Hi there,

I don’t tend to post much about politics in this blog, especially nowadays.  But I have something I want to talk to you about that’s more than “just politics.”  It’s about my friends.  It’s about—with semi-apologies to Princess Bride—True Love.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Proposition 8, I’ll quickly fill you in:  It’s a ballot initiative in California that aims to modify the state constitution to eliminate the right of people to marry the one they love if they’re gay or lesbian.

And let me tell you, it has warmed my heart to see gay and lesbian people I know tie the knot… people who are committed, monogamous, dedicated to their communities.  People who care about schools, who care about our country and the world. 

 

In the marvelous The Week magazine (March 2007 edition quoting a USA Today / Gallup poll), it was disclosed that 53% of Americans wouldn’t vote for an atheist for U.S. President (and, unsurprisingly but just as sadly, 43% said they wouldn’t vote for a homosexual, either).  Barring a horribly worded poll question—which, I concede, isn’t out of the question—I’m guessing the real percentage of Americans who are prejudiced against atheists is even higher; assuming the poll was done by phone or in person, I can imagine some people thinking to themselves “Well, darned if I’d ever support one of them goin’-to-hell types, but I gotta sound enlightened here and not admit it!”

You know, I don’t care what people believe in: the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, the Boogie Man, or—my personal favorite and Savior—The Flying Spaghetti Monster... nor do I care whom they sleep with (men, women, or even The Flying Spaghetti Monster Himself, though I admit that could get messy), as long as no one gets hurt.  For instance, a pediatrician saying, “I’m sorry, son, I can’t see you today unless you pledge allegiance to Harvey, my invisible rabbit”... that would be wrong.  And weird… though (IMACANSHO) not a jot weirder than lots of other belief systems out there. 

Personally, I’d actually be happy to elect anyone as President—regardless of his or her religion or sexual habits—if he or she would fulfill just some very basic criteria:
- Has visited at least four countries in three continents.  And not just on business.
- Can read—and speak—at higher than a sixth grade level.
- Is respected by more than half a dozen world leaders.  And not the machete-wielding ones, either!
- Has publicly admitted to being wrong… and apologized!
- Has an innate sense of curiosity about the world… including people, science, the arts, etc.

And, most importantly…

Like many of you, I read a lot of news and opinion pieces on the Internet and am therefore bombarded by a mixture of dry and rabid facts and opinions.  It can be exausting and frustrating!

That’s why I’m particularly pleased to have found these two useful resources:

The Week Magazine
The Week expertly summarizes information and opinions from leading newspapers and journals around the world into a 30-40 page concise and fascinating overview.  From political news to information about current scientific issues to aggregated theatre and art reviews, this magazine offers a superb opportunity to become familiar with key global debates and concerns.

While you can read many of the articles online, I do recommend that you subscribe to the paper edition.  If you have airline frequent flyer miles, you’ll find that you can get this magazine for just a few hundred milepoints a year—a significant savings over the equivalent monetary subscription charges.  Search for [{your airline} miles magazines].

FactCheck.org
This outstanding FactCheck.org Web site—maintained by the Annenberg School of Communication—and its accompanying e-mail newsletter do a fabulous job delving into the truth of political campaign ads.  Beyond just calling specific claims flatly “true” or “false”, FactCheck evaluates the claims in context and leans neither to the right nor left.  Campaign claims by Democrats, Republicans, and Liberatarians are all scrutinized dispassionately and thoroughly.  It’s a wonderful antidote to the frothing right-wing and left-wing blogs out there which’ll seemingly twist anything to fit their particular agenda.

*  *  *

Know of any other unbiased and thoughtful resources for understanding world events, politics, and the arts?  I’d love to hear from you!

In research that shouldn't be a great surprise to anyone, a recent Cornell University study has shown that men who felt more insecure about their masculinity were "more likely to support the war in Iraq, more likely to oppose gay marriage and denounce gays, and more likely to express a desire to buy an SUV." [Source: The Week magazine, August 26, 2005, page 21; see related articles]

Okay, I've shied away from politics for a while, but I just can't let this one slide.

I think Howard Dean's over the top. I've never been able to understand his appeal. Maybe his mother loved him, but I've never met anybody who does

- U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, speaking to that bastion of balance, Fox News

Hey, Dick... there's a difference between speaking bluntly and directly (Howard's modus operandi) and just making a total ass out of yourself. Before you become even more of a laughingstock than you already are, it'd behoove you to learn the difference.

So, apparently this rather dumb fella went to bail out his brother-in-law using money that reeked of marijuana.

Long story short... the dispatcher suspected the guy was a-foul (smelling) of the law, the guy's car was searched (with his consent), "a pipe and a small amount of marijuana was found" and now "he could face six months to three years in prison and a $10,000 fine."

Oh Canada!
A fleshy tribute written by yours truly

---

Canada has a shortage of boobs
The inflatable kind, like inner tubes
They've auditioned hot strippers from far off lands
Inspectors coo-coo'ing "Oh, you're in good hands!"

A fellow blogger offered an interesting prompt:

Oddly enough, the recent election has me disappointed but not as angry as the last one. At least I don't feel like the election was blatantly stolen like last time, with bush losing majority and winning electoral solely riding the supreme court. While there are concerns about voting machine accuracy, I do feel that Americans (by a sliver majority) want what we got on Nov 2nd. Now to figure out how to get across that rift of understanding.

- RahRahFeminista

Here's how I responded:

I'm really sorry, and I have no rational explanation for the opinions and choices of so many of my fellow American citizens.

Please view the glass as half full instead of half empty. That's what I'm trying to do right now.

And be assured that many millions of us aren't xenophobic, homophobic, or "Old World" Europe-hating folks.

Living in San Francisco and having gay and lesbian friends, you'd think that I'd be pretty savvy about this demographic. But this week, I learned something fascinating:

Some lesbians have no lips.