WARNING: The following post contains profanity, as well as an example of pure idiocy.
So, the other day I was friended on Facebook by someone I went to high school with, but really don't remember. This person has since moved out west and apparently become some kind of evangelical Christian. No big deal, people can be however they want to be.
Now, as most of you know, I find myself to be a pretty progressive guy, and have been especially upset by the whole Prop 8 fiasco in California. As far as I'm concerned, America is built on the idea that everyone, no matter race, color, creed, sexual preference, is equal. I may not have blogged much about it, but it is far more clear in my Facebook profile.
Why then, would this "friend" of mine invite me to join a group whose intent is to "Save Marriage," by demanding that marriage be recognized as only a union between a man and a woman? Shit like this really pisses me off. I'm sure this person will argue from a religious perspective, and to that I must respond, simply, that it is not a religious argument. Sure, it sucks that some churches don't want to marry gay people, but it is their choice. They are private institutions that can't be legislated. Do I wish it were different? Of course I do. But the marriage I am talking about is the legal kind, the kind that gets couples certain protections under the law, and certain privileges, like hospital visits and survivor's benefits. I can just tell that this is going to be a silly argument... but I can't wait.
Oh, and in the ultimate irony, this person currently has as their Facebook status: "We hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal and are endowed with certain unalienable rights such as LIFE,Liberty and happiness!"
Clearly the rights of an unborn child are more important than those of adults. HA!
Showing posts with label soapbox. Show all posts
Showing posts with label soapbox. Show all posts
21 November 2008
21 June 2008
To my small contingent of loyal readers and friends:
I've set up my fundraising page for the MS 150 City to Shore. If you are able, please donate what you can, I would really appreciate it. I truly believe that if we are focused, and work hard, a cure can be found, and we can finally rid the world of MS.
My page: http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/AWN
Team page: http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/Waterworks
I've set up my fundraising page for the MS 150 City to Shore. If you are able, please donate what you can, I would really appreciate it. I truly believe that if we are focused, and work hard, a cure can be found, and we can finally rid the world of MS.
My page: http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/AWN
Team page: http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/Waterworks
05 June 2008
I can't believe that Handy beat me to this, but he just copped out with a link... I've taken a couple days to stew on this, and I've decided just how mad I am about this... After over a year of campaigning, Barack Obama finally sealed up the Democratic nomination for President. I can't begin to express how excited and proud I was to support him and I find great validation in his success.
Having said that there seemed to be but one person in America who didn't realize that he had won, someone who, perhaps, it should have been most obvious to: ol' Hilldawg Clinton herself.
Weeks ago Obama established a majority in the race for committed delegates. Graceful point of exit for Hillary's somewhat misguided and self-serving campaign, no? Apparently not.
On Tuesday, Obama crossed the delegate threshold for earning the Democratic nomination for president, but still, Hill couldn't bring herself to admit that she'd lost. It is beyond dispute, she cannot win under any legitimate circumstances, yet could not find the grace and intelligence to call it quits, not even for her party and her nation. In fact, she had the nerve to intimate that staying in the race was somehow better for party unity. Instead of conceding for the good of the Democratic Party, she said, and I quote, "Now the question is, where do we go from here, and given how far we've come and where we need to go as a party, it's a question I don't take lightly. This has been a long campaign, and I will be making no decisions tonight." There's no deciding, the Democrats of America decided for you; you lost, it just wasn't in the cards, even though you treated yourself as inevitable from the very beginning, and to be fair and honest, most people treated you the same way, so maybe not your fault, just maybe.
She even felt the need to throw in a 9/11 reference just to keep up with the en vogue politics of fear that the Republicans practice so well. Her speech, much like a majority of her candidacy, was duplicitous and utterly self-serving. It made me sick.
Obama's victory speech, while clearly intended to be a response to a consession speech, gave me the goosebumps. I thought he started soft, but was quite gracious to Hillary Clinton, giving her the credit she richly deserves (While I may seem inherently partisan in this conversation, a stance I won't deny, you have to give credit where it is due, you don't get to run for President by accident, you have to be a good politician if nothing else).
While his praise for Clinton was effusive, he then turned his sights on John McCain. With 20,000 inside the XCel Energy Center, and a further 15,000 outside, Obama stood on the same stage that will feature McCain's nomination and announced with a loud shot across the bow, that he was coming for him. By far the highlight was this quip, showing McCain that he's not afraid to play rough: "John McCain has spent a lot of time talking about trips to Iraq in the last few weeks, but maybe if he spent some time taking trips to the cities and towns that have been hardest hit by this economy—cities in Michigan, and Ohio, and right here in Minnesota—he'd understand the kind of change that people are looking for."
Two words: Oh. Snap.
Now, since I first started this post, Clinton has announced that she would suspend her campaign on Saturday. Two problems with this. One: Why wait so long? You lost on Tuesday, it ended then, you just don't get it. Two: Why suspend and not end? Do you need the vindication of people voting for you at the nominating convention, and thereby dragging out the process? Childish at best, dreadfully irresponsible at worst.
To weigh in on the Obama/Clinton "Dream Ticket," I'm not sure I care for Clinton to be the VP anymore. I think she guarantees Obama the presidency, but I think she blew it on Tuesday. While I would welcome whatever will help the Democrats retake the White House, I think Obama should look long and hard at people like Virginia's Jim Webb, and even Big Ed Rendell. If he plays his cards right, Obama can have this thing sewed up by my birthday.
Looks like things are going to be getting exciting... I'll try to keep up with all the fun right here, it's going to be a fun ride.
UPDATE: Text of the Obama speech, with one of the massively spine tingling moments:
"Because if we are willing to work for it, and fight for it, and believe in it, then I am absolutely certain that generations from now, we will be able to look back and tell our children that this was the moment when we began to provide care for the sick and good jobs to the jobless; this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal; this was the moment when we ended a war and secured our nation and restored our image as the last, best hope on earth."
UPDATE #2: Since I'm still all hot and bothered about this, here's the kind of speech we could/should have heard from Hillary on Tuesday, courtesy of none other than Ted Kennedy himself, circa 1980. Say what you will about him as a person, he is a consummate politician and this speech is one of my favorites of all time. I mean, the man was a raging alcoholic at the time and still manages to get through a Tennyson quote at the end. Simply amazing.
"For me, a few hours ago, this campaign came to an end. For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die."
Having said that there seemed to be but one person in America who didn't realize that he had won, someone who, perhaps, it should have been most obvious to: ol' Hilldawg Clinton herself.
Weeks ago Obama established a majority in the race for committed delegates. Graceful point of exit for Hillary's somewhat misguided and self-serving campaign, no? Apparently not.
On Tuesday, Obama crossed the delegate threshold for earning the Democratic nomination for president, but still, Hill couldn't bring herself to admit that she'd lost. It is beyond dispute, she cannot win under any legitimate circumstances, yet could not find the grace and intelligence to call it quits, not even for her party and her nation. In fact, she had the nerve to intimate that staying in the race was somehow better for party unity. Instead of conceding for the good of the Democratic Party, she said, and I quote, "Now the question is, where do we go from here, and given how far we've come and where we need to go as a party, it's a question I don't take lightly. This has been a long campaign, and I will be making no decisions tonight." There's no deciding, the Democrats of America decided for you; you lost, it just wasn't in the cards, even though you treated yourself as inevitable from the very beginning, and to be fair and honest, most people treated you the same way, so maybe not your fault, just maybe.
She even felt the need to throw in a 9/11 reference just to keep up with the en vogue politics of fear that the Republicans practice so well. Her speech, much like a majority of her candidacy, was duplicitous and utterly self-serving. It made me sick.
Obama's victory speech, while clearly intended to be a response to a consession speech, gave me the goosebumps. I thought he started soft, but was quite gracious to Hillary Clinton, giving her the credit she richly deserves (While I may seem inherently partisan in this conversation, a stance I won't deny, you have to give credit where it is due, you don't get to run for President by accident, you have to be a good politician if nothing else).
While his praise for Clinton was effusive, he then turned his sights on John McCain. With 20,000 inside the XCel Energy Center, and a further 15,000 outside, Obama stood on the same stage that will feature McCain's nomination and announced with a loud shot across the bow, that he was coming for him. By far the highlight was this quip, showing McCain that he's not afraid to play rough: "John McCain has spent a lot of time talking about trips to Iraq in the last few weeks, but maybe if he spent some time taking trips to the cities and towns that have been hardest hit by this economy—cities in Michigan, and Ohio, and right here in Minnesota—he'd understand the kind of change that people are looking for."
Two words: Oh. Snap.
Now, since I first started this post, Clinton has announced that she would suspend her campaign on Saturday. Two problems with this. One: Why wait so long? You lost on Tuesday, it ended then, you just don't get it. Two: Why suspend and not end? Do you need the vindication of people voting for you at the nominating convention, and thereby dragging out the process? Childish at best, dreadfully irresponsible at worst.
To weigh in on the Obama/Clinton "Dream Ticket," I'm not sure I care for Clinton to be the VP anymore. I think she guarantees Obama the presidency, but I think she blew it on Tuesday. While I would welcome whatever will help the Democrats retake the White House, I think Obama should look long and hard at people like Virginia's Jim Webb, and even Big Ed Rendell. If he plays his cards right, Obama can have this thing sewed up by my birthday.
Looks like things are going to be getting exciting... I'll try to keep up with all the fun right here, it's going to be a fun ride.
UPDATE: Text of the Obama speech, with one of the massively spine tingling moments:
"Because if we are willing to work for it, and fight for it, and believe in it, then I am absolutely certain that generations from now, we will be able to look back and tell our children that this was the moment when we began to provide care for the sick and good jobs to the jobless; this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal; this was the moment when we ended a war and secured our nation and restored our image as the last, best hope on earth."
UPDATE #2: Since I'm still all hot and bothered about this, here's the kind of speech we could/should have heard from Hillary on Tuesday, courtesy of none other than Ted Kennedy himself, circa 1980. Say what you will about him as a person, he is a consummate politician and this speech is one of my favorites of all time. I mean, the man was a raging alcoholic at the time and still manages to get through a Tennyson quote at the end. Simply amazing.
"For me, a few hours ago, this campaign came to an end. For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die."
15 May 2008
As noted by Handy, the California Supreme Court has struck down that state's essential ban on gay marriage. Score one for the good guys (and gals), as I for one tired quite easily of anyone denying anyone, anywhere, any of their rights.
On a more predictable front, we have good ol' Dubbya scoring points for all manner of hate, foolishness and ignorance the world over. Comparing the Democrats, and parenthetically Obama, to the pre-WWII European diplomats who appeased Hitler? Really? Um, wow. I have railed in this forum about the politics of fear, how tiresome it is, and how it needs to be done away with. What we have here today, ladies and gentlemen, is fear-mongering at its very very finest. I loathe this man, I did before today, but he's taken it to a whole new level. It's nearly criminal what he's done, and what he continues to do. It makes me want to puke.
Speaking of Dubbya and his cronies, at least there is hope for justice at some point down the road.
In a related note, at least there is someone out there who has the stones to stand up to Bush and speak in the kind of elementary school language he can understand.
Oh, and on the off chance that McCain beats the Democratic nominee (probably Obama at this point, right?), at least we'll be out of Iraq in time for my 30th birthday.
Ugh.
On a more predictable front, we have good ol' Dubbya scoring points for all manner of hate, foolishness and ignorance the world over. Comparing the Democrats, and parenthetically Obama, to the pre-WWII European diplomats who appeased Hitler? Really? Um, wow. I have railed in this forum about the politics of fear, how tiresome it is, and how it needs to be done away with. What we have here today, ladies and gentlemen, is fear-mongering at its very very finest. I loathe this man, I did before today, but he's taken it to a whole new level. It's nearly criminal what he's done, and what he continues to do. It makes me want to puke.
Speaking of Dubbya and his cronies, at least there is hope for justice at some point down the road.
In a related note, at least there is someone out there who has the stones to stand up to Bush and speak in the kind of elementary school language he can understand.
Oh, and on the off chance that McCain beats the Democratic nominee (probably Obama at this point, right?), at least we'll be out of Iraq in time for my 30th birthday.
Ugh.
16 April 2008
In response to Handy's comments on my criticism of Joe Girardi:
Yes, he was at one point the National League Manager of the Year. It was well deserved, he did a lot with a young, overachieving Marlins team, and it was a shame the way he got run out of town.
However
Managing in the AL is far different than the NL. Many think managing in the NL is much harder, myself included, and it's certainly not too hard to manage that lineup. Not the '27 Yankees, that's for sure, but seriously? ARod, Jeter, Giambi, Abreu (best hitter in the lineup in my opinion), Matsui, Cano, Posada. I mean damn, even Damon has a little left in the tank...
Figure it out Joe, it's certainly not that hard.
Yes, he was at one point the National League Manager of the Year. It was well deserved, he did a lot with a young, overachieving Marlins team, and it was a shame the way he got run out of town.
However
Managing in the AL is far different than the NL. Many think managing in the NL is much harder, myself included, and it's certainly not too hard to manage that lineup. Not the '27 Yankees, that's for sure, but seriously? ARod, Jeter, Giambi, Abreu (best hitter in the lineup in my opinion), Matsui, Cano, Posada. I mean damn, even Damon has a little left in the tank...
Figure it out Joe, it's certainly not that hard.
08 April 2008
I've been trying not to get overtly political in this forum, but as anyone who knows me will tell you, this Democratic Primary has become my favorite topic of conversation. I've made reference before in this blog to my support of Barack Obama (whose name I'm sure spell checks everywhere absolutely LOVE), and recently my partner at work, BG, got me a pimp Obama poster that can be seen here. The story that goes along with the picture is pretty interesting too, for what it's worth. Gar Joseph, columnist for the Philly Daily News suggests that Obama is relying on a "cult of personality," calling him "Orwellian" and cites a Time magazine article calling the campaign an exercise in "mass messianism."
I understand that it has been an awful long time since a candidate has moved people the way Obama does, but I am exceedingly confused why so many seem so eager to attempt to strike him down. Personally I believe he has run an outstanding campaign, and weathered many storms that should have crushed his effort. I mean, I can see the similarities of his poster with lots of Soviet propaganda, just Google it if you’re interested, but don’t be silly about it. Give him credit where it is due. Since his DNC speech in 2004 (Part 1, Part 2, Text Here), his rise has been meteoric, but deserved. He wouldn’t still be in the race, much less in the lead, if he wasn’t.
If you want to look at the reality of the situation, you just have to look at the tv spots being used by both campaigns. The one (that I’ve seen) Clinton ad running in PA is her now famous 3 am spot, where she tries to scare voters, in the amazing American political tradition. Of the two Obama ads I’ve seen, my clear favorite is quite simple, straightforward and honest. He stands in front of the camera at a steel mill, dressed in a leather jacket, nice pants and an open collared shirt, explaining to voters how he got started in politics and how he plans to help blue-collar workers in Pennsylvania. Awesome, non-threatening, and relatable. It also explains one of the main reasons I like him so much. Not only do I find his politics appealing, but he’s treating the electorate with dignity and respect, rather than scare tactics and newspeak (HA! Another Orwell reference!). I appreciate how he treats us as a people, and I can’t wait to see how this all shakes out. And remember, all of you out there, please vote, for whomever, whenever you can. It’s the foundation of our democracy, and it’s so much more important to vote, rather then who you vote for.
Ok, off the soapbox for now.
I understand that it has been an awful long time since a candidate has moved people the way Obama does, but I am exceedingly confused why so many seem so eager to attempt to strike him down. Personally I believe he has run an outstanding campaign, and weathered many storms that should have crushed his effort. I mean, I can see the similarities of his poster with lots of Soviet propaganda, just Google it if you’re interested, but don’t be silly about it. Give him credit where it is due. Since his DNC speech in 2004 (Part 1, Part 2, Text Here), his rise has been meteoric, but deserved. He wouldn’t still be in the race, much less in the lead, if he wasn’t.
If you want to look at the reality of the situation, you just have to look at the tv spots being used by both campaigns. The one (that I’ve seen) Clinton ad running in PA is her now famous 3 am spot, where she tries to scare voters, in the amazing American political tradition. Of the two Obama ads I’ve seen, my clear favorite is quite simple, straightforward and honest. He stands in front of the camera at a steel mill, dressed in a leather jacket, nice pants and an open collared shirt, explaining to voters how he got started in politics and how he plans to help blue-collar workers in Pennsylvania. Awesome, non-threatening, and relatable. It also explains one of the main reasons I like him so much. Not only do I find his politics appealing, but he’s treating the electorate with dignity and respect, rather than scare tactics and newspeak (HA! Another Orwell reference!). I appreciate how he treats us as a people, and I can’t wait to see how this all shakes out. And remember, all of you out there, please vote, for whomever, whenever you can. It’s the foundation of our democracy, and it’s so much more important to vote, rather then who you vote for.
Ok, off the soapbox for now.
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