Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come.” ~Anne Lamott

So I disappeared for awhile. My computer died hardcore, life was crazy around the holidays, and then… well, I just wasn’t feeling it. Although, I had to crawl out of my hermit hole tonight and write an inauguration post. They would take away my writers card if I didn’t.

Congratulations, President Obama. Enjoy the parade, the concerts, and the balls. You deserve them. There was a lot of hard work put into the campaign and transition, and you have a shit ton more to do. I sincerely hope that you enjoy the day. That way you can get the fuck to work and help us out of this gods-forsaken mess.

For the rest of you, I have some inauguration trivia:
The first Inaugural Ball was held for James Madison.
The parade for Woodrow Wilson was the first to include women.
Harry Truman’s inauguration was the first televised.
Robert Frost was the first poet involved in an inauguration.
Lyndon Johnson is the only president sworn in by a woman.
Theodore Roosevelt’s 1901 inauguration was the only one that didn’t use a bible during the oath.

Until next time, I’m still clinging to hope.
autumn

“Remember the difference between a boss and a leader; a boss says “Go!” – a leader says “Let’s go!” – E.M. Kelly

President-Elect (I just love saying that title) Obama has started to put together his team. He announced today that Rahm Emanuel will be his White House Chief of Staff. I have to admit I wasn’t expecting announcements this quickly. I thought Obama would take a few days to get his feet and grieve for his familial loss. However, I’m so not complaining. Until I read his statement, I was wondering how to bullshit my way through another post.

So, what to do know about this Emanuel guy? Well Rahm Emanuel was a senior advisor for the Clinton administration and was a House Representative for the fifth congressional district of Illinois since 2002. Other than that, all I really know about him is that he has a 100 percent pro-choice voting record and is generally considered liberal on social issues.

I honestly, don’t know enough about him to have an opinion one way or another. I’ll do some research and let you know what I think. But for now, I will leave you with Obama’s statement regarding Emanuel’s acceptance of the postion.

“I am pleased to announce that my good friend, Congressman Rahm Emanuel, has agreed to serve as my White House chief of staff. I announce this appointment first because the Chief of Staff is central to the ability of a President and Administration to accomplish an agenda.  And no one I know is better at getting things done than Rahm Emanuel.

“During his seven years in the Clinton White House, Rahm was the point man on some of the most difficult issues, from the passage of landmark anti-crime legislation to the expansion of health care coverage for children. In just six years in Congress, he has risen to leadership, helping to craft myriad important pieces of legislation and guide them to passage. In between, Rahm spent several years in the private sector, where he worked on large and complicated financial transactions.  That experience, combined with his service on the committees on Ways and Means and Banking, have given Rahm deep insights into the challenging economic issues that will be front and center for our Administration. Though Rahm understands how to get things done in Washington, he still looks at the world from the perspective of his neighbors and constituents on the Northwest Side of Chicago, who work long and hard, and ask only that their government stand on their side and honor their values. The son of an Israeli immigrant, Rahm shares a passionate love for this country, and has devoted much of his life to its cause.

“His decision to accept this position is a wonderful reflection of that commitment, for it is not easy to give up the significant position he holds today as chair of the House Democratic conference.  The post he has accepted also will require more time away from Amy, and their children, Zach, Ilana and Leah, which I know is painful and difficult.

“I appreciate his friendship.  And I, and all Americans, should be grateful that Rahm is once again answering his country’s call,” said President-elect Barack Obama.

Until next time, I wonder who is next?
autumn

“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”- Harold Whitman

Yes, I voted Obama. I was torn between him and Cynthia Mckinney for awhile. It wasn’t a decision that I took lightly. I spent a lot of time researching and soul-searching. I’m not going to get into what made me vote Democrat. It doesn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things. If your curiosity is overwhelming feel free to shoot me an email and we will discuss it. All that matters is when I pressed the button to confirm my vote, I know that I made the right decision for me.

I can’t explain how I felt when I saw Obama was projected the winner. It was a rush of emotions. I watched the celebrating and finally felt at home. I realized that this country, my fellow people were tired too. It just wasn’t a few of us hoping and fighting for something better. The majority of us demanded it, exercised it, and finally got it.

I continued watching to see the speeches and saw Mccain concede. I was honestly impressed with his speech. It seemed heartfelt; it was definitely gracious. I liked that he attempted to stop the boo’s. I naturally enjoyed Obama’s speech. I really loved the fact that he stayed composed. I respected him for admitting that it was still going to be hard and far from perfect. I was moved when I realized that, yes this is a major step, and that this is history in the making. It was a nice night.

I watched the world celebrate with us, and it humbled me. Seeing the video of the celebrations now, still moves me. I want to weep. Weep in joy, relief, and desire that the good will continues.

I don’t judge Mccain’s supporters for booing. I understand that they had so much hope, desire and work built up in this too. They were disappointed and so they became human. However, it does sadden me that they are repeating the same negative campaign ads to belittle his supporters now. I hope that once the shock wears off and the ads fade from memory, that their hate will stop.

You know, I would have lived if Mccain had won. I made jokes of moving to Canada, but that is all that they were. I would have been disappointed sure. I would have tried to figure out why people weren’t like me. Still, there is no way that I would have verbally attacked anyone who had voted for Mccain. I would have accepted the fact and lived.

So I’ve celebrated, I’ve discussed, and I’ve listened. Now I’m moving on. In the end, I’m the only one who can make or break my life. Policies can make it difficult for me, and I can be fearful of what’s happening. In spite of that, or maybe because of that, I’ll have to try harder and fight more to live for my family and friends.

We still have battles to fight. This man is not our saviour. Even while we celebrated, gay marriage was banned in several locations all over our country. Gay couples were told they could no longer adopt children. This can not stand, no one should be made to feel inferior, while we elect a president and pat ourselves of the back for being open minded and accepting. Those propositions that passed prove without a doubt, that we are not. So yes, we still must fight. However, if we did it once we can do it again.

Until next time, I think I’ll hold on to hope while I fight.
autumn

You won’t be having this fabulous writer. Mccain has conceded and we are waiting on Obama to speak.

“In reality, hope is the worst of all evils, because it prolongs man’s torments.”- Friedrich Nietzsche, Human, All Too Human, 1878

Sadly, I am in a red state. Not only in a red state but it was the fastest I had ever seen a state turn colors. That’s ok, its something that I’ve come to accept for now. One day I hope to see a multitude of colors or no colors at all.

In the meantime, I’m hopeful with the projected state outcomes. What about you; How are you feeling tonight?

For now, I’m going back to watch states change colors. I’ll back late tonight or in the morning, to tell you if I have to move to Canada.

Until next time, turn blue damn you.
autumn

“Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber.”- Plato

I’d like to start out tonight by offering my condolences to Obama’s family. It’s always hard to lose a family member, and I can’t even begin to imagine how difficult it is for him to grieve at this time. My thoughts are definitely with them.

In case you have forgotten by the barrage of media attention, tomorrow is election day. I know that you all are going to go vote. I don’t have to remind you of that. I’m sure by now you have decided who you are going to vote for, or you are well on you your way there. So, no need to go over the candidates again. However, lets go over a few things that you should know about tomorrow.

I hope that you all know the location of your polling place. Just in case you don’t… Click on over to Google Vote Location Maps. All you have to do is put in your address and it will tell you where to go. I also sincerely hope that your address matches what you registered.

Several city websites also have estimated wait times if you just have to know. However, I know that you really aren’t going to mind waiting in line. Those websites are just for your curiosity, right? If you are really concerned about wait times I recommend comfortable shoes. However, lines bring out the worst in people. They often want to know who you are voting for, or want to tell you in excruciating detail why they are picking their candidate. My advice for this is to bring a small paperback book that you can tuck out of the way.

This year people are extremely concerned about voter fraud, voter protection, and general voting problems. I can understand that. People want to breed chaos and fear. Therefore I have a couple telephone numbers and websites for you to visit, if you do have problems.  First off, some states require a photo ID and some don’t… Just save yourself hassle and bring it along.

If you need to make a report regarding election protection, please call 1-866-OUR-VOTE. This number can be used for a varity of reasons. If you are not sure who to call because of a problem you experienced, this hotline can point you to the right place.

Now, if you believe a voter fraud is taking place call 1-888-VOTE-TIP. This hotline is also used for Vote Theft, including problems with electronic voting machines.

Finally I have some websites for you to report problems, or just get general information. They are as follows:

Report Voting Problems.org – This website describes itself as “a database to serve as a central collection point for reporting and analyzing all election problems. It works with various voting organizations, but is completely independent of any groups.”

Obama’s website to report problems – Yes this is Obama’s website. It also includes a telephone number to call and report problems.

To be fair, I tried to find a similar site for McCain. I didn’t find one. If you happen to know the website let me know and I will put it up.

Election Protection is the last website I have for you. They describe themselves as “The nonpartisan Election Protection coalition was formed to ensure that all voters have an equal opportunity to participate in the political process.”

So there you have it. I hope this information helps you tomorrow. Now, if you don’t mind I am putting politics aside for a little bit to watch the Redskins play.

Until next time, I won’t have to hear stupid attack ads for much longer.
autumn

“The dinosaur’s eloquent lesson is that if some bigness is good, an overabundance of bigness is not necessarily better.”- Eric Johnston

There has been alot of coverage for the political candidates this year. We know where they stand on most of the issues. However there is one vital question that has yet to be asked. So The Shameless One and I took it upon ourselves to interview the candidates we felt mattered. We asked only the one question.

Do you believe in dinosaurs?

Barack Obama (Democrat)- “Thank you for that question. I do believe dinosaurs existed. I believe if they were here today that they would deserve to be provided with affordable and accessible healthcare. They too would be ready for change.”

John McCain (Republican)- “Yes I believe in dinosaurs. In fact, my friends, there were several in my POW camp, and they believe that Obama will raise taxes.”

Cynthia McKinney (Green)- “Leave the oil in the soil! You know what to do, use the dinosaur poo!”

Joe Biden (Democrat)- “I do believe in dinosaurs, and I believe that they would be ready for change. Let me say that again. THEY… WOULD… BE… READY… FOR… CHANGE!”

Sarah Palin (Batshit Crazy)- “Ya know, being a Maverick from Alaska I have had a chance to talk to those Joe Six-Packs and like me they believe that no indeed dinosaurs did not exist. Gosh darn it, Satan put those bones here to turn us from God.”

This is an important issue for those of us here at BeShameless, and it could be a deciding factor in our vote for the Presidency. Therefore, we decided to share it with our dedicated readers, so that they too could make a sound, informed decision. Thanks to all the candidates for their time. We weren’t aware of how strongly their voices would resonate in our heads.

Until next time, “Mr. Hammond, I have decided not to endorse your park.”
autumn and theshamelessone

“Political campaigns are designedly made into emotional orgies which endeavor to distract attention from the real issues involved, and they actually paralyze what slight powers of cerebration man can normally muster.” -James Harvey Robinson, The Human Comedy, 1937

So originally I wasn’t going to post after Crimson this time. I was going to see if our Green Lady brought out the fire in our resident Democrats. I was going to wait and see what the boys said, and occasionally jump in and stir the pot. I love stirring the pot. In a group such as ours, it actually brings out some healthy discussion. However… I made the mistake of watching the news and talking to people today. I should fucking know better.

Before I get into the ranting, I’m going to break down my political leanings for you. I am not Democrat. I am not Green. I am not Republican. I am not Reform. I am not Libertarian. Are you seeing a pattern? I suppose I would be considered an Independent. I hate labeling myself in anyway when it comes to politics. That said, stick me where ever the fuck you want. I really don’t care what you expect of me. Oh, and guess what? I am undecided on this election. Yes, you did read that correctly. I am UNDECIDED. As in, I don’t know who I will vote for come election day.

So… that brings us today. I wake up bright and early, choke down my horrible coffee, and read my email. Without getting into details that would call people out and violate their privacy, I had a couple emails from a person who doesn’t like the fact that I’m fairly open about being undecided. They had a list of reasons why this makes me a horrible scum of a human being. One was if I didn’t vote for Obama I was obviously a republican and wanted Mccain to win. According to them if I did that I needed to quit lying to people and label myself accordingly.

I was going to let it go. Really, Mostly, Sorta… I was actually just going to reply to them and let them know that I thought they should stick the dick back in their mouth, and quit spewing their cum tainted trash around me. See how level-headed I am? You’ll be happy (or maybe extremely disappointed) to know that I censored myself and trashed the email reply I was going to send. I decided it just wasn’t worth the energy to prove this hateful, hateful person wrong.

I had quit thinking about it by the time I got home. I had a great day with my niece, and was thinking of how much fun we had dancing to the Wiggles. Sadly, that was brought to a crashing halt by a quote that I read.

“I look at these people and can’t quite believe that they exist. Are they professional actors? I wonder. Or are they simply laymen who want a lot of attention? To put them in perspective, I think of being on an airplane. The flight attendant comes down the aisle with her food cart and, eventually, parks it beside my seat. ‘Can I interest you in the chicken?’ she asks. ‘Or would you prefer the platter of shit with bits of broken glass in it?’ To be undecided in this election is to pause for a moment and then ask how the chicken is cooked.”- David Sedaris

I know that he is speaking of those who the major news networks find to do undecided polls. I know that he is referring to those who are simply undecided between just Obama and Mccain. While I don’t know for sure, based on the previous quote, I imagine that he is one who thinks that a Third Party vote is a wasted one. Don’t get me wrong Sedaris is an amazing author (I love all of his books that I’ve read) and a great humorist. Seriously though, enough is fucking enough.

I’m sick of being told that I’ll throw my vote away if I don’t vote Obama. I’m tired of being told that I’m picking the lesser of two evils if I don’t vote for a third party. I don’t need to hear that this whole country will burn in hell if I don’t vote Mccain.

Here is a tid bit for all of you. All of our options fucking suck. They are all either bat shit crazy, inexperienced, or some form of horrid. Yes I mean all; Mccain, Obama, McKinney, Nader, Barr, Baldwinn, Keyes, Jay, Amondson, Weill, La Riva, Moore… Need I go on?

So, I’m fucking undecided. I’ll make up my mind when I make up my damn mind. I’m still tempted just the write in Ethan B. Shameless nominee for the Geek Party.

Until next time, I’ve had enough of seeing people treating political candidates like messiahs.
autumn

]]> http://beshameless.net/archives/2008/10/24/you-know-what-its-time-to-say-fuck-it/feed/ 0 http://beshameless.net/archives/2008/10/02/poor-planning/ http://beshameless.net/archives/2008/10/02/poor-planning/#comments Fri, 03 Oct 2008 02:43:26 +0000 ethan
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http://beshameless.net/?p=91

Recent tweets from candidates

During the Vice Presidential Debate tonight, I had Twitter open. Then, I noticed something strange. Look at the most recent tweets from both Obama and McCain. Obama is encouraging Americans to watch the debate and urge their friends to register to vote. McCain is advertising his most recent TV spot no doubt smearing Obama. Who remembered the debate this evening?

ethan

“Under democracy one party always devotes its chief energies to trying to prove that the other party is unfit to rule – and both commonly succeed, and are right.” ~H.L. Mencken, 1956

Well, I suppose my time of silliness is finished. American Idol is over, and I can’t stand So You Think You Can Dance. That means I actually have to pay attention to the news, and that also means you all get to read my political rants.

I don’t have a rant now, though. I’m just stopping in to let you know the latest little tidbit. The New York Times is reporting that Obama claimed the Democratic Nomination tonight. At the time of this post Clinton has not withdrew herself from running. However, since Obama is over the threshold of needed delegates, I imagine that she soon will. (Hell what do I know, I’m just a hag who sits and writes blogs at midnight with a Miller Lite in hand.)

So that, my dear readers, brings us up to date. You can look forward to my bitching as we proceed to November.

Until next time, Do I really really have to start reading the news again?
autumn

So, the title is a little windy…sue me or get over it.

The United States is a nation of freedoms and democracy where the people are not only free but encouraged to govern themselves. A government �of the people, by the people, for the people,� isn�t that what Lincoln called it in his Gettysburg address? So why then are we not allowed to make our own decisions? Why are city councils deciding we, as consenting adults, are no longer allowed to kill ourselves with our cancer sticks while we feed our alcohol addictions? Why are state Senators telling women they cannot make decisions regarding our own bodies?

This of the people, by the people thing really gets me stirred up. I realize that we can�t put everything to a vote or we�d never do anything in this country but hold elections. But issues that directly affect us, affect our lives, affect our freedoms; issues such as where and when we can smoke, if and how we can abort a pregnancy; should, without question, be put to a public vote. Not only be put to a public vote but the vote should be publicized and made known to everyone of legal voting age. For at least a week, if not longer, before the vote is held it should be plastered all over the local news stations, the newspapers, fliers stapled to telephone poles� That way if you don�t vote, you have no reason to complain about the results and no excuse for not voting.

In this country, people are made to find information on their own. Which is all fine and dandy if you know where to look…or want to take the time to look. But the problem is people either don�t know where to look, don�t want to look, or don�t know they have to look. Governments know this and hide announcements of public issue voting on page 14D where no one bothers to look. That way, they have met the obligation to inform the public but no one ever set a standard of how the public should be informed.

What brought me to this rant? One more U.S. city has enforced a smoking ban as of 10:00am local time on January 11. Louisville, KY has joined the list of smoke free cities. Okay, I am a smoker living in a smoke free city but that�s not the reason it ticks me off. Well, not the whole reason, anyway. When I was in college, the city I was living in at the time implemented a ban. Within a few short months one cocktail waitress (er� �server�) was raped and murdered and another severely beaten on their cigarette breaks at work because they were no longer allowed to smoke inside the bars where they worked. In a city of roughly 100,000 people. Some barkeeps in the area started sending bouncers outside anytime their waitresses left to smoke. Others simply refused to adhere to the ban, stating that they were not putting the welfare of staff and patrons at risk over a ridiculous law they had nothing to do with in the first place.

Ban supporters will say that smokers can quit or smoke in their cars if they are concerned about their safety. But in some cities, smoking in their cars is not even an option. In some cities, government officials are considering (and in others, they already have) widening the jurisdiction of the ban to include public sidewalks, parking lots and�yes, boys and girls, private properties such as cars.

If someone tries to tell me that I cannot sit in my car with my windows rolled up and hotbox myself into an early grave, they are going to be met with a severely unpleasant response. No one asked me if I wanted cigarettes and smoking to be outlawed and if they had they would have heard a loud and resounding, �Hell no!�

To bring the whole rant full circle, how can we conscientiously send military troops to foreign countries to implement democracy, a government where the citizens are free to make their own choices, when our choices and liberties are stripped from us right and left?

::In the back ground Autumn begins to whisper::- Ok so I’m getting ready to do my first post in months, no one else has updated either.. So what do I say… I was abducted by aliens, The FBI was looking for me, oooo wait maybe I had amnesia. Fuck, these people all know that I’m just a huge slacker that ignores all self imposed deadlines. I guess I’ll just carry on like I haven’t missed any posts. Maybe they’ll think it was a site error. Sure a site error and I can blame that on Ethan. Yea, that works. Bwahahaha!

“When George Washington threw the dollar across the Rappahannock River, he didn’t realize he was establishing a precedent for government spending.”- Harold Coffin

I’m going to be right up front with you all, I am horrible with money. I suck at saving it, budgeting it, hell even keeping it in the same place all the time. I’m awesome at spending it though. But, no matter what I always know what I did with it even if I did come to regret the purchases. I can tell you how much the original purchase was, the descriptions of all the items, hell I can even tell you what the average retail value was and if I received a deal. At the worst I may temporarily misplace ten bucks.

Apparently the U.S. State Department has a different amount that they can temporarily misplace. I mean its nothing for them to raise an eyebrow at or anything. After all 1.22 Billion Dollars is just chump change. Yes boys and girls I did use the words misplace and billion dollars together. On Tuesday, We finally heard that the state department does not know what it exactly received for the billion dollar contract with security firm DynCorp International.

The Office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction received a boot in it’s ass and was forced to suspend it’s audit of the contract after they were told by administrative officials that they had no confidence in their own accounting records.

So what were the problems with the accounting records? Oh, gee nothing much just a few duplicate payments, a purchase of a never used x-ray machine (1.8 million dollars on the x ray machine alone), a $387,000 bill in hotels to house the DynCorp officials rather than staying in ready accommodations, and the list just continues

So obviously the next step in my mind would be to sit down, organize records, and figure out where the money actually went, right? Well sure that’s a great idea. The only hitch there is the records and receipts are in such disarray that it could take three to five years to straighten out.

Hmmm, right of course. Fucking idiots. Here we are having a crisis in education funding. Schools are forced to cut programs every day. Be it the arts, sports or faculty. The contract I just mentioned was offered in 2004 and then in 2006 Bush proposed to cut education grants by 4.279 billion dollars. So much for no child left behind. And of course we all know of the growing problems of health care and social security.

Instead of focusing on growing problems here, we funneled money into a security corporation that was supposed to train police for Iraq so that the soldiers were free to focus on other things. We can’t even pick a security agency that will have reputable business acts and general abilities of bookkeeping.

I, seriously, become more disgusted ever day. Is it to much to ask for a government that is at the very least competent in what they set out to do? Never mind the fact that I might not agree with them, I just want them not to fuck up this badly every time I turn around.

Until next time… ::shakes head and wanders off::,

autumn

No government has the right to tell its citizens when or whom to love. The only queer people are those who don’t love anybody. ~Rita Mae Brown

I could start off this entry by once again apologizing for the lack of updates. If I did I would swear that we still love you, and that it wouldn�t happen again. I would also say something to the effect of it was simply because time got away from us again, and how busy we were. But, I�m not going to apologize. Nope not this time, instead I�m going to say that this is BeShameless 2.0, and that despite the fact that it looks the exact same it�s the second version, damnit. Like the phoenix, we have risen from the ashes of virtual death. We are new, improved, and fucking slamming as always. Ok, now I�m going to stop my bullshitting and mixing my metaphors. No, seriously, I have several things I want to talk about in the coming weeks. I even have a book review to throw in the mix. So get use to seeing my smiling� er, no that�s not right�. get use to seeing my scowling face on a regular basis.

Let�s start off our new fabulousness by talking about Utah. Yes, fuckers, I said Utah. In January, the openly gay senator, Scott McCoy, was planning to sponsor a bill to repeal the ban against sodomy. I wish him luck, mostly because all prior attempts to remove the ban have failed. It even failed after the Supreme Court decided in a 6-3 ruling that they would not convict or punish citizens who practiced sodomy. Despite the ruling on his side, McCoy faces opposition. Senator Buttars stated that he would �fight that all the way.� He also states that, �You can like sodomy, I don’t. I think sodomy is sickening.� It seems to me that he would like sodomy� I mean he already has a stick up his ass.

Poor Buttars, continued to show his myopic, closed minded ways this week. He was relishing in the fact that a bill he and Senator Tilton sponsored has passed the Senate and is on the way for Gov. Jon Hunstman Jr. to sign. This bill will allow schools to ban clubs they believe would threaten �moral well-being� of the children or faculty. The bill would also require parents to sign a consent form allowing children to join clubs, as well as requiring the club to outline the information they will discuss a week in advance so that the principal and parents could review it.

Now, of course we aren�t talking about the chess club here. Buttars has tried several times to stop Gay-Straight Alliances in local schools. He has been quoted as saying Gay-Straight Alliances are �a recruiting tool for gays and are tearing down the moral pillars of society.� Ugh, come on now� we all know Gay-Straight Alliances are to find fag hags. Jeez. Heh, no ok, this isn�t a place for jokes. Seriously Gay-Straight Alliances are very important activities that promote tolerance and understanding. So I say fuck Buttars and Utah. When this goes thru and if the schools shut down your club, take it off school property. Don�t give up or become discouraged. Do it to spite them, but also do it because it�s needed.

Until next time, I�ll be writing letters to Utah,

autumn

]]> http://beshameless.net/archives/2007/02/22/utah-makes-my-head-hurt/feed/ 0 http://beshameless.net/archives/2006/10/20/at-least-now-i-have-an-excuse-to-wear-lycra/ http://beshameless.net/archives/2006/10/20/at-least-now-i-have-an-excuse-to-wear-lycra/#comments Sat, 21 Oct 2006 02:16:34 +0000 autumn http://beshameless.net/archives/2006/10/20/at-least-now-i-have-an-excuse-to-wear-lycra/

“An election is coming.� Universal peace is declared and the foxes have a sincere interest in prolonging the lives of the poultry.”- T.S. Eliot

I was asked the question today why I was so consumed with politics and why I was so interested in the �horrid� news stories that are thrown at us constantly. It shocked me for a moment; until I realized that most people would rather avoid hearing about the bad. They want to hear that it�s all getting better. They want to believe that we all are safe and cozy inside our beds. They delude themselves into thinking that we have the best people possible running our nation and assisting our world.

Now, call me Captain Obvious if you must, but that isn�t and will never be the case. We will never be safe, happy, or cozy. Even if the politicians and American leaders change drastically, we will always have bigots and extremists contradicting the things they claim to stand for; they will continue to degrade anyone who doesn�t follow the same path that they do.

So, why fight, comment, learn, and grieve if it will never change? It�s who I am… I can�t stand to see people hurting and fighting for something that they should have without question. I have to hope that any small changes made will help those that I love. Mostly, I am trying to understand. I�m trying to make sense of it all. Supposedly we are the greatest nation in the world; yet, those that should lead us and try to make us better cut us off at the knees and leave us to bleed?

For example, read some of these quotes. These men and women are our past, present, and (Goddess forbid) our future. They are harsh and disgusting�.

�Not all Muslims may be terrorists, but all terrorists are Muslims.�- Ann Coulter, from her syndicated column on 9-28-2001

�Oh, you�re one of the sodomites. You should only get AIDS and die, you pig. How�s that? Why don�t you see if you can sue me, you pig. You got nothing better than to put me down, you piece of garbage. You have got nothing to do today, go eat a sausage and choke on it.� � Michael Savage, comment made on national television show Savage Nation, 07-05-2003

I know that several of those quoted are wack jobs and few take them seriously. However, several people do take their words to heart. That is what saddens me the most. Needless to ask but, how can I not focus on politics, civil rights, and news stories seriously after that? How can I not try to get my word out and try to educate and communicate with people? So if that means I read a lot of news sites, and talk about it at length that�s ok with me. I�ll continue to be Captain Obvious.

Until next time, I�ll start sewing my super suit,
autumn

�War. Rape. Murder. Poverty. Equal rights for gays. Guess which one the Southern Baptist Convention is protesting?� ~The Value of Families

Heya, kids. Sorry for the lack of updates. Life became insane here again. I know that we�ve said that a lot lately; but honestly, time has just gotten away from us. I looked at the site today and realized that it�s been months almost 2 months since anyone has said a word. I know that you all feel abandoned, but I promise you that�s not the case.

There were quite a few things that I wanted to talk about but they have all moved on to the �uber old news� category. I�ll start paying more attention to the news and all the articles that are e-mailed to me. That way I can give you the story in a timely manner.

There is one thing that I have to share with you all, though. Everyday I drive home from work and enjoy the scenic view. I mean it�s awesome� leaves are dying and falling on the road, it�s still raining like a son of a bitch, and political signs are everywhere. Now, despite that bit of sarcasm, political signs don�t really bother me. I understand that everyone is looking to get their word out before November second. And really, what grabs someone�s attention better that a gigantic fucking red, white, and blue sign the size of a house? Normally I can ignore the signs and get on with my drive. However, there is this one sign that sticks out like a sore thumb to me. It�s neon yellow, which is annoying enough, and it sports the slogan �Virginia for One Marriage. Vote yes for the Virginia Marriage Amendment.�

Every time I see that sign it enrages me. I seriously want to go rip it out of the yard or spray paint the damn thing into a rainbow. Maybe it�s because this is the one issue I�ve always felt strongly about. Maybe, it�s because the majority of my friends are gay and will have to fight and struggle against this stupid fucking amendment. Or, ya know� maybe it�s because I�m a decent fucking human being and I want everyone to be able to express love and be safe and secure in their relationships.

The morbid curiosity in me made me go to the website to check it out. I�m not really sure why I did other than I, apparently, needed something to escalate my rage. I went and looked at their frequently asked questions; there was one in particular that my mouth fell open. I stared at the answer to this question for a good 15 minutes. It dumbfounded me. When asked �Shouldn�t Homosexuals have the right to marry?� part of their answer said, �They claim, falsely, that the right to marry lies in any couple, when in fact it lies in the individual. Not just any conceivable configuration of people have the right to marry because rights belong to individuals – not groups. In reality, homosexuals have the exact same right to marry as we all do. The debate is not about who has access to marriage – we all do. It is about defending what marriage is and always has been.� Ummm� well first off just look at the loads of contradictions there. Secondly, I get what they are saying. They are saying �Sure, fags can marry� if they find a woman and make a big front out of it.�

Of course the rest of the site consisted of repeating itself and saying that by allowing gay men and women to marry would ruin the sanctity of marriage. They needed to protect marriage and the children by voting for this amendment. God damned ignorant, pathetic, myopic assholes

I know I�m preaching to the choir here. If I�m not preaching to the choir maybe you should find a new blog to read. But be that as it may, I�ve ranted long enough. I want to encourage you all to speak out on this subject. If you live in VA or in TN, I want to encourage you to go and vote the 2nd, and for crying out loud vote NO. Actually, if you live in any state that is pushing the marriage amendment, GO VOTE!

Until next, I�m going to go see if Wal-mart has spray paint on sell,
autumn

“In war, there are no unwounded soldiers.” ~Jos� Narosky

A couple days ago, I broke out my old ROTC shoes and polished them. At the time my intention wasn’t to think of the military, or to begin to grieve and worry about my friends in the services. I simply took them out of the closet to show Ethan a couple tips I learned about polishing shoes.

Of course for me the simple act of polishing and the smell of the polish itself took me back. It started off with just remembering getting ready for uniform days. I then progressed into remembering drill meets, inspections, and of course my fellow ROTC brats. I remembered their plans for entering the service and the hopes and goals they set for themselves. I wonder now how many achieved their goals. I know several didn’t. At the same time I know several who had no desire to join the military did join, and from what I’ve heard are doing quite well.

I’ve always thought the military is an interesting beast. Now, I’m not talking about their purpose to serve and protect their country; despite the fact that I’m against this war, I still realize the value of our service men and women. In fact I respect them more than I respect most others. I suppose what I find odd is the fact that these men and women pretty much sacrifice their lives to do this, even when some of them don’t agree with what they end up doing. Even more than that is the love that grows for their fellow soilders, the brotherhood that is with them for life.

I don’t mean to make this sound like I’m all the way pro-military either. The military is far from perfect (then again, what isn’t?). The most glaringly obvious example is Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Before the letters pour in let me say that I understand the reasoning behind it; I just don’t agree with it. There is also the fact that a few units disapprove of allowing your religion to read Pagan on the dog tags.

Be that as it may, I don’t mean to focus on the military. I mean to focus on those who make it up. You’ll notice my quote for the entry said “In war, there are no unwounded soilders.” This quote was for one of the guys in my old study group. He spent a year or better in Iraq. When he came back he wasn’t our same old guy. He had hardened, become cynical, and somewhat bitter. I don’t blame him, I hear his stories and wonder why he isn’t harder and even less who he used to be.

Also, that quote is for someone very dear to me who has decided to join the Army. I just hope that he’ll be able to retain himself, and that this will be the opportunity that he really wanted it to be. That quote and this entry is for all of those in the military. I hope and pray that the quote is wrong and you all do come home unwounded.

Until next time, I’ll be cutting yellow ribbons,
autumn

From : Finally, someone who stood up, spoke his mind and wasn’t interrupted. This man, Harry Taylor, NC, openly spoke his views on the administration in Washington, DC. Not only did he speak out publicly, he addressed Pres Bush directly from the audience of thousands of Bush supporters. I have to give the man credit for having enough in him to get up there.

Taken from Fayetteville Online:

“In my lifetime, I have never felt more ashamed of my leadership in Washington,” Taylor told the president. “And I would hope from time to time that you have the humility and grace to be ashamed of yourself.”

Mr. Taylor went on to discuss the President’s decisions on the War on Terror, opposition to Legalized Abortion and his Environmental Record. Amazing. Why can’t more Americans stand up, speak their minds without worrying what everyone else will think?! We have a provision in our country’s most powerful document, The Constitution which states we have the right to do so freely. Why are so many afraid? We don’t have to sit back and just let things happen. That’s one thing that’s wrong with this country. Americans don’t care. Fuck that. Eyes need to be opened. Changes are long overdue. Get this bullshit out of power.

Yes, the President should be ashamed of the way he’s handled decisions while running our country. However, Americans should be ashamed for allowing it to happen.

ethan