So right on in today's DailyKos:
The media has gone into high boil over the actions of a handful of IRS employees in Cincinnati. The IRS is deliberately targeting political groups! They even admit it! Can impeachment be far behind?
Next step, tie this to Benghazi and any other fact-free psuedo-scandal close at hand. Step two, moan about the general incompetence and corruption of government. Step three, demand scalps — but not before there's time to spin out a good half dozen Sunday talk show seasons on Taxgazi, or Tax and Furious, or whatever brand the pundits decide has the most snap.
You know this one must be the real deal, because every news channel, newspaper, local anchor, radio nutjob, and water cooler wag is singing the same tune. Hell, even Jon Stewart is on step two.
There's just one minor problem: the exact purpose of the IRS office in question IS to look at political groups. Specifically, to weed out purely political groups that promote or oppose candidates from obtaining a tax status that's supposed to go to nonprofit educational organizations. The crime of the IRS agents in Cincinnati? They were doing their job.
But what about the specific targeting of Tea Party groups? Doesn't that show that this was all just a witch hunt against groups with right wing ideologies? Uh, no. It came up at exactly the time the office was getting flooded with a bunch of hastily prepared applications spewing from the Tea Party's messy birth. The edict went out expressly because the office was being flooded with a bunch of hastily prepared, clearly political, applications all using very similar terms. In fact, the entire group of IRS employees in question was created to address the influx of possibly political applications. If the office had suddenly received a hundred applications for exempt status all claiming to be from the Sierra Club, wouldn't you want them to pay a bit more attention? I would. What if those applications had all been from groups using Muslim Brotherhood in their titles? Would the same pundits still be on the air screaming about the IRS getting all political?
Behind all this are the staggering numbers. Out of thousands of applications, only a handful were rejected. You know what happens while a nonprofit organization is waiting to get this approval? They get to operate as a nonprofit organization. The harm caused by this action is exactly zero, and exactly no groups have sued the IRS in response to their rejection. They simply amended the application and tried again.
These are agents doing their job. They responded to an unusual influx of groups with political language in their applications all going after a designation that excludes groups that carry out many political actions.
The only scandal here is that this is being reported as if the IRS did something wrong in injecting itself into politics. The law requires that the IRS inject itself into politics. Don't like it? Change the law. Don't attack the people trying to enforce it.
Not only that, but those of us in the Land Trust community are getting such a laugh out of all this. Land trusts have been targeted for the past 5-6 years by the IRS undergoing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of audits. We even invite them to our annual Land Trust Conference, where the IRS holds seminars to bring us up to date on their progress, but it's all such a witchhunt since they are finding so little relative to what they're spending.
Something tells me the Tea Party groups won't be taking the same approach.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
As much for posterity as any other reason, I'll post this here for future reference.
My letter in today's Daily Local News:
http://www.dailylocal.com/article/20130507/OPINION02/130509703/a-few-recent-headlines-contain-some-positives?nstrack=sid:593146|met:300|cat:0|order:4
My letter in today's Daily Local News:
http://www.dailylocal.com/article/20130507/OPINION02/130509703/a-few-recent-headlines-contain-some-positives?nstrack=sid:593146|met:300|cat:0|order:4
This was an interesting article in the NYT last week about confidence in women and men. Some interesting quotes from the story and my reactions:
“I firmly believe one of the unintended consequences of the feminist revolution has been that men in my generation are raised without a strong self-identity, and, in essence, grow up to be little more than boys looking for mothers.”
As much as I'd like to believe that, I'm not sure men weren't looking to marry a woman like their mom back in the day anyway. It was just accepted that it was that way. Now a man is expected to do many of those things himself. We don't like it, but we understand it.
One 58-year-old mom wrote that mothers “might as well have had, as a friend of mine puts it, ‘our vocal cords cut.’ We want to talk in nice voices and stay calm and sit down and have a heart-to-heart. Our children want the five-minute version — direct, to the point. They come back at anything we say with smart remarks that knock the wind out of our sails.”
Kids don't want the 5-minute version - they want the 5-second version.
More women wrote about conflicts with other women than about conflicts with men. One retired Army officer wrote, “Girls and women are highly critical of any other girl or woman who exhibits confidence. Men, on the whole, do not ‘shut down’ women who are intelligent and confident, but women do.”
This was my favorite part of the whole article. Women like to blame men for their lack of achievement in the workplace, but this suggests it is other women that play more of a role. Not sure that's true though, or won't be until women are in more positions of power to be in a position to have that power, but maybe it's truer in companies I've never worked for.
“As a believer in Jesus Christ, I see myself as redeemed, forgiven and covered in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. I believe that this is how God sees me, all the time and without exception. I believe that his smile and delight in me is unwavering. This view of myself is quite simple yet with profound implications. It allows me to accept criticism without self-condemnation and to accept affirmations without exalting myself. This is the ideal view of myself that I am always working at. It is a struggle, but a good one.”
Needless to say, I'm not the classic Christian she is, but I love her point anyway. What's wrong with having flaws, whether we realize them ourselves or others point them out to us, in either a constructive or sarcastic or attacking way. It's all okay. We're all flawed. The main point is to take those criticisms and analyze them to see if we see truth in the observation and try to do better.
(There is another blog post to come, if I remember, based on the idea that "It's all okay...all of it...everything." And it is as simple as it is profound.)
Anyway, I sent the entire article to the ya-ya's and yo-yo's and one of the two reactions to it was this:
Dear Jamie Louise (inside ya-yo humor), Thanks for the David Brooks article I really got a kick out of it because I was just talking to a young 30ths daughter of a friend about the differences in Men and women today.I believe women are no longer willing to put up with "the power over" good ole boy syndrome of the past several hundred years. They are remembering their feminine powers which include use of intuition as a way of knowing, and many old ways of healing,body, mind and spirit. Women also see life in a fuller spectrum of color and emotion,possibly because we give birth and have to be caregivers. Anyway, it's my opinion that throughout history men have found these powers threatening at different times and in certain ways and thus the use of Physical power over was used to control and contain. History is not a pretty picture. We seemed doomed to repeating our mistakes and there has been continuous war on the planet since the beginning. Maybe" Herstory" could offer something new. Maybe men and women could not compete but work as partners where everyone gets to bring all there gifts to the table.Women wouldn't have to be like men in order to succeed. Love ,in other words could reign, instead of fear. If we look to the microcosm, a marriage let's say. Where each is loved and respected and encourage to grow and develop and be in true team partnership. How great is that. And couldn't the macrocosm be just an expansion of those principles. I really also don't believe that if given a choice, any mother that birthed a baby wants to send that child to war. Women are on the rise and my prayer is that men will not be intimidated, but will support the movement and we can change the world side by side blowing wind beneath each others wings. These are just some of my thoughts. Love you Jamie and hope to see ya soon, Karen Louise
To which I responded:
“I firmly believe one of the unintended consequences of the feminist revolution has been that men in my generation are raised without a strong self-identity, and, in essence, grow up to be little more than boys looking for mothers.”
As much as I'd like to believe that, I'm not sure men weren't looking to marry a woman like their mom back in the day anyway. It was just accepted that it was that way. Now a man is expected to do many of those things himself. We don't like it, but we understand it.
One 58-year-old mom wrote that mothers “might as well have had, as a friend of mine puts it, ‘our vocal cords cut.’ We want to talk in nice voices and stay calm and sit down and have a heart-to-heart. Our children want the five-minute version — direct, to the point. They come back at anything we say with smart remarks that knock the wind out of our sails.”
Kids don't want the 5-minute version - they want the 5-second version.
More women wrote about conflicts with other women than about conflicts with men. One retired Army officer wrote, “Girls and women are highly critical of any other girl or woman who exhibits confidence. Men, on the whole, do not ‘shut down’ women who are intelligent and confident, but women do.”
This was my favorite part of the whole article. Women like to blame men for their lack of achievement in the workplace, but this suggests it is other women that play more of a role. Not sure that's true though, or won't be until women are in more positions of power to be in a position to have that power, but maybe it's truer in companies I've never worked for.
“As a believer in Jesus Christ, I see myself as redeemed, forgiven and covered in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. I believe that this is how God sees me, all the time and without exception. I believe that his smile and delight in me is unwavering. This view of myself is quite simple yet with profound implications. It allows me to accept criticism without self-condemnation and to accept affirmations without exalting myself. This is the ideal view of myself that I am always working at. It is a struggle, but a good one.”
Needless to say, I'm not the classic Christian she is, but I love her point anyway. What's wrong with having flaws, whether we realize them ourselves or others point them out to us, in either a constructive or sarcastic or attacking way. It's all okay. We're all flawed. The main point is to take those criticisms and analyze them to see if we see truth in the observation and try to do better.
(There is another blog post to come, if I remember, based on the idea that "It's all okay...all of it...everything." And it is as simple as it is profound.)
Anyway, I sent the entire article to the ya-ya's and yo-yo's and one of the two reactions to it was this:
Dear Jamie Louise (inside ya-yo humor), Thanks for the David Brooks article I really got a kick out of it because I was just talking to a young 30ths daughter of a friend about the differences in Men and women today.I believe women are no longer willing to put up with "the power over" good ole boy syndrome of the past several hundred years. They are remembering their feminine powers which include use of intuition as a way of knowing, and many old ways of healing,body, mind and spirit. Women also see life in a fuller spectrum of color and emotion,possibly because we give birth and have to be caregivers. Anyway, it's my opinion that throughout history men have found these powers threatening at different times and in certain ways and thus the use of Physical power over was used to control and contain. History is not a pretty picture. We seemed doomed to repeating our mistakes and there has been continuous war on the planet since the beginning. Maybe" Herstory" could offer something new. Maybe men and women could not compete but work as partners where everyone gets to bring all there gifts to the table.Women wouldn't have to be like men in order to succeed. Love ,in other words could reign, instead of fear. If we look to the microcosm, a marriage let's say. Where each is loved and respected and encourage to grow and develop and be in true team partnership. How great is that. And couldn't the macrocosm be just an expansion of those principles. I really also don't believe that if given a choice, any mother that birthed a baby wants to send that child to war. Women are on the rise and my prayer is that men will not be intimidated, but will support the movement and we can change the world side by side blowing wind beneath each others wings. These are just some of my thoughts. Love you Jamie and hope to see ya soon, Karen Louise
To which I responded:
J “Jamie Louise” J I love that.
I agree with everything you say here, but I would put it another
way. I think women have far more power than men, but don't understand how to harness it…or, as you say,
may need to remember how to use it. It’s kind of like Dorothy in the WoOz, with
her ruby slippers. She had the power all along. All she had to do is use it.
Easier said than done, I know, but you’re right – Love is the most powerful
tool of all! I love you too, Karen Louise and I hope to see you and Jack
sometime soon too. – Jamie Louise!
Monday, May 6, 2013
This is such a great article in last week's NY Times.
I wanted to excerpt parts of it, but there's not much I wouldn't want to highlight. That said, here is the best of it:
Democrats got 1.4 million more votes for all House positions in 2012 but Republicans still won control with a cushion of 33 seats.
Look at how different this Republican House is from the country they are supposed to represent. It’s almost like a parallel government, sitting in for some fantasy nation created in talk-radio land.
As a whole, Congress has never been more diverse, except the House majority. There are 41 black members of the House, but all of them are Democrats. There are 10 Asian-Americans, but all of them are Democrats. There are 34 Latinos, a record — and all but 7 are Democrats. There are 7 openly gay, lesbian or bisexual members, all of them Democrats.
Only 63 percent of the United States population is white. But in the House Republican majority, it’s 96 percent white. Women are 51 percent of the nation, but among the ruling members of the House, they make up just 8 percent. (It’s 30 percent on the Democratic side.)
Now let’s look at how the members govern:
To date, seven bills have been enacted. Let’s see, there was the Responsible Helium Administration and Stewardship act — “ensuring the stability of the helium market.” The Violence Against Women Act was renewed, but only after a majority of Republicans voted against it, a rare instance of letting the full House decide on something that the public favors. Just recently, they rushed through a change to help frequent air travelers — i.e., themselves — by fixing a small part of the blunt budget cuts that are the result of their inability to compromise. Meal assistance to the elderly, Head Start for kids and other programs will continue to fall under the knife of sequestration.
I wanted to excerpt parts of it, but there's not much I wouldn't want to highlight. That said, here is the best of it:
Democrats got 1.4 million more votes for all House positions in 2012 but Republicans still won control with a cushion of 33 seats.
Look at how different this Republican House is from the country they are supposed to represent. It’s almost like a parallel government, sitting in for some fantasy nation created in talk-radio land.
As a whole, Congress has never been more diverse, except the House majority. There are 41 black members of the House, but all of them are Democrats. There are 10 Asian-Americans, but all of them are Democrats. There are 34 Latinos, a record — and all but 7 are Democrats. There are 7 openly gay, lesbian or bisexual members, all of them Democrats.
Only 63 percent of the United States population is white. But in the House Republican majority, it’s 96 percent white. Women are 51 percent of the nation, but among the ruling members of the House, they make up just 8 percent. (It’s 30 percent on the Democratic side.)
Now let’s look at how the members govern:
To date, seven bills have been enacted. Let’s see, there was the Responsible Helium Administration and Stewardship act — “ensuring the stability of the helium market.” The Violence Against Women Act was renewed, but only after a majority of Republicans voted against it, a rare instance of letting the full House decide on something that the public favors. Just recently, they rushed through a change to help frequent air travelers — i.e., themselves — by fixing a small part of the blunt budget cuts that are the result of their inability to compromise. Meal assistance to the elderly, Head Start for kids and other programs will continue to fall under the knife of sequestration.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Every now and then, a blogger on Dailykos lists some of his favorite signature lines---aka the links, quotes, or other words of wisdom that some add to the bottom of their comments --- that he's come across.
I see them and I think - I wish I'd thought to say that! Here are my faves from the most recent list:
- I don't mind if you're straight. Just don't flaunt it in public. (Chrisove)
- I can think of no more stirring symbol of man's humanity to man than a fire engine. -- Kurt Vonnegut (SteelerGrrl)
- Lanza's mom had..an ar-15...Glock 20...Sig 9mm...nine full 30 round ammo clips...my mom has..cookies. (Arrow)
- You can safely assume you have created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do. --Anne Lamott (zooecium)
- Minority rights should never be subject to majority vote. (lostboyjim)
- The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. -- John Kenneth Galbraith (richardak)
- Give blood. Play hockey. (flycaster)
- liberal bias = failure to validate or sufficiently flatter the conservative narrative on any given subject (RockyMtnLib)
- Send your old shoes to the new George W. Bush library. (maxschell)
Here's mine:
Thanks.
- Jamie
I see them and I think - I wish I'd thought to say that! Here are my faves from the most recent list:
- I don't mind if you're straight. Just don't flaunt it in public. (Chrisove)
- I can think of no more stirring symbol of man's humanity to man than a fire engine. -- Kurt Vonnegut (SteelerGrrl)
- Lanza's mom had..an ar-15...Glock 20...Sig 9mm...nine full 30 round ammo clips...my mom has..cookies. (Arrow)
- You can safely assume you have created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do. --Anne Lamott (zooecium)
- Minority rights should never be subject to majority vote. (lostboyjim)
- The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. -- John Kenneth Galbraith (richardak)
- Give blood. Play hockey. (flycaster)
- liberal bias = failure to validate or sufficiently flatter the conservative narrative on any given subject (RockyMtnLib)
- Send your old shoes to the new George W. Bush library. (maxschell)
Here's mine:
Thanks.
- Jamie
Friday, April 12, 2013
And of course it goes without saying that the more we do of #4, the more we'll get of #5
Seems to me women want men to be as complex as they (women) are, so that there is something, some mysterious key to “figuring us out” and women are continually surprised and disappointed that we’re as simple as we are.
1 - Food
2 - Football
3 - Fucking
4 - Farting
(and yeah, probably in that order once we're married. #3 was probably higher before we got married.)
Once women get that, they’ve got 90% of us. Oh, wait, those 4 and:
5 - The need for space…lots of space.
And we men want women to be as simple as we men are and we are continually surprised and disappointed that they’re as complex as they are.
And believe me, I'm not even a little bit proud of any of that from my perspective.
1 - Food
2 - Football
3 - Fucking
4 - Farting
(and yeah, probably in that order once we're married. #3 was probably higher before we got married.)
Once women get that, they’ve got 90% of us. Oh, wait, those 4 and:
5 - The need for space…lots of space.
And we men want women to be as simple as we men are and we are continually surprised and disappointed that they’re as complex as they are.
And believe me, I'm not even a little bit proud of any of that from my perspective.
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Ask guys in my age-range about their memories of their first experience in going to a ballgame, and I'll bet a majority, even if it's only 51%, would refer to the least likely of answers: The Colors.
Because most of us grew up without a color TV until I was out of college I think, when I went to my first game at old Connie Mack Stadium in 1966 (in fact, here's the boxscore - I remember so much about that game!), as I walked through the vomitorium (look it up - it's not what you think), ok, through the entrance under the seats into the seating area, it was like Dorothy stepping out of her house into Munchkinland - oh, what bright, vivid colors!
The dazzling green grass, the white chalk lines, the fire engine red seats, the blue I-don't-remember-what, I just remember vivid blues too! Just dazzling.
Oh, and I also went to the last game ever played at Connie Mack, which is probably worthy of a blog post of its own, but in case someone comes across a bright red seat in the garage some day and it looks like this:
just the seat part, not the back, well, that's where it came from.
Because most of us grew up without a color TV until I was out of college I think, when I went to my first game at old Connie Mack Stadium in 1966 (in fact, here's the boxscore - I remember so much about that game!), as I walked through the vomitorium (look it up - it's not what you think), ok, through the entrance under the seats into the seating area, it was like Dorothy stepping out of her house into Munchkinland - oh, what bright, vivid colors!
The dazzling green grass, the white chalk lines, the fire engine red seats, the blue I-don't-remember-what, I just remember vivid blues too! Just dazzling.
Oh, and I also went to the last game ever played at Connie Mack, which is probably worthy of a blog post of its own, but in case someone comes across a bright red seat in the garage some day and it looks like this:
just the seat part, not the back, well, that's where it came from.
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
My first impressions from last night's Phillies opener, as emailed to a friend:
I think Cole really missed Chooch last night. I like Kratz, but the 2 of them didn’t seem to be jiving real well and Hamels’ pitch selections were weird and he seemed rushed. Hopefully first game jitters, but hard to understand from a former World Series MVP.
I like Revere but I don’t see him hitting one out this year without a lot of wind behind him. We have a pool on him in our fantasy league. I have 8/4/13, but that includes inside-the-parkers.
I didn’t mind Cholly starting Mayberry last night. Nix looks totally lost. I wonder if he’ll keep Revere at the top of the lineup against lefties. I kind of hope not. But I do like their lineup in general. I think they’ll score a lot of runs.
Everyone’s concerned about Halladay. I think you can book something in the 12-12 4.20 ERA range. I think Kendrick may be even more of a key and a variable this year oddly. Is he the guy who led the majors in ERA the last 5-6 weeks of 2012 or the guy who got hammered in his last exhibition game?
M Young stunk at 3B last night on 3 different plays, I think. He better get better.
I love Freddie Galvis and I think he could play 15+ years in the bigs. I even think he has an offensive future too. Of course, so do I, and that future is 0/0/.000.
I’m not going to waste any time getting to hate the Uptons. Done.
Oh, I forgot to mention in the email, all the Uptons except one:
I think Cole really missed Chooch last night. I like Kratz, but the 2 of them didn’t seem to be jiving real well and Hamels’ pitch selections were weird and he seemed rushed. Hopefully first game jitters, but hard to understand from a former World Series MVP.
I like Revere but I don’t see him hitting one out this year without a lot of wind behind him. We have a pool on him in our fantasy league. I have 8/4/13, but that includes inside-the-parkers.
I didn’t mind Cholly starting Mayberry last night. Nix looks totally lost. I wonder if he’ll keep Revere at the top of the lineup against lefties. I kind of hope not. But I do like their lineup in general. I think they’ll score a lot of runs.
Everyone’s concerned about Halladay. I think you can book something in the 12-12 4.20 ERA range. I think Kendrick may be even more of a key and a variable this year oddly. Is he the guy who led the majors in ERA the last 5-6 weeks of 2012 or the guy who got hammered in his last exhibition game?
M Young stunk at 3B last night on 3 different plays, I think. He better get better.
I love Freddie Galvis and I think he could play 15+ years in the bigs. I even think he has an offensive future too. Of course, so do I, and that future is 0/0/.000.
I’m not going to waste any time getting to hate the Uptons. Done.
Oh, I forgot to mention in the email, all the Uptons except one:
Cheryl likes to cite the annual WIP Wing Bowl as an example of the most obvious sign of the coming apocalypse...
but there's a better one in my view.
When I was a kid, besides literally having to walk a half mile to the bus, uphill both ways (to the end of Black Horse Road at rte. 401), it was the kids who tried to cheat on tests (not me!!!) and the teachers who caught them and turned them in.
Now it's the teachers who cheat and the kids who turn them in:
By Kate Brumback, Associated Press / March 30, 2013 at 9:35 am EDT
Atlanta
Juwanna Guffie was sitting in her fifth-grade classroom taking a standardized test when, authorities say, the teacher came around offering information and asking the students to rewrite their answers. Juwanna rejected the help.
"I don't want your answers, I want to take my own test," Juwanna told her teacher, according to Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard.
On Friday, Juwanna — now 14 — watched as Fulton County prosecutors announced that a grand jury had indicted the Atlanta Public Schools' ex-superintendent and nearly three dozen other former administrators, teachers, principals and other educators of charges arising from a standardized test cheating scandal that rocked the system.
According to Howard, Juwanna eventually told her sister and later told the district attorney's investigators. Still confident in her ability to take a test on her own, Juwanna got the highest reading score on a standardized test this year.
but there's a better one in my view.
When I was a kid, besides literally having to walk a half mile to the bus, uphill both ways (to the end of Black Horse Road at rte. 401), it was the kids who tried to cheat on tests (not me!!!) and the teachers who caught them and turned them in.
Now it's the teachers who cheat and the kids who turn them in:
3 dozen school administrators and teachers indicted in Atlanta cheating scandal
By Kate Brumback, Associated Press / March 30, 2013 at 9:35 am EDT
Atlanta
Juwanna Guffie was sitting in her fifth-grade classroom taking a standardized test when, authorities say, the teacher came around offering information and asking the students to rewrite their answers. Juwanna rejected the help.
"I don't want your answers, I want to take my own test," Juwanna told her teacher, according to Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard.
On Friday, Juwanna — now 14 — watched as Fulton County prosecutors announced that a grand jury had indicted the Atlanta Public Schools' ex-superintendent and nearly three dozen other former administrators, teachers, principals and other educators of charges arising from a standardized test cheating scandal that rocked the system.
According to Howard, Juwanna eventually told her sister and later told the district attorney's investigators. Still confident in her ability to take a test on her own, Juwanna got the highest reading score on a standardized test this year.
Friday, March 8, 2013
Sitting in my car at a 4 lane intersection, waiting with a couple dozen cars waiting for the light to change, I thought:
Wouldn't it be fun to have a fake gruesome head or a big snake that you could hang upside down from the end of a telescoping pole that you could poke out your window and extend it out to the front of the car in front of you and hang over their front window?
We have heard anecdotes about the reactions from people just seconds before they die, such as when Steven Jobs died, he said Oh WOW! and died moments later. And we hear from people who have had NDEs (Near Death Experinces) where they were clinically dead for short periods, and they come back and tell us of the amazing beauty they saw on the other side.
And for the people who experience those NDEs and come back, they often tell of refusing to die, that there was someone or some people they still wanted to spend more time with, such as their children.
I wonder how often people in those situations actually have an option of refusing to die, and how many of them are so overcome with the beauty on the other side that they think - heck, this is nice - I'm stayin'!
Thursday, February 28, 2013
I went to a few funerals earlier this month, each for someone of my parents' generation. At the second of the two, there were so many people there, in a non-denominational setting, that I had to stand along one side of the packed room, giving me an opportunity to spend time, as I waited for it to start, looking at the assembled mourners.
To say that I was among the 5 youngest non-family attenders of the hundred or so gathered was obvious. It was a very grey looking crowd (not that I'm not!). And it made me wonder...
I think part of the appeal for young women in going to weddings, besides the opportunity to dress up and to dance and drink and celebrate and be among friends, is the chance to imagine what her big day will be like - a day they spend a good portion of their young fantasy life imagining things like what color schemes they'll use, what flowers they'll carry, who'll be in it, where it'll be, who they'll invite. I'm sure I can't even make a dent in all the things they have to consider. All with the goal of making it just perfect.
So, as I looked around the room at the 70- and 80+ year olds, I found myself wondering if part of their interest in attending any given funeral was for the same reasons: to imagine what they want their service to be like - who would speak, where it would be, and ultimately wondering if people would say as nice things about them as were being said about the person they were actually there to honor.
I have to admit, I've given some thought to that last point myself. I'm sure there are enough decent things I've done that people can scrounge up a few fond memories or traits they had the chance to observe, but I also know no one would be out of line in saying a few things about what a grump I could be. I'm not proud of that part of me, but it is me and all's fair, not just in love and war, but also, I suppose, in death.
But in the end, all I really want to know is what Father Guido Sarducci would say about all this
Trev and I go to a thing called Guys Read at the local library every month where dads and sons discuss whatever book they've chosen to read the previous month.
At the meeting earlier this month, the boys were off discussing what kind of superpowers they'd give their own alien, leaving the 4-5 dads to make small talk, which is routinely awkward, none of us being the sort of outgoing, jovial-types who thrive in such situations.
But this time, someone brought up the topic of the Pope having recently announced that he was going to resign and one dad said the rumors had already started as to what the real reason for it could be.
I quickly said that I hoped it was not some new scandal that would surface, as the church, and any of us even barely interested (which would describe my level) had already had way more than they/we could handle.
But then he went on to say that one theory was that the Pope may have been previously married or fathered (Or would it be Fathered) a child, at which point, I, perhaps a little too excitedly, corrected my point, saying I hope that if the scandal involves something illegal, then I hope it doesn't happen, but if it involves something legal, like marriage (gasp!) or father hood (Oh, no, say it ain't so, yer Eminarience!), then I very much hope it does come out as true.
God, I would love that. I'd like to say that the previous sentence was an actual request to God, but of course, he doesn't listen to me, just the Pope, so no point in my trying to bother him.
Friday, February 22, 2013
Cheryl and I had an awesome weekend away a few weeks back. I'd call it a Red Berenson weekend, though to be fair, he accomplished his amazing feat in 60 minutes, where it took us almost exactly 60 hours, going from late Friday night to Sunday afternoon.
I'm not sure he scored again the next night though, so we have that going for us.
Mirrors can have SOME value if used correctly
Dailykos had an interesting piece yesterday excerpting from that day's NY TImes:
This is a great, lengthy piece about young techno-savvy Republicans thinking Mitt Romney lost because of Twitter. But among the wealth of information in it, there's this:
The [young, working-class] all-female focus group [in Ohio] began with a sobering assessment of the Obama economy. All of the women spoke gloomily about the prospect of paying off student loans, about what they believed to be Social Security’s likely insolvency and about their children’s schooling. A few of them bitterly opined that the Democrats care little about the working class but lavish the poor with federal aid. “You get more off welfare than you would at a minimum-wage job,” observed one of them. Another added, “And if you have a kid, you’re set up for life!”
About an hour into the session, Anderson walked up to a whiteboard and took out a magic marker. “I’m going to write down a word, and you guys free-associate with whatever comes to mind,” she said. The first word she wrote was “Democrat.”
“Young people,” one woman called out. “Liberal,” another said. Followed by: “Diverse.” “Bill Clinton.”“Change.”“Open-minded.”“Spending.”“Handouts.”“Green.”“More science-based.”
When Anderson then wrote “Republican,” the outburst was immediate and vehement: “Corporate greed.”“Old.”“Middle-aged white men.” “Rich.” “Religious.” “Conservative.” “Hypocritical.” “Military retirees.” “Narrow-minded.” “Rigid.” “Not progressive.” “Polarizing.” “Stuck in their ways.” “Farmers.”
A similar panel with men didn't go much better:
None of them expressed great enthusiasm for Obama. But their depiction of Republicans was even more lacerating than the women’s had been. “Racist,” “out of touch” and “hateful” made the list — “and put ‘1950s’ on there too!” one called out.
Holy crap! These focus group respondents hate Republicans more than we do at Daily Kos! Asked what would make them change their mind and be more open to Republicans, the respondents urged Republicans to drop social issues, to drop opposition to science, and be more willing to compromise—hilarious advice in the context of the Hagel filibuster.
Democrats need to do more to lock in this vote—show real fortitude in the battle against Wall Street excesses, for one. They have to prove they're on the side of working class Americans, not the one percent. But our team's challenge is nothing like theirs. The more Democrats take the fight to Wall Street, the happier our base. Witness Elizabeth Warren. But Republicans only infuriate their base by de-emphasizing abortion, gay marriage, opposition to science and brown people.
In other words, exactly counter to Democrats, what Republicans need to do to win is mutually exclusive with what the conservative base will allow them to do.
After years of demonizing the "other" and winning elections on racial and gay bigotry, this is nothing short of remarkable.
There is so much here that is noteworthy, but instead of focuing on the (too obvious) shortcomings of the Right, it is another example to me that there is one single issue the Dems need to address that would keep them in majority power for decades to come and it is what i've highlighted in red above. I hear that over and over when people are complaining about the democratic party and is something we need to come to grips with. We are doing a lot of gloating lately, (see my post below about vindication) and with good reason, but we'd be very wise to spend as much time looking critically inward as outward.
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Whenever I go to this blog to make an entry, I look about midway down the right hand side to see where people have come from to visit the site. Probably about 2/3rds are from Chester County, generally arriving from the Daily Local News' Blogtown site. I also have a loyal visitor from Mountain View, California, which is kind of flattering.
But I'm often amazed by the number of visits I get from countries I've barely heard of. Today, I had a visitor from a place I have definitely never heard of: Antalya.
I had to look up where it is. Shows how sheltered a life I live. Antalya was the world's fourth most visited city by number of international arrivals in 2011, with 10.5 million annual visitors. And it's on the Turkish Riviera...which I also didn't even know there was one of. And now I can see why there were so many visitors. It looks to be a pretty amazing place.
So to my new friend there, if you want to fly a few friendly folks over for a visit, my wife and I would love to come have you show us what I've been missing!
And I hope you found what you were looking for here, even if it was only a search for the photo of an alluring view of the side of Taylor Swift's breast.
We win! Time for a nap.
I belong to an invitation-only political Facebook page, where there are about 15 people, from both sides of the political aisle and where, leading up to the most recent election, we all posted frequently, sometimes arguing fairly vigorously our point of view on any given topic that someone would bring up.
Since the election ended, I have found myself less interested in combating the vitriol from the right, for the simple reason that We won. The country has moved center-left and by proxy, my points have been validated, I have been vindicated and there is not much reason to argue with folks whose opinions have been either discredited entirely or who are in the small minority.
Either that or like just after sex, where the guy is totally spent and wants to just take a long nap until he's revved up again...which should come, so to speak, just as we're ready to start a new election cycle this fall.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
A year or two ago, there was increasing sentiment and rallying on facebook to get them to add a Dislike button and I never agreed and still don't, though there surely are plenty of status posts that I'd love to put it to use, especially any involving cats.
It just seems to me that banning a Dislike button sort of honors the sentiment that if you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all.
A belly full of thoughts...about my belly:
In honor of the day just passed, I'll point out that the movie Groundhog Day could have been made about my waistline since it never improves either, but I'm glad it wasn't because Bill Murray is much funnier.
Trev to me the other day as we were lying in bed talking and generally carrying on: "When you laugh, your face doesn't change, but your stomach is having a party!"
If someone were to ask me when one officially becomes a grown-up, I'd say it happens when one stops buying new pants because they are growing up and starts buying them because they are growing out.
Pathological Honester
It amazes me the things I'm still learning. I guess I must have thought that everything there was to learn, I would know by now. Here's one of a number of things I've come to learn in the past few days, for instance:
Being completely honest can be very selfish.
I think I can easily generalize about We McVicks, but I'll only speak for myself now, when I say that I often feel like I don't just want to be completely honest with folks, but I have an almost physiological need to be honest with them, as in, I would have a physically uncomfortable reaction to holding back from something I'm thinking.
Needless to say, that gets me in trouble sometimes, especially when what I have to say isn't what the person hearing it wants to hear.
And I should also add that I have gotten much, much better over time at not saying everything I'm thinking. Honesty is not always the best policy for that obvious reason.
But what I've come to realize recently is that anytime I feel a need to tell someone something, I need to stop first and determine if I am saying it for my benefit or theirs.
What made me realize it so particularly this time goes back to my post on January 4th, when I wrote of my conversation with Cheryl about my crush. In looking back at why I talked with her about it, I think there were 3 reasons, in no particular order, why I spilled:
1 - To impress her...and me probably, with how honest and open I could be with her, and to show she could trust me to always tell her about even the most uncomfortable things to talk about.
2 - Probably out of some measure of guilt, feeling like I was obliged to tell her.
3 - I really did want to know her thoughts on it and to better understand how I could be experiencing the feelings I was when I was already deeply, madly in love with her (but that's another blog entry yet to come).
But in retrospect, even though I have a feeling Cheryl would say that she is glad I told her, I don't think it was a good idea. The only person who could benefit from a discussion like that one was me and I realize that now.
Friday, February 1, 2013
From DailyKos.com, this morning:
1.Private sector hiring is up:
Since President Barack Obama took office in January 2009, we've gained 1.9 million private sector jobs. And since we hit bottom in February 2010, we've gained 6.1 million. Under President George W. Bush, we lost 685,000 private sector jobs.
2.Government employment is down:
Since January 2009, we've lost 606,000 public sector jobs. Since February 2010, we've lost 719,000. Under Bush, we gained 1.7 million public sector jobs.
3.The stock market is up:
When President Obama took office, the Dow was at 7,949. As of 10:00 AM EST Friday, it was at 13,967—an increase of 75 percent. Under Bush, the Dow fell from 10,578 to 7,949, a decrease of 25 percent.
You know, after looking at those numbers, I'm starting to think that the biggest threat to America's economy has nothing to with Comrade Obama's secret plan to have the government take over the entire economy. Instead, the real danger is the GOP's insistence that we embark on even more austerity, shrinking the public sector even smaller—and putting even more people out of work.
1.Private sector hiring is up:
Since President Barack Obama took office in January 2009, we've gained 1.9 million private sector jobs. And since we hit bottom in February 2010, we've gained 6.1 million. Under President George W. Bush, we lost 685,000 private sector jobs.
2.Government employment is down:
Since January 2009, we've lost 606,000 public sector jobs. Since February 2010, we've lost 719,000. Under Bush, we gained 1.7 million public sector jobs.
3.The stock market is up:
When President Obama took office, the Dow was at 7,949. As of 10:00 AM EST Friday, it was at 13,967—an increase of 75 percent. Under Bush, the Dow fell from 10,578 to 7,949, a decrease of 25 percent.
You know, after looking at those numbers, I'm starting to think that the biggest threat to America's economy has nothing to with Comrade Obama's secret plan to have the government take over the entire economy. Instead, the real danger is the GOP's insistence that we embark on even more austerity, shrinking the public sector even smaller—and putting even more people out of work.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Early in college, I started to notice that my athletic reaction time had dropped, and I realized it was because I wasn't putting in as many hours playing sports as I had at Westtown.
Then soon after I graduated from Earlham, not just my reaction time, but my skills in all sports had slightly declined for the same reason.
When I got to my 30's, it became harder and harder to keep up with "kids" in their teens and 20's, and I decided it was because I wasn't running as much as I once had.
Then in my 40's, when playing soccer and ice hockey, I had lost a step or three compared to younger players, I felt like all I needed to do was get in shape and I'd be right back where I had been in my 20's or 30's.
Now that I'm in my mid-50's, splitting wood and repeatedly picking the wood and wedges off up off the ground for a few hours requires frequent rest breaks, and makes me think for the first time that it isn't just a matter of being out of shape, but //shudder// it may just be that I'm getting old.
Nah.
Then soon after I graduated from Earlham, not just my reaction time, but my skills in all sports had slightly declined for the same reason.
When I got to my 30's, it became harder and harder to keep up with "kids" in their teens and 20's, and I decided it was because I wasn't running as much as I once had.
Then in my 40's, when playing soccer and ice hockey, I had lost a step or three compared to younger players, I felt like all I needed to do was get in shape and I'd be right back where I had been in my 20's or 30's.
Now that I'm in my mid-50's, splitting wood and repeatedly picking the wood and wedges off up off the ground for a few hours requires frequent rest breaks, and makes me think for the first time that it isn't just a matter of being out of shape, but //shudder// it may just be that I'm getting old.
Nah.
Friday, January 25, 2013
And if you still aren't sure of your special purpose, or don't agree with what I wrote below, here's another possibility for you:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJJA6WRpvlg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJJA6WRpvlg
And just an offhand thought semi-related to the one previous to this (and below). If one accepts my premise that we crave attention and validation for our contributions to our world, those contributions being what we think of as our purpose - thinking our unique and special thoughts and actions are why we are here, then that is one more reason to take good care of our containers, our bodies, so we'll be here all the longer to share our gifts and prove to ourselves of our worth on this planet.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
A post long enough that no one will read it, even if it took me about a week to write and re-write it
Nothing like going out into the back yard...well, up on the hill, to split wood by hand to get one into deep thought. Though I should add, none of these deep thoughts included remembering that our tree guy had told us we could borrow his splitter anytime we wanted, or at least that memory didn't arrive until soon after I'd split about 50 hunks of wood in sizes varying from 1-2 feet across, over a period of 3-4 Saturdays and Sundays.
Anyway, back to my deep thoughts:
OK, and to digress to less-than-important digressions again, as we McVics do to distraction, these thoughts mostly came when I took a break and stretched out on a chair atop the spot where Mom and Dad's ashes reside, which kind of makes it extra cool.
Not sure how I got to this line of thought, but I was thinking about our purpose here in life and I reached the following conclusion, less about our purpose than the things that promote and distract us from that purpose:
I have heard or read of people who say that they were "put here on Earth to...(insert talent or passion here: play basketball...make art...teach...be an actor)" but I sort of feel sorry for such folks, because first I think that's taking it easy, basically saying they don't have any other responsibilities to their fellow human, and second, because they aren't looking deep enough.
But if one concludes, as I have, that our general purpose is not just to simply leave the world in a better state than which we found it but to spread good cheer and positive thoughts among as many people with whom we make contact through the course of our lives as possible, it is important too that we recognize both how some of what might be considered distractions to that goal are both more important AND unimportant than it might otherwise appear.
More specifically, I'm referring to our outward appearance...our bodies, our shells, our containers. We all have this soul, this vibe/mojo/essence/aura, all kinds of things that make us who we are, deep down. And how we look, how beautiful or fat or pimply or athletically gifted or disfigured we are is, we are told, completely unimportant to who we really are. And in the purest sense, and in occasional practice, that is certainly true.
But at the same time, since we were first endowed with the curse not just of self-awareness, but with a sense of beauty and an appreciation of athletic accomplishment, the way we look and act and perform, becomes an important tool in how our message is perceived and the size of the audience and the willingness of the audience to absorb our message.
It has, in the past year or so, struck me how much we all want to be valued. We crave recognition to varying degrees. We revel in being recognized for our contributions, whether they be for a financial donation, or for our hard work or for just "being there" for someone. We want to be thanked for passing the salt, for gosh sakes.Why do we need to be thanked for a gift we've given someone, when presumably we've done it because we want to do something nice for someone else, or, here it is again, to recognize someone for something nice they've done.
Do we need to be thanked for the gift we've given for thanking someone for the gift they've given? Or when we give a birthday gift, which we give to thank them for what exactly - for being a part of our lives? Or for recognition for their simply having been born, validating their existence? And we expect to be thanked for that? Why do we want and expect gifts for having been born? Is it because we can't wait to also be the center of attention, and thus validated, when our birthday comes around? (Side Note: Don't we really have it backwards? Shouldn't that be the day we give gifts to our parents for giving us life and for all they did for us? And to our friends too - in appreciation for all the love they've given us?)
So, as I say, we crave recognition and thus, validation. Even our most altruistic of acts are possibly more for our pleasure than for the recipients. Even if I do something nice for someone else without their knowing it, as I once did - baking a birthday cake for someone, leaving it on her doorstep anonymously, since I knew she had no one in her life, brought me great pleasure. And of course, I secretly hoped she'd eventually find out many months later that it was from me (and she did, from my parents), and I hoped she'd be effusive in her thanks (and she was). (Twas Brenda Peabody, God rest her awesome soul, who lived up the hill from my folks.)
It may seem that I've again gone off on a digression, but the point of the need for validation is germane. I believe that the reason we crave this attention in varying degrees is because we all think our gift, our wisdom, our accumulated knowledge we are passing on to everyone else is what validates our very reason for being here on earth, for having been born in the first place.
So back to the importance of our "containers", our bodies and how we dress, how we fix our face, how we work to get rid of our unsightly bulges, whether they be around the waist, or our, gasp, Visible Pantie Lines! (That should get me some extra google hits!) Because more people are likely to accept, or better, to embrace our thoughts and essence when we are more attractive to them. And it takes an often way-too-difficult leap for us to realize that when our soul is no longer in our containers, which are now buried in an another unimportant, but in this case way-too-expensive...container, or our ashes scattered wherever, that people talk or think about us, not about what a great dresser we were or how pretty we were or what great shape we were in, but it is the gifts we share with them, whether it was the way we could make them laugh, or the life-altering advice we gave, or the chocolate birthday cake we surprised them with, that is primarily remembered.
And thus, we are thanked and recognized and honored just by their memory of what kind of person we were and the contributions we made to their life. Unless we left 'em a bunch of dough, then we're probably remembered for that too...which kind of negates every damn thing I just wrote.
Anyway, back to my deep thoughts:
OK, and to digress to less-than-important digressions again, as we McVics do to distraction, these thoughts mostly came when I took a break and stretched out on a chair atop the spot where Mom and Dad's ashes reside, which kind of makes it extra cool.
Not sure how I got to this line of thought, but I was thinking about our purpose here in life and I reached the following conclusion, less about our purpose than the things that promote and distract us from that purpose:
I have heard or read of people who say that they were "put here on Earth to...(insert talent or passion here: play basketball...make art...teach...be an actor)" but I sort of feel sorry for such folks, because first I think that's taking it easy, basically saying they don't have any other responsibilities to their fellow human, and second, because they aren't looking deep enough.
But if one concludes, as I have, that our general purpose is not just to simply leave the world in a better state than which we found it but to spread good cheer and positive thoughts among as many people with whom we make contact through the course of our lives as possible, it is important too that we recognize both how some of what might be considered distractions to that goal are both more important AND unimportant than it might otherwise appear.
More specifically, I'm referring to our outward appearance...our bodies, our shells, our containers. We all have this soul, this vibe/mojo/essence/aura, all kinds of things that make us who we are, deep down. And how we look, how beautiful or fat or pimply or athletically gifted or disfigured we are is, we are told, completely unimportant to who we really are. And in the purest sense, and in occasional practice, that is certainly true.
But at the same time, since we were first endowed with the curse not just of self-awareness, but with a sense of beauty and an appreciation of athletic accomplishment, the way we look and act and perform, becomes an important tool in how our message is perceived and the size of the audience and the willingness of the audience to absorb our message.
It has, in the past year or so, struck me how much we all want to be valued. We crave recognition to varying degrees. We revel in being recognized for our contributions, whether they be for a financial donation, or for our hard work or for just "being there" for someone. We want to be thanked for passing the salt, for gosh sakes.Why do we need to be thanked for a gift we've given someone, when presumably we've done it because we want to do something nice for someone else, or, here it is again, to recognize someone for something nice they've done.
Do we need to be thanked for the gift we've given for thanking someone for the gift they've given? Or when we give a birthday gift, which we give to thank them for what exactly - for being a part of our lives? Or for recognition for their simply having been born, validating their existence? And we expect to be thanked for that? Why do we want and expect gifts for having been born? Is it because we can't wait to also be the center of attention, and thus validated, when our birthday comes around? (Side Note: Don't we really have it backwards? Shouldn't that be the day we give gifts to our parents for giving us life and for all they did for us? And to our friends too - in appreciation for all the love they've given us?)
So, as I say, we crave recognition and thus, validation. Even our most altruistic of acts are possibly more for our pleasure than for the recipients. Even if I do something nice for someone else without their knowing it, as I once did - baking a birthday cake for someone, leaving it on her doorstep anonymously, since I knew she had no one in her life, brought me great pleasure. And of course, I secretly hoped she'd eventually find out many months later that it was from me (and she did, from my parents), and I hoped she'd be effusive in her thanks (and she was). (Twas Brenda Peabody, God rest her awesome soul, who lived up the hill from my folks.)
It may seem that I've again gone off on a digression, but the point of the need for validation is germane. I believe that the reason we crave this attention in varying degrees is because we all think our gift, our wisdom, our accumulated knowledge we are passing on to everyone else is what validates our very reason for being here on earth, for having been born in the first place.
So back to the importance of our "containers", our bodies and how we dress, how we fix our face, how we work to get rid of our unsightly bulges, whether they be around the waist, or our, gasp, Visible Pantie Lines! (That should get me some extra google hits!) Because more people are likely to accept, or better, to embrace our thoughts and essence when we are more attractive to them. And it takes an often way-too-difficult leap for us to realize that when our soul is no longer in our containers, which are now buried in an another unimportant, but in this case way-too-expensive...container, or our ashes scattered wherever, that people talk or think about us, not about what a great dresser we were or how pretty we were or what great shape we were in, but it is the gifts we share with them, whether it was the way we could make them laugh, or the life-altering advice we gave, or the chocolate birthday cake we surprised them with, that is primarily remembered.
And thus, we are thanked and recognized and honored just by their memory of what kind of person we were and the contributions we made to their life. Unless we left 'em a bunch of dough, then we're probably remembered for that too...which kind of negates every damn thing I just wrote.
Friday, January 18, 2013
But whatever diet Andy used apparently wasn't working either
My opinion of Andy Reid as a football coach is not unlike my opinion of his personal life. He likes gimmicks. He uses a pass-happy, West Coast offense, and a blitz-dominated defensive scheme, followed by the goofy wide-nine approach. And, gasp - he follows a gimmick of a religion - Mormonism.
So the Eagles fire him and bring in a guy who uses something called the Zone Read Spread offense.
Reminds me of people looking for the latest dieting fad, thinking one of 'em's just gotta work!
So the Eagles fire him and bring in a guy who uses something called the Zone Read Spread offense.
Reminds me of people looking for the latest dieting fad, thinking one of 'em's just gotta work!
There is a lot of discussion in Washington and around the country, about guns these days after what happened at Newtown, CT. Some of us want significantly stronger gun control laws. The gun nuts like to say that guns don't kill, people do. And then they say that the biggest problem isn't guns, it's mental illness.
I agree. And those are the exact two reasons we need to ban assault weapons. And why we need stronger gun control in general. Because people are holding guns that can kill dozens of people in just minutes...and some of those people are not only a lot crazier than any of you reading this, but even crazier still than the gun nuts who defend their weapons of mass destruction.
I agree. And those are the exact two reasons we need to ban assault weapons. And why we need stronger gun control in general. Because people are holding guns that can kill dozens of people in just minutes...and some of those people are not only a lot crazier than any of you reading this, but even crazier still than the gun nuts who defend their weapons of mass destruction.
Friday, January 11, 2013
I was disappointed, but not surprised, that driving home last night, and thinking about Les Miz, which I think Ev, Cheryl and I are going to see on Sunday, I found myself playing with the name and hearing it as Miss Lez, which has just a little different meaning, and from my perspective a way more fun one.
And then I thought, I'll bet there is a porn movie by that name by now, not that I have ever rented one in my entire life I'll quickly add. And I felt like kind of embarrassed for having this entire train of thought in my sometimes creepy head and wondered if it was homophobic to even think of such things.
So, I looked it up, and it turned out that the group who was way ahead of me is not the porn industry but yer Lesbians!
http://www.afterellen.com/content/2012/04/ny-scene-march-2012-miss-lez-pageant-hey-queen-and-more
N.Y. Scene is a monthly column that chronicles events of interest for lesbian and bi women in New York.
Miss Lez Pageant 2012
Move over, Miss America and Miss U.S.A. The most prestigious pageant in the land of the free and home of the brave is Miss Lez, a production that has proven year in and year out to be wilder and more unruly than the unidentified mammal living on Donald Trump's head. The land of the free and home of the brave is, of course, Brooklyn, where — as we learned over the course of the night &mdsah; the "chochas" are free and only those who are brave enough to witness simulated period sex and Rapunzel-esque pubic hair survive.
And then I thought, I'll bet there is a porn movie by that name by now, not that I have ever rented one in my entire life I'll quickly add. And I felt like kind of embarrassed for having this entire train of thought in my sometimes creepy head and wondered if it was homophobic to even think of such things.
So, I looked it up, and it turned out that the group who was way ahead of me is not the porn industry but yer Lesbians!
http://www.afterellen.com/content/2012/04/ny-scene-march-2012-miss-lez-pageant-hey-queen-and-more
N.Y. Scene March 2012: Miss Lez Pageant, Hey Queen and more!
N.Y. Scene is a monthly column that chronicles events of interest for lesbian and bi women in New York.
Move over, Miss America and Miss U.S.A. The most prestigious pageant in the land of the free and home of the brave is Miss Lez, a production that has proven year in and year out to be wilder and more unruly than the unidentified mammal living on Donald Trump's head. The land of the free and home of the brave is, of course, Brooklyn, where — as we learned over the course of the night &mdsah; the "chochas" are free and only those who are brave enough to witness simulated period sex and Rapunzel-esque pubic hair survive.
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