Happy Mother's Day For Peace!

Today was Mother's Day and although I procrastinated, just under the wire I emailed Mom a free e-card and even stepped it up a notch by forwarding also the picture of a lovely virtual bouquet I found online! The roses were beauteous, if I do say so myself. Nothing's too good for my mom!

Something I didn't know, though (perhaps I'm just historically retarded), was that Mother's Day began in part as the result of an 1800s anti-war peace movement.

I've never heard of Julia Ward Howe in my life, but I did some googling (are we to still capitalize now that Google is both noun and verb? I'm not sure.)

Anyway, she apparently worked with the widows and orphans of soldiers for both the North and the South during the Civil War (ultimate oxymoron, that) and witnessed first-hand some of the worst the war had to offer: the death and disease which killed and mutilated the soldiers, also recognizing the economic devastation and crises of war.

[We now know, of course, in our 21st century of enlightenment, that the whole "economic devastation" part was totally off the mark, but given that she didn't have counsel of George W. Bush back in the day to set her straight on such things, we'll cut her some slack on that one. Still, her mission was worthwhile, all things considered.]

So in case you're just as ignorant as myself, here's what I've learned.

Back in 1870, because of her experiences, she started a crusade (influenced by the earlier efforts of sister war-time activist Ann Jarvis, actually considered the "mother" of all Mothers' Days.)

Convinced that peace was one of the most important causes of the world alongside equality in its many forms, and also seeing the start of another war), Ms. Julia rallied together womankind to rise up and oppose war in all its forms.

She wanted women to come together to preach to the masses that what we all hold in common is greater than what divides us, and to commit to finding peaceful resolutions to our conflicts and fisticuffs.

She issued a Declaration hoping to gather women in a congress of action called Mother's Day For Peace, in part:

Arise then...women of this day! Arise, all women who have hearts! Whether your baptism be of water or of tears, say firmly:

"We will not have questions answered by irrelevant agencies. Our husbands will not come to us, reeking with carnage, for caresses and applause.

"Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn all that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience.

"We, the women of one country, will be too tender of those of another country to allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs."

From the voice of a devastated Earth a voice goes up with our own. It says: "Disarm! Disarm! The sword of murder is not the balance of justice."

Blood does not wipe our dishonor, nor violence indicate possession.

As men have often forsaken the plough and the anvil at the summons of war, let women now leave all that may be left of home for a great and earnest day of counsel.

Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead.

Let them solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means whereby the great human family can live in peace....

Anyway, hope all had a happy goddamn Mother's Day! Ah, if only mothers ruled the world ...

Bitch Of The Week

Not to harp on all things gay (I hate when that happens, although I know I'm as guilty as anyone from time to time. Like now. Sorry.) but this pissed me off. Nothing like being outed to your parents by your homophobic bitch high school principal, eh?

Daphne Beasley, to name names, of Hollis F. Price Middle College High School in Memphis (what the fuck is a "middle college high school" anyway?) asked her staff for the names of students who were presumably paired up, ostensibly to be better-equipped to curb public displays of affection on campus. Compiling and posting a list of couples in order to put fellow students and faculty on red alert for inappropriate hand-holding and such.

Sounds like someone might be in need of a coupling herself.

Of course since moms and dads seldom, if ever, set foot on a middle college high school campus, parental notification was no doubt in order. According to the school, Daph "felt it appropriate to notify the parents of those children she knew to be involved romantically."

That, of course, included calling the folks of Nicholas and Andrew, a couple of students just recently begun dating. Although the two had never apparently been observed by any school staff engaging in any manner of PDA, they managed to make it onto the bitch list. The principal called Nicholas’s mother.

"Did you know your son is gay?"

According to Mom, who apparently was unaware, the principal asked this repeatedly, elaborating to say that she didn’t like gay people and would not tolerate homosexuality at her school.

Nicholas, who had just made the Dean's List (certainly the kid has a knack for making the lists!), also had submitted the paperwork with several teacher recommendations to travel to New Orleans to assist in rebuilding efforts. With a history of community service he was considered a given ... until a teacher told him that some of the faculty were afraid he might “embarrass the school” with his gayness. A few days later, another student who hadn’t even applied to go on the trip was selected as his understudy.

So Daphne Beasley wins my Bitch of the Week award. Congratulations, and well-deserved.

Tomorrow A New Day

I practically dismembered a finger a few days ago while washing dishes! Too aggressive with the drinking glasses, apparently, and my keyboard mastery has been rather compromised ever since.

Okay, dismemberment may be a slight exaggeration, but it did slice from fingertip to base knuckle, and I'll tell you what, evidently phalanges are quite vascular. Who knew? I went through half a roll of paper towels before I was able to finally staunch the flow.

Thank God certain activities can still be one-handedly executed, lest I'd be really grumpy by now.

Anyway. Whatever, I'm back in business tomorrow. Have much on my mind, though ... now I'll have to pick and choose my rant. Multiple choice isn't always so easy. Until mañana, just know I'm still alive albeit handicapped. I've removed the Band-Aids for the final time tonight, so total flexibility should hopefully be restored soon. It'll be nice to have both hands functional again, for so many reasons.

Oh yeah, and I'll explain why the hell this song, too. See ya.

Gavin DeGraw - I Don't Want To Be

I don't need to be anything other
Than a prison guard's son
I don't need to be anything other
Than a specialist's son
I don't have to be anyone other
Than the birth of two souls in one
Part of where I'm going, is knowing where I'm coming from

I don't want to be
Anything other than what I've been trying to be lately
All I have to do
Is think of me and I have peace of mind
I'm tired of looking 'round rooms
Wondering what I've got to do
Or who I'm supposed to be
I don't want to be anything other than me

I'm surrounded by liars everywhere I turn
I'm surrounded by imposters everywhere I turn
I'm surrounded by identity crisis everywhere I turn
Am I the only one who noticed?
I can't be the only one who's learned!

Can I have everyone's attention please?
If you're not like this and that, you're gonna have to leave
I came from the mountain
The crust of creation
My whole situation-made from clay to stone
And now I'm telling everybody

I'll Be Back

I'm still alive, for whatever it's worth, so not to worry. Right now my time is totally consumed with trying to find a new (the cheaper the better) place to live, somewhere that will let me bring my quadrupedal family with. Not an easy task, let me tell you, but give me another few days. I think that's probably all the time I've left here anyway, give or take a handful.

By the way, lesson learned in my apartment search: "pet-friendly" is more often than not a misnomer. Very selective about their friends, most property owners are, my pets apparently being not so selectable. Wish me luck.

FDAnal-Retentive

It is common knowledge (some argue common sense) that I and similarly oriented sexual deviants are banned for life from ever darkening the doorways of our respective communities' blood banks.

Fine by me. I don't care much for needles and don't enjoy being pricked anyway, so it grants me an easy out to ignore pleadings for donations when, for example, a "didn't see that coming!" tragedy strikes with the inevitable consequent unexpected run on the bank.

Sorry, but if you happen to fall victim to the fated just-around-the-corner terrorist attack or some such calamity, don't look to me for a potentially lifesaving transfusion. Consider yourself a goner, bub.

Probably for the best, what with my probable taintedness and all. No, I'm not going to lie, I'll admit to having had man sex since 1977. Totally missed that cutoff date. My bad. Have a nice afterlife.

Getting real ... okay, fine. I totally understand the early '80s freaking out. Common thought that only boy homos and junkies got the AIDS back in the day, I get that. It made sense at the time I suppose, in a knee-jerk reactive sort of way; better safe than sorry.

But really, that mindset is so 20th century, don't you think? Even the American Red Cross, American Association of Blood Banks, and America's Blood Centers agree now that with current testing procedures there is no rational medical or scientific justification for turning away anyone, regardless of fuck buddy gender preference.

Still, the FDA won't budge on the issue, insisting on continuing to unfairly target gay men while ignoring health risks posed by straight folks, slut-inclusive.

Whatever. Yeah, I've read all of the statistics that the FDA holds up to justify the protocol. I'm a reasonable guy, not one to straightaway call "foul" just because something pisses me off personally without first hearing the proverbial other side of the story.

Props to the Feds, in fact, for attempting to justify their position by publishing an entire page devoted to answering presumably the most popular of MSM WTF FAQs.

Frankly, though, despite the admittedly rather disturbing gay demographic analysis, none of the "considerations" for "deferral" of all altruistic poofters really hold water. Go ahead, pick any one. I'll rebut (so to speak) every argument made on that laundry list of policy whyfors.

Finally, truth be told, I'm not really needle-phobic. That was a lie. Nor do I mind an occasional pricking ... but I digress. I'd gladly and willingly donate, given the opportunity. Honestly I would.

Unfortunately, what is true is that you will indeed be shit out of luck if, God forbid, you find yourself gurney-strapped and bleeding out due to some most unfortunate of mishaps, with me your only potential (and might I add, albeit inconsequentially, duly tested and disease-free) savior.

But let's be optimistic here, shall we? Look at the bright side. Like this kid says, "Hopefully one day I'll be able to help people." Just not this day, just not you, just not now.

Eco-Friendly War On Terror

Wreaking havoc upon your fellow man while loving and protecting Mother Earth ought not necessarily be mutually exclusive.

Acting Up

"No one owes obedience to a usurper government or to anyone who assumes public office in violation of the Constitution and the law. The civil population has the right to rise up in defense of the constitutional order. The acts of those who usurp public office are null and void." - Constitution of Peru, Article 46.

I do believe we have the same rising-up privileges here too, no? Props, though, to the Peruvian founding fathers for such succinctness. Straight to the point, and well said indeed.

Rights are of no consequence, however, if unexercised. Don't know how it plays out in Peru, but despite our country's similarly documented rights for "the civil population to rise up in defense of the constitutional order," we as a people sure do have a history of resting on our collective laurels allowing the omnipotent powers that be to run amok.

Why, I wonder, given the abomination that is BushCo, has there not been more outrage? More rising up? A calling out for the heads of these empirical war criminals? Time to dust off the Nuremberg Files!

As much as I'd like to imagine, given enough wound-healing time, that this current regime's eight-year reign might be recorded for posterity's sake as an administrative aberration, duly dealt with and brought to justice by the constitutionally-endowed power of the people ... well, that hope is probably a bit farfetched. Nothing so new, really, under these most beautiful and spacious of skies.

Bush, after all, is not the first American chief to flick a middle finger toward the Constitution and its inherent civil rights. He may have flipped the bird a bit higher than his predecessors, but hey, why the hell not? It's been proven simple enough to do.

Indubitable rights to various and sundry freedoms, protections and due processes under governance of, by and for the people, as a core national value certainly has a nice ring to it.

Really, though, just tall talk. After all, as American history has proved, such credo is readily rendered null and void if apt to interfere with the government's wartime agenda.

Quashing good-time freedoms is easy when deemed most appropriate by TPTB. Little wonder, I suppose, that so few are inclined to "rise up" after all, knowing that they could so handily be cut down.

Early on, 1798, the Alien and Sedition Acts were passed and signed into law by John Adams, while waging an undeclared war (history really does repeat), reckoning fine and imprisonment-worthy anyone who might "write, print, utter or publish false, scandalous and malicious writing or writings against the government of the United States, or either house of the Congress, or the President, with intent to defame or to bring them into contempt or disrepute; or to excite against them the hatred of the good people of the United States."

Proponents claimed the acts were designed to protect the United States from alien citizens and to nip in the bud seditious attacks that might weaken the government.

Opponents (and later 20/20 hindsighted historians) deemed the Acts as being both unconstitutional and designed to stifle criticism of the administration.

(Most of the Acts had either expired or were kiboshed by 1802. Thomas Jefferson held them all to be unconstitutional and lamebrained, then pardoned and released all convicted violators.)

One of them, however - the Alien Enemies Act - is still in force today, and has frequently been exercised in wartime, including our current and also-undeclared War on Terror, whatever the hell that might be.

Moving on. 1861. Habeas corpus was suspended by Abraham Lincoln (ironically, one of our most constitutionally precise presidents) in Maryland and parts of midwestern states during the Civil War in response to opposition, lest the border slave state of Maryland, in particular, might secede from the Union leaving the nation's capital surrounded by hostile Confederates.

Lincoln also, at the behest of his army generals, set up military courts to rein in those pesky peacenik Copperheads and other motley Confederate sympathizers.

His action was challenged in court and overturned by the Circuit Court in Maryland. Lincoln ignored the court ruling. Executive privilege, I suppose.

In 1864, the Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional for the President to try to convict citizens before military tribunals when civil courts were open for business, that the trial of civilians by military tribunals is allowed only if regular civilian courts were closed. Whatever.

Welcome the twentieth century and World War I. Woodrow Wilson, carrying on the presidential dissension prevention tradition, administered his own double-whammy: the Espionage Act and Sedition Act (1917 and 1918 respectively) to stifle the dissidents, imposing “a fine of not more than $10,000 or imprisonment for not more than twenty years, or both” upon anyone so inclined as to “utter, print, write, or publish any disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive language about the form of government of the United States.”

Of course, further examples of governmental wartime Constitutional flip-offs continued par for the course throughout the 20th century. The internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, Cold War McCarthyism, old-school Vietnam War-era wiretapping ... same shit, different day.

A history of presidential acting up, we have, Act after Act after Act. So George Bush's latest and greatest Patriotic sequel really ought not have come as much of a surprise. And unless more of "we the people" (how quaint a phrase!) decide to act up too, consequences be damned, one can only surmise a perpetual trend of Constitutional ass-wiping.

We may not be able to undo the past, but we sure as hell should learn from it and step up to perhaps change the course of future human events. Insult after insult ... time to get pissed off, people. Enough already.

Phillary

"Could you imagine if Rocky Balboa had gotten halfway up those Art Museum stairs and said, 'Well, I guess that’s about far enough?' Let me tell you something, when it comes to finishing the fight, Rocky and I have a lot in common. I never quit. I never give up."

What more fitting venue than Philadelphia, PA for Hillary to spout such rhetorical trope? Still set on hanging tough, I see, notwithstanding the inevitable outcome.

If memory serves, Rocky lost. The black dude won.

Balboan doggedness or Quixotian fantasy ... either way, you have to give the lady props for keeping the blinders on. God bless her.

Maybe she didn't see the movie, I don't know. Doesn't she have people, though, to check out such things? I'd reckon that there are some less-than-favorable performance evaluations forthcoming.

Forget To Remember

This one is for Cris (deuxième), and for myself as well. I had a dream last night ... one of those vivid, life-rewound varieties of dreams, affective and not easily shaken. Love you, and still sorry.

What have I done? Where have I come from?

When I burnt the backs with the sun through a glass did I seal the loss that's become me?

Feeling undone, what have I become? When I turned my back on you I turned my back on myself and became this machine.

Thoughtlessness, selfishness, hopelessness, arrogant.

I feel it on the inside, twisting and contorting. Memory has shaped me once again.

Still feel you on the inside, biting through and stinging. Will I ever forget to remember?

Shadows in the sun filter through us. Still wrestle the demons that arrested me as a child, confession rejected.

We grow up to give up. People step on the cracks for wounds owed paid back through the words of surrender.

Emptiness, loneliness, listlessness, worthless.

Can you save me from myself, from these memories?

Surrender to the shadows haunting inside, bleed through you.

Surrender to the secrets ... inside lies within you.

Can't feel you on the inside, set down the bag and left it. Lost memory has left me once again.

Open up the inside, admission for the cleansing, now that I've forgotten to remember.

Hillary Exonerated

I'm not the biggest Hillary fan, and in fact she has progressively drifted further from my good graces as this seemingly eternal campaign season draws out.

Nonetheless, I'll confess to being more than just a bit baffled by all of the flap she's met with since recollecting last week her and Chels's 1996 trip to war-ravaged Bosnia, with all that de-planing sniper fire and such.

I mean, come on ... I may not be a supporter but who, right in the head, would for a moment believe that someone like Hillary would stoop to conjuring up such a "whopper" for political gain? Her irrefutable integrity aside, how could anyone possibly think that she would be so foolish as to ever consider making up such stories that could be so readily disproved?

Of course, they tried to sully her reputation, running video footage of a "seemingly" most normal, sniper-free de-planing with what one might even consider to be a ceremonious welcoming. A perfect example of right-wing editorial conspiracy fixed on besmirching the Clinton name, in my opinion.

Fortunately, however, raw and clearly unedited footage of the actual event has been dug up. After watching, if anything, I'd argue that the video instead speaks to Hillary's humility in not recanting just how truly a sticky wicket the situation was, and in not touting her own courage under fire.

I may be rooting for Obama, but I've got to say that the lady is surely packin' some balls in them thar pantsuits.