Same-sex marriage makes a comeback

Speaking of "entitlement," one group of people who aren't even entitled to the most basic, universal foundation found in life and happiness, is the gay community. Being liberal and from the San Francisco area, I grew up with many gay friends. And when Bush took his Christian, conservative interests to a whole other level by pushing to deny 10 percent of the American population the right to get married, it broke my heart.
I'm happy to say that gay/lesbian couples can be legally wed in California beginning June 17. Talk about the liberal state's Supreme Court to the rescue.
And it's about time.
What made me every more ecstatic was reading that San Fran Mayor Gavin Newson said, in relation to the Supreme Court's ruling on legalizing same-sex marriage, that California starts trends that the U.S. eventually follows. We can only hope.
And now New York has decided to recognize marriages between gay/lesbian couples that were legally wed in other states.
I'm happy to see gay marriage being on the right track...or maybe I mean the left.
Take that, Bible thumpers.

I wonder:
How many states will never comply with legalizing same-sex marriage?
Does the majority of American population agree with same-sex marriage?
Will this increase the number of gay couples in California and New York?
How many other states will follow suit?
Will the next Democratic president push for a national legalization of same-sex marriages?

I don't see "entitlement" ... only sexism

When I was going to high school in Northern California, one day I got pulled over by a cop. It was my first time being pulled over, so I was scared and upset to say the least.
The police officer asked me for my license and registration, so I nervously gave him all the paperwork in my car. He studied my license for a while and then looked into my eyes.
"Ohhh, so you live on Raccolio, eh?"
"Yes."
"That's in that new neighborhood over here, eh?"
"Yes."
I'll never forget that for the rest of my life. That was my first encounter with a cop. The way he looked at me, he way he talked to me...I knew all he saw was a rich girl who's parents will pay any ticket she gets.
What a crook.
I felt exploited. Misunderstood. Judged.
It was one of the most terrible feelings possible to feel, because I didn't do anything to deserve that treatment, that judgment and I couldn't say or do anything to change his mind- his mind was made up. He'll take his revenge out on me because I am a rich girl and my rich daddy should help pay the police force's salary because they're bitter from getting paid less than garbage men.
Anyone would feel just as hurt as I felt from that judgment. The cop didn't know who I was or what it was like to be me. He had never been a teenage girl from a well-to-do family, so who is he to judge me and exploit me based on his assumptions?
That was the scenario that played again and again in my mind after I had watched Rev. Michael Pfleger's sermon, mocking Sen. Hillary Clinton.
He made fun of Clinton, wiping his eyes and saying "I'm white! I'm entitled! There's a black man stealing my show!"
When I saw this video on CNN, all hell broke loose. I yelled at my TV so loudly that my cat ran under my bed.
Since when do women feel like they're entitled to anything? Last time I checked (which was recently), a black man will make more money than me in any position in any professional field we both go into. He'd probably be hired over me and be given a promotion over me, too, because more than likely, the boss is a man and he thinks men are more competent than women.
Hillary never went into this presidency thinking "I'm going to beat Barack because I'm white and I deserve this more than him." How DARE a man say that! How DARE an audience laugh at that!
Hillary is ambitious, hard-headed and determined to be president- but so is EVERY person who has ever wanted to be president. She's soooo close to getting the nomination- that's why she's held on so long. She doesn't want to give up easily. If she did, she'd set that tone for all women here on after. It would seem like she didn't get the presidency because she gave up. She has to stay in it so that she seems just as tough as any other man- she must set the precedent for future women. She's doing that because she KNOWS she's not entitled to shit!
The only women who feel like they're entitled to anything, are the 99% fake trophy wives who have more silicone and botox than they do brain cells and all they feel entitled to is a rich husband, big house, fancy car and lots of jewelery.
Call me when you met a woman who literally feels entitled to win the presidency because she's white. I don't need to give you my number, because you won't be calling me any time soon.
Women's status has had such an amazingly slow increase over time, that it's one of the most depressing and disappointing things I could think about.
GENDER STUMPS RACE. Period.
If you're a man who's black, Indian, British, I don't care what, you will be treated differently than women. What differently means, is up to you. You could say that women are treated "better" because men will hold doors open for them, help them carry things or give them free stuff. But isn't that just another way of men proving how helpless and fragile they think women are?
Pfleger made a false accusation against Clinton and therefore offended all women. He has NO right to judge women. All he did was degrade women and downplay our struggle that he knows nothing about.
I don't care if you've been married for 50 years or if you have 5 sisters. Only women know the full force of sexism whether it's through intense chivalry or from being treated as if you're just a piece of meat.
The truth is, we all have struggles. In America, our struggles are supposed to deteriorate as all people are treated as one. And no group's struggles will be subsided until the people start taking all struggles seriously. And when reverends who know they're being watched by the media are unfairly and erroneously judgmental, the step that's being taken is a step backward for equality and a wider barrier in between races.
Leave it up to Obama's reverends to know what to say to get America's blood boiling.

When Weather Strikes Back: Send Your Relief to Asia

Lately, severe weather conditions have devastated the other side of the globe. My heart goes out to the people. I can't imagine their loss and suffering.
When tragedies like these events occur, it puts Americans' difficulties in perspective. We must put down our $5 Starbucks and stop whining about how we have to pay $75 to fill up our $40,000 vehicle, and sympathize with those who, in a few seconds, lost everything and everyone in their lives.
It's time for a reality check.


A tremendous 7.9-magnitude earthquake shook China, killing roughly 80,000 people on May 12. It struck the very populated Sichuan providence. Aftershocks killed about an additional 4,800 people.

This has been the country's worst natural disaster since a 1976 earthquake killed at least 240,000 people.














(Pictures from Time Magazine)

If you want to help, you can donate money to the American Red Cross or donate to the Church World Service emergency response organization. Every penny counts.





And on May 3, massive hurricane Nargis ripped through Myanmar, including it's biggest city, Yangon, killing about 78,000 people. About 56,000 people are still missing and more than 1 million are homeless.

The country has been receiving aid from the U.S. and other individual countries. The U.N. has pulled in about 60 percent of its $200 million goal for relief funds.













(Most Pictures from Time Magazine and other news sources)

If you want to make a difference, you can donate to the American Red Cross, donate to the Church World Service emergency response organization or donate money to UNICEF.

Hillary, You'll Always Be My Girl

Hillary,
You've had a good run. Now you don't have to worry about being remembered as the First Lady to the first "black" president. You made the dream of there being a female president become a reality for little girls. And the country won't think you're a bitch for no reason...we now have proof you are in fact a bitch.
But you're the type of bitch who could lead this country. Women have to be strong to get as far as you have, and you more than anyone else knows that. I know with all my heart you have the potential to lead this country into a better direction. But let's not fool ourselves any more.
You're not going to win the nomination.
Michigan and Florida voted months ago. Not only are their votes not legit right now (and Michigan didn't even have Obama on the ballot, so it's basically cheating), but the majority vote could swing to Obama now.
Yes, you've won all the big states, and I agree, that is imperative and impressive. But Obama has still received the most popular votes, most delegates and most super delegate votes. Sorry to rain on your parade, but that's what it takes to win. His cool charm and collected charisma has swept the country.
Even Time Magazine's front cover on May 19th had a picture of Obama with that friendly smile the world loves with text reading: "And the winner is...really, we're pretty sure this time."
My mouth dropped when I saw that. I knew it was over.
I understand your frustration, Hillary. I know you think it's "not over till it's over," but Howard Dean is pushing for a final candidate and you're slowly being pushed out of the media spotlight.
But you gave it your all. Every time someone from your camp said something the general public would disapprove of, you dropped them like they were as poisonous as Dick Cheney. You even kicked your husband to the curb. You showed your muscle and brains in the debates and hit Obama below the belt every chance you got (aka: every chance he slipped). And don't think I didn't notice you cheating a little bit by copying Obama's hesitant, assumed-to-be-thoughtful pauses and stuttering. Hillary, you're better than that. (If Americans want to vote another poor public speaker into office, so be it. Don't lower yourself to that level.)
But let's face it: Your run is over.
Like my dad always said, "Quit while you're ahead."
Drop out in style. Kick out the campaign before it kicks you out. You're not fooling anyone- we know Obama has it in the bag. And the worst thing you can do now is stay in it and continue to throw punches that only devastate Obama's image. I know he's not as qualified as you, but it's important that the Democratic Party rejoice, regroup and kick McCain's butt back to Arizona. At least he's a minority, too.
And it's true, he's not that bad. He seems friendly, his wife is extremely intelligent and you and him agree with the majority of issues. He also has the support of the liberal media, John Edwards, Ted Kennedy and even NARAL (the pro-choice feminist group). Ouch.
You've got to be smart enough to know when to bow out in style, and now would be the appropriate time. It would be in good taste, produce respect from both isles and create more time for the Democratic Party to plan their attacks against McCain.
Believe me when I say that this separation won't be easy. We gave it a try, and it almost worked out. You made it farther than any other woman ever has (unless you consider Nancy Pelosi's position, which is an amazing feat. Third place isn't bad, but women must keep their eye on the prize). You made American women recognize that we will have a woman president some day soon. But I am honestly devastated that it won't be you. And I'm even more devastated that our first minority president will still be a man.
You'll always be my girl. But now it's time to focus on our guy. Make yourself useful and start helping him out win votes with the elderly, middle class and big state populations. I know you like to live in your own world sometimes, but realistically, he's our only hope.

Hypocritical acts from the ignorant brawn

I've been wondering the same thing for a while: How long will it be until the U.S. finally gets it?
With 4,084 unfortunate soldier deaths, more than $9 trillion in debt (according to the national debt clock, which is at such an extremely high number that I barely believe it), seven heart-aching years being stuck with a moron in a monkey suit as president and being squeezed of our resources...and we still have the audacity to act like we know it all.
This Bush Administration roller coaster ride is coming to an end. I know it is, because it's plummeting so deep, so quickly, that the only place left to go is up. I can't envision a worse scenario than a country suffering from fiscal, economic and psychological meltdowns in the national and state levels.
The world hates our president, we hate our president and even his own former staff hates him- just ask Former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan. Maybe "hate" is too strong of a word ... how about: finds Bush to be a conniving, insensitive, manipulative, narrow-minded, special interest-loving weasel.
Americans are so burned out from hearing about President Bush's consistent speech fax pas and incorrect diplomatic assumptions, that they want to watch other people hurdle through hoops and walk on egg shells ... cue Sens. Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and John McCain to eagerly grab the spotlight with their polished, fake grins.
Americans (famous and not) and American politicians have been shedding light on the indecent treatment of people in China, Tibet, Iraq, Russia, Gaza, Myanmar, Pakistan and the tragic genocide in Darfur...just to name a few examples. That's good, because as we all know from watching TV, when superstars start voicing their politics, people listen. Look at Michael J. Fox and the Governator's influence. The U.S. government also holds this power on a world level. When our government says something, the world listens. Or at least we used to be taken seriously when we actually held a global power position (because we used to be proactive in a helpful way instead of this destructive, nationalist, globalization blanket that we use to suffocate vulnerable countries).
But the world doesn't have to wait to hear the U.S. make a cry for human rights. Amnesty International's most recent report names all the before-mentioned countries on it's list of 81 countries that permit ill-treatment toward their people. This is a wake-up call that the U.S. grasps with open arms. Of course those countries are bad, since China won't allow free speech, Darfur has been killing it's own people based on their religion and most of those countries rig their "democratic" elections.
I picture Uncle Sam arrogantly standing there, nodding his head and wiggling his finger as the report is read. Until it comes to the U.S.'s faults.
As soon as the same report also attacks the U.S. for it's devilish deeds ... oh no, the Amnesty International report is wrong! Of course the people in Iraq need our occupation- I mean protection. Of course Guantanamo Bay Detention Center is necessary and legit (who needs a free trial? they're foreigners and we're Americans- we don't treat foreigners with respect). Of course we didn't need the U.N.'s approval to go to war.
How could we be labeled as a country creating problems? We look down upon other countries that occupy, torture, rig their own elections start senseless wars and have nuclear weapons...but that's exactly what we do! America is a fat, sloppy, greedy hypocrite. We are our own worst enemy.
In our dopey drunkenness of ignorance, we believe our own country to be a saint. The current Administration doesn't view itself as one that created a desolate, violent, never-ending war and occupation in a country whose citizens don't want us there, where the food prices are rising at home and food levels are plummeting across the globe, a situation in which Osama, the leader of those who plotted 9/11, still is far from being caught and prices are skyrocketing at the gas tanks, so Americans can't even leisurely enjoy the small amount of money we're getting paid.
When the U.S. looks in the mirror, it sees an angel, while others see what Hugo Chavez sees. It puts paint on top of all the rust. But our imperfections are making their way out to the critics of the world, and soon we'll have to take a step back, let loose of our pride and figure out what we can do differently to make this world, and therefore this country, a better place.
While China's power increases, the U.S. continues to sink to a new low. It's better to stop fighting the quick sand and maybe get a friend to throw us a rope. We need to get out of this blind "America can do no harm" mentality, because it's killing us.
When Americans recognized the country's downward spiral in 2006, we took action and our disappointed voices were heard when the Democratic Party took the majority in Congress. I'm expecting the same kind of victory in November. Because as the world knows, another four years of a deceitful, barbarian Republican Administration isn't a victory...and neither is 100 years more of war.