Happy Fourth of July, Folks!

Hey Dear Readers,

Enjoy this three day weekend and a celebration of our independence.   We've come a long way--but it's been all worth it.

Peace!
Roo

To Write or Not to Write about this....

I hate coming here.

No, not this blog. This is something I’ve been meaning to do for quite some time right now. I need to blog more. The fact is, life has sorta gotten away from me and it has become, finally, Summer Break. What can I do?  I gotta write. I want to work on my novel. Really, it’s the priority.  And that’s why I’ve not been here, blogging. But today? Today’s special. The Penelope monster is at the PetSmart, having her day at the spa, getting all pretty-like with the wonderful Miss Chelsea.

And the only coffeehouse is his shittyass Joe Mugg’s. I mean, really. Old candy at the counter. Bad coffee.

And no fucking free wifi.

So I can’t even post this shit up until I get home. If I remember. Half the reason I go to coffeehouses and the like is because it gets me away from the distractions that having a life tend to offer, like laundry, letting the dog out, and making lesson plans. I go out? I can actually just sit and focus on what’s important. The writing. And, with my headphones on, I’m pretty much in my own little world. But this place?

What a crock.

Joe Muggs is located with a Books-A-Million. The only bookstore in the north part of this very Southern County. You know the stereotype. That Southerners don’t read at all. Here’s your evidence.

Not a single fucking bookstore for miles. There’s one Barnes and Nobles in the Villiages. Another hour from here. Which means that the corgilou would be stuck at Miss Chelsea’s, whining that no one loves her just a bit longer than most times.

But this Books-A-Million is one of those dank, dark discount bookstores that sells crap moreso than books. Thank Fate for my Nook (which also doesn’t connect to the wifi) and the online world.   So I am worried about working on my book a bit, since I tend to save it on the cloud. But the wifi here? Pay for use. Seriously. Disney World? American Libraries?

FUCKING McDONALD’S….all of them free.

I guess I should run over there, come to think of it. There’s one nearby.

Thanks folks. I’m an idiot.
But there was a point I had whilst I was here.

I’ve been contemplating a lot about some things about Gay Rights and I’ve had a change of some feelings.

I’m discovering that that I’m more moderate than I realized.

1. Check out his display ten yards from my crusty cabaret table.  It’s Dang Duck Dynasty. I posted it about it on facebook.com. It upset me greatly. How many people supported them and their “Freedom of Speech.”  Even my own brother. Yes, a glorious middle finger at his younger brother; a prime example of why I left Colorado many moons ago. Now when Paula Deen make such comments about race? She was vilified and hung out to dry. Freedom of Speech? Nada. But put down the gays? You get a display case in the middle of the store.   Yes, I find it offensive. But that’s my personal issue. You don’t have to take it down. But it will limit what I buy here.

2. Here’s the tic. I posted a reminder on Facebook, that, ahem, I’m a flaming flamer. Gay as tiara on a Tuesday.  Everyone either forgets or doesn’t want to acknowledge this vital part of my existence. Instead, family and friends ran to support those individuals on that “reality” program, regardless of the fact that those individuals put me down and reminded my family and friends that I would rot.  More “Freedom of Speech.”  I learned who my family and friends truly were.

3. Now there’s those laws in Arizona, so that groups can put down the gays and not be followed upon or sued. Interesting. It doesn’t seem to matter that there’s already, written into the constitution about Freedom of Religion. You can fire a hot blonde dude for being gay at your work. He has no rights or recourse. Try firing them because they go to church. You can’t. Not at all. (This was written before the Hobby Lobby quaqmire)

Yet they feel the need to make another law. It stems from the fact some people have refused to serve a gay person’s wedding and they were sued.  In other words, they feel threatened.

How? Has there never been a Christian president? Has there been a huge sweeping of Christian bashing?   Does my mere existence threaten them? No more than any other sinner, I like to think.

TOP DOWN and BOTTOMS UP..

Okay, so let me ponder this puppy a bit more. I guess, the title for this section is meant to be dirty. I means, it is not okay for those above us to discriminate, but we, the peons, should have choices.

Where does that leave those in the middle? I’m not too sure.

I refuse to go to ChicFilA, no matter how much my coworkers love to go there and remind me of my place in the world. So, I elect to discriminate, I guess, on the basis of shitty chicken. And they have the right to do so as well.  But the top means the government. I am to move freely within the confines of the government. And that means the government needs to see me as a person. They should give money to organizations that put me down, no?

Well, they shouldn’t give money at all, frankly, but that’s me.

So? The top, downwards, shouldn’t discriminate.

Those of us on the bottom? We should be able to choose on where we do business.

Isn’t that already happening, however?

I am really at a loss here. I sound so much like a hypocrite and it bothers me to no end. I choose not to buy books here or chicken over there. But they can’t have the same kinds of choices as well? Or should they?
Personally? No. I don’t think they get a choice. But shouldn’t they have one? Again…where the heck are my lawyer buddies. I’d ask my friends, but they’re all on party lines and like to yell and hurt each other feelings, making sure neither will side with the other.

Look at these photos, from right here….I thought I’d take a walk, since my conservative friends and allies do tell me they feel just has persecuted as I do.  That they have no rights to anything. So,when I saw this Duck Dynasty, I figured I’d walk over and take a look around.   How discriminated are they?  Having been discriminated against both with having Jewish parents and being gay, I'm a bit sensitive. I even work with minority students. I see their pain.  I understand it.

I found Bibles. Okay, a popular book. Unrestricted purchasing power to get them. Christian Living. Inspirational Christian books in fiction. In fact, I found four aisles of books.

   

So? I elected to look at the magazines. 28 different Christian magazines.

Impressive.

I went to look a gay and lesbian magazines.

Two. A whopping two.

Now, this isn’t scientific, Dear Readers, I know that. But I think that if a group is going to claim being oppressed, their evidence is lacking.  Media? Sure. Gays are making strides and are on the news nightly. But established institutions, race, religion, gender, are as well, but not in the numbers we would see in, say, like the sixties. And, in that, I’m beginning to wonder, if the “feeling” of oppression is probably more due to mass consumption than realities. My straight friends, I’ve noticed, never get mocked or stared at Disney World and have never been thrown out of some place.

But, I could be missing something. Maybe they were…but was it for wearing a cross?

I guess I did write something. I’m just trying to understand. Like I said, I’m beginning to feel like a hypocrite. I choose not to watch Fox. But does that mean certain companies have the right to not serve me? Like this place does, er, doesn’t?

Just something I’m pondering. I’m far from right on the subject.

Peace,
Roo

Hollywood's Favorites....

Take a look at this list. Know that, too, I've seen every movie on it.

Now, are there any real surprises? Other than the fact that they are all originals-nothing here is a rehash. And there's not many sequels that I see. So? Hollywood is lost in finding new material and the box office drives production.

Assholes. The whole lot of them.

Peace.

Religious Survey....

Heh, Who Knew?

I had to laugh, because the experience typfied my experiences in the South. The set up sounds like a bad joke: A Baptist, a Catholic and a Queer were having lunch...

....but, seriously, the amount they didn't know about religions only equalled the amount of hate they had for Islam. Now, I understand where that was born from, and, well, let's face it, religion runs on making sure you find something to hate and then creating the "cure," but in this case, they had no reason to hate other religions at all.

But, dang, as soon as they put up a Christmas tree, they thought, "You hate that don't you?"

"Not at all, I have two Christmaskkah trees in my house. WHY WOULD YOU EVEN THINK THAT?"

And, for atheists, they're always going to have to argue their point (but most people in the US don't even go to church), so that makes sense they understand all the misinformed out here.

I am not atheist, by the way. Not in any way. But it makes sense. Same with the Jews.

PRAYER MUST BE IN SCHOOLS!

If you're Jewish, there's a reason to be nervous by that sentence.

Just, interesting. Nothing wrong with it. Something to ponder. Given my multifaith background, I had to grow up knowing things from religions I had no intention of going near. But I still would visit various temples to get the good snacks, trust me!  Oh...and faith too. God is too big for one religion and one path.

That I do believe.

Peace!

Stumbled across this on Reddit. It looks sad and depressing-but it isn't. It's joyous. I thought about putting it on my Facebook page but I think the immaturity of some might not be handle it. There's something wonderful here. "Ghetto" is a negative term here, but not there, it just means from a certain lifestyle in Uganda, where this video is from.

Hard to believe this fabulousness is a country that executes gays.

Jimmy Somerville re-records Bronski Beat’s ‘Smalltown Boy’ for 30th anniversary

Ah, the beauty that is music...

A recap of a thirty year old song...and song with a profound impact...

Go ahead, and listen. I'll try to include just the video below, just in case. It's hard to believe this song is thirty years old. I would have been fourteen. Yes. I knew then. I knew. I knew that my feelings didn't match the world around me; everyone kept telling me I was to date girls and make families, but, when I slept, I dreamed of doing the same thing with men. I knew. Even at fourteen, when the hormones swooned and pounded on my temples.

Times, they were different in the 80s. I would have to go to the public library and hide in the stacks to find those books that helped me understand.  And entertainment was abject hell. Every word was negative; and the gay characters usually ended up dead.

We had MTV back then, a time when it still played music. And, since, even then, sleep was a fleeting concept, I would sit up and watch videos. I discovered, interestingly, that Britain actually had a separate "Top 10," and Wham!UK had a cool song on it, called "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go!"

I was mesmerized. I had to see more.

And I would have to learn how to find it.

I was hooked on the British New Wave, a kinda of synthpop that sounded like rock but had electronic backgrounds that gave it a pop-ish hold.

It was only a matter of time before I saw this song. Once. Just once one of those late night television viewings, while my parents were asleep in their room.

I was hooked a song about a man like myself. Falling for another dude and suffering the angst that comes with it. Of being utterly alone. But it also worked on another level. That wonderful falsetto was singing TO ME. He was Out and Proud.

I wasn't alone.

No. There were others.

And now, he obviously, must, understand the importance to that song to the Generation X crowd who are now making waves with marriage equality and equal employment.

We're still not alone. I'm at as much as I can be-so others never feel that unending dread that, one day, they'll be a victim. No. No more. You'll be just as annoying and satisified as the rest of the world. It does, in the end, get better.

Enjoy...here's his newer rendition.

Good music is good music.

And? Here's when he found a busker doing it on the streets and sang along...good going Jimmy!

Peace all, I'll try to write more.

Happy National Coming Out Day!

Enough is enough already. Let's do this!

Peace,
Roo

11. The Media Can Legally Lie – Top 25 of 2005

Here. Right here.

I read this article way back when. At the time, I could really just give a crap. I watched Fox, I didn’t really like CNN, just watched whomever had the better soundbite.

Then I read this.

And realized that the news, as a whole, is a farce. Basically, the article says that Fox News is entertainment and doesn’t have to report anything and can say what they want.

Sure, anyone can. They did it when they sues for fraudulent information. They were, like, “No, we’re just entertainment-so we can be fictional.”

I’ve told several of my friends who are conservative about this. They screamed at me as it was a liberal plot to keep them from getting news.

Maybe? Didn’t look at it that way.

So I elected to just not watch the news, outside of the weather (I do live in Florida, after all) and traffic.

And entertainment. E! News daily is more accurate AND has beautiful people that can make a sentence.  I also listen to my friends, liberal and conservative alike.  NPR has yet to really hurt me; Daily Show and Colbert are always high on my list.

My two cents.

Peace,

Roo

11. The Media Can Legally Lie – Top 25 of 2005

An anti-LGBT Oregon business shuts doors following state’s recent tough stance against discrimination | THE GUERRILLA ANGEL REPORT by Lexie Cannes

I have some thoughts on this, folks, no surprise there. You can hate who you want, but if you’re going to play in the public sandbox, you’re not allowed to discriminate, period. Let’s see how this holds up, shall we?

I’m mean, after this incident, on a lark, several advocacy groups called them as anti-Christian situations to just see if they would serve them. One group of women called them as a bunch of witches, a coven, and they were having a Satanic ritual.

Nope. No problem. They’ll have their cake ready early so that they could have it by sundown.

But not the gays.

I think of the owner of Marriott who is devout in his Christianity but follows anti-discirmination laws to a tee. He’s said his faith is against homosexuality, but that it is a private issue for him and he would never turn away gays and lesbians from his doorstep. In fact, you’ve never seen him make a donation to anti-gay causes. If he does, it must be in secret. But that’s the way it should work. My friend had a devout doctor who even said, “that wouldn’t be professional.”

So? They’ve closed their doors. It’s probably because no one wants to give them business.

Imagine the scenario if they had just made another fucking cake?

Peace,

Bardy

An anti-LGBT Oregon business shuts doors following state’s recent tough stance against discrimination | THE GUERRILLA ANGEL REPORT by Lexie Cannes

Opinion: Sochi Olympics

I have been meaning to write for days about this, and do to a recent spat of the “blues” with the loss of a family member, I find myself home today. I should be at the gym, I normally would be. However, I’m home. Blue. Depressed.

So that’ll tint my opinion today, but this discussion has been going on in my circles recently. It’s reached a national level.

Russia is anti-gay. Like America, the country doesn’t take too kindly to change. They’ve always been this way; we’ve always been this way. It happens that a few people, homophobes tend to be vocal and wealthy. They can use gay rights issues as a firey point to rile the masses and have done so there in Moscow.

It’s sad. Gays being beaten on the streets (like here, as a matter of fact). But, unlike here, we have many avenues to lash back and defend ourselves. The whole thing in Russia, making a law to outlaw “gay propaganda” leaves itself open to interpretation and can be used to police innocent peoples.

Kinda like they used terrorism here in the states.

Ahem. I digress.

But time and again, such laws are used to also distract from dirty dealings and a faulty system.

Again, just like here.

I HATE using Hitler’s Germany as a comparison, but, hear me out. I think of how Hitler hosted the Berlin Olympics. He wanted to showcase his “Master Race.”

Then Jesse Owens won. And Hitler refused to attend the Medal Ceremony.

I don’t think we can change the opinions of a massively homophobic society of another country; we’re having a hard enough time changing it here (again, speaking about how resistant this country is to “change”).  But here’s my take on this situation.

No. Don’t boycott the Olympics.

This doesn’t garner favor with my circles, but here’s the thing, if I may. I lived right next door to the Olympic Training Center. You have no idea how much these people invest in events. Literally sacrificing concepts of “life” that you and I take for granted. They live and breathe one sport all the time. See a movie? Maybe in the twenty minutes between calorie counting, eating, and driving over to the weight room. Chat with friends? Sure, But they have to still get their 7.34 hours of sleep, so make it quick.

I will not take away their reason for living. I cannot do that.

No. Don’t move the Olympics.

Sorry, that city, not the country invested everyone to get these things ready. There is no way another location can be picked.

Fuck the Olympic Committee. They’re assholes.

Yes. I said that. The IOC are a buncha schmucks who think their shit doesn’t stink, frankly. They sued, successfully because they had a shitload of MONEY (yet again), to make the Gay Olympics change their name to the Gay Games. They said it was a copyright infringement.

Asswipes.

They were fine with the Hermit Crab Olympics. They were okay with the Olympics of Yo-Yos.  But those gays? No. Can’t use the name.

So we’re dealing with an already homophobic schmucktards.

They said they’ll support Russia if they arrest anyone, since everyone should respect their home countries laws. So? If Germany is killing Jews, screw that noise, you can’t say anything.

What can we do?

I encourage our American counterparts to do something that is, truly American. Stand up to bullies. I think of the “Black Power” protests during the Mexico Olympics. We should stand by our Americans who are marginalized. We should go over there and just be.

If we get arrested? Watch Americans support Americans. Watch how we’ll howl and escalate the situation and show that this is not appropriate. NBC should report, nightly, how our gay and lesbian Americans are being treated and compare it to Russia’s idiocy. No, don’t cancel the news. Use it like Fox uses it emphasize the conservative side of things. Let media send the message.

McDonalds can still sponsor it, but they should still voice, loudly, “we do not CONDONE this.”

That’s what I think.

Take Russia to task by being vocal.

And then let our borders open to those seeking asylum from Russian tyranny.

Peace,

Roo

Anti-gay law confuses Sochi-bound athletes

MOVIES THAT SCARED THE HECK OUT OF ME

Movie stuff. My favorite crap to write about. As we know, Rahrah and I have been doing these 'lists' for some time now, usually movie related. So? This challenge was:

MOVIES THAT SCARED THE HECK OUT OF ME

Now the rules for this? It didn't necessarily have to be a horror movie. But it couldn't be Glitter or The Room. 

I suppose Birdemic might count.

But it had to be something that moved this audience member towards fear. Again, by no means, does this communicate that move was good or bad. Trust me on that. So? Here's a few titles. I elected not to numerate them this time--so they are all on equal standing.

Movies that scared the hell out of me

Bowling for Columbine/Sicko!--Yes, you get a twofer, right off the bat. Here's the thing about these movies. I hate the news, frankly. I think they are a lead-in to commercials. And, so, they only report on things that keep you interested, or, in the face of Fox, to make you vote a certain way. I tuned out. The internet makes things a bit more interesting, since I can pick and choose my news. But that means I miss things, if I'm not looking directly at the items of concern. Living in Colorado, of course, I knew all about Columbine. But I saw the whole debate about guns for the first time as a clearer picture. 

Now, don't get me wrong. I don't necessarily agree with Mr. Moore. I believe him to be a bit of an extremist. But his movie opened my mind. Wereas he does illustrate the problem of gun violence, he has a weird way of handling it. 

And scared the hell out of me. I had not seen the screaming masses in the name of guns before that point. I mean, I always knew that this was a hot topic, but the ease that people were getting guns and using them was too much. And to look at the United State culture in terms of their love of violence and shunning of anything connected with love, I started to form my opinion.

No, I didn't agree with Mr. Moore. But I also don't agree with everyone else. 

Sicko was the same. Did I mention, both of these movies are comedies? I was shocked of the cases they selected. 

It helped me understand the issues some Americans face. And even if a fraction of what was said was true-then there needs to be a change. 

Silence of the Lambs--I had a blessed college career. I not only managed a movie theater, I was able to write the reviews for the local paper the night before. I was able to watch the movie at midnight and get the review out by morning's printing. It was a rough gig, don't get me wrong, but sometimes the whole experience was glorious. 

South Dakota that year was very, very cold and windy at night. I invited my buddy to watch this little flick I had threaded up and, well, at midnight, we watched this thriller, alone, in a completely empty mall in a completely empty theater.  There was no one around. And when those credits ended and the film fell silent. We were freaked out. 

There were serial killers out there. I had even read the book and I was still freaked out. A good performance is a good performance and Doctor Lector took the perverbial cake. Our jaws went slack. 

These creatures existed. 

And we were scared. I remember getting into my bug to drive back to the dorms and the computer lab and looking into the backseat. 

Do you know how small a bug car is? And we took the energy to check the back seat.

Yes, we were that scared. 

Invasion of the Body Snatchers and their Various Reproductions:  Okay, in the seventies, my babysitter and my brother took me to see this movie's remake, with Donald Sutherland and Leonard Nimoy. They had seen me already reading Stephen King and various nonfiction ghost stories. Surely, I could handle such a movie, right?

Changed my life. If there's something that we learned from Star Trek is that science fiction is the best way to present allegory. With similarities to our own world, we can finally see what it is that shocks us and compels us and makes us do what we will do. 

And it can also show us the worst case scenario. 

What if we invaded by something that looks exactly like us. 

It scared the shit out of me. The way the reeds of the seeds would reach out, touch you, get a sample of your DNA and...puft, replace you. Horrific.

I screamed, but, well, I did watch it all the way to that truly horrific ending.

Disaster Movies:  I'm not sure what it is about these movies. I've become callous, a product of age and experience. There's very little you could show me on the screen these days that'll get me freak out. 

But last night (July 29th), I flipped out. ANd it was no movie. A propane factory exploded and I could see the mushroom clouds and hear the booms repeatedly. 

My brain, trained by a nervous-nelly of an ethnic mother, immediately assumed the worst. The End Times had arrived. I took quick stock of my surroundings and all I needed to escape for the impending evacuation. 

There was no need. But I was half-awake, so give me some Boy-Scout credit here. 

But that feeling is repeated every time I see a disaster movie. Even as recently as the movie 2012, I have elected not to go to any of these kinds of movies any more. There's something emotionally involved. I handled "Twister" okay...but, even then, I have to really get it into my head that they are fake. It's just that, with disaster movies, there's a reality there I appreciate from all my time on Earth. Tornadoes, earthquakes, floods have actually happened. Alien attacks?

No so much.

You saw how I reacted to that explosion. I could not breathe deeply and realize I was safe. Instead, my mother, always assuming the worst, took control and there went my night's sleep.

Poltergeist:  It was the pizza Aunt Pam ordered that did me in. Aunt Kathy had treated me to this horror flick. Well written, smooth as glass, America had received its first, true ghost story. It moved forward to every single trope we would have heard, but presented in such a smart way, we didn't mind and were pleasantly surprised. 

But it was the pizza. It has red sauce. And then I went to Aunt Pam's with Aunt Kathy's right after the movie for dinner. 

She and I sat there and stared. It hit us. We were scared. 

Okay, maybe not scared, but we were grossed out to no end. 

So the movie carried beyond the screen. 

Running With the Devil:  First of two television movies I'm going to mention here. Now, picture this. I'm an adult now and, well, since I've read the full pantheon of Clive Barker titles, I'm pretty good at handling scary things that are hurled at me. As an elementary kid? I didn't ahve the repetiore to fight back 

And was wonderfully traumatized by the experiences my brother hurled at me. I was able to keep my cool, but this movie truly effected me on a new level. If you've never heard of it, it's the tale of a group in an RV that encounter a ritual Satanic ritual they interrupt. They're hunted, they get away, and...

...and, I have to give you a spoiler for this explanation to work. 

They get caught. And the movie ends. 

There's no ending. 

This is the first time, ever I had encounted an open ended tale. It scared the shit out of me more than the ritual that flew into the beginning of this movie. 

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark:    Another television program. And, like the others, it stretched beyond the small four corners of a piece of furniture. We had a small door just like that, leading to a crawlspace beyond the living room. I knew this. When watching this movie, again, as a kid, I saw, suddenly that ANYTHING had the ability to create a decent scare moment. What lies beyond that small door. WHo made that phone call? Where did that email come from? 

Why do people vote for the GOP? 

Stories are born from such moments. In this case, so was horror.

Dawn of the Dead:  I had watched Night of the Living Dead and was creeped out, but the ending was really clear, really obvious and really cut and dried. I was good, like reading a very full novel.  

But then there was a sequel that dragged me further into the zombie quaqmire. Now I was scared. I suppose, in some respects, this is tied to the disaster movie, but the pain is increased by the mere fact are former humans banging at the double doors. Will the doors hold?

Now I am going to go out on a limb here and point out something that is extremely private. But, being queer, I saw that movie and noticed that not only would I be fighting for my life, there wasn't a single other gay person in that environment. The feeling of isolation would have been magnified. 

But also, there's the ability to think fast. I don't think fast. When the biters arrive, I'll die. Or I'll caught dead rescuing my dog. This isn't good at all, I hate to say. 

And the shit got scary.

Peace,

Roo