Miscellaneous: October 2005 Archives

“It’s been what, 30 years since he’s been someone that America gave a s--- about? Other than the Star Trek fanboys, of course. Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s great for him that he’s come out of the closet, it’s just too late for it to make any kind of difference. For that, I’ll be honest, I’m a little ticked off.” (source)

I read today that George Takei came out of the closet. I remember growing up that I had this huge crush on Walter Koenig (played Chekov) when I was a kid. I wanted to be just like him. There was one scene where Sulu was crazy (I forget the plot), and I remember him running around without his shirt with this huge sword. I was thinking, “OH MY GOD!” If I had any doubts what so ever about being gay, that confirmed it.

I’m personally disappointed that George Takei waited so long to come out. My feelings are in line with the quote above. But, I do understand it. The truly unfortunate thing about him waiting so long is the fact that he could have sent a powerful message to kids like me; the message that it was “ok” to be who you are. It says less about the integrity of Mr. Takei, and more about the cruel and judgmental world we live in. Had he come out twenty years ago, do you really think Mr. Sulu would have continued with Star Trek?

There are many many people in the United States today who are in the closet, out of fear. They fear judgment, rejection, gay bashing, and murder. We are not a free country. Many of us live in tyranny.

Addition Source Material

This is just a sample of the emails I receive every day. If you can make heads or tails of this, you are doing better that I am.

You know what? I just can't do this anymore! Just as they were wanting to enjoy being family again, another man came. Dropped an advolt on his head? It is because this was a special fawn. Why ask him? He was a young Prince. Unitl finally, the mean old bully was hurt and limped off all alone. The same deafening sound Bambi had heard before. Chocolate thai is yummy At last winter left, and spring returned. Listen up well, you might learn something.

Parents already worry about razor-spiked apples and poisoned candy when they send their kids out trick-or-treating on Halloween. Now, there’s a growing concern that children could unwittingly be seeking treats from sex offenders living in the neighborhood. In communities across the country, local officials are taking steps to keep sex offenders away from kids on Halloween night.

Communities in several states are requiring offenders to report to county offices for educational or counseling programs, while others are going so far as to bar registered sex offenders on probation from answering their door to trick-or-treaters or putting so much as a pumpkin on their porch.

About 45 registered Level 2 and 3 sex offenders who live in Westchester County, just north of New York City, will receive special invitations to attend an educational program between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Oct. 31, under an initiative spearheaded by Westchester County Executive Andrew Spano. Those who don’t attend will receive a personal visit from probation officers and police. Level 1 sex offenders and those on probation who have committed crimes of a sexual nature will also receive a home visit, according to a statement released by Spano’s office.

“We’ve done home visits on Halloween nights in the past, but this is the first year that we’ve asked sex offenders on probation to come in to our offices,” said Victoria Hochman, assistant communications director for the county executive. (source)

“...while others are going so far as to bar registered sex offenders on probation from answering their door to trick-or-treaters or putting so much as a pumpkin on their porch.”

I would think that somewhere in the midst of all these actions the law enforcement is taking against past sex offenders, are possibly some civil rights violations. I mean, come on! You can’t answer your door or put a pumpkin on your porch?

I’m all for protecting children from these people. I’m not arguing that. But at some point, you have to draw the line on common decency. We already post their names and addresses on the Internet. I’m frankly surprised that more of these offenders haven’t turned up dead or harmed in some physical way. I know for a fact that many have been denied jobs and housing. Many would say, “Good! They deserve any damn thing they get!”. But do they really? If you are going to make that distinction for that group, it gets a bit easier to do it for the next group. And so it goes.

All of this hysteria of course has made me rethink my awareness to children in my immediate vicinity. I will never be caught alone with them, not because I would do anything to them what so ever. I just don’t want to open myself up to the issue because all it takes is one kid to accuse anyone of touching them wrong. This is where we are today. At that point, it is your word against theirs, and who do you think they will believe? And yet, I see parents at the mall all the time letting their kids roam all over the damn place because they don’t want to take the time to be inconvenienced with the job of being a parent. I’ve also heard children who are being verbally disciplined by their parents threaten to call the Department of Children Welfare if their parents don’t lighten up (read, let them have their way). This is what it’s come down to.

I have also made a decision that, because of this hysteria, I am no longer going to be available on Halloween for trick-or-treaters. Every year, we get anywhere from 75 to 150 kids that stop by for candy. We have always been open to it. This year, my home will be closed to them. We will go out to dinner and a movie, or simply lie in bed with the lights out watching TV for the night. Why put myself at risk? It’s simply not worth it.

I suppose it was inevitable that Halloween would eventually be the victim of the hysteria over sex offenders.

It’s getting towards the end of the month for me. That means, I’m almost at the end of my bandwidth allotment. When you host a website, you pay for server space and bandwidth. As the site gets more popular (more people come to the site), your bandwidth will increase. My bandwidth has increased from 6 GB (gigabytes) used in January, 2005, to over 30 GB this month. Along the way, I’ve had my Internet Service Provider increase the bandwidth, at a cost to me.

What can I do about this? Well, a couple of things. First, I’ve stopped what is called “hot linking”. That is when other sites simply place a link to an image on my site from their site. By clicking on the link on their site, my site has to serve the image up (uses MY bandwidth) for their viewers to view. This does not increase their bandwidth at all. Now, they are no longer able to do that. They must come to my site to view the photos.

And speaking of photos... I’ve temporarily taken the photo gallery completely off-line. If you try to view any photos, it will bring you back to the home page of the blog. Photos take the most bandwidth of all.

I’ve also learned that there is a concerted effort to bring my site down by forcing the bandwidth up and causing me to pay more and more each month. You can use your own imagination to guess who may be doing this, based on the content of my site. I am not going to throw stones here or open myself up to possible litigation by mentioning names.

The Abu Ghraib Prison abuse photos are gone. I deleted the photos and put up a notice that they were not deleted because of any government pressure, but rather one of expense. They were getting thousands of hits per month. I simply don’t want to pay the expense, when it is such a small focus of what I am and what this site is about. I disagree with what happened at Abu Ghraib. I think that statement has been made.

My bandwidth recharges as of October 31 at 11:00PM EST. At that point, the counter will go back to zero. But, I’m right on the line and I will not pay for more bandwidth. Once it reaches 31 GB, the site will refuse everyone, until October 31st. I mention this so you will know what happened should you be refused. If that be the case, I will see you all again after Oct. 31.

Continue to leave comments as you wish, and I will continue to post as the spirit moves me. All of that takes virtually no bandwidth.

“They’ve asked for paperwork about the decision-making process, what her recommendations were. That would breach very important confidentiality and it’s a red line I am not willing to cross.” Disclosing that material “would make it impossible for me and other presidents to be able to make sound decisions.” - President George W. Bush (source)

I’m seriously trying to take this seriously, but it is difficult. I understand that the our current President considers the recommendation of Harriet Miers to the U.S. Supreme Court to be a “sound decision”. That’s just very troubling. I also find it equally troubling that he is unable to form complete sentences.

Judge Robert Bork should not have been placed on the court either. His rejection, in my view, was valid. However, Bork did bring scholarship and experience to the table. Not to be unkind, but Miers lacks both.

Worshippers there strongly believe in the traditional definition of marriage set out in the Bible, said Rev. Max Dawson, the church’s pastor.

Congregants are not told how to vote, but they are reminded from the pulpit that gay marriage is immoral.

“God is the one who instituted and regulates marriage, and its clear that marriage is between one man and one wife,” Dawson said. (source)

Really? So Mormons were simply testing that concept of "one man, one woman"... six or seven or eight times over? I mean, if GOD defined marriage, and GOD defined marriage as ONE man and ONE woman, the Mormons were probably just trying to get it right (in the music world, we call that practicing).

Right?

Well, I suppose you have to give them partial credit. They got the "one man" part right.

I usually don't post cartoons that gain laughs at the expense of others, but I have to admit that I got a chuckle out of this.

President George W. Bush said he chose White House Counsel Harriet Miers as his U.S. Supreme Court nominee in part because he wanted the court to have the perspective of someone who has never been a judge.

“It’s an unusual nomination because she’s never been a judge,” Bush said at a news conference with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas today at the White House. “I picked Harriet for a lot of reasons. One reason is she’s never been a judge.” (source)

He’s an idiot. I guess there’s nothing like practicing to be a judge where it counts... on the highest court in the land. I just hope that she’s at least read The Constitution.

And here’s some more comforting news.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice refused yesterday to rule out military action against Syria and Iran -- two countries she accused of supporting the insurgency in Iraq. (source)

Depending on whom you ask, this election season will be about the sanctity of marriage, the protection of individual rights, or nothing but a setup for the real races in 2006.

Either way, all the talk is going to be about gay marriage.

The fight over same-sex marriages in Texas is heating up, as both sides ratchet up their arguments over a proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage.

Texas is the only state with an amendment on the ballot involving the hot-button issue this year, making it a focus of the gay-marriage movement -- pro and con -- for the next month.

After a summer in which the topic has been all but ignored, amendment supporters and opponents are hoping to stir up ample indignation. And win or lose, any group that energizes its base could see rewards well beyond Election Day. (source)

ok... I’m tired (very tired) of being played as a political football to “get masses to the polls” to show that they all support the “sanctity of marriage”, even though most of them are on their third marriage.

Texas will be an easy win for them. Gays are barely tolerated there if not outright hated. There are only little islands of tolerance in Texas (Austin) and a few others to a lesser extent (so I’ve been told - I won’t set foot in their state). So, in a sense, this is just symbolism. They will use it to drive people into a frenzy. They will go to the polls to do their Christian duty, and that will be the end of that. The gays will once again be put in our place -- the place where all second-class citizens belong.

So, if it’s a given, I’m not going to worry about it.

Kent’s parents are coming out for a visit next week and I have plenty of other things in my life to occupy my time other than a battle that doesn’t directly affect me. I feel bad for the gay couples in Texas, but I can’t affect that.

Someday, I know that this nation will look back on all of this and be shameful of the way we were treated. This is not the sort of thing that people change their minds on. This is the sort of thing where a generation of less enlightened people die off (the “hate the sin, love the sinner” crowd), and the next generation takes their place. That is the generation that will realize that you don’t deny anyone equal civil rights based on religious dogma. They are the crowd who will truly understand the purpose of the separation of religion and government. Polls show they have little problem with us vowing to support our loved ones in marriage. Their battle will not be if this is right or wrong. Their battle will be to undo all the hateful constitutional amendments in place and go from there.

My last entry pointed to a dialog on gay marriage. What really surprised me is that there are more and more straight people who are speaking out in our favor. It’s very gratifying indeed.

As for Connecticut, talk is already starting in Hartford that we need to replace this civil union with marriage. When that happens, I have to get in gear about deciding on cakes, tuxedos, receptions, food, and all the rest. It’s funny. I always hated weddings, I suppose because it was symbolic of what I would never have in life. Who knows, I just may have the most important day in my entire life ahead of me!

I always find the evangelists amusing. I know that some take them seriously, but I just can’t seem to bring myself to it. Think about it. It wasn’t so long ago that Pat Robertson said about the “gay days” at Disneyworld: “I would warn Orlando that you’re right in the way of some serious hurricanes, and I don’t think I’d be waving those flags in God’s face if I were you, This is not a message of hate -- this is a message of redemption. But a condition like this will bring about the destruction of your nation. It’ll bring about terrorist bombs; it’ll bring earthquakes, tornadoes, and possibly a meteor.”

So I guess 9/11 is our fault? Well, yes it is. He also stated that as well. And now, we have Franklin Graham suggesting that God made Katrina happen to wipe out the sinners of New Orleans.

If that’s the case, why did God spare the French Quarter? That is where all the bars are. That is where the gays and lesbians operate. Laughable.

KING: Another thing you said in the wake of this is -- and you just touched on it a moment ago. Speaking of New Orleans: “It’s a city that has strong ties to the gay and lesbian movement and these type of things.” Is it your hope now, sir, that these elements, the gay and lesbian community, will somehow be purged from New Orleans?

GRAHAM: Well, I certainly hope that the gospel of Jesus Christ will be preached. I want to see men and women converted. Jesus said, “I am the way, the way and truth and light. No man comes to the father but by me.” I believe that the only way that we can approach a holy God is through the person of Jesus Christ.

And Jesus Christ came for sinners. I am a sinner, and Jesus Christ gave his life on Calvary’s cross for the sins of this world. We put our faith and trust in him. God will forgive us and he will cleanse us of all of our sins.

And I would certainly pray that the gay and lesbian movement, the people that have this lifestyle, will come to know Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and savior and experience their sins being forgiven. God -- the Bible says -- “God so loves the world” -- that includes New Orleans -- “that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him shouldn’t perish but have everlasting life.”

KING: Sir, I was in New Orleans last week, and as the French Quarter started to reopen among the first businesses to reopen were the strip clubs. By your account of God’s purpose, I would assume that things aren’t going as you would envision them or wish them so far?

GRAHAM: Well, this is the type of thing that I think the archbishop and other ministers would hope would not reopen in New Orleans.

KING: Let me ask you about -- there’s a bigger question here about what type of New Orleans will be rebuilt. Should the energy of church and men of faith like yourself be spent on worrying about what the gay community and the lesbian community does? Or would it be better focused on worrying about what happens in the Lower 9th Ward, where most of the residents live way below the poverty line?

Most of them rented and do not have a right to return to their home. They don’t even know if their community will be rebuilt. And their fear is that rich developers will ... get in there, and they will not be welcomed home. What is a better use, if you will, of the focus of the church? (source)