Thursday, June 21, 2007

Bomb the World

To borrow a phrase from one-hit wonderland, things that make you go hmm:

The Pentagon will spend $78 billion (yes, with a B) on military research this year. This month an Ohio Air Force lab requested $7.5 million to build a "gay bomb," not to worry though, it is nonlethal (unless you happen to be a fundamentalist wingnut). This bomb would "encourage enemies to make love, not war. The weapon would use strong aphrodisiacs to make enemy troops so sexually attracted to each other that they'd lose interest in fighting." Let that sink in for a moment……


Ok, are you done laughing? No? I'll give you some more time to get your shit together…..


How 'bout now? All better? Good!

If the military were able to construct such a weapon I think the first 'enemy' it should be used on is King George followed by all the little bushies.

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Fuck the Apathetic Bullshittas

To blog or not to blog, that is the question I've been trying to answer lately. You see, I've started at least six posts but I always seem to hit a wall; I consider myself a word whore yet I can't find the right ones to express myself here. Before my computer crashed a few years ago I would sit down at my keyboard and just type, the subject didn't matter. It was cathartic that act of simply allowing my thoughts to exit my brain via my fingertips. I never thought about what I was typing or what people would think about it. The posts I have started have been, for the most part, angry rants and I didn't want this blog to be known as The Angry Dyke.

The fact is, I am angry, no I am pissed the fuck off! The last 3 years (computer-less years) have been blissfully ignorant; I've gotten all my news from the major networks and the occasional cable outlet. With those newscasts I learned more than I ever wanted to know about Anna-Nicole Smith and Paris Hilton except why they were/are breaking news. Both became famous because a shit-load of people saw them naked and evidently that is way more important than a naked detainee handcuffed, lying on a wet floor in Abu Ghraib, with an interrogator shoving things up his ass. No, the American people do not need to see the video of an American soldier in uniform sodomizing a female detainee; we need to see Paris fucking her boyfriend!

The following is a conversation I had with my father after the torture scandal at Abu Ghraib broke:

Dad: I don't get what the big deal is, don't you think they would do worse things to our people if given the chance?

Me: But Dad, we are supposed to be Americans; therefore we should hold ourselves to higher standards.

Dad: Those sand-niggers are chopping off the heads of our people on video and all we did was make them put underwear on their heads and take a few pictures of it!

Me: The Geneva Convention, which we helped to create, prohibits torture of any kind.

Dad: Being forced to wear underwear on their heads is not torture.

Me: Humiliation and degradation are against The Geneva Convention and it doesn't matter what they do, if we stoop to that level we are no better than they are.

I wonder if Dad would have made those same arguments if the network news had truly covered the atrocities committed instead of giving us the watered-down version.

Being back online has made me realize just how apathetic I had become and I'd much rather be perceived as an angry dyke than an apathetic bulshitta.

Saturday, June 2, 2007

Tolerance

Michael Franti is my newest obsession. Do yourselves a favor; check out his newest album, Yell Fire!

A child is born, and a mamma's torn
About the life that it's bound to live
A sun and moon and a modest home
Is all they're asking the Lord to give
But politics and big events they never seem to notice the little guy
So make a plan or simply hold a hand but don't ever be a passerby

Tolerance or violence and the whole world goes to war
Is one enough or is one too many
Before we say, "No More"
Could you ever love a pot of gold?
Could you ever love another lonely soul?
And could you ever find a love that was oceans wide?
Could you ever find love in another stranger's eyes?

Give a little
Tolerance, tolerance
We need you more and more
So lend a hand or hold a friend
That's in need of a life support
Draw a picture, share a whisper
Anyway that you can rise above
And when the end is near who is gonna volunteer
To be the last one to die for love?

Tolerance or violence and the whole world goes to war
Is one enough or is one too many
Before we say, "No More"
no more, no more, no more, no more.

Sunday, May 27, 2007

Politics, Religion, Corruption…Oh My!

So, Jerry Falwell was buried on Tuesday and all the pundits are talking about how the Religious Right has lost its strong-hold on our political leaders. On a message board that I belong to there is a raging debate on whether queer people should celebrate his passing or not. On political blogs such as The Huffington Post there are posts that celebrate his death as well as posts that call for the LGBT community to forgive Falwell.

I suppose I fall in the middle, I just can't bring myself to celebrate his death but I am far from forgiving him. I like to believe that what separates me from people like him is that I know what it means to be humane while they have lost their humanity. But hey, if people want to dance on his grave I totally get it and wish them well.

What I really don't get are the queer people out there who think that somehow the hateful rhetoric that Falwell (and others of his ilk) spewed has made our fight easier. I agree that people like him helped to galvanize the queer community like nothing else had since Stonewall, however, I believe queers had made a lot of progress between 1969-79 that was virtually halted when Ronald Reagan (no, he is not a god!) was elected and Mr. Falwell played a large part in that. How many of the 980,000 people in North America living with HIV/AIDS in the early 80's died because our President couldn't even utter the word AIDS? Sadly, we'll never know, just as we'll never know how many families could've been saved had the supposed leader of the free-world stood up for them.

On the political side, (as if the above paragraphs aren't political, huh?) 'Spin' is still the in thing in DC and both sides of the aisle are taking it to new heights! Hillary can't seem to answer a straight-forward question; I've not seen bob and weave moves like hers since "The Thrilla in Manila."

It seems that NBC has sent The Haitian from Heroes to make Alberto Gonzales forget that he chose to keep his lips glued to Bush's ass instead of doing the job he was hired to do. The DOJ is supposed to enforce the law and to ensure impartial administration of justice for all Americans, not help the White House figure out ways to circumvent those laws.

I understand that politics and corruption go hand-in-hand; I've known that since I was 8-9 years old and my mother was a volunteer for Frank Rizzo during his campaign for Mayor of Philadelphia. Back then people used to at least feign outrage when politicians were caught breaking the laws they were hired to protect/enforce. Not anymore, these days it seems we are more interested in making sure that Paris Hilton is punished for her crimes than punishing the known liars and thieves that masquerade as our voices in DC. How sad is that?

Monday, April 30, 2007

All I wanted was change for a buck

Earlier today I was reading the message boards at one of my favorite sites, Butch-Femme.com, when I came across a post by the site owner saying that a painting of hers had been removed from an art show being put on by the collective where they (Rhon & her wife) rent space at. The Continental Gin Building is a place where, according to their website, "it is refreshing and inspiring to see fresh, innovative ideas born within the halls of the Continental Gin Building -- ideas that are impacting Deep Ellum, Dallas, and the world beyond." Yet they opted to ban this particular piece stating that is was "not family friendly." So much for impacting the world, eh?

I suppose that would be a legitimate argument (although I believe that every family should see more REAL depictions of cancer survivors) if there were not other nudes displayed at this show.

So why was this piece banned? Was the real reason homophobia? Rhon is queer, an "obvious dyke" (using her own description), is that the reason her work was censored? The people that made this decision assured her that her "lifestyle has nothing to do with it!"

Unfortunately, I can't say since I have no way to know for sure what these people were thinking. I can say with absolute certainty that the "not family friendly" excuse doesn't fly with this old, fat, obvious dyke.

If this piece was banned because the artist is queer than shame on them! Shame on them for underestimating the importance of art such as this piece. Shame on them for negating a very large portion of our society, our mothers, sisters, aunts, and friends who have survived this disease and those who have not.

Whose turn is it anyway?

Since I made my first post 4 days ago I've debated on how I want to use this blog, what opinions do I want to voice and will anyone give a shit? Do I want this to be a blog for light-hearted fluffy bunny crap? Nahh, I am a pretty cynical person and I don't think I like people much. Do I want to use this blog to push my particular political agenda? Well, I do have some strong opinions on what is happening these days so I am likely to put them out there but I don't think I want that to be the prime focus. Do I want to allow the entire world into my little corner? Sure, why not? I am way too old to be bothered by what people think of me or my life. If they find something to connect to then great, if not I am just fine with that also.

So, what did I decide? I chatted with a friend today who told me "just write, you can write", she also said she would deny that if ever asked so let's not tell her I told y'all, ok? It'll be our little secret!

Stay tuned for me "just writing."

Sunday, April 29, 2007

I really need to stay off the net!





I am now compulsively forced to watch this video over & over!

Thursday, April 26, 2007

You & Me of the 10,000 Wars

Ok, so my best friend told me that I needed a blog so that she can harass me as I harass her on her blog. So Cap, here it is, be patient with me (yeah, like that'll happen) I am a new blogger.

I am not really sure what I will talk about here, some days maybe a political rant or 2 (stop rolling your eyes Cap) or maybe I'll just talk about the new business I am trying to start. I also have a 16 year old boy so I am sure I will discuss him some.

Stay tuned.