Found on J.M.G:
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
I Want My Xterra Back
My Xterra is in the shop getting the hail damaged repaired. My insurance pays for a rental car so I am driving an Enterprise rental vehicle. When the guy asked if a 2008 Chevy Impala was OK, I said "Sure". I have never driven one, but I only have to drive it for a couple of days.
Wow. What a complete and utter piece of shit. Let me enumerate the reasons:
1. The AC. At maximum, the air is cool-ish. When I max out my Xterra you are freezing your ass off after a couple of minutes.
2. Fake plastic wood paneling on the dash. Seriously, I thought they gave this shit up in the 70's.
3. The acceleration. I press the accelerator and I might as well be putting my foot down on a wet sponge. I push the petal and a minute or so later I might notice a slight increase. Maybe.
4. The brakes. Another wet sponge.
5. The door locks. I press the button and the car beeps at me, and no doors lock. I think what the? Press the button again and it beeps at me. I then realized you have to close the door to lock the damn thing. I understand that this feature is for morons who lock themselves out of their car on a regular basis, but I am NOT one of those morons. If you really need this feature, fine, beep at me the first time I hit the lock button... but the second time I hit it... LOCK THE FUCKING DOOR. I really do not need a fucking piece of electronics second guessing me.
This is after only a few hours of driving the car, I am sure I will have many more reasons to hate this car before I get my Xterra back... Oh and more good news I got this afternoon... the repair place called and said they have to order parts and will let me know tomorrow how long it will be before I get my car back.
Fucking Fuckedy fuck fuck.
Wow. What a complete and utter piece of shit. Let me enumerate the reasons:
1. The AC. At maximum, the air is cool-ish. When I max out my Xterra you are freezing your ass off after a couple of minutes.
2. Fake plastic wood paneling on the dash. Seriously, I thought they gave this shit up in the 70's.
3. The acceleration. I press the accelerator and I might as well be putting my foot down on a wet sponge. I push the petal and a minute or so later I might notice a slight increase. Maybe.
4. The brakes. Another wet sponge.
5. The door locks. I press the button and the car beeps at me, and no doors lock. I think what the? Press the button again and it beeps at me. I then realized you have to close the door to lock the damn thing. I understand that this feature is for morons who lock themselves out of their car on a regular basis, but I am NOT one of those morons. If you really need this feature, fine, beep at me the first time I hit the lock button... but the second time I hit it... LOCK THE FUCKING DOOR. I really do not need a fucking piece of electronics second guessing me.
This is after only a few hours of driving the car, I am sure I will have many more reasons to hate this car before I get my Xterra back... Oh and more good news I got this afternoon... the repair place called and said they have to order parts and will let me know tomorrow how long it will be before I get my car back.
Fucking Fuckedy fuck fuck.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Bermuda grass
If I could go back in time and assassinate one person, who would it be? Hitler? Stalin? No. I would go back in time and kill the person who brought Bermuda grass to the United States. This is the grass I pulled out of a 3 square foot area of a flower bed and I still have about 4 times that left to go... and pulling gets rid off the tops but it is almost impossible to get rid of the rhizomes that have encircled the roots of my flowers.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
I Would Laugh.
I would laugh, but he is a senator from KS, so I'll just lower my head shaking. From JMG:
Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS), upset about all those centaurs ravaging the Kansas plains, has submitted a bill banning the creation of animal-human hybrids. From the hilarious Jeff Vrabel:
Republican Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas and the dark side of Neptune and 2008 presidential candidate for exactly 24 minutes (less time than Fred Thompson, just in case you were worried that was impossible), introduced legislation banning the creation of terrifying-sounding ANIMAL-HUMAN HYBRIDS, such as mermaids, or Perez Hilton. “Creating human-animal hybrids, which permanently alter the genetic makeup of an organism, will challenge the very definition of what it means to be human and is a violation of human dignity and a grave injustice," Brownback said, adding, "A PLANET WHERE APES EVOLVED FROM MAN?" Needless to say, this story has caused about 80 percent of political bloggers to lose their Red Bulled minds in near-hysteric glee, though nearly all of their joke-posts were decorated with an image of the Little Mermaid, which doesn't do much to deny the obvious suspicion that people who spend their lives sitting in front of a computers would read "human-animal hybrid" and immediately think "hot shirtless teen mermaid" (a phrase which, incidentally, is going to send this column's Google hits into FREAKING ORBIT).
Won't somebody please think about the furries?
Republican Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas and the dark side of Neptune and 2008 presidential candidate for exactly 24 minutes (less time than Fred Thompson, just in case you were worried that was impossible), introduced legislation banning the creation of terrifying-sounding ANIMAL-HUMAN HYBRIDS, such as mermaids, or Perez Hilton. “Creating human-animal hybrids, which permanently alter the genetic makeup of an organism, will challenge the very definition of what it means to be human and is a violation of human dignity and a grave injustice," Brownback said, adding, "A PLANET WHERE APES EVOLVED FROM MAN?" Needless to say, this story has caused about 80 percent of political bloggers to lose their Red Bulled minds in near-hysteric glee, though nearly all of their joke-posts were decorated with an image of the Little Mermaid, which doesn't do much to deny the obvious suspicion that people who spend their lives sitting in front of a computers would read "human-animal hybrid" and immediately think "hot shirtless teen mermaid" (a phrase which, incidentally, is going to send this column's Google hits into FREAKING ORBIT).
Won't somebody please think about the furries?
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Sunflower
Nothing says Kansas like sunflowers. I planted some in my garden years ago, and they have come back on their own every year since.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Thursday, July 16, 2009
John Goodner
When I was a young, just out of the closet gay boy... one of the first gay men I met and spent a lot of time with was John Goodner. He was my then boyfriend Mark's long time friend (they had moved to Wichita from Oklahoma City).
I hadn't thought about John in a long time until I read a CNN article excerpt over on NTKG. I was at the dog track having dinner with John and Mark. During a particular race, an African American gentleman sitting at the table next to us stood up and yelled "Come on you faggot dog... Damn it".
John was the proudest gay man I ever met. He turned in his seat, looked at the man and said "Hey, how would YOU like it if I called that dog a nigger". The man said sorry and sat down.
In the article, the author criticizes gay men for saying Obama is not moving fast enough on gay rights. He may have a legitimate criticism, but other arguments he made only served to make me angry.
First:
Bars such as The Prop House, or Bulldogs in Atlanta, Georgia, exist because a large number of gay blacks -- particularly those who date other blacks, and live in the black community -- do not feel a part of the larger gay movement. There are Gay Pride celebrations, and then there are Black Gay Prides.
Response:
Every gay pride event I have ever been to, there were plenty of African Americans, and I really don't know how I can make them feel more welcome than when I have had sex with them.
Second:
When Proposition 8 passed in California, white gays were quick to blame the black community despite blacks making up less than 10 percent of total voters and whites being close to 60 percent. At protest rallies that followed, some gay blacks reported they were even hit with racial epithets by angry white participants. Not to split hairs, but for most blacks, the n-word trumps the f-word.
Response:
I don't think gays blamed them, but the were certainly disappointed considering that gays and lesbians have been some of the most vocal supporters of equal rights for African Americans. For the n-word versus the F-word, see my experience above.
Third:
So while the white mouthpiece of the gay community shakes an angry finger at intolerance and bigotry in their blogs and on television, blacks and other minorities see the dirty laundry. They see the hypocrisy of publicly rallying in the name of unity but then privately living in segregated pockets. And then there is the history.
Response:
Consider how the African community treats black gays and lesbian, perhaps the reason is African American gays are forced into the "Down-low" by the African American community. It seems to me the Author is doing the hypocritical finger waiving here, remove the spec from your own eye.
Fourth:
The 40th anniversary of Stonewall dominated Gay Pride celebrations around the country, and while that is certainly a significant moment that should be recognized, 40 years is nothing compared with the 400 blood-soaked years black people have been through in this country. There are stories some blacks lived through, stories others were told by their parents and stories that never had a chance to be told.
Response:
You are assuming the gay civil rights movement started with stonewall. The truth is that discrimination against gays has been going on at least as long. Buggery laws predate slavery. People have been murdered for being gay for a much longer time than the last 400 years.
Fifth:
While those who were at Stonewall talk about the fear of being arrested by police, 40 years ago, blacks talked about the fear of dying at the hands of police and not having their bodies found or murder investigated. The 13th Amendment was signed in 1865, and it wasn't until 1948 that President Harry S Truman desegregated the military. That's more than an 80-year gap
Response:
We know the fear of police, just ask the guy who had his head bashed at the Rainbow in Ft. Worth. We are killed and harassed in all the same ways African Americans are (including the KKK). The arguement that we have to wait at least as long as you had to wait in order to get our equal rights is getting really pathetic.
Sixth:
Not to be flip, but Miley Cyrus is older than Bill Clinton's "don't ask, don't tell." That doesn't mean that the safety of gay people should be trivialized or that Obama should not be held accountable for the promises he made on the campaign trail. But to call this month's first-ever White House reception for GLBT leaders "too little too late" is akin to a petulant child throwing a tantrum because he wants to eat his dessert before dinner. This is one of the main reasons why so many blacks bristle at the comparison of the two movements -- everybody wants to sing the blues, nobody wants to live them.
Response:
You can call for patience without being condescending. Obama in my opinion has been very good at that. The Author however, serves only to irritate me with his condescension. The Gay civil rights movement is EVERY BIT as legitimate as the African American movement.
My final point is this (and I posted it in the comments):
Racism is now largely condemned by society, partly because of the efforts of many gay people; however in that same society, we (LGBT's) can be openly condemned, and our efforts treated as just a political position. It is easy to sit in judgement of (and look down your nose at) our attempts at gaining equal rights when you already have yours. We also are killed just for being LGBT, we are denied jobs, even denied something as simple as marriage. It is never acceptable (rightfully so) to say blacks are more likely to be criminals, blacks are more likely to be drug addicts, Blacks are immoral... but those same comments are being said everyday about gay people on TV and no one is crying foul. The truth is the African American civil rights movement is comfortable and have forgotten their history.
I hadn't thought about John in a long time until I read a CNN article excerpt over on NTKG. I was at the dog track having dinner with John and Mark. During a particular race, an African American gentleman sitting at the table next to us stood up and yelled "Come on you faggot dog... Damn it".
John was the proudest gay man I ever met. He turned in his seat, looked at the man and said "Hey, how would YOU like it if I called that dog a nigger". The man said sorry and sat down.
In the article, the author criticizes gay men for saying Obama is not moving fast enough on gay rights. He may have a legitimate criticism, but other arguments he made only served to make me angry.
First:
Bars such as The Prop House, or Bulldogs in Atlanta, Georgia, exist because a large number of gay blacks -- particularly those who date other blacks, and live in the black community -- do not feel a part of the larger gay movement. There are Gay Pride celebrations, and then there are Black Gay Prides.
Response:
Every gay pride event I have ever been to, there were plenty of African Americans, and I really don't know how I can make them feel more welcome than when I have had sex with them.
Second:
When Proposition 8 passed in California, white gays were quick to blame the black community despite blacks making up less than 10 percent of total voters and whites being close to 60 percent. At protest rallies that followed, some gay blacks reported they were even hit with racial epithets by angry white participants. Not to split hairs, but for most blacks, the n-word trumps the f-word.
Response:
I don't think gays blamed them, but the were certainly disappointed considering that gays and lesbians have been some of the most vocal supporters of equal rights for African Americans. For the n-word versus the F-word, see my experience above.
Third:
So while the white mouthpiece of the gay community shakes an angry finger at intolerance and bigotry in their blogs and on television, blacks and other minorities see the dirty laundry. They see the hypocrisy of publicly rallying in the name of unity but then privately living in segregated pockets. And then there is the history.
Response:
Consider how the African community treats black gays and lesbian, perhaps the reason is African American gays are forced into the "Down-low" by the African American community. It seems to me the Author is doing the hypocritical finger waiving here, remove the spec from your own eye.
Fourth:
The 40th anniversary of Stonewall dominated Gay Pride celebrations around the country, and while that is certainly a significant moment that should be recognized, 40 years is nothing compared with the 400 blood-soaked years black people have been through in this country. There are stories some blacks lived through, stories others were told by their parents and stories that never had a chance to be told.
Response:
You are assuming the gay civil rights movement started with stonewall. The truth is that discrimination against gays has been going on at least as long. Buggery laws predate slavery. People have been murdered for being gay for a much longer time than the last 400 years.
Fifth:
While those who were at Stonewall talk about the fear of being arrested by police, 40 years ago, blacks talked about the fear of dying at the hands of police and not having their bodies found or murder investigated. The 13th Amendment was signed in 1865, and it wasn't until 1948 that President Harry S Truman desegregated the military. That's more than an 80-year gap
Response:
We know the fear of police, just ask the guy who had his head bashed at the Rainbow in Ft. Worth. We are killed and harassed in all the same ways African Americans are (including the KKK). The arguement that we have to wait at least as long as you had to wait in order to get our equal rights is getting really pathetic.
Sixth:
Not to be flip, but Miley Cyrus is older than Bill Clinton's "don't ask, don't tell." That doesn't mean that the safety of gay people should be trivialized or that Obama should not be held accountable for the promises he made on the campaign trail. But to call this month's first-ever White House reception for GLBT leaders "too little too late" is akin to a petulant child throwing a tantrum because he wants to eat his dessert before dinner. This is one of the main reasons why so many blacks bristle at the comparison of the two movements -- everybody wants to sing the blues, nobody wants to live them.
Response:
You can call for patience without being condescending. Obama in my opinion has been very good at that. The Author however, serves only to irritate me with his condescension. The Gay civil rights movement is EVERY BIT as legitimate as the African American movement.
My final point is this (and I posted it in the comments):
Racism is now largely condemned by society, partly because of the efforts of many gay people; however in that same society, we (LGBT's) can be openly condemned, and our efforts treated as just a political position. It is easy to sit in judgement of (and look down your nose at) our attempts at gaining equal rights when you already have yours. We also are killed just for being LGBT, we are denied jobs, even denied something as simple as marriage. It is never acceptable (rightfully so) to say blacks are more likely to be criminals, blacks are more likely to be drug addicts, Blacks are immoral... but those same comments are being said everyday about gay people on TV and no one is crying foul. The truth is the African American civil rights movement is comfortable and have forgotten their history.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
I'm Turning Japanese (or More Sushi)
I'm turning Japanese, I think I'm turning Japanese, I really think so! I had Sushi again monday and again today... I think I am going to need an intervention. Today I had the Spicy Rolls. Mmmm! Salmon, Tuna, and Skrimps!
Monday, July 13, 2009
Bigotry & Corruption Will Never be 'Hip'
From Think Progress:
After years of scandals and political defeats, it appears Ralph Reed is going to try for a political comeback. Reed is creating a new advocacy group called the Faith and Freedom Coalition, reports the Atlanta Journal Constitution. The latest venture, Reed says, will focus on “finding and training the next generation of conservative leaders, volunteers and activists” and serve as a Christian Coalition 2.0 for conservative voters of faith:
“This is not going to be your daddy’s Christian Coalition,” Reed said in an interview to describe his new venture, the Faith and Freedom Coalition. “It has to be younger, hipper, less strident, more inclusive and it has to harness the 21st century that will enable us to win in the future.” [...]
“Even though I’ve been doing other things, this is kind of like Steve Jobs returning to Apple,” Reed said.
In 1997, Reed was forced to leave the Christian Coalition “as the Federal Election Commission was investigating whether it violated campaign finance rules. By 1999, the IRS had revoked the Coalition’s tax-exempt status for taking partisan stands in elections.” (HT: Taegan Goddard)
After years of scandals and political defeats, it appears Ralph Reed is going to try for a political comeback. Reed is creating a new advocacy group called the Faith and Freedom Coalition, reports the Atlanta Journal Constitution. The latest venture, Reed says, will focus on “finding and training the next generation of conservative leaders, volunteers and activists” and serve as a Christian Coalition 2.0 for conservative voters of faith:
“This is not going to be your daddy’s Christian Coalition,” Reed said in an interview to describe his new venture, the Faith and Freedom Coalition. “It has to be younger, hipper, less strident, more inclusive and it has to harness the 21st century that will enable us to win in the future.” [...]
“Even though I’ve been doing other things, this is kind of like Steve Jobs returning to Apple,” Reed said.
In 1997, Reed was forced to leave the Christian Coalition “as the Federal Election Commission was investigating whether it violated campaign finance rules. By 1999, the IRS had revoked the Coalition’s tax-exempt status for taking partisan stands in elections.” (HT: Taegan Goddard)
Friday, July 10, 2009
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Monday, July 6, 2009
Tulsa
We spent the holiday weekend visiting friends in Tulsa. We had a wonderful time playing water volleyball at Brad and Todds on Friday and then visited several local pool parties with Patrick on Saturday. Makes me want to put a pool in our back yard!
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
CHiMps Overheard
I wasn't going to write about the death of Michael Jackson. There are people far more insightful, providing ample commentary on the King of Pops demise. People much closer to the subject, with much more information upon which to reflect on his 50 years of existence.
His talent. His celebrity. His eccentricity. I didn't think I had anything to contribute. That is until a couple of nights ago, when I was at the gym. Two Caucasian Heterosexual Males, let's call them CHiMps for short, were having a conversation about his life and death.
In retrospect, I should have been instantly insulted and spoken up. Unfortunately it took a while for me took get my head around what was said, and by then they were long gone. Here is the part of the conversation I overheard on my way to the shower:
CHiMp #1: I can't believe they are playing Michael Jackson on the TV.
CHiMp #2: Why is that?
CHiMp #1: The man was a piece of shit, I am glad he is dead, and the news isn't telling the world the truth about him.
CHiMp #2: Huh?
CHiMp #1: The man was a pedophile. They went into his house when he was being sued and found all kinds of gay porn and pictures of young boys.
If I had reacted the way I should have... I would have spoken up and said:
First, gay porn is NOT child porn. Second, if MJ was a pedophile and they had found child porn, he would have been in Jail. I am sure that CHiMp #2 told a complete lie (or repeated a lie someone else told him) to try and support his belief that MJ was a pedophile.
I never thought I would be in a position to defend some one who may or may not have been a pedophile... Jordan Chandler has now said he lied about being molested because his father wanted MJ's money... we may never know what happened in Neverland... but I know if I were the parent of a child molested... I would make sure the offender was in jail... all Evan Chandler seemed interested in was the 17 million paid to settle the case out of court.
This ends up just being another example of the small minded morons who live in the midwest talking out of their asses about things they know NOTHING about. Whether it be gays, other religions, other cultures or even Michael Jackson.
His talent. His celebrity. His eccentricity. I didn't think I had anything to contribute. That is until a couple of nights ago, when I was at the gym. Two Caucasian Heterosexual Males, let's call them CHiMps for short, were having a conversation about his life and death.
In retrospect, I should have been instantly insulted and spoken up. Unfortunately it took a while for me took get my head around what was said, and by then they were long gone. Here is the part of the conversation I overheard on my way to the shower:
CHiMp #1: I can't believe they are playing Michael Jackson on the TV.
CHiMp #2: Why is that?
CHiMp #1: The man was a piece of shit, I am glad he is dead, and the news isn't telling the world the truth about him.
CHiMp #2: Huh?
CHiMp #1: The man was a pedophile. They went into his house when he was being sued and found all kinds of gay porn and pictures of young boys.
If I had reacted the way I should have... I would have spoken up and said:
First, gay porn is NOT child porn. Second, if MJ was a pedophile and they had found child porn, he would have been in Jail. I am sure that CHiMp #2 told a complete lie (or repeated a lie someone else told him) to try and support his belief that MJ was a pedophile.
I never thought I would be in a position to defend some one who may or may not have been a pedophile... Jordan Chandler has now said he lied about being molested because his father wanted MJ's money... we may never know what happened in Neverland... but I know if I were the parent of a child molested... I would make sure the offender was in jail... all Evan Chandler seemed interested in was the 17 million paid to settle the case out of court.
This ends up just being another example of the small minded morons who live in the midwest talking out of their asses about things they know NOTHING about. Whether it be gays, other religions, other cultures or even Michael Jackson.
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