The mayor of New Orleans thinks thousands may be dead in his city alone. Oh, the humanity! The city government has moved to Baton Rouge.
While Katrina may be a natural disaster, the response in New Orleans is completely man-made. The levee broke, flooding the entire city. It looks like the government was not ready for a scenario like this. How could it be, when it is too busy spending taxpayer money in that sinkhole known as Iraq, and preparing for a whole slew of new wars, starting in Iran?
And the Christian death cultists are celebrating God's wrath on New Orleans, because it was supposed to hold a gay gathering starting today. How about the morally upright, pro-family, pro-life, pro-Bush people of Mississippi and Alabama who died en masse as well? When the framers of the US Constitution thought of freedom of speech, I am pretty sure they did not think of the hateful crap that the death cultists are spewing out in the name of their mean, hateful, judgmental, male God.
May the Goddess have mercy on us all.
31 August 2005
Katrina updates
I thought Katrina was just another hurricane. I was VERY wrong.
It appears that well over a hundred are dead in the wake of Katrina, that much of the area infrastructure has been destroyed, and that the entire city of New Orleans is underwater.
For those whose lives have been affected, I wish them the best in their recovery, and share in their losses. The entire United States, if not the world, will feel the effects of this hurricane for a long time to come.
It appears that well over a hundred are dead in the wake of Katrina, that much of the area infrastructure has been destroyed, and that the entire city of New Orleans is underwater.
For those whose lives have been affected, I wish them the best in their recovery, and share in their losses. The entire United States, if not the world, will feel the effects of this hurricane for a long time to come.
30 August 2005
Gas prices will hit $3/gallon.
Just read this MSN MoneyCentral report regarding soaring gas prices, and how the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina will add to them.
There are too many factors at work raising the price of petroleum products. Some, like the hurricanes, are beyond anyone's control. Others, like the rise of China and its increasing appetite for oil, were to be expected; if Americans can guzzle gasoline in their Hummers, why not the Chinese (at least the wealthy ones)? But others, like the Iraq war and its resulting increase in terrorism, could have been completely avoided. Getting rid of Saddam did NOT result in Iraqi oil flowing into the world market and paying off the reconstruction costs. (Well, there is no reconstruction, period.) Just as silly is driving a big Suburban or Exploitation alone with a yellow ribbon magnet stuck on it; well, you DO need those yellow ribbon magnets, because our troops are dying in Iraq just to enable you to fill up your useless dinosaur. I would rather carpool, or fill up two smaller cars and get double the use out of the same gallon of gasoline.
This nightmare was supposed to happen if America voted for John Kerry and his supposed 50-cent gasoline tax; now that I think about it, the price of gasoline has gone up more than 50 cents (now closer to a dollar) since Bush's re-coronation, and all of that increase is going to line the oilmen's pockets. I would rather take the Kerry tax any day, and see that money invested in better highways and mass transit.
How stupid have we become. And people still think I am nuts when they see me want to spend $40K on a fuel-efficient BMW, instead of a gas-guzzling Suburban, because the moronic American tax code allows me to write off the Suburban as a "work vehicle" even if it's not. Encouraging me to buy a useless monster is NOT patriotic. Forcing Cadillac and Lincoln to build a sporty, luxurious, yet fuel-efficient car to compete with the likes of BMW and Lexus is what a true patriot would want.
Perhaps if the $3/gallon gasoline can finally put a huge damp in Suburban and Exploitation sales, that would be one good coming out of the whole madness.
There are too many factors at work raising the price of petroleum products. Some, like the hurricanes, are beyond anyone's control. Others, like the rise of China and its increasing appetite for oil, were to be expected; if Americans can guzzle gasoline in their Hummers, why not the Chinese (at least the wealthy ones)? But others, like the Iraq war and its resulting increase in terrorism, could have been completely avoided. Getting rid of Saddam did NOT result in Iraqi oil flowing into the world market and paying off the reconstruction costs. (Well, there is no reconstruction, period.) Just as silly is driving a big Suburban or Exploitation alone with a yellow ribbon magnet stuck on it; well, you DO need those yellow ribbon magnets, because our troops are dying in Iraq just to enable you to fill up your useless dinosaur. I would rather carpool, or fill up two smaller cars and get double the use out of the same gallon of gasoline.
This nightmare was supposed to happen if America voted for John Kerry and his supposed 50-cent gasoline tax; now that I think about it, the price of gasoline has gone up more than 50 cents (now closer to a dollar) since Bush's re-coronation, and all of that increase is going to line the oilmen's pockets. I would rather take the Kerry tax any day, and see that money invested in better highways and mass transit.
How stupid have we become. And people still think I am nuts when they see me want to spend $40K on a fuel-efficient BMW, instead of a gas-guzzling Suburban, because the moronic American tax code allows me to write off the Suburban as a "work vehicle" even if it's not. Encouraging me to buy a useless monster is NOT patriotic. Forcing Cadillac and Lincoln to build a sporty, luxurious, yet fuel-efficient car to compete with the likes of BMW and Lexus is what a true patriot would want.
Perhaps if the $3/gallon gasoline can finally put a huge damp in Suburban and Exploitation sales, that would be one good coming out of the whole madness.
29 August 2005
Some links of interest
From Camp Casey in Crawford, TX: AlaskaGirl's blog (lots of pictures)
From RawStory: Pat Buchanan supports the impeachment of Bush
Buchanan is upset over Bush's pro-immigration policies and his alliance with Mexico's Vicente Fox. I think he's realized what I've known all along. Never mind that the real reason immigrants are pro-Bush is because they support the same social conservative positions that Buchanan espouses. I love it when conservatives shoot themselves in the foot like this!
And... Democratic Singles Network. Perhaps I need to peek into this service myself. EDIT: Forget it... no transgender option. I expected better from a "progressive" site.
From RawStory: Pat Buchanan supports the impeachment of Bush
Buchanan is upset over Bush's pro-immigration policies and his alliance with Mexico's Vicente Fox. I think he's realized what I've known all along. Never mind that the real reason immigrants are pro-Bush is because they support the same social conservative positions that Buchanan espouses. I love it when conservatives shoot themselves in the foot like this!
And... Democratic Singles Network. Perhaps I need to peek into this service myself. EDIT: Forget it... no transgender option. I expected better from a "progressive" site.
The upcoming Bay Area/Napa Valley trip
The trip planning itself has come along nicely. For next to nothing, I booked a business hotel near San Francisco's airport, where I will be able to use free high-speed Internet and many other perks, right in my room. I've sketched out a rough itinerary as well. I may also consider a stop at Hearst Castle as I drive up Highway 1. This will be a great trip.
The problem is, my mother is insisting on joining, saying that I will not have to pay any extra hotel or gasoline costs even if she joins, and that she will pay for food. While I appreciate her gesture, doesn't she realize that I need some time by myself too? I am not a kid who needs to tow Mommy around on every trip. Besides, I will take her to Carlsbad Caverns for Thanksgiving, and she still has plenty of other opportunities for the Bay Area, with her nephew being there and all.
I'll see what happens. I'll do anything I can to lose her nicely. Even though I had my own time in Vegas, and will again have some more time in DC, I still need time by myself now, considering what she's put me through this past weekend.
The problem is, my mother is insisting on joining, saying that I will not have to pay any extra hotel or gasoline costs even if she joins, and that she will pay for food. While I appreciate her gesture, doesn't she realize that I need some time by myself too? I am not a kid who needs to tow Mommy around on every trip. Besides, I will take her to Carlsbad Caverns for Thanksgiving, and she still has plenty of other opportunities for the Bay Area, with her nephew being there and all.
I'll see what happens. I'll do anything I can to lose her nicely. Even though I had my own time in Vegas, and will again have some more time in DC, I still need time by myself now, considering what she's put me through this past weekend.
Coming out to the class
I intended to come out during the Labor Day weekend, as the class winds down and I find myself in the Bay Area tracing Sarah and Kirsten's footsteps. But after the ups and downs of the past weekend, I decided to go ahead and come out during the turmoil.
The responses are starting to come in, and so far, they are very supportive.
I think it's official now: the novel Perfect Girl is being written now completely under my true identity. And I want to thank everyone who has been giving me writing advice and support.
The responses are starting to come in, and so far, they are very supportive.
I think it's official now: the novel Perfect Girl is being written now completely under my true identity. And I want to thank everyone who has been giving me writing advice and support.
27 August 2005
I guess my Coke-drinking days are over.
Coca-cola is supplying free drinks to the protesters at Bush's Crawford, Texas ranch, who are protesting AGAINST Cindy Sheehan's courageous vigil.
Apparently the chicken hawks make better customers than the mother of a man who gave all.
Looks like I will have to pour my stockpile of Coke down the drain in front of a Bush supporter, like the chicken hawks poured French wine in front of French consulates during the lead-up to this nonsense of a war.
For similar reasons, I have completely stopped going to most fast-food places, including Carl's Jr., In-N-Out, Taco Bell, and McDonald's. They can keep supporting the fascists and the death cult, but not with my money.
Support Terrorism. Drink Coke.
Apparently the chicken hawks make better customers than the mother of a man who gave all.
Looks like I will have to pour my stockpile of Coke down the drain in front of a Bush supporter, like the chicken hawks poured French wine in front of French consulates during the lead-up to this nonsense of a war.
For similar reasons, I have completely stopped going to most fast-food places, including Carl's Jr., In-N-Out, Taco Bell, and McDonald's. They can keep supporting the fascists and the death cult, but not with my money.
Support Terrorism. Drink Coke.
Primitive cultures and morality. Again.
I had two extremely stressful days. This is primarily because my mother found my stash of hormone pills and went berserk. I am extremely upset that I do not have any semblance of privacy. I am also very upset that my mother sees me only through rose-colored glasses (maybe not so rose-colored) and picks up only masculine cues, saying that there is absolutely nothing feminine about me, and that the idea of me living as a woman is preposterous. Most importantly, I am upset that my mother thinks she can control my life and my gender presentation.
My mother may be ethnic Chinese, but she was born and raised in Korea and completely assimilated into that society, and now she is a product of the Korean mega-churches that dot the Southern California landscape. And it is these churches, and their preachers, that put up so much an obstacle for me. They are the ones supporting Bush and his immoral war, as if it were the Armageddon. (And hoping that Bush would take his moral, Christian war to the heathens in North Korea.) They are the ones pushing for California's upcoming ban on gay marriage and domestic partnerships. And they are the ones going left and right to limit women's rights by tracing everything back to the original sin of Eve.
I spent last night watching the National Geographic Channel special on September 11, 2001 (and was upset twice - at the destruction of World Trade Center, and at the crash of United 93, where a character from Perfect Girl, Martha, dies). I still vividly remember the horrors of London bombings on July 7 of this year. Both attacks were carried out by religious extremists from abroad who had assimilated themselves well into their host nations and societies; the New York attacks were done by those on student visas, and the London attacks by Pakistanis who had naturalized and assimilated into British society. Go ahead and call me paranoid, but having seen the extremism in Korean churches in Los Angeles (and back in New York), I expect them to be up to something similar as well. I won't be surprised if they decided to take a 10-minute drive to West Hollywood to bomb a gay nightclub. If they believe in honor killings for deviant family members (like the Pakistanis do), they can surely bomb a gay nightclub.
I expected better from a culture supposedly modern enough to flood America with cell phones and cars. Apparently I was wrong. It takes more than a high-tech manufacturing industry to make a developed country. (By contrast, South Africa, which used to be in the pits with its apartheid 15 years ago, is now considered developed, because its manufacturing cranks out BMWs, and its society is open enough to consider gay marriages.)
Blogger (the host of this blog) lets me blog here in several European languages, plus Chinese, Japanese, and... Korean. Perhaps they should rethink about it, considering that the Korean culture is far more primitive than the rest. Or they should go ahead and add other primitive cultures' languages, like Urdu for example. They should add more developed cultures' languages, like Thai, first.
My mother may be ethnic Chinese, but she was born and raised in Korea and completely assimilated into that society, and now she is a product of the Korean mega-churches that dot the Southern California landscape. And it is these churches, and their preachers, that put up so much an obstacle for me. They are the ones supporting Bush and his immoral war, as if it were the Armageddon. (And hoping that Bush would take his moral, Christian war to the heathens in North Korea.) They are the ones pushing for California's upcoming ban on gay marriage and domestic partnerships. And they are the ones going left and right to limit women's rights by tracing everything back to the original sin of Eve.
I spent last night watching the National Geographic Channel special on September 11, 2001 (and was upset twice - at the destruction of World Trade Center, and at the crash of United 93, where a character from Perfect Girl, Martha, dies). I still vividly remember the horrors of London bombings on July 7 of this year. Both attacks were carried out by religious extremists from abroad who had assimilated themselves well into their host nations and societies; the New York attacks were done by those on student visas, and the London attacks by Pakistanis who had naturalized and assimilated into British society. Go ahead and call me paranoid, but having seen the extremism in Korean churches in Los Angeles (and back in New York), I expect them to be up to something similar as well. I won't be surprised if they decided to take a 10-minute drive to West Hollywood to bomb a gay nightclub. If they believe in honor killings for deviant family members (like the Pakistanis do), they can surely bomb a gay nightclub.
I expected better from a culture supposedly modern enough to flood America with cell phones and cars. Apparently I was wrong. It takes more than a high-tech manufacturing industry to make a developed country. (By contrast, South Africa, which used to be in the pits with its apartheid 15 years ago, is now considered developed, because its manufacturing cranks out BMWs, and its society is open enough to consider gay marriages.)
Blogger (the host of this blog) lets me blog here in several European languages, plus Chinese, Japanese, and... Korean. Perhaps they should rethink about it, considering that the Korean culture is far more primitive than the rest. Or they should go ahead and add other primitive cultures' languages, like Urdu for example. They should add more developed cultures' languages, like Thai, first.
Now on to the rest of the class...
Ten days ago, I came out to my writing teacher regarding my past and future.
Now, I am out to the rest of the class; I made a post regarding this earlier today.
I am hoping that my classmates will continue to treat me with respect - and that they now see where the inspiration for Perfect Girl, Sarah, and Kirsten came from.
Now, I am out to the rest of the class; I made a post regarding this earlier today.
I am hoping that my classmates will continue to treat me with respect - and that they now see where the inspiration for Perfect Girl, Sarah, and Kirsten came from.
25 August 2005
And speaking of air travel...
This product has intrigued me for a while:
United Airlines Flight Attendant Doll (theunitedshop.com)
I only wish they made a redhead version, as Sarah, my own fictional United Airlines flight attendant and the protagonist in my novel Perfect Girl, is a redhead. I could also use a brunette too, since Sarah's first girlfriend Martha, a fellow flight attendant who is killed on United 93 on September 11th, is a dark-complexioned brunette (but a Midwestern Caucasian, not African-American).
More travel update
I went ahead and booked my ticket to the DC protests on American. It felt so good to confirm my once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attend a major protest in DC. It felt even better to give the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center's Business ExtrAA number when making my reservation, so that they could get some perks out of my trip. Again, this will be my first-ever trip on American, and I hope the service will be as good as my numerous previous trips on United and other competitors.
I have also booked my hotel in Arlington for the duration of my stay. Since the hotel provides free high-speed Internet, I should be able to blog away from there! It's very close to Rosslyn Metro Station, so I will be able to get just about anywhere without much of an effort.
I hope this opportunity will allow me to make a point to the world, that I am sick of this misguided war, and that I am sick of my illegitimate "president" who only hangs out with, and therefore represents, his extremist supporters. I am sick and tired of being called anti-American just because I ask that the troops be better-equipped to fight this war, or better yet, that they not be forced to fight a war whose only purposes were to settle Bush's personal score and make his oil cronies rich.
Now I will be making hotel reservations for the Bay Area trip for the Labor Day weekend.
I have also booked my hotel in Arlington for the duration of my stay. Since the hotel provides free high-speed Internet, I should be able to blog away from there! It's very close to Rosslyn Metro Station, so I will be able to get just about anywhere without much of an effort.
I hope this opportunity will allow me to make a point to the world, that I am sick of this misguided war, and that I am sick of my illegitimate "president" who only hangs out with, and therefore represents, his extremist supporters. I am sick and tired of being called anti-American just because I ask that the troops be better-equipped to fight this war, or better yet, that they not be forced to fight a war whose only purposes were to settle Bush's personal score and make his oil cronies rich.
Now I will be making hotel reservations for the Bay Area trip for the Labor Day weekend.
24 August 2005
DC update
The planning for my DC trip late next month is coming along nicely.
Code Pink has just sent me an email letting me know of its participation in the Green Festival, to be held during the protest weekend in DC. This will be a great opportunity for me to get to know organizations, both progressive and moderate, that care about the environment, at a time when being an environmentalist is considered being extremist - thanks to the Christian extremists of the Bush Administration who would rather destroy nature to hasten Jesus' second coming.
Now I should have something to do during the daytime on Sunday, September 25th, before joining the interfaith service in the evening that day. It looks like I will have to miss out on the march on Saturday the 24th though, as I don't have good enough of an excuse to get out of work on the 23rd and fly to DC early.
And speaking of flying to DC, I have just put an itinerary on hold with lesbian-friendly American Airlines. I will need to purchase by midnight tonight. Most likely I will.
Code Pink has just sent me an email letting me know of its participation in the Green Festival, to be held during the protest weekend in DC. This will be a great opportunity for me to get to know organizations, both progressive and moderate, that care about the environment, at a time when being an environmentalist is considered being extremist - thanks to the Christian extremists of the Bush Administration who would rather destroy nature to hasten Jesus' second coming.
Now I should have something to do during the daytime on Sunday, September 25th, before joining the interfaith service in the evening that day. It looks like I will have to miss out on the march on Saturday the 24th though, as I don't have good enough of an excuse to get out of work on the 23rd and fly to DC early.
And speaking of flying to DC, I have just put an itinerary on hold with lesbian-friendly American Airlines. I will need to purchase by midnight tonight. Most likely I will.
Religious Law: the Wave of 21st Century?
I just came across this article on MSNBC, where the extension of sharia, or Islamic religious law, to Nigerian public transit, is discussed. And the sad thing is, apparently the religious law has many supporters in the northern provinces of Nigeria.
Sharia has already destroyed many lives in places like Saudi Arabia, and it's threatening to take social norms back to the Middle Ages. And it's not just Islamic law. Christian moral laws are being enacted left and right in the United States as well, and even a local municipality in liberal Netherlands supposedly enacted laws against public kissing in religious fervor.
If the 20th Century can be described as a struggle against communism (a great idea on paper, but a failure in practice), the 21st Century is starting to look like a struggle against religious fanaticism. I hope it doesn't take the entire century to defeat the religious extremists, like it took the entire 20th Century to defeat the demons of communism that kept workers and peasants from becoming as empowered as they were supposed to be.
Sharia has already destroyed many lives in places like Saudi Arabia, and it's threatening to take social norms back to the Middle Ages. And it's not just Islamic law. Christian moral laws are being enacted left and right in the United States as well, and even a local municipality in liberal Netherlands supposedly enacted laws against public kissing in religious fervor.
If the 20th Century can be described as a struggle against communism (a great idea on paper, but a failure in practice), the 21st Century is starting to look like a struggle against religious fanaticism. I hope it doesn't take the entire century to defeat the religious extremists, like it took the entire 20th Century to defeat the demons of communism that kept workers and peasants from becoming as empowered as they were supposed to be.
22 August 2005
Upcoming travel plans
Freshly rejuvenated from my Las Vegas mini-vacation, I am looking forward to two new trips.
The first one will most likely take me along the Central California coast, up to San Francisco Bay Area and into Napa Valley, for the Labor Day Weekend. I want this one to be a solo trip as well, although my mother wants to squeeze her way in. I will try to talk her out of this trip though, as I don't want to take her around on EVERY trip I go on (besides, I do intend to take her to Carlsbad Caverns for Thanksgiving). Seriously, I really want to be on my own, exploring the world that my novel characters, Sarah and Kirsten, live in, including the streets of Berkeley, the high school in Pacifica where Sarah grew up, the United Airlines hub at San Francisco Airport where Sarah worked, etc. (In fact, since Kirsten is really my alter ego, my very presence in Berkeley pretty much brings her into existence, I presume.) Being on my own will also allow me to explore San Francisco's counterculture relics at my own pace, though I pretty much gave up on the gay San Francisco (except maybe the new Gay Center, Sarah's current employer).
The second one will be toward the end of September, where I will need to be in Washington, DC on a business trip. I am shooting for getting in town several days early, so that I can attend the major antiwar protest over the preceding weekend. I will need to take a week off in any case, so I will try my best. If all else fails, I will still have an opportunity to meet up with the founders of Democracy Cell Project, but I do want to participate in some of the protest activities if I can at all. It will be a very empowering trip, for sure. I will look at my schedule more closely before I commit to firm dates and reserve my air transportation and hotel. It looks like, for the first time, I will fly American Airlines; though Democratic activists may prefer that I fly George Soros-owned JetBlue, I'll be happy that I'll be able to get some perks for my favorite gay community center as I fly, since many, if not most, gay centers have "Business ExtrAA" reward accounts with American which I can name in my reservation.
Both trips will allow me to express myself more freely than I ever could at home, and I will look forward to both.
The first one will most likely take me along the Central California coast, up to San Francisco Bay Area and into Napa Valley, for the Labor Day Weekend. I want this one to be a solo trip as well, although my mother wants to squeeze her way in. I will try to talk her out of this trip though, as I don't want to take her around on EVERY trip I go on (besides, I do intend to take her to Carlsbad Caverns for Thanksgiving). Seriously, I really want to be on my own, exploring the world that my novel characters, Sarah and Kirsten, live in, including the streets of Berkeley, the high school in Pacifica where Sarah grew up, the United Airlines hub at San Francisco Airport where Sarah worked, etc. (In fact, since Kirsten is really my alter ego, my very presence in Berkeley pretty much brings her into existence, I presume.) Being on my own will also allow me to explore San Francisco's counterculture relics at my own pace, though I pretty much gave up on the gay San Francisco (except maybe the new Gay Center, Sarah's current employer).
The second one will be toward the end of September, where I will need to be in Washington, DC on a business trip. I am shooting for getting in town several days early, so that I can attend the major antiwar protest over the preceding weekend. I will need to take a week off in any case, so I will try my best. If all else fails, I will still have an opportunity to meet up with the founders of Democracy Cell Project, but I do want to participate in some of the protest activities if I can at all. It will be a very empowering trip, for sure. I will look at my schedule more closely before I commit to firm dates and reserve my air transportation and hotel. It looks like, for the first time, I will fly American Airlines; though Democratic activists may prefer that I fly George Soros-owned JetBlue, I'll be happy that I'll be able to get some perks for my favorite gay community center as I fly, since many, if not most, gay centers have "Business ExtrAA" reward accounts with American which I can name in my reservation.
Both trips will allow me to express myself more freely than I ever could at home, and I will look forward to both.
Apparently two Justice Sundays weren't enough.
I've just been alerted that Rev. Pat Robertson has called for the assassination of Venezuela's Hugo Chavez. I'm sick of all the saber-rattling that has been going on regarding Chavez and other prominent left-wing leaders of sovereign nations, many of them democratically elected (for example, the "impeachment" of South Korea's Roh Moo-Hyun last year was really orchestrated by the Bush regime and its Korean-American puppets, and the Democracy Cell Project now refers to Roh as Asia's Chavez).
In any case, for a leader of a religion that claims to offer love and salvation, how appropriate it is to call for taking out a foreign leader he doesn't like. Robertson's actions prove beyond all doubt that American Christianity is a death cult, plain and simple, and that I should stay as far from it as possible.
Now who's next? "Activist" judges that push the Christian death cultists' buttons? Is it why the two Justice Sundays were held, to scare those judges into submission, when the pro-Christian judges are actually far more activist in practice? Even worse is that this represents mainstream Republican and Christian thinking in today's America. Let's dismiss them as the extremists they truly are.
In any case, for a leader of a religion that claims to offer love and salvation, how appropriate it is to call for taking out a foreign leader he doesn't like. Robertson's actions prove beyond all doubt that American Christianity is a death cult, plain and simple, and that I should stay as far from it as possible.
Now who's next? "Activist" judges that push the Christian death cultists' buttons? Is it why the two Justice Sundays were held, to scare those judges into submission, when the pro-Christian judges are actually far more activist in practice? Even worse is that this represents mainstream Republican and Christian thinking in today's America. Let's dismiss them as the extremists they truly are.
19 August 2005
"Fair and Balanced" Coverage
I am following this thread over at the Democracy Cell Project, dealing with the mainstream media's idea of what constitutes "fair and balanced" coverage. By the media's standards, we would have to interview a Klansman whenever civil rights issues arise, a Nazi whenever a Jewish issue arises, and so forth. In other words, the media wants to bring up an extremist point of view if it suits them well - like the Christian death cultists whenever a gay issue arises, or the likes of Limbaugh and Hannity when Cindy Sheehan is making statements.
Ann Coulter, the most famous of the right-wing transgender women (are they really women? they are more like castrated gay men to me!) if the rumors are correct, has declared the media to be on the conservative side. The idea of "liberal media" is officially dead. Of course, I knew that a long time ago, as Fox is a Republican mouthpiece, and NBC, as a unit of defense contractor General Electric, contributes to Republicans even more than Fox does. And liberal talk radio did not really exist until the coming of Air America last year, whereas conservative talk radio has been well-groomed for years.
The smearing of Cindy Sheehan as an anti-Semite abandoned by her own family is downright false, and it shows just how low the media outlets are willing to go. Besides, just as you don't have to support the so-called "President" to be a patriotic American, you don't have to support the extremists at the Likud Party to be pro-Israel. (Besides, Judeo-Christians and Muslims killing each other over religious differences is now outside my world of thought - and both sides now simply look pathetic to me.)
I am proud to have joined the vigil in support of Cindy Sheehan last Wednesday, and I will give her all the moral support I can. Now, I'll look forward to next month's huge antiwar protest in Washington, DC, as I will have to be in town around that time anyway.
Ann Coulter, the most famous of the right-wing transgender women (are they really women? they are more like castrated gay men to me!) if the rumors are correct, has declared the media to be on the conservative side. The idea of "liberal media" is officially dead. Of course, I knew that a long time ago, as Fox is a Republican mouthpiece, and NBC, as a unit of defense contractor General Electric, contributes to Republicans even more than Fox does. And liberal talk radio did not really exist until the coming of Air America last year, whereas conservative talk radio has been well-groomed for years.
The smearing of Cindy Sheehan as an anti-Semite abandoned by her own family is downright false, and it shows just how low the media outlets are willing to go. Besides, just as you don't have to support the so-called "President" to be a patriotic American, you don't have to support the extremists at the Likud Party to be pro-Israel. (Besides, Judeo-Christians and Muslims killing each other over religious differences is now outside my world of thought - and both sides now simply look pathetic to me.)
I am proud to have joined the vigil in support of Cindy Sheehan last Wednesday, and I will give her all the moral support I can. Now, I'll look forward to next month's huge antiwar protest in Washington, DC, as I will have to be in town around that time anyway.
18 August 2005
Update from Last Night
Before going to bed, Gayle Brandeis, my writing teacher and last night's vigil organizer, responded to my email. I was afraid that I was saddling her with my personal life, but she's in full support of my life decisions, a good thing (if not surprising, given her progressive streak and support for my character Sarah).
I am glad to have gotten to know her, and look forward to working with her in the future both in the writing world and the activist world. (And I'll make sure that Perfect Girl gets published, so that a signed copy will end up in her hands - just as her The Book of Dead Birds had a signed copy end up in mine.)
Now I need to come clean to the rest of the class, and that will happen when it ends.
I am glad to have gotten to know her, and look forward to working with her in the future both in the writing world and the activist world. (And I'll make sure that Perfect Girl gets published, so that a signed copy will end up in her hands - just as her The Book of Dead Birds had a signed copy end up in mine.)
Now I need to come clean to the rest of the class, and that will happen when it ends.
17 August 2005
After the Vigil
The vigil in Riverside, California, hosted by my writing teacher Gayle Brandeis, was a wonderful experience. Gayle's parents, children, and husband came, along with many Women in Black and lots of other locals. It was a nice experience to get to know Gayle not only as my writing teacher, but also a fellow political activist.
I just fired off an email to her spilling the beans out about my own gender situation, and how this explains my writing a transgender-themed novel. It's time that she knew. I'll see how she responds.
Of course, I also introduced her to the Democracy Cell Project, hopefully bringing her into yet another activist channel - and making her a huge asset for it.
I just fired off an email to her spilling the beans out about my own gender situation, and how this explains my writing a transgender-themed novel. It's time that she knew. I'll see how she responds.
Of course, I also introduced her to the Democracy Cell Project, hopefully bringing her into yet another activist channel - and making her a huge asset for it.
15 August 2005
Surprise over at Code Pink
The Code Pink women are all mobilized in support of Cindy Sheehan and her camp outside Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas. Being on the Code Pink email list myself, I get updates every other day or so.
I found a pleasant surprise in my mailbox this evening. I was given a link to a poem, written by none other than my writing teacher, Gayle Brandeis. I am very glad to see her be so active in this great organization. I've known of her progressive politics from her own blog for a while, and now she's putting herself into action - great! Moreover, she will hold a vigil of her own at 7:30 PM Wednesday at Riverside Public Library, which is a 30-minute drive from me.
Now that I've actually named my writing teacher, I will have no choice but to out myself to her (she does know me by my old identity). I will probably make it happen at the vigil, if I can pull it off. Another goal for me would be to bring her into the Democracy Cell Project; I've talked about this for months without doing a thing about it. Once I come out, I will add Gayle's blog, Fruitful, to my list of favorite blogs.
I found a pleasant surprise in my mailbox this evening. I was given a link to a poem, written by none other than my writing teacher, Gayle Brandeis. I am very glad to see her be so active in this great organization. I've known of her progressive politics from her own blog for a while, and now she's putting herself into action - great! Moreover, she will hold a vigil of her own at 7:30 PM Wednesday at Riverside Public Library, which is a 30-minute drive from me.
Now that I've actually named my writing teacher, I will have no choice but to out myself to her (she does know me by my old identity). I will probably make it happen at the vigil, if I can pull it off. Another goal for me would be to bring her into the Democracy Cell Project; I've talked about this for months without doing a thing about it. Once I come out, I will add Gayle's blog, Fruitful, to my list of favorite blogs.
Another Mexican LGBT asylum case
Just checked 365gay.com again to find this article - where it says that a Mexican gay man, who had been severely abused by his family and law enforcement authorities back home (so much for the Latin "family values"), has been granted asylum by the US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. He had been in the US since 1990, overstaying his tourist visa and under deportation hearings since 1997, and now the courts have concluded that his return to Mexico would endanger him.
This gives me several thoughts. It shows the widespread spread of homophobia in Mexico and other Latin American countries (even though there are a few Indio towns in Mexico where transgender people seem to have some power, I heard). I also know of a Nicaraguan transgender woman who is ineligible for asylum because of a prior record in the US, but is being kept at an Oakland jail, because she faces sure death if returned home, and UN treaties prohibit such returns. In addition, I still see a glimmer of hope with the American justice system, recognizing the homophobia in Mexico in granting the asylum. This was not possible during the Reagan era; if you were gay, even coming to the US under normal, legal channels was impossible back then.
I wonder how long this will hold up though. As more Latinos enter the US, they bring more of their homophobia with them. Here in Southern California, Latino homophobia is now the norm and the mainstream, replacing the individualistic permissivity the former "mainstream" community once had. Asian communities are not much different in this regard, either. And higher up the power ladder, the current administration is installing homophobic judges left and right, so future rulings may not be so friendly.
If I were a Latin or Asian gay asylum seeker, I would seek asylum in a country more friendly both legally and socially, like Canada or one of the EU members, instead of the US, which is looking more and more like "home." And back to my real life, I will think twice before heading for Mexico, Costa Rica, or any other Latin American "paradise" ever again, because those places are not paradise for me, even though it means I have to write off a huge chunk of the world.
This gives me several thoughts. It shows the widespread spread of homophobia in Mexico and other Latin American countries (even though there are a few Indio towns in Mexico where transgender people seem to have some power, I heard). I also know of a Nicaraguan transgender woman who is ineligible for asylum because of a prior record in the US, but is being kept at an Oakland jail, because she faces sure death if returned home, and UN treaties prohibit such returns. In addition, I still see a glimmer of hope with the American justice system, recognizing the homophobia in Mexico in granting the asylum. This was not possible during the Reagan era; if you were gay, even coming to the US under normal, legal channels was impossible back then.
I wonder how long this will hold up though. As more Latinos enter the US, they bring more of their homophobia with them. Here in Southern California, Latino homophobia is now the norm and the mainstream, replacing the individualistic permissivity the former "mainstream" community once had. Asian communities are not much different in this regard, either. And higher up the power ladder, the current administration is installing homophobic judges left and right, so future rulings may not be so friendly.
If I were a Latin or Asian gay asylum seeker, I would seek asylum in a country more friendly both legally and socially, like Canada or one of the EU members, instead of the US, which is looking more and more like "home." And back to my real life, I will think twice before heading for Mexico, Costa Rica, or any other Latin American "paradise" ever again, because those places are not paradise for me, even though it means I have to write off a huge chunk of the world.
14 August 2005
I'm back from Vegas
I'm back - after winning $85 at the blackjack tables at Luxor, and using that money (and some more) to do some shopping. Now I am even better equipped in the underwear and shoes department (even though I was drying a pair of panties in my hotel room and just left them there!). Speaking of my room, Internet access wasn't free... preventing me from logging onto my blog.
I really needed to get away - even for one night - and this vacation proved to be a great way to unwind and have some time by myself. The heat was oppressive, but I enjoyed it nevertheless, walking around the different malls of the Strip as I did my shopping.
I also ended up watching a performance of "O" at Bellagio; I couldn't follow the storyline, or lack thereof, at all (all the songs were sung in Sims-like gibberish, for example), but the acrobatics and water divings were spectacular.
One bad thing I've noticed these days in Vegas is more vigilant ID checking, especially at table games. At my blackjack table this morning, every young person had to show an ID to the dealer to play. Underage gambling must have been a major issue in Nevada lately, I presume. Of course, for someone like me, when my IDs describe me as a plain, dorky man when I am none of the above (I really need this resolved soon), it's a very uncomfortable moment. My dealer (a Korean lady at that!) had no issues with me though, telling me that age was the only issue. I hope that this is the same story in all casinos with all dealers, as I do want to keep going back to Vegas on a regular basis. (Maybe there indeed are gamblers who crossdress for luck, I don't know.)
On a brighter note, another dealer called me "Miss" when I tipped him. That made me feel good - this hasn't happened to me in years, and may never happen again, given my age.
Hopefully I will be able to have some time with myself at other locales very soon. Maybe San Francisco and Napa Valley for Labor Day Weekend?
I really needed to get away - even for one night - and this vacation proved to be a great way to unwind and have some time by myself. The heat was oppressive, but I enjoyed it nevertheless, walking around the different malls of the Strip as I did my shopping.
I also ended up watching a performance of "O" at Bellagio; I couldn't follow the storyline, or lack thereof, at all (all the songs were sung in Sims-like gibberish, for example), but the acrobatics and water divings were spectacular.
One bad thing I've noticed these days in Vegas is more vigilant ID checking, especially at table games. At my blackjack table this morning, every young person had to show an ID to the dealer to play. Underage gambling must have been a major issue in Nevada lately, I presume. Of course, for someone like me, when my IDs describe me as a plain, dorky man when I am none of the above (I really need this resolved soon), it's a very uncomfortable moment. My dealer (a Korean lady at that!) had no issues with me though, telling me that age was the only issue. I hope that this is the same story in all casinos with all dealers, as I do want to keep going back to Vegas on a regular basis. (Maybe there indeed are gamblers who crossdress for luck, I don't know.)
On a brighter note, another dealer called me "Miss" when I tipped him. That made me feel good - this hasn't happened to me in years, and may never happen again, given my age.
Hopefully I will be able to have some time with myself at other locales very soon. Maybe San Francisco and Napa Valley for Labor Day Weekend?
12 August 2005
Another sleepless night
The Vegas vacation tomorrow is keeping me wide awake right now. Adding to the uncertainty is the laptop not working with my home Internet connection; I hope it works with the hotel's. If it does, I will blog from the hotel room.
Back to sleep for now. At least I'll try.
Added info: It looks like I won't be going to Las Vegas Lounge. The neighborhood appears very seedy - not a place I'd want to go while driving a BMW (yes, I will drive a BMW to Vegas). And the place is said to be in the pits. I'll let the working girls do their business - there are better places to mingle with them back here in Los Angeles area, if I absolutely must see them for the purposes of my novel. I'll stick to the Strip and act as "straight" as I can in homophobic Vegas.
Back to sleep for now. At least I'll try.
Added info: It looks like I won't be going to Las Vegas Lounge. The neighborhood appears very seedy - not a place I'd want to go while driving a BMW (yes, I will drive a BMW to Vegas). And the place is said to be in the pits. I'll let the working girls do their business - there are better places to mingle with them back here in Los Angeles area, if I absolutely must see them for the purposes of my novel. I'll stick to the Strip and act as "straight" as I can in homophobic Vegas.
11 August 2005
Thai military OKs gays and transgenders
Another sleepless morning again.
Just got news from 365gay.com that Thailand has removed its restriction on gays and transsexuals serving in the military as of yesterday. It's about time for Thailand, where both gay and transgender cultures are in full bloom - though transgender people, by virtue of being labeled "mentally disordered" under the old regulations, were pretty much limited to entertainment jobs. (In fact this is a topic that I will most likely touch upon as I send Sarah to Thailand for her own surgery in my novel.)
If a Third World nation like Thailand can make this move though, why not the only Western democracy that hasn't done so yet - the United States of America? America asks me to unconditionally support the "President" and be patriotic, but when I am not even allowed to serve in the military, I have one less way of serving the country, and one less incentive to be patriotic. Besides, what about all these avenues of opportunity that military service opens up to straights, like scholarships and career opportunities in the civilian world, not to mention the perception of discipline and morality? (And for foreigners, a fast-track path to US citizenship.)
I don't consider military an option for me anyway, but this nevertheless is a question I must ask.
On an unrelated note, it looks like I found a transgender bar in Las Vegas, Las Vegas Lounge, where I will need to spend time this weekend, meeting people for the purposes of my novel.
Just got news from 365gay.com that Thailand has removed its restriction on gays and transsexuals serving in the military as of yesterday. It's about time for Thailand, where both gay and transgender cultures are in full bloom - though transgender people, by virtue of being labeled "mentally disordered" under the old regulations, were pretty much limited to entertainment jobs. (In fact this is a topic that I will most likely touch upon as I send Sarah to Thailand for her own surgery in my novel.)
If a Third World nation like Thailand can make this move though, why not the only Western democracy that hasn't done so yet - the United States of America? America asks me to unconditionally support the "President" and be patriotic, but when I am not even allowed to serve in the military, I have one less way of serving the country, and one less incentive to be patriotic. Besides, what about all these avenues of opportunity that military service opens up to straights, like scholarships and career opportunities in the civilian world, not to mention the perception of discipline and morality? (And for foreigners, a fast-track path to US citizenship.)
I don't consider military an option for me anyway, but this nevertheless is a question I must ask.
On an unrelated note, it looks like I found a transgender bar in Las Vegas, Las Vegas Lounge, where I will need to spend time this weekend, meeting people for the purposes of my novel.
10 August 2005
My idol update
This may be an old news to some, but Melissa Etheridge has declared herself cancer-free, resumed her performances, and will release a greatest hits album in the fall. She even wants to have a child with her current wife, in addition to sharing custody of her two children from her previous relationship.
Things are looking up for Melissa. I hope to see her at some of the activist rallies scheduled later this year, such as the massive anti-war rally in DC late September (which I am planning to attend). In any case, I will definitely be enjoying her new album once it's out.
One of my first San Francisco memories was seeing Melissa live in person at the Civic Center Plaza, and it is still a memory I dearly carry today. If she doesn't personify lesbian power, I don't know who does. You go girl!
Things are looking up for Melissa. I hope to see her at some of the activist rallies scheduled later this year, such as the massive anti-war rally in DC late September (which I am planning to attend). In any case, I will definitely be enjoying her new album once it's out.
One of my first San Francisco memories was seeing Melissa live in person at the Civic Center Plaza, and it is still a memory I dearly carry today. If she doesn't personify lesbian power, I don't know who does. You go girl!
A personal anniversary
It's another sleepless morning for me. I have trouble sleeping these days - perhaps I need to write my own version of "Breathe (2AM)" like Anna Nalick did. (She's only a 10-minute drive from me anyway, and I've been enjoying her album, Wreck of the Day, lately.)
I'm thinking of today back in 1991, when I was in the midst of my very first visit to one of my favorite places - New York City. Specifically, I visited the Statue of Liberty and the World Trade Center. Of course, given that the crown of the Statue of Liberty is closed off now, and that the World Trade Center is no more, my visit fourteen years ago feels more special. As a child, I always dreamt of going to New York City and climbing the Statue of Liberty, and it was so nice to have that dream come true, even though it meant hours and hours of waiting in line. And topping it all off with peaceful evening breeze on the roof of Two World Trade Center watching the sun set over New Jersey was another reward of that day. I finished the day off by going to South Street Seaport, even though it wasn't too much fun after dark...
I ended up going back to the Statue of Liberty twice, but I never went back to the roof of Two World Trade Center again. The view from there, the highest point in New York City, was very special - far more special than the view from the Empire State Building, because I could see cityscape AND water together. I eventually only went back to the shopping mall at the basement of the WTC complex. Of course, nobody could ever possibly imagine back then that those minimalist yet massive skyscrapers would be brought down by a pair of Boeing 767s - one of which had carried me between New York and Los Angeles repeatedly, between that beautiful day and the horrible day of destruction. Just the thought of me having been in Two World Trade Center, AND the plane that ended up as United 175 on September 11th, still gives me the chills.
Of course, it gives me even more chills to even think of the strong possibility that someone in the federal government had advance knowledge of the attacks, and let it happen anyway, in order to expand government power beyond anything America had ever known...
I'm thinking of today back in 1991, when I was in the midst of my very first visit to one of my favorite places - New York City. Specifically, I visited the Statue of Liberty and the World Trade Center. Of course, given that the crown of the Statue of Liberty is closed off now, and that the World Trade Center is no more, my visit fourteen years ago feels more special. As a child, I always dreamt of going to New York City and climbing the Statue of Liberty, and it was so nice to have that dream come true, even though it meant hours and hours of waiting in line. And topping it all off with peaceful evening breeze on the roof of Two World Trade Center watching the sun set over New Jersey was another reward of that day. I finished the day off by going to South Street Seaport, even though it wasn't too much fun after dark...
I ended up going back to the Statue of Liberty twice, but I never went back to the roof of Two World Trade Center again. The view from there, the highest point in New York City, was very special - far more special than the view from the Empire State Building, because I could see cityscape AND water together. I eventually only went back to the shopping mall at the basement of the WTC complex. Of course, nobody could ever possibly imagine back then that those minimalist yet massive skyscrapers would be brought down by a pair of Boeing 767s - one of which had carried me between New York and Los Angeles repeatedly, between that beautiful day and the horrible day of destruction. Just the thought of me having been in Two World Trade Center, AND the plane that ended up as United 175 on September 11th, still gives me the chills.
Of course, it gives me even more chills to even think of the strong possibility that someone in the federal government had advance knowledge of the attacks, and let it happen anyway, in order to expand government power beyond anything America had ever known...
09 August 2005
Justice Sunday, Part II
Apparently the Christian Right's death squad are preparing for another "Justice Sunday" this coming Sunday, to skew the government in their favor and to bring theocracy to the American society. It will be led by Rev. James Dobson of Focus on the Family, opposing stem cell research (I hope he realizes that the current world stem cell research leader is a South Korean - yes, his so-called "puppet" and "ally" in his theocratic war) as well as the corrupt Tom DeLay.
This group is opposing the death squad with another counter-protest, just as they did on the first Justice Sunday in April. I will give them all the moral support I can.
The fact that the outrageous demands and claims made on Justice Sundays are the mainstream Republican values says a lot about the party - and the corruption of the American society at large. Even during the Reagan years, this kind of behavior was considered extremist (even though Reagan's cronies encouraged it, and were building the acceptance that we see now).
I hope the hedonists in Las Vegas I will be mingling with will be opposed as well; even though they were "moral" enough to ban gay marriage twice, they will see that this threatens THEIR lifeblood as well.
This group is opposing the death squad with another counter-protest, just as they did on the first Justice Sunday in April. I will give them all the moral support I can.
The fact that the outrageous demands and claims made on Justice Sundays are the mainstream Republican values says a lot about the party - and the corruption of the American society at large. Even during the Reagan years, this kind of behavior was considered extremist (even though Reagan's cronies encouraged it, and were building the acceptance that we see now).
I hope the hedonists in Las Vegas I will be mingling with will be opposed as well; even though they were "moral" enough to ban gay marriage twice, they will see that this threatens THEIR lifeblood as well.
08 August 2005
Peaceful protest is now a crime
I am getting word from my contacts at Democracy Cell Project that Cindy Sheehan of Vacaville, California, an anti-war activist since her son Casey was killed in the Iraq war, will be arrested on Thursday as a threat to national security, if she refuses to leave her camp in front of Bush's Crawford, Texas, ranch. She has been camping out in front of the ranch in hopes of meeting Bush to demand an end to the war and more American and Iraqi deaths. And so far, she had been forced to march in the deep, nearly impassable ditch next to the road by the Secret Service, while the pro-Bush media covering her march were allowed to use the access road itself. (The most pro-Bush of them all, Fox, is ignoring this deal altogether.)
Bush is no longer the leader of a democracy. He is a dictator, plain and simple. There is nothing that Sheehan has ever done to threaten national security. If peaceful protest threatens national security, America is no longer a democracy; it is a police state and a dictatorship. As the apparent anomalies in the Ohio congressional race last week indicate, the "democratic processes" have now been rigged.
Cindy Sheehan's progress is followed by a website called Meet with Cindy. Apparently the website is being overloaded at this time, and I have no luck accessing it.
Bush is no longer the leader of a democracy. He is a dictator, plain and simple. There is nothing that Sheehan has ever done to threaten national security. If peaceful protest threatens national security, America is no longer a democracy; it is a police state and a dictatorship. As the apparent anomalies in the Ohio congressional race last week indicate, the "democratic processes" have now been rigged.
Cindy Sheehan's progress is followed by a website called Meet with Cindy. Apparently the website is being overloaded at this time, and I have no luck accessing it.
Odds and Ends
Two things today, after being away from my blog for a few days.
First, my novel. It appears that I am pretty much tearing down the closet, that I have been in for as long as I've been taking classes. Lately, I've been posting things about the transgender community that only an insider could possibly know - such as how right-wing some of the "transgender women" can be. (I mean, are they really women, or are they just castrated gay men? Considering that Log Cabin Republicans are otherwise exclusively men...) And now I have to explain away how I ended up writing such passages into my novel. It appears that I will have to destroy the closet once and for all, very soon. I'll give a couple more weeks, then come out to the instructor, and come out to the rest of the class the week after, as the class ends.
Second, I have booked a weekend vacation in Las Vegas. I don't look forward to the Nevada-style morals - where anything goes as long as it's not gay, and there is no sanctity of marriage, PERIOD - but even I need a break from myself from time to time. This will be my first solo vacation in almost two years. Hopefully I'll find enough time to hook up my Dell laptop (UGH... NEVER AGAIN!) in my hotel room and blog my feelings away. At least I won't be driving a Ford for this vacation, and that makes things better...
First, my novel. It appears that I am pretty much tearing down the closet, that I have been in for as long as I've been taking classes. Lately, I've been posting things about the transgender community that only an insider could possibly know - such as how right-wing some of the "transgender women" can be. (I mean, are they really women, or are they just castrated gay men? Considering that Log Cabin Republicans are otherwise exclusively men...) And now I have to explain away how I ended up writing such passages into my novel. It appears that I will have to destroy the closet once and for all, very soon. I'll give a couple more weeks, then come out to the instructor, and come out to the rest of the class the week after, as the class ends.
Second, I have booked a weekend vacation in Las Vegas. I don't look forward to the Nevada-style morals - where anything goes as long as it's not gay, and there is no sanctity of marriage, PERIOD - but even I need a break from myself from time to time. This will be my first solo vacation in almost two years. Hopefully I'll find enough time to hook up my Dell laptop (UGH... NEVER AGAIN!) in my hotel room and blog my feelings away. At least I won't be driving a Ford for this vacation, and that makes things better...
03 August 2005
How obscene can CEO pay get?
This is absolutely obscene. This MSN MoneyCentral article shows the plight of workers - and the perks of CEOs - at four of America's leading companies. I'm puking; after all, I've given a significant amount of business to two of these four - Ford Motor Company and United Airlines - in the past. (As recently as last year, I was putting in enough miles at United to almost qualify as an "elite" flier.) And the plight seems to be a nationwide trend as opposed to being limited to these four companies.
CEO pay has outpaced the average workers' pay for the past few decades. When President Reagan advocated his "trickle-down" economics, he wanted the CEOs to generate some wealth so that it would eventually work its way down to the rank-and-file. Well, it didn't work. CEOs fattened themselves with their never-ending greed, while workers, represented by ineffective unions run by just-as-greedy bosses, suffered. It looks like a corporate pension plan for the average American worker is now a thing of the past, along with vacations, and pretty soon, health insurance.
There is, in fact, no more incentive for the average American to work anymore, except to barely survive. Remember that communist economies failed because they glorified workers - and hard labor - without rewarding it much in reality. As anti-communist as America is, I don't see much of a difference anymore. Workers are blamed for their laziness, yet when they do work hard and create wealth, they see very little of it. And when CEOs make bad business decisions, workers pay by giving up their pensions, or even worse, their jobs; United Airlines, again, is a clear example of this, having overexpanded in the 1990s, relied too much on the Silicon Valley bubble passengers, and flirted with a disastrous stock option plan instead of a pay raise.
Capitalist economy works when the average worker is rewarded well for his work, and has enough of a disposable income to spend on goods and services. This is no longer the case in the United States. In red states such as Arizona, there is no disposable income, period. Sure, the US economy has been recovering, but only for those at the very top. And the wartime tax cuts (what the @#$*(^ is that? a wartime tax cut?) have only served to fatten the super-rich at the expense of average taxpayers like me. This is not going to work. No wonder American workers are becoming disgruntled, their productivity falls compared to Europe and Asia, and this whole deal is proving to be counterproductive. (Again, neither Ford nor GM is known for quality vehicles, and neither United nor Continental is known for quality inflight service.)
America deserves better than this. Too bad the Republicans are such good manipulators, and the Democrats don't offer a clear alternative.
CEO pay has outpaced the average workers' pay for the past few decades. When President Reagan advocated his "trickle-down" economics, he wanted the CEOs to generate some wealth so that it would eventually work its way down to the rank-and-file. Well, it didn't work. CEOs fattened themselves with their never-ending greed, while workers, represented by ineffective unions run by just-as-greedy bosses, suffered. It looks like a corporate pension plan for the average American worker is now a thing of the past, along with vacations, and pretty soon, health insurance.
There is, in fact, no more incentive for the average American to work anymore, except to barely survive. Remember that communist economies failed because they glorified workers - and hard labor - without rewarding it much in reality. As anti-communist as America is, I don't see much of a difference anymore. Workers are blamed for their laziness, yet when they do work hard and create wealth, they see very little of it. And when CEOs make bad business decisions, workers pay by giving up their pensions, or even worse, their jobs; United Airlines, again, is a clear example of this, having overexpanded in the 1990s, relied too much on the Silicon Valley bubble passengers, and flirted with a disastrous stock option plan instead of a pay raise.
Capitalist economy works when the average worker is rewarded well for his work, and has enough of a disposable income to spend on goods and services. This is no longer the case in the United States. In red states such as Arizona, there is no disposable income, period. Sure, the US economy has been recovering, but only for those at the very top. And the wartime tax cuts (what the @#$*(^ is that? a wartime tax cut?) have only served to fatten the super-rich at the expense of average taxpayers like me. This is not going to work. No wonder American workers are becoming disgruntled, their productivity falls compared to Europe and Asia, and this whole deal is proving to be counterproductive. (Again, neither Ford nor GM is known for quality vehicles, and neither United nor Continental is known for quality inflight service.)
America deserves better than this. Too bad the Republicans are such good manipulators, and the Democrats don't offer a clear alternative.
01 August 2005
What womanhood means to me
I've been following some discussions over at the Democracy Cell Project blog, where fellow feminists and matriarchy followers Amy and NonnyO have been making some very thought-provoking (if a bit offensive to some men) comments. From their comments, I've even learned of a new website, Matrifocus, which deals with matriarchal religions and their followers, and made sure to include a link here. As I study and follow the world of feminism and matriarchal belief systems, as well as the world of lesbians, I have to take a moment and assess where I stand.
I've often been accused in the transgender circles of forsaking their community in favor of completely embracing the lesbian identity. And they are right. In the straight world, I've been openly identifying as a lesbian for years without any qualms, whereas I have never dared to even mention, much less discuss, my own transgender background until last November - and even then, only because it was relevant to the political discussions going on. And maybe only because I ended up losing my identity against my will in more recent years; if I had successfully retained my legal identity as a woman, I probably may have never come to discuss my transgender background, even today. With this very unusual background, I start my discussion.
I feel that the whole "butch/femme" dichotomy of the lesbian world fails me. For me, butch is not really an option; to go butch, with masculine haircut and clothing and manners, practically takes me back to manhood, period - a place where I no longer wish to be. The only time I need this is when my against-my-will male IDs are actually required, and I need the corresponding presentation, such as when going overseas, or registering for classes. (I hope to end all this nonsense in the near future.) Otherwise, it's femme as much as possible. Though I don't believe in hyperfemininity (i.e. all those drag queens on the Christian television networks), I do end up doing my entire makeup routine, and wearing a skirt or a dress mostly (with high hemlines often, hence my nickname). Even then though, "masculine" survival skills - such as insisting on changing the oil on my car myself - remain, so I really blur the whole butch/femme idea.
Given that my lesbian and female identity sit on this unusual ground to start with, the meaning of womanhood is a different matter to me. For most women, it's a given, reinforced by their mothers and other role models since birth. That's a luxury I don't have. Everyone has tried so hard to constantly "debunk" and "deny" my womanhood, sometimes using my lesbianism and my "masculine" survival skills as "proof" that I am not really female after all. I have to earn my womanhood the hard way - and sometimes, the hard way ends up not being hard enough. And as for people who say I never gave manhood much of a chance, trust me, I did, and could never make much sense out of it, and besides, never liked it anyway. (When you're a "guy" and buy Sarah McLachlan albums, you definitely look odd in the midst of fellow guys buying Metallica and Van Halen.) Even against this hostility, my female identity has grown and matured, to a point where I cherish and value the nurturing maternal energy, and try to make that my own as much as possible. This is one of the many reasons I have moved away from male-centered Christianity in favor of maternalistic belief systems.
I will continue to hit walls in this brave new world though, I must say. Having been raised in male-centered thought systems all my life, and having lived as a male most of my life, there are bad, old habits of paternalism that will be extremely hard to break. And this male past will ensure that I will have trouble being accepted in many women-only spaces. And my biggest physical handicap will be the inability to experience what most women take for granted - periods, childbirth, and other female physiological phenomena - and that will give me one less common ground to stand on with my new allies.
I think the best I can do is this. Recognizing that there IS some good in male energy (such as being able to take initiative), I will make the best of both worlds. I will not be making good friends with militant man-hater feminists anyway, so no need to even try; they are no different from their male counterparts who put women down at all costs. I need to stick to more holistic feminists who balance both male and female energies to make lives better for all women. These people will rightfully see my own womanhood and feminism as something hard-earned through struggles, and that's going to be the key. These struggles will make me stronger, more mature, and most importantly, more female. I will never let that Y chromosome prevent me from living a fulfilling female life.
I've often been accused in the transgender circles of forsaking their community in favor of completely embracing the lesbian identity. And they are right. In the straight world, I've been openly identifying as a lesbian for years without any qualms, whereas I have never dared to even mention, much less discuss, my own transgender background until last November - and even then, only because it was relevant to the political discussions going on. And maybe only because I ended up losing my identity against my will in more recent years; if I had successfully retained my legal identity as a woman, I probably may have never come to discuss my transgender background, even today. With this very unusual background, I start my discussion.
I feel that the whole "butch/femme" dichotomy of the lesbian world fails me. For me, butch is not really an option; to go butch, with masculine haircut and clothing and manners, practically takes me back to manhood, period - a place where I no longer wish to be. The only time I need this is when my against-my-will male IDs are actually required, and I need the corresponding presentation, such as when going overseas, or registering for classes. (I hope to end all this nonsense in the near future.) Otherwise, it's femme as much as possible. Though I don't believe in hyperfemininity (i.e. all those drag queens on the Christian television networks), I do end up doing my entire makeup routine, and wearing a skirt or a dress mostly (with high hemlines often, hence my nickname). Even then though, "masculine" survival skills - such as insisting on changing the oil on my car myself - remain, so I really blur the whole butch/femme idea.
Given that my lesbian and female identity sit on this unusual ground to start with, the meaning of womanhood is a different matter to me. For most women, it's a given, reinforced by their mothers and other role models since birth. That's a luxury I don't have. Everyone has tried so hard to constantly "debunk" and "deny" my womanhood, sometimes using my lesbianism and my "masculine" survival skills as "proof" that I am not really female after all. I have to earn my womanhood the hard way - and sometimes, the hard way ends up not being hard enough. And as for people who say I never gave manhood much of a chance, trust me, I did, and could never make much sense out of it, and besides, never liked it anyway. (When you're a "guy" and buy Sarah McLachlan albums, you definitely look odd in the midst of fellow guys buying Metallica and Van Halen.) Even against this hostility, my female identity has grown and matured, to a point where I cherish and value the nurturing maternal energy, and try to make that my own as much as possible. This is one of the many reasons I have moved away from male-centered Christianity in favor of maternalistic belief systems.
I will continue to hit walls in this brave new world though, I must say. Having been raised in male-centered thought systems all my life, and having lived as a male most of my life, there are bad, old habits of paternalism that will be extremely hard to break. And this male past will ensure that I will have trouble being accepted in many women-only spaces. And my biggest physical handicap will be the inability to experience what most women take for granted - periods, childbirth, and other female physiological phenomena - and that will give me one less common ground to stand on with my new allies.
I think the best I can do is this. Recognizing that there IS some good in male energy (such as being able to take initiative), I will make the best of both worlds. I will not be making good friends with militant man-hater feminists anyway, so no need to even try; they are no different from their male counterparts who put women down at all costs. I need to stick to more holistic feminists who balance both male and female energies to make lives better for all women. These people will rightfully see my own womanhood and feminism as something hard-earned through struggles, and that's going to be the key. These struggles will make me stronger, more mature, and most importantly, more female. I will never let that Y chromosome prevent me from living a fulfilling female life.
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