Hypocrisy is a 7-year old Death.

Okay, anyone remember when, after the final presidential debate, Lynne Cheney went friggin' apeshit because Kerry dared mention her politically active, openly lesbian daughter in one of the evening's final questions? She claimed that their family had no business being brought into the political arena, despite the fact that Mary Cheney is, in fact, quite extensively involved in her Dad's campaign and has been paraded around by said campaign as supposed proof of the tolerance of the Bush administration. But for Kerry to even mention her name and the word "lesbian" in the same sentence was apparently some form of heresy. It wasn't that they were attempting to divert the public's attention away from the fact that Bush spent the bulk of the debate looking like a rabid animal, down to the foam at the mouth, who could only barely form a complete sentence. No no. It was "family values".

Those same family values which, somehow, allow the Cheneys to bring their 7-year old grandaughter on stage dressed as the freaking GRIM REAPER and proclaim that she came dressed as Kerry's health plan.

Why is this okay? Why is no one screaming about the hypocrisy? It hurts. Oh god, it hurts.

Get Lost.

We sat down tonight to clear some stuff off of TiVo, and we decided to start playing catchup on Lost first. (I have Veronica Mars recording as well, but missed the first two eps on TiVo, so I have them downloaded and want to watch them first.) I really didn't know what to expect from the show -- I'm watching it because of David Fury, I admit.

My first surprise of the night: "Oh, hey, it's the wheelchair guy from Oz."

My second surprise of the night: "Oh, hey, it's a hobbit."

My third surprise of the night: "Oh, hey, it's ... Actually, I don't know what that is. Did it...? Is that...? HOLY SHIT."

I'm only two episodes in, but thus far? Loving this show. And here I thought it was just going to be a Gilligan's Island-esque drama. Silly me. Silly, silly me.

Measure 36, the return.

I just checked the mail and got some more Measure 36 (no gay marriage) propaganda. I only briefly skimmed it, but they included so-called "statistics" that proved it was unhealthy for society to not be bigoted and allow love to actually be the key reason for getting married. One in particular leapt out at me.

The leaflet claimed that many things had changed for the worse in Holland during their ten year(!) recognition of homosexual marriage. Two of them were, and I quote:

A near tripling of out-of-marriage births.

A dramatic increase in abortion.

....huh?

So, let me see if I understand correctly. The legalization of gay marriage -- a union which, by its very definition, precludes the possibility of procreation -- has somehow managed to bring about more births out of wedlock and abortions.

Could somebody please explain the link to these stats? It appears to have gone missing. Maybe I lost it somewhere along the way with my "social responsibility" and my ability to determine right from wrong.

Mosh

I've only just now been able to get a connection through to see this but let me say, it's well worth the wait. Whether or not you like the man or his music, if you agree that Bush needs to be kicked the hell out of office, you need to see Eminem's Mosh, right now. This is powerful shit.

As I watched, I was struck by the notion that this is turning into my generation's Viet Nam. May already be, in fact. We certainly live in interesting times.

My ballot's already in and I'll be anxiously awaiting some good news next week. If you can, make sure to vote, folks. This isn't just important, it's crucial. It's the only way to start putting things right.

Measure 36, part the epilogue.

Just to make really, really sure everyone reading this understood (because based on the comments, it still sounds fuzzy) these are not real.

Or, well, they're real in the extent that they really did appear in the pamphlet. But just read them folks. This guy's tongue never leaves his cheek. He's taking the arguments of people who are genuinely against gay marriage and taking it to its next logical - ludicrous - level.

Just read them. Actually read the words. Think about the intent. It's what those who are really for this sort of legal bigotry don't want to see.

Measure 36, part the final.

M. Dennis Moore's fourth and final argument "opposing" Measure 36 ...

LET'S VOTE!
The recent OCA signature drive for the "Divine Sovreignty Life Amendment," if successful, would have given Oregonians the extraordinary opportunity to vote on the existence of God, yes or no. Religious dogma would have been decided democratically by popular vote--essentially creating an official state religion with GOD ALMIGHTY enshrined in the Constitution as

Oregon State Diety!
Although this initiative drive failed, the "Christian" Coalition has now created a Commandment Amendment to the Constitution! Measure 36 ordains us toVOTE ON THE THEOLOGICAL BELIEFof whether churches, synagogues, and temples "shalt not" be permitted to marry gays and lesbians.

And this election thus establishes the glorious precedent for democratic electioneering on ALL of the

Official Oregon State Dogma!

COMING SOON
TO A THEOLOGY BALLOT NEAR YOU:

Shall churches, synagogues, and temples be permitted to marry divorced persons (Luke 16:18)? Let's vote!

Shall baptism be by sprinkling, pouring, or dipping? Let's vote!

Shall the Lord's Prayer be translated "forgive us our debts" or "forgive us our trespasses"? Let's vote!

Shall adulterers be stoned to death (Leviticus 20:10)? Let's vote!

Shall obnoxious religious-right hypocrites be allowed to marry? Hell no! Let's vote!

How many angels can dance on the head of a pin? Hey, let's just vote!

This is democracy! Religious beliefs belong on the ballot, and winning beliefs become public policy in the Constitutional Catechism! Minority adherents, straight and gay, should have the statesmanship to accept that religious freedom does not protect losing beliefs in a theological election.

Your special right to practice your moral beliefs (including marriage) is subject to the whims of popular vote!It's not discrimination, ti's electoral theology.In Oregon, democratic dogma is inspired by initiative and referendum--in the

Holy Marriage
of the
One Official Oregon Church and State!

VOTE FOR OREGON:
State beaches, the bottle bill, land-use planning, and now
THE OREGON DOGMA!

www.oregondogma.org
(This information furnished by M. Dennis Moore, God for Oregon Deity-PAC (GOD-PAC) and Family Alliance of God.)

---------
Yup, that one's a real web site too. You know what I'm really wondering? Just how much disposable income does M. Dennis Moore have? At least two web sites, domain registration and hosting fees, $2000 spent in voter pamphlet arguments ... If I weren't so much in support of the issue, for the sake of his pocket book, I'd hope it fails.

Measure 36, part the third.

Our third installment is probably my favourite.

THE TRADITIONAL FAMILY IS UNDER ATTACK!
Frightening new unprecedented social changes are threatening old traditional values. And these attacks on tradition have been escalating--for millennia!

First there was Original Sin when Eve disobeyed God! Then the Flood! Then Abraham abandoned the traditional practice of human sacrifice! Then Jews instituted the modern covenant of circumcision! Then Moses brought down from Mount Sinai a bunch of new-fangled Laws on stone tablets! And later Jesus abolished them and preached instead the radical new Golden Rule!

Polygamy fell out of favor! Women were no longer mere pieces of property belonging to men! Next these uppity women demanded the right to vote! Familyes could no longer own slaves! Prohibition saved the family from destruction by Demon Rum! The ninteenth-century extended families on American farms were destroyed by the 1950s social engineering of the "Leave it to Beaver" suburban cookie-cutter nuclear familes! Blacks refused to ride in the back of the bus! Women demanded equal pay for equal work! Single parents demanded respect! Gays and lesbians demanded an end to hatred and oppression! Flower children protested traditional mass-murder warfare and genocide! Divorce skyrocketed! The silence surrounding child abuse was broken!

Frightening social changes continued! And then the religious right began a righteous backlash! First they accussed gays and lesbians of being promiscuous! And when this failed, they began accussing them of having long-term committed monogamous relationships and wanting to get married!

Where will it all end? After 6,000-some years of frightening attacks on old traditional values, will history never cease to unfold? Will God never stop throwing all of these radical social changes at us?

My friends, there is a simple answer. All you have to do is

VOTE TO TURN THE CLOCK BACK!
It's really that simple!

Now, which one of these radical social changes will this measure turn the clock back to? Oh, come on, let's just

LEAVE IT TO BEAVER!
(This information furnished by M. Dennis Moore, The Beaver State Defense of Beaver Coalition)

---------
Heh. He said "beaver".

Measure 36, part the second.

But wait, there's more!

MARRIAGE IS SACRED!
The Bible says that marriage is for procreation. God made Adam and Eve, and Adam and Eve made Cain and Abel, not an empty nest.

Marriage is for procreation. If you're not pro-Creation, you're anti-God. And once a marriage has been solemnized, sex is serious business. The solemnity of sex must not be abused for sinful pleasures. Sex is for procreation, not recreation. And marriage is for breeding purposes.

Therefore, it should be Oregon public policy that

Homosexuals may not marry.

Infertile persons may not marry.

Men with vasectomies may not marry.

Women with hysterectomies may not marry.

Post-monopausal women may not marry.

Persons planning to use birth control may not marry.

Non-virgins may not marry (Deuteronomy 22:13-21).

Inter-racial couples may not marry (Deuteronomy 7:3).

And couples who fail to conceive within two years ought to have their marriage licenses revoked.

Additionally, the Bible says that

Divorced persons may not marry (Luke 16:18).

And if a man dies without leaving a male heir, it is his brother's responsibility to impregnate the widow (Genesis 38:6-10). If he refuses, he shall be fined one shoe (Deuteronomy 25:5-10).

This is the most sacred word of the Lord, steadfast and unchanging.

Traditional morality must become Oregon public policy. All of it. And the older the tradition, the better. The separation of church and state be damned. In order to protect the sanctity of marriage and the sacred institution of heterosexual procreation, unequal treatment and discrimination must be legislated consistently against all persons who cannot or will not breed as God intended. It is God's will that we multiply and fill the Earth and finally subdue it when the population explosion self-implodes. Praise God!

Love is not good enough a reason to marry, because marriage is only for

HETEROSEXUALBREEDING.COM
(This information furnished by M. Dennis Moore, Defense of Heterosexual Breeding Coalition.)

---------
Yes, that's an actual website.

Measure 36

I've spent a large portion of today weeding through the -- quite literally -- over 200 pages of information on all the positions, measures and amendments in this year's election. As I think I've mentioned before, this is the first year that I've voted ever, and I figure if I'm going to go to all the trouble to fill out the damned ballot, I might as well do it right. The subsequent downside is that means a whole lot of reading about a whole lot of issues, most of which I admit that I don't care particularly much about.

But I try, and that should count for something, I think.

Anyway, as I'm reading through these, some of them seem pretty easy ... do we want to keep tax on mobile homes strictly for highways, or when those homes are stationary in lots, can we move them to something else? Nobody even bothered to oppose it in my pamphlet thingie. Makes sense to me, so I colour in my little oval and move on down.

Another easy choice for me is the move to amend the Oregon constitution to specifically state that marriage is defined as "one man and one woman". I'm not sure I have to state this definitively, but in my book, that's utter crap and pisses me off. So that one, too, was easy to bubble in. But something caught my eye and I had to halt my quick flip past the many, many pages of arguments.

Mike mentioned over in his blog about these "vote to ban gay marriage" arguments which, quite clearly, are not actually wanting you to do that at all. I stopped to read them. And loved them, so thought I would share.

There are four in all. I'll see about posting the others later on, but for now, enjoy the first. Also note that due to exceptional timing on the writer's part, three of these four "Argument[s] in Favor" appear at the very top of the list. The fourth and final appears at the very end. Nicely done.

CULTURE WAR!
Traditional values are under attack, and sexual perverts are attempting to stain the definition of marriage far beyond what God has ordained. The Word of the Lord must be legislated as Oregon public policy.

In the Holy Bible, Saint Paul says that Christians should remain single and abstain from sex. The New Testament says that people should get married only if they are too weak-willed to abstain from sex:

"It is well for a man not to touch a woman.... It is well ... to remain single as I do. But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to be aflame with passion." (I Corinthians 7:1, 8-9)

Marriage is not sacred. Marriage is for wimps and sissies!

Oregon public policy should define marriage in accordance with divinely inspired Scripture. Therefore, marriage licenses should be granted only to those persons who have been certified by professional psychiatric examination to be too weak-willed to abstain from sex.

Oh, by the way, although Jesus never said a single word condemning homosexuality, if heterosexuals can't get married, homosexuals shouldn't be allowed to marry either--well, unless they're too weak-willed to abstain. Sissies!

The sissy institution of marriage must not be perverted by sinners who are capable of abstaining! The sacred union of church and state must prohibit the immoral union of men and women capable of the discipline of sexual abstinence. We are not saved by either faith or good works. We are saved by religious-right legislation!

Freedom of religion and equal treatment under law is simply the special right to sin, because our tradition is the one and only truth! And our tradition (that is, our personal moral opinions) should become law.

AGREE WITH US OR BURN IN HELL!
(This information furnished by M. Dennis Moore, Traditional Prejudices Coalition.)

-----------
And I love how this was the icon up on Daily as I typed this:

So close ...

Wanna go! <cry>

Terms of Endearment

Mike: "Aww, look at that face. I simply must grab it. Though not with bone-crushing force, squeezing until it pops like a calcium-fortified grape."

It's love.

Can't there be noise laws?

Some of the complex people are out there doing work today. Pretty irritating, actually, as it was preluded by them testing the fire alarms. The unbelievably painful fire alarms. I mean, I guess it's good to know that I will never ever burn to death with those things on the alert, but for christ's sake, do my ears absolutely have to bleed?

Anyway, so they're out there doing gods know what right now, and they want music to accompany them. That's cool, I can understand that. But does it have to be so freaking loud that I have to join in too? I can't tell if it's reaching me so clearly because it's loud, or because they're next door and the walls are too thin, but I'm hearing it.

It's that annoying level of hearing, too. You know, the one that's distinct enough for you to hear that someone's talking or singing, you can tell the breaks in words, but it's too muffled to make it out. So your brain can't help but try desperately to figure out what's being said, even if you, yourself, couldn't possibly care less.

I think today may be a 'grab the iPod and turn it up to full blast' day.

Upswing, Downswing.

Bleah. I have just been in the shittiest eff-ing mood today. And it started out moderately alright too. It's totally screwed up my writing today, though. I wanted to get all of this episode's A-plot scripted up today ... I haven't even opened the file. Blarg. BLARG. <spits fire> DEATH TO ALL.

"How much do you love your wife?"

I paraphrase, but ... What the hell is up with this final question?!? ARG!

Pretty cool.

Okay, I admit, that'd be pretty cool -- watching the third and final debate in Pioneer Square with John Edwards. <considers catching the Max down>

......

<realizes she's way too lazy ... but she thought about it!>

Is it normal?

I've noticed over the past month ... even more so over the past couple of weeks ... how much political mail spam I'm getting. Not e-mail, but snail mail. Just in in the past seven days, I've gotten at least four things urging me to vote for this measure or that measure. I just got another one today. And I'm wondering, is that normal?

I really wouldn't know. I first registered to vote about two years ago - which, as I've mentioned, we can all thank Bush for. So before now, I've never paid any attention to this sort of stuff. In Louisiana, I could've cared less. I never bothered to register, and my mother, being all Green Carded, couldn't. Before my father left, I can't really remember him ever voting, but I tended to ignore him as much as possible, so I might not have.

But is this strictly an Oregonian thing? Or is this a by-product of the new age of information sharing? Are other states getting all this stuff? I'm wondering why some stuff's coming just to Mike, and some just to me - I'm guessing we're coming up in some sort of database as potential voters for certain things (like the flier today I received which was going with a 'women small business owners' angle). But I'm really just guessing. I have no idea how all this works, and I'm curious.

Anyone with more knowledge care to share?

In other reports for today, the final presidential debate begins in about 45 minutes, so I will be tuning in. I'm really hoping Bush just goes completely apeshit this time, but I'm not sure he will.

The rest of my day has gone well, I'm all caught up on homework through to midnight Saturday. Ep19 is progressing slowly, but I'm over a hump now (I think) and I'm hoping to maybe get Act One finished tonight (though I'm not sure I will). And I took advantage of Amazon's discount and ordered Angel S1 and S2 yesterday, so that's very exciting. I don't know when I'll be able to watch them, as I'll probably have to coordinate with both Mike and mum, but still. Yummy, all-new (to me) Buffyverse goodness. Yay! <little hop>

Bush: He makes your babies cry.

Snerk. Check out this BBC article. I haven't read it yet, but they do say a picture is worth a thousand words ...

The Debate, in one easy simile.

This thought occurred to me upon waking this morning. The debate last night, to me, was like watching two dogs. Bush was the yippy little Pomeranian who never shuts up, but it's all just noise; if you actually stepped into his yard, he'd roll over on his back and submissively urinate. Kerry was the big St. Bernard, complete with stereotypical life-saving keg of brandy for us all, just unconcernedly watchin' the little fella go; he's secure in the knowledge that eventually that damned Pom will run out of steam and exhaust himself.

Canada: Our Mortal Enemy

One more thing, then it's bedtime for me. Did anybody else think it odd that Bush had this bizarre paranoia that Canada was trying to slip the country a giant mickey? CANADA, for crying out loud. Maybe it's because I'm tired and just finished an assignment so dull I think I actually felt my brain cells dying, but I'm pretty sure that doesn't make even a teeny ounce of sense. He's still insistant that we not forget Poland, who are now apparently our bestest bestest buds who ever bested (and don't even get me started on him being disrespectful to British people everywhere by calling them "Brits"), but ... Why all the mistrust of Canada? Why you gotta be hatin' the maple? Where's the love?

Get some wood at one of your many fine local Internets.

I'm sure this will be pulled any time now, but until then, enjoy.

Why are they not focusing on this?

Bush virtually attacked the moderator. I can't believe anybody watching that debate was okay with president of the country acting that way and still somehow feel he's a good leader.

Then again, I've been saying such things when Bush forgot the mic was on when he was campaigning in 2000 and called the reporter a jackass. (Remember that one?)

I don't get people.

Gearing up.

Got my drink, got my laptop pages ready for rapid reload, got my TiVo cued ... Debate and wow me, gentlemen.

Or, well ... Kerry, wow everyone. Bush, be natural.

Pamphlet?

I just received my voter's pamphlet in the mail. All 150 pages of it. I laughed. Then I saw it said in big bold letters, "Volume 1" on the front. I laughed harder.

Seriously though, 150 pages? I'm not sure the actual restrictions on the word, but surely once you break into triple-digit numbers, you sort of violate the rules of "pamphlet" and move into "novella" territory.

Captain Tripps!

Why? Why do they do things like this? Did Stephen King teach us nothing?

Contentment.

I'm in a happy place at the moment. Dunno why. Just am.

Got my homework all nicely caught up for most of the week. I've done another load of laundry. The dishes are done. I vaccuumed. I've been cruising some web sites today and getting happies in seeing how everyone's picking up Cheney's more blatant of lies from last night (and anxiously awaiting The Daily Show's spin). the weather's nice, my puppy is asleep with her head on my knee. I'm about to start writing. It's an okay day.

Not really related, but I was going to post this as a comment in Save Points about the new CSI: New York, but I talked too much and it wouldn't fit. So enjoy them here instead. (And you may want to read his first to catch the flow.)

I, too, could've done without the 9/11 bits. It felt really REALLY overwrought. I think we're all still a little too jaded to get any sort of poignancy from 9/11 yet. (Or maybe that's just me. I'm sort of at the eye-rolling stage with it now, which is a pity on some level, and not really worth going into here.)

Anyway, I would point out, however, that I was a good ... ooo, I dunno, season? Season and a half? ... before I actually began to like ANY of the CSI cast. It was all about the stories for a long, long time, and even now it's still largely that way.

That said, I really don't like David Caruso, so that mostly ruled out CSI: Miami for me, and I can't see myself caring all that much to see Yet Another Crime Show every week if CIS: NY doesn't pick up for me.

By the by, speaking of lighting, have you noticed how Miami is usually way too bright? It's like they're trying too hard to visually set each series apart. They should let the other, more natural elements do that for them.

Well, that and their Who song.

Also on the TiVo block to catch up on, new series-wise: Lost and Veronica Mars.

Fight! Fight!

<cracking up> Oh my god, I think Cheney and Edwards are three seconds away from breaking into a fist fight. And Cheney's such an ornery old coot, I don't know that he wouldn't kick Edwards' ass.

That's Entertainment.

About half an hour 'til the veep debates. I shall tune in, as I heartily expect Cheney to come across as evil incarnate or some such. At the very least, I figure he'll load up some great sound bytes for Jon Stewart. Can't miss that.

In other happy warm 'n fuzzy news (because, of course, Cheney = Fuzzy), I've seen some really glowing things posted to various places lately about The Chosen. It gives me tinglies.

Now. Now I can work.

I love having two computers. Really, I can't properly express how much I adore both Callisto and Lil' Bit. While I freely admit that I spend the bulk of my time on Bit these days (her portability can't be beat, and she's where I do my writing), I still love Callisto very much. But it can be a bitch sometimes when you're as organized as I like to pretend I am.

Callisto is where I do any e-mail that's worth saving because she houses my mail archive. With messages dating back about seven or eight years, I have everything housed in a complex series of folders, and despite the fact that I don't think I have ever, nor likely will ever go back to them, I like having them. So this lately is my biggest excuse for my e-mail backing up, because with the summer heat, I've been piecemeal doing e-mail on Bit. But it was getting almost out of control now and I was feeling really bad for not responding to feedback and questions and stuff for The Chosen, so I came upstairs and flicked on Callisto to get to those.

I loaded Winamp and was immediately assailed by an "UPDATE!! UPDATE!! SECURITY RISK!!" notice, so I went ahead and upgraded. It's an all-new version (5-point-something; I was on 3-point-something), so I of course had to play around with everything (can I tell you how much I love global hotkeys?). Then I realized that for some reason, my old playlists couldn't be read in the new version, so I had to recreate them. But it's not like I can just keep them all in one directory, oh no. I have to spread them out over three and hidden amongst several thousand MP3s.

The playlist now created, I simply had to have a new skin. So I opened my browser, then frowned in confusion. It's been so long since I was on Callisto to web surf, I'd forgotten that I hadn't changed her browser to Firefox yet. That would never do, so I installed that, but couldn't leave it uncustomized! Heaven forbid! Thus began the search for the same theme I use on Bit, plus all the extensions I use and configuring up my Bookmark Toolbar and such. Content with my browser, I went back on my quest for a Winamp skin. So, about an hour and a half after I came upstairs to do my e-mail "real quick", I'm now ready to get started.

I sincerely hope that my other tasks for the day (some homework, finish scripting my parts of 8x18) go more smoothly. There's really not enough time left in the day to warrant an hour and a half between each activity.

Listening to: "Alyson Hannigan" - Juvenile Wreck. ("Wil-low! Let's go!")

Earth versus Lucas

I've spent some time this morning following a link trail that mostly consists of people foaming at the mouth about the Star Wars DVD trilogy. Personally, I don't care all that much. Sure, I'd love to have the actual films that I watched on DVD, but since I can't, I'll stick to my VHS tapes when the urge strikes me every five or six years to watch them. The "special edition" DVD trilogy, or whatever it's billing itself as, is something that I know Mike in particular feels strongly about (though not to scary levels), so I pay a little bit more attention to stuff about it than I might normally.

But it did strike me today, as I was going through these links, just how much Star Wars fans hate George Lucas. Which I kind of get, to a point, but it's sort of strikes me as odd as well. Kind of like watching the Kittens screaming about Joss Whedon. People seem to forget the fact that you wouldn't even have that love and affection for your fandom (pairing) o' choice had it not been for the creator. Not that I'm saying such a fact immediately puts the individual in question above reproach, but the fact remains. Some people seem to forget all about that in the wake of their furious hatred.

If what the theorists claim is true, then money will speak louder than any words they're screaming online -- don't buy the darned things. If he doesn't make any money off of it, then just wait; you'll probably have the originals on DVD within ten years. Which, yes, is a long time, but when you consider that back when the first films were released they didn't even have DVDs ... well, the purists should be wanting it on plain ol' tape anyway, n'cest pas?

But anywhoo, on my voyage through the links today, I came upon this which made me laugh: 50 Reasons Why Return of the Jedi Sucks. I don't remember the films well enough to personally vouch for most of this, but it was damned funny anyway.