Today's topic : The "T" Word. Testosterone.
Why I like it. Why we need it. How are lives are better for it.
I pondered this subject over the weekend, as Our Man Roger, neighbor-extraordinairre, cleaned out our gutters, took our huge and heavy air conditioner out of the first floor window and down to our basement, and pulled a very large and ominus looking branch off our porch roof.
It got me thinking about all those folks who, somehow, think lesbians "hate" men. To set the record straight (so to say), neither I nor any of the lesbians I know and love hate men.
I grew up with two brothers, the youngest of whom was my best friend and sidekick through our elementary school years. I adore my father and my uncles, particularly my godfather. Male cousins, too; who I've shared my youth with, and now our adult lives.
On the local front, I pondered, there's my Train Buddy Bryan - with whom I can talk sports, growing up in western PA, progressive politics, and raising daughters with.
And there's Jon, who will actually attend a girl's basketball game with me (even if his son is not to thrilled about it and would rather see the boys' game), and with whom I can share Cooking Light and WW recipies.
And let's not forget the Fathers of Children in My Daughters' Class and the local Brothers-In-Law, both sets of whom I always seem to end up talking with at any school, class, family gatherings.
So, here's to the Men in my life = hoo ha!
Monday, December 15, 2003
Wednesday, December 10, 2003
Finally! I've always known in the back of my mind that Wal-Mart is evil. Thanks to the New York Times and today's Radio Times (local Philly talk show), I've learned a lot more about why I think this way. In a nutshell:
Wal-Mart = "low prices"
Low prices = low wages for workers.
No benefits for workers.
No "right" to unionize.
Low prices = competition.
Other stores close.
Low wages = competition.
Other workers lose.
Wal-Mart family members comprise, like, 5 of the Top 10 Richest Americans.
In 2003, they (Mrs. W and kids) were #s 4-8 according to Forbes.
If Mr. W. were alive today and had not distributed his wealth to his wife and children, he'd be 2x richer than Bill Gates! We're talking "bil-yuns and bil-yuns" here!
Are they hoarding their $$$ ? Not necessarily. Their family foundation does give lots of money away (yet, the family members still are all billionaires). Let's take a look at their charitable giving, shall we?
Hmmm. "Education". . .
Charter schools. Education reform focusing on accountability. Scholarships for children "who do not have the opportunity to attend quality public schools" to attend private schools. Gee whiz. They could put their billions into public education and imagine what great public schools they would have!
Also, they gave a lot of $$$ to U. of Arkansas and Catholic Social Services, and tend to keep the majority of their giving within Arkansas and Mississippi.
Perusing their Annual Report, I especially enjoyed their 2002 gift of $191,500 to the National Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame; and was dismayed to discover that they gave $50,000 to my alma mater, Marquette!
Now, let's look at my favorite retailer Target and their Community Foundation:
Arts. Culture. Social Services. Emergency food pantries, assistance programs, housing programs. Food, shelter and clothing to at-risk families. Much more in line with my own personal values.
Anyhoo. There it is. There you have it. If you're luck enough to live in a large Metropolitan area and have choices, use your freedom of choice. It's your inalienable right.
Wal-Mart = "low prices"
Low prices = low wages for workers.
No benefits for workers.
No "right" to unionize.
Low prices = competition.
Other stores close.
Low wages = competition.
Other workers lose.
Wal-Mart family members comprise, like, 5 of the Top 10 Richest Americans.
In 2003, they (Mrs. W and kids) were #s 4-8 according to Forbes.
If Mr. W. were alive today and had not distributed his wealth to his wife and children, he'd be 2x richer than Bill Gates! We're talking "bil-yuns and bil-yuns" here!
Are they hoarding their $$$ ? Not necessarily. Their family foundation does give lots of money away (yet, the family members still are all billionaires). Let's take a look at their charitable giving, shall we?
Hmmm. "Education". . .
Charter schools. Education reform focusing on accountability. Scholarships for children "who do not have the opportunity to attend quality public schools" to attend private schools. Gee whiz. They could put their billions into public education and imagine what great public schools they would have!
Also, they gave a lot of $$$ to U. of Arkansas and Catholic Social Services, and tend to keep the majority of their giving within Arkansas and Mississippi.
Perusing their Annual Report, I especially enjoyed their 2002 gift of $191,500 to the National Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame; and was dismayed to discover that they gave $50,000 to my alma mater, Marquette!
Now, let's look at my favorite retailer Target and their Community Foundation:
Arts. Culture. Social Services. Emergency food pantries, assistance programs, housing programs. Food, shelter and clothing to at-risk families. Much more in line with my own personal values.
Anyhoo. There it is. There you have it. If you're luck enough to live in a large Metropolitan area and have choices, use your freedom of choice. It's your inalienable right.
Tuesday, December 09, 2003
Sports Bits by moi.
Watched the awesome Eagles game Sunday. Fly, Eagles, Fly. . .! Also watched the post-game press conferences and analysis on Comcast. I just can't help myself. I love that our governor is a sports fan and spends his few free hours a week talking about football. However, I couldn't help but notice how much "talk" there's been lately on the post-game show regarding clothes and hair. Are all these guys turning metrosexual? Not only do they talk amongst themselves about each other's clothes and hair, but did I not actually hear one of the reporters ask a player what designer (as opposed to whose throwback jersey) he was wearing?
On the hoops front, while it's not anywhere near March Madness yet, college hoops has begun and Marquette is 6-0. Not time yet to pull out my Final Four t-shirts to wear, yet; but I've thought about it. I did, of course, miss their 1st TV game (Coaches v Cancer), as our cable was out that night! And, I forgot about the 2nd one (MU-Notre Dame, the "old" rivalry from our Independent days). I'll blame it on the time change.
Oh, well, gotta get all my energy up for the St. Joe's - UConn women's game here at the Palestra. Small, old gym. Loud as heck. Me = tix 3 rows back from the SJU bench. It'd best not snow! First, though, gotta get through 'Nova (tonight) and UVA and Debbie Ryan. Tough schedule, re-vamped team. It'll be good to see Sue Moran again, back as an Assistant Coach after warming the bench for the Liberty.
On the high school front, I was surprised to learn this week that the Alliquippa (Pittsburgh) sports teams are called The Quips. My friend Bryan (from Pittsburgh) sez that's cause the area thar is called The Quip. Still, couldn't they foresee the "Quips and Bloods" jokes coming?
Here's a "shout out" to My Man Roger -- cyclist extraordinairre -- who faithfully rode his bike to work last Friday, during the blizzard-like conditions. Actually, his ride home was worth noting: snowy, icy, and all uphill back to the homestead. I hearby nomintate ye for My First Annual I-Wanna-Be-Like-Lance (but I won't be leaving my wife anytime soon) Award
Watched the awesome Eagles game Sunday. Fly, Eagles, Fly. . .! Also watched the post-game press conferences and analysis on Comcast. I just can't help myself. I love that our governor is a sports fan and spends his few free hours a week talking about football. However, I couldn't help but notice how much "talk" there's been lately on the post-game show regarding clothes and hair. Are all these guys turning metrosexual? Not only do they talk amongst themselves about each other's clothes and hair, but did I not actually hear one of the reporters ask a player what designer (as opposed to whose throwback jersey) he was wearing?
On the hoops front, while it's not anywhere near March Madness yet, college hoops has begun and Marquette is 6-0. Not time yet to pull out my Final Four t-shirts to wear, yet; but I've thought about it. I did, of course, miss their 1st TV game (Coaches v Cancer), as our cable was out that night! And, I forgot about the 2nd one (MU-Notre Dame, the "old" rivalry from our Independent days). I'll blame it on the time change.
Oh, well, gotta get all my energy up for the St. Joe's - UConn women's game here at the Palestra. Small, old gym. Loud as heck. Me = tix 3 rows back from the SJU bench. It'd best not snow! First, though, gotta get through 'Nova (tonight) and UVA and Debbie Ryan. Tough schedule, re-vamped team. It'll be good to see Sue Moran again, back as an Assistant Coach after warming the bench for the Liberty.
On the high school front, I was surprised to learn this week that the Alliquippa (Pittsburgh) sports teams are called The Quips. My friend Bryan (from Pittsburgh) sez that's cause the area thar is called The Quip. Still, couldn't they foresee the "Quips and Bloods" jokes coming?
Here's a "shout out" to My Man Roger -- cyclist extraordinairre -- who faithfully rode his bike to work last Friday, during the blizzard-like conditions. Actually, his ride home was worth noting: snowy, icy, and all uphill back to the homestead. I hearby nomintate ye for My First Annual I-Wanna-Be-Like-Lance (but I won't be leaving my wife anytime soon) Award
Friday, December 05, 2003
So, speaking of relations, and family and such. . . I recently wrote a small piece to submit to local print media re: gay marriage. Who knows if they'll ever publish it? I thought. "Aha!" I said to myself. "Self, you can publish it on your blog!" Thus. . .
A Case for Gay Marriage
Like any other parent, my greatest fear since my daughter's birth has been worrying about her safety. Every step she's taken, every jungle gym she's climbed on or steps she's jumped from – I visualized bad bruises, broken bones, stitches and CAT scans.
But my larger fear, one that my heterosexual neighbors and friends don't understand, is that I could be denied the right to be with her in the hospital, emergency room, or even the doctor's office.
It happens. Homophobic doctors; liability and malpractice issues; HIIPA regulations about sharing medical information. I lived through the 80s when gay partners were not allowed to be with their dying lovers. My fear is real.
Why? Because as a lesbian parent – the non-birth mother – I did not, until recently, have legal standing in her life, even though I've raised her from birth. It was only this year (she's 5 now) that "second parent" adoptions were upheld by the PA state supreme court and I could legally adopt my daughter.
I still have some fear left in me, but it's subsided, thanks to the courts. (And, yes, I carry a copy of our adoption papers and her birth certificate with me in my wallet!)
But, I don't have that slip of paper for my partner of 10 years – the mother of our child, my lifemate. Because we can't legally marry (using the civil definition of the word), I could very well be denied access to her hospital room, medical records - even though I am her medical power of attorney - or, worse, her deathbed.
The fear lives on. And, while marriage would afford gay men and lesbians like myself many other civil rights, it is this one that I am most concerned about. I made a vow to love and comfort my partner "in sickness and in health, until death do us part."
If only the legislature and the courts will give me that chance.
A Case for Gay Marriage
Like any other parent, my greatest fear since my daughter's birth has been worrying about her safety. Every step she's taken, every jungle gym she's climbed on or steps she's jumped from – I visualized bad bruises, broken bones, stitches and CAT scans.
But my larger fear, one that my heterosexual neighbors and friends don't understand, is that I could be denied the right to be with her in the hospital, emergency room, or even the doctor's office.
It happens. Homophobic doctors; liability and malpractice issues; HIIPA regulations about sharing medical information. I lived through the 80s when gay partners were not allowed to be with their dying lovers. My fear is real.
Why? Because as a lesbian parent – the non-birth mother – I did not, until recently, have legal standing in her life, even though I've raised her from birth. It was only this year (she's 5 now) that "second parent" adoptions were upheld by the PA state supreme court and I could legally adopt my daughter.
I still have some fear left in me, but it's subsided, thanks to the courts. (And, yes, I carry a copy of our adoption papers and her birth certificate with me in my wallet!)
But, I don't have that slip of paper for my partner of 10 years – the mother of our child, my lifemate. Because we can't legally marry (using the civil definition of the word), I could very well be denied access to her hospital room, medical records - even though I am her medical power of attorney - or, worse, her deathbed.
The fear lives on. And, while marriage would afford gay men and lesbians like myself many other civil rights, it is this one that I am most concerned about. I made a vow to love and comfort my partner "in sickness and in health, until death do us part."
If only the legislature and the courts will give me that chance.
Tuesday, December 02, 2003
Walking to work today, watching the birds and the snow and the trees, I realized that I didn’t really explain yesterday's post regarding the phrase “All My Relations.”
Originally, I intended it to mean not only my family-of-origin, but all my related families of choice – in particular, my many good friends : those whom I spent Thanksgiving with, those who’ve moved away and we communicate mostly by e-mail but who still understand my comings-and-goings, those who still live nearby and we talk via phone and try to connect every few months or so. . .
But, the phrase means much more than that; and I intended it to be understood in the larger sense, as well.
“All My Relations” refers to the interactions of all relationships up to the present moment. One definition is that “It brings together in our consciousness all our ancestors, parents, children, husband, wives, friends, life partners and lovers as gifts to the present moment.”
It also refers to the inclusiveness of everything in and around us (i.e. in nature) being a part of us, and us, a part of everything. “Realizing self and owning our interrelationship with the living world around us, and with the Great Spirit and Mother Earth. The flow of nature outside us and within us is the natural order of things. We are not apart from it; we do not exist of it. We exist along with it.”
It is about achieving proper relations ("respect" and "reciprocity") with all living things, all life, all creatures, all creation and the Creator.
Native Americans use the phrase to begin and end prayers and speeches – “for all that is above me, below me, and all around-me, all my relations.”
For All My Relations, I am thankful.
Originally, I intended it to mean not only my family-of-origin, but all my related families of choice – in particular, my many good friends : those whom I spent Thanksgiving with, those who’ve moved away and we communicate mostly by e-mail but who still understand my comings-and-goings, those who still live nearby and we talk via phone and try to connect every few months or so. . .
But, the phrase means much more than that; and I intended it to be understood in the larger sense, as well.
“All My Relations” refers to the interactions of all relationships up to the present moment. One definition is that “It brings together in our consciousness all our ancestors, parents, children, husband, wives, friends, life partners and lovers as gifts to the present moment.”
It also refers to the inclusiveness of everything in and around us (i.e. in nature) being a part of us, and us, a part of everything. “Realizing self and owning our interrelationship with the living world around us, and with the Great Spirit and Mother Earth. The flow of nature outside us and within us is the natural order of things. We are not apart from it; we do not exist of it. We exist along with it.”
It is about achieving proper relations ("respect" and "reciprocity") with all living things, all life, all creatures, all creation and the Creator.
Native Americans use the phrase to begin and end prayers and speeches – “for all that is above me, below me, and all around-me, all my relations.”
For All My Relations, I am thankful.
Monday, December 01, 2003
It appears I'm into "lists" these days, doesn't it? Well, here's another one, then:
Things I'm Thankful For This Thanksgiving
my family ("all my relations")
especially, The Banana
homemade mashed potatoes
the Eagles (when they win)
fairly warm Autumn weather
e-mail and, sometimes, listservs
the Bravo Network
okay, cable TV in general
king-sized beds
decent health insurance
pecan pie
trees
CD-R bootlegs
our new heater
having had the money to pay for our new heater
the Sunday New York Times crossword puzzle
flex time
life
Things I'm Thankful For This Thanksgiving
Wednesday, November 26, 2003
A few more tidbits from my life :
Driving my 5-year old to school the other day, she saw a woman in the car next to us smoking a cigarette.
My daughter : "Why is that lady smoking, Mommy?
Me : "I dunno, honey."
Her : "Cigarettes are bad for you."
Me : "Yes, they are. They hurt your lungs bad."
Her : "She must not like herself very much."
From the mouths of babes.
Both my gal and I love to read The Ethicist in the New York Times Magazine, so we're always trying to apply his "advice" to our daily lives. This morning, for example, the gal wondered whether or not she could re-use a stamp from a letter we received. The post office had neglected to cancel the letter over the stamp, so it appeared pretty clean. Should we take it off and re-use it? The post office gets all our money, anyway; and they keep on raising their rates. Hmmmmm. . . .
W.W.T.E.D. ? (What Would The Ethicist Do ? )
I pondered this same question as I strode up to my train station this a.m. and the guys from a local church were handing out literature about their (Christian) church, along with free coffee. I took the literature but politely declined the coffee. I practice Judaism. Old Catholic guilt would haunt me if I took the coffee, knowing perfectly well I would never attend their church or even consider Christianity again.
While I'm sure The Ethicist would have said it's okay to take the coffee, I just couldn't.
So, can anyone figure out why The-Right-Wingers-Who-Don't-Want-The-Gays-To-Get-Married (because, you know, it'll just undermine the concept marriage as we know it) have naught to say on the subject of, oh, let's say, Michael Jackson - the HETERO alleged child abuser - or Scott Peterson - the HETERO alleged wife killer - or Neil Bush - the HETERO brother of the prez who alledgedly had sex with a number of women (while married) when he travelled to Asia ?
My daughter : "Why is that lady smoking, Mommy?
Me : "I dunno, honey."
Her : "Cigarettes are bad for you."
Me : "Yes, they are. They hurt your lungs bad."
Her : "She must not like herself very much."
From the mouths of babes.
W.W.T.E.D. ? (What Would The Ethicist Do ? )
While I'm sure The Ethicist would have said it's okay to take the coffee, I just couldn't.
Friday, November 21, 2003
So, after the big Massachusetts decision, I stopped listening to NPR for awhile. I just didn't want to deal with the "backlash," ya know?
I thought I'd have a few days of nice, relaxing, stress-free life. . . but, no! I started to notice all of these other things out there, what I like to call the Funny (as in Ironic, Sarcastic, Snarky) Side of Life :
Saw a bumper sticker the other day -- No War For Oil. It was on the rear bumper of a big ole' SUV.
Commuting life:
Train conductor announcement : "Please move your briefcases off the seats next to you so others can sit down."
Train conductor announcement #2 : "Don't forget to move your items off the seats next to you, a lot of folks are boarding at this stop and will need seats."
Train conductor to lady in the seat behind me : "Ma'am, could you move your purse off the seat there so one of these riders could sit down?"
Lady in the seat behind me, to no one in specific: "What a seat nazi !"
Me, thinking in my head: "Kettle calling the pitcher black?"
Went to a foster parent / adoption "recruitment" meeting the other night. Our local DHS is actively recruiting gays and lesbians to become foster parents. As if that isn't ironic (however welcome) enough, it amazed me that many of the agencies in attendance did NOT have non-discrimination policies that included "sexual orientation".
At least 2 of my daughter's close friends-who-happen-to-be-boys are having boys-only birthday parties this year. She asked me why the girls weren't invited. I didn't know what to tell her, without getting into a long treatise about how sexism is a learned behavior and it starts in the home and it starts when boys are young and . . .
But, on the Bright Side of Life (insert your own Monty Python jokes / impressions here) --
Saw a great poster at a Rally for the Choice March I went to last week : "I asked if God was pro-choice, and She said yes!"
I thought I'd have a few days of nice, relaxing, stress-free life. . . but, no! I started to notice all of these other things out there, what I like to call the Funny (as in Ironic, Sarcastic, Snarky) Side of Life :
Train conductor announcement : "Please move your briefcases off the seats next to you so others can sit down."
Train conductor announcement #2 : "Don't forget to move your items off the seats next to you, a lot of folks are boarding at this stop and will need seats."
Train conductor to lady in the seat behind me : "Ma'am, could you move your purse off the seat there so one of these riders could sit down?"
Lady in the seat behind me, to no one in specific: "What a seat nazi !"
Me, thinking in my head: "Kettle calling the pitcher black?"
But, on the Bright Side of Life (insert your own Monty Python jokes / impressions here) --
Saw a great poster at a Rally for the Choice March I went to last week : "I asked if God was pro-choice, and She said yes!"
Tuesday, November 18, 2003
From the AP: Massachusetts' highest court ruled 4-3 today that the state's ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional and gave lawmakers 180 days to come up with a solution that would allow gay couples to wed.
Woo hoo.
I must say, some ten+ years ago when we (the gays and lesbians) were all in-fighting about domestic partnership vs marriage, there were very few of us on the bandwagon for "gay marriage." (I was one of them, hoping to get to go to Hawaii. Aaah, remember the days?)
Then, some of us got domestic-ly partnered, and found we still had no rights. Okay, the right to pay $800 a month for insurance for our partners and children. The right, if one of us dies, to not have to pay real estate transfer taxes. And, one other thing, but who can recall?
See, didn't really make much of a difference, did it now?
Then, in Philly at least, that hetero guy sued the city and got domestic partnerships halted for the moment (our state Supreme Court will hear the case next year sometime).
But, Gay Marriage (or, as I like to say, "full and equal rights under the law") may just be here to stay. Ok, so Massachusetts isn't Hawaii, but it has some nice beaches none-the-less.
Oooh -- how about a real mass Marriage ceremony in P-Town next summer during Family Week? At sunset? With the whales floating by and the ghosts of our ancestors, who came here so that they could be FREE (let us not forget), dancing in their graves?
Ok, so the Massachusetts legislature still has to act. And it might not be a positive action. But, hey, give me my 15 minutes of pure, unadulterated joy, ok? It may be all I have for another 10+ years or so.
Woo hoo.
I must say, some ten+ years ago when we (the gays and lesbians) were all in-fighting about domestic partnership vs marriage, there were very few of us on the bandwagon for "gay marriage." (I was one of them, hoping to get to go to Hawaii. Aaah, remember the days?)
Then, some of us got domestic-ly partnered, and found we still had no rights. Okay, the right to pay $800 a month for insurance for our partners and children. The right, if one of us dies, to not have to pay real estate transfer taxes. And, one other thing, but who can recall?
See, didn't really make much of a difference, did it now?
Then, in Philly at least, that hetero guy sued the city and got domestic partnerships halted for the moment (our state Supreme Court will hear the case next year sometime).
But, Gay Marriage (or, as I like to say, "full and equal rights under the law") may just be here to stay. Ok, so Massachusetts isn't Hawaii, but it has some nice beaches none-the-less.
Oooh -- how about a real mass Marriage ceremony in P-Town next summer during Family Week? At sunset? With the whales floating by and the ghosts of our ancestors, who came here so that they could be FREE (let us not forget), dancing in their graves?
Ok, so the Massachusetts legislature still has to act. And it might not be a positive action. But, hey, give me my 15 minutes of pure, unadulterated joy, ok? It may be all I have for another 10+ years or so.
Monday, November 10, 2003
Now that I've recovered from my Election Day depression (happens every year - kind of a "let down" of sorts, excitement is over, my candidates didn't win, etc.), I spent a wonderful, relaxing weekend at the homestead.
Everyone should have one of these weekends once-in-a-while:
Slept in.
Got a good nap in on Saturday.
Caught some football on TV.
Had an impromptu Saturday night potluck (salmon for the adults) / movie night ("Finding Nemo" for the kids) with the neighbors.
Watched a new Madeline movie on video with The Banana -- twice !
Had some new friends over from brunch on Sunday (actually, a former high-school teacher of mine and her partner & child, but that's a story for another day).
Had some g.f.-time, albiet spent watching a very baaaad lesbian/feminist take-off of "Return of the Secaucus Seven" / "Big Chill" flix. [To save some of you the time and rental fees, it's called "Everything's Relative" from Wolfe Video - don't do it! Just say no!]
Talked on the telphone with some B-More friends.
Actually got around to starting this week's NY Times crossword puzzle!
Finally turned the heat on.
And, had a nice train ride this a.m. with my buddy Jonathan. Chatted a bit. Didn't talk about the news. No depressing Eagles wrap up (they play tonight). Felt kind of invigorated, in fact.
Reminded me of one of the new Indigo Girls' songs - paraphrased a bit here by moi, as I only have it on a (legal) boot tape, as the song won't be released until next year :
"If you can't see / beyond the myth of isolation
When the miracle of daybreak / doesn't move you anymore
Connect the points / and see the constellations
As the night comes down / on the reservoir
It's one Perfect World / when we look the other way"
Everyone should have one of these weekends once-in-a-while:
And, had a nice train ride this a.m. with my buddy Jonathan. Chatted a bit. Didn't talk about the news. No depressing Eagles wrap up (they play tonight). Felt kind of invigorated, in fact.
Reminded me of one of the new Indigo Girls' songs - paraphrased a bit here by moi, as I only have it on a (legal) boot tape, as the song won't be released until next year :
"If you can't see / beyond the myth of isolation
When the miracle of daybreak / doesn't move you anymore
Connect the points / and see the constellations
As the night comes down / on the reservoir
It's one Perfect World / when we look the other way"
Tuesday, November 04, 2003
So, its Election Day in the City of Brotherly Love. And, what happens first thing in the a.m.? A guy sucker punches another guy for noting that guy #1 should probably not put his (guy #1's) signs over guy #2's signs.
Must be the testosterone.
We gals would have just waited until the coast was clear. Or, in my case, written some smarmy commentary on the sign.
Anyhoo, I've taken a respite from NPR and opted to listen to my version of "alternative radio" today. That's right - I'm listening to Right Wing Talk Radio.
Hey, they're covering the election all day (okay, in between the Rush Limbaugh's of the world) - live from the polls ! What could be better ? Oh yeah, and they're calling it "War Room Coverage" - which, we find out, really means from the posh Palm Restaurant in Center City (and, later, from the steakhouse Morton's).
We should all have such a "war room," eh ?
My polling place this morning was almost a mini-war room. The line was verrrry long, since, with all the ballot questions and judgeship retentions to read through, it took each voter about 10-15 minutes to vote, and there are only 2 booths at my place.
But, I survived without even having to fend off any literature-hawkers on the sidewalk. Things were almost too calm.
Not gonna tell ya who I voted for, though. I'm embarassed, you see. I didn't want to vote for either guy for Mayor. They're making it out to be this big race thing, too. ("They" being the usual : the media, the pollsters, the campaign managers.) I just want a good Mayor, black, white, orange, yellow, green.
Oh, well, four years seems to go by pretty qucikly these days. And there's always the Presidential Election next year to get excited about!
Must be the testosterone.
We gals would have just waited until the coast was clear. Or, in my case, written some smarmy commentary on the sign.
Anyhoo, I've taken a respite from NPR and opted to listen to my version of "alternative radio" today. That's right - I'm listening to Right Wing Talk Radio.
Hey, they're covering the election all day (okay, in between the Rush Limbaugh's of the world) - live from the polls ! What could be better ? Oh yeah, and they're calling it "War Room Coverage" - which, we find out, really means from the posh Palm Restaurant in Center City (and, later, from the steakhouse Morton's).
We should all have such a "war room," eh ?
My polling place this morning was almost a mini-war room. The line was verrrry long, since, with all the ballot questions and judgeship retentions to read through, it took each voter about 10-15 minutes to vote, and there are only 2 booths at my place.
But, I survived without even having to fend off any literature-hawkers on the sidewalk. Things were almost too calm.
Not gonna tell ya who I voted for, though. I'm embarassed, you see. I didn't want to vote for either guy for Mayor. They're making it out to be this big race thing, too. ("They" being the usual : the media, the pollsters, the campaign managers.) I just want a good Mayor, black, white, orange, yellow, green.
Oh, well, four years seems to go by pretty qucikly these days. And there's always the Presidential Election next year to get excited about!
Monday, November 03, 2003
Well, I'm ba-a-a-a-ck!
Spent 7 sunny days, 6 lovely nights in LaLa Land (ok, close enough : Anaheim, Orange County CA - and, not one Ah-nold memorabilia sighting! How disapointing! Lots of smoke and ash, though, as we were not far from "The Fires" - which, by the way, only aggrivated our family allergies/asthmas).
Actually, we spent most of our time in the Land of Disney. And let me just say, what a Land it is. I'd been before - both to CA and FLA - but this time, as a parent, as a consciencious adult consumer, it was quite a different journey.
Lots of things for the buyin'. Lots of things to be had. Thankfully our 5-year-old, for some reason unbeknownst to us (maybe she didn't realize that just about everything she saw was for sale), didn't want for much. A Minnie hat here, a huge lollipop there, some things for her friends (all together now: "aw, how cute").
She met just about every Character she could, got tons of autographs, and was well spent each night when we retired to our hotel.
As were we.
Good thing the Parks were on "off-season" hours; not sure I coulda handled more time spent in Happyville. And, yes, everyone is so happy there, just like I remember. The workers (oh, excuse moi, "cast members") are extrememely helpful - and pro-actively so - and the Parks are clean, clean, clean, although I never saw one person taking away trash, or sweeping, or otherwise. Hmmm. Maybe those magic wands do the trick! Gotta get me one of those, if that's the case.
And, the shops have just about everything your heart desires - except, as we discovered, any Daisy Duck items. However, the items in the stores there all tended to be quite good prices - much cheaper than in the Disney stores. (And I know this for a fact as I have priced many a Pooh-stuffed-animal-item in my many years of traveling.)
I will say this as well : those Disney folks know how to run a company. Efficiency, creativity, cleanliness, friendliness, happiness. Think we can get them to train our government civil servants?
P.S. If you get to Disney's California Adventure anytime in the near (or far) future, you must check out "Soarin' Over California" - kind of a mix between an IMAX film and a Star Tours-type ride, where you're suspended in air (yes, I had to be nudged onto the ride) while "watching", on a huge screen, various California sites from, literally, a "bird's-eye-view" - complete with flying motions and sensual experiences such as wind and the smell of the orange groves. Tre-men-dous!
Wednesday, October 15, 2003
So, I read recently that lesbians have more in common with other women than with gay men.
It's true that, in my younger days, I mostly hung with the gay boys. We had a lot in common: discos, clubbing, cruising. It was the AIDS Era, a time when the men and the women of the LGBT community were making strides to "come together" - work together - to fight AIDS, revitalize community centers, form coalitions.
These days, I find most of my friends are, indeed, other women: STRAIGHT women -- AND straight men = other parents, homeowners, neighbors.
The guys and I talk about sports, deals at the grocery stores, which paint store is the best. We women talk about car pools, managing kids' schedules, play dates and sleep-overs, and if there are any good movies out we've all missed.
I've often thought that becoming a parent is "the great equalizer" between the straights and the gays. No longer does sexuality matter. [Who has time for sex, anyway?] It's all about the kids.
From selecting a day care or a school, to what to be for Halloween, finding religion/ethics/values becoming more important in our lives, and paying attention to our investments : it's all about Family Values.
In fact, it's somewhat difficult to get together with other, non-parent, lesbians; as our lives are so different. I can't just change my schedule anymore to meet a friend for dinner after work, or go out dancing late at night, or cruise garage sales on the weekend.
My social life is now filled with making lunches, going to library programs, outings with my daughter to the WaWa (a special treat for her, a coffee for me), searching the web for when any G-rated movies are going to come out, and hanging drawings on the wall.
And I wouldn't have it any other way.
It's true that, in my younger days, I mostly hung with the gay boys. We had a lot in common: discos, clubbing, cruising. It was the AIDS Era, a time when the men and the women of the LGBT community were making strides to "come together" - work together - to fight AIDS, revitalize community centers, form coalitions.
These days, I find most of my friends are, indeed, other women: STRAIGHT women -- AND straight men = other parents, homeowners, neighbors.
The guys and I talk about sports, deals at the grocery stores, which paint store is the best. We women talk about car pools, managing kids' schedules, play dates and sleep-overs, and if there are any good movies out we've all missed.
I've often thought that becoming a parent is "the great equalizer" between the straights and the gays. No longer does sexuality matter. [Who has time for sex, anyway?] It's all about the kids.
From selecting a day care or a school, to what to be for Halloween, finding religion/ethics/values becoming more important in our lives, and paying attention to our investments : it's all about Family Values.
In fact, it's somewhat difficult to get together with other, non-parent, lesbians; as our lives are so different. I can't just change my schedule anymore to meet a friend for dinner after work, or go out dancing late at night, or cruise garage sales on the weekend.
My social life is now filled with making lunches, going to library programs, outings with my daughter to the WaWa (a special treat for her, a coffee for me), searching the web for when any G-rated movies are going to come out, and hanging drawings on the wall.
And I wouldn't have it any other way.
Friday, October 03, 2003
Ripped from the headlines : Philadelphia City Council proposes 15 percent raise. Sub-header: The proposed increase would give Council's 17 members salaries higher than their New York City counterparts.
What's wrong with this picture? Oh, where do I start?
Election day is just 4 weeks away.... what is the City Council thinking? . This proposal would have to go through public hearings. Know any members of the public who'd give our councilmembers raises from $85,000 to $98,000 a year? A raise (at 15%) waaaay more than a cost-of-living raise?
Plus, the City's been trying to cut its budget to reduce the deficit. How does this bill help? And, what about all the un- and under-employed of the City? Oh, ye who are forgotten.
I guess I'm also upset upon finding out that my councilperson makes $85,000+ a year, paid out of MY taxes, for representing "me." (Not!) And, that she was NOT one of the councilpersons who refused to sign on to the bill.
Lordy, this City and Its Politics is sometimes too much to take, ya know what I mean? I won't even go into what's going on with the mayoral race. Guess I should be glad I didn't live here during the Rizzo years, eh? Count ye blessings. . .
What's wrong with this picture? Oh, where do I start?
Election day is just 4 weeks away.... what is the City Council thinking? . This proposal would have to go through public hearings. Know any members of the public who'd give our councilmembers raises from $85,000 to $98,000 a year? A raise (at 15%) waaaay more than a cost-of-living raise?
Plus, the City's been trying to cut its budget to reduce the deficit. How does this bill help? And, what about all the un- and under-employed of the City? Oh, ye who are forgotten.
I guess I'm also upset upon finding out that my councilperson makes $85,000+ a year, paid out of MY taxes, for representing "me." (Not!) And, that she was NOT one of the councilpersons who refused to sign on to the bill.
Lordy, this City and Its Politics is sometimes too much to take, ya know what I mean? I won't even go into what's going on with the mayoral race. Guess I should be glad I didn't live here during the Rizzo years, eh? Count ye blessings. . .
Tuesday, September 23, 2003
Sometimes, my brain is just too full to even try to write anything, ya know what I mean? Like, how to decide what to write? How to sort it all out, make sense of it all.
Today was chock full o' news. . . the California recall "en banc" deliberations; the U.N. speeches; Phils on a losing streak; Katz vs Street for mayor; blah, blah, blah.
A few points of interest, my mind seems to have focused on:
Got an e-mail announcing that Michael Hinson, the mayor's so-called Liaision to the LGBT Community, will be awarded a Human Relations Award from the Philadelphia Human Relations Committee in October. Isn't it interesting how a City Agency feels compelled to honor a City Employee for, basically, Doing His Job (for a pretty nice salary, too). The Same City Employee who sued his employer, The City, for police brutality. . . and won. And Kept the Money. (Personally, I would have at least donated it to a victim's rights group.) Ah, Election Years.
Went to msn.com to get info about today's U.N. session, and right there at the Today on MSN section (where the "important" stuff is) - are these four topics:
. . . Bush-Annan showdown at the U.N. (yes, that's how they worded it)
. . . John Reed to take $1 to run the NY Stock Exchange (now there's a story!)
. . . Snoring aids tested (no comment)
. . . Are you a metrosexual?
So, since I've recently written about "straights who are gay wanna-be's," I thought I'd click that link (see how my mind gets easily muddled?). Wonder of wonders, I'm taken to the ESPN web site! Blah, blah, David Beckham, shaving/waxing, etc. Hmmm. And just last night, while perusing a recent issue of "Out," I came across that Fag Stag label again. Can't it all just let me be?
So, then, I switch over to CNN.com and, while they have a full section on the U.N. thing, their secondary headlines include the one topic my mind cannot pass up: Ben and Jen. What can I say? The world (and I) want to know. . . are they "on-again"? "Off-again"? I feel for Ben. You know she'll just dump him after the marriage. Look at her history. Ah, love is blind.
And, my latest gripe: Why doesn't my local public library branch ever carry the books I want? It's always another branch that has whatever book(s) I search for. Even My Girl was surprised recently when she went to borrow a new book by a local author, Tanya Barrientos, and our branch did not have a copy. Shouldn't ALL the branches at least support local authors? At least they carried both Jennifer Wiener books, albiet one copy of each and I had to be on the waiting list forever to read "In Her Shoes."
Just what are my taxes going towards, anyway?
Today was chock full o' news. . . the California recall "en banc" deliberations; the U.N. speeches; Phils on a losing streak; Katz vs Street for mayor; blah, blah, blah.
A few points of interest, my mind seems to have focused on:
. . . Bush-Annan showdown at the U.N. (yes, that's how they worded it)
. . . John Reed to take $1 to run the NY Stock Exchange (now there's a story!)
. . . Snoring aids tested (no comment)
. . . Are you a metrosexual?
So, since I've recently written about "straights who are gay wanna-be's," I thought I'd click that link (see how my mind gets easily muddled?). Wonder of wonders, I'm taken to the ESPN web site! Blah, blah, David Beckham, shaving/waxing, etc. Hmmm. And just last night, while perusing a recent issue of "Out," I came across that Fag Stag label again. Can't it all just let me be?
Just what are my taxes going towards, anyway?
Friday, September 19, 2003
Been wondering where I've been, haven't you? Well, recently, I spent some quality, family-time in Las Vegas - the strangest place on the face of the earth (and, like a car wreck, impossible to not get involved with).
[By "family" I mean my wild 'n' crazy, extended family : mom, dad, assorted aunts & uncles including the gay aunties and their friends, who I hung out with as a young baby dyke in a small town. The Girl and The Banana are not Vegas fans.]
Here's what I like about Vegas:
You can pretty much smoke ANYwhere - which, I'm pretty sure, is one of the last American freedoms we'll be seeing under John Ashcroft.
There is no separation of day and night, just hot and hotter. A good get-a-way for east coast blues (although I flew right back into the impending Isabel).
No one sleeps. You can, literally, find something to do at any hour of the day (which New York City used to boast about, but I've found really isn't true).
Food is cheap. And abundant. [Just check out any buffet in the casinos.]
There's nothing like flying into Las Vegas at night; the lights suddenly appearing in the desert. It's breathtaking. [Unless you allow your mind to think about all the water and electricity the city uses - endangered species both, out west.]
There are loads of gay folks. Who knew? I guess I never really noticed it before, but they're everywhere. In town as tourists. Working at the casinos. Hanging at the bar (bummed a cig from a Patriots fan, a gay boy I'm sure!, during the Big Game). Sigfield & Roy. 'Nuff said.
I should also mention I was much impressed by all of the application forms I completed at the casinos, for Player's Cards (slot cards). Under marital status, I had the option of selecting "domestic partner" in many cases; or, at the very least, "not married, living with a partner."
My gay aunties were solicited, as two women who live together and can show a relationship (i.e. joint bank account, will, mortgage, same address on driver's license), to win free show tickets for spending time listening about a timeshare opportunity.
And one of those guys on the street actually handed me a girlie strip club flyer! [Finally! i always ask when I go there why they only give them to the guys!]
Even the "Pocket Guide" book I checked out of my local branch of the public library had a section on Gay Vegas, including where to get "hitched" (ceremony only, as gay marriage is not legal -- in Vegas of all places!).
[By "family" I mean my wild 'n' crazy, extended family : mom, dad, assorted aunts & uncles including the gay aunties and their friends, who I hung out with as a young baby dyke in a small town. The Girl and The Banana are not Vegas fans.]
Here's what I like about Vegas:
I should also mention I was much impressed by all of the application forms I completed at the casinos, for Player's Cards (slot cards). Under marital status, I had the option of selecting "domestic partner" in many cases; or, at the very least, "not married, living with a partner."
My gay aunties were solicited, as two women who live together and can show a relationship (i.e. joint bank account, will, mortgage, same address on driver's license), to win free show tickets for spending time listening about a timeshare opportunity.
And one of those guys on the street actually handed me a girlie strip club flyer! [Finally! i always ask when I go there why they only give them to the guys!]
Even the "Pocket Guide" book I checked out of my local branch of the public library had a section on Gay Vegas, including where to get "hitched" (ceremony only, as gay marriage is not legal -- in Vegas of all places!).
Friday, September 12, 2003
So, today I'm dropping off The Banana for her first full-day of Kindergarten and we're coloring at a table when I overhear two other moms talking. About what, you say? What's for dinner tonight? Noooooo. What T.V. shows they let their kids watch? Noooooo. They're talking about struts and brake pads and how quickly their tires wear out. [And these were Straight Moms!]
It got me thinking about all the Cool Moms I've met recently . . . balancing work, kids, laundry, school, activities, grocery shopping, and... well, Life. If we lived in Suburbia, they'd be The Soccer Moms. Since we don't, I'll make up my own label (ala yesterday's posting): The Mega Moms.
You know them : they're the cool, crunchy-granola version of The Soccer Mom. They Know About Cars. They Get Out the Vote. Take All their Neighbor's Plastics to Recycling. Organize the Block Parties. Join the Co-op Babysitting Club. Read Consumers Report, The Nation, and the Weddings & Engagements section of the "New York Times." Find Time to Jog in the Woods. Have Their Own Special Parking Spot at Home Depot.
And I was worried yesterday about the straight-gay blending going on with men (as reported by VH-1; however I have yet to be convinced this is occuring in the straight male community). It's really happening with straight moms. . . blending their Yin and their Yang, their Alpha Male and their Mother Earth.
I know more Straight Women with stereotypical "dyke" characteristics than I know lesbians. Women who can patch a screen door, change a flat tire (on the Excalibur!), carry heavy loads in a single bound (babys, backpacks, and grocery bags). Women who are proud of the flannel they own, the dogs that they love, and the dishwasher they fixed by themselves (with a little help from the Time-Life series).
And, they still find time, somehow, to have their weekly French Manicures. Yo Go, Girls! I wanna grow up to be just like you!
It got me thinking about all the Cool Moms I've met recently . . . balancing work, kids, laundry, school, activities, grocery shopping, and... well, Life. If we lived in Suburbia, they'd be The Soccer Moms. Since we don't, I'll make up my own label (ala yesterday's posting): The Mega Moms.
You know them : they're the cool, crunchy-granola version of The Soccer Mom. They Know About Cars. They Get Out the Vote. Take All their Neighbor's Plastics to Recycling. Organize the Block Parties. Join the Co-op Babysitting Club. Read Consumers Report, The Nation, and the Weddings & Engagements section of the "New York Times." Find Time to Jog in the Woods. Have Their Own Special Parking Spot at Home Depot.
And I was worried yesterday about the straight-gay blending going on with men (as reported by VH-1; however I have yet to be convinced this is occuring in the straight male community). It's really happening with straight moms. . . blending their Yin and their Yang, their Alpha Male and their Mother Earth.
I know more Straight Women with stereotypical "dyke" characteristics than I know lesbians. Women who can patch a screen door, change a flat tire (on the Excalibur!), carry heavy loads in a single bound (babys, backpacks, and grocery bags). Women who are proud of the flannel they own, the dogs that they love, and the dishwasher they fixed by themselves (with a little help from the Time-Life series).
And, they still find time, somehow, to have their weekly French Manicures. Yo Go, Girls! I wanna grow up to be just like you!
Thursday, September 11, 2003
Just when I thought that T.V. couldn't get any stranger, I tuned in last night to the ending of a VH-1 program called "Totally Gay".
At about the time I tuned it, the program was addressing such news-worthy items as straight men who "act" gay (i.e. like getting massages and manicures and facials, shaving a variety of body parts, etc.) - a.k.a. Meterosexuals; gays in "straight" arenas such as professional sports (Billy Bean, now retired) and hip-hop (Cashaun); and straight women who "check out" the lesbian lifestyle, ala "Kissing Jessica Stein".
[John Waters, who was interviewed in the episode, called the actions of young, straight kids who experiment with or tell their parents they are gay as a way to upset them, "the new rebellion." I quite enjoyed that.]
I do confess, however, that "Kissing Jessica Stein" is a recent favorite movie of mine (I even have it on tape). In my weird lesbian mind, somehow, those two straight women actresses/writers becoming interested in each other and kissing (like, once in the whole movie) was soooooooo much better than, say any part of the lesbian-written and produced flick "Claire of the Moon".
Come to think of it, Mariel Hemingway was pretty hot in "Personal Best," as were Patricia Charbonneau and Helen Shaver in "Desert Hearts", Alison Folland and Tara Subkoff in "All Over Me", and Laurel Holloman (soon to be in that Showtime lesbian show) and Nicole Parker in "The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love."
Hmm. What does that make me? In the show last night, besides terming Metrosexuals, they also clued us in to the labels Hasbian (which, as any person who has ever hung out around a Bryn Mawr alum knows, is a woman who used to be a lesbian - i.e. while at Bryn Mawr - but no longer is); and Stag Fag: a straight man who hangs around gay men.
I, for one, slept soooooooo much better having learning these interesting things about straight people who wanna be "totally gay"!
At about the time I tuned it, the program was addressing such news-worthy items as straight men who "act" gay (i.e. like getting massages and manicures and facials, shaving a variety of body parts, etc.) - a.k.a. Meterosexuals; gays in "straight" arenas such as professional sports (Billy Bean, now retired) and hip-hop (Cashaun); and straight women who "check out" the lesbian lifestyle, ala "Kissing Jessica Stein".
[John Waters, who was interviewed in the episode, called the actions of young, straight kids who experiment with or tell their parents they are gay as a way to upset them, "the new rebellion." I quite enjoyed that.]
I do confess, however, that "Kissing Jessica Stein" is a recent favorite movie of mine (I even have it on tape). In my weird lesbian mind, somehow, those two straight women actresses/writers becoming interested in each other and kissing (like, once in the whole movie) was soooooooo much better than, say any part of the lesbian-written and produced flick "Claire of the Moon".
Come to think of it, Mariel Hemingway was pretty hot in "Personal Best," as were Patricia Charbonneau and Helen Shaver in "Desert Hearts", Alison Folland and Tara Subkoff in "All Over Me", and Laurel Holloman (soon to be in that Showtime lesbian show) and Nicole Parker in "The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love."
Hmm. What does that make me? In the show last night, besides terming Metrosexuals, they also clued us in to the labels Hasbian (which, as any person who has ever hung out around a Bryn Mawr alum knows, is a woman who used to be a lesbian - i.e. while at Bryn Mawr - but no longer is); and Stag Fag: a straight man who hangs around gay men.
I, for one, slept soooooooo much better having learning these interesting things about straight people who wanna be "totally gay"!
Monday, September 08, 2003
Lots going on these days, eh? Bushie asking for, what, like $90 billion for Iraq war. Phils on a roll. School is starting. Blah, blah, blah. And what is the big news in my 'hood? The new Trader Joe's that opened in Center City!
Is it closer to the neighborhood than Jenkintown? Is there parking? Is it too crowded still to venture out to? Ya'd think that no one ever saw a new Trader Joe's before!
I know, I know -- for the vast, sorry majority of you all, you haven't! We are mighty lucky 'round these parts to have a selection of stores to travel to. I, for one, could not live without my chocolate-covered soy nuts; nor Hannah, without her TJ's mac-and-cheese.
While reading about TJ's this weekend, I noticed that it is a privately-held company. I began to worry that my purchases were making 2 rich men even richer. My gal pointed out to me that the prices at TJ's are quite low (for most items), they pay their employees well and provide good benefits, and many grocery items are organic in nature.
So, as supporting businesses go, let's just say, it's not Wal-Mart (which, techinically, makes about 4-6 very rich people extremely rich)...
Speaking of new, local businesses - a "shout-out" to the new gals who've opened my new fave Mt. Airy hang-out, the Rinker Rock Cafe on Emlen at Mt. Pleasant. Great food (can you say "diverse"?), good prices, neat concept, nice women. If I made more money, I'd go there even more often than I have thus far.
Go. Eat. Support. Enjoy.
Is it closer to the neighborhood than Jenkintown? Is there parking? Is it too crowded still to venture out to? Ya'd think that no one ever saw a new Trader Joe's before!
I know, I know -- for the vast, sorry majority of you all, you haven't! We are mighty lucky 'round these parts to have a selection of stores to travel to. I, for one, could not live without my chocolate-covered soy nuts; nor Hannah, without her TJ's mac-and-cheese.
While reading about TJ's this weekend, I noticed that it is a privately-held company. I began to worry that my purchases were making 2 rich men even richer. My gal pointed out to me that the prices at TJ's are quite low (for most items), they pay their employees well and provide good benefits, and many grocery items are organic in nature.
So, as supporting businesses go, let's just say, it's not Wal-Mart (which, techinically, makes about 4-6 very rich people extremely rich)...
Speaking of new, local businesses - a "shout-out" to the new gals who've opened my new fave Mt. Airy hang-out, the Rinker Rock Cafe on Emlen at Mt. Pleasant. Great food (can you say "diverse"?), good prices, neat concept, nice women. If I made more money, I'd go there even more often than I have thus far.
Go. Eat. Support. Enjoy.
Thursday, September 04, 2003
Well, hello there. Back from vacation. Lots of day trips, reading, relaxing, fun with the fam. Almost forgot to get back to the Blog, but of course, I listen to public radio all day at work !
Thus, yesterday I got a full Terry-Gross-hour of Mr. Al Franken, he of the Fox News lawsuit for using, as his latest book's title, some words "they" (Fox News) think they control: "Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them (A Fair and Balanced Look at The Right)."
Personally, I think, if Fox News would like to align themselves with the "lies and lying liars" part of the book title, now that would be interesting. [It's the "fair and balanced" phrase that Fox News was challenging, saying they "owned" it. They lost. Hee Hee.]
Anyhoo, while I have not yet read the book, I can say this much about the interview: he is very funny and Terry Gross asked good questions. He mostly talked about The Right Wing Media and how facts are often ignored or misinterpreted in their coverage of... oh, whatever.
Now, this got me to thinking how even the so-called-Liberal-Media i.e NPR, or any media coverage we expose ourselves to i.e. The Inky, USA Today, MSNBC, BBC, Christian Science Montior, The Nation, etc.... is in someway biased. It's all from a point-of-view (whomever's), and the real trick is to not only read between the lines but try to figure out what's missing.
In a lovely converstation with train-buddy Bryan this a.m. (who plans to start his own blog soon), he pointed out that, for instance, no one is reporting the number of casualties (not deaths) that occur each day as a result of our post-war occupation of Iraq.
It's just so hard . . . keeping up with all the news, trying to figure out what's right and what's wrong . . . No wonder people blindly follow cults, er I mean, organizations like the Catholic Church, or the Republican Party - who tell them what is right and wrong, what to believe or not, and why. It's so much easier than figuring it out for yourself.
Thus, yesterday I got a full Terry-Gross-hour of Mr. Al Franken, he of the Fox News lawsuit for using, as his latest book's title, some words "they" (Fox News) think they control: "Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them (A Fair and Balanced Look at The Right)."
Personally, I think, if Fox News would like to align themselves with the "lies and lying liars" part of the book title, now that would be interesting. [It's the "fair and balanced" phrase that Fox News was challenging, saying they "owned" it. They lost. Hee Hee.]
Anyhoo, while I have not yet read the book, I can say this much about the interview: he is very funny and Terry Gross asked good questions. He mostly talked about The Right Wing Media and how facts are often ignored or misinterpreted in their coverage of... oh, whatever.
Now, this got me to thinking how even the so-called-Liberal-Media i.e NPR, or any media coverage we expose ourselves to i.e. The Inky, USA Today, MSNBC, BBC, Christian Science Montior, The Nation, etc.... is in someway biased. It's all from a point-of-view (whomever's), and the real trick is to not only read between the lines but try to figure out what's missing.
In a lovely converstation with train-buddy Bryan this a.m. (who plans to start his own blog soon), he pointed out that, for instance, no one is reporting the number of casualties (not deaths) that occur each day as a result of our post-war occupation of Iraq.
It's just so hard . . . keeping up with all the news, trying to figure out what's right and what's wrong . . . No wonder people blindly follow cults, er I mean, organizations like the Catholic Church, or the Republican Party - who tell them what is right and wrong, what to believe or not, and why. It's so much easier than figuring it out for yourself.
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