This November Mainers will have the chance to vote on one of the most talked about issues in many years to hit the ballets. The issue is that of gay marriage. As you may or may not know, Maine recently passed a law allowing same sex marriage and through the democratic process that we enjoy here we know have a chance to vote on whether or not we will keep this law as it stands.
It's no big secret that I tend to lean to the right politically but I have to say that I just don't understand the whole anti-gay thing in this country or the world for that matter. Maybe it is because my religious beliefs are lacking or maybe it is just the way that my brain works but I think that people who are gay are gay by design and not by choice. Gay people have continuously been persecuted throughout history and considering that, who in hell would choose to be gay. I hate the term 'lifestyle choice' because I don't think that being gay is a choice or a lifestyle any more than I think being straight is. If you think that a person chooses to be gay then it should be fair to assume that the opposite of that is true as well right? If think that gay people have chosen to be that way I have a question for you. When did you make the choice the be straight? At what point in your own life did you sit down and seriously think about what gender you were going to be attracted to? I had someone who believes that being gay is a choice tell me that they never chose to be straight they just always knew they were. I was like, 'Helllooooo, are you seeing my point here?'
Regardless of whether you think being gay is a matter of genetics or choice why should that matter if they are allowed to get married or not? I am so sick of hearing about the sanctity of marriage and how it is supposed to be between a man and a woman and all such other bullshit. The problem with all of this crap is that it is so steeped in religious background that the people who can't get through each day without their bibles cannot possibly imagine that the world isn't exactly as the good book tells them it should be. They spout off about the Bible being God's word and how God abhors gay people and that it can only be a choice because that's what the bible says. It's a dogma for them to consider that even though God made everyone and everything he couldn't possibly have created homosexuals because of his hatred for them. Somehow thinking of God hating anything goes against everything that I have ever learned about Christianity.
If the religious zealots of this land really want to protect the sanctity of marriage perhaps they should start by encouraging straight people who get married to stay married. What happened to the big uproar over people living together 'in sin'? That has been pushed to the side by the issue of gay marriage. Maybe the sanctity of marriage should be unions that last instead of ending up in painful divorces. In other words, don't point your fucking fingers at what other people want to do until you can get your own messes cleaned up.
I plan on voting to keep the law the way it is written because if two people want to be married regardless of their sexual orientation, then who am I to judge them. What power has been bestowed upon me or any other person to say whether or not someone can or can't get married just because they are gay? If the religious right would remember something from their Bible they would not be so righteous in their attitudes. That something states that a person should not cast stones unless they are free from sin themselves. How many people are truly free from sin according to the gospels in the Bible? Not too damn many if you think about it.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Can't you smell that smell?
Is there anything better than being able to type while watching and listening to music videos online? My sister-in-law bought us a new computer for my kid's birthday and it has a 22" screen which means I have enough room for several pages to be displayed at the same time. I am liking this a lot but you'll have to excuse me if I start typing about whatever song is playing currently.
To the topic of the day. Recently (By recently I mean within the last 3 months because time becomes pretty relevant to how many days a week I am working. Lately I have been working seven days a week hence the reason I am not posting here much.) I found myself in L.L. Bean's replacing yet another coffee mug with a broken lid. Bethie keeps telling me that I don't realize how strong I am and while I don't know about that I do know that I want the lids on my coffee mugs tight and leak free, and I think someone needs to make a mug that I can crank on as tight as I wish without worrying about breaking it because it is made out of plastic. Considering all that I will say that the mug is made by Stanley and is a double wall design and pretty much the best coffee mug I have ever used. It keeps my coffee hot for a ridiculously long time and that is why I have gone back for a new one every time I break one.
After I returned and replaced the coffee mug I needed to use the restroom before we left for home. I went into the bathroom that was closest to the fishing and hunting to make room for more coffee. L.L. Bean has decided in an apparent effort to be a green company that it would be in the planet's best interest to install water free urinals. Never mind the fact that many of the items on the shelves at Bean's are made in China which is one of the worst stewards of the planet on the planet. It's a little ironic isn't it? I love Bean's but what happened to only selling things made here in this country?
If you're not sure what a water free urinal is or how it works, it is exactly what it sounds like. The look is pretty much the same as a standard urinal but there is some sort of little cover where the drain normally is. The idea is that the urinal doesn't need to have any water and that piss will simply flow away, gone forever. The little sign on the wall claimed that the water free urinals save over 40,000 gallons of water per year, which sounds great in theory but lacks a little in truth as far as I am concerned. Water used to flush toilets or wash clothes and dishes isn't destroyed and will filter itself out as it flows back through the ground.
The problem that I have with the water free urinal is that they are also free of something else and that is being odor free. There is nothing worse than using a urinal and having to smell hot piss wafting back up at you. It's not just your own piss either but everyone else too as there is no fucking water to flush it all down. How about putting a nice urinal cake in there for target practice and then at least it would smell like something clean and not piss. Here's a better idea; how about using 1,000 of those 40,000 gallons a year saved to flush the urinals out once a day or whatever? If a company really cares about using less water then I applaud them but why go completely water free? What's next, water free sinks? Instead of nice hot water and soap they could just have industrial size tubs of Purell or some other such hand sanitizer. I don't care if the piss on my hands is germ free if it is still on my hands!
The real issue here is that companies like Bean's have figured out a way to drastically reduce their monthly water bill and still be able to play it off as something green and good for the earth. I would appreciate the water free urinals much more if they would just say that on the little sign I am reading as I try to hold much lunch down while bathing is pissy aromas.
I don't see myself running to the local Home Sleaze Hole to buy a water free toilet when these finally hit the market and you just know they will. The same people that are pushing the compact fluorescents down our throats will bring this to people's home as well. These people can't help it and I don't blame them for caring, but if they got regular jobs and stopped trying to 'save the planet' it would make my life a whole lot easier.
To the topic of the day. Recently (By recently I mean within the last 3 months because time becomes pretty relevant to how many days a week I am working. Lately I have been working seven days a week hence the reason I am not posting here much.) I found myself in L.L. Bean's replacing yet another coffee mug with a broken lid. Bethie keeps telling me that I don't realize how strong I am and while I don't know about that I do know that I want the lids on my coffee mugs tight and leak free, and I think someone needs to make a mug that I can crank on as tight as I wish without worrying about breaking it because it is made out of plastic. Considering all that I will say that the mug is made by Stanley and is a double wall design and pretty much the best coffee mug I have ever used. It keeps my coffee hot for a ridiculously long time and that is why I have gone back for a new one every time I break one.
After I returned and replaced the coffee mug I needed to use the restroom before we left for home. I went into the bathroom that was closest to the fishing and hunting to make room for more coffee. L.L. Bean has decided in an apparent effort to be a green company that it would be in the planet's best interest to install water free urinals. Never mind the fact that many of the items on the shelves at Bean's are made in China which is one of the worst stewards of the planet on the planet. It's a little ironic isn't it? I love Bean's but what happened to only selling things made here in this country?
If you're not sure what a water free urinal is or how it works, it is exactly what it sounds like. The look is pretty much the same as a standard urinal but there is some sort of little cover where the drain normally is. The idea is that the urinal doesn't need to have any water and that piss will simply flow away, gone forever. The little sign on the wall claimed that the water free urinals save over 40,000 gallons of water per year, which sounds great in theory but lacks a little in truth as far as I am concerned. Water used to flush toilets or wash clothes and dishes isn't destroyed and will filter itself out as it flows back through the ground.
The problem that I have with the water free urinal is that they are also free of something else and that is being odor free. There is nothing worse than using a urinal and having to smell hot piss wafting back up at you. It's not just your own piss either but everyone else too as there is no fucking water to flush it all down. How about putting a nice urinal cake in there for target practice and then at least it would smell like something clean and not piss. Here's a better idea; how about using 1,000 of those 40,000 gallons a year saved to flush the urinals out once a day or whatever? If a company really cares about using less water then I applaud them but why go completely water free? What's next, water free sinks? Instead of nice hot water and soap they could just have industrial size tubs of Purell or some other such hand sanitizer. I don't care if the piss on my hands is germ free if it is still on my hands!
The real issue here is that companies like Bean's have figured out a way to drastically reduce their monthly water bill and still be able to play it off as something green and good for the earth. I would appreciate the water free urinals much more if they would just say that on the little sign I am reading as I try to hold much lunch down while bathing is pissy aromas.
I don't see myself running to the local Home Sleaze Hole to buy a water free toilet when these finally hit the market and you just know they will. The same people that are pushing the compact fluorescents down our throats will bring this to people's home as well. These people can't help it and I don't blame them for caring, but if they got regular jobs and stopped trying to 'save the planet' it would make my life a whole lot easier.
Friday, September 25, 2009
I wanna' live for never
Tonight we took the kids to see the movie 'Fame' which I assume is a remake of the original movie of the same name from the 1980. I don't remember ever seeing the original because I just wasn't into musicals then and even less into chick flick musicals. I know this may make you wonder if there are musicals that aren't chick flicks and to that I would have to say yes. 'Chicago' and the 'Producers' both are great examples of musicals that I would not consider to be chick-flicky at all. 'Mama Mia' on the other hand.....
As I said, I don't remember seeing the original so I cannot make a comparison to the remake but I am willing to bet that the original was better just the same. It had to have been better because if it were worse than the remake they never would have made the remake in the first place. Or should I say the second place?
See, when movie makers do a remake of a movie I fully expect the remake to be as good or better than the original if for nothing else than for better graphics and digital sound.
Today's 'Fame' was pretty lame. I better be careful or that poet is going to break out all the way and ruin your whole damn day. Oops, there it goes again, I'll try and do better my friend.
I will say this much about the new movie: The performances within the film were excellent and showcased the talents of many of the actors in the film. Having said that, the people who made the movie need to go back to school. In fact, it seems a little odd that the people who made a movie about young actors, dancers, musicians, and film makers could spend a few years in the very school featured in the film.
The problem with Fame is that it has no depth of character. The characters hardly get developed and what little insight we see into them leaves one wanting more. There is one character in particular that I kept waiting for to have this big emotional breakthrough and it just never happens. Not only does it not happen, but the director doesn't even make you think it happened. Another character reminds me of the typically ugly duckling because you just know that she is full of talent and you're going to see it break out of her before the movie is over. Unfortunately, while she can sing well, it isn't the kind of thing that will knock your socks off. For anyone who is still bound and determined to see this movie after reading this, I am not talking about the black girl who I thought was a wonderfully talented singer.
Well, that's my view and I welcome yours but I don't think I'll be buying this one when it hits the shelves, which I am sure will be in time for the holiday shopping season.
On separate note, I am trying to get back into the habit of writing here on a more regular basis but as I may or may not have said before, I am busy outdoors when the weather is good and I don't get to spend much time on here until the weather turns foul again. Like anyone gives a fuck right? Ha ha. I am so presumptuous sitting here thinking that people are actually reading this.
As I said, I don't remember seeing the original so I cannot make a comparison to the remake but I am willing to bet that the original was better just the same. It had to have been better because if it were worse than the remake they never would have made the remake in the first place. Or should I say the second place?
See, when movie makers do a remake of a movie I fully expect the remake to be as good or better than the original if for nothing else than for better graphics and digital sound.
Today's 'Fame' was pretty lame. I better be careful or that poet is going to break out all the way and ruin your whole damn day. Oops, there it goes again, I'll try and do better my friend.
I will say this much about the new movie: The performances within the film were excellent and showcased the talents of many of the actors in the film. Having said that, the people who made the movie need to go back to school. In fact, it seems a little odd that the people who made a movie about young actors, dancers, musicians, and film makers could spend a few years in the very school featured in the film.
The problem with Fame is that it has no depth of character. The characters hardly get developed and what little insight we see into them leaves one wanting more. There is one character in particular that I kept waiting for to have this big emotional breakthrough and it just never happens. Not only does it not happen, but the director doesn't even make you think it happened. Another character reminds me of the typically ugly duckling because you just know that she is full of talent and you're going to see it break out of her before the movie is over. Unfortunately, while she can sing well, it isn't the kind of thing that will knock your socks off. For anyone who is still bound and determined to see this movie after reading this, I am not talking about the black girl who I thought was a wonderfully talented singer.
Well, that's my view and I welcome yours but I don't think I'll be buying this one when it hits the shelves, which I am sure will be in time for the holiday shopping season.
On separate note, I am trying to get back into the habit of writing here on a more regular basis but as I may or may not have said before, I am busy outdoors when the weather is good and I don't get to spend much time on here until the weather turns foul again. Like anyone gives a fuck right? Ha ha. I am so presumptuous sitting here thinking that people are actually reading this.
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