The conservative philosophy is that government should stay out of the way and let free enterprise basically have free rein. The conservatives allege that the business community will look out for our best interests in a paternalistic "pat on the head" kind of way.
However, this philosophy has been proven time and time again to be bad for the public. A recent article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette stated that businesses are balking on voluntary nutrional guidelines that would encourage food makers to reduce salt, added sugars and fats in foods targeted toward children. If their products did not meet certain standards, the foodmakers who follow the guidelines would refrain from advertising them to children. Some heavy hitters in the media as well as the chamber of commerce are using scare tactics such as job loss to back the government off. Nevermind that the childhood obesity rate in this country --one in three kids is obese or overweight -- is, well, obscene. Big business would rather reel in their lucrative audience and their money rather than do the right thing to curb childhood obesity. So is this really how we want our country to be run? By big corporations whose only regard is for the bottom line?
I guess this article outraged me because businesses won't, in my opinion, do the right thing when it comes time to choose health or safety over their bottom line. They will choose the bottom line every time because their business is to make money for themselves and their shareholders.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Misbehaving as a trend
There's been some discussion lately among Sue and I as well as Facebook and CNN.com regarding bad ass kids. Sue told me that she was in a coffee house this morning where a woman allowed her toddler son to run around the small shop unattended and that he almost made it out the door several times but fortunately was stopped by other customers from getting outside. This shop is on a busy road. While the mother/guardian chatted with a friend this went on for quite some time. Sue also reported that a couple of five year-old girls danced around in a circle in the same coffee shop at the same time the toddler was running amok. The problem is that when we don't discipline our small children and let them run around and disrupt other's quiet/peaceful enjoyment of restaurants, coffee shops, etc. etc. we are teaching them that they don't have to respect others and can do whatever they want.
I'm not a parent on purpose and I realize that being a parent is difficult but parents need to set rules for their kids and make them obey them. The logical progression of this was behavior I witnessed last night at the concert I attended. I went to see a musician named Bill Callahan who sings epic songs in storyteller fashion that are meant to be listened to very carefully. The concert was sponsored by the Warhol museum and was held outside at the Carnegie Museum of Art in the sculpture garden. It was a lovely venue and a lovely summer night. I had been waiting to see Mr. Callahan ever since a show I was supposed to see got rained out in one of our monster storms we had a year or so ago. The concert was not free -- it cost $15.00 to get in.
At some point after the show started, some yinzerettes arrived behind me and began to chatter quite loudly about their banal lives. This went on for some length of time until the guy sitting near me got up and evidently asked them to keep it down. I say evidently because I didn't hear him when he spoke with them so he appeared to do so in a way that did not embarass them. They were quiet for a few song cycles and at some point when the unknown guy and his group began to cheer loudly during the encore, the yinzerettes piped up and told him he was being too loud. When he said to them words to the effect of "Really, you had to go there" one of them called him a "fucking asshole." After the show ended I thanked him, but so did quite a few other people. He, rightly so, made the comment he could have used some back up. And he was right. These little nitwits were bothering more than this gentlemen, his two friends and me. Maybe one or two of us should have gone with him, or gone to security to get them removed. We all paid to hear the show, not them. And that's the same problem with out of control kids. They bother everyone but no one has the courage to complain. Thus the bad behavior get reinforced and when they get into their twenties -- which I suspect was the age of the yinzerettes -- the entitlement and the bad behavior continues because they have learned the lesson that they can behave in public however they want without consequences.
I have been to countless shows in Pittsburgh where some one or some ones have talked through a concert. And I, to my credit, have confronted more than a few. But what I really want to know is who pays good money to attend a concert and not even listen to it? To engage in continuous chatter when you could do that for free or at least the same cost in one of Pittsburgh's many fine bars? That way you could win and I could win by not having you talk at my show.
The concert, by the way, was fantastic and worth the wait. His new album is called "Apocalypse" and from the sound of the songs he played, is fantastic. I don't have it yet but it's on the list.
I'm not a parent on purpose and I realize that being a parent is difficult but parents need to set rules for their kids and make them obey them. The logical progression of this was behavior I witnessed last night at the concert I attended. I went to see a musician named Bill Callahan who sings epic songs in storyteller fashion that are meant to be listened to very carefully. The concert was sponsored by the Warhol museum and was held outside at the Carnegie Museum of Art in the sculpture garden. It was a lovely venue and a lovely summer night. I had been waiting to see Mr. Callahan ever since a show I was supposed to see got rained out in one of our monster storms we had a year or so ago. The concert was not free -- it cost $15.00 to get in.
At some point after the show started, some yinzerettes arrived behind me and began to chatter quite loudly about their banal lives. This went on for some length of time until the guy sitting near me got up and evidently asked them to keep it down. I say evidently because I didn't hear him when he spoke with them so he appeared to do so in a way that did not embarass them. They were quiet for a few song cycles and at some point when the unknown guy and his group began to cheer loudly during the encore, the yinzerettes piped up and told him he was being too loud. When he said to them words to the effect of "Really, you had to go there" one of them called him a "fucking asshole." After the show ended I thanked him, but so did quite a few other people. He, rightly so, made the comment he could have used some back up. And he was right. These little nitwits were bothering more than this gentlemen, his two friends and me. Maybe one or two of us should have gone with him, or gone to security to get them removed. We all paid to hear the show, not them. And that's the same problem with out of control kids. They bother everyone but no one has the courage to complain. Thus the bad behavior get reinforced and when they get into their twenties -- which I suspect was the age of the yinzerettes -- the entitlement and the bad behavior continues because they have learned the lesson that they can behave in public however they want without consequences.
I have been to countless shows in Pittsburgh where some one or some ones have talked through a concert. And I, to my credit, have confronted more than a few. But what I really want to know is who pays good money to attend a concert and not even listen to it? To engage in continuous chatter when you could do that for free or at least the same cost in one of Pittsburgh's many fine bars? That way you could win and I could win by not having you talk at my show.
The concert, by the way, was fantastic and worth the wait. His new album is called "Apocalypse" and from the sound of the songs he played, is fantastic. I don't have it yet but it's on the list.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
We're a gentle angry people
The above is a title to a Unitarian Universalist hymn that the Northside church sings frequently. It's an appropriate theme for me this week. This past spring in April, a neighbor's dog - a Great Dane -- jumped up against our fence and engaged one of our dogs, injuring him. I spoke with her and attempted to get her to rectify the situaiton because we had a $700 plus vet bill because this happened on a Saturday night so we had to take him to the emergency vet. Well, she basically called me a liar and refused to do anything - she didn't even want to promise me that she would not let her dog run loose. So I called Animal Contol. We had our hearing on Wednesday, July 6, 2011 and even though she lied, I testified, my partner Sue, testified and we had a video showing her dog running loose. The judge found her guility and ordered her to pay restitution. Hopefully we/Sue will see her money. This neighbor acted like she could push me around and do whatever she wanted. I warned her, I tried to work it out but she didn't want to play ball. I was proud of myself for stepping up for myself and for Sue.
After the hearing which was surpirsingly quick, we were out of there by 930, Sue and I went to Pamela's in Millvale. We had a nice breakfast, but afterward we went down the street to Attic Records. I have lived in Pittsburgh for seventeen years and have heard about Attic, but have never been in there. Can you imagine? Man, what a place! It has so much stuff in it it is overwhelming! Along one wall of the store there were records stacked several feet deep down an entire ailse. There were CDs of every type of music imaginable both new and used, vinyl of every type, photos of bands from the 1950 and 1960s and oldies music playing in the background. We didn't stay very long, but I bought two Bruce Springsteen CDs and defintely want to go back and explore it some more. I find it funny that vinyl, or albums as I still refer to them, are making a comeback. When I was a kid up through college, vinyl was all we had, then came cassettes and then CDs and now vinyl is back. I resisted the temptation to buy a record that day ... but you never know what I might do when I make a return visit. (Oh wait, there's that poverty van down by the river problem...hmmm.)
Just read where a Catholic bishop in New York state referred to advocates for Gay marriage as North Korean leaders and some conservative columnist chimed in that gay marriage advocates were like Bull Connor the infamous racist from Alabama. Can you imagine the warped thinking behind those declarations? And from the Catholic church which routinely protected pedophiles in their midst and from right wing Republicans who cheered on and helped stir up folks like Mr. Connor. (And the ever ongoing rewriting of Ameircan history by right-wing conservatives.)
On a lighter note, Sue and I went to the Toonseum in Pittsburgh to hear a lecture of religion and comic books. The lecture was pretty good, I'm still thinking about it. The display was about Batman, Spiderman, Superman, Wonder Woman and various other super heroes. I loved Batman as a kid, the concept of someone stepping up for the powerless and abused. I had Batman and Robin dolls as a kid but they were mauled by my brother's dog, Herman. Herman also amputated the legs of Johnny and Jane West, western themed toys. Herman had no regard for super heroes. Or the wild west.
Casey Anthony confirmed our worst fears about society. You can kill someone (or be a party to it or have knowledge of it) and get away with it. Pretty chilling isn't it?
After the hearing which was surpirsingly quick, we were out of there by 930, Sue and I went to Pamela's in Millvale. We had a nice breakfast, but afterward we went down the street to Attic Records. I have lived in Pittsburgh for seventeen years and have heard about Attic, but have never been in there. Can you imagine? Man, what a place! It has so much stuff in it it is overwhelming! Along one wall of the store there were records stacked several feet deep down an entire ailse. There were CDs of every type of music imaginable both new and used, vinyl of every type, photos of bands from the 1950 and 1960s and oldies music playing in the background. We didn't stay very long, but I bought two Bruce Springsteen CDs and defintely want to go back and explore it some more. I find it funny that vinyl, or albums as I still refer to them, are making a comeback. When I was a kid up through college, vinyl was all we had, then came cassettes and then CDs and now vinyl is back. I resisted the temptation to buy a record that day ... but you never know what I might do when I make a return visit. (Oh wait, there's that poverty van down by the river problem...hmmm.)
Just read where a Catholic bishop in New York state referred to advocates for Gay marriage as North Korean leaders and some conservative columnist chimed in that gay marriage advocates were like Bull Connor the infamous racist from Alabama. Can you imagine the warped thinking behind those declarations? And from the Catholic church which routinely protected pedophiles in their midst and from right wing Republicans who cheered on and helped stir up folks like Mr. Connor. (And the ever ongoing rewriting of Ameircan history by right-wing conservatives.)
On a lighter note, Sue and I went to the Toonseum in Pittsburgh to hear a lecture of religion and comic books. The lecture was pretty good, I'm still thinking about it. The display was about Batman, Spiderman, Superman, Wonder Woman and various other super heroes. I loved Batman as a kid, the concept of someone stepping up for the powerless and abused. I had Batman and Robin dolls as a kid but they were mauled by my brother's dog, Herman. Herman also amputated the legs of Johnny and Jane West, western themed toys. Herman had no regard for super heroes. Or the wild west.
Casey Anthony confirmed our worst fears about society. You can kill someone (or be a party to it or have knowledge of it) and get away with it. Pretty chilling isn't it?
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
A New York state of mind
New York state just passed a law allowing gay folks to marry. Pat Robertson promptly declared this means the end of America and civilization. Personally, and my lovely partner Sue would agree with me, I think the LGBT community made a mistake in pushing for marriage equality. I think passing a law giving the LGBT community the right to work without being fired, the right to housing and other protections is more important than the right to marry. Too many members of the community live in fear of being fired, of losing housing, of suffering economic hardship if they come out. I think this needs to be corrected as much as obtaining the right to marry.
Having said this, this is still a major victory along the civil rights continuum for the LGBT community and should be celebrated. Is this an omen of the decline of America? I doubt it. The irony is that America is in decline because of the actions of wealthy white (mostly male) millionaires/billionaires who probably pal around with Robertson. The same men who began in the 1980"s to export all of our manufacturing of steel, cars, clothes, appliances overseas where they can exploit foreign labor in places like Hong Kong and Mexico while not paying fair wages and getting around environmental and safety standards. My maternal grandfather worked for a mill as a welder (and was unionized) and made a fair enough wage that he was able to purchase a car, appliances and take vacations. Not something you can do in the "service industry" making $10.00 an hour. But the rich white men who own these plants/industries know this. This is why the rich are getting richer by the minute and the middle class is fading away. This is not a very good recipe for Democracy. The Republicans blame Obama for high unemployment, but where are you supposed to get a job when we don't make anything here anymore? This has been happening long before Obama became president.
I saw an article on CNN calling Michelle Bachmann a Christian feminist? Are you kidding me? Just another way the right-wing is defining feminism and distorting it.
Well it"s time to wrap up. My lunch hour is over.
Having said this, this is still a major victory along the civil rights continuum for the LGBT community and should be celebrated. Is this an omen of the decline of America? I doubt it. The irony is that America is in decline because of the actions of wealthy white (mostly male) millionaires/billionaires who probably pal around with Robertson. The same men who began in the 1980"s to export all of our manufacturing of steel, cars, clothes, appliances overseas where they can exploit foreign labor in places like Hong Kong and Mexico while not paying fair wages and getting around environmental and safety standards. My maternal grandfather worked for a mill as a welder (and was unionized) and made a fair enough wage that he was able to purchase a car, appliances and take vacations. Not something you can do in the "service industry" making $10.00 an hour. But the rich white men who own these plants/industries know this. This is why the rich are getting richer by the minute and the middle class is fading away. This is not a very good recipe for Democracy. The Republicans blame Obama for high unemployment, but where are you supposed to get a job when we don't make anything here anymore? This has been happening long before Obama became president.
I saw an article on CNN calling Michelle Bachmann a Christian feminist? Are you kidding me? Just another way the right-wing is defining feminism and distorting it.
Well it"s time to wrap up. My lunch hour is over.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Scary strange times
I'm still here because the rapture didn't happen.
I'm sitting here in Starbucks listening to the World Cafe who has a guest named James Blake that does "soulful" electronica. His new "album" is acclaimed by all those who matter and it's pretty good. I've purchased some great music -- my definition - lately. Fleet Foxes, My Morning Jacket, Battles, Gang, Gang Dance, Lady Gaga, Bon Iver and a lesbian I really like called "Tender Forever." I saw her at the Warhol as an opening act sometime in 2006-2007.
Music is my crack addiction, my nicotine fix. I can't get enough of it. But I guess I will have to cut back -- no more Paul's CDs for me. This is because I saw my financial advisor today who cheerily informed me that I will never be able to retire and will be living in a van down by the river -- a sly SNL reference. Pretty depressing. Making more money would help -- and I will have to get a new job because I will never make a lot of money working for the city. Or get a decent part-time job which I'm loathe to do because, well, I'm lazy and I worked two jobs a long time ago when I had my law practice and it was a royal pain in the ass and was very tiring. I'm now at least ten years older than I was then. I like my down time, my me time. Sigh. But I have to do something. Sue tells me no one our age will be able to retire, that it's now a distant, fond memory of the past. She may be right. But working for the City until I keel over isn't in my list of great wishes.
The LGBT community seems to be plagued lately by well placed right wing imposters. I say this in reference to the GLAAD and AT & T scandal. I wonder if this is happening in other areas. The LGBT community, labor, women, immigrants, and the jewish comunity are all under seige. There was a fascinating, truly scary article in Rolling Stone about the founder of Fox News, Roger Ailes, who worked for Richard Nixon. Some people in California are pushing anti-circumcision laws and, conveniently, one of them published an anti-semitic comic book. Guess who was the villan??
Our own Darryl Metcalfe is leading the charge against gay marriage and making it harder for the core constituents of the Democrat party --the poor, minorities and older folks -- to vote by proposing a law that requires ID to vote. Because you know, just like in Egypt, voter fraud is rampant in Pennsylvania.
Governor Corrbett is pushing charter schools which will bleed the public schools dry of pupils and resources and, conveniently, impact the teacher's union. Then there's Marcellus Shale allowing the drilling companies to do what they want. And the recently paased law that allows me to shoot first and ask questions later if I fear you. I wonder how that will turn out?? Then there is Poplawski. A prime case of what happens when an unbalanced individual has access to large quantities of guns and ammunition. He had 900 rounds in his house. What the f**k does one person need with that much ammo?? But the ole National Rifle Association says he can have it and should have it. God forbid we have universal health care in this country but, at least, we can have our guns and our ammo. And shoot first like in the Wild West when we feel threatened.
President Obama was in town. And the furries are in town. I missed the President and so far have missed the furries.
I am listening to Yacht's new album "Shangri-la" on NPR. Very bouncy and catchy. Too bad I can't add it to my list. You know, to avoid that van down by the river.
My mom, at age 73, is contemplating getting a computer. When she does, she can be the third follower of this little blog.
A woman attacked the McCandless Target with a baseball bat for refusing to return her merchandise. She broke the windows out of three doors. Should recruit her for the Pirates. Except that she appears to need mental health help. I hope she gets it. Good luck with that here in Pittsburgh. While every other lesbian is a therapist we seem to lack qualified psychiatrists and adequate outpatient treatment.
Speaking of unhinged individuals, the Flaming Lips, one of my favorite groups, is issuing their music on some type of flash drives imbedded in unique gummy candy containers. Like skulls, fetuses and -- vaginas. I would love to get my hands on these, but I'm quite sure they won't come to Pittsburgh. Though... I should ask Paul"s CDs. Wait, wait, the poverty thing.
Oh well, I can always dream.
I'm sitting here in Starbucks listening to the World Cafe who has a guest named James Blake that does "soulful" electronica. His new "album" is acclaimed by all those who matter and it's pretty good. I've purchased some great music -- my definition - lately. Fleet Foxes, My Morning Jacket, Battles, Gang, Gang Dance, Lady Gaga, Bon Iver and a lesbian I really like called "Tender Forever." I saw her at the Warhol as an opening act sometime in 2006-2007.
Music is my crack addiction, my nicotine fix. I can't get enough of it. But I guess I will have to cut back -- no more Paul's CDs for me. This is because I saw my financial advisor today who cheerily informed me that I will never be able to retire and will be living in a van down by the river -- a sly SNL reference. Pretty depressing. Making more money would help -- and I will have to get a new job because I will never make a lot of money working for the city. Or get a decent part-time job which I'm loathe to do because, well, I'm lazy and I worked two jobs a long time ago when I had my law practice and it was a royal pain in the ass and was very tiring. I'm now at least ten years older than I was then. I like my down time, my me time. Sigh. But I have to do something. Sue tells me no one our age will be able to retire, that it's now a distant, fond memory of the past. She may be right. But working for the City until I keel over isn't in my list of great wishes.
The LGBT community seems to be plagued lately by well placed right wing imposters. I say this in reference to the GLAAD and AT & T scandal. I wonder if this is happening in other areas. The LGBT community, labor, women, immigrants, and the jewish comunity are all under seige. There was a fascinating, truly scary article in Rolling Stone about the founder of Fox News, Roger Ailes, who worked for Richard Nixon. Some people in California are pushing anti-circumcision laws and, conveniently, one of them published an anti-semitic comic book. Guess who was the villan??
Our own Darryl Metcalfe is leading the charge against gay marriage and making it harder for the core constituents of the Democrat party --the poor, minorities and older folks -- to vote by proposing a law that requires ID to vote. Because you know, just like in Egypt, voter fraud is rampant in Pennsylvania.
Governor Corrbett is pushing charter schools which will bleed the public schools dry of pupils and resources and, conveniently, impact the teacher's union. Then there's Marcellus Shale allowing the drilling companies to do what they want. And the recently paased law that allows me to shoot first and ask questions later if I fear you. I wonder how that will turn out?? Then there is Poplawski. A prime case of what happens when an unbalanced individual has access to large quantities of guns and ammunition. He had 900 rounds in his house. What the f**k does one person need with that much ammo?? But the ole National Rifle Association says he can have it and should have it. God forbid we have universal health care in this country but, at least, we can have our guns and our ammo. And shoot first like in the Wild West when we feel threatened.
President Obama was in town. And the furries are in town. I missed the President and so far have missed the furries.
I am listening to Yacht's new album "Shangri-la" on NPR. Very bouncy and catchy. Too bad I can't add it to my list. You know, to avoid that van down by the river.
My mom, at age 73, is contemplating getting a computer. When she does, she can be the third follower of this little blog.
A woman attacked the McCandless Target with a baseball bat for refusing to return her merchandise. She broke the windows out of three doors. Should recruit her for the Pirates. Except that she appears to need mental health help. I hope she gets it. Good luck with that here in Pittsburgh. While every other lesbian is a therapist we seem to lack qualified psychiatrists and adequate outpatient treatment.
Speaking of unhinged individuals, the Flaming Lips, one of my favorite groups, is issuing their music on some type of flash drives imbedded in unique gummy candy containers. Like skulls, fetuses and -- vaginas. I would love to get my hands on these, but I'm quite sure they won't come to Pittsburgh. Though... I should ask Paul"s CDs. Wait, wait, the poverty thing.
Oh well, I can always dream.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Blog for Equality Day 2011
What to say about Darryl Metcalfe the esteemed representative from Cranberry?
First some background on me. I grew up in a very small town called West Middlesex located in Mercer County which is about an hour away from here. Living there was not easy, in fact, it was sheer hell. At the time I did not know I was a lesbian/gay, I just knew I was different. Very different. When the opportunity came at last to go away to college at Penn State's main campus I was ready. While at college I discovered why I was different. Now I had a name -- homosexuality -- to go with why I was different. And I was okay with it. I remember going to the student bookstore to read all I could about what it meant to be gay. I never felt morally inferior because I was gay or that I was going to hell. When I reached law school at West Virginia University I got my first taste of homophobia when I confided in someone who promptly told others. Several of my female classmates who were "friends" who sat next to me in class literally moved across the room from me. I guess being gay was like having the "cooties." It was juvenile, despicable behavior. It hurt but I never considered hiding from my true self.
When I graduated from law school my maternal grandpa wanted me to move back home and get a lawyer job in Sharon, the "big town" near West Middlesex. I decided to move and live in Pittsburgh instead where at least I knew they had a "gay" newspaper and gay bars. Occasionally as I have gotten older I have felt a pang of remorse about the decision to move away from my grandparents who I was very close to. But Darryl Metcalfe always reinforces my decision that living in the "big city" was the right choice.
I used to pass by Cranberry occasionally on my way home from Pittsburgh. Ten, twenty years ago it was nothing but fields. Now it is urban sprawl with a capital U S. It also seems as though it is a frontline on the continuing war against the Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender community. Recently one of the pro-family groups had a shindig there and pro-family typically means anti-LGBT. Now I don't know if the folks who live in the Cranberry area are "bigots" but they do keep electing Mr. Metcalfe who is known for making outrageous defamatory statements about our community. I do know that Mr. Metcalfe ably demonstrates the narrowmindedness that I wanted to escape from when I left for college/left for Pittsburgh.
Amending the Pennsylvania constitution to discriminate further against a class of people who are not only citizens but TAXPAYERS (people like him seem to forget this) is nothing but pandering to base elements of society who are afraid/don't like people who are "different." Mr. Metcalfe may think of himself as some type of righteous defender against the LGBT hordes who are poised to ransack the good people of Pennsylvania with their desire to get married, but I suspect he is a typical politician who would not be doing this unless he is getting clues from his constituents that this is okay. And that's the truly scary part. I am biased of course but I fail to see how "gay" marriage would destroy heterosexual marriages and the great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Heterosexuals dont't need our help in destroying their marriages, they seem to be perfectly competent doing it without our help (see Spears, Brittany) among others. To deny two people who love each other and want to have the same type of rights and priveleges as everyone else is not based on science or economics, it is based on fear. Fear fueled by religions who twist and turn the Bible into justification to hate others.
Fear is something that the right wing has been perfecting and pandering with since the dawn of the civil rights movements. Both Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan were masters at it. Now Mr. Metcalfe has allies to work with and a republican governor to enable him. For the LGBT community beating back this amendment is imperative because Mr. Metcalfe and others probably won't stop once they get some successes. Contact your state legislator, write letters to the editor or blog or facebook posts. Do all that you can because the right-wing has an agenda to discriminate against our community, to take away a woman's right to choose, to eviscerate the unions, to roll back and push back the rights of anyone that they don't like. We are in the crosshairs nationally and state wide. It is 2011 and still we are discriminating based on fear and irrational hatred.
First some background on me. I grew up in a very small town called West Middlesex located in Mercer County which is about an hour away from here. Living there was not easy, in fact, it was sheer hell. At the time I did not know I was a lesbian/gay, I just knew I was different. Very different. When the opportunity came at last to go away to college at Penn State's main campus I was ready. While at college I discovered why I was different. Now I had a name -- homosexuality -- to go with why I was different. And I was okay with it. I remember going to the student bookstore to read all I could about what it meant to be gay. I never felt morally inferior because I was gay or that I was going to hell. When I reached law school at West Virginia University I got my first taste of homophobia when I confided in someone who promptly told others. Several of my female classmates who were "friends" who sat next to me in class literally moved across the room from me. I guess being gay was like having the "cooties." It was juvenile, despicable behavior. It hurt but I never considered hiding from my true self.
When I graduated from law school my maternal grandpa wanted me to move back home and get a lawyer job in Sharon, the "big town" near West Middlesex. I decided to move and live in Pittsburgh instead where at least I knew they had a "gay" newspaper and gay bars. Occasionally as I have gotten older I have felt a pang of remorse about the decision to move away from my grandparents who I was very close to. But Darryl Metcalfe always reinforces my decision that living in the "big city" was the right choice.
I used to pass by Cranberry occasionally on my way home from Pittsburgh. Ten, twenty years ago it was nothing but fields. Now it is urban sprawl with a capital U S. It also seems as though it is a frontline on the continuing war against the Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender community. Recently one of the pro-family groups had a shindig there and pro-family typically means anti-LGBT. Now I don't know if the folks who live in the Cranberry area are "bigots" but they do keep electing Mr. Metcalfe who is known for making outrageous defamatory statements about our community. I do know that Mr. Metcalfe ably demonstrates the narrowmindedness that I wanted to escape from when I left for college/left for Pittsburgh.
Amending the Pennsylvania constitution to discriminate further against a class of people who are not only citizens but TAXPAYERS (people like him seem to forget this) is nothing but pandering to base elements of society who are afraid/don't like people who are "different." Mr. Metcalfe may think of himself as some type of righteous defender against the LGBT hordes who are poised to ransack the good people of Pennsylvania with their desire to get married, but I suspect he is a typical politician who would not be doing this unless he is getting clues from his constituents that this is okay. And that's the truly scary part. I am biased of course but I fail to see how "gay" marriage would destroy heterosexual marriages and the great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Heterosexuals dont't need our help in destroying their marriages, they seem to be perfectly competent doing it without our help (see Spears, Brittany) among others. To deny two people who love each other and want to have the same type of rights and priveleges as everyone else is not based on science or economics, it is based on fear. Fear fueled by religions who twist and turn the Bible into justification to hate others.
Fear is something that the right wing has been perfecting and pandering with since the dawn of the civil rights movements. Both Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan were masters at it. Now Mr. Metcalfe has allies to work with and a republican governor to enable him. For the LGBT community beating back this amendment is imperative because Mr. Metcalfe and others probably won't stop once they get some successes. Contact your state legislator, write letters to the editor or blog or facebook posts. Do all that you can because the right-wing has an agenda to discriminate against our community, to take away a woman's right to choose, to eviscerate the unions, to roll back and push back the rights of anyone that they don't like. We are in the crosshairs nationally and state wide. It is 2011 and still we are discriminating based on fear and irrational hatred.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Victoria Jackson and rap
Wow, I can't believe it's been since March 4 that I last blogged. Where have I been? I promised myself that I would do this every day but when I get home at night, other stuff beckons like feeding the small herd of cats.
Anyway there's a lot to discuss. Victoria Jackson a former SNL performer has been all over the news lately. First she went to the conservative shindig and complained about how hard it is for Christians to get parts in Holloywood because of discrimination. Funny, I didn't think right-wing Christians had a sense of humor. She has also apparently called President Obama a muslim and/or communist. Then this week she popped up on CNN.com again to complain about the gay kiss on Glee and the fact that gays and secular humanism were destroying America. She rambled on about the persecution of Christians and held up her Bible. She appeared to be under the influence of something -- perhaps Jesus juice? She was out there, man. She also said the gay Glee kiss was harming gay youth. The host of the program -- one of those Insider types actually challenged her. Sue and I discussed whether she is for real or just gaming us -- like some extended SNL skit. I hear she has a blog -- who among us doesn't these days -- and that it's something to behold. I think I may google it and check it out.
Now for the rap portion of our programming. I read a blog called Metacritic.com on a daily basis. Today they were featuring the top "albums" of the spring. One of the featured albums was the new one by Pittsburgh rapper Whiz Khalifa. I am not usually a rap fan. For a lot of reasons. But I clicked on the song and, if you can get past the constant references to "bitches," it's a rather catchy song. I don't think I would go out and buy it, but you never know. He's getting a lot of love in the national media including my favorite music blog, Pitchforkmedia.com. He was also on the cover of Rolling Stone. Speaking of Roling Stone, I read somewhere about the fact that certain people are questioning it's relevancy. I am a faithful subscriber and have noticed that they are covering a lot of the newer artisits. They need to put some of them on the cover instead of Snooki but nonetheless they are trying. But, I would subscribe just for the articles on politics by Matt Taibbi. I just read his latest article on Wall Street (I am behind in my reading too) and it was a brillant article.
Musically, I have been listening to concerts on NPRmusic.org from South by Southwest music festival. My wish is to go there someday. Guess it's on my bucket list. There is so much great music out there and I want to go to Paul's and buy it all. I may have to break down and buy an Itunes card so I can download some of it to my MP3 player.
Japan, Libya, a lot going on there. Of course the usual right-wing nuts have said the tsunami in Japan is the coming of the Apocalypse. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. What it is, however, is a damn shame and a terrible thing for that country to go through. And we don't need the so called Christians nammering on about the end of the world. Use your money and influence for good.
That's all folks.
Anyway there's a lot to discuss. Victoria Jackson a former SNL performer has been all over the news lately. First she went to the conservative shindig and complained about how hard it is for Christians to get parts in Holloywood because of discrimination. Funny, I didn't think right-wing Christians had a sense of humor. She has also apparently called President Obama a muslim and/or communist. Then this week she popped up on CNN.com again to complain about the gay kiss on Glee and the fact that gays and secular humanism were destroying America. She rambled on about the persecution of Christians and held up her Bible. She appeared to be under the influence of something -- perhaps Jesus juice? She was out there, man. She also said the gay Glee kiss was harming gay youth. The host of the program -- one of those Insider types actually challenged her. Sue and I discussed whether she is for real or just gaming us -- like some extended SNL skit. I hear she has a blog -- who among us doesn't these days -- and that it's something to behold. I think I may google it and check it out.
Now for the rap portion of our programming. I read a blog called Metacritic.com on a daily basis. Today they were featuring the top "albums" of the spring. One of the featured albums was the new one by Pittsburgh rapper Whiz Khalifa. I am not usually a rap fan. For a lot of reasons. But I clicked on the song and, if you can get past the constant references to "bitches," it's a rather catchy song. I don't think I would go out and buy it, but you never know. He's getting a lot of love in the national media including my favorite music blog, Pitchforkmedia.com. He was also on the cover of Rolling Stone. Speaking of Roling Stone, I read somewhere about the fact that certain people are questioning it's relevancy. I am a faithful subscriber and have noticed that they are covering a lot of the newer artisits. They need to put some of them on the cover instead of Snooki but nonetheless they are trying. But, I would subscribe just for the articles on politics by Matt Taibbi. I just read his latest article on Wall Street (I am behind in my reading too) and it was a brillant article.
Musically, I have been listening to concerts on NPRmusic.org from South by Southwest music festival. My wish is to go there someday. Guess it's on my bucket list. There is so much great music out there and I want to go to Paul's and buy it all. I may have to break down and buy an Itunes card so I can download some of it to my MP3 player.
Japan, Libya, a lot going on there. Of course the usual right-wing nuts have said the tsunami in Japan is the coming of the Apocalypse. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. What it is, however, is a damn shame and a terrible thing for that country to go through. And we don't need the so called Christians nammering on about the end of the world. Use your money and influence for good.
That's all folks.
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