant in the first place,  Al Quada wouldn’t have to exist and they wouldn’t have had to “teach us a lesson” on 9/11. But you know, what do I know? I’m just a conservative, and according to my liberal friends, am inherently wrong because of that fact.

Okay ... not gun-toting yet. But it'll happen. :)
(Grammar Nazi note, the lack of necessary hyphens
in this graphic drives me insane.)

I will end with a note here - I'm all about generating *intelligent* conversation and introducing multiple points of view. Let us, however, please keep it civil.

Random odes

For some reason I've been thinking in rhyme lately. So, I wrote some crappy poetry about random things. Special emphasis on the word "crappy." 

Ode to

Microsoft monopoly – Word, Internet Explorer, Powerpoint,
It all inundates me.
Oh, wait, have to upgrade cause it’s all new,
Rushed to market, plagued with flaws, the sad truth.
But still we have to have it to function,
However it won’t be compatible cross-platform.
Oh, look, an e-mail featuring pictures of cute kids,
Launches a killer virus, that’s all it did.
Now we reboot in safe mode, nope – reinstall
Lost all my data, pictures and all.
Stable you say, ha, blue screen again and again,
Makes me decide to call Linux my friend.

Ode to Shoes 

Shoes, shoes, shoes
Boots, boots, boots
You say I have enough, but no
I’m sure I can find something to go.
Come on, they are longing to have a good home
On my feet is perfect, going wherever I roam.
It’s a sale, I can’t pass it up, the deal is too great
They are awesome, I don’t care what you say.
Cause I’m not asking you to put them on your feet,
Just to whip out the Visa, cause it’s everywhere you want to be!

Ode to Mid-term Elections

I hate politics, the month leading to elections
Your idiotic rants sure aren’t helping my decisions.
Aqua Buddha, pro-life, anti-guns, anti-education
It’s the classic  damned if you don’t, damned if you do,
Not a word out of any of the candidates mouths is true.
Fact is, I can’t wait until November third,
Election winners rubbing it in, flipping the losers the bird.
Then we sit back and wait for the disillusionment to set in,
And next November we do it all again.

Plastic bags make the news - what is the world coming to?

California rejects ban on plastic shopping bag

Yeah, like I could pass this one up. I mean, the theory here is a good one, but the execution is lacking. It's just one more instance of stupid quotes coming out of people's mouths when a reporter is around. (Here's a hint: As a former reporter, I can assure you that we really enjoy the opportunity to make people look stupid in print - watch what you say to eliminate that pleasure from the job, okay?)

California's lawmakers have rejected a bill that would have been the first statewide ban on plastic shopping bags.
For a state in economic crisis, they chose to spend their time on this? Really?

The Democratic bill, which failed on a 14-21 vote late Tuesday, had drawn fierce opposition from the plastic bag manufacturing industry, which spent heavily on ads attacking the measure as a jobs killer.
Here’s a shock – a ban on just about anything will be a job killer. A ban on trash kills work release for prisoners. A ban on bad movies is a job killer for D-list actors. A ban on unhealthy foods is a job killer for anyone flipping burgers. You see where I’m going with this.

"Communities across the state were waiting for the state to adopt a uniform, statewide ban on single-use bags before they adopt their own ordinances. The state failed them."
If the communities can implement their own policies, why is this an issue? If you read further, a few communities even have.


Oh yeah, and when has California ever done anything but fail? I'm just sayin'...

The bill …would have barred grocery stores, large pharmacies and retailers such as Target and Walmart that sell food from offering plastic bags in 2012. The ban would have extended to convenience stores, drugstores and mom-and-pop shops in 2013. Consumers would have had to carry their goods in reusable bags or buy recycled paper ones at store cost.
Is it just me, or is reading about things in the future written in past tense just a little annoying? Oh sure, the bill didn’t pass so technically it’s past tense because these things will never happen.

Shennanigans.

We didn’t think the healthcare bill was going to happen. But Obama worked his Democratic-back-door-politic magic and – boom – it passed. So just because it was rejected doesn’t mean it’s dead forever. Especially when the Democrats are involved.

Environmental groups have long lobbied for statewide bans, but only local ones have passed. The California cities of San Francisco, Malibu, Palo Alto and Fairfax have approved bans, and North Carolina banned single-use plastic and non-recyclable bags last year in the Outer Banks. In January, Washington, D.C., began requiring grocery stores to charge a nickel for disposable grocery bags.
Charging for bags isn’t a new concept, there’s a store back in Virginia Beach that has done that for a long time – which is one of the reasons my mom didn’t like shopping there. But seriously people, bring your own or pay a nickel, it’s not that big a deal. I personally prefer the canvas bags, I can carry a whole lot more in fewer bags – but that being said, I do frequently forget to take them to the store. Getting charged for the crappy plastic bags might help deter that.

HOWEVER … the plastic bags are not just used once and thrown away – at least in my house. They are the poor-man’s lunch bag (when a nice, insulated lunch bag just isn’t your thing) and they are great for use when cleaning the cat pan. If people can’t find additional uses for these bags, they really aren’t trying. (Also make great packing material in a pinch.) Ohhh, or how about this?

Photo lifted from blogspot.craftzine.com.
These plastic bag animals made out of discarded
plastic bags and tied to subways grates.
As the subway passes by, the plastic bag animal inflates

Without a statewide ban, he said stores will face a potential patchwork of dozens of varying local ordinances that could cause "chaos and customer confusion."
I have worked with the general public, in a retail setting, and I don’t care what you do, there will always be chaos and customer confusion. Not a valid argument. Next.

"This issue is not going away," Fong said. "The future is in reusable bags. It's the right thing to do."
Man, I thought children were our future. This dude and Whitney really need to get together and hammer this out. This might cause chaos and confusion too.

To garner more support, Brownley also removed a provision that would have charged customers a nickel to buy a recycled paper bag. The revised version allows retailers to charge only what it costs them to buy the bags.
I don’t care if you are going to charge me a penny or a nickel or a dollar – ain’t happening. Roaches like those things and I don’t like roaches. Nope, nope, nope.

Despite the tweaks, the Virginia-based American Chemistry Council spent millions in lobbying fees, radio ads and a prime-time TV ad attacking the measure, reports the Associated Press. The group, which represents plastic bag makers including Dow Chemical Co. and ExxonMobil Corp, helped sink Seattle's effort last year to charge 20-cents for using each plastic or paper grocery bag,
Um, yeah, cause Dow Chemical Co. and ExxonMobil are going to go under if you take away the plastic bag manufacturing aspect of their operations.

Keith Christman, managing director of the group's plastic markets, says the bill will only exacerbate California's economic problems by putting 1,000 plastic bag workers out of jobs, taxing consumers for paper bags and creating a "bag police" at a time when teachers are getting furloughed.
Hey, you may be putting 1,000 plastic bag workers out of a job, but if you just employ them as the “bag police,” you negate that and the unemployment rate stays the same. Hallelujah, problem solved.

Given the state's severe woes, he says, "there are other things California can do."
Like fall into the Pacific Ocean?

I'd be remiss to skip this one

Acquaintances 'shocked' at film student's arrest in Muslim stabbing

Really, if you know me at all, I can't skip the New-York-Taxi-Cab-Driver-Stabbing incident. Especially because the irony is just too much for a sarcastic person like me to ignore.


 




A film student suspected of stabbing a New York cab driver after learning the driver was Muslim was described Thursday as someone who worked to build bridges across religious and ethnic boundaries.
Yeah, it’s always the ones you least expect…

The New York-based organization is aimed at promoting peace across faith and racial boundaries.
Well, maybe they should take a better look at the membership requirements. I’m just saying.

"Everyone was shocked and dumbfounded because of the nature of the crime and because of our experience with him here," Chase said. "It is sadly ironic."
Really, are they going to actually come out and say, “It was just a matter of time, he hated Muslims, especially ones who drove cabs. In fact, I’m surprised it took this long.”

Honestly, this is the only reaction anyone could have. If I got arrested for attacking someone, would any of you say you weren’t shocked and dumbfounded? (Okay, maybe I’m not the best example here.)

He said Enright volunteered on Intersections International's Veteran-Civilian Dialogue program, which addresses trauma faced by returning veterans and encourages them to share their stories with civilians as well as each other.
Well, the guy he stabbed wasn’t a veteran. Now, if the guy had been a veteran who was a cab driver, then I would have been a bit more surprised.

"He was intrigued by the concept and started participating and then volunteering. Enright became involved in the work we do -- building bridges across race, culture and religion and forging common ground for reconciliation and peace," Chase said.
He’s also intrigued by the notion of tearing down those bridges. What good is building something if you can’t enjoy tearing it back down?

"The whole thing is unfathomable. He's a good guy. His work has been responsible. He's been diligent and hardworking."
He’s been diligent and hardworking – at learning Arabic so he can lull them into a false sense of security before attempting to kill them. Hey, you have to do your homework before committing any sort of crime.

Meanwhile, the cab driver, Ahmed Sharif, is scheduled to hold a news conference on the steps of City Hall. Beforehand, he is to meet with New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, according to the mayor's schedule.
Fifteen seconds of fame, here we come. And now he’ll get some sort of huge payout from the city of New York just because some guy who got in his cab is a moron. Wow. Welcome to America.

"I feel very sad," Sharif said in a statement released by the New York Taxi Workers Alliance. "I have been here more than 25 years. I have been driving a taxi more than 15 years. All my four kids were born here. I never [felt] this hopeless and insecure before."
You lived in New York and didn’t feel hopeless and insecure? Are we talking about the same place? I feel hopeless and insecure just thinking about New York.

Enright is facing charges of second-degree attempted murder as a hate crime, second-degree assault as a hate crime, second-degree aggravated harassment as a hate crime and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon…
And one count of being a racist prick.

The suspect "started out friendly, asking Mr. Sharif about where he was from, how long he had been in America, if he was Muslim and if he was observing fast during Ramadan," Desai said.
Wow, is a Ramadan already? I’m out of the loop. That’s what happens when your only Muslim friend moves an hour away and you never see her.

Then, after a few minutes of silence, Desai said Enright started cursing at Sharif and shouted "Assalamu Alaikum, consider this a checkpoint," before slashing him. Assalamu Alaikum is an Arabic greeting that means "peace be upon you."
Yeah, I got nothing here. It speaks for itself.

Bleeding heavily, Sharif was able to escape and flag down a police officer who arrested Enright, Desai said.
I’m quite surprised he didn’t try to stab the cop. Or at least shout obscenities at him. It so would have made for a better story. (My faith in humanity is shot, of this I am aware. I blame Mel Gibson.)

"I must take this opportunity to remind New Yorkers that we cannot and will not allow bias and ignorance to infect our communities and deny our hard-working, innocent residents the respect they deserve," New York Gov. David Paterson said in a statement.
It bothers me just a bit that New Yorkers have to be reminded about this. Sounds like David Paterson has lost his faith in humanity too. I still blame Mel Gibson.

At the news conference, Sharif plans to call for an end to anti-Muslim rhetoric that has followed the proposed construction of an Islamic cultural center and mosque.
I’d be shocked if he didn’t.

“I really think you need to attack all the Muslims. Let us know how you really feel. I mean, after all, we are jackasses and deserve it.” I mean, really? Did they really have to point this out?

The center is planned two blocks from the site of the September 11, 2001, terror attacks.
"Right now, the public sentiment is very serious because of the ground zero mosque debate," Sharif said.
Actually, I think this is a perfect argument against the Ground Zero mosque, myself. After all, let’s not build a huge, attention-getting central location for all of the Muslims to meet up – and all of the Muslim-haters to easily find them. It’s not rocket science people.

All joking aside – this country was founded on religious freedom and tolerance. That is all.

Liberals beware...

Obama good at politicking

Best. Article. Ever. (If you’re not a liberal.)

Okay, so, yeah, if you’re a lib, run … now. Don’t read this one. But I can’t read an article like that and not blog about it. It’s just too freakin’ good.

So, to please Tara, let’s dissect this, okay?

CNN political analyst Gloria Borger recently posed a question: "How does the great communicator, Barack Obama, lose a communications battle?"

I thought Abraham Lincoln was always called “the great communicator.” Seriously, how can someone even remotely lump Lincoln and Obama into the same group, save for the fact they are both people and both have held the job of president? Oh, and both were lawyers.

The conventional perceptions of Obama were flawed from the outset.

I’ve been saying that all along.

It's now plainly silly to place Obama beside the great communicators of the television age.

Someone else sees it too? Holding up your hand and saying, “Yes, we can,” does not a great communicator make. And I thought I was the only one.

Does Obama simply have poor political instincts?

Well, does saying we have 53 states count as poor political instincts?
Does opening mouth and inserting foot about John McCain attacking your Muslim faith count as poor political instincts?

There is the failure to seize upon, if not lead, during defining moments.

You know, W. got accused of this all the time, and I have always felt Obama was just as bad. Glad I’m not the only one who thought that. I mean, yeah, it’s not “Mission Accomplished,” but the man does seem to be more obsessed with leading the headlines about vacationing or hanging out with famous people than leading this country. In my opinion, anyway.

The expressions of American mistakes abroad. Not said from a position of strength. But said at a time when America was confronting its own national weakness.

Yeah, I had a problem with that. Sure, I hate American-centric people who are like, “We’re the best there is, the best there ever was, worship us.” But at the same time, you cannot be the leader we elected to represent us abroad and then basically tell them, “Oops, we did it, we’re guilty, we’re sorry. We’ll do better next time.” That just shows weakness. Yeah, let’s expose our weaknesses and see how long it takes for us to get attacked on home soil again.

There were the impotent uses of power.

God love an article about Obama that uses the word impotent. Epic win.

The fruitless chase of GOP moderates on healthcare.

My opinion on universal healthcare aside (because I’ll go on that rant if you want me to, but I don’t really think it’s necessary here and now), you do have to wonder about that. I mean, the Democrats have a super-majority right now. (As Jon Stewart said, “It’s a bear with chainsaws for paws.”) How the hell could he not get his stupid bill passed easily and quickly? Why did he have to use backdoor politics to pull it off? I mean, just when it disappeared from major news and we all thought it was dead, here he comes with this major “win” by passing a healthcare reform bill.

The presumptuous firing of Shirley Sherrod.

The whole Shirley Sherrod thing was a mess. Talk about jumping to conclusions. Now, personally, I hate the fact the stuff was taken out of context – but at the same time, I find it somewhat appalling that someone in a position of power still felt like that just 20 years ago. However, that not withstanding, Obama should have been a little more understanding before jumping on the anti-Shirley bandwagon. When she did get her time to speak with him a couple days later, the two talked for seven minutes. Seven whole minutes. Wow, nothing like setting time aside for the people in your country, there Obama. What a great, caring, understanding and empathetic leader you are.

Obama defended the right to have the mosque near Ground Zero. But the day after, he refused to comment on whether it was right. By midweek, Obama said he had no regrets. The law professor would not further incriminate himself.

The law professor would not further incriminate himself. Well, just because he’s not a good leader doesn’t mean he’s completely stupid. But, you know, we can read between the lines – and the more silent you are, the more we’re going to read there, buddy.

Obama could have taken the principled stand on the mosque. It would not have been popular. But the principled stand can outlive the popular stand. It becomes a testament to character.

Character? Presidents are supposed to have character? Really?

Liberals were left without the moral leadership they crave. Americans were left without the character they respect.

Holy crap, are they saying what I think they are saying? That he let down everyone – even those libs who love him? Say it ain’t so.

Where is the communicator we thought we knew? More aptly put, was he ever the man they thought they knew?

Answer: No, he was never who you thought. Lesson one: politicians are never who they seem. That’s why they are politicians. Lesson two: he was put on a pedestal unnecessarily and without substantiation. He’ll never live up to the hype that way.

Could even a Ronald Reagan have beaten a Democrat two years ago?

Nope, Mickey Mouse could have run as the Democratic candidate and would still win. I mean, Obama didn’t win because he was the better candidate or because he had better ideas – he won because he wasn’t a Republican. Plain and simple. And you can fight me on this all you want, but that’s the long and short of it and you know it. There are other issues at hand, yes. But a majority of the people who voted for him, did so because he was not what was there before.

It is forgotten how clumsily Obama dealt with the rare obstacle.

People see what they want to see. They wanted to see how freakin’ wonderful he was, so they forgot that. People like me, we don’t ever want to see the good, so we choose to remember the 53 states comment.

This is a candidate who first sustained majority support after the market crashed on September 15. Yet Obama focused his first year on myriad liberal dreams over the economic crisis. Unlike most Americans, his priorities did not change with the crisis. Obama never even offered the great speech to match this Great Recession.

Just sign another stimulus bill, no worries. It’ll all be okay. No need to change your priorities.

He simply falls far short of the hype.

Truer words have never been spoken.

This is the same man who, on the cusp of his national address at the 2004 Democratic convention, told a reporter "I'm LeBron, baby."

Yeah, do we need to point out what a douche LeBron has been lately? Hmmm. Nice correlation now that I think about it…

"I'm pretty good at politicking," Obama recently told supporters at a fundraiser.

In your head, maybe.
And just because you’re good at politicking, does not make you a good President. Plain and simple.

Prop 8 defeated (until the appeal) ... I propose Prop 16

* Disclaimer: This is my little piece of the world wide web, and I can use it to climb on my soapbox. That being said, for some reason, it can get a bit ... uhh, dodgy. If you're at work, or foul language offends you, stop reading now. If, however, you can stand the heat, feel free to walk into the kitchen, take a seat, eat a cookie...





Ahhhh, good ol' Prop 8. Defeated by the courts a year and a half after it was voted on by the general public. A good day, indeed.

First of all, let me just share how surprised I am that Prop 8 passed. I mean, it passed in November 2008, which is the same time Obama, a mixed-race, Kenyan-born (or something like that, I only half-paid attention to all that crap) Chicago politician was elected to the White House. Now, if this country has evolved enough to accept a black man in the White House, how the hell is it possible that this bill passed in that same election? Does not fuckin' compute.

We've come a long way, actually. In the 60s, black people couldn't even ride in the front of the bus. (Though, to be fair, why would they want to? All the "cool kids" rode in the back...) Interracial couples were the devil incarnate. And now it's commonplace.

Now, don't get me wrong here, I'm conservative. Though, as I have learned, I'm a very middle-of-the-road conservative. Especially in that I will not support Prop 8, and I'm glad it was overturned.

Ten years ago, yep, I would have been the biggest bigot in the world. No, they don't deserve to be married. Homosexuality is wrong. OMG, the horror!

Ten-years-ago-me was wrong. There's a big world out there, full of fascinating people that you will never get the chance to meet, get to know, and love if you have such a narrow-minded view of things. Just because I am straight and have a "traditional" marriage doesn't mean that I don't want any of my gay friends to have the same luxury. Quite the contrary - they should have to go through nasty, bitter divorces too! (Just look at Melissa Ethridge and Tammy Lynn Michaels. Who, might I add, I am pulling for Tammy in all of this.)

All that being said, I am just sickened by some of the comments I've read from narrow-minded individuals in regards to Prop 8 being overturned. From a legal standpoint, I don't know how it got passed in the first place. Marriage is not a legal institution. (Yes, there are marriage licenses and laws against polygamy, yada yada yada, but the actual notion of marriage has no basis in the court system.) The real relationship, the love, the bickering, the make-up sex ... it has nothing to do with that piece of paper or whatever is on file at the local courthouse.

Hey, I've got an idea ... Prop 16 (cause it's double 8, so why not) ... let's just eliminate the legal aspects of marriage altogether. That should keep us from the unconstitutionality of Prop 8, and save us from any potential issues, should they creep up. Plus, it means everyone gets equal treatment ... cause there's nothing there.

Eh, I've got issues with divorce and people turning into total assholes about it. If we eliminate the whole legal aspect of marriage, turning relationships into basic free-for-alls, then divorce could just be a cage match. Winner gets the TV, the house, the dog and the kids. It's that simple.

This idea is sounding better and better all the time ... because this would free up the court systems from bitter, drawn-out divorce and/or child custody proceedings. Woohoo. Make way for the real lawsuits. You know the ones I'm talking about - like when you spill hot coffee on your lap and need to sue McDonald's for all they've got because they served you the hot coffee you requested (the nerve!).

Now .... back to a serious note ... to all the haters out there, shut the fuck up. Period. End of story. You have no right to judge someone because of who they love. You deserve love, right? Why should they be any different? And why the hell should it even be "they"? We are all people. There should be no "us" and "them." No "the gays" and "the straights." Grow up and accept the fact that we are all the same. It's the differences that make us special, the differences that make the world go-round. Wouldn't life be boring if everyone shared your narrow-minded view of things? Count me out.

It's 2010, why do we have to hide behind closet doors?

Okay, so there was a story posted about Chely Wright finally coming out of the closet, and being the first country music singer to do so. Congratulations to her. (I hope Kenny Chesney pays attention and follows suit. He can tell himself he's straight all he wants, and he can even date that nurse Amy what's-her-name in Nashville, but you can't deny who you are. I'm just sayin'...)

Here's the thing... it's 2010. I don't think that I even like the term "coming out." It makes it seem like something they should be ashamed of. Why should anyone be ashamed of who they love? Trust me, I didn't always fall for the "right" guys in my past, but I was never ashamed of the fact I was with them. That seems sort of counter-intuitive to creating a relationship. I can only imagine how counter-intuitive to hide your choices like that.

Why can't we all just get along? Why can't you love who you want to love without others casting stones?

Yeah, pull out the biblical references from Leviticus. The fact of the matter (and I've alluded to this in earlier posts) - the only real sin is not acknowledging Jesus as your Savior and believing in him. It doesn't say that being gay will keep you out of heaven. Quite frankly, if it will, it's between a man and his maker, and between the two of them only. Period, end of story. (Once again, don't ask who the atheists answer to, I have no idea. Guess they can make up their own rules about everything.)

I just think that in this land of so-called tolerance, we're nowhere near as tolerant as we should be. Gay is a synonym for happy. It seems so wrong that so many homosexual men and women have to live a secret life, live a lie ... that seems the complete opposite of happy. To think about it one way, seems like they get screwed out of happiness, don't you think?

Now, I admit I am straight. It is who I am. But you know, if being gay is who someone is, who am I to tell them it's wrong? Who am I to say, "You can't love that person because you have the wrong plumbing?" Why turn myself into a bigot and make someone unhappy at the same time - that's a lose-lose situation if you ask me. And dear God, there are so many other things in this world that we need to put our attention on, let's not cast stones on someone because of who they love. It's not worth the pain and heartache.

Back to my original point. If we can live in a country that elected an African-American president (who, I admittedly don't like, but that's a whole separate issue), why can't we live in a country where gays don't have to hide behind closet doors? It just seems so ... well, so 1950s. We had the civil rights movement to get equal opportunity for African-Americans and while there's still discrimination in some places, we are light years away from the days of segregation. African-Americans, the Jewish folks, Asians ... they don't have to live in fear anymore, they don't have to hide, why do the gays? Those who don't hide, why do they have to live with the ridicule? Let's get with the times people.

Hiding behind the Bible won't help

Okay, so I have my beliefs. I have my faith. I keep them tucked away and pull them out and play them when necessary.

Much to the Baptists' dismay, I am not a "preach until you're blue in the face in order to convert them" person. If someone asks, sure, I'll share ... but not until then. I don't believe in forcing my beliefs and religion.

And I sure as hell don't believe in quoting the Bible in order to justify asinine thoughts and ideas. I always hated the Mormon commercial on TV back in the day that showed an open Bible and two passages were highlighted ... but read as if they were one, to make it sound like the Bible supported the crazy dude who found the golden tablets behind a rock. Oh, but see, that's not how it really worked. There was text in between those two passages that was eliminated for these purposes... it's like qualitative research data, you can twist it to make it say whatever you want. (But my gripe about Dr. Lindloff and his crazy research is a whole separate tirade indeed.)

So, to start the day, I see a link on my friend's Facebook page to a story, and his comment to accompany the story is simple, "Asshole." I don't think that begins to describe the dude. The long and the short is that this bastage from Virginia believes that children with disabilities are God's way to punish people who have had abortions - because, apparently, it's widely known that the first-born is sacred and if you harm that first-born in anyway, then you will be punished with a child who has special needs the next time you decide to screw around without protection.

Now, in all my years of going to church ... in all my years of listening to boring sermons that, admittedly, went in one ear and out the other most Sundays ... in all my years of randomly picking up the Bible and reading a verse or two when the mood struck, NEVER have I ever seen anything about God punishing people by burdening them with a child who has special needs. I mean, maybe I missed it, but I always thought God punished us by sending us to burn in Hell ... and maybe a cruel dose of irony now and then, but really? This guy believes this?

So, of course, it does beg the question ... are all special needs children born to parents who aborted what would have been their first-born? What if a woman aborted a child, but it was not her first-born - is she still to be punished with a special needs child? Ohhhh, by this douchbag's rationale, obviously Sarah Palin must have had an abortion early on and Trig is her punishment. (Don't you think what she does to herself every time she opens her mouth as of late is punishment enough?)

Okay, so enough of that guy, because if I go on too much more about that, my head just might explode.

So, that's open-mouth-insert-foot-but-justify-with-Bible moment of the day, act one. Brief intermission and my internet surfing lands me on this gem:

“The Bible says that marriage is between a man and a woman. In Leviticus it says, ‘If man lies with mankind as he would lie with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death and their blood shall be upon them.’ The Bible is pretty black and white,” Ashley told Pop Tarts.

“I feel like God himself created mankind and he loves everyone, and he has the best for everyone. If he says that having sex with someone of your same gender is going to bring death upon you, that’s a pretty stern warning, and he knows more than we do about life.”

Okay, look, I know the Bible does say horrible things about the gays. It does. But the Bible also says that God loves everyone ... and the only true sin is not believing in him, and those who don't are the ones who will burn in hell. I don't really think the lyrics of "Jesus Loves Me This I Know" go like this:

Jesus loves me this I know,
For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to him belong,
Unless they're gay, that is so wrong.

But you know, I could be wrong. I don't go to church a whole lot these days. What about "Jesus Loves the Little Children"?

Jesus loves the little children,
All the children of the world.
Red and yellow, black and white
They are precious in his sight (unless they are gay)
Jesus loves the little children of the world

Alright, I'm getting off-topic by re-writing VBS classics. My point is simply this: taking the Bible out of context to promote your own agenda, however prejudice it may be, is not the way to go. Sure the Bible lays down the law on a lot of things (after all, it's wrong to kill and covet thy neighbor's wife), but it also has stories of love, compassion and acceptance.

And here's a SHOCKER ... Jesus, the Messiah, came to die for your sins (including opening your big mouth you dumbass) and wipe your slate clean. This means that if homosexuality is indeed a sin (which it probably is because, well, think about how the "seven deadly sins" put a cabash on everything), Jesus' death on the cross wiped that sin clean for them. Yay for Jesus.

So, little genius child, Miss Beverly Hills (who, ironically enough, the city of Beverly Hills does not acknowledge in the least), they are not going to burn in hell because they love someone of the same sex. You have no place to damn them to hell for who they love. Period. END OF STORY. Furthermore, if having gay sex will bring death upon them, I'm sure a lot of them will say "bring it" because they will go to Heaven and be in a much better place, one that doesn't have people like Lauren Ashley in it.

Now ... you are sitting here asking yourself that if I'm a little church girl like I seem to imply, aren't I a homophobe too? Nope. There was a point in my life when I would actually have admitted that. But that was when I had a much more narrow view of things. Now I've come to accept that you are who you are, and I will be damned if anyone has the right to control who you love. I am straight, but that doesn't mean it's the only option out there. I mean, shoot, I like milk chocolate, but that doesn't mean there aren't other flavors of chocolate out there that other people enjoy. I believe that in the end, EVERYONE will have to answer to their maker (whoever they believe it to be), and that's who gets to do the final judging. Not me. Not Miss Beverly Hills. Not some douchebag from Virginia. Believe me, no amount of shielding themselves with the Bible will protect them when they come face-to-face with their God. (What about the Athiests. I don't know. Don't make me think that hard, it's almost two in the morning for God's sake.)

Am I perfect? Not on your life. Am I casting stones. Sure I am. Did I whip out my faith and share without being asked (contrary to what I said at the beginning)? But it's my blog and I'm entitled to do it (eh, no one reads it anyway). The Bible grants me a First Amendment right to the freedom of speech ... oh, wait a minute .... no, that's something else entirely. :)

Long time no blog

Okay, so it's been awhile since I've blogged on anything. I don't know why, there have been plenty of things in life to make fun of or whine about.

But right now I'm so pissed off over this Family Guy-Sarah Palin war. Geez, everyone needs to get over it.

First, let me start by saying that I can't stand Family Guy - I think it's stupid 95% of the time. Second, I'm not a Palin fan. I'm not a Palin supporter. I'd like to consider myself an unbiased third party.

So, with that being said ... seriously, Sarah, SHUT UP. Quit your whining. OMG, you are upset because a character with Down's Syndrome on a cartoon (who, coincidentally was voiced by a person with Down's Syndrome) said, "My mother is the former governor of Alaska." Umm, well, here's the truth, don't you think that Trig might be saying that 16 years from now? (On second thought, after the way you quit your job, he might not want to brag about that.)

It's not like the line was, "My mother was the woman who screwed John McCain's election to the presidency," or "My mother was the governor of Alaska until she quit amid speculation her husband did most of the thinking for her," or even "My mother was the governor of Alaska until she cashed out to join Fox News to make comments about stuff she doesn't have a clue about." Honestly. There was no real dig at Palin here. Or, honestly her kid. I mean, shoot, as I understand it (because I didn't see it), the character with Down's Syndrome turns Chris into her personal bitch. It's not like she was mocked because of her disability.

Now ... let's address the fact that the character was voiced by a person with Down's Syndrome. First and foremost, don't you think if she found the role to be offensive to someone with Down's Syndrome, she wouldn't have taken it in the first place? Who are you to jump on the "let's protect the feelings of those with Down's Syndrome" bandwagon if you don't know how they feel ... not even your own son since he can't even talk yet. I mean, sheesh.

Onto my favorite part, where the chick who voiced the character took a dig at Palin, stating that her mom "never carried her under her arm like a loaf of French bread to gain sympathy and votes." Woohoo. Go Down's Syndrome girl. Said what I was thinking. I mean, I don't understand why she carried him around like that in public. I don't even carry my kid around like that unless she twists in my arms making it so. I wouldn't knowingly pick her up that way. Second, I hated the fact she used sympathy about her daughter being pregnant or the fact she had a son with Down's Syndrome in order to try to illicit votes and support. Michelle Obama (much as I can't stand her), had it right when she was asked about the Bristol Palin situation and she said it was completely wrong to bring someone's kids into it. Using someone's innocent kids as ammo is wrong, as is parading them around to get the sympathy vote. (And the fact of the matter is that Palin knew he had Down's Syndrome before he was born. She had the option to terminate ... and she knew the risks before getting pregnant at that age anyway. So don't use him to hide behind like a shield, you knew the risks, you knew what you were getting into ... don't freakin' act like it was a surprise.)

Enough about Sarah Palin. Going on a rant like that against a republican is making me feel a bit like a democrat, and I sure as hell don't want that. (Though, may I just point out that I've often told people I may be registered as a republican, but to be honest, I follow whoever I feel has the best ideas and will make the most positive impact on our country. I did not vote for Obama because I didn't believe in his ideas - not because he was (half) black or a democrat. Just to clear that up. I didn't really like McCain either. I wanted to vote for Mickey Mouse.)

Now, onto Family Guy. Seriously, that show is one of the stupidest shows on TV. (The Cleveland Show is worse, though, created by the same people, so what's that say?) I don't like it, there's no real plot and the jokes are always random tangents. However, I do respect their right to freedom of speech. There was no harm done to anyone's reputation because of this, and just because someone finds it "tasteless" (which I believe is merit-less, see above), doesn't mean they don't have the right to make the joke. I absolutely love The Daily Show and they make low-blow comments about just about anyone and everyone. And that's why I love it. Nothing is sacred, they are (in their words) "equal-opportunity offenders." And so is The Family Guy.

Regardless of how I feel about Family Guy, the overwhelming public opinion is that they like it. After all, it was cancelled and then brought back due to popular demand. You can't argue with that. And if you don't like it, you don't find it funny, or you disagree with the fact they make fun of people then DON'T WATCH IT. Scott DVRs it because he knows I don't want to watch it. Yeah, occasionally I see it, but it's not like I have to do 40 Hail Marys and take a shower to immediately purge my body and mind of its filth. Believe me, I've seen movies that were a bazillion times worse. And more offensive. (The Ringer, anyone? But yet the Special Olympics supported that one completely.)

Sigh.

*climbing off soapbox now*

Like it, love it, hate it ... this country is all about tolerance, so you best just shut up and tolerate it.