My Ignorance Is Just As Great As Your Knowledge

"The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant threat winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that my ignorance is just as great as your knowledge."  -- Isaac Asimov

Do you realize that there are people who will read the above quote and not even get it?  Not even be able to comprehend it or understand what it means?  And then I read that "In Mississippi, 52% of GOP respondents say Obama is Muslim...12% believe he is a Christian and 36% are unsure.  In Alabama, 45% of Republicans say Obama is Muslim....14% believe he is a Christian and 41% are unsure."  Dare I say that Alabama is smarter than Mississippi?  And what about all of the others -- Louisiana, Idaho, Tennessee, Georgia, Utah....shall I go on?  


We live in a nation who no longer forms opinions based on fact, the truth.  We no longer think.  We feel.  We believe our ignorance, our sources!, are more important than actual knowledge.  And that will be our demise.

Meet My Virtual Friend Maureen Walsh

I'd like you to meet my virtual friend Maureen Walsh.  She lives in Walla Walla, Washington.  The delicious, sweet onion place.  Known for their increasing wine country as well.  I say "virtual" friend because we've never met.  But by golly, we've been awfully awfully close.  Last night for example.

We had finished a 14-day of training new flight attendants at our Flight Operations and Training Center near the SeaTac Airport and were back at the airport for our flight to Portland.  We had an extra hour so headed to the Pacific Marketplace for some delicious pasta.  Sat down.  Enjoying. And I'm staring across the table and right over to the neighboring table.  At this woman.  I knew her.  I just knew I did.  I stared and stared at her.  I think she knew it.  Man, for the life of me, I couldn't figure out where.  But more than even knowing her, I knew some story about her.  Something personal.....something about her family, crying or a heartfelt story of some sort.  But I couldn't place her.  A passenger of mine?  Neighbor?  TV personality?  Gosh.  I just kept staring and even followed behind her as she headed toward the gate areas.  It really bothered me until about halfway home, inflight.  THAT'S IT!

Maureen Walsh is a Republican congresswoman from Walla Walla, Washington.  About three hours drive to the east of us.  And I knew her story because I'd heard her story.  Recently.  A few weeks ago.  And you'll hear her story below.  She is one of those folks that I admire.  She is well deserving of honor and recognition.  For her ability to come to beautiful conclusions in her life.  For looking out for the equal rights of others.

So, I've never meet Maureen Walsh from Walla Walla, Washington.  But gosh, I was damned close.  Really, really close in fact.  I'm disappointed that I didn't take the step to walk six feet over to her and say hi.  I really would like to have given her a big old hug and thanked her.  For her life.  Her dedication.  And love.  Oh, and her inspiration too.  And her dedication to people over the task. 

Tax Deductions II

It will come as no surprise to most of you that I struggle with families having far too many children, using far too many of our world's resources, contributing too much to noise pollution, putting too many disposable diapers in the landfills of the world -- all while I'm paying for their Mommy and Daddy to actually receive tax deductions that I pay for.  I'm a big fan of actually charging parents to have children after a certain number in order to pay for all that those particular families remove from this earth.  And it is quite clear that those of us who are single, or have chosen to not have children for whatever reason, are left to pay for those who have more children than they need.  Enough....read this article if you want more of my obnoxious, soapbox opinions. 

Most of this nation's school systems are in big financial trouble.  They are not properly funded.  They are mediocre at best.  They are overburdened with the aforementioned "too many" children from families who are not able to financially contribute their part to keep the whole thing going.  It's a total mess.  And not a new problem.  What I get upset with is that we.....governments from national down to city.....continue to try and figure out new ways to simply gain more money......and rarely do the unthinkable....cut spending, cut poor teachers, cut cut cut.  I mean seriously, if my personal home budget isn't working, I have to cut spending or raise extra cash.    We are interested in just tossing money at projects, schools, and budget shortfalls each few years....wishing, hoping, dreaming that it will get better.  Wise up!  It won't.  The simplistic, unrealistic, thinking that money will solve problems is unwise.  And that goes for this schooling issue or any other one.  I'm all about fixing problems, the root of the problem, and moving on.  I'm about removing poor performers, dead weight, bad people and projects that require too much money.  We are always focused on money money money.  And not on education, education, education. 

A few years ago my Multnomah County voted in a "temporary" three-year property tax to "help save the schools."  $300 per year from me for three years in a row.  Remember, I do not have children.  $900 total for the temporary three-year deal.  Guess what....it didn't fix the trouble.  Two days ago, the fine folks of my city voted in another property tax hike to keep the schools going.  Averages are guessed at $400 per year per household increase in property taxes.  Remember, I do not have children.  So, simply because I'm a homeowner, I have to pay up.  Weird.  Just doesn't make sense.  Meanwhile, the procreators who have chosen to not use condoms and now have four, five, six or more children in school actually receive a deduction from their annual taxes.  Humm.  Sumthin' just doesn't add up.  We're out of balance.  I'm not happy.  Nor should I be.  It won't fix the problem.  We will be trying this again in a few years...more money more money more money.

I'm tired of tax deductions being paid for by folks like me.  I believe in those who use services, systems, or resources actually being the ones who pay for the products.  Am I asking too much?

Tax Deductions

So what if every single tax deduction taken for each child in the U.S. was not permitted, or not taken, or not allowed to be taken?  I'm not sure of what the dollar amount is per child....maybe $2,000 or so??  What if those deductions were actually not removed.  What if that dollar amount was allowed to stand.  Or, horrors!, what if parents were actually required to pay for each of their children simply for having them....for allowing them to consume space, air, water, food, etc., on this planet.  Perhaps there could be a sliding scale.  Families would be permitted to have one, or two, children without penalty -- but beyond that they would be required to actually dish out so many thousands of dollars each year for each of their children. 

Consider what that would do to our tax base.  Add to our bottom line instead of take away from it.  I've never understood why we give tax deductions to children.  When they are occupying space on this earth, they eat food from it, they crap on it, they yell and scream on it, they require so many resources from Mother Earth -- and yet they not only are not required to pay for all of that but they actually get to charge the U.S. Government for it.  In essence, I am paying for it.  And that doesn't sit well with me.  Oh, I know, I know....there are million and one reasons for wanting to fund children, fund early childhood development and all of that.  And I am well aware that the children of today are the leaders, educators, and adults of tomorrow (and that scares the living hell out of me, quite frankly.....). 

I will never understand why a family of two parents and, oh say, four, five, six or even more children are permitted to pay tax on two people instead of six or eight or ten.  I don't get it.  They dirty the earth, they require so much in the way of products, toys, plastics, "things" made in China, giant double-wide strollers, fuel, petroleum products, and the like.  And the parents have to have a giant minivan and pay for the gas to operate it.  The hole just gets deeper the more I think about it.  And the noise pollution level operates at such a higher level with yelling, screaming, crying.  I hate noise and this just adds to my furor. 

I have educator friends and teachers who disagree with me wholeheartedly on this.  But I can take it.  I just don't believe how a guy with no children should be required to fork over extra tax money each year to help take care of those who abuse and neglect the reasonable number of decent children in this world.....all the while the actual parents pay less.  One of life's mysteries. 

Trump This

Oh kids, I'm not a big fan of The Donald.  I think he's a pretty smart, straightforward business guy and all...but our politics do not coincide.  And that's fine but don't expect me to vote for you.

Mr. Trump is, indeed, against "Medical and Civil Benefits" being extended to same-sex couples in addition to being against gay marriage.  He hasn't yet decided whether I should be able to visit LoverBoy in the hospital.  He said it as one of his clear answers to a clear question.  And if you'd been the one who has been discriminated against in your life, or ignored, or demeaned, or told that you can't marry, or told that you're a disappointment to your parents because of your lifestyle choices, or don't have equal benefits or rights, or had been taxed to the tune of $3,700 per year on your partner's medical insurance, then perhaps you would feel differently.  Until you've been called a queer while riding on a city bus with your partner, there's so little room to pass judgment.  Shut your pie hole, comes to mind. 

Beyond that, he's got horrible hair.  But I think he loves that.  And I think it's kind of sexy.  It's given him a whole new level of attraction and provides the media something to chat about.  I tend to like his black and whiteness.  He shoots like me.  Only I'm open minded and he's not.  He's rich and I'm not.  He likes multiple numbers of pretty women and I don't (except for staring relentlessly at their tanned, deep cleavage).  You know, I'm more than willing, sort of, to put up with listening to your ideas and thoughts and what you believe.  But the moment you dive into territory that you've never been a part of -- the moment you start casting judgment against me and my people -- you're in trouble.  So, yeah, go and be big and rich and famous and let the wind blow through your colored hair while you sit in your Madison Avenue suite.  The Donald's disconnect with the real world is clear.  He's up there and I'm down here. 

"Liberty and Justice for All -- Offer Not Available In Some Areas -- Prices Subject to Change"

Blue Boy Needs to Leave the Red State

So we've returned from a lovely night of warm dessert at my cousin's home.  All was good until the Miller beer started flowing over the lips of my step father and my cousin's husband.  Oh boy.  I had to move myself across the room way down by my uncle.  And I did my best to keep him out of their conversation and keep him centered on words with me instead.  I succeeded.  But I glanced over at my LoverBoy when I kept on hearing about our "Muslim President" and his horrible wife....THE worst First Lady ever....how dare she demand that our children can't eat certain foods.  If they want to eat it, they should be able to eat it.  Oh dear. 

And it continued on and on about the Jews, Israel, Saudi Arabia, debt, deficit and the horrible nation that he's allowed to happen.  My ears were on fire.  Redder than ever.  Absolute hate.  Disgust.  They hate, hate, hate our president.  And not just strong dislike.  I mean hate to the core.  It was some of the worst conversation, phrases and words I've heard in person.  It all sounded so mainstream.  So simple, cheap, easy words.  Common phrases and sentences filled with zero depth, no thought.  No educational background, church-driven, fear based.  All fear based. 

I still think it would be much easier if people would simply admit that they are bigots and hate black people.  That would cut right through all of the false rhetoric and straight to what they are actually meaning to say.  Boy Boy Needs to Go Home Now. 

Wind Knocked Out of the Sails

Well well now, that was rough, wasn't it? Red casting its bloody hue over blue -- making exactly what color? Who knows. I'd say that there are a fair amount of hacked off people in this nation. In all sorts of corners with all sorts of feelings and issues.

I was doing my safety demonstration today standing in mid-cabin when I just happened to glance over my shoulder and down to the magazine that a man was reading. I learn a lot of things that way. All I caught was "An Armed America is a Safe America" before he turned the page to another precious article titled "Armed Citizens Are America's Saving Grace." It is straight out of a publication by you know which group...and I refuse to put a link to it. And then it hit me -- I'm a stranger living in a foreign land. I'm living in a nation where people don't think like me, appreciate me for being who I am, nor care about my rights. Some do, many (most?) do not. Fags are not a respected group in the country of my birth. And it's time that I face that. I've spoken before about the liberal sort of free spirited bubble that we tend to live in here in Portland. And it is exactly that...a bubble. Not reality, except for Portland's. Not an accurate reflection of our country as a whole. Just Portland's own little thing. For which I am highly thankful. I couldn't be happier to live right there. But even here, things are closing in. We are damned close to electing the very first Republican governor in my 13 years here in Oregon. People have had it. They are pissed and full of anger. Not just at Democrats. Everyone is angry with everyone. I've written repeatedly about how I think our world is going to self-destruct sometime. Implode. Dissolve. It can only continue for so long. I easily see a sort of civil war or destruction in this Red, White and Blue Nation. The proud, the patriotic, aren't really so. I mean, it sounds good when the flag is waving, or perhaps when a Lee Greenwood song is playing over loudspeakers, or candles are lit. Or even when a military jet flies over. But the inbred bottom line and reality is that we're fighters, scrapers, schoolyard bullies. We have minimal respect for one another. We like to say we do, but it's quite scant. We'd rather have a gun slung across the cracked back window of our pickup than allow two men to marry. We think that it's more important to allow freedom of speech than to actually invest in the systems of this nation that may keep us afloat. Screw education....that costs money. To hell with the young and old, we just can't afford it. Maybe we should just get rid of Social Security (after all, it was a Democratic-induced social system, don't forget). Apparently our focus is not on helping those who need it.

I told my bigoted far-right Republican step father a few years back that I really have little interest if you call yourself a Democrat or a Republican. The name means nothing to me. What matters is your actions.....toward others, not yourself. What are you actively doing to help others, to make others lives better? What matters is that you take care of those who cannot help themselves. The poor, the young, the old, the mentally and physically challenged. And we're not. We're far more focused on how much money it's going to cost. So, here we are. Rich white people in charge. A few good looking airheaded women for added measure. One nation under god? Nope, I don't think so. There's little about this nation that is "one." And god will have nothing to do with this mess. And we continue to suffer. And suffer we will. Until we cave in. The walls will collapse. They've already begun to.

Obama

Well well now, my hands have been gently slapped. In a nice sort of way. One of my readers has brought to my attention that I have not really expressed my viewpoints on President Obama since that big, old giant Inaugural Party that we hosted way back when. You remember, don't you? When we just knew he was going to be the end all, be all, for we who are less than citizens.

I am fully aware that politics will play out as they usually do -- in the media.....and that all depends on which news channel you watch and which newspapers you read. What is said and done today doesn't really matter. It's all how it plays out in the months, and years, to come that matter. Long term versus short term. The big picture. Having said that, I have been more than happy to have President Obama in the driver's seat whilst compared to the lunatic that we had before (haven't heard a word from Bush, have you??).

I must admit that my feeling about our nation, and world for that matter, in general is waning. Something is not right....we're off kilter. And it's a far larger issue than our President. But, admittedly, I have been left with a less-than-pretty feeling about what has happened, or not happened, in our country since he has taken office. I am adult enough to recognize that any President is dependent upon the House, Senate, governors, Supreme Court, and other local entities to make it all work out. He is not singularly in charge of meeting each of our whims. And that's where many of us take him to task. We want more! We want it differently! We want this and that. Hell, who doesn't!

I am more than happy that he has appointed two females to the Supreme Court. I am happy that his administration has hired more gays and lesbians than the Bush and Clinton White Houses put together. He has made the environment a larger focus than before, he has shifted the war from Iraq back to Afghanistan where it began, he has closed torture-camp Guantanamo Bay, he has at least tried to get the health care monster headed in the right direction, he and the First Lady have both made education a huge priority, and he has taken away the unilateral, by god and by gum, sort of attitude that Bush ran his regime with, and he has added sexual orientation to hate crimes legislation as it should be. I'm pretty pleased with that. We certainly didn't have it before. And we certainly wouldn't have much of it with, oh say, a President McCain.

I do wish for more. But I do not wish for more at the possibility of it being taken back away in the future by the Supreme Court or by the next Presidential administration. I want it done right, legally, formally, set in stone. Don't Ask Don't Tell is a biggie. Huge. And definitely needs to happen. And there are days that I wish that Obama would grow a big old giant pair of black balls and wrestle that DADT deal to the ground. But I doubt that will happen. But I do not want it to happen in the wrong way, or with the possibility of creating additional adverse conditions for those GLBT service members already serving. You do realize that it's not going to be all yummy smelling roses....right??? And, remember, it was a Democrat who signed it into office thinking that it was the best way for it to accomplish an overtly touchy subject.

And I do wish that we gays could marry. Who doesn't?! But we can't. We live in a country of hate and old-school, Dark Ages, sort of mentality. We live in a country divided. It's time that we face that. It's time that we recognize the fact that we gays often live in a bubble. A pretty glass bubble. I live in Portland, Oregon, where gays and lesbians pretty much have the run of the mill. We are open, live freely, and are able to walk the majority of our city with freedom and safety. But I also live here knowing that if I venture more than 20 miles past our city borders, I'm in trouble. In general, the nation I live in doesn't like me. I know that. And yet, I'm still here. I'm still an American. I'm still a fag. It's not always going to go my way. It takes a big person to come to grips with that. I wasn't born in one of the many intelligent, fair countries currently giving marriage benefits to gays. But it doesn't preclude us from continuing to hope, and work toward, more. But I honestly don't think we'll ever be a nation like many of those in Europe. I'm a realist. I know that in my life, I probably will never be able to be recognized on a Federal level as far as many rights go. That's the harsh reality of living here.

So, yeah, I'm glad that President Obama is our President. I simply cannot imagine having Vice President Sarah Palin and President McCain at our helm. More? Oh yeah, I want it. Happy? Pretty much but not completely. Sounds like most of life, doesn't it?

Why I've Decided to Switch to Being a Republican

The Heart and Soul of Our Nation Has Lost

I remember the day just a few years in the past when we were at the Friday morning coffee klatsch with my family in Boise, Idaho. They gather each Friday morning for donuts and coffee. It is no secret that I have strong conservative roots in spite of where I am today. Many members of my family, on the other hand, still cling to hatred and horribly narrow followings. Our conversations are spicy to say the very least. On this particular morning, I remember my uncle waving his big arms up over his head and through the air saying that he "wished that Ted Kennedy would do us all a favor and commit suicide." I lit on fire...instantly. I said something about not being so sure about that.....that our nation needed someone to pound their fists and scream and holler when things are going wrong.....and that there were a hell of a lot of things going wrong that needed to be yelled about. As only I can do, I couldn't leave it there.....I continued pointing out to my uncle that he attends church and how in the world could he reconcile these feelings of hatred and vile words when he called himself a Christian. Oh boy, that went over well. And so, today, I'm reminded of that terrible Friday morning.......

If you've been reading the Spirit of Saint Lewis from the very beginning, you may remember this poignant post from October 2006. Today, Senator Ted Kennedy is being laid to rest. I was crying on the treadmill at the gym an hour ago while his motorcade and coffin passed across the Potomac River into Washington. He announced his candidacy for the Senate three weeks after I was born....and became a Senator that very fall. For, literally, my entire life, he has been in the Senate....and that is a very long time. I mean, the man has been around long enough to have remembered when people of a particular color didn't have all of the rights they do today, when wheelchair ramps were not required in public places, when gays were nothings (yes, kids, we've come a long way no matter how far we still have to go), when women were secretaries.....not vice presidents, and when you could discriminate in housing based on a long list of hatreds. The heart and soul of our nation has lost today. Honestly, there are few as tough, strong and mouthy. Don't miss the article from the New York Times.....

Me -- A Financial Liability

Just when you thought that gray hairs growing around your nipples and in your ears was the biggest issue of the day, the head of the GOP Michael Steele, has swung the pendulum the other direction. Suddenly, errant hairs on the body aren't such a big deal compared to, say, an African American man reducing gay marriage to a financial liability for the citizens and small businesses of United States -- the home of the (mostly) free and the brave......where (many) men are created equal. In case you missed his precious quote, here's what he said at a gathering of Republicans in the conservative state of Georgia:

“Now all of a sudden I’ve got someone who wasn’t a spouse before, that I had no responsibility for, who is now getting claimed as a spouse that I now have financial responsibility for,” Steele told Republicans at the state convention in traditionally conservative Georgia. “So how do I pay for that? Who pays for that? You just cost me money."

Oh my effin god...In a state where the likes of Mr. Steele used to be considered a piece of property to be sold, bartered, used and abused, he makes the Mother of All Comments. Apparently, he's forgotten that the heads of his ancestors used to have a price tag attached to them -- for, say, $17 or so. Shameful. Hateful. Painful.

Mr. Steele thinks that gay marriage will hurt small business -- that small business cannot afford to add spouses or domestic partners to their payrolls. Excuse me? I've been paying for the god-damned husbands and wives of everyone around me for many years and now I can't have the same thing afforded me? I've been paying for those who hate me -- those who vote against me and don't like me -- over and over for years. I've been paying taxes for years to send children to public school when I don't have a child myself in school? I don't have a choice. And they don't want to pay for me? Bullshit.

Even the conservative Washington Redskins official blog support the homosexual agenda. There are tongue-in-cheek comments in this thread that support murder, and even abortion, as a way to reduce the number of family members that companies are responsible for providing insurance for. Murder and abortion -- I love that! I can think of a few more ... beginning with the castration of Mr. Steele's black balls so that no more children have to be added to the insurance rolls.

So, Mr. Steele.....don't forget where you came from. And don't forget that this a basic issue of civil, human rights. You can continue to take this low-ball, silly approach to your Republican party, clearly struggling from a lack of vision and future. Or you can take the high road and earn your wings. Your choice, buster. You've committed a major error in judgment. Your party ought to send you back where you came from. You are the liability that this struggling nation does not need at this point in its history.

The Party Is Over

UPDATE: You'll see my photos here.

The party is over. The guests have come and gone. The leftover food has been tossed. And we have an amazing new president! Does anybody else feel the hope that's been painfully missing for a very long time? I swear, it was so incredible to be with good friends on this historic day. Once in a lifetime. You'll read my buddy Stephen's Live Blogging Story Here from our party. Thanks to all who attended.

A Breath of Fresh Air

Can you feel it? The fresh breath of peace...or hope...or rejuvenation? Man oh man, I sure can. I have this "once in a lifetime" feeling. Today's the day and we're having our Inaugural Day Party here beginning at 7:30am. We're expecting 20-25 people for drinks, breakfast snacks, and lots of fun. I wish you were all here....seriously. I could go on and on -- suffice it to say that this day has been a long, long time in coming. As we begin this entirely new era in our nation's history, I wish you all world of peace, love, and joy.....in just the right amounts and just the right times in your lives. Celebrate!

Party Prep !!!

Isn't my husband just delicious? Holding such a warm and welcoming sign in preparation for tomorrow's very early shin-dig here at our condo. We're in the middle of toilet cleaning, blowing up balloons, rearranging televisions and laptops for viewing, cutting up limes for the Bloody Mary's, extra coffee containers, furniture out of the way, sauteing onions and peppers to make breakfast casseroles at 05:00am tomorrow, new roll of toilet paper out, pubic hairs off of the bathroom floor, and the list goes on and on. If you're coming, we'll see you at 7:30 in the morning. If you're not, I'm mad at you.

The Celebration Begins

It's quite a weekend, my good buddies. I finished a 4-day trip yesterday and we dove headfirst into our long list of things to get done this weekend. We're preparing for 20-25 people in our small condo for Inauguration Day morning....we're repositioning both of our TVs and will be streaming CNN on both of our laptops. There will be breakfast goodies, Mimosas, Bloody Marys, and Baileys for hot coffee. There will be balloons, name tags that say "Lewis Loves Obama," and there will be Kleenex for the tears that I've already started. I just can't believe this is happening. I've been watching television all morning...Obama's train ride from Philadelphia to Washington. We were at McDonald's about 7 this morning and I couldn't keep my eyes from getting moist as I watched the excitement, the happiness on people's faces.....it's been a very long time since I've seen, or felt, it. We have been in a desperate place as of recent years. And we're still there. It's just that now, I believe, we have someone prepared to actually lead us, show us, help us along in the way we should go. The celebration has already begun. And leave me alone...I can cry if I want to.

I went to yoga yesterday afternoon...it's been a week. It was a beautifully clear and cold winter afternoon and the sun was blasting its way into the room. People around me kept asking if they should close the blinds to keep the sun out....there's no way I could say "yes." I loved it so much. As I sat on my blue yoga mat I was reminded of the worries of the week, the hopefulness of the coming week, and those around me who need help. I was also reminded of my bad attitudes and judgmental slants. And then I read my good buddy at Whisper in the Void's post this morning. Ugh. The truth seems to hit home at just the right times. We ventured back to the gym at 7 this morning and had a great workout....lots of bicep and chest work followed by abs/core crap, and then 25 minutes on the treadmill......intervals of running and fast walking. It felt so good to get back into it, kick it up a notch, and sweat it out. We hit Starbuck's in our neighborhood on the way home for one of their new Tazo Tea Lattes. Yummy.

Tonight is dinner at Alex and Paul's house with my MIL and BIL. After dinner we're going to be locked in the basement to watch Mamma Mia! on their giant TV. Tomorrow we're going to try and see HBO's We Are One concert live from the Washington Mall. And Monday is going to be chuckerblock full of errands and food preparation for Tuesday's party. It's been a long time in coming.

Inauguration Party -- Tuesday January 20

We're having an Inauguration Day Party on Tuesday, January 20, at our little teeny-tiny condo. If you're in Portland, please RSVP to me today so I can add you to the list. We're doing Mimosas, Baileys and coffee, and Bloody Mary's along with a simple breakfast. We're asking you to arrive between 7:30-8:00AM and no later than 8:30AM (yes kids, that is in the morning!). We want to be sure that everyone is here early and has the chance to see the actual swearing-in ceremony. So, hit me up today! We're at about 15 so far.

Inaguration Party 2009...Tuesday January 20

My good buddy Chris at My 2 Cents has reminded all of us of what a grand and glorious month is in store for us. January typically doesn't bring on cheers and smiles for many. But next month is definitely different. We've waited for January 20, 2009, for far too long. Mr. Screw Up Of The Century is gonna be out of here! Chris reminded me that I should tell all of you that my hubby and I are hosting an Inauguration Party early on the morning of Tuesday, January 20, 2009. The actual ceremony begins at 09:00 but our doors will be open at 7:00am and we're asking that everyone be here before 08:30am so that we can all focus on the swearing in. I still don't think I have a good grasp on what this really truly means for us as a nation and even as a globe. It's not like any other inauguration ever. We're serving a yummy breakfast casserole along with fresh fruit. And to celebrate, we'll have Bailey's for the coffee along with Bloody Marys and Mimosas too. If you're in the Portland area, or would like to be, we hope you'll consider yourself invited. I do need your RSVP, though, by January 10.

Please, come and help us say goodbye to the Bush.

Why It Is That Today We Say Buh-Bye

Why is it that I'm up at 04:43 in the morning after going to bed only four hours ago? Seriously, this never happens with me. I love my sleep in the dark with the bed covers pulled up tight. Maybe it's because I went to bed not even knowing the Presidential outcome of states like Indiana, North Carolina, and Montana -- always Republican strongholds in the past. Maybe it's because I know that additional GOP blood bath states like Colorado and Nevada even went for the new guy on the block. Or possibly that even my own home state of Idaho (one of the reddest of red) voted 36% for an African American when it's rarely that high in this land of right-wingers and Mormons.

Today is the day we've said enough. Enough of continuing the irreparable harm to those who live inside our borders. We all deserve to be taken care of. Enough of causing pain to those who don't believe in the same system of religious beliefs that we may. We all deserve to hold our higher power in the way we choose. Enough of forcing a particular political system on nations that are, quite frankly, not ours to control. We all deserve the right to live and vote like we want to. Enough of the least of those walking around with their heads hung low, faces wrinkled with the sadness of life, and eyes showing no sign of vitality. We all deserve to have someone helping us and looking out for our backs. Enough of our great nation employing uneducated idiots who know next to nothing about how to run a country. Our globe is in imminent peril and needs highly educated, globally perspective leaders at this critical juncture in life.

If ever there was a time for a diplomat, the time is now. The destruction that is caused on a daily basis to those who call themselves Americans -- as well as those who don't -- can not continue. And today we say ENOUGH. It's over. The game has been called and you are no longer a player. So, go home Mr. former President. Your services are no longer required. The anger and hatred you have stirred up in this amazing country is not something that its citizens will put up with any longer. You have fucked with us for one last time and the lights are being turned out on your simplistic shallowness.

Today we've chosen hope over fear. Because the tears in our eyes can't continue. Today we've chosen vision for the future. Because our questioning and hesitant lives can't do this any more. The lid can only be held on the boiling pot for so long before the steam, bubbles, and hidden energy beneath the surface bursts forth. Your time was never, George W. Bush. You were never the intelligent choice to lead this nation. In fact, I can't think of the last time that we've had a serious Republican contender who is a decent person with top-notch skills and education to help us out here. And you can see where that's led us. But the time is up. So pack your bags, make some stupid statement that your speech writers put together for you, and get the hell out of one of the greatest offices on earth. We never did like you. You've left us in nothing but destruction. And today we say buh bye. What a fuck up you were. And what an unbelievably great man we've chosen to sweep up your mess.

Dancing in the Streets

We've just returned home with a new President-Elect in position. I can't believe it. A day that I wasn't fully convinced would ever arrive -- the realist in me always has its hand in the matter. But it was made quite real when we saw fireworks going off on street corners and all of the cars on the road honking in celebration. And then we hit Hawthorne Street in Portland. We couldn't believe it -- celebrants everywhere...every corner...in the middle of the intersections. With giant Obama signs. Whistling, shouting, yelling....in the middle of the roads. Assuring us that the victory we'd just seen on the television was, indeed, quite real. I still don't think it has set in....the reality of what has happened. It is a new day, a fresh breath of air -- especially to those who have gone without, those who have been beaten down, those who have been threatened and mistreated. Those are the folks who, like us, had tears in our eyes tonight. All over the election of a new president. And rightfully so. Celebrate, kids. We have every damned reason in the world to.

Turning Over a New Leaf

Today is the day, folks. By the close of business late tonight, we should have elected a brand new president. And, it had better be you know who. Because I'm sick of this shit. The caste system. The "it's okay for me, but not for you" sort of politics. The lying, needless wars, giant humongous amount of dollars being spent on the other side of the earth when we need it here. And if I hear one more "family values" conversation, I'm going to squirt screws out of some body orifice. So, in the spirit of beginning over, with fresh vision and new erection...err, a direction....I bring you a new chapter in my own head:

You know, there are periods in your life where things are running along fine. Status quo. Happy and no big deals going on. You're loving your husband, and he loves you back. Some things could be better, some things could be worse. But, all in all, it's pretty damned peachy. You're coming up on 11 years of being together. Happier than clams. You love him no matter what and he reciprocates gladly, easily. Thick and thin, it makes no difference -- you're stuck together like glue. And before I continue, I must point out that my hubby has put together a brand new blog...Blair's Corner....I hope you'll check it out.

But somewhere along the line, for reasons known or not, things do tend to change. It's almost like you lose yourself in the relationship sometimes. You become so much a part of "we," that "you" goes bye-bye. You start doing the things you think you "should" be doing and not doing the things you "should not" be doing. The person, their personality, and their likes and dislikes nearly disappear from the scene sometimes. People migrate from the sex-crazed early years when you'd eat dinner on a laundry basket turned upside down because you had no table (yes, that was us) to the years of settling for frozen TV dinners with reruns of The Golden Girls. Just because that's the way it happens. Life is that way, you know. You're so totally comfortable with each other that a lot of things just don't matter anymore. Dirty socks and underwear (in spite of the fact that I'd place those in the yummy category) can lay anywhere without too much of an issue. Dishes can pile in the sink (but they don't at our house). And you've even grown accustomed to the unusual smells from the bathroom -- and just flip on the fan without saying a word anymore. Suddenly, you look in the mirror and realize that even your own partner may not know you. Nor you, him. Or maybe it's not so much that they don't know you as much as it is that you've just learned to cover up yourself. Learned to avoid talking about things that maybe you used to. About certain subjects, about sexual turn ons, fetishes and the like. About the things that irritate you, about cares and concerns...and even about good times. Quite frankly, you've settled in. It's the Lazy Boy years. Television and feet up time! Some people gain weight during this time. Others let themselves go in other ways. They just stop taking care of themselves because they are that comfortable with the other dude. You learn that there's more to life than sex on a daily basis. More to happiness than admitting to your husband that there are naughty things that used to turn you on that you really haven't thought about in many years. You are at that point where you now say, "Love you" at the end of conversations instead of something gushy like, "You are the love of my life, the apple of my eye, and I'm totally devoid of happiness without you in it....I love you more today than I ever have." (My god, that's getting a little thick, isn't it?) And I don't believe it's an issue that's specific to any particular group or sex. I know that, were the 100% unabashed truth be told, even innocent little church-goers have desires and frustrations...just look at the escalating rate of abuse and such in the church .... were these folks given an "out"....a way to express themselves properly .... perhaps the negative side of things wouldn't have reared its ugly head. And I know that it doesn't matter if you're homo or heterosexual.....everyone has their own version of naughty games playing in their heads.

So, a certain hubby and his lover boyfriend husband partner have decided to start living a little more on the edge. As individuals and as a couple. They aren't really sure where this is all going to end up. But it's time to be more in tune with emotions, desires, life, and all of the joys that go with it. I don't even know what to say, really -- and I'm not even sure exactly the point of this post. It's just time that we start living our thoughts a little more out loud. In the open. In front of one another and even in front of others. It seems as age settles in a bit more in some lives that things just change. But a certain couple is going to try and rejuvenate life....for themselves, for each other, for others. If it's a fetish, we're talking about it. A turn on? You'll hear about it. We're just going to be more in tune with things. I mean, if it gets too bad, I may have to turn this blog into an adult site. Because this crazy head of mine has some pretty wild things going on inside of it.

In a way, I feel like I've had to temper my thoughts, feelings, desires, emotions. Just because I'm a husband. One learns to bury them, hide them, change them to be a better fit. And I'm really exhausted from playing by other's rules -- rules of churches, friends, family, and others. And I know you'll concur when I tell you that life is too short to be someone whom you really are not. I mean, the only thing worse than someone else judging you is you judging yourself. Ick. So, you may just hear me talking about one of my favorite friends and his site....Flip Flops Boy (18+ only...be aware). Because that's just me. Plain and simple. Or the fact that I dig a man who smells like a man. Frilliness and Irish Spring are not necessary for this guy. You may not always agree with me, nor concur with the things going on in my head, but at least you'll know the real me. And that's a good place for all of us to be. Happy trails, my friends (I sound like John McCain with that "my friends" crap, don't I??). Live honest and happy.