Monday, April 30, 2007

You know your from California if...

So as not to be outdone by all the redneck, hillbilly, and Texan jokes, somebody had to come up with this, you know you're from California if:





1.
Your coworker has 8 body piercing's and none are visible.





2.
You make over $300,000 and still can't afford a house.





3.
You take a bus and are shocked at two people carrying on a conversation in English.





4.
Your child's 3rd-grade teacher has purple hair, a nose ring, and is named Flower.





5.
You can't remember...is pot illegal?





6.
You've been to a baby shower that has two mothers and a sperm donor.





7.
You have a very strong opinion about where your coffee beans are grown, and you can taste the difference between Sumatran and Ethiopian.





8.
You can't remember . . . is pot illegal?





9.
A really great parking space can totally move you to tears.





10.
Gas costs $1.00 per gallon more than anywhere else in the U.S.





11.
Unlike back home, the guy at 8:30 am at Starbucks wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses who looks like George Clooney really IS George Clooney.





12.
Your car insurance costs as much as your house payment.





13.
You can't remember. . .is pot illegal?





14.
It's barely sprinkling rain and there's a report on every news station: 'STORM WATCH.'



15. You pass an elementary school playground and the children are all busy with their cell phones or pagers.





16.
It's barely sprinkling rain outside, so you leave for work an hour early to avoid all the weather-related accidents.





17.
HEY!!!! Is pot illegal????





18.
Both you AND your dog have therapists, psychics, personal trainers and cosmetic surgeons.





19.
The Terminator is your governor.





20.
If you drive illegally, they take your driver's license. If you're here illegally, they want to give you one.

Beltane! Celebrate!



I love Beltane! I love this time of year! It is about the awakening of the earth from the cold of winter. As the mythology says, it is about the earth waking up from it's deep sleep from winter.

Let us look at the new life all around us! Look at all the colors of the flowers that are blooming in our yards and parks. See all the life my friends!

It is miraculous this time of year. Things that were dead all winter are alive with color and are magnificent.

Spring is my favorite time of year. It is now that we should plan our gardens for the wonderful harvest that happens in the summer and fall.

Let us impregnate our gardens. Let us impregnate our lives with love, joy and hope! Beltane and spring is about fertility. It is about growth.

If you have been wanting a baby, what a better than than this to make love and conceive? We are as fertile as the earth is in spring. If you are not wanting a child, then make love to the one you love for the joy of it. Celebrate your relationship! Celebrate the love and the joy that brought you together! Make love and when you do make hope and joy that comes to us each spring.



We were created as emotional and sexual beings. Let us celebrate this! Happiness, joy and hope are glorious emotions, so is our sexuality. Celebrate it! Love it! Create more of it!



Not only is this a grand and wonderful fertile time but it is sacred too. It is at this time that we should all raise our voices and eyes to the Creator and be thankful and full of praise for all that has been given to us. Rejoice with me! Rejoice with each other!



Brightest Beltane Blessings and as it is said, Blessed Be, indeed!

Thursday, April 26, 2007

Honor a Fallen Hero!



An Opportunity to Honor a Fallen Eclectic Wiccan Hero!



Greetings Friends, Troops, and Veterans,



As many of you already know, our SWC sponsored Victory Base Open

Circle in Baghdad lost one of our own on May 11, 2006. Eclectic

Wiccan Army soldier PFC Stephen P. Snowberger was a courageous and

honorable young man, 18 years old; when his humvee was hit by and IED

while on patrol in Baghdad. Stephen and the other occupants of the

humvee were killed

instantly.



Here are Stephen's memorial pages at Stars of Freedom Pagan Military

Memorial: http://snowbergerme morial.tripod. com/



The one year anniversary of Stephen's death is soon upon us, and

Deborah Brown is creating a rock garden memorial for Stephen in the

backyard of their family home. And she has sent out a request for

people who would like to help honor the memory of her son this way,

to please send a rock to her to place in this rock garden memorial

for Stephen. She is looking for rocks from every state in the U.S.,

and international support is welcome and appreciated as well.



The rock you may choose to send may be of any size or shape. And

though not required, if you want; you may write on the rock something

to honor Stephen's memory, an appropriate symbol, just put what state

your rock is from, etc. Stephen's choice of emblems is the Encircled

Pentacle.



Here are Deborah Brown's mailing and email addresses:



Deborah Brown

1565 Valley Mine Rd

Lexington, NC 27292




lilgertt@aol. com



Since Stephen's death, his Mother, Deborah Brown, and I have become

good friends, and she a wonderful person. She and her family have

suffered this terrible loss of their youngest family member. And yet

they have and continue to bear this loss with grace and dignity.

Though neither Deborah, or anyone other than Stephen in their family,

have ever been Wiccan/Pagan; she chooses to stand up for and honor

her son's memory and his choice to be a Wiccan. Deborah has also

actively pursued to honor her son, and all of our Wiccan/Pagan

troops, veterans, and military families by supporting the Pentacle

Quest, which we have heard in recent days has at long last been won

in the courts of our nation. Deborah believes and actively supports

the right of our troops and veterans to receive the religious emblems

of their own choosing.



Please feel free to post this message to other groups, blogs, to

friends, etc.



Stephen, we love you and will always remember you with honor and

dignity. May you rest and renew in the Summerlands, until the Moon

rises for you once again.



Thank You and Many Blessings to All,



Kay



Rev. Kay J. Ahl

aka: Tia Hu



In the Spirit of '37'! Amor Vincit Omnia!

http://www.cem. va.gov/cem/ hm/hmemb. asp

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Rain, confusion and passion

As rain penetrates an improperly shingled roof, so passion overwhelms a confused mind.



-Buddha

I love these banners!







Funniest quote today...

Shut up voices or I’ll poke you with a Q-tip again.

Viva la Mexico!



MEXICO CITY, April 24 — The Mexico City legislature approved a bill Tuesday to make abortion legal during the first three months of pregnancy, a watershed vote that set the stage for court battles and social clashes between religious conservatives and liberals.



Feminists hailed the vote as a clear victory. For decades, poor women here have resorted to clandestine clinics, traditional midwives and herbal potions to end unwanted pregnancies. Scores die every year in botched abortions. “It’s a triumph for women’s rights,” said María Consuelo Mejía, the director of Catholics for the Right to Decide.

Abortion opponents condemned the measure. “This is a tragic day for the democracy,” said Armando Martínez, the leader of Catholic Lawyers.

The fight has driven a wedge into this deeply Catholic society and shed light on the waning influence of the church in the wake of sexual abuse scandals involving priests. In January, church leaders could not stop the city assembly from passing a law allowing civil unions among homosexuals.

Now with this vote, this capital city became the largest entity in Latin America, outside Cuba and Puerto Rico, to permit women to have abortions on demand in the first trimester. The vote, which legalized abortion within the federal district, means that the 10 million women in Mexico City and its suburbs will have easy access to an abortion. And anyone living in Mexico could travel here for an abortion.

Proponents of the law say they hope it will become a model for states in Mexico, most of which only allow abortion under conditions like rape or danger to the mother’s health.

Many on each side of the issue predicted it would ultimately be challenged on constitutional grounds before the Supreme Court. Opponents said they would challenge it on the grounds that there was a prohibition in the Mexican Constitution against the death penalty that could be broadly interpreted to grant the right to life to unborn children.

Supporters of the vote argue that in 2002 the Supreme Court ruled that abortion was legal in circumstances like rape and incest, and therefore they say it is unlikely that the court would agree to overturn the new law.

Catholic Lawyers, the opposition group, complained that the city assembly had violated the Constitution and its own laws by ignoring a petition for a referendum on the issue. More than 36,000 people had signed the document.

The speeches and legislative maneuvering continued throughout the day before the vote at 6 p.m. Conservatives argued that legalizing abortion would not solve the underlying social problems leading to unwanted pregnancies, while liberals said the conservatives were not facing reality.

“The women of the Federal District are dying from clandestine abortions,” said Leticia Quezada, of the leftist Democratic Revolution Party, which controls the assembly. “What we want is not one more death, not here, not anywhere.”

One the other side, Jorge Romero, of the National Action Party, said legalizing abortion would encourage irresponsible sex. “What we are legislating now, what we are asked to approve, is to support juvenile imprudence, unexpected pregnancies,” he said. “Understand this, lawmakers, you are legalizing killing.”

In the end, the vote was 46 to 19 with one abstention. The no votes came mostly from President Felipe Calderón’s conservative National Action Party, which had mounted a media campaign in recent days against the bill.

For older women, the vote represented a long overdue recognition of their plight. Women are seeking abortions, legal or not, they said. The rich fly to the United States or go to certain doctors at private hospitals who do the procedure secretly, they said. The poor must resort to underground clinics and midwives.

Among the supporters of the law gathered on Juárez Avenue near the assembly building a carnival atmosphere reigned. The demonstrators waved signs saying, “My body is mine,” and “It is my right to decide.”

On Donceles Street outside the legislature, the police guarding the building vastly outnumbered the anti-abortion protesters. A block away from the building, about 50 abortion rights advocates had a shouting match with about 200 opponents across the line of riot police separating them. “If there’s life, let it be born,” said Margarita Cerón, the elderly leader of a group of outdoor merchants from a poor suburb.

On Sunday, Pope Benedict XVI publicly condemned the bill. The next day, the archbishop of Acapulco, Felipe Aguirre Franco, said the lawmakers who voted for it would be automatically excommunicated. Liberals replied that the church should not interfere in secular matters.

President Calderón, a conservative who opposes abortion, has stayed above the fight. The first lady, Margarita Zavala, however, has spoken out against the bill.

Antonio Betancourt, Elisabeth Malkin and Marc Lacey contributed reporting.

Express your OUTRAGE!!!!

It has already begun.

Less than one week after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the federal abortion ban, North Dakota has become the first state to pass legislation that will not allow women to access abortion services in that state if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade.

This news is not unexpected, but only adds to the outrage and frustration I feel because of the Supreme Court’s blatant disregard for women’s health and safety. But the messages I’ve received from thousands of you across the country have given me hope.

One common thread in your words of support is a desire to speak out, tell personal stories, and express frustration with the Supreme Court’s decision.

We have now created a communal space for our outrage: the Planned Parenthood Wall of Protest. Like the March for Women’s Lives, where three years ago one million of us joined together and raised our voices in support of women’s health and safety, www.wallofprotest.com is a place for us to gather — to express our anger, share our stories, and renew our strength. This virtual wall illustrates the widespread outrage at the court’s decision, and is available online for the world to see. You can make your voice heard by uploading a picture or posting a YouTube video now and sharing your comments.

Show the world that we will not allow politics to trump women’s health.

In the next few weeks, we will be taking your voices from the Wall of Protest and bringing them to Capitol Hill. When we demand action from our leaders in Congress, we will be able to show them that hundreds of thousands of Americans stand together for women and women’s health.

Continue to be a part of the movement. Join the protest. Go to www.wallofprotest.com.

Thanks so much for all that you do.

In solidarity,







Cecile Richards

President

Planned Parenthood Federation of America

P.S. In addition to expressing your outrage on www.wallofprotest.com, make sure your Members of Congress knows how you feel. Join us today for the National Call-in Day in support of the Freedom of Choice Act. Call your Members of Congress and urge them to co-sponsor the Freedom of Choice Act.

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Out of the mouths of babes! Oh, Gods, some of these are too funny!

Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom?

We're related.

God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's moms like me.



What kind of little girl was your mom?


My mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.

I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.

They say she used to be nice.



How did your mom meet your dad?

Mom was working in a store and dad was shoplifting.



What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?

His last name.

She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer? Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores.



Why did your mom marry your dad?


My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my mom eats a lot.

She got too old to do anything else with him.

My grandma says that mom didn't have her thinking cap on.



What makes a real woman?

It means you have to be really bossy without looking bossy.



Who's the boss at your house?

Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dads such a goofball.

Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.

I guess Mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.



What's the difference between moms and dads?

Moms work at work and work at home, and dads just got to work at work.

Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.

Dads are taller and stronger, but moms have all the real power 'cause that's who you gotta ask if you want to sleep over at your friend's.



What does your mom do in her spare time?


Mothers don't do spare time.

To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.



What's the difference between moms and grandmas?

About 30 years.

You can always count on grandmothers for candy. Sometimes moms don't even have bread on them!



Describe the world's greatest mom?


She would make broccoli taste like ice cream!

The greatest mom in the world wouldn't make me kiss my fat aunts!

She'd always be smiling and keep her opinions to herself.



Is anything about your mom perfect?

Her teeth are perfect, but she bought them from the dentist.

Her casserole recipes. But we hate them.

Just her children.



What would it take to make your mom perfect?

On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.

Diet. You know, her hair. I'd dye-it, maybe blue.



If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be?


She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that.

I'd make my mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it and not me.

Thank you to all clergy who answered the Call for Justice & Equality

More than 220 faith leaders converge on the Capitol for April 17th's

Clergy Call for Justice and Equality

Thanks to all the clergy who came from around the country, our Clergy Call for Justice and Equality was a huge success. As our president, Joe Solmonese, eloquently expressed, 'The Clergy Call for Justice and Equality was like nothing I have ever seen before. More than 220 religious leaders from around the country and from every faith tradition spoke of their support for the Matthew Shepard Act and ENDA, in collars, robes and stoles that all too often signify a strident aversion to equality. They told their stories on behalf of themselves, their denominations and thousands of people from their congregations around the country in Congressional and Senate offices, in the press, and with each other.

Hawaii clergy Chaplain Jade Young

and Rev. Dan Hatch meet with

Sen. Akaka (D-HI)

All day long as HRC staffers escorted clergy around Hill offices there was a crackle of excitement in the air. That energy sparked unexpectedly in the morning as staff worked to arrange the more than 220 leaders on risers for the photo op and press event when they suddenly, completely unprompted by HRC staff or anyone else, started singing 'We Shall Overcome' and 'This Little Light of Mine.' The gentle power of their voices spoke volumes about the ground we were breaking.'

In addition to the press conference and lobby visits, our extraordinary clergy took part in an Interfaith Celebration for Justice and Equality hosted by All Souls Church, Unitarian, The Human Rights Campaign, and Interweave-All Souls. Keep an eye on our website for the film of this; we expect it will be available at the end of the week.

Rev. Dr. Miguel De La Torre and Rev. Dr. Erin Swenson,

two of the day's featured speakers, help energize the crowd

Boy Butter Ad Deemed Too Controversial by Comcast





The first of its kind gay-themed TV ad is set to air in New York and Los Angeles, but not in San Francisco. An ad for Boy Butter lube was judged “too controversial” by San Francisco’s cable operator.

The makers of Boy Butter, the latest in hot-selling personal lubricants, were a little nervous about launching their first TV ad campaign, so they chose markets with a high gay (and presumably gay-friendly) population. They got the OK from every city - except San Francisco.

“The agents from Comcast in San Francisco declined to air our ‘You Won’t Believe It’s Not Boy Butter’ spot because it was deemed to controversial,” Boy Butter creator Eyal Feldman told Bay Times.

The 30-second ad spoofs an iconic campaign from the early 90’s, featuring only the hands of two men and a voice-over of playful banter tinged with mild sexual innuendo. One hand applies the Boy Butter to another’s hand as both men exchange a knowing giggle.

The commercial will air soon on mainstream cable networks including Bravo, Oxygen, E, and Logo in New York and Los Angeles.

“This will be the first gay personal lubricant commercial on TV,” says Feldman. But the rejection in the world capitol of Gay culture shocked the team at gay owned and operated Boy Butter. “Another Gay milestone is happening, and it is such a shame that San Francisco of all places will miss out on the fun. It smacks of anti-gay bias and makes me feel like fighting for truth, justice, and personal lubrication!” exclaimed Feldman.

This just makes my heart sad...



GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Hamas militants fired a barrage of rockets and mortar shells toward Israel on its independence day Tuesday, and said they consider it the end of a five-month truce with Israel.



Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, whose Hamas-led government negotiated the cease-fire with its militant wing, blamed Israel: 'We made great efforts at keeping the truce and there was a positive Palestinian position, but unfortunately this position was met by expanding the aggression and escalating it against the Palestinian people,' he said. 'It's not a Palestinian problem, it is an Israeli problem.'

Nine Palestinians were killed in fighting with Israel over the weekend, most of the militants, but also two civilians.

The barrage, which came on Israel's 59th independence day, did not cause any damage or injury, but it marked the first time Hamas acknowledged firing shells toward Israel since agreeing to a cease-fire along the Gaza-Israel border in November. Hamas is tightly organized, and Israel says attacks from Gaza have the tacit approval from the militant group's political leaders.

Israel Radio, citing military officials, said the rocket attack appeared to be an unsuccessful attempt to create a diversion in order to capture an Israeli soldier posted at the Gaza border. In June, Hamas-allied militants had tunneled from Gaza into Israel and seized an Israeli soldier, Cpl. Gilad Shalit, who is still being held.

In Israel, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and his defense minister discussed a possible response. More security consultations were planned for Wednesday, government officials said.

The Israeli military has warned of a Hamas arms buildup in Gaza, and has readied contingency plans for a large-scale invasion of the territory. However, Olmert said earlier this month that the time is not ripe for a major ground campaign.

Hamas had held back attacks on Israel for months, especially during power-sharing talks with the Fatah movement of moderate President Mahmoud Abbas. A spokesman for the Islamic group's armed wing said the group considered the truce over.

'The cease-fire has been over for a long time, and Israel is responsible for that,' the spokesman, Abu Obeida, told the Voice of Palestine radio station. 'We are ready to kidnap more and more, and kill more and more of your soldiers.'

Hamas-allied militants have demanded hundreds of Palestinian prisoners for the release of Shalit, the captured Israeli soldier.

On Monday, Olmert said freeing soldiers is important to the government, but that it would not repeat 'mistakes made in the past' by releasing violent prisoners who then carried out more attacks against Israelis. But Olmert said there would be 'no escape in the end from making a difficult decision' on trading prisoners for the captured troops.

In other developments Tuesday, around 200 men from the Abu Sharkh tribe, many armed with rifles and M16s, pushed their way into the parliament building in Gaza City, firing in the air, and carrying the body of 38-year-old Hassan Abu Sharkh on a stretcher.

The protesters briefly left Abu Sharkh's body in the plenum, pushing aside guards and demanding the killers be bought to justice.

Abu Sharkh was shot in the head on Sunday, and his body dumped in a nearby park. Two other Palestinians were killed in internal fighting on the same day.

In a growing problem for Gaza, Palestinian smugglers and clansmen settle differences with guns, and bands of self-styled vigilantes have killed suspected pimps, prostitutes, drug dealers, owners of music shops, internet cafes, pool halls — activities which could divert people from worship — and women suspected of sexual misconduct. Bystanders are often wounded or killed.

The Art of the (Non) Apology



'I drew this several days ago, when it just looked like Imus would get a two-week suspension. His attempt to apologize on the Al Sharpton radio show was pretty clumsy, including the lovely phrase 'you people.' And yes, a while back he called black journalist Gwen Ifill as a 'cleaning lady.'

So yeah, disgusting racist sexist hate speech. Still, not sure what I think about the firing, primarily because I distrust these kind of massive firing campaigns, as they're often directed against controversial left-wingers and progressives. Maybe I'll blog about it.'

----Mikhaela

The work is not done...

The following is in response to the many happy feelings in the afterglow of our victory regarding the Encircled Pentacle approval. Please feel free to contact me if you wish to help in this effort and I can forward Rev. Kay's information to you. Many blessings to all who read this!

***************



Yes, we are thrilled, and definitely in the glow of the moment after a ten year long battle to win the Encircled Pentacle approval.



BUT, the Quest is not over. There are troops and veterans from other paths among the Earth Religions who would also like to see their own chosen religious emblems also approved. The Asutruar - Thor's Hammer, the Druids - The Awen, and so forth. So I am hoping the larger Earth Religions/Pagan community will continue the good fight with us to win the day for our Pagan troops and veterans who are not truly represented yet according to their own religious choices.



And in reality, the V.A. should not have the right to determine what religious emblems are chosen by our troops and veterans for grave and memorial markers. That is in direct contradiction of our U.S. Constitution, the freedoms of religion and speech, and the separation

of church and state. The only exceptions being that the V.A. should not engrave emblems on these markers that depict things that are already written into U.S. laws as criminal activities, and they do have to maintain a budget. So the symbols need to remain reasonably simple and within specified size limitations to be cost effective. Other than that, it really shouldn't be any of their business.



Also, there is the matter of the U.S. Military Chaplains Boards, in all four branches, still dragging their heels on approving any Wiccan, or any other type of Pagan congregation, to be approved for endorsing chaplains for the military. This is a more complicated issue, with educational requirements, and other matters involved. But it is still a matter of blatant discrimination, and a system of requirements that needs to be revised to truly represent freedom of religion, and separation of church and state for our Pagans on active duty in the U.S. Military.



So please stay with us folks. The victory of the approval of the Encircled Pentacle for Wiccans, and other Pagans who wish to choose that as their religious emblem for military grave and memorial markers, is in effect the incredible legal precedent that has 'opened the door' for all else that still needs to be accomplished for our Pagan U.S. Military troops and veterans to truly have equal religious rights while serving our country, and afterward.



Blessed Be in Life, Love, Service, and Liberty,



Kay



Rev. Kay J. Ahl

aka: Tia Hu



Amor Vincit Omnia!



Holding you all in my heart, prayers, and rites.......

For my Kristy



In a Yahoo group we are on there has been a thread going on regarding friendships, relationships and such with 'disabled' people and 'able-bodied' people. This is what I wrote about my Kristy. By the way, Kristy and our furrbaby Tucker is who is in the picture. Isn't she gorgeous!?!?

**************



I thought I would add this little perspective of mine...



I am in love with a woman who was born with a severe form of spina bifida. She has had 43 surgeries and has many scars. Obviously, she has many physical things going on with her body as a result of her birth defect. The bodily functions that happen with her body cause her some distress and there have been countless people in her life that have shunned her or ridiculed her for being 'gross' or 'different' or 'unclean' etc. She even had her own mother tell her those things. Certainly, not to mention the women that were 'supposed' to love her. ARGH!



I met her last year and knew I had met my match, so to speak. LOL! She is the most amazing human being I have ever known in my entire life. I love her more than the air I breathe.



Anyway, I digress.



When she had a bathroom accident one day she got very frustrated and was crying and saying things like, 'I am 29 frickin' years old and I am still peeing my pants, etc.' I moved her wheelchair out of the way and gently put my hands on her face and kissed her and then told her that she was created by the Goddess and that she was created perfectly. The Goddess makes NO mistakes. She was perfection incarnate. I tell her that daily as I help her through her day, regardless of what may happen during the course of the day. She is, without question by me, perfection in every physical aspect. There are NO defects in my eyes. I see nothing but beauty and power and strength.



Yes, she will continue to have physical battles as a result of the SB. Yes, she will have countless numbers of bathroom accidents (if you want to even call it that, I do not). Yes, she may or may not have more surgeries. But, regardless of any of that, I am her partner in life. I am her lover. I am her wife. I am her best friend. Nothing that can happen to her physical body will ever change that.



If depression comes, I will stand by her. If illness comes, I will stand by her. When there is no more life in this sphere for her, I will stand by her. Forever and always.

Operation Solar Freedom



'Bush no longer asks for war funding, he asks for 'funding to protect our troops in harm's way.' Otherwise known as 'funding to KEEP our troops in harm's way.'



----Mikhaela

Monday, April 23, 2007

McGuire found guilty!



New Jersey fertility clinic nurse Melanie McGuire stands accused of murdering her husband, William, in 2004. Prosecutors allege that McGuire, 34, shot him to death, sliced his body into four pieces with a power saw and then dumped his remains in the Chesapeake Bay. McGuire maintains her innocence, and her defense attorneys have suggested the victim's slaying was related to gambling debts.



*****

This nurse after brutally murdering her husband has been found guilty. Finally there is justice for someone. *sigh* It is a sad day in our country where a person can commit such a brutal act and get off but for once, it seems, our justice system worked. Sentencing scheduled for July 13th. Let's see how that goes before we give a big thumbs up for justice. That will be the real tale tell heart for this case.

Happy St. George's/Venus & Jupiter Day!

In Roman Paganism, today is the festival of Jupiter and Venus. In England, it is dedicated to St. George, the country's patron saint. St. George's Day is the remnant of an ancient festival of fertility, the traditional day for parades of dragons, hobbyhorses, and giant effigies. St. George is a version of the Greek chimera-slayer, Bellerophon, and the nothern European hero, Sigurd the Dragonslayer, the Siegfriend of Wagner's opera. In English Asatru, it is the day of Sigurd, festival of the homeland.

Sunday, April 22, 2007

Hate Free Zone



Lets get one thing straight



I'm not



Straight that is



I'm gay



as gay as they come



Full rainbow flag flying



card carrying member



of the dyke club.



I don't mind seeing straight people make out



but I don't want to hear about the rest



any more than a straight person wants to hear



about how I went down



on my girl last night.



But one thing is certain



it may not be my American right



but it is my HUMAN right



that I can love whoever I'd like.



So unless you want a queer like me



running for office of presidency



and outlawing your marriage to the redneck on the corner that



you've spent the last two years dreaming about



then move, follow, or get out of the way



this isn't the age of Aquarius



and this is not the home of the brave



it's the home of the weak,



ignorant, and misconceived



and this my friends is the age of the gays.



To stand up and fight for what is right




Give me your hand and walk with me



I'll show you a piece of real life



The people who hate me because im 'strange'



The looks we get when we walk a little to close



womens sickened stares



mens sex craved stares



all of them piercing through me



Close your eyes look at it differently



Do I stare because your crippled,



or because your not the worlds perseption of perfect..... no



I smile at you and say 'Hi'



Just to be ignored and snikered at



But I let it go, you cant break me down



See I know you have family or someone close to you who is gay



you don't ignore them



Now open your eyes, no more pretending



You turn on your tv like every other day



'The struggles of a young actress' is the topic on your favorite

entertainment show



It must sound appealing, or are you in awe



As I tell the stories of the women that ignored my friendly gestures



only because I'm gay





Now that you see my name in lights you recall the girl on tv



she spoke to you that day



You ask yourself 'why was I so rude she was just being nice'



Yes I could hate you or hold a grudge but I don't



I only felt sorry for you that your ignorance of people has made you cruel



So next time say 'hi' cause the next time you look on tv you may see

someone just like me

Thank you 'Upgraded' for posting this on your blog. I, for one, appreciate it. Perfected worded and perfected spoken. I hear you loud and clear!

Friday, April 20, 2007

Namasté

It is commonly accompanied by a slight bow made with the hands pressed together, palms touching, in front of the chest.

In a normal context this word is a respectful way of greeting someone. Generally done by younger (or in a hierarchy - underlings) to elders/higher-ups, although, the elders reply back in the same manner.

In context this word can be taken to mean any of these:

  • The Spirit in me meets the same Spirit in you.
  • I greet that place where you and I are one.
  • I salute the Light of life in you.
  • I receive the free spirit in you.
  • I recognize that within each of us is a place where peace dwells, and when we are in that place, we are One.
  • My energy salutes your energy.
  • The life in me sees and honors the life in you.
  • May the life within you be strong.
  • The light within me sees and honors the light within you.
In other words, it recognizes the equality of all, and pays honor to the sacredness and interconnection of all, as well as to the source of that interconnection.

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Well finally!!!



Hooded protesters, dressed to resemble the look of Guantanamo detainees, march near the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, April 18, 2007, to protest the alleged 'injustices' to detainees in Guantanamo Bay. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)



Well, after all the disgraceful things that have happened at Gitmo it is about freaking time that there are protests regarding this. Those detainees are being treated so poorly yet our government barely acknowledges it. What a disgrace to our nation! Blech.

Friday, April 6, 2007

Only in freaking Arkansas! Actually, no. It is every freakingwhere!

DE QUEEN, Ark. - A ruse worked for a De Queen man who used his brother's name after being picked up for another drunken-driving charge until he called his brother and asked him to bail him out of jail.

Police said an officer arrested Sebastian Nabor, 28, early Sunday after the car Nabor was driving hit a curb. When Officer Ernesto Echevarria smelled alcohol and found an open container of beer in the car, Nabor gave his name as Antonio Moreno Nabor.

The suspect failed a field sobriety test and a breath test showed a blood-alcohol level of 0.11 percent, above Arkansas' legal limit for drivers of 0.08 percent.

Nabor was charged with driving while intoxicated and called his brother to bail him out. As the paperwork was being processed, officers realized the arrested man had given the wrong name.

Sebastian Nabor was also charged with criminal impersonation.

'Everybody tries it. People give us false names in case warrants of arrest have been issued or they owe other fines,' De Queen Police Chief Richard McKinley said.

****



This is just rampant anywhere, everywhere. Blech. If you do the crime, do the time. Idiots.

Maybe she has finally learned...



ORANGE, Calif. - Whitney Houston's 14-year marriage to Bobby Brown will officially end this month, and she will get custody of their teenage daughter, a judge ruled Wednesday. The singer dabbed her eyes with a tissue as Orange County Superior Court Judge Franz E. Miller ruled that the divorce will become final April 24. Brown did not attend the hearing.



In court, Houston testified that she did not need spousal or child support and that the couple's 14-year-old daughter, Bobbi Kristina, could not depend on Brown.

'He's unreliable,' Houston told the judge. 'If he says he's going to come, sometimes he does. Usually he doesn't.'

Houston declined to comment to reporters after the hearing.

Brown's attorney, Ram Cogan, said he will seek to overturn the judge's decision.

Houston filed for divorce in October, citing irreconcilable differences. She was granted a default judgment in December to speed up the divorce. Miller's ruling Wednesday upheld the terms of that judgment.

Houston and Brown wed in 1992, when she was at the height of her fame as a Grammy-winning superstar known for such hits as 'I Will Always Love You.'

During their tumultuous marriage, Brown was arrested on drug and alcohol charges, and Houston twice entered drug rehabilitation programs.

Wednesday, April 4, 2007

I am getting so sick of this crap *sigh*

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Executives at a Beardstown cleaning company were arrested Wednesday on federal charges that they hired illegal immigrants by arranging for them to steal the identities of U.S. citizens.


Federal immigration agents arrested Gerardo Dominguez-Chacon, the plant manager for Quality Service Integrity Inc. and Maria del Pilar Marroquin de Ramirez, the QSI personnel administrator. The charges against the two Beardstown residents include aggravated identity theft.



Authorities also have filed charges against 25 other employees at QSI, a contractor that cleans a Cargill meat-processing plant, and have arrested 11 of them.



Officials claim Dominquez-Chacon had access to several assumed identities which he provided to new employees. Authorities also accused him of providing information to illegal immigrants regarding obtaining false identification documents, including social security numbers of U.S. citizens.



It was not immediately clear whether anyone arrested Wednesday had attorneys. One number listed for QSI was disconnected, another led to Cargill. A Cargill spokesman declined to immediately comment on the arrests.



'Any employer who knowingly hires illegal aliens risks federal felony charges. It's not a risk worth taking,' the U.S. attorney for central Illinois, Rodger Heaton, said in a statement.



Officials said they also have taken 49 illegal immigrants into custody. Most of QSI's work force turned out to be illegal, they said.



***



I am so friggin' sick of this shit. The people that come here illegally do so for a better life. They want to work. They want to pay taxes. They want to pump their hard-earned money into our city and state coffers. They want to be validated as who they are: HUMAN BEINGS NEEDING AND DESERVING A BETTER LIFE THAN WHAT IS AVAILABLE TO THEM IN THEIR HOME COUNTRIES. If life were so good back in their countries of origin then don't you freaking think they would stay there?!?! Why would they come here and live within the realm of the 'Bully's Pulpit'---can you guess who I am referring to here---aaaa! sorry, too late, you lose---it's Dubya, of course!--if they had another more desirable way to live? You add Dubya's horrendous immigration policies to what is going on with his so-called foreign affairs fiascos and you have one HUGE friggin' mess. Parents being deported while children born here are left behind virtually orphaned. Children and parents held in former prison cells in prison uniforms, treated like felons. How in the hell is this supposed to be OK?! How in the hell is this consistent with his No Child Left Behind Policy?!?! ARGH! This crap makes me wanna barf! ON DUBYA!