POLL: REPUBLICANS BACK LIMITS ON CARBON
An AP survey finds half of Republicans back restrictions on carbon pollution, even as GOP lawmakers vow to undo environmental regulations they claim harm the economy.
Well DUH. That ending should read a little different, "... undo environmental regulations they claim harm THEIR CORPORATE MASTERS". Individuals who think that Republican politicians have the voter's interest in mind are delusional. Sure, the party platform makes a big deal about those scary gays, abortion, religious freedom, pledge of allegiance in schools, and whatever hot topic FOX news
and the pollsters say their constituents worry about the most. But in the end the Republican party is all about money, power, and how to get more of both. When was the last time that the entire Republican party got seriously behind any kind of anti-abortion legislation? No, in reality these folks may talk about Christ, but they have a different master, corporations. By touting themselves as the "traditional values" party, the GOP have fooled the electorate into following them like the "sheeple" the working class seem to be. Once the election is won, "traditional values" fly out the window in the interest of the almighty Dollar. Before I get off of my soapbox, I have to say something about the idiot in the Kansas Governor's mansion. Billionaire Koch brothers money just recently bought and paid for a second term of Sam Brownback. Brownback was a U.S. senator for 14 years and a
2008 presidential candidate. He pushed through legislation which cut taxes and spending, eliminated state jobs, denied a higher percentage of applications for welfare, while tightening abortion regulations and easing those pesky gun regulations. He promised that these actions would stimulate economic growth, create jobs and STABILIZE the Kansas budget. But now the state shows a revenue shortfall of more than $300 million. The poverty rate has increased, and the state's economy expanded a total of 2.3 percent over the past two years... less than half the rate of the four surrounding states. On top of all this lovely news, the state's credit rating has been downgraded. Just yesterday the Governor's office responded with how they intend to deal with the problem... by cutting even more public services and... wait for it... rolling that shortfall into 2015. Way to go Gov! OK, I'm off of that soapbox. I will blame waaaay too much coffee and 30 minutes to kill for this abnormally political post.
Casey Kasem, the creator and voice of the long-running radio show "American Top 40" has died... another mentor of a generation of radio jocks who changed the way we listened to music. People ask me why I wanted to go into radio way back when. Perhaps it was the idea of living like Dr. Johnny Fever or any one of the other crazy folks from WKRP in Cinncinatti. But most likely it was deeper than that. Guys like Casey Kasem reached into our everyday lives and taught us so much. The man who taught American kids to count to 40... Backwards.
Every Sunday morning at 10:00 my local station would play the four hour countdown of the most popular hits on American charts that week. "Counting down the hits from coast to coast". Beyond playing the music, he always weaved a bit of a story between the songs. Never was it some tidbit about which musician was sleeping with whom - he was more gentle and classy than that - but more of an informational feeling. I'll never forget the day he taught me (ahem, and of course anyone else listening... but it felt like he was talking to me) about some Police lyrics. In the song "Wrapped Around Your Finger", there is a phrase which was always confusing; 'You consider me the young apprentice, caught between the Scylla and Charybdis'. That sunny Sunday morning Casey explained that was a "fancy-schmancy" way of saying "between a rock and a hard place". Of course he gave me more of the story; something to do with Greeky mythology and a narrow passage of sea if I remember correctly.
I also enjoyed the “long-distance dedications,”, even if it was just to put a smile on my face while hearing this soppy stuff. In this schmaltzy segment Casey would read a tearjerker letter from a sad, lovelorn soul hoping to reconnect with another person far away by dedicating a favorite song. Lovesick stuff generally, but as a former boss of mine would say, "It is certainly shit, but it is good radio shit".
Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/living/star-magazine/article571470.html#storylink=cpy
His distinctive voice, the feeling that he was taking just to us, the smile that came through the microphone... years before I knew what he looked like, in my mind's eye, he was beautiful. He had me at number 40.
Now that I look back I realize that it wasn't so much the music which kept me listening; it was Casey. It was the comforting velvet warmth in his voice, and
genuine interest in the charts and pop music he played which made me a life-long fan.
Radio was better for having known you, Casey. Keep reaching for those stars.
American President Barack Obama has taken an inclusive move forward by releasing a proclamation declaring June to be
lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Pride Month.
I've watched two administrations in the 80's and early 90's which managed to blame us AND ignore us during an epidemic, then in the middle 90's when a supposedly gay-inclusive president signed both Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT), and Defence of Marriage Act (DOMA). On to the 2000's as another administration called for a Constitutional amendment denying human rights for gays.
It is nice to feel that in the White House sits a man who acknowledges and understands our humanity and basic civil rights.
Perhaps I should take a moment to reflect on what has just happened. Consider how unlikely this event would have been even five or ten years ago. It would have seemed like some kind of science fiction theme fifteen or twenty years ago, Gene Roddenberry could have written this.
Look back and consider how much progress we have made over the last few years with the fall of DADT, the steady march of marriage equality, immigration benefits, federal changes in transgender related policy regarding gender marker changes, the striking down of DOMA, as well as the recent rulings around veteran's benefits for same-sex spouses.
Now the so-called Leader of the Free World has taken this step in the most public way possible. He has asserted that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals are full and equal human beings who are worthy of dignity, respect, and the full protection of the law.
Once again
I am very proud of President Barack Obama. I am also incredibly proud of my gay, lesbian
and trans brothers & sisters. So many have stood up and proclaimed
that they won't take second-class citizen status any more, and thankfully people are listening.
Here is his statement in full.
As progress spreads from State to State, as justice is delivered in
the courtroom, and as more of our fellow Americans are treated with
dignity and respect -- our Nation becomes not only more accepting, but
more equal as well. During Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender
(LGBT) Pride Month, we celebrate victories that have affirmed freedom
and fairness, and we recommit ourselves to completing the work that
remains.
Last year, supporters of equality celebrated the Supreme Court's
decision to strike down a key provision of the Defense of Marriage Act, a
ruling which, at long last, gave loving, committed families the respect
and legal protections they deserve. In keeping with this decision, my
Administration is extending family and spousal benefits -- from
immigration benefits to military family benefits -- to legally married
same-sex couples.
My Administration proudly stands alongside all those who fight for LGBT
rights. Here at home, we have strengthened laws against violence toward
LGBT Americans, taken action to prevent bullying and harassment, and
prohibited discrimination in housing and hospitals. Despite this
progress, LGBT workers in too many States can be fired just because of
their sexual orientation or gender identity; I continue to call on the
Congress to correct this injustice by passing the Employment
Non-Discrimination Act. And in the years ahead, we will remain dedicated
to addressing health disparities within the LGBT community by
implementing the Affordable Care Act and the National HIV/AIDS Strategy
-- which focuses on improving care while decreasing HIV transmission
rates among communities most at risk.
Our commitment to advancing equality for the LGBT community extends far
beyond our borders. In many places around the globe, LGBT people face
persecution, arrest, or even state-sponsored execution. This is
unacceptable. The United States calls on every nation to join us in
defending the universal human rights of our LGBT brothers and sisters.
This month, as we mark 45 years since the patrons of the Stonewall Inn
defied an unjust policy and awakened a nascent movement, let us honor
every brave leader who stood up, sat in, and came out, as well as the
allies who supported them along the way. Following their example, let
each of us speak for tolerance, justice, and dignity -- because if
hearts and minds continue to change over time, laws will too.
NOW,
THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America,
by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws
of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2014 as Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. I call upon the people of the
United States to eliminate prejudice everywhere it exists, and to
celebrate the great diversity of the American people.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day of
May, in the year of our Lord two thousand fourteen, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
thirty-eighth.
BARACK OBAMA
Want to read a bit of my "Why I came to Berlin" story? Here is a blogpost which has most of the 411.
It is not actually in my nature to hate people. In general I try to find at least one redeeming quality about a person, and hang on to that. But a huge exception in my life has been hate monger Fred Phelps and his freaky lawyer family.
Recently Fred's estranged son has let the word out that his father is on his deathbed and has been recently excommunicated from the family church. Such lovely news which has stirred some interesting thoughts in my head of late... mainly how I will celebrate his being wiped from the earth. Hate isn’t always simply an emotion or some abstract state of mind. In my reckoning, hate even has an address. In this
case, it resides at 3701 SW12th Street in Topeka, Kansas, where it
lives with the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) community and its leader,
the Reverend Fred Phelps
who, along with his (mostly family) congregation, has made headlines around the
world for hostile public declarations and incendiary protests against
people and causes he considers to be sinful in the eyes of God.
These people have tried my patience in the name of abusing free speech since the late 80's. He first came into my world as he picketed the funerals of friends of mine who were victims of AIDS. His scary group is from Topeka, Kansas and I was living in Wichita, just two hours away... So I was an early witness to his special brand of ape shit crazy. In the late 80's and early 90's the gay men who had been smart enough to leave Wichita for gayer pastures were coming home to die. Unknowingly they were the first warriors in the AIDS Crisis. After coming back to the homeland with this terrible disease which no one seemed to understand - and Ronnie Regan wouldn't even acknowledge - many of them were shunned by their families and the local hospice care wouldn't even take them in. A group attached to one of the local gay churches started a hospice house and I volunteered. I answered phones, brought food, and gave general assistance to the medical staff who would come by periodically. These men were dropping like flies, with most of the scant research money available going to finding easier ways to diagnose and prevent the disease rather than treat it, a diagnosis of HIV-AIDS was a quick death sentence. Many didn't last more than six months after diagnosis. I went to more funerals than I care to talk about. Sweet young men taken out in the prime of their lives... and then there was the Phelps clan to remind me again of how many people actually hated us just for being ourselves. During
those times I took my own vengeance in small ways, some of them we won't
talk about here. One moment of inspirational genius came to me in the
back pages of the local gay and lesbian magazine. Free samples of mfm
porn sent to your home! ;) I even went to the library to
get their address (this was a long time before the Internet, kiddies). The irony of the Phelps compound's postal
code starting with 666 was not lost on me.
In those days it was just the gays... Gage City Park in Topeka had been known as a place for gays and lesbians to be together outside of the bars - OK, and some cruising, of course. Phelps and his 13 kids had been picketing that park for years. This hit me personally. When I was underage, I would spend a lot of time hanging out in Wichita's "gay park". It was one place that my friends and I could just be ourselves. I remember very well reading about the picketing in Gage Park and thinking that if the Phelps brand of crazy came near my Oak Park, I could not be responsible for my actions.
But of course they didn't really receive media attention until their protests at Matthew Shepard's funeral. Matthew was the homosexual college student from Laramie, Wyoming who was tortured, beaten and left for dead on a fenceline in rural Wyoming. His death sparked local and national hate crime legislation, but it also brought the Phelps family into the spotlight as the Phelps children picketed Matthew's funeral next to adults holding signs which proclaimed "Thank GOD for AIDS" and other lovely epitaths. Since that time they've become infamous for their special brand of crazy protests. Saying that America is doomed, that the wars are GOD's wrath for America's increased acceptance of homosexuals, picketing the funerals of anyone who seems to support gay rights, and yes, even the Jewish community is a target for these silly assholes.
One must remember that all of this seems to have been simply a business to Fred and his family of lawyers and paralegals who
used their pretend family church of hate to sue anyone who obstructed
their right to free speech. They twisted the law to their own financial
benefit in more ways than can be counted. They were the thorn in the side of the legal world in Topeka and Kansas, spreading into the federal realm as well. It seemed that their modus operandi was to sue a person or a company in the hopes that they would just settle... and many did. Although he was eventually disbarred from the legal profession, he caused lots of trouble along the way. Fred even sued a local legal university insisting that it admit his children so that they could study law... on the basis that they were a minority because of his civil rights movement. They sued Sears for $50,000 because of a late TV delivery (they lost). They sued a court reporter who they insisted came late with an important document. Religion and Christianity had nothing to do with their lawsuit
business, it was just a way to finance their own brand of hate. A FABULOUS moment for the gays was when a house across the street from the WBC compound was taken over and painted with rainbow colors... The Equality House was born. Ah... a constant rainbow presense in their lives, I hope they enjoy it. I've had to evaluate how I feel about all of this. Since the story has broken about him being on his death bed I've had mixed emotions. The first one was to picket his damn funeral and dance with gay glee on his grave. OK, so that probably won't happen. I understand that I certainly wouldn't be alone. Think about it, how sad is your life when hordes of people are celebrating your impending death? My next thought is that I hope he rots in hell. Funny statement from an Atheist. But if there really is a God and a heaven and hell, I hope this guy gets everything which is coming to him. If NOTHING else, that whole "taking the Lord's name in vain" stuff should get him in hot water. In the end what do I really feel? Relief. Soon this appaling excuse for a man will be in the ground. Also hope that his legacy will simply wither away to nothing now that the figurehead of the family is gone. Something else niggling around in my head is the interesting side note that Fred Phelps was excommunicated from his own church in August of 2013, moved into a different house and placed on a suicide watch. Right now I am wondering why. What could he have done to get kicked out? Maybe in the end he finally admitted that the base of his disgusting homophobia is rooted deeply in his own homosexual feelings. NKP - Never Know Peace Fred Phelps. I hope your hate dies with you. I know that I will breathe easier knowing that you no longer walk this same earth. Edit 20 March, 2014
Phelps has died. While it pains me to say it, I am happy that this sad little man who has spread hate in so many ways... is worm food. My prediction; the family he leaves behind which has been steeped in hate, will turn on each other. The "church" will change direction. They will go another way in order to remain tax free and continue to use the law to their benefit. His daughter who was the most vocal other than Fred, has already been pushed aside and several male members have taken over. Hopefully they decide to stop spreading their hate so widely and just turn everything within and let it stay there. NKP Fred Phelps.
As a way of celebrating Valentine's Day, fellow expat Courtney Tenz interviewed the celebrated Honourable Husband and myself along with several other sources. She then put together a very enjoyable article as a way to expose our "love exile" plight to a wider audience.
I think it is quite informative, and explains very simply why I am living in Germany and not in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave, (you know, where all men are created equal). Why no, of course I'm not bitter.
Recently I read an article which frustrated me on so MANY levels.
Backstory:
In January of 2011 a federal requirement went into effect which among other things allowed hospital visitation rights to same sex couples in the United States and the option to decide who can make medical decisions on their behalf in case of incapacitation.
The enforcement of this requirement has finally given same sex couples the legal rights which opposite sex couples have taken for granted all along.
"Uniquely affected are gay and lesbian Americans who are often barred
from the bedsides of the partners with whom they may have spent decades
of their lives—unable to be there for the person they love, and unable
to act as a legal surrogate if their partner is incapacitated." - President Barack Obama
The article which frustrated me so completely reported that U.S. Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney's camp is now asserting that hospital visitation of a loved one is a "benefit" and not a right. A benefit which he would happily erase or allow individual states to withdraw if his bid for the White House is successful.
Romney has once again displayed a lack of basic human empathy by asserting that if he were to win the office he would rescind the few basic human rights which gays and lesbians have managed to obtain in the last few years. Plus he has offered to legislate hate into the US Constitution by pledging to Ralph Reed’s Faith and Freedom Coalition that he would “propose and promote” a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage in the U.S. if he were to become President.
Romney's own wife has had a horrific medical history. In the late 90's she was diagnosed with MS and more recently survived a battle with breast cancer. I wonder how Mitt "I didn't know you had families" Romney would feel if a nurse who is "only enforcing the rules" would forbid him to be in the room while his wife or child was lying prone and vulnerable in a hospital bed, needing the comfort of their chosen support system?
What kind of appaling society would require a hospital to withhold the care and devotion of a loved one?
How could someone actually rationalise the invalidation of such a basic human need? To be allowed to die with dignity with the ones their loved ones should not even be questioned.
This for me is not a rebublican versus democrat thing... this is a basic human right thing, a human decency thing. On top of all this, I for one am sick and tired of my life being used as a political talking point.
Last Tuesday The Boy Scouts of America decided to uphold a previous policy to exclude openly gay individuals (young and old) from becoming scouts and/or leaders. News story.
It is a "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" situation. So there will be no routing out of the gays... or at least that is what has been reported.
Being a homosexual, most people would assume that I would be incensed by this. But you know what? I'm really not. I don't see how an organization that wishes to decide who it has as members is so bad. It is an organization. Their party. They get to invite who they want. Just like not allowing Jews in the Country Club... their loss.
I really don't wish for anyone to insist that we allow anti-gay right-wing Christian Fundamentalists into gay groups. Why should I care about who they allow into theirs? (and no, I'm not calling the BSA right-wing Christian Fundamentalists... just an example... although, if the shoe fits...)
Do I like the basis of their distrust of gay men? No. I suppose that deep in the backs of their filthy little minds they are assuming that every gay man has a secret desire to pop a Boy Scout. This would of course not be a good thing. But if I'm not mistaken, the great majority of pedophiles are actually straight men, leading a straight life.
Note that the Girl Scouts of the USA has no such rules. They allow boys and even transgenders within their ranks... leaders and scouts. Perhaps they have more effectively espoused the idea of being a good Samaritan and standing up for others.
Then there is always the possibility that little Johnny Eagle Scout would like to teach his fellow scouts a few extra tricks, because you see the BSA is suggesting that a gay scout would be a bad thing too. Quite possibly so. But then my entire family was quite active in the Scouts. And Gentle Reader, I can tell you that in a darkened tent, the kid on kid non-sexual tricks have the possibility to be just as (or indeed more) damaging than a circle jerk or whatever else could happen.
In the end I'm pretty ambivalent, simply not caring about the situation as much as the majority of my queer brothers and sisters. In fact, just like the American military, I assume it is only a matter of time before a change. It is a club, let them have their rules.
It would however be nice to have a Gay Scouts of America as mentioned in the article comments... I just don't see it happening any time soon.
(edit) And the next day I ran across this: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/20/opinion/scoutings-gay-founder.html Speculation that the founder of the Boy Scouts was indeed gay himself.
President Obama hands Frank Kameny
the pen which he used to sign a
presidential memorandum
extending benefits to same-sex partners
of federal employees.
One of the first strategists in the gay rights movement in America, Frank Kameney (86), died yesterday.
I first learned of Mr. Kameny while watching "Before Stonewall", a documentary about the pioneers of the Gay Movement before the 1969 Stonewall Inn Riots on Christopher Street in New York City. Since then I have seen his name pop up again and again in the fight for basic civil rights in America.
He worked tirelessly to increase the acceptance of gay men
and lesbians in mainstream American society and to gain homosexual equality through the legal system.
Mr. Kameny, a Harvard PhD lost his federal government job as an astronomer with the U.S. Army Map Service in 1957 because of his homosexuality.
After being let go he led a tireless fight for gay and lesbian rights. He and a friend began the Mattachine Society of Washington, and in 1965 Kameny and his group were the first ever to picket the White House and the Pentagon in the name of gay rights.
This was of course years before a true gay rights movement existed in any recognizable form. It was also a time in which being an open homosexual could be seen as an invitation for getting the shit beat out of you. He instructed his picketers to wear appropriate business attire including suits and ties in order to not draw attention to themselves in a negative way.
It was his assertion that gays and lesbians should not accept the stigma of being sick because of their homosexuality and subsequently organized a drive which eventually caused the American Psychiatric Association to declassify
homosexuality as a mental illness.
He lived to see not only benefits extended to same-sex partners of federal employees, but also the end to Don't Ask Don't Tell, allowing gays and lesbians to openly serve in the military.
There is a street in Washington D.C. which has been named for this hero of the gay movement, documents and papers of his were part of an exhibition on civil rights at the Library of Congress, and his picket signs from 1965 are now in the Smithsonian Institution.
I call on Congress to come up with a Frank Kameny bill which would finally offer basic civil rights protection for America's LGBT citizens. What a fitting tribute to the work of a man who coined the phrase, Gay is Good.
"Not only are the government's present policies on homosexuality
irrational in themselves, but they are unreasonable in that they are
grossly inconsistent with the fundamental precepts upon which this
government is based...we may commence with the Declaration of
Independence, and its affirmation , as an "inalienable right" that of
the "pursuit of happiness". Surely a most fundamental,
unobjectionable, and unexceptionable element in human happiness is the
right to bestow affection upon and to receive affection from whom one
wishes. Yet, upon pain of severe penalty, the government itself would
abridge this right for the homosexual"
-From Kameny's Petition for a Writ of Certiorari to the United States Supreme Court, January, 1961
Today I received an email from Democrats Abroad (the overseas branch of the US Democratic Party). In it was a warning that discussed how the consulate services would change for people wanting to bring foreign family with them when they move back to the U.S.
In that letter was a simple text which caught my eye, "We have a long-standing commitment as Democrats Abroad to simplifying the path to citizenship and legal permanent residency for non-American spouses and close family members".
Uh huh... and gay and lesbian spouses?
Whiskey-Tango-Foxtrot?
I did a little Googling and found not so much as a
news piece on how DA is supporting legislation in the House and Senate right now... the Uniting American Families Act of 2011.
OK, so I don't regularly pump money into the DA, but I do support them occasionally. Upon reading this email, I am struck by the notion of "What have you done for me lately, DA?"
I'll give DA a break because actually there are relatively few people/organizations who care about my plight. But before I delve deeper into my special situation, perhaps you should know more about it. Let's go to bullets, shall we?
Fell in love with a German girl in 2000
She came to visit me in the States often in 2001 and 2002, I also visited her in Berlin during these years
Tried to legally have her move to America starting in 2003 with a student visa (no other legal methods available - university is free or cheap in Germany, but we are willing to pay for the education if it means we can be together).
Based on the fact that she had entered the country six times in the past two years she was considered a "risk of overstay" and denied a student visa which also cancels her out of the visa waiver program forever... she can't come to America for at least year because of this denial.
Shortly after the denial she pays more money for the privilege to go to the Consulate - armed with proof that she intends to return to Germany - to appeal the denial of both the student visa and the visa waiver program.
She met with the same woman who had denied the original request... you guessed it, denied once again. (K**** ******, if Sweet No ever sees you on the street, she won't be such a Sweet No anymore.)
On the other side of the Atlantic, I tried Lambda Legal Defense who told me that if either she or I had a penis, this would all be really easy... but gays can't petition to bring their future spouses to America... Sorry Snooker.
Found out that the states which have recently been allowing gay marriage have nothing to do with our situation. Immigration is at the Federal level, and thanks to the Defence of Marriage Act, (DOMA) the feds (and the other states) don't have to recognize any homosexual marriage performed in those states, not to mention other countries. Sorry again, Snooker.
Tried a shyster immigration lawyer who was happy to take my money and petition "da gubermint" for us, but to no avail.
Sweet No goes back to the American Consulate in Berlin after her year banishment from travel to America and meets up with a nice guy who seems to sense her desperation and takes pity on her, issuing her a 10 year "B1/B2 visa", allowing her to travel to the States again, and with much more lenient travel restrictions (maximum length of stay 6 months instead of the normal 3 months).
Happy Dance... but still, it doesn't REALLY keep us together.
Sweet No wants to work and be a contributing member of society, just coming in for VISITS is simply frustrating. Of course entering and overstaying illegally are not even up for consideration.
In 2004 I got sick and tired of watching my girl walking to airport security through the tears in my eyes and decided to move to Germany to be with her. FuckYouWashington
Sold everything, gave up my career, said goodbye to friends and family in preparation to leave.
2005 the cat and I leave the "Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave" to be in Germany which accepts my love of a woman. Germany also allows me to have a "separate, but equal" civil partnership with Sweet No. Immigration is pretty much the only benefit of the Lebenspartnerschaft, but it was a good thing in our case. (Thankfully the Greens keep making another go of equalizing this situation in Germany, maybe some day they will get lucky.)
January of 2005 we signed our civil partnership and had our - yes, we share a birthday - birthday on that same day. Great birthday present, no?
Because of her special visa we are rather lucky, she isn't under suspicion as are many others in our situation. If foreign same-sex spouses come to the United States accompanying a U.S. citizen, (even for a short visit of the U.S. citizen's family), U.S. Immigration might deny visa privileges to the spouse out of fear that they will be tempted to overstay their visa dates to remain in the country with their spouse (perhaps even challenging the anti-gay marriage laws as we are LEGALLY partnered in another country). Thus, gays and lesbians (especially politically active ones) have been known to be turned away at the gates.
Wish us luck, that visa expires in just a few years. (update, she was given the same visa again, so no problems there)
In the end I had to face lots of the same problems as other "love exiles". I had to give up my career and move far away from my family. This is being felt even more now that my Mother is dealing with declining health and I would like to be there for her. But as it is, if I need to be in the U.S. for a longer period of time, I have to choose between being with my wife or being with my American family. It's really rather unfair, and it makes me into a second-class citizen... one who STILL needs to pay American taxes even though I don't live in the country.
So where are you going with this, Snooker?
I really don't know. It is just that something has been awakening in me lately.
Political cartoon by Darrin Bell
Those who came before helped to blaze the trail for me and others like me to be openly gay, often at great personal sacrifice to themselves. Those pissed off queens turning the tables on police during a scam raid on the Stonewall Inn in the late '60's and starting the "Gay Revolution" are a fine example.
Barbara Gittings and her friends stood up and said that they wouldn't take being considered second class citizens - and worse yet, mentally unstable - during the '60's (which lead The American Psychiatric Association to officially declassify homosexuality as a mental illness in 1974 - but it wasn't until 1992 that the World Health Organisation followed suit). The good people of GLAAD and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force have done so much to further the cause. And who could forget Harvey Milk and the work he did for the community before being gunned down himself.
So what are you doing, Snooker? is a question I often ask myself. Yeah, I'm living pretty well, but only because I ran. I am part of a US binational same-sex couple who had the money and ability to simply move away from the situation and now the whole anti-gay thing doesn't have so much of a grip on me.
This has reminded me of a book I have recently seen advertised, "Torn Apart - United by Love, Divided by Law" by Judy Rickard. Perhaps I should just order it now, proceeds go to organizations working to overcome U.S. immigration denial for same-sex binational couples. (tick, tock... time passes... cue shot to a clock with moving pendulum) OK, the Internet has worked its magic. The book is probably whizzing my way right now. It was even available at Amazon.de.
But what about the others? What about those folks left behind who would like to have the same rights as the supposed "normal" people in our society? What about those kids right now who are counting on my generation to do our part to further gay civil rights to benefit their generation? UGH, that is a terrible weight to bear. But I say here and now that I will do more towards this goal. I DO still have a vote in American politics (my wallet feels it, even if I sometimes don't), I DO still have a voice in what happens. Perhaps I just need to raise that voice a bit more often.
This years' Halloween was different in Berlin for some reason. I think the Germans are catching on to this thing.
First off I was invited to a real, grownup Halloween party thrown by non-Americans. Yup, they even had Halloween themed foods and the Eyeball Punch had the most potent eyeballs I've ever tasted.
The invitation said that partiers should show up as a dead person. Marie Antoinette was there as well as some characters out of books with the majority being real-life people. Eva and Adolf even made an appearance, surprisingly. The mix was good.
Like other costume parties of my past the people showed their creativity and ingenuity. The Phantom of the Opera folks were great. There were a few folks who just looked ghoulish with white face paint and blackened eyes, but at least they were working it, and if asked they always had a story about who they were supposed to be.
What I didn't see was the most annoying trend which was getting so big when I left the States. There were no girls at the party which had taken the opportunity of a costume party to dress as skankily as possible. No, there were no "slutty girl costumes" in evidence.
Amongst the ladies there was not one single set of kitty or bunny ears placed just so within the hairline, no push up bras to unnaturally accentuate cleavage, and definitely no leotard-looking things with cotton-tail bunny butt.
I must say that it was refreshing.
The only people I saw dressed like this were the group of 9 American kids in the subway. They were of course the loudest and drunkest group around. The girls were all dressed in the "skanky costume", and the guys were all showing their lack of imagination as well with the standard wool cap with the attached stick looking like it has gone through the head... oh, but let's put some fake blood trickling down the face and onto my shirt... that will make it look better.
Also different this year was an even bigger street presense of the kiddies in search of candy. Seven o'clock last night we were witness to about four groups of roving kiddies going from building to building in our neighborhood. As we were driving around the city, we also saw a few more groups. Wow, I don't think I've EVER seen that before.
I know they're a long way from having a costume day at school, but things are moving closer into that direction. Let's just hope they can avoid what has become obligatory in America... the Slutty Girl Costume.
I'm lovin' Maddow. In fact, after watching this video I'm feeling a little girl crush. The video below hits me right in the heart. I am just like Rachel, I would really like to see these things officially said.
It brings tears to my eyes when I see the images of the dead and dying ocean creatures; so I will spare you that. But this National Geographic site is well worth a visit to learn a bit about what animals/fish are most likely to be impacted, and this site will show options for what the average person can do to help.
Perhaps getting 50,000 volunteers into the areas in danger to witness that carnage would be a catalyst for change...
My recent overnight stay in your older but generally uninteresting Terminal 2 due to a canceled red eye flight was not really the highlight of my trip, but it did certainly put an unusual cap on what had turned out to be a rather unpredictable excursion overseas.
Being part of a group of people who have just had their lives changed by those silly words, "Flight Canceled" is not always a nice experience, but at Sky Harbor, at least it wasn't sooo horrific. It must be said that at least the place is kept clean. Since I was not allowed to stay in the gate area, I was witness to the cleaning crews as they waged war on dust particles all along the "lobby". As I loitered in what must be the world's most uncomfortable seats I was treated to one woman "training" two others how to clean. Not really a lot of fun, but was very entertaining since none of the three had a common language.
I've been using Sky Harbor Airport since the mid 80's when jetways were a luxury and disembarking customers were shuttled down steps onto the slightly mushy tarmac which had been subjected to the heat of both jet engines as well as the wilting temps of the Phoenix desert weather.
Perhaps I should let it be known that I think the name Sky Harbor is fantastic. It is a harbor for things which fly through the sky. How simple, how eloquent, how lovely.
Also, the airport's fantastic location in relation to where my Mother lives has made visiting her oh so very simple. My Mother and brother live 10 and 15 minutes away respectively, how great is that? I can pretty much call my brother right after touch down and know that he will be waiting for me outside after I pick up my luggage.
IF they didn't live so close, there are great options such as the "Cell Phone Waiting Lot" system which is pure genius! How smart is that? Call your source of transportation as you see your bag pop out of the baggage claim, and BOOM, they drive directly out of the special lot to your pick up point!
May I just discuss another point of genius? Free Wi-Fi everywhere in the airport! How freaking fantastic is this? Flight canceled? Crank up that computer and see what else is available. Bored while waiting for your flight? Play some online video games, catch up on a little work, or simply research your next vacation.
Need to get a message to a passenger coming into Sky Harbor? You can either do this through the Internet, onsite at a special terminal, or by phone. At the baggage claim and at other areas throughout the terminal there are huge signs with PAL (Paging Assistance Location) displaying personal messages such as; "Bill and Judy, we'll be on the north side exit waiting for you at door number 5". Wow!
Years ago I had a proposal of marriage in one of PHX's terminals but perhaps the PAL system would have been better for this. The girl I was dating had been thinking for some time about popping the question to me. We were going to be in the same terminal of PHX within about 12 hours of each other. She called me and told me to visit the ladies restroom closest to blah blah (I say blah blah because I have long since forgotten the details) gate. Then I was to go into a particular stall and get my message. As I had suspected she was asking me again in a new and different way if I would marry her. No, I didn't take her up on it and later when we met again in Wichita I turned her down again. Moral of the story, never accept a proposal of marriage made in a toilet or from someone who would think that location was cool/romantic.
Then there was the Box Knife Incident. It was fall of 2002 and I was to catch a flight in Terminal 4. I went through security to my gate only to find it was still deserted because I was there so very early. Already seated there and looking bored was a woman who checked me out surreptitiously when I came to sit down. As I neared my chosen area I saw a box knife simply lying discarded on one of the seats. This was much like the weapons supposedly used by the terrorists on 9/11.
I approached it while visions danced through my head of the security detail I had just gone through to get to this supposedly "secure" area of the airport. Once again I met the eyes of the only other passenger in the waiting area. As I looked from her back to the box cutter I got the idea that she had already noticed what I had found and was also unwilling to touch it.
Eventually we talked about it and I told her that I would like to take the potential weapon of mass destruction to the check in desk, but that I would like her to confirm to anyone with further questions that it was sitting there before I had even made it to the area. She concurred and we talked for a minute or two about how that thing could have gotten past security and why on earth someone had abandoned it there. Soon I got up and carried it very cautiously (you know, by the edges to keep from smudging any possible fingerprints - have I watched too many cop shows or what?) over to the desk with three airline employees.
The airline representative took one look at what for me was a dangerous object and simply grabbed it out of my hand (not caring about any fingerprints, let me tell you) and threw it in the trash can at her feet. I nervously told her that it was not mine, that I had found it on a seat in the waiting area opposite, and that I was worried about it. She dismissively told me that I had done the right thing and that now it was safe. WTF? It was safe? In her trash can? To this day I often wonder if that was some kind of test.
Through the years I've been in and out of this airport MANY times. So many times that I know which side of the plane to sit on to get the best view of "A Mountain", and what time of day is best to see shadows on the ridges of the local physical geography. Want any of that goofy information? Simply ask.
OK, enough of airports... let's get a look at a frustrated kitty. Oh, you have to watch through to the end. ;)
I am in the last few hours of a visit to the U.S. (Phoenix specifically). In the last week I've run into so many little things which are sorely missed as I live out my daily life in Berlin. Being a fat kid... yup, it's just the way it is... a good percentage of those things which are sorely missed just happen to be food. Yes, that is Taco Bell. If you were able to actually read the "hot sauce" package you would see, "Ahh, we meet again". How true is that? Love it! After I make a "Run for the Border" and come back to the States, it isn't long before I'm downing a Burrito Supreme. Add to that crab legs and tonight's prime rib... and a person could get the idea that I just come back to the States for the food.
Oh well, soon I'll be back in my beloved Berlin meeting up with my good friend, Fresh-Baked Pumpkinseed Roll!
So what is it? What would you have trouble living without if you left your home?
So are you a Yank or does Dixie blood run through your veins? Perhaps you are an expatriate from the U.S. and you're like me... been away so long these lines are not so clear.
Maybe the American readers would take 3 minutes and visit the Yankee/Rebel site for a short quiz. Answer from your gut, the first relation you have.
As a person who is living outside of my native tongue I am frequently assaulted with the incredible differences we have in language usage. This little test just highlighted that I am a product of a great mixture of such "slang".
Personally I am 38% Dixie. I may have been raised by a Missouri Irish woman, but I guess that didn't sink in. You should see my answers though... ALL over the place.
Please if ya'all take the time to do the test, I would love to read a bit the results in the comments. (note that I threw in the ONE word which got me some points for being from the south).
Eight years later ... and still I cry. On this day it doesn't matter to me WHO did it, WHY or HOW... What matters to me are the senseless deaths of that day, and the deaths of so many innocents since that day.
Been reading:
9/11 as a Lesson, Not a Memory - Where were you when the world stood still? The first set of kids who must be taught about 9/11 are in our schools. What do you teach them? How can we explain to them the pain we felt?
Living in Germany has given me a new-found perspective on the whole socialism angle. Like most Americans I was brought up to believe that it was evil and would lead to the downfall of any economy leaning on socialism's tenuous tinderbox base. But a few years in a country which is not only living well under a modified form of socialism, but also thriving has opened my eyes.
Right now America is in the throes of trying to fix its fractured health care system. One thing for certain, no matter what is done, it is going to be painful for some. It is going to be painful for the taxpayers (at least at first). It is going to be painful for the elected officials who must decide what is right. And it is going to hurt doctors in the pocketbook. But trust me on this. It is NOT going to be painful for the insurance and pharmaceutical companies. No, they are now pumping so much lobbying money into our Congressmen's pockets in order to maintain their own interests, that sincerely I doubt if anything changes at all unless it is advantageous for the insurance and pharma industries.
I would like to take just a moment to point out a blogger friend's series on Universal Health care in Germany and the differences between here and America. I know that it will involve reading, but I suspect that it is information which every American should know while trying to make an informed decision.
Here is just an excerpt:
How do health statistics compare between Germany and the US?
Think about this folks: America has the 37th worst quality of health care in the developed world. And the most costly. Costing over twice as much as every other county. Conservative estimates are that over 120,000 people die each year in America from treatable illness that people in other developed countries don't die from. Rich, middle class, and poor alike. Insured and uninsured. Men, women, children, and babies. This is what being 37th in quality of health care means.
Personally I have two brothers who are as of right now uninsured. One is "underemployed" one is self-employed, and both are unwilling (read unable) to fork out the extra dough required for personal insurance. It scares me to think about it, but if something serious happened to either one of them, it could mean foreclosure on their houses. I myself rode the no-insurance wheel in America for a long time when I was either in between jobs or was only working part time.
What else should you do to make an informed decision before following the herd...? Read! Here is HR 3200, in its entirety.
I think I will write out my own experiences with German health care, but I'm afraid that will have to wait for a day or two. But if you didn't visit the links above, please do reconsider.
So let's start with a little Foto Madness! This shot was taken outside of a cute little store in Heidelberg. My GOSH they had some adorable, highly colored trinkets and playthings. But standing guard at the (closed, yes it was Sunday in Germany) door were these two delightful guys.
Normally I would call this a Funny Foto Freitag, something I got from 50% of My DNA, but my friendly neighborhood science teacher is MIA. She's disappeared folks! I'm sure she's off having a great time (read, A LIFE) and will return soon. So I'll play her little game without her for a while.
Sweet No and I spent last weekend in Heidelberg checking out the sights, marveling at the 800 year old castle, enjoying the charming old part of the city, and among others, met up with the sweet, charming Heidelbergerin and her tall (remember, I'm horribly short... lots of people are TALL) and funny Heidelberger-man.
When No and I were talking about a visit to Heidelberg she started joking and saying that now I would be a true American in Germany, because it seems that ALL Americans want to visit Heidelberg. She couldn't explain the phenomena, just said that it is the common stereotype. Often when Germans are traveling they will run across an American who upon learning they are speaking with a German will be ask if the German is from Heidelberg or has been to the city. No matter the answer, the American usually goes off into a "my father was there in the Cold War, my brother visited in the 60's, my Grandfather said it was the most beautiful city in Europe" kind of thing.
Why is this? I'm not really sure. Perhaps the relation is from the Cold War. My father WAS stationed NEAR Heidelberg (along with a good percentage of the U.S. Army in that time period - even Elvis was here) and brought back reels and reels of slides from the area. Every time we had visitors, my Dad would bring out the slides for a show. He had many pictures of Heidelberg and the surrounding area, but he had taken the opportunity to get around, so there were pictures from Belgium, France, many locations in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and I believe at least a few from Italy.
But does this off-hand correlation with Heidelberg really justify that well over 50% of the tourists I saw (and heard) were American? I have no idea how this could work out. Maybe it is because Heidelberg is one of the few German cities which were spared the highly destructive carpet bombings meant to bring Germany to its knees and end WWII. Maybe it is the 800 year old ruin castle? Perhaps they come in droves to see Germany's longest pedestrian shopping area? YES, a HUGE outdoor mall, complete with Starbucks and other strange choices to be seen in such an old environment. Now THAT sounds like something which would interest my countrymen!
I kid you not, every few steps while walking along the main thoroughfare I was assaulted by English. I say assaulted because after being surrounded by German (and at work French, Spanish and Italian) my ears act like a strange English antennae and almost jump up when my native tongue is within earshot. At the office I know that people are speaking to me when they begin speaking English thus when I hear English, I assume that the person is wanting to speak with me. I've talked about this weird phenomenon before in a long ago blog entry titled Sensory Overload which is exactly what it feels like to me.
How could I not listen to the couple sitting behind us at the restaurant as they discuss what they will do/see next? Is it really possible to blank out the noise of a passing pedestrian as he asks the woman beside him if she "would you qualify that as a manufacturing problem or a design problem"? In one word... No. It is impossible for me to tune them out. It is the same thing I deal with every time I visit America or any English-speaking country. It is HARD, so HARD to deal with the language all around me.
While walking among the white sport shoed folks (stereotypical American footwear makes them stand out every time) I took the time to eat some local fare. In this case it was Saumagen or "stomach of the female pig". It turned out to be alright, tasting like most any of the sliced deli meats widely available in the US, just sliced more thickly and pan-fried. I tasted potatoes and celery in this interesting reminder that the Germans use EVERY part of the pig in cuisine. The Saumagen came with Sauerkraut and Kartoffelpüree (mashed potatoes) of course, both were also quite nice and rounded out the meal very nicely.
At the suggestion of the before-mentioned Heidelbergerin, we avoided Vetter'srestaurant food and went straight to the beer. It seemed like every third person was walking around with the easily-spotted brown bottle and enjoying it highly, so we decided it was the thing to do when in Heidelberg... OH MY... we were right! We walked in and asked for a dark beer and came out with a FANTASTIC dark, sweet, thick malt beer which went down smoothly as we sat on the riverbank opposite the old town and watched the sunset/moonrise.
A friend of mine told me that Heidelberg is very romantic, and now I believe him. It seemed that the best times we had were on the "other" side of the river, taking in the quiet beauty of the incredibly picturesque villiage of the old town. There were so many opportunities for simply enjoying each other's company which in our hustle and bustle world just get left behind. We really enjoyed our time by the Neckar river, on both sides.
Been reading:
Former Blackwater CEO Erik Prince - Now the dirty stuff is going to come out about Blackwater (now renamed Xe). I wonder why you would change the name of a successful company? Is it because the other one was kicked OUT of Iraq BY the Iraqis?
Churning Ocean Waters, One Jellyfish at a Time - This is a really wild theory, but I can see where it originates from and it makes sense in a way. The first thing I thought while reading this is that this is just another species that once extinct or severely reduced in number due to environmental stupidity on the part of humans that will have a HUGE and unforeseen impact on the Earth.
Don't trust Obama on gay marriage - I believe the author has hit the issue on the head. Obama will sell out the gays and lesbians in a heartbeat if it is politically advantageous for him to do it. Clinton did it first of course, but he did it best... DOMA and Don't Ask, Don't Tell hurt gays and lesbian rights in ways that we are just now fully realizing. Let's hope that Obama doesn't make another such "compromise" which undercuts the small gains the gay community has made.
I will leave you with a cute video which has become pretty viral. THIS is the way to come down the aisle!
The good folks over at Photo Friday have given me another chance to pull out an old favorite. The theme is "Shadow" and the shadows you see in the picture above are of the warm, silky kind I like so much. It might be best viewed as large or even black.
This was taken on a winter visit to my Mother who lives in Tempe, Arizona. Tempe is one of the suburbs which make up Phoenix in the Valley of the Sun. Ahhh the SUN! For me this is the world of the glowing gold orb, the unrelenting, cruel, tenacious sun that rules over this valley so fiercely.
As is often the case with something that rules your life so completely, when the sun starts to go away, the tone of the day begins to change. This picture was taken in the last few moments of sunlight in the valley. I was walking along the downtown area specifically for the purpose of loading up a memory card as the day was waning. People coming out into the streets, lights over outdoor cafes being swtiched on, the noises of the day had started to become more prounced in the gathering gloom of darkness.
But here and there the sun was still peeking through the taller buildings to land on sweet spots such as this little bridge leading to the rather strange upside-down pyramid which is the Tempe City Building. Strolling across the bridge, the sparkle of the sidewalk hit my eye. The camera seemed to pull me down into a crouch to get into a good position for the image. Once I was almost on my knees I felt the need to tilt a bit to get as much of that fantastic shadow as possible. Then comes the decision on where to focus. Do you focus on the bridge and the show of light? Perhaps taking a clear image of the sidewalk and allowing the bridge to bokeh out is best. After taking 3 varieties of image, this is the one I decided for in the end. Sometimes it is hardest to know on the spot when you've got the image just right. It is even harder when faced with the raw photo in post-production.
In the end I got what I wanted, something that showed off that glorious golden light!
As I write this entry, the valley is experiencing temperatures climbing into the 110 range (43c). Ladies and gentlemen, this is too hot for me, I don't know about you. But the winters are fantastic! This kid has really enjoyed having the chance to watch New Years Eve fireworks in shorts and a tee shirt. I could get used to it. Too bad the place is such a hellhole each summer.
