Canadian minority parties oust the ruling Liberal Party. New elections.
Australians called their conservative party the "Liberal Party."
And Ariel Sharon, the former Israeli hardliner calls for new elections and abandons Likud, a party he helped create, because they were just to hardline for him! And Shimon Peres, the Nobel Prize winner and Labor Party stalwart, jumps over to join Sharon because he wants peace that badly!
Imagine. American politics is so far behind. Our electeds--Republicans and Democrats--have no principles or values. I mean, John McCain, the rabid campaign finance reformer is rallying to the side of Soft-Money Rick Santorum in a desperate ploy for McCain to woo the party faithful to his GOP Presidential run in 2008. Sick!
How much are rents in Tel Aviv?
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Christmas List: Item #1364
Colin Farrel Sex Tape
If you don't get the Colin Farrel thing, I recommend a little seen film called A Home at the End of the World. It's sappy and cheesy and has horrible moments, but I love the Colin Farrel character.
If you still don't get... then try here.
If you don't get the Colin Farrel thing, I recommend a little seen film called A Home at the End of the World. It's sappy and cheesy and has horrible moments, but I love the Colin Farrel character.
If you still don't get... then try here.
The Jews Come Out Clean in this One
The Vatican released its newest diatribe against homosexuals in its response to pedophilia. (Don't worry, doesn't make sense to me either.) These are my thoughts.
1) The church, she's in trouble! I was at a very enlightened seminar about celibacy, homosexulaity and the priesthood at the last Religious Education Congress hosted by the Los Angeles Archdiocese. At it, one of the speakers--a priest who I think identifies as gay--said that by his estimation, as many as 40% of American priests are *celibate* homosexuals. If the church wants to cut them out, well, then the priest recruiting problem just got worse. That would be like the US Navy saying it wasn't going to recruit anymore... well... homosexuals!
2) To my liberal friends: This is not the time to attack all of Catholicism. You won't win a friend in me that way. Show your support for gay Catholics and gay priests. If the Church is repulsive to you, then stay at home and watch Extreme Makeover Home Edition while I'm at Mass. Then join us for cocktails afterward.
3) To my liberal Catholic friends: Running away won't save our Church. She's got problems, that's for damn sure. But we aren't Catholic because we pine for the inquisition and miss the crusades. We are Catholic because we find stregnth in the global church and peace in her liturgy. We can't leave just because she pissed us off... again. Come to Saint Monica's with me some time and see what a loving and affirming community can be about! Imagine if the Martin Luther just left every time... oh. Ok, what if every time the British King wanted a divorce he just... ok... nevermind. I'll meet you at All Saints Episcopal Church at noon!
4) While this news was devastating for me, it wasn't about me. I never wanted to be a priest because frankly, I don't look that good in purple (for non-Catholics, the vestments during this time of year, Advent, as well as during Lent, are purple). Think of how hard this must be for the thousands of gay priests already serving faithfully and celibately. (One of the heroes of the Church, Fr. Mychal Judge, a NYFD chaplain who was killed on September 11, was among other things also openly gay.) This must be devastating. Pray for them. Or at least take one out for cocktails at the Abbey!
5) Things will get better. A long time ago in my memory, the Vatican published a bunch of ugly stuff. And then the American bishops got together and published some beautiful stuff for parents about loving and accepting their gay children. Vatican: ugly. American Bishops: less ugly. Already, American Catholic leaders seem to be willing to defend their gay brethren. The head of the Bishop's conference, as well as a leader of the religious orders, have both spoken admirably of our celibate gay priests and acknowledge that "priests 'have become concrete examples of Christ' through their work, no matter what their orientation."
6) The Church--which is often right about so many things--is often VERY wrong on so many others. Exhibit A: Galileo. The Church finally apologized. Exhibit B: the Silence of the Holocaust. Oops. They apologized. So, give it time. Just a few hundred years. After all, if the Vatican can oppose Intelligent Design because, well, science disproves it, then they can backtrack from this one!
And as my boss, a Jewish lesbian, said today, "At least they aren't blaming the Jews for this one."
1) The church, she's in trouble! I was at a very enlightened seminar about celibacy, homosexulaity and the priesthood at the last Religious Education Congress hosted by the Los Angeles Archdiocese. At it, one of the speakers--a priest who I think identifies as gay--said that by his estimation, as many as 40% of American priests are *celibate* homosexuals. If the church wants to cut them out, well, then the priest recruiting problem just got worse. That would be like the US Navy saying it wasn't going to recruit anymore... well... homosexuals!
2) To my liberal friends: This is not the time to attack all of Catholicism. You won't win a friend in me that way. Show your support for gay Catholics and gay priests. If the Church is repulsive to you, then stay at home and watch Extreme Makeover Home Edition while I'm at Mass. Then join us for cocktails afterward.
3) To my liberal Catholic friends: Running away won't save our Church. She's got problems, that's for damn sure. But we aren't Catholic because we pine for the inquisition and miss the crusades. We are Catholic because we find stregnth in the global church and peace in her liturgy. We can't leave just because she pissed us off... again. Come to Saint Monica's with me some time and see what a loving and affirming community can be about! Imagine if the Martin Luther just left every time... oh. Ok, what if every time the British King wanted a divorce he just... ok... nevermind. I'll meet you at All Saints Episcopal Church at noon!
4) While this news was devastating for me, it wasn't about me. I never wanted to be a priest because frankly, I don't look that good in purple (for non-Catholics, the vestments during this time of year, Advent, as well as during Lent, are purple). Think of how hard this must be for the thousands of gay priests already serving faithfully and celibately. (One of the heroes of the Church, Fr. Mychal Judge, a NYFD chaplain who was killed on September 11, was among other things also openly gay.) This must be devastating. Pray for them. Or at least take one out for cocktails at the Abbey!
5) Things will get better. A long time ago in my memory, the Vatican published a bunch of ugly stuff. And then the American bishops got together and published some beautiful stuff for parents about loving and accepting their gay children. Vatican: ugly. American Bishops: less ugly. Already, American Catholic leaders seem to be willing to defend their gay brethren. The head of the Bishop's conference, as well as a leader of the religious orders, have both spoken admirably of our celibate gay priests and acknowledge that "priests 'have become concrete examples of Christ' through their work, no matter what their orientation."
6) The Church--which is often right about so many things--is often VERY wrong on so many others. Exhibit A: Galileo. The Church finally apologized. Exhibit B: the Silence of the Holocaust. Oops. They apologized. So, give it time. Just a few hundred years. After all, if the Vatican can oppose Intelligent Design because, well, science disproves it, then they can backtrack from this one!
And as my boss, a Jewish lesbian, said today, "At least they aren't blaming the Jews for this one."
Christmas comes but once a year...
...But potlucks every month?
If you've never heard me rail against my office potluck, then you don't spend enough time with me. We have a friggin' potluck every month. We have it because people here supposedly LOVE potlucks... except few people cook!
Every potluck includes pizza from Dominoes (leftists supporting the woman-haters?), a rotisserie chicken from Gelson's, some baked goods from Starbucks (we don't have any grocery stores near the office), chicken and/or beans from El Pollo Loco, and warm 2-litre bottles of soda with no ice.
If you don't like cooking... Don't push for the damn potluck!
***UPDATE: This month's potluck features "tuna melt." The yummy delicious sandwhich you are thinking? NOPE! Some dumbass makes Tuna Casserole--you know, Kraft Mac & Cheese and a can of tuna--and keeps calling it tuna melt. All the other illiterate morons join in. "I love the tuna melt." "MMM... this tuna melt is delicious." Crackheads!
If you've never heard me rail against my office potluck, then you don't spend enough time with me. We have a friggin' potluck every month. We have it because people here supposedly LOVE potlucks... except few people cook!
Every potluck includes pizza from Dominoes (leftists supporting the woman-haters?), a rotisserie chicken from Gelson's, some baked goods from Starbucks (we don't have any grocery stores near the office), chicken and/or beans from El Pollo Loco, and warm 2-litre bottles of soda with no ice.
If you don't like cooking... Don't push for the damn potluck!
***UPDATE: This month's potluck features "tuna melt." The yummy delicious sandwhich you are thinking? NOPE! Some dumbass makes Tuna Casserole--you know, Kraft Mac & Cheese and a can of tuna--and keeps calling it tuna melt. All the other illiterate morons join in. "I love the tuna melt." "MMM... this tuna melt is delicious." Crackheads!
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Who am I?
You probably know me if you are reading this. Probably because I begged you to read it. But, endulge me for the random "clicker through".
My name is Brian. I live in Los Angeles. Less than a block from the beach. I can smell the salt air from my bedroom. I love the water. It rules my life. When I am not chained to a desk against my will, I'm scuba diving, or swimming, or pretending I know how to surf, which really means standing in the sand in my new board shorts. I am a SCUBA instructor. That keeps me busy.
I also love politics. Always have. I've followed politics closely since I was about 14 years old. For the first 5 years of my poli-life, I thought I was a conservative Republican. I also thought I was straight. And that Santa Claus was real. Who am I kidding, I never thought I was straight. In college, I came out--as a liberal. The other coming out came much slower.
I've been engaged in liberal, and specifically Democratic, politics ever since. I have little patience for ultra-left parties and their absurdist philosophies. I've written tons on politics and had some published on paper. I've been involved with a number of Democratic clubs and movements. I even ran for elected partisan office in November 2004. In case you can't tell by reading this, I lost. But I did get well over 60,000 votes and about 40% of the total.
I am gay and single. That can change, or so the fundies in Tennessee tell me. (I really mean "the single.") I am Roman Catholic and attend Mass regularly. Recently, I spend most of my time at church cursing the Church. It deserves it. The Church is doing a LOT of stupid things. But where else can I get free wine and crackers on a Sunday night? So, I keep going. (And will until the wine stops flowing.)
I have 2 parents--Mom and Dad--that are still married. I have two brothers that are still married--but not to each other. Only one fag in this house! I have six neices and nephews (4 neices, 2 nephews) because my family is very symetrcial, each brother has 3 kids. I have no pets but my roommate has the coolest pit bull, Jimmy, ever--although our landlord thinks he is a "well behaved boxer."
My name is Brian. I live in Los Angeles. Less than a block from the beach. I can smell the salt air from my bedroom. I love the water. It rules my life. When I am not chained to a desk against my will, I'm scuba diving, or swimming, or pretending I know how to surf, which really means standing in the sand in my new board shorts. I am a SCUBA instructor. That keeps me busy.
I also love politics. Always have. I've followed politics closely since I was about 14 years old. For the first 5 years of my poli-life, I thought I was a conservative Republican. I also thought I was straight. And that Santa Claus was real. Who am I kidding, I never thought I was straight. In college, I came out--as a liberal. The other coming out came much slower.
I've been engaged in liberal, and specifically Democratic, politics ever since. I have little patience for ultra-left parties and their absurdist philosophies. I've written tons on politics and had some published on paper. I've been involved with a number of Democratic clubs and movements. I even ran for elected partisan office in November 2004. In case you can't tell by reading this, I lost. But I did get well over 60,000 votes and about 40% of the total.
I am gay and single. That can change, or so the fundies in Tennessee tell me. (I really mean "the single.") I am Roman Catholic and attend Mass regularly. Recently, I spend most of my time at church cursing the Church. It deserves it. The Church is doing a LOT of stupid things. But where else can I get free wine and crackers on a Sunday night? So, I keep going. (And will until the wine stops flowing.)
I have 2 parents--Mom and Dad--that are still married. I have two brothers that are still married--but not to each other. Only one fag in this house! I have six neices and nephews (4 neices, 2 nephews) because my family is very symetrcial, each brother has 3 kids. I have no pets but my roommate has the coolest pit bull, Jimmy, ever--although our landlord thinks he is a "well behaved boxer."
Um...Intelligent Design?
Okay, so I'm playing the blog thing again. I bet it can be fun!
I'm calling it Intelligent Design. It's a buzzword that I love more than Pumpkin Pie shakes at Jack in the Box. I love Pumpkin Pie shakes. I think they should bother me because, well, they are really just vanilla shakes with Pumpkin Pie ooze, or essence, or spooge, in them, but they are nearly as good as sucking the essence straight from the gourd.
Intelligent Design. Okay. That's some good marketing. Because, really, have you ever met anyone who you would consider intelligent advocating for intelligent design. I believe in God. I believe he must have played some role in this whole thing. But, come on, it's science people!
Intelligent Design. So, as a blog name, it's brilliant. See, what I write here, I would love to be considered science. You know, credible and all. People basing decades of studies on my ideas. It won't happen. But I'll give it this great name that sounds like science. See. See how well it works.
Plus, I love that for short, it's called ID. Flashback to Psychology 100--that I took in my junior year because really, I couldn't have cared less but I had to take it to graduate--and the Ego, Superego, and Id. The id is all that stuff that happens unconsciously, without thought. A lot of this will come out without much thought. (Oh, and really, Intelligent Design-ers, really, they don't think much either.)
So, come back and read more.
--bri
I'm calling it Intelligent Design. It's a buzzword that I love more than Pumpkin Pie shakes at Jack in the Box. I love Pumpkin Pie shakes. I think they should bother me because, well, they are really just vanilla shakes with Pumpkin Pie ooze, or essence, or spooge, in them, but they are nearly as good as sucking the essence straight from the gourd.
Intelligent Design. Okay. That's some good marketing. Because, really, have you ever met anyone who you would consider intelligent advocating for intelligent design. I believe in God. I believe he must have played some role in this whole thing. But, come on, it's science people!
Intelligent Design. So, as a blog name, it's brilliant. See, what I write here, I would love to be considered science. You know, credible and all. People basing decades of studies on my ideas. It won't happen. But I'll give it this great name that sounds like science. See. See how well it works.
Plus, I love that for short, it's called ID. Flashback to Psychology 100--that I took in my junior year because really, I couldn't have cared less but I had to take it to graduate--and the Ego, Superego, and Id. The id is all that stuff that happens unconsciously, without thought. A lot of this will come out without much thought. (Oh, and really, Intelligent Design-ers, really, they don't think much either.)
So, come back and read more.
--bri
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