Category: society

Ignunce, Texas Style

No jail time for drunk driver who killed 18 year-old

A mother is outraged after hearing the man found guilty of killing her son in a drunken driving accident won’t serve any jail time for the crime. “The drunk driver could have stopped 300 feet away from my son; instead he plowed into my son. He had over twice the legal limit of alcohol in his system.”

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1) This story is obviously missing some details.
2) A clear reason why I don’t live in Texas anymore. CC is one of the most repressive back asswards there is in Texas so I’m not sure why I’m surprised.

Cough Sniffle…PUSH!

It is downright cold in the city today. It is in the low 40’s. BRRRRRRR. I know for some that ain’t bad but for here that is pretty damn cold.

I’m still feeling a little icky from the cold or flu I’m fighting off so didn’t go to the gym today. I went yesterday and had a pretty decent workout. I’m starting a new routine working complimentary groups and then 1 or 2 finisher exercises. I’ve been looking around for a trainer and haven’t quite found one I like yet. Er..Um..well I like several of them however, I need to focus on their skills NOT their bodies. hehehe.

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I watched a documentry called “Why We Fight” last night and I was more than a little mad when it was over. I’m pretty optimisitc however, after watching this little flick, my view of the future isn’t very rosey. I was particularly struck by Karen’s story. The American people need to wakeup and realize what is going on before it is too late. If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend you watch it. If you are Bush supporter, even remotely, you might just change your mind after seeing it.

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I drove another hybrid vehicle the other day. This one had a “synergy drive”, whatever that means. I really liked it. I find I’m using zipcar more and more often. It’s just so darn convenient. So anyway, the car was uber quiet, it had surprisingly good pick up, and I especially like the ratio of gas to miles display on the panel. It does take a little getting used to though. The dashboard layout is completely different from most cars. The gear shift is a short lever that sticks directly out of the dashboard and to park you just stop and punch a button. The only thing I didn’t like was the hatchback. It interferred with my rear view. A small complaint for an overall superb vehicle.

Still Here

I’ve gotten a few emails asking if I was giving up blogging. The answer, NO. I’ve just been a little busy and digesting some of my new found revelations. My post about belonging really did open my eyes a bit and give me better insight into myself. I am still adjusting to that and will do my best to keep you informed of how it radiates out into my life.

I got a nice phone call from brettcajun today. He just called to catch up and chat. He is doing well and adjusting to his new life being single. He is such a sweetheart.

Irony of ironies, my ex called me yesterday and wants to have lunch. Nothing unuusal in that in itself however, he hasn’t called me in months so I’m thinking he wants something. That’s probably a little negative on my part but I do know him pretty well.

My training yesterday dealt with WMD’s. Yes, weapons of mass destruction. All I will say on that, is it is sad that terrorists often use the very freedoms we hold most dear against us. And the argument can and has been made that our government should be allowed to bend and even break those freedoms in the name of protection. I say no, No, NO! Two wrongs never make a right and if anything we end up being not better than the bad guys.

I was struck though by all the really horrible and devastating things we do to each other on this planet in the name of God. If there was an omnipotent figure up there watching, I bet he(or she) is ashamed of us. There is a lot of talk these days of banning religion from government all together. I’ve never been a supporter of that menality as I do believe people have a right to their beliefs and should be respected. However, I’m not so sure anymore. After witnessing the deplorable lengths that so called “christians” go to in this country to force their way of life on everyone, I’m beginning to wonder if that is the answer after all.

Gay or Straight

With all the news surrounding Haggard in the news right now, a striking revelation hit me. Why is it when bible-thumpers are preaching and bringing their damnation down upon us, we are predators. Yet, someone like Haggard comes out and it’s back to an affliction.

You constantly hear how we are trying to recruit or convert more people to our side1. If it were that easy to convert to being gay don’t you think you’d see a much higher success rate in the reverse? Brainwashing groups liked Exodus2 “claim” they can “cure you” of being gay3. Well, one of my best friends almost killed himself while in their program. Their “cure” is to teach you to hate the world and to hate yourself. Everything has a sinister purpose. You are taught to withdraw and cut yourself off from the world. How in the hell is that healthy? It’s no wonder so many drop out. Anyway, I’m getting off topic. So, it’s a choice. Yet, when someone as respected and widely known as Haggard comes out with “I have been warring against it for all of my adult life“, suddenly it’s not a choice anymore. Suddenly, it’s an affliction again. IMHO, It’s just more double-speak. Double-speak that seems to be taught like a 2nd lanuage when you are religious leader. I hate to admit it but I’m losing more and more respect for the “christian” community. I’ve always been one to “live and let live” however, there is a line approaching in the sand. A line that says “no more”. You can no longer use ignorance and fear to oppress people. And you can no longer hide behind your “religion” as an excuse to relegate whole sections of the population to 2nd class status. You can no longer use “religion” to keep women as slaves. You can no longer use “religion” as a shield to give you cart blance say over those around you.

There is a shift occurring in this country right now. More and more people are shifting away from mainstream religion. And it’s their own fault. Religion is dying not because of gays. It’s dying because its leaders have failed to evolve and keep up. Human beings don’t even relate to each other in the same ways anymore. You can’t use the threat of fire and brimstone to control the masses anymore. You can’t hide behind constant denial of the self. Mark my words. A day is coming and it’s coming soon. We are facing a holy war in this country. But not between the God and the devil. We are facing a war between ourselves. The “right” that allows us to spread hate and the “right” that refuse to put up with such behavior.

1 Forgetting for a moment, most gay children come from straight households.

2 I refuse to even link to such stupidity.

3 What they neglect to tell you is there obismal success rate.

Halloween From Hell

If you haven’t heard by now, there was several shootings at the Halloween event in the Castro last night. Today, the story is making nice soundbites across the blogosphere. If you read this blog on a regular basis you know where my insight comes from.

“Halloween in the Castro” used to be a really fantastic slice of San Francisco attended primarily by the neighborhood’s local gay/lesbian community. Over recent years the event has become a spectator event with 80% of current attendees from out of town. Since 2002, much violence has resulted, ruining this once-special event.

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While I am a huge fan of Halloween, I hope they cancel the event next year. I hope they increase the police presence and flat out turn people away. Call me a party-pooper but at least folks won’t get hurt for just trying to have some good old fashioned fun. The event is no longer about the neighborhood getting together for a night of innocent revelling. Instead, it’s a bunch of condescending outsiders looking for an excuse to cause mayhem. Well, here’s your sign. We don’t want you. If you can’t behave like a civilized human being, stay your ass at home and cause grief in your own neighborhoods.

Two wrongs don’t make a right but I can’t help it. My grandmother was a big believer in an “eye for an eye”. I don’t condone violence however, it’s times like these that make me doubt that conviction. Sometimes a good ass-whoopin’ is the only way to get thru to a pig-headed fool.

Those People

A very unfriendly lady told me today that “those people” don’t belong here, referring to a homeless couple who had setup camp on her block in a rather affluent part of town. Granted the homeless situation here is a major problem. Being a progressive city, SF has a large population of homeless folks. To me that sounds more like a contradiction than a definition. Yet, you find the same problem in every large city. It is not a crime to be homeless. And it should not preclude you from the human rights granted to any other human being. An important distinction often forgotten.

When you deal w/the homeless as much as I do in my line of work, it is easy to forget these are human beings. You see people who, for a variety of reasons, have been discarded by society. And it’s not a pretty sight seeing a human devolved to such a lowly form of existence. Living in squalor, stink, and filth, manners and cleanliness become unafforded niceties that are soon forgotten. In this scenario it is easy to forget. Yet, we musn’t. If we, as a society, allow people to live this way then we must also bear the burden of supporting them. We no longer live in age of wilderness where ever man is his own world and anything outside that world is unimportant. We live in an age where our planet is fast becoming overpopulated and the driving force behind our existence is money and/or the accumulation of wealth. Well friends, that existence isn’t free. You only need to look in your slums and ghettos to realize it.

I can’t help but notice the similarities in how the homeless are viewed here and how gays are viewed elsewhere. Homeless folks here are often mistreated, overgeneralized, stereotyped, looked down upon, and regarded as a stain on society. Sound familiar?

I’m always bitching to folks about the distinction between things. The same could be said of same sex marriage. There is a clear line between the civil and religious benefits of a marriage contract in this country. However, over time the line has become blurred because there was no reason to make a distinction. Now there is. We need to refocus our efforts on reminding law-makers of the separation of church and state clause in the constitution. The State needs to recognize we deseve equal treatment under the law. However, we [gays] need to remember a religious institution does not have to agree or support our right to marry. Nor do they have to allow us to “marry” on their property. Another distinction often lost in the flurry of self-rigtheousness indignation.

Very important dinstinctions like these are increasingly forgotten in our society today. We should be mor than a little frightened of that.

Tech or Tired?

It’s no secret I’m a tech geek. I love all things techy. Wired Magazine is one of my favorite reads online and off. Well, up until today. I’m sure I’m making a mountain out of a mole hill here however, there comes a point when one has to say “no more”. I was reading Wired online today and this article really irked me and I said as much. Mainly, as the author recommends lying to increase your blog popularity. And I’m sure people do it all the time. However, a little white lie today, a big white lie tomorrow. History shows us, once we open a door to a certain behavior in isolated incidents, it often becomes acceptable to use the same behavior in any setting. If you doubt it, just look at our current leader’s challenges to long-standing constitutional policies. An even better example would be sp*mmers who use any tactic to get you. It’s ok, if it works?

Anyway, I’m getting off the point. If you feel you need to lie to get people to link to your blog, perhaps it’s time to turn off the computer, go out in the real world and make real connections.