3.24.2008
3.17.2008
Party Like It's 1991
Scenes from 153 Nassau Street. Bloody Marys. Cigarettes everywhere. And look at all the hair i had. Even at 26 you can tell it didn't have long for this world.
153 Nassau
Wow, Barb and i lived here a mere 17 years ago. Every bit of news i see about Friday nite's tornados in downtown Atlanta shows this picture. We lived right there on the second floor. Sheesh Barb, remember scraping all that paint of the metal cabinets and painting the Pepe Le Pew floors? All that's been gone forever (it was turned into a venue for the '96 Olympics), but i never imagined the building would just disappear someday. What was the groovy rastaman's name on the third floor? Remember intimate desires? And the artist and sorority girl girlfriend that preceded it?
A Letter from an Oklahoma Teen to Representative Kern
Sally Kern i'm sure had no idea what blowback she was unleashing upon herself. She deserves all of it. Her words can (and will) inspire others to pick up sticks and stones and hurt others, indeed. This landed in my inbox over the weekend, being passed around from Oklahoma teen Tucker:
**********************************************
Rep Kern:
On April 19, 1995, in Oklahoma City a terrorist detonated a bomb that
killed my mother and 167 others. 19 children died that day. Had I not
had the chicken pox that day, the body count would've likely have
included one more. Over 800 other Oklahomans were injured that day and
many of those still suffer through their permanent wounds.
That terrorist was neither a homosexual or was he involved in Islam. He
was an extremist Christian forcing his views through a body count. He
held his beliefs and made those who didn't live up to them pay with
their lives.
As you were not a resident of Oklahoma on that day, it could be
explained why you so carelessly chose words saying that the homosexual
agenda is worst than terrorism. I can most certainly tell you through my
own experience that is not true. I am sure there are many people in your
voting district that laid a loved one to death after the terrorist
attack on Oklahoma City. I kind of doubt you'll find one of them that
will agree with you.
I was five years old when my mother died. I remember what a beautiful,
wise, and remarkable woman she was. I miss her. Your harsh words and
misguided beliefs brought me to tears, because you told me that my
mother's killer was a better person than a group of people that are
seeking safety and tolerance for themselves.
As someone left motherless and victimized by terrorists, I say to you
very clearly you are absolutely wrong.
You represent a district in Oklahoma City and you very coldly express a
lack of love, sympathy or understanding for what they've been through.
Can I ask if you might have chosen wiser words were you a real Oklahoman
that was here to share the suffering with Oklahoma City? Might your
heart be a bit less cold had you been around to see the small bodies of
children being pulled out of rubble and carried away by weeping firemen?
I've spent 12 years in Oklahoma public schools and never once have I had
anyone try to force a gay agenda on me. I have seen, however, many gay
students beat up and there's never a day in school that has went by when
I haven't heard the word **** slung at someone. I've been called gay
slurs many times and they hurt and I am not even gay so I can just
imagine how a real gay person feels. You were a school teacher and you
have seen those things too. How could you care so little about the
suffering of some of your students?
Let me tell you the result of your words in my school. Every openly gay
and suspected gay in the school were having to walk together Monday for
protection. They looked scared. They've already experienced enough hate
and now your words gave other students even more motivation to sneer at
them and call them names. Afterall, you are a teacher and a lawmaker,
many young people have taken your words to heart. That happens when you
assume a role of responsibility in your community. I seriously think
before this week ends that some kids here will be going home bruised and
bloody because of what you said.
I wish you could've met my mom. Maybe she could've guided you in how a
real Christian should be acting and speaking.
I have not had a mother for nearly 13 years now and wonder if there were
fewer people like you around, people with more love and tolerance in
their hearts instead of strife, if my mom would be here to watch me
graduate from high school this spring. Now she won't be there. So I'll
be packing my things and leaving Oklahoma to go to college elsewhere and
one day be a writer and I have no intentions to ever return here. I have
no doubt that people like you will incite crazy people to build more
bombs and kill more people again. I don't want to be here for that. I
just can't go through that again.
You may just see me as a kid, but let me try to teach you something. The
old saying is sticks and stones will break your bones, but words will
never hurt you. Well, your words hurt me. Your words disrespected the
memory of my mom.
Your words can cause others to pick up sticks and stones and hurt others.
Sincerely
Tucker
**********************************************
Rep Kern:
On April 19, 1995, in Oklahoma City a terrorist detonated a bomb that
killed my mother and 167 others. 19 children died that day. Had I not
had the chicken pox that day, the body count would've likely have
included one more. Over 800 other Oklahomans were injured that day and
many of those still suffer through their permanent wounds.
That terrorist was neither a homosexual or was he involved in Islam. He
was an extremist Christian forcing his views through a body count. He
held his beliefs and made those who didn't live up to them pay with
their lives.
As you were not a resident of Oklahoma on that day, it could be
explained why you so carelessly chose words saying that the homosexual
agenda is worst than terrorism. I can most certainly tell you through my
own experience that is not true. I am sure there are many people in your
voting district that laid a loved one to death after the terrorist
attack on Oklahoma City. I kind of doubt you'll find one of them that
will agree with you.
I was five years old when my mother died. I remember what a beautiful,
wise, and remarkable woman she was. I miss her. Your harsh words and
misguided beliefs brought me to tears, because you told me that my
mother's killer was a better person than a group of people that are
seeking safety and tolerance for themselves.
As someone left motherless and victimized by terrorists, I say to you
very clearly you are absolutely wrong.
You represent a district in Oklahoma City and you very coldly express a
lack of love, sympathy or understanding for what they've been through.
Can I ask if you might have chosen wiser words were you a real Oklahoman
that was here to share the suffering with Oklahoma City? Might your
heart be a bit less cold had you been around to see the small bodies of
children being pulled out of rubble and carried away by weeping firemen?
I've spent 12 years in Oklahoma public schools and never once have I had
anyone try to force a gay agenda on me. I have seen, however, many gay
students beat up and there's never a day in school that has went by when
I haven't heard the word **** slung at someone. I've been called gay
slurs many times and they hurt and I am not even gay so I can just
imagine how a real gay person feels. You were a school teacher and you
have seen those things too. How could you care so little about the
suffering of some of your students?
Let me tell you the result of your words in my school. Every openly gay
and suspected gay in the school were having to walk together Monday for
protection. They looked scared. They've already experienced enough hate
and now your words gave other students even more motivation to sneer at
them and call them names. Afterall, you are a teacher and a lawmaker,
many young people have taken your words to heart. That happens when you
assume a role of responsibility in your community. I seriously think
before this week ends that some kids here will be going home bruised and
bloody because of what you said.
I wish you could've met my mom. Maybe she could've guided you in how a
real Christian should be acting and speaking.
I have not had a mother for nearly 13 years now and wonder if there were
fewer people like you around, people with more love and tolerance in
their hearts instead of strife, if my mom would be here to watch me
graduate from high school this spring. Now she won't be there. So I'll
be packing my things and leaving Oklahoma to go to college elsewhere and
one day be a writer and I have no intentions to ever return here. I have
no doubt that people like you will incite crazy people to build more
bombs and kill more people again. I don't want to be here for that. I
just can't go through that again.
You may just see me as a kid, but let me try to teach you something. The
old saying is sticks and stones will break your bones, but words will
never hurt you. Well, your words hurt me. Your words disrespected the
memory of my mom.
Your words can cause others to pick up sticks and stones and hurt others.
Sincerely
Tucker
3.09.2008
3.08.2008
My Year is 1950. Uh Oh
You Belong in 1950 |
 You're fun loving, romantic, and more than a little innocent. See you at the drive in! |
Thanks to Mel for this. Gee i'm so glad to know my year is before i was even born.
3.06.2008
Math...What a Quaint Concept!
Well, in case any of you fair readers of my blog think i foam at the mouth a little too much about how RIGGED our elections are, let me offer some fabulous analysis for you.
Let's take a lil trip over HERE. These are official results of Tuesday's Primary in Texas, taken from the official *ahem* CNN website.
First, you'll notice that the Democratic voters were MORE THAN DOUBLE the amount of Republicans, 2.8 millionish to 1.3 millionish, respectively. That in itself is a very big story, and has played out in every single race, which might lead one to think a landslide of epic proportions is on the way. But that is not the subject of my MATH post today.
Scroll down to the little mappie thingies, and notice how some counties are neither pink, nor blue. Now click on them and see the pop ups with the numbers and compare. Many, many counties in Texas are COMPLETELY ONE PARTY COUNTIES.
Yeah.
You heard me.
I'll make it easy for you. Here's a little list-type thing. First is County name, then the number of registered voters in that county, then the Republican vote, and last the Democratic Vote (don't trust my math though, i'm honest):
Let's review, shall we?
Maverick County, population 50,000 or so, right on the Rio Grande and the border with Mexico to the south. 95% of the population is Latino. Fully half of the county is registered to vote, 26,224 citizens.
But 9,661 of them voted Democrat. And NOT A SINGLE Republican vote was cast.
Or, consider Hansford County, complete opposite end of the state, in the northern panhandle on the border with Oklahoma. Population here is only about 5,000. This was once an extremely oil-rich area. 3,101 citizens are registered to vote.
1,235 of them voted Republican. And NOT A SINGLE Democrat voted on Tuesday.
Yeah.
Now i'm sure some of you may say (as Steven just did to me) "Oh it's the discrepancy involving the fubar system of caucuses vs. primaries" or perhaps "oh gee, it's possible that these counties are totally Republican or totally Democrat" or even "maybe those counties just haven't reported yet"
to which i say: stop making excuses.
I haven't checked Ohio's results yet.
Our votes mean nothing.
We are so screwed in this country. Wake up people.
Let's take a lil trip over HERE. These are official results of Tuesday's Primary in Texas, taken from the official *ahem* CNN website.
First, you'll notice that the Democratic voters were MORE THAN DOUBLE the amount of Republicans, 2.8 millionish to 1.3 millionish, respectively. That in itself is a very big story, and has played out in every single race, which might lead one to think a landslide of epic proportions is on the way. But that is not the subject of my MATH post today.
Scroll down to the little mappie thingies, and notice how some counties are neither pink, nor blue. Now click on them and see the pop ups with the numbers and compare. Many, many counties in Texas are COMPLETELY ONE PARTY COUNTIES.
Yeah.
You heard me.
I'll make it easy for you. Here's a little list-type thing. First is County name, then the number of registered voters in that county, then the Republican vote, and last the Democratic Vote (don't trust my math though, i'm honest):
Armstrong 1404 369 0
Borden 432 0 139
Brooks 6385 0 3185
Cottle 1230 0 471
Crockett 2654 0 1166
Culberson 1959 0 526
Dickens 1410 0 612
Duval 9331 0 5053
Foard 1043 0 432
Hall 2110 0 813
Hansford 3101 1235 0
Hardeman 2969 0 1086
Hudspeth 1557 0 476
Kent 665 0 250
La Salle 4071 0 1392
Loving 116 0 22
Maverick 26224 0 9661
Reeves 6337 0 2228
Roberts 707 261 0
Stonewall 1087 0 483
Throckmorton 1175 0 513
Upton 2139 0 823
Zapata 7148 0 3190
Zavala 7877 0 3718
Let's review, shall we?
Maverick County, population 50,000 or so, right on the Rio Grande and the border with Mexico to the south. 95% of the population is Latino. Fully half of the county is registered to vote, 26,224 citizens.
But 9,661 of them voted Democrat. And NOT A SINGLE Republican vote was cast.
Or, consider Hansford County, complete opposite end of the state, in the northern panhandle on the border with Oklahoma. Population here is only about 5,000. This was once an extremely oil-rich area. 3,101 citizens are registered to vote.
1,235 of them voted Republican. And NOT A SINGLE Democrat voted on Tuesday.
Yeah.
Now i'm sure some of you may say (as Steven just did to me) "Oh it's the discrepancy involving the fubar system of caucuses vs. primaries" or perhaps "oh gee, it's possible that these counties are totally Republican or totally Democrat" or even "maybe those counties just haven't reported yet"
to which i say: stop making excuses.
I haven't checked Ohio's results yet.
Our votes mean nothing.
We are so screwed in this country. Wake up people.
Framing the Message
Remember all the bullshit about how "framing the message," or the inability to do so, is what lost the 2004 race for Kerry? Well, this Democrat, for one, believes that. It was a very nice way of saying that lies will always beat the truth, if you repeat it enough.
Anyhoo, there is a really nice piece online today from Sara Robinson at Campaign for America's Future, that revisits all this anew, from the fresh perspective of yet another Presidential horserace. Each time, conservatives defy all logic and sense of proportion and ethics to get their message out, and subvert the message of Democrats. They call shit gold instead, and repeat it so much through their millions of minions, that people actually believe it.
Don't forget:
escalation = surge
or
looting another piggy bank = fixing social security
or
we know exactly where they are around Baghdad and Tikrit = i have no clue
or
mobile weapons labs = we made illustrations because their are NO reconnaissance photographs
or
the air is safe to breath at ground zero = we don't care if you live or die, just get the fuck back to business
These guys should be so embarrassed and shamed by how patently stupid and unbelievable their messages--however "framed"--actually are.
But they aren't.
They continue over the cliff like Energizer Bunnies. And they are dragging all of us with them; none more than Hillary Clinton.
But i digress.
Robinson's piece is worth a read just to see her take on how important it would be for Hillary to simply, unequivocally state that conservatives have made a FUBAR mess of everything in the last 8 years, but that she has been complicit and allowed them to do so, taking responsibility for their bad behavior and hers in allowing it. Then she can begin anew, and clearly state: we are not going to have ANY of that ANYMORE. Then she can actually let me know that she is ready to lead. In deed, not in word.
If she could bring herself to such a clear-headed, ethical, and responsible place right now, I think a tidal wave of support would come her way. Too many people like me want to know WHEN she will be able to let me emotionally give my support to her by her emotional admission that she has been a complicit and willing ennabler of Bush, Cheney, Rove, Rice, Rumsfeld, Powell... the lot of them.
It would be like throwing a switch, really. Give me a call Hillary, we can talk through this.
Anyhoo, there is a really nice piece online today from Sara Robinson at Campaign for America's Future, that revisits all this anew, from the fresh perspective of yet another Presidential horserace. Each time, conservatives defy all logic and sense of proportion and ethics to get their message out, and subvert the message of Democrats. They call shit gold instead, and repeat it so much through their millions of minions, that people actually believe it.
Don't forget:
escalation = surge
or
looting another piggy bank = fixing social security
or
we know exactly where they are around Baghdad and Tikrit = i have no clue
or
mobile weapons labs = we made illustrations because their are NO reconnaissance photographs
or
the air is safe to breath at ground zero = we don't care if you live or die, just get the fuck back to business
These guys should be so embarrassed and shamed by how patently stupid and unbelievable their messages--however "framed"--actually are.
But they aren't.
They continue over the cliff like Energizer Bunnies. And they are dragging all of us with them; none more than Hillary Clinton.
But i digress.
Robinson's piece is worth a read just to see her take on how important it would be for Hillary to simply, unequivocally state that conservatives have made a FUBAR mess of everything in the last 8 years, but that she has been complicit and allowed them to do so, taking responsibility for their bad behavior and hers in allowing it. Then she can begin anew, and clearly state: we are not going to have ANY of that ANYMORE. Then she can actually let me know that she is ready to lead. In deed, not in word.
If she could bring herself to such a clear-headed, ethical, and responsible place right now, I think a tidal wave of support would come her way. Too many people like me want to know WHEN she will be able to let me emotionally give my support to her by her emotional admission that she has been a complicit and willing ennabler of Bush, Cheney, Rove, Rice, Rumsfeld, Powell... the lot of them.
It would be like throwing a switch, really. Give me a call Hillary, we can talk through this.
3.03.2008
Ready for Spring
New curtains crafted Saturday and Sunday. Rediscovered art project retrieved from moving boxes.
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