31 August 2007

Love in the Heartland

Today, Iowa had its first legal gay marriage. Of course, the judge who overturned the unconstitutional ruling banning gay marriage, issued a verbal stay of his own judgement within hours of the overturning. So, immediately, they had to stop accepting the marriage-license applications. In other words, they allowed a same-sex marriage to take place, but now the state is back in legal limbo on the whole issue, and will probably end up making it illegal again, overturning the marriage that happened today in the meantime.

I don't get this. I mean, I seriously CANNOT wrap my head around it. Why in the name of logic and sanity is gay marriage not allowed? What century are we living in? All these states that are passing these "Defense of Marriage" bills, placing it into their constitutions that marriage is between "a man and a woman" only, are, I swear, the most backwards, idiotic and narrow-minded places in the universe! We live in a world where child molesters walk free on technicalities, sports "heroes" torture and kill animals for profit, politicians vote to spend billions on a pointless, deadly war while half the nation's children are without health care and decent education, and these morons are worried about the fact that two loving people, average everyday people who are not committing crimes or hurting a soul, want to get married but happen to be of the same gender. OH MY GAWD, we can't have THAT!!! It corrupts the goodness and purity of the sacred union of marriage!

Domestic violence shelters are FULL, people. There is not enough room for the women and children who need safety and protection from the legal husbands and opposite-gender boyfriends who are hurting them. The divorce rate, last I heard, was about 60% in the first five years for first marriages, and the vast majority of people are married more than once (my husband, who is my 2nd, is on his 4th marriage). Hate and abuse and misery are rampant - not everywhere, and not just with heterosexual couples, but it abounds nonetheless. My husband, who is verbally and emotionally abusive, can get married unchecked four times, but two gay men who love each other and have never had more than the occasional lovers' quarrel can't even get married once. My sister-in-law, who is an even bigger piece of shit than her brother, can also get married without hassle four or five times, but two honest, hardworking, law-abiding and responsible gay women can't even ask for a license, let alone actually marry each other.

It isn't fair. People are people, and love is scarce. Why are these fools in charge saying that it's a sin and an affront to God for gays to marry, when you know 90% of these self-same politicians are cheating on their wives, cheating on their taxes and who knows what other "affronts to God"? Who are they to make that judgement, anyway? Separation of church and state should take care of this, since theoretically the whole "only between a man and a woman" thing comes from the Bible and the only people who have issues with it are those who are either homophobes or are preaching that love of this kind is a "sin" (usually both).

I'm not gay, but I know plenty of people who are, and their relationships with their partners are a lot more healthy and fulfilling than mine is with my husband. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of man-woman marriages that are wonderful and strong, but heterosexuality should not be a pre-qualifier to being married. Marriage is a state of mind, a way of life, and although the piece of paper given to you by the state is important in terms of health insurance, legal rights, child custody, etc., that paper is not marriage itself. That being said, it should also not be withheld due to what amounts to gender discrimination.

28 August 2007

Hook 'em Horns! WAIT, I'm just kidding!!

This takes fandom to a level that is absolutely nuts (pun definitely intended):

"Church Deacon, OU fan, tears scrotum of UT fan in bar fight."

The thing that made me just shake my head (aside from the idea that having one's nutsack ripped open even makes ME wince... I mean, fuckin OUCH) is when the Sooner's attorney, a guy with the dubious name of Billy Bock, says about his client, "Sure, he's an OU fan. Not necessarily an overboard, die-hard OU fan..."

Say what? Geez, guys, what does it take to be called a die-hard OU fan? If manually tearing open a man's testicles because said man is wearing a Longhorns T-shirt does not qualify you as a completely over-the-top OU fan, then I am not sure I want to know exactly what has to be done to earn that distinction.

The fact that our smooth-mannered Sooner was a church deacon just happens to be the icing on this somewhat gruesome little cake. ONLY in Oklahoma, folks.

27 August 2007

Remarkably Smart

My little man started school today. Pre-K, which would be called HeadStart in Oklahoma. I missed the drop-off and pick-up for him, since I'm the Working Parent, but I hear that he bolted towards the classroom so fast his dad didn't even get a chance to tell him good-bye. He's been excited about school for weeks (Tommy, not his dad).

The teacher's assistant reportedly said at pick-up (a whole three hours later) that Tommy was "remarkably smart" and "an absolute joy." Well, I knew that. Dad's chest swelled with pride; mine too, after all I am the one who taught the Boy Genius how to count to 100, spell words like "envelope" and "Cingular", write his name, sound out words, recognize every shape from circles to hexagons, know every color from red to chartreuse, program phone numbers into the phone, build strip malls with Tonka trucks on the computer, etc. His dad taught him the appropriate use of certain cuss-words, how to throw dirty underwear into the corner instead of the middle of the floor, and how to bring him a coke without shaking it up too much. Yes, my child is smart.

I also know he is a joy, with his bubbly personality and infectious laugh. MY chest swells with pride, this I know. At least the pride kept my little guy on his dad's good side the rest of the afternoon. It even earned him a popsicle when he got home. Way to go!

I do wish Pre-K lasted a little longer than 3 hours. It almost seems like a tease to keep them only that long. Especially smarties like my boy. He WANTS to be at school, WANTS to learn and socialize. HeadStart in Oklahoma at least goes most of the day. The issue is probably that there's not enough space for all the kids who qualify to be in the program for a full day. The admittance is based on low-income guidelines, with the idea that if you make over a certain amount of money, you can pay for private pre-school.

Speaking of that, it sure would be nice to celebrate the Back-to-School Season by winning that MegaMillions Jackpot worth $250 million. Of course, I'd take the cash option, so I'd only get about $146 million, pre-tax. Post-tax, I'd stuff it into some big-ass offshore account where the interest can accrue tax-free, then just donate a certain percentage of my annual interest to charities that will actually use the money for worthwhile causes. Better than paying capital gains tax to fund W's Iraqi Oil Extravaganza.

Oh, and I'd definitely share a chunk with y'all in the Bloop. I would! Really! There'd be a helluva party, I swear.

22 August 2007

We Interrupt This Broadcast to Bring You...

BREAKING NEWS usually gets your attention.

BREAKING NEWS usually means it's important, at least to someone.

BREAKING NEWS makes you want to get the full story!!!

Unless it's BREAKING NEWS: Police officer arrested, accused of slapping woman's bare buttocks.

How in the hell does someone consider that worthy of its own midday email to thousands of breaking-news subscribers? "Explosion at Downtown Gas Plant" was one thing - that I can understand as interesting, and even important since it closed down two highways for the afternoon commute. "Space Shuttle Lands Successfully Despite Damaged Tiles" was iffy; I could probably have waited on that one, but some people probably cared. "Bridge Collapses in Minnesota; Dozens Feared Dead" was definitely in the breaking news catagory, because I'm sure some Texans had relatives up there.

But this? C'mon, guys. Journalism of this sort makes it a little easier to understand why I wake up sometimes feeling like this country is teetering on the edge of societal collapse. I wonder what's next? "This Just In: President Bush has just completed reading the novel If You Give A Mouse A Cookie, completing the book in just under four days."

Well, no, I guess that actually would be quite amazing.

20 August 2007

Moon Fairies

My son has the sweetest little imagination. He's 4-1/2, and just as cute as a button. Big brown cow-eyes and the brightest smile. Last night, after his bath, he came up to me with this look of wonder on his face. He had something in his hands. "Mama, come see!" he whispered.

"What do you have?" I asked, intrigued as to what could be so wondrous and awe-inspiring.

He held up his little hands and in them was a wadded up, dripping wet baby-sized pink washcloth. I must have looked perplexed, because he quickly unwrapped the soaked bundle to reveal a small, plastic Fisher-Price Little Person, which is part of his baby sister's dollhouse set. He then launched into his story of what, exactly, I was looking at.

"She's a moon fairy," he whispered reverently, cradling the tiny, wet doll in his hands. "Her name is Luna, like the big moon, and she came down to me in her pink popper-moon, from where she lives in the blue sky with all the stars and the other fairies."

Now, I don't know what a popper-moon is, nor did I realize the moon fairies lived amongst the stars (I thought they lived in the bushes across the street - that's what he told me last week), but he was just so damn cute, standing there with a wet cloth and a plastic doll, which in his mind was a fairy who came to visit him.

At that moment, I simply could not for the life of me envision how anyone could find it in their hearts to hurt a little child, to abuse a small boy like this, to call him names or treat him like a dog. All too soon he will be a big boy, past the imaginings of fairies and popper-moons and baby-dolls. What will he be like, how will he turn out, if he continues to be treated as though he was stupid and insignificant by the only male authority figure in his life?

I hugged my little boy last night, and wished for him that he somehow manages to always stay this sweet and innocent... and I wished for some vision to come into my head of how I can save him and his sister from this mess I've gotten us into. My gentle little man deserves better.

17 August 2007

Signs that make ya go.... Huh?

Standing there, putting overpriced fuel into my truck, I look up and see this sign affixed to the pump I'm using: "Like Fine Wine... only it tastes nasty." Next to a picture of a gas-pump nozzle.

In what possible way is gasoline like fine wine? Oh, I know what they're trying to say... you're putting the absolute best into your vehicle when you use our fuel, etc. etc. But since all of our fuel is refined in pretty much the same way, unless they're putting unnecessary additives into it, isn't it all the same, more or less?

Another sign, advertising fuel for the same station, but this one on a billboard: "Top-Ten Rated... even cleans behind your engine's ears." Now that one's just stupid.

Stuck to the tailgate of a beat-up truck full of what appeared to be individuals born south of America's borders: "Free Hail Inspections."

Damn. And to think, all this time, I could have been getting my hail inspected for free!

15 August 2007

Why??

Why won't my last post show up??

Do Not Attempt

Have you ever seen those commercials (of course you have) where the car/truck/SUV is driving super fast around a tight curve, or bouncing merrily through muddy streambeds, or hurling themselves over the tops of sandy dunes? And there it is, in teeny-tiny little print on the bottom of the screen, "Professional Driver. Closed Course. Do Not Attempt." Well, duh. I like my truck. I have no intention of breaking an axle trying to scream over the top of a couple of fallen trees in the middle of the woods. I tend to stick to well-paved surfaces, or at least whatever passes for roads in Texas.

I even saw a commercial with a Ford (I think) that was driving all over the place - literally up the sides of buildings and across ledges with only two tires actually on a surface, like it was driving on the air itself. And the little message popped up on the bottom, but it was tongue-in-cheek: "Yes, this is fake. Cars can't really drive on buildings." or some such.

Then there's this: an AT&T high-speed internet commercial that shows a fast car, signifying how much faster you can go with their service (which is bull), how much more streamlined and cool it is, etc. etc. It has the usual disclaimer at the bottom, Closed Course Do Not Attempt. This is where I'm confused. Attempt what? Because the car, you see, is just driving down the road. It's going fast, yes, but it's just a straight, flat road with no turns, stops or signals. It's even in the correct lane. So.... what is it that this professional driver is singularly qualified to do that the average person should not attempt? Driving straight down an open road? Accelerating? Maybe it's where he stops... not abruptly, but just stops.

It seems to me that these advertising companies have taken the ol' cover-your-ass-with-fine-print-disclaimers thing a little over the top. I'm sure that if someone were to get into a single-vehicle rollover crash and they tried to sue AT&T for having a commercial that showing car driving down the road, disclaimer or not, the case would probably get thrown out of court.

Then again, this is a legal system where wealthy judges are allowed to bring multi-million dollar cases against working-class immigrants over a thousand-dollar pair of pants. So who knows?

14 August 2007

I'm in!

I made it to the Bloop!! Woo-hoo! Now I am truly complete.

Yeah. Moving right along...

Actually, I am quite excited. I have been reading the Bloop for a long time. So it's cool to be a part of such a great group of people.

10 August 2007

Slow news day

You know it's a slow news day when, on every major news website and every local station, there's a "headline" trumpeting a story about a man who beheaded a snake, but the snake bit him anyway after its decapitation. This is news? Hell, this isn't even interesting.

The thing about the miners in Utah, though, that's vexing me. It seems obscene and unfair that they continue to tout their "optimism," cautious though it may be, and repeatedly announce that they're soon going to be lowering food, water, toothbrushes, combs, etc., down to the trapped miners. Like they KNOW the guys are still alive. Why are they doing this to the families of those miners? They are dead. After five days, they'd have died of thirst, shock and probably suffocation. More than likely, though, they were killed in the initial cave-in.

We're talking about seasoned miners, here, guys that are extensively trained in survival and safety techniques, and the foremost of those is to make lots of noise if you're trapped in a collapse, so the rescuers know you're alive and know where to dig to come get you. They've heard not one single tap in the entire time they've been attempting their rescue. No hammers banging, no rocks being smashed together, no shouts or anything at all.

Now, putting aside the "possibility" that they were miraculously encased in a little pocket area, and the fact that they would have had a whopping half-gallon of water each (at the most), why aren't they smacking their hammers against the rocks like they're trained to do? If they were too injured to do so, they'd certainly be too injured to survive this long in those conditions.

It just irks me that there's such unjustifiable optimism for these guys. I know that sounds terribly heartless and cynical, but honestly, if I was a surviving wife, mother, sister, or whatever, of one of these people, I don't think I'd want these officials stringing me along like that. You have to know they're almost certainly deceased, why keep feeding hope to these distraught families, telling them you've got faith the workers not only survived but were able to sustain life in the conditions they're trapped in (they've got breathable air, it's 58 degrees which is not too cold, it's dark but they have water, etc.)... they talk about it like those dudes are sitting around down there, playing cards and smoking cigarettes and just waiting to be rescued.

I actually think it's MORE heartless to feed these surviving family members hope in what appears to be a hopeless situation. In short, they're lying to these people. That's pretty wrong, considering the circumstances.

My First Post

Wow. Look at me. I'm just so special. After years of thinking about it, I've finally created my very own blog. Now I can join the other 2 million "individuals" out there with their very own blogs.

Maybe I can put my blog on the Bloop, with Random Acts and CycleFreaks and GreenGuru. They're cool. (I think so, anyway.)

Hmmm. Now I'm at a loss for words.