FREE YOUR MIND

I listen to two types of talk radio. There's the Kevin and Bean/ Loveline type that offers interesting insight and information with a humorous slant and keeps me awake at the appropriate hours, and there is the right-wing conservative afternoon drive-time type that I don't liten to because I enjy it, but because I like to hear how the other half thinks. Now, I happen to enjoy talk radio because it passes the time when my music gets too familiar, and frankly, most of the music that plays in th radio is crap in a shiny wrapper. Anwho, that's not the point of this post, the point is this; on one of these right-wing shows, the hosts we're talking about how enraged they were over an article they read concerning an illegal immigrant family that had lived in our area for a number of years and had worked their way to citizenship and off of government support. They were incensed that this family had housed 43 people in one three room house because they were trying to take advantage of our job opportunities, and most importantly, our free education. These guys went on and on about the inbalance of the system and how dare the newspaper from which they got the story actually have a sympathetic view to the plight of this family. How dare they come here illegally, and then strain our tax dollars by forcing their offspring (American born off-srping) into our education system.
When is this going to stop? All of this "not in my backyard" hogwash concerning the enrichment and development of the future generations of this world. When pressed, no one will say that they don't want children to have a fair chance in this world, no matter their heritage or social standing, but when it comes to actually being the ones to pay for it or develop it in their own communities, they balk at the cost and the effect it might have on their everyday lives. Goodness. The hypocrisy of it all frustrates me to no end. Yes, yes, help the children...assist the innocents that haven't a voice for themselves...oh, you mean, I might have to pay for it? Oh...umm...send them to another state, send them to another country...let them deal with it...we're suddenly too poor to help others.
What gives us the right to horde our superior education and social services, only to be doled out to the ones we find worthy of their benefits? I was born on this piece of land, so I have the right to understand the world around me better? My skin is this color, so I am entitled to more thourough health care, should I get sick? When are we going to start thinking like a species and less like a citizen of a privilged society? At what point can we stop looking at children as an immigration problem?
Try this: think of a child that you love, one that makes your heart sing and can make you smile with a laugh or a gesture. Got that picture? Can you see their shiny eyes, full of wonder and promise? Good...now imagine some rich asshole looking that child in the eyes and informing them that not only are they NOT going to receive an enriching and fullfilling education, but should they get hurt or sick, NO ONE is going to help them. And why, that child might ask? Oh, well, you weren't born on the right peice of earth. Sorry. Tough luck.
There are two-sides to every story. Two ways to look at every issue. Someday, our society is going to have to learn to take the blinders off and see the other side.

THE WORLD REVOLVES AROUND ME

I have become quite convinced that the world does in fact revolve around me. We are told since childhood that this is not the case, but I am now certain that it is. One day, I was asking my sister about baby CPR and how to handle infant choking, in case it might ever come up with my niece. And not four hours later, my baby niece started to choke on a piece of ice (an incident that I am not afraid to say FREAKED ME OUT...I was ready to figure out the whole emergency trachiotomy-yeah, I probably didn't spell that right-thing and bust out my Doogie Hauser skills, but thankfully Marisa handled the situation) and I got a demonstration of how to handle the baby choking sitch. And for another freakish example, I have currently become enamored of the splendiferousness of Jack Black's band Tenacious D, and have recently been listening to their album non-stop, an album that is peppered with funny conversations between the band members. So then, Tuesday, I am at work, and randomly pick-up the ringing phone, and I guess someone had decided to splice together those conversations to make a funny thing to play as a crank-phone call. At first, I thought it might be Brooks, the man that introduced me to the D, but it then occured to me that not only does Brooks not know my work phone number, he doesn't know that I am at work. So all of this added together spells out quite clearly...the world revolves around me. And that's okay. Don't worry, I won't screw things up for everyone else...too much.

OVERLOOKED MOVIE OF THE DAY

Down With Love, starring Ewan McGregor and Rene Zellwegger. It's a sex-comedy filmed in the style of the Rock Hudson/Dorris Day flicks. It's super cute and super well-done. Oh, and by the way, in case you weren't aware before, Ewan is a STONE FOX. Yummy.

NO VALENTINE, NO BIG WHOOP

So, I have no Valentine this year. S'okay. I am enjoying watching all the others in love. It's not so bad for me, I don't think, because I am not pining over any specific person or anything. It's just another day, similar to all the others, barring maybe the fact that people are wearing a bit more red than usual. But that kinda happens around Christmas, so in fact, no real distinction. It's just an excuse to tell someone you love that you love them. I guess I've never really had a Valentine. The two years I was with my ex-ex, he was a crappy Valentine, so I don't count it. But anywho, here's my list of people I love that I am sending love to on national Heart day. (and p.s., all these cynical pricks out there that chalk V-Day up to being nothing more than a greeting-card industry excuse...well, they may be right. But really, it's not as if they're promoting National Poke a Baby With a Spoon Day...it's a day about LOVE!! How bad can that really be?)

Okay, here goes.

I LOVE YOU...

dad, mom, sandi, marisa, brooks, lily, mimi, pop, andrea, tim, bear, tina, lori, erni, mike, maloneys, marshalls, tam, bob, michael owen, orlando (you will notice that Mr. Bloom's mention came at the end of the list...I love him, but I don't love him more than my cat).

And if I forgot anyone...I love you, too...but I think we should just be friends.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"I shall sit in a corner and cry heigh-ho for a husband!"

Beatrice, Much Ado About Nothing

Liam Shaky-wakey.

BROWN SUGAR

First of all, Taye Diggs is yummy...with a spoon, man. And by the way, this Richard Gere guy...going places, I think. Very talented.
Moving on. Today's topic:

In the news today was the trial of some old man that killed his wife, who had alzheimers and OCD. And I have to think...can you really blame the guy? Imagine the pain of living with someone that needs to obsessively wash their hands a certain number of times, and ends up standing at the sink ALL DAY, because she can't remember what number wash she was on. Pretty soon, that whole smother-someone-with-a-pillow-as-they-sleep idea starts to appeal.

SONNET OF THE DAY

Being your slave, what should I do but tend/ upon the hours and times of your desire?/ I have no precious time at all to spend/ Nor services to do till you require./ Nor dare I chide the world-without-end hour/ Whilst I, my sovereign, watch the clock for you./ Nor think the bitterness of absence sour/ When you have bid your servent once again adieu;/ Nor dare I question with my jealous thought/ Where you may be or your affairs suppose/ But, like a sad slave sit and think naught/ Save where you are, how happy you make those./ So true a fool is love that in your will/ though you do any thing, he thinks no ill.

Billy Shakes

HOLD THE BREAST, PLEASE

Okay, I am obviously the only person on the planet that honestly believes that the whole Stupor Bowl half-time fiasco was really an accident. I am sure that some part of the costume was intended to rip off, but I don't think that full breast was the intention. The red lacy-thing under the leather thing was supposed to stay on, hence the need for the star pasty. Think about it...neither of these guys want this kind of publicity. Timberlake sure as hell doesn't need it, and while Janet may have been gone for awhile, she's still Janet freakin' Jackson...she's done all of her boob scandal with that Rolling Stones cover. Speaking of Jackson, she's a very smart business woman...there is a lot of scandal surrounding the family name, especially right now...do you really think that she would intentionally connect herself to another sex-scandal? Any PR rep would tell you that that was suicide...and it's all about PR, folks.
Mistakes happen, people, and it angers me that the world is so ready to jump to the wrong conclusions, rather than maybe trusting someone's word for once. This isn't even coming from some die-hard fan needing to defend and idol...I could care less whether the two of them ever sing another note...but could we, as a society, make a small effort to be a little less cynical? Just once? C'mon...it's not so tough.

JOKE OF THE DAY

Two peanuts were walking down the street...and one was assaulted.