Quill & Claw/Pen & Paw

Sigh.  Trust me, I’ll post more next week. I’ll have the time. THat includes Christmaskkah itself. Peace! Roo : Gay Marriage :

  I’ve always believed this. Frequently, VERY frequently, I’ve mentioned, “straights? Straights don’t get the concept of marriage.” And it’s very, very true. I mean, animals don’t get married. Think about. Why tie down to one, right? Humans? It became a business contract, almost from the start. And it keeps going that way. Sure, it happens, frequently, in church, as per personal preference, but, really, does it have to? No. Gays get it. This is important to us, keeping our loved ones alive and safe and knowing that the government can’t treat us differently. Good article. Enjoy. Peace, Roo Editor's Column: Gays, In Fact, Saved Marriage | The Contributor

Wait. Are we really that surprised? I mean, well, really? When my coworker turned to me and said, “you need an ID to drive a car?” “Where’d you hear that one?” ”Fox News.” I knew then. You can’t make this crap up. Florida is too much of an important state to go through this crap, but we won’t hear about it for another four years, because the Dems down here are too anemic to do anything and our governor is a whiney pussyfoot. Yes. Whiney. But, are we really shocked? Next time? They’ll probably block all nonwhite voters and ‘mos. Fuckers. Peace, Roo Former Florida GOP leaders say voter suppression was reason... | www.palmbeachpost.com

I'm stealing it from imgur, but I just have to say something. It's a horrible, dark poster, but, it says something. I've been questioning my faith in many things these past few years (I think it started in 2007, frankly, but maybe earlier) and have pretty much come to this conclusion. It's what irks me about the whole Rmoney and Why-Ryan running..."because God told me to." If God is omnipotent, why worry about getting someone elected? Why not just lean down and flick the switches that would make your worshipers lives better? I hate it, the whole concept. We're left to our own devices, friends. I'm not saying there's not a God or Fate or Whatever Makes You Feel Whole. I'm just saying that their involvement is nominal at best and we better get to stirring the pot before things boil over. Thanks Rorschach.  He's an anti-hero in the comic book "The Watchmen" by the way. He reflects what we already know. Peace, Roo

….anyone in Canada can be mean. Oh. Wait. Alberta. Should have saw that one coming. It’s like Colorado Springs or Orange County, California or Orange County, Florida. I have an excellent friend from there. I always wondered why he would want to leave such an awesome place. Evidence, part one… http://www.calgaryherald.com/business/energy-resources/School+boards+reject+separate+policy+sexual+minorities/7597793/story.html

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Enjoy this day and weekend, my friends and dear readers. You've earned it. Peace and all that. Roo

In many ways, I’m far from a music person. That title befalls my older brother, of amongst his incredible lacking skills in interpersonal communications and personal hygiene, who actually knows lyrics and likes old and new music. Still, I was born under the sign of the fish, and, supposedly, we have an ear for music. I have noticed, from time to time, that my mood for genres of composing varies widely. One day, I may listen to reggae when I’m gaming; another, country twang whilst I’m getting chores completed. Perhaps, this tidbit is the sign that, well, maybe my star-sign has a ring of truth. So it behooves me to say, I’m not okay with what this award has wrought. Justin Bieber isn’t particularly new. Pop music has keep the music industry humming; it’s grease in many ways for the wheels for the more sophisticated players located at the top of the heap. For every 400 teeniebopper girls buying a Bieber download, there’s 2 buying Miles Davis’ studio sessions uncut. I’m not criticizing ...

  http://i.imgur.com/mqb1H.jpg Just thought this was kinda cool. First? An African-American president. Now this. Nice to see the government reflecting its people for once. Peace, Roo

This gives me another reason to use the term “douchecanoe” in a blog post on the same day. He can give away free pizzas, but not healthcare. And RMoney wanted us to think that the wealthy cared for us in trickle down ways. Hmmm, I see the love right away. Peace, Roo Papa John's Obamacare Costs Are Far Less Than Price Of Free Pizza Giveaway

I couldn’t have said it better myself. As my step-Dad and my brother whine about, um, whine, about, ah, well, something-something—they blindly followed RMoney’s rhetoric. For no reason. And, when I say “reason” I mean, really, they had no REASON. Peace, Roo Romney Is President - NYTimes.com

Words cannot express the hostility I feel for this righteous schmuck. How do people still listen to him? Oh. He has the church and cash. I think, really, part of the problem is that his followers know he’s something of a doodad and are scared wit-less to admit that they didn’t notice it at first. Isn’t pride a sin? So, let’s recap, shall we? Marriage equality is bad. Straight marriage is good. So good, you can even have a bit of whoopie for a sidedish, since you’re straight. What a douchecanoe. Peace, Roo Gay Marriage Attacker Pat Robertson: Petraeus Affair OK Because ‘He’s A Man’ | The New Civil Rights Movement

There is humanity left in the world. I will always believe that. I still see castles. I believe in flying cars. And I know, sometimes, there are good people. They’re just very, very quiet. Read and enjoy. PEace, Roo Rick Reilly: Gainesville State high school football gets the best gift of all: hope - ESPN The Magazine

I’m struggling with this, on some level. Of course, I think it’s fine to have photo-ops in a campaign. I’m fine with people coming in and staging stuff, believe it or not. There’s safety (Lord knows, it is getting very easy to hate this faker) concerns to think about; it’s evident he has kids in tow. And I was ready to dismiss it to the dustbin of whatever. I have too many hours in my car at work. I got to thinking—‘but, well, Roo—aren’t soup kitchens run by churches?” I’m okay with that too, frankly. Seems that the politicos don’t care for the poor, so someone has to, right? And a church has enough extra cash to get some more off the streets. Again, no worries. To keep that cash, they don’t pay taxes, as long as they don’t endorse any candidates. I realized at that moment that, for one, my name tag had become unhooked and was driving itself into my chest with the seatbelt and, two, that soup kitchen had made a big no-no. A very big no-no. This article supports my fears. Now that s...

  Seriously. Thumb through the itty bitty pictures and think…how many of those are allowed the crappily paid teachers of the universe? Benefits package? That was axed.  Give time for balance? HA! How many lives, including my own, were destroyed when several weekends in a row were given over to doing work. Oh yeah, work at home…HA! I’m not bitter, I’m not bitter, I’m not bitter. And I’m happier now. But obviously, this model isn’t for all businesses. Seriously, I should take up politics. But my hatred for money and working for it kills that ambition. Peace, Roo 11 Tips to Keep Employees Happy | BusinessNewsDaily.com

And a physical representation….   http://i.imgur.com/ilv77.jpg

If you haven’t been living under a rock, you have probably heard that RMoney wishes to cut PBS. It’s sad, really, that he sees something as awesome as Public Broadcasting, which costs a smidgen of the budget, as the enemy. This is not a new idea. A Republican trying to cut something that doesn’t have a dollar sign. Let’s remember. I went into teaching because I didn’t want to work for money. I don’t want dollar signs to be my motivation. Here’s one of my heroes speaking to Congress. I miss him. RMoney? Please don’t cut PBS. Peace, Roo Daily Kos: You WILL CRY watching Mister Rogers defend PBS in Congress

Let me tell you a story. I stand by this statement. In fact, in many ways I stand behind freedom of speech more than some other rights afforded us as Americans. When I was in college (this is the story part, my friends, in case you got lost in a sentence or two), my roommate’s girlfriend, was a gifted cartoonist. She made one of the most offensive cartoons I’d ever seen. If you knew me and my job, I should have been outraged. Furious. But the school newspaper, with its young, hip (and very hot) editor, ran with it. It made massive controversy. Even I disagreed with the cartoon’s content.  The phone calls started to my room and hers. Nasty phone calls. Mean ones. I understood their anger. I agreed with them on many levels. But one phone caller (remember this was the late 80s, when we didn’t have caller ID), apparently someone who knew my major, asked, “how can you not say anything, Roo?” “Freedom of speech and the press, dude." No one was breaking any laws. As much as I disag...

Ahhh, Colorado Springs. Actually, the humor in this? The Right Wing is doing this. Are they afraid of something? And they are saying they are working for the county office. Are we truly shocked? Still, I’m just waiting for when I get out and vote. Wanna make a bet, this Out’Mo is going to be stopped? I hope not. Why isn’t this making a tour of the interwebs? Peace, Roo

  Dear Fate, Let this story be true. Please? Just because it would fit. Of course, it probably isn’t. I’m not that stupid. Secondly, please note the first sentence. “Ann R-Money’s plane.”    This bothers me. Here’s how HelmetHead R-Money could get my vote. Pay off the US debt. Just use one of his debit cards. Puft. All gone. Sell, I don’t know, a few of those planes and car-elevator. Daily Kos: Mitt Romney wants airplane windows to roll down in case of fire so people can breathe more easily Peace, Roo

    I suppose I could chalk this up to the famous cliche, “When I Was a Kid..” But in all honesty, we still have prime time sitcoms.  But this little clip is one for the ages. The Jetsons was about family in the future-future. Like all popular art, it reflects a simpler time, a life not complicated yet with immediate media and forced self-reflection.  Sure, it talked about the future (still, I’m sad to say, no flying cars), but had a value-system that still had a nuclear family unit with 2.3 kids. And, no, I wasn’t even born when it premiered in 1962, on this very date. But when it went into syndication, I was glued to it, even on Saturday mornings. And we still have a nuclear family, but it has become social critic, like Family Guy or the Simpsons. Or, in the vein of these Jetsons, we have now have Futurama (which to me, surpasses many a television program for social commentary!)  So? Let’s not look to the old in disgust, but see the pure joy in old fash...

  As if this man needed another nail in the coffin that was his campaign. I can see him saying this to a teacher. You don’t become a businessman without being strong willed. Education’s funding has been cut every year, yet, private schools don’t get that. Private schools do better. Hmm? Weird how that works. And now? Getting cash, via vouchers, to go to the private schools, so they get MORE money? Are we really shocked? Here’s how I’d change education, if I may. *)  Use standardized testing that has already been normed to determine where kids are. Not the state testing that is written on the fly, changes yearly, and isn’t normed to the grade level being assessed. They are private companies, in the pockets of politicians, earning extra cash. Instead, look to exams like the IOWA basic and SATs. ---from there? Use it as a diagnostic tool to inform teacher decisions.  Do not use it to cut funding, but, instead, to merely get a bead on kids. *)  Increase the salar...

I just thought this was cool.  Not mine, all rights reserved, etc.  Plus, just seeing if I can post again. Peace, Rooy

Go ahead and read. My husOtter made burgers for dinner and those things smell here in the new house. I gotta go light a candle, that’ll afford you a moment. Unless you scream and start clawing out your eyes some. I guess it fits that I read this about chicken (no, not the boy kind, but the breast kind…wait, that doesn’t really work either…) and I’m about to eat hamburger. I wanna draw attention to something annoying that the bigot who wrote the note initially mentions. That she feels picked on and discriminated against for being a Christian. As she sees it, during the recent, “let’s let pop culture define what we’re feeling” flare up with Hate-fil-a, she went and got her fried breasts as a way of expressing how angry and put upon people are misjudging her. How she was being called a bigot for just doing what she believes. Interesting way of looking at it. Now? It’s time to get all Tao and Zen on her chicken, if I may. But, ah, forgive me when I point out the obvious here—but ...

  Well, since they’ve been trying a few years now, NOM is working on this again. Lemme draw your attention, however, to something I noticed in this article. 100K is being used to oust a high court justice who basically followed the law. So if you follow the speed limit, screw it, the churchies are coming for you. But then I reread the statement. 100K is being used to get a person out of office. Not to give to children starving. Not to enable free counseling for families in crisis; not even for divorce lawyers. This is the way America is going. Now, on the Right Winger/Red State side of things, they claim that too many people are welfare, so, well, its time to tax them, the middle class but give tax breaks to the wealthy. Okay, so, this money? Who’s giving it to someone in NOM? Oh. That’s right. People can get a tax break for donating to nonprofits. And since no one seems to have money lying around, it’s a good thing those “job-creators” have some cash lying around. Woul...

Okay, okay, okay. What do I do this to myself? Paul Ryan Virtually A Zero at the Human Rights Campaign | gaycitynews.com I mean, really. It’s like looking at those NSFW videos over on reddit.com and then hoping that it really is? No, it’s like seeing if you have the fortitude to walk away unscathed. Unruffled by the horror presented before you. As if to say, “see? I’m manly enough, that was nothing.” So I clicked on this link and read the article. Yep. All the horrors there that I expected. I didn’t see any mention that he still thinks the earth is flat, but, judging by his other choices and comments, we can pretty much figure that one out. Maybe, however, I went to that webpage to just, I don’t know, hope that he was slightly different than R-Money. That Uncle Mittens would try to play his opposite, to attract more voters, and have someone who didn’t waffle on everything; someone who was slightly more moderate, to get those middle ground voters moving his way. R-Money, in...

  NOM Defends Biblical Marriage, Including Slavery, Concubines, Polygamy, And Rape | ThinkProgress I have long wondered about the misleading title, “National Organization of Marriage.” It’s mission, according to it’s website , is a bit nebulous. I see Kirk Cameron, many things about keeping marriage going and, well, that’s about it. My guess is that the group likes marriage between man and a woman, but it claims to defend Biblical marriage. Okay, cool, I understand that. But further investigation of the website shows nothing about the leading causes of marriage breakdown that research supports. Divorce doesn’t seem to be mentioned (it is a text rich site). There are no mention of the three leading causes of divorce in America:  lack of communication (most men and women are brought up with unrealistic expectations of the partnership and few have the coping skills to help it survive); money (the largest, IMHO); and cheating.  So, to combat that National Organization o...

  https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirO7M-JBzu2i-iXpaJXsBsEZILnvqgm1ty-21zzT46m9nyO1cKGhH0fGewzfxSGZAF_yGt6Qw07iM1D6jLUwgWy8eJFImYDQcQ-f3BedPmj8HAKlI3JoW29YvcvRa0zZOGtMQupA/s1600/Cartografia.png First off, sorry about being away from my computer. Family was visiting (which is prone for the course when you live in Florida!) and then I decided I needed a new house. These things take time, friends, they really do. I stumbled across this wee map here and I realized I’d not chimed in on the Chik-fil-a debate like everyone else has these days. I knew about Dan Cathy’s belief that the Earth Was Still Flat, Thinking is the Devil’s Work philosophy for a few eons. I never ate there. I refused his food when it was catered. But, here’s the thing, I let others go there. If they suggested eating there for a meeting-lunch-thing, I’d go, I’d just being my own food. It was really surprising that NOW this is an issue. But when you look back to those beginning momen...

This is the gift of a great writer. His words hit the note about this tragedy. Christopher Nolan Statement -- Speaks About Tragic Shooting I wish I could say more. I will say this, people, and that is…don’t watch the news right now. Really. Don’t. I accidentally left the news on after Judge Judy. I was vacuuming, getting ready for some visitors and, well, there you have it. I had the captions on. So I couldn’t escape the headlines of this awful event. Then I thought, what the heck? This is the lead on the five pm news? That makes no sense. So I watched a bit more and realized they had no new information. So, basically, they were riding on the fact that no one knew that this had happened? That’s malarkey.  Unless they were weird. Now I took my older brother to the premiere of Batman in 1989, yes, at midnight. The first man I ever kissed was after Batman Returns in 1992! I could have been at that midnight showing.  So its hitting me harder than some. Now it is easy f...

Now, this is what I’m talking about… Just remember, these things can get a bit violent. I wrote a zombie novel myself, so this show holds a special place in my heart. The fact is, horror is a terrific way to explore allegory. With or without the emphasis on the “gory.” It’s an opportunity to see the world and to try to symbolize it into more direct terms. Science fiction and fantasy also have that option. One thing I have noticed (gee, I’m learning a lot lately. What’s the cliché? Something about an old dog turning new tricks???), between the husOtter and myself, my fiction preferences tends towards the realistic. I love to read highly dramatic literature, weather its true crime, thrillers, horror or nonfiction.  My Better Half? He goes for the World Building stuff, Orson Scott Card; Mission to Mars, Lord of the Rings. In the end, it is the story that counts and we switch sometimes, but says something about our character, I believe. Lastly, it should be duly noted, I hate...

Living the Writer’s Life      Since coming to Florida, I’ve found a new flowering of life I never knew I could experience. For the first time ever, I found that the escape to the virtual worlds of Disney, once a fleeting, every other year thing, and it has put much in my life in perspective. Basically, that if my problems are so big that I can ride though (fake) space in a mountain, how, truly, big are my problems? If I can pretend, for just a moment that I really am in a Krustyland Carnival, then, why, oh why, am I dwelling on the aggravations of the week?      My problems still exist, but I can put them into a much smaller box than ever before. I can’t talk for my husOtter, but for myself, this has been a boon. A true boon. Because, for the first time, ever, I feel like I’m living the kinda of life I’m meant to lead. My problems are greatly reduced for the first time ever.         Oh. Wait. Lemme rephrase th...

Here ya go…its even mentioned in the WSJ… More Retailers Are Courting Gay Customers - WSJ.com Peace, Roo

You should use your money at! http://i.imgur.com/1E7bB.jpg

I was torn where to post this….but then I realized, well, it should go where I have the most traffic… You Would Never Believe Which Anti Gay Corporations You've Been Supporting With Your Money What’s humorous is that I have refused to go to many of these companies, regardless. 1.  Chikfila? I’ve hated their food and now, moreso. 2.  Exxon? Easy to avoid. 3.  Avoid those bell ringers at Salvation Army. I knew, back in the early nineties when they would refuse to help people suffering from AIDS, regardless of orientation. Boom. Off my list. 4.  Urban Outfitters only has clothes for thin people anyways. 5.  I’ve hated WalMart for other reasons. They’re the reason so many are on welfare and the need for insurance reform. They refuse to pay decent wages. They refuse unions, to the point where they’ll close a store where there is one and open another up the street and not hire those people. We went there once in 2011, due to the fact it was 2am and the d...

  Keep the captions on…this is pretty cool. I am fully aware I’ve not gone ahead and written a review yet for Magic Mike, but I stumbled across this tasty morsel of filmdom. Between theater and film, there’s very little crossover. You can improv on stage. In fact, it’s a skill that you might wish to have set away. Movies, in contrast, are massively scripted, to make sure every dollar appears on the screen. So these little snippets are moments outside the lines, a glimpse of the professionalism and ability of the assorted performers-and the filmmakers who left these items in the finished product. Enjoy. Peace, Roo

Oh, where do I begin… Louisiana Republican: When I Voted for State Funds to go to Religious Schools, I Didn’t Mean Muslim Ones For those who know me, you know that education is one of my passions and how I detest the school voucher system. Seemingly for forever, Christians have wanted the funds from public schools to follow them into their private schools, using the money to pay for their churches. Churches that don’t pay taxes. Basically, getting the funding they want for free, under the guise of “vouchers.” SInce the schools can’t be monitored, those schools can pick and choose who they hire (you’re black? Too bad. Asian Buddhist? Sorry, no) and which students they allow in the doors (we’re not wheelchair accessible! Sorry!).  And now we have proof. Since schools are all or nothing situations, meaning everyone in America gets a free education, even Islamic children have the right to go to a school of their faith and family’s choosing. And, well, we have our evidence with ...

  Wildfire Tests Police Force in Colorado Anti-Tax Movement’s Home - Bloomberg Having lived in this hellhole of a town (I keep thinking it is time to blog why I left, so that its out there and people know what they did…) this makes sense. I remember that historic vote. How, sponsored by churches and GOP stalwarts, they cut the budgets of police forces and, well, firefighters. And when I saw the news and heard the phone calls, I knew this would come up. Would things be different with more firefighters available? You bet your ass it would have been different. So now? The Naked City that doesn’t want to spend money or depend on the government will have to turn around and ask for Federal assistance. They already have to call out the National Guard. Get a fucking clue, people. Sorry. Bitter. They hurt me. Peace, Roo

  Anderson Cooper: "The Fact Is, I'm Gay." - The Dish | By Andrew Sullivan - The Daily Beast Here I was, writing about Tom Cruise, and this happens. I’m am very, very glad that Mr. Cooper has come out, frankly, but I understand and can respect his hesitancy. I just finished the EW article they talked about and how the whole process of coming out has changed. But, at the same time, is it truly necessary? It shouldn’t be. Where I’m torn is that kids need role models. They really do. And people in the public eye can do a world of good, if, in some way, let teens today know, well, basically, “it gets better.”  I can respect Anderson. He kept quiet because he could be hanged in Saudi Arabia. The mere fact that he continues to talk to Kathy Griffin is evidence of his queer-ness besides. I am working on a novel and, one day, would love to have a bestseller. And I think about my partner of 12 years and what that kind attention would do to him. He is a massively p...

See? He’s cute too. I’m not an idiot. He’s difficult NOT to admire in that aspect.   Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes Divorce: Couple To Split After 5 Years Of Marriage Third time’s a charm. Please note: National Organization of Marriage, who, supposedly, wants to preserve the institution of marriage, has said very little about this upcoming divorce. We’re talking popular culture, here, folks. Tom is, frankly, one of the more bankable stars in Hollywood. He does have the ability to pick the scripts that he wants; he tend to pick bigger pictures that ring in the dough for the Hollywood snob studios (you know, the ones who think they are being robbed of their third and fourth houses…) When it comes to the accusations of homosexuality, I’ve been very, very patient. However, these rumors fly again and again about Tom and John Travolta. It bothers me that they even come up at all. First off? Who the heck cares, really? If they are gay, think of the message they’re sending. I mean, th...

Supreme Court upholds health-care law, individual mandate - The Washington Post Okay, I usually step aside and leave my other blog for more political commentary, but the fact is, this one isn’t getting much traffic these days. So, well, why not post about what is aggravating me and see if it riles up someone to respond to it? I have to admit my hesitancy in supporting the President before this year. I remember a bevy of campaign promises and the anti-gay agenda of the GOP and, so, painted into a corner, I sorta HAD to vote for him. Then I noticed things weren’t getting any better. Then, suddenly, he announced he’d stop supporting DOMA .  Then, he nails out "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."   Lastly, he comes out in support of Marriage Equality. And I’m swayed.  Frankly, I think I’m okay. I think it is okay, even as a democrat, to question the president. And my problems with Mr. Obama were not like my issues with Mr. Bush. The last president appeared as a bull...

You can see the natural sense of comic timing and performance these “handlers” have. Too awesome! Muppet Movie camera test.

I'm envious of Matt here. How I would love to travel the world and use various toilets from eating food that isn't FDA approved. No. Lemme rephrase that. There's just something beautiful going on here. One of the reasons I love Anthony Bourdain is that he shows a distinct facet of ALL cultures. Food. People define themselves by what they eat. It's true on many, many levels. And Matt here? He shows us another cultural facet. Dancing. Even if it isn't their dance, their costumes, expressions and responses give us a brief but very telling glimpse into their worlds. Look at North Korea's dancing moments. Those are fifties moves the gentleman is doing! Look at the pride in the faces of the people in Pennsylvania and Seville, Spain. And yes, those women's faces are blotted out in one part, but look at the lithe movements they incur. So, just a brief share. Truly enjoy.

This recent trend in SuperHero movies was made for me. I was big in comic books, long before Kevin Smith made it fashionable for the jocks and the dweebs to read them as well. Surely, I remember aching, ACHING for an X-Men movie even in the late eighties. And then I got married and that movie opened. The flood gates have opened and picture after picture of heroes have flooded the market. Luckily? These movies are the bastion of special effects so they aren’t cheap. The various studios really have to make a decision to make a movie about being a super hero. I thank them for it. It gives me time to make a decision when it comes to purchasing a ticket.   It also means Hollywood should seriously consider hiring a screenwriter for a few of the lines. Now, see, The Dark Knight had a profound effect on the super hero genre. Not only a decent actioner, it was a movie with a bit more going on in the heady department; you were required to actually participate in the movie by th...

Just to test to see if this works.   And, in the end, I just gotta say, have you ever wondered why true joy looks like? Look at this video. Morning Fluff - The Daily What