Lesbians Who Fuck Men

“Cause nothing stands between us here
And I won't be denied” ~ Possession, Sarah McLachlan


Dear Sally Sunshine,

You are crazy.

Ok readers, I will refrain from addressing myself in the process of addressing you. It just adds extra layers to the crazy. I will, however, admit my lizard brain has been on a long sojourn, i.e. the creative force has not been with me. You’ll have to excuse me, removing the moldy structure at the crux of my existence was more difficult than anticipated.

After having my sexuality snacked on like a bag of Doritos, today, humbly I walk toward you with only one candle left burning- an empty vessel, formless but on the verge of a discovery. Lovers who’ve basked in my sexual duality (bisexuality) beware. I am wandering into the oblivion. I’m all up in your face and fucking up the game.

When I came out to my family and friends in 2002, I came out as a lesbian. I had a serious girlfriend, I was active in the LGBT community, I had been to Gay Pride and the Gay Church, I took communion with other queers, and I had gay books, movies, and crushes. I was eager to move from my hometown to step further, publicly, into my sexual identity without the threat of being “outed” professionally. I could not foresee myself being deeply in love with a man in the future.

There were some men who I slept with in the spirit of charity. I remember driving to meet Mercy Fuck Mark who was nursing some raw wounds surrounding a brutal break-up with his lady love. I took up a Venus mantle and touched him (read: screwed him) with tenderness in an attempt to release him from his tortured thoughts. My good deeds did not go unnoticed. A cute little blonde thing flirted her way right into my arms the night before I left Mercy Fuck Mark in the fetal position sucking his thumb.

If there were men, then, I did have the unfortunate habit of falling for their lady friends. Maybe it was the hug that lasted a little too long or a flushed-faced conversation that pushed me over the edge. This is not to say I haven’t enjoyed certain men and their cocks and/or companionship at different intervals in my life. Over the last few years, I have mainly been involved with men, but that wasn’t a conscious choice I made. There just simply weren’t any women in my area code that I had more than a passing interest in.

Overtime, I took to calling myself a bisexual- it seemed like the most ambiguous label given the cold stark reality of who I was fucking (both men and women). This theory of defining one’s sexual identity by gender preference at a given moment is misleading. The truth of our sexual identity is far more complex than who we go to bed with.

Within our erotic identities, we also contain emotional identities and transpersonal/political identities. There are infinite possibilities. Coincidentally, during the time of my feminist “coming of age”, my sexual desire for the same-sex intensified. Now, this is not a defense of “political” lesbians (i.e. women who only have relationships (sexual or otherwise) with other women as a form of protest against the patriarchy), but, it is an acknowledgement of the subtle nuances between the personal and the political. It might be fair to say, my politics (women’s rights) was working in tandem with my desire. Yes, one could exist without the other, but they blended quite well in the same vein. Lest we forget, still, beyond all the intellectualization, I wanted to eat pussy.

Since there are plenty of lesbians who are not feminists and have no interest in “woymn’s lib” and there are plenty of straight girls who are feminists, political lesbianism has been dubbed a thing of the past. Yet, the label still has societal relevance. When a lesbian is told by parents she must be a lesbian because she was molested by some family pervert (even if this is not true) or she has a huge load of resentment toward men in general they are invoking the old “the personal is political” view as an explanation for their daughter’s same-sex attraction. This is offensive for a number of reasons. The parents are basically not acknowledging their child’s identity. They are inferring that the child’s an eternal victim, unable to sort out their own desires or identity. This is an effective way to devalue a child’s sense of self, unless, of course, she is willing to call bullshit and has the language available to express it.

In a sense, all labels are ludicrous attempts to contain the very complex structure of personality. Because, all identities have a certain finality associated with them, we become prisoners of the stamp. The term “bisexuality” represents a valiant effort define the indefinable- a free-flowing sexuality with a willingness to experience deep feelings of love and desire for either gender.

Sally Sunshine, alone on your own little journey, who do you love? That is the question of the hour. Or, more precisely, who will you fuck?

In the words of Lisa Loeb*, “Do you fuck girls anymore? Do you fall gracefully into bed with the same sex? I don’t know and I don’t care.”

Well, maybe, that wasn’t her exact phraseology, but, world, listen up, I’m still a lesbian.

Your faithful hermit/servant,

SallyS



*Lyrics: Do You Sleep? : Lisa Loeb

Blowing a load on the face of misogynists.

A friend sent this email to Sally S. today: Read Below:

I just heard this song again and it reminded me how important it is to do what you are passionate about and be surrounded by people who love and support you. My family and friends are my foundation and I am grateful everyday for them.

A big house and fancy cars mean nothing if you don't have people around you to share it with. Whether it is with your family, your friends or your significant other, make that your foundation and you will excel in everything you do.

Material things bring
temporary and short-term happiness...family and friends are priceless. That is the definition of success...not the passionless love for material things.

Be grateful everyday, have integrity, love and support those around you and it will all come back ten folds.

Measure Your Success:

* Rich in friends—A person who cultivates friendships and who is a joy to be around can have hundreds of good friends and can be rich beyond the wildest dreams of others.


* Rich in health—A person who spends time eating and drinking right, exercising and relaxing from stress can be extremely healthy, and this health can be far more valuable than any amount of money.


* Rich in strength—A person who works out with weights every day, runs, swims, etc. can be rich in strength and will have an attractive body.


* Rich in family—A person who devotes time to his or her spouse and children will have a strong and happy family that is rewarding throughout life.


* Rich in knowledge—A person who reads and studies will become rich in knowledge.


* Rich in skill—A person who practices anything daily (a skill, a sport, prayer, whatever) will become excellent in that skill area. Excellence has its own rewards.


* Rich in character— A person who works hard at being honest and truthful in all situations will become rich in character and will be trusted by everyone.

See my response below:

It is possible to do what you are passionate about AND have money- and lots of it, actually. I realize there is an obsession in our society with the material. Possessions are pursued at the expense of other important things- there is no balance, for some.

On the other hand, I vehemently disagree with an overly humble attitude toward money, possessions, and material success. Ambition, especially in women, is shunned.

Shouldn't we just be satisfied with good friends, a gym membership, and family?

Maybe. If it pleases you.

Yet, there are some of us, women included, who are tenaciously pursuing our material goals- because we want to make a difference in the world, professionally, and be able to support ourselves, AND make boat loads of money if our ambitious little hearts desire. We are not any less "evolved" or "spiritual" than one for who those values don't apply.

There is a rather sexist imprint in this philosophy. For example, I may feel, as a woman, the need to justify my ambition with statements like, "I just really want to help people, and that's why success is important to me." Very few men are called upon to justify their ambition in this manner.

It is considered poor form for a woman to be restlessly driven- just for ambition's sake. Even in today's society, it's relatively rare to hear a woman openly admit to being a capitalist of the highest order, that is, placing ambition/success (of which material items are a natural extension of success) at the top of their list.

Parting Observation:

Oddly, it was not a stay-at-home mom who posted the article above; in fact, it was a young female entrepreneur at the prime of her earning potential- (30-35 years old).

How intriguing.

~S.S.

Souls on Parade

“It's about you and the sun
A morning run
The story of my maker
What I have and what I ache for

I`ve got a golden ear
I cut and I spear
What else is there?"--- Royksopp

I have been involved in exceedingly long drawn-out emotional conversations about nothing lately. Maybe that’s why I haven’t written anything of substance. I used to be a much better blogger when I knew nobody read this page. Now, I have no idea who see’s this, much less, who even cares about it.

And yes, lately, too, I admit I’ve been intellectually lazy. Anybody else ever feel that way? (shouting into the void!) Maybe it’s the summer heat, hell.. I don’t know anymore and I’m out of excuses.

Also, has anyone else been feeling utterly uninspired by what’s happening out there in blog land? I’ve become highly disillusioned by the internet feminists. I have never seen so much drama, hatred, and monotony spewed forth in such a methodical fashion. Blah. and Barf.

The radical feminist versus this person and that person has become a little predictable.

What else is there to say?

Also, sex.

So, you like it rough? So, you have a rubber crotch? (tribute to Sylvia Plath), so you like come fuck me boots, so you don’t like any of those things and eschew all items of that nature? What else is there?

If you’ve given away every secret in every conversation you’ve had, what else is there?

Last night, at a lovely Piano Bar in the company of my sister and three not so lovely gentlemen, my sister’s date said..

“Yeah, I agree with the War in Iraq, it’s a good thing….” or something to that effect. I honestly quit listening after the first line tho’, looked at him menacingly about three sentences into his diatribe and said, “yeah, if you don’t have a soul.”

I’m just done with it, ya know. Convincing these fuckwits that their opinions are wrong isn’t really important anymore. Once upon a time, Sally would’ve dueled verbally with this gentleman to the death, but no. Even if I could convince him to, oh, I don’t know, get a soul… “Hey, buddy, go pick up a fuckin’ soul, they’re on sale down the street!!” what difference does it make?

It doesn’t help matters that on Friday night I ran into a killing machine. Not yet, mind you. He’s not a killing machine quite yet- until he finally gets to go to Iraq and kill some people, he’s still a double-d douche bag with a small dick in the old U.S. of A.

Seriously, at a party on Fri. night I actually over heard the guy talking about how excited he was to “go kill some people.” Again, fuckwad, souls are on sale down the street. He also spoke about basic training and how his superiors degraded and humiliated him, physically, emotionally..even sexually? Straight out of the killing machine’s mouth.. he told us about how his commanding officer made him jerk off in front other men in big room. Sounds like a scene straight out of G.I. Jane to me, but nonetheless, true or false, this guy felt it necessary to recount the experience.

I found it hard to muster any compassion for this fellow. Yet, at the same time, I felt this young insecure lad probably was being or had been brainwashed by the government. Weird, huh? It was just the vibe I got. A shy self-loathing boy doesn’t turn into a killing machine overnight, you know. Or maybe they do.

The Burden of Being Trapped in a Woman’s Body

Conversational Pieces that Illuminate…..

The scene:

Texas Roadhouse Restaurant

8:30 pm

Dinning Companions, Seven

On Friday night, your girl Sally Sunshine found herself surrounded by a table of conservative Republicans. It was, more or less, your garden variety “we hate gays, feminists, and anything resembling counterculture” crowd. One of the dudes was even wearing cowboy boots. I knew I was out of my comfort zone, but still proceeded to stir shit up anyway. As most of you know, dissent and deviant behavior is a favorite past time of mine.

Actually, the overall mood and conversation was not that hostile. Discussion ranged over a large array of topics like politics, religion, abortion, sexuality, astrology.. all the hot buttons were pushed and nobody got pissed.

However, I knew I was in trouble when the boot guy asked nervously, “So, is astrology like a religion?” To which I responded in kind, “Eh, not exactly young grasshopper, listen and learn.” Ok, so I wasn’t that mean, but I did explain that astrology is not a religion and I am not a Wiccan Priestess.

Next, a polite Harley guy to my right, begin to grill me about my travel habits, interests, profession, and…… abortion?.... Evidently, he must’ve assumed that I had an opinion on the matter. We began by debating the whole ‘when does life begin’ issue. After I thoroughly squelched his argument he moved on to the old fall back, religious justification. This is always a good cop out since none of us can be certain that God even exists or what the ramifications of our actions will be after we leave this planet. My guess is as good as yours, literally.

Anyway.

I attempted to steer the conversation from the invisible guy in the sky theory and back to basics, arguing that in order for women to have any sort of dominion over their lives we need reproductive freedom and choice. I went on to explain that when one’s back is up against the wall of an unplanned pregnancy, all bets are off.

Because we are biologically born women, does that mean we should be prisoners of our bodies? Sure, some experience motherhood as a true blessing and joy, hell it could very well be their life calling. However, some of us recoil at mere thought of having children, or in some cases, just the actual pregnancy portion of the deal. I, for one, have never been excited about the idea of ‘something growing inside of me’, alien invasion anyone? My biases aside, it must be recognized, some of us are just not big fans of being mommies.

This having been said, I asked him to look at the practical side of situation. Typically, the onset of puberty begins for women between 11-13 years old in which menstruation commences. Menopause, then, begins in the late forties after women have completed their childbearing years. For illustrative purposes, let’s assume that first menstruation was at age 13 and menopause at 48. People, that’s 35 freaking years of reproductive potential. 35! During that time, is it plausible that a mistake may be made? I know I’ve forgotten to take my pill in a rush to leave the house in the morning or in hasty drunken stupor had unprotected sex, hell, it happens. Mistakes will be made, errors in judgment will occur, and consequences born out of extreme negligence will ensue. It’s called life.

However, this is not the point. The point is women should have the all the tools (family planning, yearly obg/yn exams, regular contraceptives, emergency contraceptives, and abortion) available to them to exercise the right to pursue their respective destinies with self-determination and dignity.

Most men move through their lives with a relative degree of freedom and anonymity. They do not or cannot understand what it is like to be chained to the burden of biology or the dilemma of being stuck inside a fertile body. For those of us who live with this anxiety constantly (those not wishing to conceive) it’s a pretty fucking weighty paranoia even if you are normally as safe as possible and ignore the fact that humans make mistakes.

These feelings, at least in my case, certainly account for a large portion of that “post sex” guilt/worry. The nagging.. what if, what if, what if that plagues the brain and never ceases to stop. That is, until the next month when I declare victory over biology once again and run screaming from the bathroom, "Thank God, I’m free at last. God Almighty, I’m free at last!"

George Bush and Female Desire

(Not a likely combo you say?)

This fucking incompetent irresponsible administration, with its lies, corruption, and greed, has gone too far. Democrats have given George the Finger, and there’s no turning back. Today, ACTUAL legislation passed in the House in a 218-212 vote which provided for a time table to bring the troops home. It’s hard to tell if the Senate will pass it, but it’s a start. Bush has said he will veto the measure if it ends up on his desk. Everything negative that could be said about this president has already been said. Soooo, I’ll spare you the “he’s a trigger happy war mongering obstinate fool who needs to remove his head from his ass” speech.

Ahem.

Now that I’ve got that off my chest, back to the babes. It is, after all, female desire week. Let’s not waste anymore time.

OBJECTS OF DESIRE: The Musical: Act II

How could I forget these two? I seem to have a preference for brunettes, with blue eyes, that is.

But, as my friend Julie would say, “I don’t discriminate, I’m an equal-opportunity destroyer.” Indeedy, Julie.

Rachel Yamagata




Amy Lee




Next, I’d like to continue with some cinematic duos of female desire. Here are my most recent two.

Loving Annabelle- Diane Gaidry, Erin Kelly




This could very well be my life story. Teacher falls for hot young student- so delicious, yet completely inappropriate and naughty.

My Summer of Love- Natalie Press and Emily Blunt



Hell, Emily Blunt by herself works for me too. Yikes- she’s sexy.





*Turns off movie projector and turns on the lights*

Time for a cold shower.

Killing in the name of

Christ Kills Two, Injures Seven In Abortion-Clinic Attack

Giuliani or Obama?

This weekend my sister and I had an interesting discussion about the forerunners for the 2008 presidential election. It’s no secret; I’m a big Barack Obama fan. His presidental platform, “HOPE. ACTION. CHANGE.”, is an inspiring message, which we all need to embrace during this dark era in our history. In a recent campaign speech, Senator Obama said, “"We are here today because the country calls us, we are here today because history beckons us, we are here today because we face a series of challenges as significant, as daunting as any generation has faced." He then added, "There's a better future for America.” And I couldn’t agree more.

Senator Obama has consistently spoken out against the war in Iraq. In a speech in 2002 he said,

“After September 11, after witnessing the carnage and destruction, the dust and the tears, I supported this administration's pledge to hunt down and root out those who would slaughter innocents in the name of intolerance, and I would willingly take up arms myself to prevent such tragedy from happening again. I don't oppose all wars. What I am opposed to is a dumb war. What I am opposed to is a rash war. What I am opposed to is the cynical attempt by Richard Perle and Paul Wolfowitz and other armchair, weekend warriors in this administration to shove their own ideological agendas down our throats, irrespective of the costs in lives lost and in hardships borne. What I am opposed to is the attempt by political hacks like Karl Rove to distract us from a rise in the uninsured, a rise in the poverty rate, a drop in the median income, to distract us from corporate scandals and a stock market that has just gone through the worst month since the Great Depression.”

AND

“You want a fight, President Bush? Let's fight to wean ourselves off Middle East oil through an energy policy that doesn't simply serve the interests of Exxon and Mobil. Those are the battles that we need to fight. Those are the battles that we willingly join. The battles against ignorance and intolerance. Corruption and greed. Poverty and despair. The consequences of war are dire, the sacrifices immeasurable. We may have occasion in our lifetime to once again rise up in defense of our freedom, and pay the wages of war. But we ought not - we will not - travel down that hellish path blindly. Nor should we allow those who would march off and pay the ultimate sacrifice, who would prove the full measure of devotion with their blood, to make such an awful sacrifice in vain.”

Giuliani, on the other hand, at the Republican National Convention in 2004, said,

“On September 20, 2001, President Bush stood before a joint session of Congress, a still grieving and shocked nation and a confused world, and he changed the direction of our ship of state. He dedicated America, under his leadership, to destroying global terrorism. The president announced the Bush Doctrine, when he said, "Our war on terror begins with al Qaeda, but it does not end there. It will not end until every terrorist group of global reach has been found, stopped and defeated. Either you are with us or you are with the terrorists. And since September 11, President Bush has remained rock solid.It doesn't matter to him how he is demonized. It doesn't matter what the media does to ridicule him or misinterpret him or defeat him. They ridiculed Winston Churchill. They belittled Ronald Reagan. But like President Bush, they were optimists. Leaders need to be optimists. Their vision is beyond the present, and it's set on a future of real peace and security. Some call it stubbornness. I call it principled leadership. President Bush has the courage of his convictions.”

And on February 11, 2007, Giuliani made other comments about his faith in Bush as a leader. An article by Michael Finnegan, Times Staff Writer, states,

"Republican presidential hopeful Rudolph W. Giuliani praised President Bush's war leadership on Saturday and mocked supporters of a nonbinding congressional resolution condemning the U.S. troop buildup in Iraq. The former New York City mayor came to Bush's defense as he promoted his White House candidacy at a California Republican convention. Drawing parallels between Iraq and America's Civil War, Giuliani compared Bush's political troubles to Abraham Lincoln's. When the Civil War was unpopular, Giuliani said, Lincoln "kept his eye ahead." "He (Lincoln) was able to say, 'I know my people are frustrated, and I know my people are angry at me.' " But after weighing public opinion, Lincoln had "that ability that a leader has — a leader like George Bush, a leader like Ronald Reagan — to look into the future," Giuliani said. Giuliani's defense of the currently unpopular president comes as he is portraying himself as a decisive leader unafraid to buck public opinion."

Conversely, Senator Obama, stands behind his Iraq War De-Escalation Act of 2007, which provides for a time table for withdrawal from Iraq that is both practical and functional. His De-Escalation Act can be viewed here.

Rather than attacking Guiliani for decisions made in his personal life, I would instead like to focus on his “iron-fist” style of leadership. Several Guiliani insiders and analysts have pointed out his tendency to surrounded himself with “Yes, Rudy” men, isolating himself from contradictory view points and opinions. Does this sound familiar? George W. Bush part duex anyone?

Guiliani, once a lame duck mayor, saw his popularity catapult after the events of 9/11. While George Bush was hiding in a bunker on September 11th, Guiliani appeared on the news as both a confident and comforting presence which the American people desperately need at that time.

However, what America needs now is way out of a horrendous war started on the premise of a lie. Guiliani rides the wave of his “perceived 9/11 heroism” and continues to support the Bush agenda. This is just more of the same shit. I cannot see how another “iron-fisted” war-happy aggressive personality would benefit our country.

So Guiliani is pro-choice and socially moderate, I’m willing to give him that. But, so is Senator Obama, PLUS he understands how this ill-conceived war is affecting America and is taking action to put a stop to it. And that’s a dude I wouldn’t mind voting for.

Sexual Health, Desire, and the Modern Woman

One HER-story

To experience and engage in feminine desire is a natural human tendency. Repressing and shaming desire is tool used by men (and some hyper-critical judgmental women) to denounce our right to full personhood as human beings. Religious leaders have been playing this game since forever. A co-worker once expressed that the pain women feel during child birth is the punishment women must face for Eve’s original apple-eating sin. Remember this came from the mouth of an educated, otherwise normal woman. Even in a supposedly “modern” society with intellectually evolved people, these archaic beliefs still exist. There are many ways our tightly-held unexamined beliefs are contributing to negativity, on a personal and collective level.

But, beyond this negativity, the question I’d like to ask is, how can we make room for the expression of healthy desire in our lives?

I started educating myself about sex, sexuality, and desire at a fairly young age. My mom had the “Our Bodies, Ourselves” book front and center on the book shelf at home. I used to pour through it, reading and re-reading passages when I was in 5th/6th grade. I taught myself about menstruation, masturbation, and of course, the mechanics of sex. I also shared information with others by talking with friends, neighbors, and my sisters on the topic, in a very matter of fact type of way. In addition, I showed each of my sisters how to insert a tampon, took them to get birth control, and of course had the good ol’ bird and the bee’s discussion with them. Did I find any shame in this? No, it was all very natural, healthy, responsible and NECESSARY.

Admittedly, I’ve had moments in my own sexual past that are less than admirable. I’ve dis-respected myself by letting others use me as a tool for their own enjoyment. Hell, I’ve used others as a tool for my own enjoyment too. But, that is the past, and I’m not anchoring myself to it. I’ve learned a great deal from it as well. Ever the curious girl, I started experimenting with sex/sexuality at a very early age, and I made some bad choices, which is to be expected when one starts as early as I did. Yet, I am an adult now and I’ve changed.

What’s emerging in me now is a very aware, honest, healthy sexuality. I’m finding myself much more eager to explore different dimensions of desire and the feelings that go with it. This has involved reclaiming my body, desire, and sexuality as my own, educating myself about my body, and applying it to my sexual relationships with partners/self.

For example, the other night my partner and I had a very intense make out session. Silk sheets, candle light, music, the whole nine yards. I felt safe, respected, and well, sexy.

But on other nights, we’ve also explored other avenues of desire in a more frenzied, animalistic fashion. I can’t say that my new awareness is attributable to my partner, as I sense something inside of me has shifted, which reaches beyond the scope of the relationship.

Any other thoughts on healthy desire?

Now this, my friends, is funny.

Ballot measure would require couples to have kids
By RACHEL LA CORTE Associated Press Posted February 7 2007, 11:15 AM EST

OLYMPIA, Wash. -- Proponents of same-sex marriage have introduced a ballot measure that would require heterosexual couples to have a child within three years or have their marriages annulled.

The Washington Defense of Marriage Alliance acknowledged on its Web site that the initiative was "absurd" but hoped the idea prompts "discussion about the many misguided assumptions" underlying a state Supreme Court ruling that upheld a ban on same-sex marriage.

The measure would require couples to prove they can have children to get a marriage license. Couples who do not have children within three years could have their marriages annulled.

All other marriages would be defined as "unrecognized," making those couples ineligible for marriage benefits.

The paperwork for the measure was submitted last month. Supporters must gather at least 224,800 signatures by July 6 to put it on the November ballot.

The group said the proposal was aimed at "social conservatives who have long screamed that marriage exists for the sole purpose of procreation."

Cheryl Haskins, executive director of Allies for Marriage and Children, said opponents of same-sex marriage want only to preserve marriage as the union of a man and a woman.

By RACHEL LA CORTE Associated Press Posted February 7 2007, 11:15 AM EST

Since the SD legislature just introduced a new abortion ban, I wonder if we could come up with a retaliatory measure too? Why not? I think it's definitely called for in this situation. And P.S., the guy who stands in front of Planned Parenthood praying each morning on my way to work is sooooooooo aggravating! One day I’m going to get out of my car and kick his ass! Happy Friday Y’all, Ms. Sally S.

Your Favorite Femme-Bot Examines Marriage

Look closely at this picture, dear readers. What is the overall message here? The picture portrays a man in mid-asking. Obviously, this man on bended knee is asking the young woman for her hand in marriage. However, there are other factors to analyze in the landscape within the frame. The imagery in this artwork is amazing.

First of all, the man’s face is frozen in an expectant expression. He seems to be saying with his eyes, “Will you?” He’s crouched forward in anticipation of her answer. His overall appearance is somewhat frumpy evidenced by his rounded belly and large backside, which actually is somewhat feminine if you look closely.

He is also gesturing with his right-hand to the old man sitting in the chair behind the “bride-to-be”. This older man is looking forward, indicating he has made up his mind, and is not concerned with the bride-to-be’s reaction. Does she like her suitor? Is there love between them?

This father figure is oblivious to her negative reaction, and is looking ahead in anticipation of what seems to be his daughter’s impending arranged marriage. The young man seems desperate, sensing his future bride’s disgust, and gestures towards the patriarchal father, as if to say to the girl, “See, even your Dad approves, in fact, in his mind, you’ve already been married off.”

Next, let’s look at the bride-to-be. Her left arm is drawn back toward her breast, as if to say, “I, sir, belong to myself, and never to you, I will not be sold to you like a piece of furniture.” The cross necklace around her neck symbolizes her commitment to Christ, as a divine marriage between herself and Him. She, the Virgin Bride, will have no part in a marriage of mere mortals. Her facial expression reveals the strict judgment she has passed upon the groom-to-be. Clearly, he does not meet her standards.

Interestingly, the couple sitting to the right adds to the imagery. The woman is sitting with what presumably could be her husband, evidenced by the body language between the two. This woman has cast a look of anxiety and worry in the direction of the bride-to-be. Her expression is fearful as she inches closer towards her husband, her safety net.

What would happen if the bride-to-be didn’t accept the invitation and defied her father? How would this woman support herself, how would she live? For the woman sitting with her husband, marriage is a tool for survival. These men represent a woman’s future, economically and socially. Where there is no marriage, there is no security. Thus, women are “sold” to potential suitors with great zeal in the marriage market. Get these girls married off so they are protected and provided for, for god’s sake!

The man sitting next to the woman on the right, presumably her husband, seems somewhat entertained by the situation. However, his left arm is propped up on his hip in defiance as if to say, “Let’s see how far you can get honey without the help of this man.”

And lastly, the man in the back standing next to the fire place has obviously lost his love. The bride-to-be will be forced to marry the boy on his knee, and he will lose her. His expression seems pained as he looks on at her predicament. The father is totally lost to this young woman; yet, the man in the background does take notice. He is only person in this picture who actually seems concerned about the bride’s feelings toward the groom. Although, his hand, placed in his front pocket, seems to indicate he has resigned to the inevitable. There is nothing he can do.

So, why write this tremendously verbose explanation for this picture? Dear Readers, it personifies the horrendous conditions under which women were bartered in a marriage system designed to benefit a patriarchal society. Collectively, these attitudes still remain entrenched in our society.

Many of us have witnessed our own mothers using marriage as a tool for survival. The humiliation women face as a result of being associated with this type of situation cannot be avoided. We can assure others our marriages are about love, but what is the hard reality we’re facing here? Can we make our house payment without our husband’s income? Can we manage our financial future with confidence even without our significant other?

If not, as women, we will experience our relationships as being necessary to our survival, and we are diminished. We are diminished because we have put ourselves at the mercy of another’s hands. This, with the divorce rate at over 50%, is unacceptable. There is also the annoying fact of our impending death. We are mere mortals, and at some point, our “security” maybe ripped out from underneath us through death.

We need to be responsible for our own survival. As women, we cannot, in good faith, hinge all of our hope for the future upon another person’s care of us. And this needs to be addressed on all levels in our lives, financially, emotionally, physically, we must be learn to care for ourselves with the same dedication we were taught, as women, to care for others.

The woman in the picture didn’t have choice. In the old system, women were property (and still remain so in other parts of the world today!) and distributed to their masters accordingly. Now, we do have choice, and choice is an amazing thing, it provides for the freedom we’ve been craving. But still, it’s up to us to use it, let’s not pass up the opportunity to grow stronger, wiser, and more responsible in our world.

I leave you with a tribute to an old favorite… Ani D, no one does it better than her.

Not a Pretty Girl- Ani DiFranco

i am not a pretty girl
that is not what i do
i ain't no damsel in distress
and i don't need to be rescued
so put me down punk
maybe you'd prefer a maiden fair
isn't there a kitten stuck up a tree somewhere

i am not an angry girl
but it seems like i've got everyone fooled
every time i say something they find hard to hear
they chalk it up to my anger
and never to their own fear
and imagine you're a girl
just trying to finally come clean
knowing full well they'd prefer you
were dirty and smiling

and i am sorry
i am not a maiden fair
and i am not a kitten stuck up a tree somewhere

and generally my generation
wouldn't be caught dead working for the man
and generally i agree with them
trouble is you gotta have yourself an alternate plan
and i have earned my disillusionment
i have been working all of my life
and i am a patriot
i have been fighting the good fight
and what if there are no damsels in distress
what if i knew that and i called your bluff?
don't you think every kitten figures out how to get down
whether or not you ever show up

i am not a pretty girl
i don't want to be a pretty girl
i want to be more than a pretty girl

Hey Boys, Your Female Property is in Scarce Supply

CHINA IS FACING A MAJOR GENDER IMBALANCE

Dear China,

Due to your sex-selective abortion policies regarding the female gender, you now face a potentially destructive social consequence. Since you have been engaged in the practice of instituting governmental policies to degrade women and their female children, you now are experiencing a shortage of “marriage material” for your thirty-some million men. I regret to inform you that a mandatory government-sponsored homosexuality program must be enforced in these “female deprived” areas. In order to succeed at this endeavor, the rules and regulations set forth here must be followed.

1) All men must sign a life-time commitment to confirm their newly administered government-granted sexuality.

2) Approximately ½ of the 30 billion of “marriageable men” must be socialized within the framework of the “female arts” such as sewing, cooking, and cleaning. These men will abandon their career objectives and all educational pursuits henceforth.

3) The other 15 billion may continue on with their studies, however, any type of interaction with the female population is strictly forbidden. Law breakers will be subject to a lengthy and brutal public flogging.

4) Any grown men who are unwilling to conform to our version of utopia will be forcibly aborted on sight.

I’m certain we can eradicate this “shortage” of female property with the plan I’ve devised. Please consider my proposal as a serious resolution to the aforementioned “gender imbalance.”

Yours Truly,

Ms. Sally Sunshine

GEORGE BUSH SENDS 20,000 MORE TROOPS INTO THE THROES OF DEATH

SEN. MIKULSKI (D-MD): "This is a reckless plan - it is about saving the Bush presidency, not about saving Iraq."

Readers, last night the nation watched the President give a very unconvincing speech about “MOVING FORWARD” in Iraq. This was very distressing on many different levels. Is the American public (i.e. the sleeping mass) finally beginning to understand how wrong this war is? Personally, I am tired of this President’s MASSIVE EGO and attempts to validate himself on the world stage. People are dying and suffering tremendously, personally and collectively, due to this administration’s ignorance and ego needs. It’s time to move on, 2008 can’t come fast enough. See below a great article about the President’s speech:

A Crisis of Confidence

By Howard Fineman
Newsweek

Jan. 10, 2007 - George W. Bush spoke with all the confidence of a perp in a police lineup. I first interviewed the guy in 1987 and began covering his political rise in 1993, and I have never seen him, in public or private, look less convincing, less sure of himself, less cocky. With his knitted brow and stricken features, he looked, well, scared. Not surprising since what he was doing in the White House library was announcing the escalation of an unpopular war.

The president may well be right that we cannot afford to leave or lose in Iraq . He makes profound sense when he observes that a collapse of Iraq would mean the rise of a giant version of the Taliban's Afghanistan—with a million times the oil in the ground.

But if he was trying to assure the country that he had confidence in his own plan to prevent that collapse, well, a picture is worth a thousand words. And the words themselves weren't that assuring either. Does anyone in America or Iraq , or anywhere else in the world for that matter, really think that the Sunnis and Shia will make peace? Does anyone think that embedded American soldiers won't be in danger of being fragged by their own Iraqi brethren? Does anyone really think that Iran and Syria can be prevented from playing havoc in Iraq and the rest of the region by expressions of presidential will?

George Bush had the look of a man who knew he had made a royal hash of things in reaching for what most enlightened people would say was a noble goal: a stable, antiterrorist Iraq.

In his televised address about Iraq, the president used the book-lined backdrop of the library in the White House to evoke the midwar FDR. This was supposed to be the kind of matter-of-fact, detail-filled radio address that the Old Man gave each week through the course of the last Good War.

Problem was, Bush had long since forfeited the political credibility that FDR was able to maintain through his presidency. Roosevelt made huge mistakes, and the rules of the times allowed him to hold back much information. But the public believed him in his role as a leader of the Western World. Luckily for Roosevelt, he was on the radio for the most part.

Bush's political problem is not so much that he has lied to the American people—though he may well have done so—but that he seems for years to have been lying to himself.

What the voters saw on TV just now was a man struggling to come to grips with his own unwillingness to face facts. It's still a struggle. His acknowledgement of mistakes was oblique and not as brave as it sounded at first blush. Mistakes were made, and he said. "The responsibility rests with me," he said. What he meant to convey was that others had made the mistakes, but that he was stepped up to take the hit. Hoo-aw! He said that he had "consulted" congressional leaders of both parties before he came to a decision on sending more than 20,000 additional troops. He didn't really consult with members of Congress, and certainly not with Democrats, unless you consider Sen. Joe Lieberman a Democrat.

Forty years ago, another president from Texas escalated an unpopular war. A famous Washington columnist, James Reston, described Lyndon Johnson's leadership as "war by tantrum." This Texas president doesn't operate through tantrums, and this wasn't a tantrum. This is an expression of grim determination, based on a moral vision, a worthy if perhaps unrealistic goal, and a fierce hatred of being branded a loser. I could tell you lots of stories about just how much Bush hates to lose, and always has.

The president's chances of success, such as they are, now rest with the reasonableness and details of his plan. Will it work? His says that his generals "report" that it will. Do the American people believe that it will?
I'm not sure that they are really listening, but if they were watching, they can't have been reassured by the man they saw in the basement of the White House.

By Howard Fineman, Newsweek

READERS, WHAT CAN WE DO TO VOICE OUR VIEW ON BUSH’S TROOP SURGE?

Senator Kennedy has proposed legislation to reclaim the people’s right to a full voice in the president’s plan to send more troops to Iraq. His bill will say that no additional troops can be sent and no additional dollars can be spent on such an escalation unless and until Congress approves the president’s plan.
Add your name to the petition in support of Senator Kennedy's legislation

AND LASTLY, I LEAVE YOU WITH SOME VERY FITTING LYRICS FOR THE MOOD OF THE MOMENT BY THE ARTIST BECK. REMEMBER GEORGE BUSH SENIOR’S VOICE OVER IN THE SONG "LOSER" WHEN HE TELLS THE WORLD: “I'm a driver, I’m a winner; things are going to change I can feel it?" How ironic, we seem to be hearing the same thing from his son but sooner or later he will be forced to face his failure and the consequences.


BECK- LOSER

In the time of chimpanzees I was a monkey
Butane in my veins and I’m out to cut the junkie
With the plastic eyeballs, spray-paint the vegetables
Dog food stalls with the beefcake pantyhose
Kill the headlights and put it in neutral
Stock car flaming' with a loser and the cruise control
Baby's in Reno with the vitamin d
Got a couple of couches, sleep on the love-seat
Someone came in saying' I’m insane to complain
About a shotgun wedding and a stain on my shirt
Don't believe everything that you breathe
You get a parking violation and a maggot on your sleeve
So shave your face with some mace in the dark
Saving' all your food stamps and burning' down the trailer park

Yo. cut it

Soy un perdedor
I'm a loser baby, so why don't you kill me?

Soy un perdedor
I'm a loser baby, so why don't you kill me?

Forces of evil on a bozo nightmare
Ban all the music with a phony gas chamber
'Cuz one's got a weasel and the other's got a flag
One's on the pole, shove the other in a bag
With the rerun shows and the cocaine nose-job
The daytime crap of the folksinger slob
He hung himself with a guitar string
A slab of turkey-neck and it's hanging' from a pigeon wing
You can't write if you can't relate
Trade the cash for the beef for the body for the hate
And my time is a piece of wax falling' on a termite
Who's choking' on the splinters

Soy un perdedor
I'm a loser baby, so why don't you kill me?
Soy un perdedor
I'm a loser baby, so why don't you kill me?

(I'm a driver, I’m a winner; things are going to change I can feel it)

The Executioner's Hood and the Boys in the Woods

Our Human Frailty is Observed:


I ran through the woods in an invisible cloak of amour. The leaves on the ground crunched menacingly beneath me. The air was cold and the trees were red and yellow, angry and bruised under the guise of another season’s passing. Animals roamed through the woods, stuck in their maze of indifference while the executioners fired shots. Standing erect with their black hoods, the snipers had full control. As the bullets whizzed past my head, I suddenly realized why I felt so close to death.

I had this dream two nights ago. Anyone who says the personal unconscious is not connected to the collective unconscious is denying the affect of world events and living in a little encapsulated bubble. The world has problems, yo, and if we’re not at least recognizing this, then we should start digging our graves now.

Recently, the whole world saw parts of Saddam Hussein’s very public execution. The death video has prompted an outflow of compassion especially among the world’s Muslim population. Witness as a former “cruel dictator” is made into a martyr. Now, I’m not saying whether this is right or wrong. The circumstances surrounding his death, and indeed this whole fucked up world are nebulous, confusing, contradictory, and full of metaphor if you can reach out and grab it. However, I think we can all agree, execution by hanging in the public square is downright medieval. If this is what we have regressed to as a people, we are in serious trouble.

It is an obvious fact that children copy what they see in the adult world. Children, psychically, are presumed to be more vulnerable than adults to collective forces because issues like “psychic flooding” and the “unconscious” are not acceptable concepts in an adult materially-orientated world. This, however, does not mean that world events aren’t affecting ALL of us on a deeper level, they are, and we cannot afford to pretend to be disconnected from this anymore. Our children, through their actions, are telling us witnessing a hanging on public television is not kosher.

I have been an outspoken critic of the death penalty for years, but in this situation no explanation is need, it’s clearly refuted in the actions of our children. See a story below published by the Associated Press regarding a child’s interpretation of the events surrounding Saddam’s death:

Turkish boy's kin: Hanging copied Saddam

By SUZAN FRASER, Associated Press Writer

ANKARA, Turkey - A 12-year-old died by hanging himself from the ceiling of his home, a hospital said Wednesday, and family members said the boy was copying Saddam Hussein’s execution.

It was the second death of a youngster blamed on televised images of the deposed Iraqi dictator's Dec. 30 execution. 30. A 10-year-old boy in Houston died Sunday by hanging himself from a bunk bed after watching news reports of the execution.
A hospital official in the southeastern province of Mus said Alisen Akti was dead on arrival at a hospital. The boy died of asphyxiation after apparently hanging himself, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to speak to journalists.

Radikal newspaper quoted the boy's father as saying that the youngster had been affected by television images of Saddam's execution.

"What kind of a problem could a 12-year-old have to want to kill himself?" Radikal quoted Esat Akti as saying.

"After watching Saddam's execution he was constantly asking 'How was Saddam killed?' and 'Did he suffer?'" Akti said. "These television images are responsible for my son's death."

The family could not be reached at their home in the village of Sutluce. No one was available at the paramilitary police headquarters, which is responsible for the area.

By SUZAN FRASER, Associated Press Writer

Stop the World- The Clash

The panorama of the city is wrong
in fact the city seems to be gone
burning rubber and smoke in my eyes
there's a flat burning junk heap
for twenty square miles
they took it into the nuclear mine
judging by this, they left nothing behind
down in the bunkers in the crust of the earth
now crouch the wealthy and the noble of birth

if I could a ride a train around the city
that holds this as our fate
I’d hide from electro-circuit central
to the shock inducer gate
not forgetting the by-pass
across the Washington hooks
through the phones and desks and screens
of the Kremlin’s crook of crooks

there's some panel in a circuit board
destination of the override
scanning the wild wind
blowing through the Berlin corridor
spotlight in a palace, shielded from dust
malfunction or not, the failsafe is the crux
so far away from us,
shaking with the mystery tears
one lonely night in Ladbroke grove
far away in the deserts of Omaha
they got it nailed down-Swiss tight
the bank notes of Europe
the emperors and kings
curl in the autumn as the burning of leaves
and I’ve cleaned my black guitar

I Love Myself, I Want You to Know It

Tomorrow millions of people of across the globe will attempt to alter the energy field of our planet. How you may ask? Through lots of love (as in, THAT lovin’ feeling)- Dec. 22nd, Friday, is Global Orgasm Day! Hurrah! I know I’ll be contributing my obligatory orgasm to help with the peace effort. I mean, why not? If millions of people getting themselves off contributes to greater happiness in the world then Cum One, Cum All! I definitely support “sex positive” experiences as we all know, are in short supply these days. Winter Solstice is also on December 22nd, as the sun inches its way into Capricorn. Oh, Oh, oh, oh, ohhhhh.. (sorry, got carried away there). Hopefully, we all feel better after our contribution to peace on Earth. I know I do already and I’ve only written about it.

See below a lovely article from the wonderful folks at Planet Waves.
Enjoy!

CAN ORGASM create world peace? Is it worth trying?

In our strange-but-true country known as the Internet, the word is out on the streets that Dec. 22 is Global Orgasm Day. Being someone who thinks "every day is Global Orgasm Day," it took some time (and a few reader emails) for me to figure out this is actually a really good idea, and right up my alley: an experiment in the use of collective orgasm to shift the energy field of the planet in the direction of peace, love and understanding.

The plan is this: sometime Dec. 22, experience an orgasm, alone, with another person, or with others, with the intention of creating world peace and harmony. The creators of the event are calling this an experiment in the effects of synchronized orgasm as a means of healing the planet. I think (from looking at their Website) that the organizers, Donna Sheehan and Paul Reffell, have a clue about astrology. With the Sun aspecting the Aries Point, we have a great day to create a ripple effect in the world, where individual choices reach out into collective consciousness and vice versa.

Not everyone has a lover. Many people are their own lover, some by choice, and others because that's all that's available. I have a feeling that a lot of these global orgasms are going to be solitary orgasms. For a long time I've been tossing pebbles into the pond about the idea of getting together with others and experimenting with witnessed masturbation, and sharing masturbation among both lovers and friends, and in small groups. This is less outrageous than it may sound. I could theorize about why, and will not, at this point, but these experiences have a way of being brilliantly liberating, transcending ordinary partner sex, opening up a new kind of intimacy, and transmuting shame and guilt into pleasure and love.

Here's another facet of the story. A lot of people who are alone don't give it to themselves. Maybe they don't turn themselves on enough, or maybe it's something else; some just don't think about sexual pleasure between relationships. However, in case anyone simply needs permission, I'm here to offer it, and say that the wave of energy we're creating will be coming through the neighborhood soon. Anyone can come surfing.

Now, can this stop a war? That would be cool.

Using pleasure as a means to peace works great with individuals. You can almost see on people's faces who's had a good orgasm that day (generally, in the form of a smile). Orgasm is a physical, mental and emotional experience that lets go of tension and floods the brain with pleasure-inducing chemicals called endorphins that really do make you happier. Happier people generally want the same for others.

This is an experience of pleasurable surrender that helps us in a world where so much surrender (of various other kinds) is necessary. As for the multi-level aspect, consider that there are many times we have a mental experience that gets stuck in the head; an emotional experience that yearns for physical expression; a physical experience that begs for closer emotional contact or expression. Often, we get trapped on one layer or another and slowly start to go nuts in the process.

Orgasm reaches right through the different levels, and has a way of unifying our experience of existence. People who are in harmony with themselves tend to be more peaceful and get on better with others. Though it takes some inner freedom to get there, the last few minutes before orgasm tend to be an exceptionally uninhibited time, where we can experience images, feelings, needs and desires -- and do extremely pleasant things to ourselves and others -- that waking consciousness might otherwise hold down or deny.

Stuffing things into the unconscious is a great way to create chaos, which usually surfaces as shadow material like fear and hostility. These things add up, then we find ourselves living in a world where rage and pain are normal, and where pleasure is bad. However, when you shift in the other direction even a little bit, pain and hostility tend to lose their appeal. There is a spectrum, and it goes not from red to violet, but rather from control to pleasure. People who tend toward one dependably migrate away from the other.

Orgasm also transcends differences of gender, sexual orientation, social identity, language, nationality, house or trance, rock or disco. It can be a profound moment of inner freedom that (if you're paying attention) is really a deep cosmic joining. It seems plausible enough to try focusing this on world peace -- and at the very worst, it's hot that a whole bunch of people around the world are planning to get off at the same time, thinking about one another doing it.

Granted, nothing is 100% true. Sometimes expressing sexual energy makes (or seems to make) people more hostile, for which there are a number of causes. One is repression itself, another is guilt (a specific form of repression, in the form of self-attack that tends to get projected outward). Another is a conditioned mixing of violence and eroticism that is shot at us constantly, and to which some people are extremely sensitive (potentially because of previous traumas). Violent treatment tends to breed violent feelings, and keep the cycle going. There are ways to heal these things, if we really want. It's amazing how freeing opening up to erotic energy can be.

Given the choice, I would rather live and work among sexually expressive people; in a house where people are affectionate with one another; where there is freedom to speak freely about pleasure and desire, and where different strokes are not the subject of judgment, but rather encouraged and explored. I would rather live in a community where people feel safe to feel and express themselves. I would rather live in a country where the culture is tolerant and where people strive for equality, which can only come through communication.

I have noticed lately that sexual rules are starting to relax. Who knows, maybe the whole phenomenon is a creature of my mind, and I'm projecting it onto the world. But the existence of Global Orgasm Day says something. It used to be you would round people up, or network around the world, only to pray. During the Harmonic Convergence era of 1987, something like this would have been an unmentionable act.

This was part of a larger trend. It should come as no wonder that the people who keep dragging us into wars are the same ones who spend billions on "abstinence education" that turns people (starting with young children) against themselves.

Global Orgasm Day is an experiment running this so-called logic in reverse. Maybe if we open up (and are open about it), we will find ourselves living in a world where love is seen as natural and where getting along is considered a wholesome purpose of living. Getting good at anything, including being open, takes practice, and this is a fine start: all the people sending out Global Orgasm Day emails are in effect admitting to their friends that they plan to masturbate or have sex that day, as part of a world movement. This alone is not only progress, it's cosmically kinky.

I get that the real idea behind this experiment is metaphysical. It's about minds joining, it's about opening up a dimension, it's about tipping a certain balance -- or at least sliding the weights on the scale.

But we don't really know the effects of a focused experiment like this until we try. And whatever happens as a result of lots of people getting off together and writing to one another about it along the way, I do suggest that we make every day Global Orgasm Day.++

Africa: The Long Journey Home

Last summer, I was fortunate enough to befriend a group of young men who were visiting the United States on work visas from South Africa. When I introduced them to other friends who were US citizens, my Caucasian friends were very surprised that my South African friends were white. Evidently, they did not know white people lived in Africa. There were other startling discoveries made as the friendships blossomed between me and as I called them, “my guys”.

Africa, as a continent, is fascinating. My obsession started when I considered joining the Peace Corps. after I finished my undergrad degree. I had just finished my application with every intention of committing to three years in the Peace Corps., when I decided it wasn’t the right time. However, I’ve always felt drawn to the organization in hope of being sent off to West Africa, which has always had a significant hold over me.

Recently, I met a young man from Morocco (a northwest African country) who speaks FOUR languages and is currently studying in the US. My other African friend from Tunisia, who lives and works in France, holds a prestigious job in Paris. These young men are quite ambitious and “Westernized” in their approach. Their personalities reflect “Western” world attitudes, yet influences from their countries of origin remain intact.

Even without the additions of Westernized influence, Africa is a complex continent. In some areas (particularly Eastern Africa) one would be afraid to enter these countries for fear of leaving in a body bag (Somalia, Chad, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Sudan for example) due to the increased influx of terrorist regimes that have seized power because of corruption at the executive level. However, many areas of Africa are beautiful peaceful sanctuaries from the rest of the crazy world. It continues to amaze me that both extremes exist with startling regularity on the continent. For instance, in 1994, the Hutu government of Rwanda orchestrated genocide against a minority group within its own country. The rest of the world watched as millions were brutally murdered with machetes, bullets, fire, or by any method the government found useful to “EXTERMINATE” people. Hell, Hollywood made a whole movie, Hotel Rwanda, to commemorate the event.

Hotel Rwanda was made in 2004, just 10 years after the genocide. The movie denounced the lack of US or UN involvement in helping to restore order in the country. Today, the scars from the mass killing still remain. For example, this priest was just now found guilty for crimes associated with the genocide.

A caption below his picture in an article reads, “ A Catholic priest was convicted Wednesday of participating in Rwanda's 1994 genocide by ordering militiamen to set fire to a church and then bulldoze it while 2,000 people were huddled inside.”

Meanwhile, in Sudan and Somalia similar government-led murder sprees are occurring RIGHT NOW. The spillover affect is also an issue, meaning that neighboring countries will see an influx of displaced persons as these government sponsored terror campaigns against their own people continue. The situation has escalated in the African country, Chad, as refugees from Sudan cross their border. Sudanese militia are now attacking Chadians and Sudanese people alike. Click on this link for a web-based slide show reflecting the conditions in Chad.

Westernized cultures, especially North America, have been very disconnected from the rest of the world. I’m finally just starting to understand the depths of my ignorance beyond my own borders and it’s staggering. As Americans, we need to be more aware of the world and the condition of its inhabitants. After all, we are supposed to be the leaders.

The lyrics below are fitting right now, as we prepare for our big family Holiday-inspired events. Let’s also take time to remember our extended family as in, OUR HUMAN FAMILY. The rest of the world needs us.

The Cranberries- Ode to My Family

Understand the things I say
Don’t turn away from me
Cause I spent half my life out there
You wouldn’t disagree
Do you see me, do you see
Do you like me, do you like me standing there
Do you notice, do you know
Do you see me, do you see me
Does anyone care

Unhappiness when I was young
And we didn’t give a damn
’cause we were raised
To see life as fun and take it if we can
My mother, my mother she held me
Did she hold me, when I was out there
My father, my father, he liked me
Oh he liked me, does anyone care?

Understand what I’ve become
It wasn’t my design
And people everywhere think
Something better than I am
But I miss you
’cause I liked it, I liked it
When I was out there
You did not find me, you did not find
Does anyone care?

At the Apex of Holiday Giving

Onward, Christian Soldiers!

Time to bring out those Bibles and start our conversions- I’m feeling charitable! Next time I’m at the mall I think I’ll visit the Angel Tree, as there are plenty of needy poverty-stricken children who would love a shiny new leather Bible. Yippee Mom! Look what I got! Tis’ the season of giving, so surely these sinners will be eternally grateful- especially for the rescuing of their children’s souls from the fires of hell. All praise Billy Graham!

This, fellow bloggers, is not anything new. Christian Missionaries have been playing this game for centuries. These religious zealots trick indigenous people to “convert” under the guise of providing humanitarian aid. Now, I’m not saying humanitarian aid isn’t appreciated and needed, but it comes with a price. It’s the old “nothing is for free in this world” philosophy. The problem occurs when missionaries use “aid” as a way to hook others into their beliefs. The moral issue being, aid should be provided regardless of the religious affiliation. In this situation, the tried n’ true litmus test is, oddly enough, “WWJD?” As in, HOLY MOTHER OF GOD, people, do you really think Jesus would leave someone dying on the side of the road just because they wouldn't believe what he was preaching?

If so, our beloved son of the father has some serious explaining to do, and also an entire bracelet/tee-shirt empire to salvage from the claws of hypocrisy.

After the December 26, 2004 tsunami hit eastern Asia (See Wiki entry)killing hundreds of thousands of people and uprooting many more from their homes, various humanitarian agencies from all over the world stepped in to provide aid. These people, by enlarge, were motivated by a sincere need to serve. However, there were also missionaries who, bent on spreading the good word, used every opportunity to shove a Bible down their throats.
See an article below written in January just after the Tsunami hit, which shows the outrage many “potential convertees’” must’ve felt when missionaries approached them.

Conversion Attempts in a Time of Grief
By: Shobha Warrier in Nagapattinam January 24, 2005 15:45 IST

When I entered one of the rows of temporary shelters built for tsunami victims in Pattancherry village in Nagapattinam, I witnessed a minor scuffle in a corner.
Some inmates had surrounded a Christian priest and two nuns, and a war of words was going on.

"We are Hindus and we want to live as Hindus. Why do you want to convert us?" some young men shouted at the missionaries.

The priest said, "We are not here to convert people. We were only offering prayers for your peace of mind."

But flashing some pamphlets distributed among them by the three, the inmates snorted, "What does this mean?"

The priest had no answer.

"Why do you enter our houses and pray?," they asked. "Your nuns do this when our women are alone at home. We know how to pray."

The young men were extremely furious. The priest was unruffled.
The scuffle went on till the three were forced to leave the place.

Day two:
As I was visiting the areas close to the sea that were badly affected by the tsunami waves, I saw another angry scene outside another temple in another village.
Police jeeps were seen parked outside the temple in Samandapettai. So was a van.
Villagers were complaining to the police about a missionary group to which the van belonged.

They said the group had taken away to another place their belongings and the relief they had got from nongovernmental organisations and the government, which they had kept inside the temple, because they refused to listen to its missionaries.
"They want to try their luck at some other place. Since we resisted, they took away our things. We won't allow this to happen," they said. "Why don't you arrest all of them?" the villagers asked the police.

The villagers' torrent of angry words continued. "We have lost everything to the sea. They said they would help us if we followed their religion. What logic is this? Are they here to help us or change our religion?" The police couldn't cool their tempers.

The group said it did not take away the belongings of the villagers and insisted that the contents inside the van belonged to it.

That evening, some villagers came with the news that the police had arrested the priest they had confronted the previous day.

"He shouldn't be doing this when we are grieving, when we are suffering. Everything has its time and place," a villager said.

When I wanted to talk to the panchayat president and locals of the Karakkalmedu village at Karaikkal, they called me inside the village temple. That was where they met outsiders. The temple has become the centre of activity in the village.
Before we started talking, one of them opened the door to the sanctum and pointed to a mark left by the strong tsunami waves. They told me that water stopped at the feet of their deity and then receded. "We might have suffered, but our Goddess saved us."
This belief had taken the villagers all the more closer to their deity.

"That is why it hurts us when others come and tell us that it was because of our God and our belief that we suffered. We won't let anyone exploit us when we are down," the panchayat members asserted.

Shobha Warrier in Nagapattinam January 24, 2005 15:45 IST


This is, of course, preposterous. The logic here being, “Hey, everything you love including people, possessions, cities, culture ect… has been destroyed, how about a Bible?” I may have slapped a nun or priest at that point. In the words of Dave Chapelle, “Am I gonna have to punch a bitch?” How offensive. I, myself, knowing too well how insensitive others can be during the grieving process, wouldn’t have been surprised at the missionary’s opportunist actions. Nevertheless, Christian or not, we all should at the very least have a shred of compassion for our fellow human beings. One would expect more from these saintly so called “servants of God.”

My father, a self-proclaimed “servant of God”, often used his beliefs as way to manipulate and control others. Hooking others under the guise of “saving souls” while in same breath announcing the sinners would burn. The sinners, of course, being anyone who didn’t believe what he was preaching. My sisters and I worked hard for his approval, believing our mythical charismatic father had all the answers about the universe in his hands. Children, especially, are vulnerable in the face of these unfounded religious beliefs, their young minds ready to be molded to create the values their adult lives are to be based on. Whether our parents or missionaries infect us with these poisonous beliefs, the result is the same, needless suffering and heartache with even less compassion to go around.

How about putting down the Bibles to actually help someone? How about instead of protesting in front of Planned Parenthood (which does absolutely nothing for living breathing children) we volunteer to be a big brother/big sister to a child, help out at the banquet, or even pay attention to our children when they need us- what a concept! Gees, I didn’t know it could be that easy. Silly me.

The Holiday’s are a perfect time to get off of our lazy butts, put the peanut brittle down, and do something constructive. Let’s use our time, dollars, and energy wisely. Give the gift that keeps on giving- compassion.

These days I’m loving all the feisty redheads out there, you go Bonnie Raitt!- give’em something to talk about.

Bonnie Raitt-Unnecessarily Mercenary

You’re just into looking after #1
Only thing you worry ‘bout is having your fun
First sign of trouble and it’s understood
You’ll get going while the going’s still good
You’re so very unnecessarily mercenary

You’re a secret agent got a hidden agenda
Got me in your sights, think I’m a real big spender
Stick around baby pretty soon you’ll see
I ain’t got no money but my love’s for free
You’re so very unnecessarily mercenary

You’re a gun for hire when a war breaks out
Loving on the front line ‘til the money runs out
Finger on the trigger, baby pull it and see
If your mercenary tactic’s gonna work on me

You’re so very unnecessarily mercenary
So very unnecessarily mercenary

Torture and Senseless Killing OK as long as Democracy Reigns

This was taken from the Washington Post editorial section:

"AUGUSTO PINOCHET, who died Sunday at the age of 91, has been vilified for three decades in and outside of Chile, the South American country he ruled for 17 years. For some he was the epitome of an evil dictator. That was partly because he helped to overthrow, with U.S. support, an elected president considered saintly by the international left: socialist Salvador Allende, whose responsibility for creating the conditions for the 1973 coup is usually overlooked. Mr. Pinochet was brutal: More than 3,000 people were killed by his government and tens of thousands tortured, mostly in his first three years. Thousands of others spent years in exile.

It's hard not to notice, however, that the evil dictator leaves behind the most successful country in Latin America. In the past 15 years, Chile's economy has grown at twice the regional average, and its poverty rate has been halved. It's leaving behind the developing world, where all of its neighbors remain mired. It also has a vibrant democracy. Earlier this year it elected another socialist president, Michelle Bachelet, who suffered persecution during the Pinochet years.

Like it or not, Mr. Pinochet had something to do with this success. To the dismay of every economic minister in Latin America, he introduced the free-market policies that produced the Chilean economic miracle -- and that not even Allende's socialist successors have dared reverse. He also accepted a transition to democracy, stepping down peacefully in 1990 after losing a referendum."

Are there people who are actually buying into this shit? Evidently, some Chilean mourners were sickened because Pinochet wasn’t able to have a funeral with full military/state honors. Are these people serious? First of all, responsibility for economic restoration or recession does not begin or end with ONE man. The reason Pinochet was successful is because the US backed him. Obviously, if we gave him the money and resources to stage his 1973 coup, he was at that point, our bitch. Communism was not an option after we bought him.

Secondly, Pinochet was a greedy small-minded little man who got off on abusing others while seizing mass amounts of power. Hell, even his own daughter, Lucía Pinochet Hiriart, said the use of torture during his 1973–90 regime was "barbaric and without justification.” The current President of Chile, Michelle Bachelet Jeria, and her mother were both tortured and abused at Villa Grimaldi, a secret detention center.(her own father died in one of Pinochet’s prison camps too!) Yet, some Chilean Pinochet supporters were actually surprised (WTF!) that President Bachelet didn’t give him full honors. Heh. Yeah.

Equally outrageous, we have these hack writers in the US who are advocating Pinochet should be treated as a national treasure. I mean, isn’t he ALONE responsible for implementing a free market economic structure? And why can’t those damn Chileans just be grateful? The torture and senseless killings couldn’t have been THAT bad. Sometimes you have to destroy a few human beings here and there for the sake of democracy and westernized prosperity. Now, I don’t know about y’all, but I think something stinks in Denmark . Isn’t this the same line of bullshit the Bush Administration has been feeding the American public about Iraq since 2003? Oh yeah, cause the Iraq people will be so much more free and forever grateful if we bomb the shit out of them and destroy their cities. Me thinks so. Somehow this logic isn’t working anymore. But was it ever working? In the past, Americans were too blind and apathetic to see it before. However, Pinochet’s death is big slap across our collective faces. Turn off that 400th episode of Friends, Scrubs, Everybody Loves Raymond, Seinfield, or whatever you use to numb your brain and WAKE UP America.

Quote of the Day: Mussolini may have done many brutal and tyrannical things; he may have destroyed human freedom in Italy; he may have murdered and tortured citizens whose only crime was to oppose Mussolini; but one has to admit: he made the trains run on time.

Answer to quote of the day: I’d rather walk.

The Sphinx Could Kill You

The Great Sphinx of Giza, with the Pyramid of Khafre in the background

This article, about the current shit storm in Iraq, appeared in the Boston Globe on Monday. See my comments in parenthesis. ( )

Desperate for answers to all-important Iraq riddle
By James Carroll
December 11, 2006

IN MYTHOLOGY, when the ancients were desperate for an answer, they would present themselves to the Sphinx and ask their question. The Sphinx would reply with a riddle. The riddle would reveal the needed wisdom. But to go to the Sphinx was an act of desperation because, if you failed to answer the riddle correctly, the Sphinx would kill you.

See Wiki entry on the Sphinx here
(Note that Sphinx means “to strangle” and is a half-human, half-animal death dealer. If the US is at this point in the game, we’re in serious trouble. The Sphinx is a highly chthonic creature and stands at the entry way of the underworld. It’s do or die time, literally. Funny that we find ourselves at death’s door in the same year scientists declare: Pluto is not a planet. Pluto, of course, being THE PLANET of death, rebirth, and transformation, it is here that fate reveals its ugly head. Fate is the massive hand wrapped around our necks, choking us sober. We, the people, who stood silently as our leaders pushed us into this mess, need to understand how our reckless compliancy has contributed to the many deaths and broken hearts of Iraqis and Americans-now their blood is on our hands. )

Our nation stands before the Sphinx today. That is how desperate we are about Iraq. What is the good way out of a bad war? (A question I’ve been asking myself for years! Were Americans THAT naïve to think we could actually fix Iraq? This country has been experiencing internal strife and conflict since the BEGINNIG OF TIME, i.e. Mesopotamia) We hired the Baker commission to speak for us, and it was remarkable for its frank assessment of the Bush administration's failure, labeling the American effort as weak, deteriorating -- "not working." (Really, I think most of us knew this a year ago, and the fact it took our leaders this long to figure it out is frightening.) The commission identified the two realms within which the answer to the war can be found. (Well, that’s nice, I doubt Bush will listen to a word of it as his answer is to drive the nail further into the coffin-or in his words “stay the course”.)

Subsequent discussions have further illuminated the situation. Within Iraq, the three main parties to the conflict must be helped to deal with one another. A road to negotiation among Kurds, Shi'ites and Sunnis must be opened, so that they themselves can begin to resolve the question of their governance, whether through the present unitary constitution or through adjustments that would give each party autonomy. (More evidence organized religion is the road to hell paved with good intentions. The Kurds, Shi’ites, and Sunnis religious beliefs are causing the rift. Although, in the recent past before the US invaded, the groups were able to get along with little conflict. However, poverty, war, tension, post-traumatic stress disorder, and grief all contribute to an atmosphere of total despair. Iraqis live this reality, which would cause any normal person to crack under the circumstances.)

The Baker commission explained, though, that such local resolution cannot happen without the positive support of the parties in the region -- the second realm. And here the dominant party is Iran, with which the Bush administration refuses to talk. (I don’t believe the Bush admin. knows how to speak civilly, they just throw random grunts and growls out periodically for good measure.) Military force so dominates Bush thinking that no diplomatic initiative seems possible. Democrats are as paralyzed by the military mindset as Republicans. (Should be read as: The Democrats are just as pathetic as the Republicans.) The impasse between Tehran and Washington thus emerges as the main obstacle to larger peace. The Baker commission, and the discourse it sponsored, laid all this out, even as the White House reiterated its refusal to deal with Iran -- displaying thereby its absolute lack of any idea for Iraq except more of the same. Bush will "prevail." (Superhero comic books anyone? I hear they’ve been selling really well these days.) Only "victory" will do. Not even Bush seems to know what these words mean. (Shocker! Someone give him damn dictionary and soon!) If there is a better idea, no one offers it. (I refuse to believe that in a country built from the ideas of great scholars and political geniuses there are “no better ideas” for Iraq.)

So here we are before the Sphinx, with what seems an unsolvable problem. The war is killing our young. The war is devastating the people of Iraq. The war empowers the nihilistic fringe of Islam, which now threatens to ignite the entire Middle East. Because oil is at issue (Is the mainstream media finally admitting this?!), the global economy is at risk. (This should be read as: America’s obsession with BIG FAT SUVS is threatened) If America stays in Iraq, the violence will worsen. If America leaves Iraq, the violence will worsen. What can we do to stop this? Even after the Baker commission, no one knows.

For a long time, the Sphinx just looks at us, the famous stare. (Yes, one gets the feeling the “majority” has been fast asleep since Clinton got a blow job.) Finally, the Sphinx offers up the riddle: "I took you into this war. Adjust your thinking about me, and I can bring you out. If you refuse to change, I will destroy you. What am I?"

Once the question is put, the answer is obvious. Nuclear weapons. The Bomb is the Sphinx in the living room. Whatever first motivated President Bush to invade Iraq, (a lie, a bold faced freakin’ lie!) Congress and the nation approved only out of dread that Saddam Hussein was obtaining nuclear weapons. (I think we’ve all learned “a feeling of dread” should be dealt with in therapy, not with bombs.) Saddam's nukes turned out to be an illusion, but the fear was real, and led to our mistake. Today's war began with yesterday's nuclear nightmare. (Now, today’s nuclear nightmare began with yesterday’s war. Demonstrating, if you go looking for trouble, it will eventually find you.)

That fear dominates us again, only now in relation to Iran. Washington says it will stop at nothing to prevent Iran's arming itself with nukes -- but in fact nothing in Washington's present strategy can stop Tehran (Current strategy: Buy time while we cross our fingers and pray this will go away), which is the main revelation of failure in Iraq. Military force is the new impotence, but we will flail away, preferring death to diplomacy. (And we call ourselves a “civilized” nation) This course keeps us stuck in Iraq, while guaranteeing Iran's going nuclear.

"Adjust your thinking," the riddle says. Since 1945, the United States refused to submit its nuclear program to authentic international controls, while insisting, since 1968, the year of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, that other nations must submit in just that way. (Hypocrisy spreads its nasty virus, people- other countries will follow our lead in this arena.) This nuclear double standard is the issue. Iran's nuclear ambition is only to have what America has. Hence the impasse. No riddle here. (And no problem solvers either, just Americans looking dumbly out off our proverbial “it’s all about me” window, without a prayer of saving our selfish asses.)
Washington must renounce the nuclear double standard, recommitting itself to nuclear abolition. The reason Iran should not have nuclear weapons is that no country should. With that one stroke, the entire dynamic would change. Negotiations with Iran would be purposeful. Iran would have reason to defuse the bomb of Iraq. The Sphinx itself would be disarmed. (And that folks is the hand of fate loosening its tight choke hold on our great nation.)
James Carroll's column appears regularly in the Globe.

Here is a another article title taken from Reuters-today in the news:

“Bomber kills 60 in Baghdad, Bush to review policy”

Well, isn’t that special. Bush “reviews policy” (i.e. sits in his palace of privilege and does nothing while the rest of the world burns.) I am SICK N’ TIRED of this administration’s “talks”, “visits”, “policy reviews” and “panel of experts”- get off of your collective asses and DO something. Stop this war.

This song describes the rage and sadness inherent in American society at this point in history. I’m sure it was originally meant to be a song about the loss of love. However, to me, it represents greater loss, the loss of faith in one’s country in the face of death.

Blue on Black- Kenny Wayne Sheppard

night falls and I’m alone
skin chilled me to the bone
you, turned and you ran,
slipped, right from my hand
blue on black
tears on a river
push on a shove
it don’t mean much
joker on jack
match on a fire
cold on ice
a dead mans touch
whisper on a scream
doesn’t change a thing
it don’t bring you back
blue on black
blind and now I see
truth, lies, and in between
wrong can’t be undone
slipped from the tip of your tongue
blue on black
tears on a river
push on a shove
it don’t mean much
joker on jack
match on a fire
cold on ice
a dead mans touch
whisper on a scream
doesn’t change a thing
doesn’t bring you back
blue on black