Category: society

Oh – I See Now.

Wired News: They Knew What to Expect

I’m not going to say “I told you so” because I didn’t. However, reading this article, working for an emergency agency, and training to be a medic, makes me feel ashamed of my country. There are not many places I’d rather live but there are times, like now, where I almost wish I did. I find small tidbits of news from friends, family, blogs, etc on a daily basis now that brings me to tears. I’m doing what I can from here but it does nothing to quell the shame. It is not my fault however, I can’t help it. After the crisis is over, there needs to be some accountability. This is not an issue of race, sex, or religion. It’s about politics and neglect of responsibility. And once again, it is the poor and indigent that suffer.

Mark my words, there will be lots of grandstanding, finger-pointing, and shoulda/coulda/woulda’s. After everything is said in done, our government will put a “patch job” on this problem until the “next one”.

If you haven’t contributed cash or can’t afford too, there are plenty of other ways to contribute. Please contact any of the agencies listed here to offer anything you can spare. Cash, clothes, furniture, vehicles, toys, bedding/linen, etc. Thousands have lost everything. You’d be surprised that a lot of your “junk” could really help someone else. I’m not asking you, I’m begging. If you were in the same situation, wouldn’t you want some help?

Red Cross
Montrose Clinic – supports Gays/Lesbians victims.
The Rainbow Fund
Louisiana Homeland Security

If I wasn’t such a hoe, I’d run for office. . .

Honey, where’s the trailer

As most are aware, New Orleans is facing a huge tragedy in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. I don’t think I need to go into the horrid details as plenty of other more worthy news outlets are doing an excellent job of that. Being originally from Lousiana, I’m angered and frustrated that part of this tragedy, including an increase in loss of life, could have been avoided.

What a lot of folks don’t know is the money New Orleans raised to reinforce and upgrade their levy system was diverted to the war effort. (Louisiana is most definitely a red state in relation to politics.) Not to mention, our National Guard is deployed for extended service w/the war effort so there are very few resources locally to draw from. Our so called leaders are too busy being on vacation to be bothered and we have the gall to refuse international assistance. Yet, we are left with a situation quickly deteriorating. On top of all that, we have a group of “holier-than-thou” fanatics claiming god did this as punishment for Southern Decandence. Stupid is as stupid does I guess.

We, as a society, consider ourselves so advanced and so civilized. Yet at the first opportunity we revert to our base animalistic selves. I’m doing what little I can to contribute to the relief effort but I’m just flat disgusted. Why do we always wait for something to bite us in the ass before we do the right thing?

Straight-Acting?

I’m going on a rant today.

Does anyone get annoyed when you see those “straight-acting” logo’s that are numbered to represent how “straight-acting” you are? I absolutely detest those things. When I encounter them online, my respect for said person drops significantly. Probably not fair on my part but I can’t help it.

I’m loathe to admit it but when the site (no, I won’t link to it) first came out years (and I do mean years) ago, I took the test. I have an excuse as I was barely out of my teens and still ignorant. Even then, I was immediately disappointed w/the questions. Questions that are completely biased. Not to mention, it perpetuates the negative backward view our society has developed of what it means to be a “masculine” man. For example, if you enjoy gardening, that drops your point scale significantly. I know some pretty hot fucking landscapers who sweat more masculinity than some of these queens who wear their logo’s like a badge of honor.

I’m not bitter, nope, uh-huh, not me. (I just think we have enough battles to fight w/o fostering internalized homophobia amongst ourselves.)

Now Here’s Using Your Head

I don’t buy music cd’s anymore. Primarily due to the greed of the industry and their strong arm approach to file sharing. I’d be a liar if I said I never ripped music. What is the difference from copying it off the radio or copying a file? Same quality, same music? Never understood that one. I also see the need for the artists’ to make a buck. What I don’t get is the flat grab for cash that the RIAA has made to prevent online sharing. Their tactics are shameful at best. Beating up your consumer base does nothing to encourage them to buy your product. Duh! To date, illegal file sharing has only made the smallest dent in the music industry’s sales. All their fake studies have fallen by the wayside.

Being a huge movie fan, I’ve been fearful the movie industry would go the same route. This article from Wired mag gives me hope that maybe, just maybe the movie industry isn’t as anxious to squash their only source of income.

“We’re going to bypass what the music industry had to come up with, and that’s to get ahead of the whole piracy thing,” Freeman told reporters at Sun Valley. (full story)

Apparently, Morgan Freeman has joined forces w/some big logos in attempt to make online movie sharing easy. Time will tell I guess but w/more forward thinking and less backward thinking, I think we’ll find a middle ground that is acceptable to all involved.

Murder Death Kill

I got mandatoried today at work. I’m doing a 12er from 11 to 11. We had a double homicide today already. Apparently, a domestic violence case gone horribly awry. The guy shoots his ex girlfriend/wife, whatever. Then later kills himself. The only good thing is that the infant wasn’t harmed. Very sad.

Maybe in his next life he’ll come back as a petite female who gets beat up constantly by her boyfriend. I wonder if Karma has a sense of humor?

Pain or Pride?

The weekend fast approaches and with it comes Gay Pride celebration. The city is already a buzz w/visitors arriving early. The Castro is crawling w/tourists and newbies gawking, giggling, laughing, etc. Not that I mind at all. The eye candy is always stimulating. It just makes things a bit difficult when you are trying to get from point M to point Q and everyone stops w/o notice in the middle of the sidewalk. No, I don’t mind at all.

My annoyance is fleeting however. I support Pride celebrations 100%. That said, I’ve already noticed the pride-bashing on several blogs. Gays who think they are above pride or look down on it because it shows the more ‘colorful’ side of our community. I, for one, am grateful for the more flamboyant side of our culture. After all, they helped to jump start our movement in the first place. The excuse that it does nothing but hurt our cause doesn’t hold water in my opinion. The only people who dislike pride celebrations hate us already. Oh and the pathetic attempt at ‘decency in front of children’? Oh please! My straight parents inflicted way more harm on me than seeing a half naked man/woman at a parade ever could.

I guess the point I am trying, not so elegantly, to make is Pride is not about all the hoopla you see at parades. It is about what you feel inside. Acceptance of yourself. The realization that you are not a freak, a disease, or an abomination as so many would have you believe. You are a human being, like every other, born into an imperfect world. A world that, for all it’s advances, hasn’t managed to grow up yet. Empower yourself this Pride. Whether you’re out on float dancing your ass off or home, as usual, doing what it is you do, take a moment to reflect and be happy w/the life you’ve been given. Good or bad, it is what you make of it. That is true of all of us – gay,straight, bi, whatever.

Walmart Fall Apart

Ya know. I never shop at Walmart. Besides having crappy product, they treat their employees horrible.

(full story)

New rule requires workers to work any shift or be fired

Wal-Mart officials in Cross Lanes told employees on Tuesday they have to start working practically any shift, any day they’re asked, even if they’ve built up years of seniority and can’t arrange child care.

Store management said the policy change is needed to keep enough staff at the busiest hours, but some employees said it appears to be an attempt to force out longer-term, higher-paid workers…

If you shop at Walmart, I urge you to reconsider. While you might be getting what you think is a good deal, that deal is at the expense of their employees. The only Walmart will learn is thru their pocketbook.

I’m all for saving a buck, but this is definitely not the way.

Schiavo – Truth Finally Wins Out

As it turns out, all the lies and conspiracy stories the family made up Michael Schiavo were invalidated. The autopsy revealed she was in fact legally brain dead. Along w/that came the revelation that she was never strangled, beaten, or tortured in anyway.

(full story)

..there is no evidence Terri Schiavo was abused or mistreated (they pointed especially to the barrage of exams performed right after her initial collapse that would have indicated this). Terri Schiavo was clinically blind, putting to rest the sad delusion that she was looking at people or following a balloon or other actions utterly impossible given her condition. Terri Schiavo’s brain was HALF the size of a normal person of her age; in other words she was severely dysfunctional and incapable of the reactions her family and outsiders who hadn’t even examined her wanted to imagine she was performing. Terri Schiavo would have choked to death if given food or water via her mouth — so those fools rushing the security guards to give Terri water would have killed her, not helped her. And no amount of therapy or treatment would have ever changed her condition.

I think the parents owe Michael an apology at the very least. Forgetting for a moment, they planned to override their own daughters wishes and keep her on a machine indefinitely. Add to that, they expected the state to pick up the bill. The audacity of these people just astounds me. No one can argue that it was a difficult painful situation for ALL involved. However, when the state starts telling me how and when I can handle my own affairs then we might as well pack it in folks. Democracy will be a memory.

Tsunami Alert!

At 19:50 hours (7:50pm) pacific time today, 300 miles northwest of San Francisco, a 7.0 earthquake occured. The following aftershocks triggered a Tsunami Alert for the entire western seaboard by the US Geological Society.

Luckily, the quake was a horizontal slip event, not vertical. Once this was discovered, the Alert was cancelled. (Only a vertical slip-event quake causes a “Tsunami” wave)

Of course, our call center was off the hook w/people calling in to find out what was going on. We were just moments away from going to full mobilization before the Alert was cancelled.

We are still here! (for now anyway)

Sad Day

It is a day like today that I hate my job.

(story)
A 11yo child was mauled to death by a pitbull today. My last trainee released solo took the first call and had to be taken out of the room after it was over. She was so upset, we had to send her home. I don’t blame her. I didn’t even take the call and I was in tears when I saw the child was confirmed dead.

The real pisser? The dog belonged to the family! I’ll reserve my comments for now as I’m so angry I could spit nails.