Vote the NRA Out Of Congress

Last week, one of our American educational institutions and its teachers and students had to endure the tragedy of yet another senseless school shooting. Seventeen lives were lost at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, adding to the inconceivable mounting loss of lives in our educational system over the past twenty years. Think about that a moment, loss of lives in our schools, our educational system, a place where young kids, preteens and young men and women go to learn, to grow, to become our future and responsible adults from dedicated teachers and mentors.

How did we get to this point where school massacres became so commonplace in our society, where schools at any moment can become a battlefield because someone's mind went off the rails and was able to buy an AR 15 because they are so easily accessible in our country? Where is the breakdown? Who is responsible?

According to Paul Ryan, this is not the time for a knee jerk reaction which he has said before and who has taken some large NRA donations in his time in office. Marco Rubio when asked by Cameron Kasky, one of the survivors of the Florida massacre, if he would not take NRA money again in light of last week's shooting, Rubio's response was evasive, saying that he supports the second amendment and people buy into his agenda. REALLY? This seems to be the ignorant mindset of most GREEDY politicians, rationalizing taking in money from major corporations and rich billionaires, so they can live the high life while neglecting their oath and their responsibility to protecting American people. This is what our Congress has become.

If Congress wanted to, they could ban the AR 15 tomorrow, which was the weapon used in the Florida massacre as well as several other shootings. The AR 15 has no business being sold to any United States citizen or being on our streets. It is a military assault weapon that belongs on the battlefield, in a war. When the second amendment was written in 1791, the AR 15 was not part of the equation then, so banning that weapon will not be denying any U.S. citizen the right to own one. Our founding fathers had no way of knowing how far deadlier hand weapons would become and it is up to our current lawmakers to MAKE LAWS that are current with the times, so to insure all citizens' safety.

Since congressional leaders will not act, then it is up to us. Starting in November 2018, we need to vote out of office every member of Congress who has taken NRA money. All voters need to do their due diligence and find out who in their district, their state has taken NRA money because we know they will continue to do so. It's imperative that we vote the NRA out of Congress. We need congressional leaders who will listen to us and make laws that will make us safe. Our lives and our children's lives depend on it.

Source

Bingeing

I've spent the past few days binge-watching the Netflix series, Altered Carbon.

It's enjoyable. Netflix has certainly stepped up their game in the wake of Stranger Things and it shows. I won't go into too many details other than to say it presents a particularly dystopian view of a not-so-distant future in which human consciousness can be transferred from body ("sleeve" in the parlance of the series) to body, essentially making one immortal—if you have the means.

And for those who do (the ultra-rich or "meths" as they're called), the story explores the kind of depravity that might result from such immortality, as well as tackling the new ways of policing, enforcing laws, and punishing  consciousness that can live outside a body in virtual reality.

The visuals are stunning, although it's obvious much of the aesthetic was borrowed from the original Blade Runner. The story—basically a gumshoe murder mystery—is quite convoluted and requires your complete attention to follow. (No staring at another screen while this is playing in the background, or you'll be hopelessly lost.)

The actors and actresses are uniformly handsome. There is plenty of full-frontal nudity of both sexes to go around. (Who knew James Purefoy was so amply endowed?) The projection of what A.I. can become is thought provoking—as is the whole premise of the series that consciousness can be transferred from one host to another, and theoretically exist in a virtual environment forever. But be warned: there is also a lot of blood and violence in this series.

You can read much more about Altered Carbon online, but if you have Netflix, I really suggest just diving in without much foreknowledge and enjoy all the twists and turns.

No.

Curiosity got the better of me the other day, and we ventured to Taco Bell so I could try the Nacho Fries. I mean, Mr. Duhamel wouldn't steer me wrong, would he?

Yes, Virginia. Yes he would.

He must be running short of cash. It's the only explanation for him attaching his ruggedly handsome middle-aged face to this menu item.

Okay, the fries weren't awful, but they weren't anything to get excited about either. Taco Bell could've gotten away with doing what Del Taco does: simply offer some nice crinkle-cut fries to go with your meals. Taco Bell's Nacho Fries are basically overly-seasoned fries that come with a small cup of melted Velveeta cheese product. No, seriously. And the fries leave your fingers looking like you just rummaged through a bag of Cheetos.

I will not be buying them again.

Quote of the Day

After one look at this planet any visitor from outer space would say 'I want to see the manager.'" 
― William S. Burroughs, The Adding Machine: Selected Essays

The Gun Is Our Moloch

From Jon Gruber at Daring Fireball:

THE GUN IS OUR MOLOCH

Garry Wills, writing for The New York Review five years ago, after the Sandy Hook grade school massacre:

The gun is not a mere tool, a bit of technology, a political issue, a point of debate. It is an object of reverence. Devotion to it precludes interruption with the sacrifices it entails. Like most gods, it does what it will, and cannot be questioned. Its acolytes think it is capable only of good things. It guarantees life and safety and freedom. It even guarantees law. Law grows from it. Then how can law question it?

Its power to do good is matched by its incapacity to do anything wrong. It cannot kill. Thwarting the god is what kills. If it seems to kill, that is only because the god's bottomless appetite for death has not been adequately fed. The answer to problems caused by guns is more guns, millions of guns, guns everywhere, carried openly, carried secretly, in bars, in churches, in offices, in government buildings. Only the lack of guns can be a curse, not their beneficent omnipresence.

Our gun laws are insane. We, collectively, have agreed that regular mass shootings, often at schools — schools! — are a reasonable price to pay as a nation for unfettered access to military-grade killing machines for anyone and everyone who wants one.

It's sick. Everyone outside the U.S. knows this. A majority of Americans knows this and supports stricter gun control.

There are new gun laws being drafted. But you know what most of them are for? For making guns even easier to purchase legally, without background checks.

This idea of gun=god was actually explored in an episode of American Gods last year.

Let's Face It…

If the death of twenty 6- and 7-year olds (plus six adult staff members entrusted with keeping those children safe) at Sandy Hook in 2012 did not bring about gun control legislation in this country, yesterday's shooting in Florida—or the other 18 school shootings that have happened in 2018 already—won't do a thing either. THIS is what our country has become. Your elected officials—whose lips are surgically attached to the anus of the NRA and Wayne GODDAMNFUCKING LaPierre—are just fine with the continued slaughter of American children in school as long as their pockets are lined with that almighty blood money.

THIS is who we are, America—and will remain so until every last one of those MOTHERFUCKERS are removed from office and the NRA is driven back under the rock it crawled out of.

Another Day Ending in Y

https://twitter.com/wokeluisa/status/963933277244436480

"Dear Donald Trump: you're a disgrace to the United States for too many reasons to list. You're a racist, a sexual predator, a lifelong financial criminal, and you committed treason by knowingly allowing Russia to rig the election in your favor. Every day you find a new way to embarrass decent Americans everywhere, while aligning yourself with the slimiest of gutter trash this country shamefully has to offer. This was no different.

You oppose all forms of gun control, Trump, because your slimy political base consists of the kinds of bloodthirsty lunatics who worship guns and violence. You've done your best to cut off access to mental health treatment, as you've siphoned off the funds in favor of your corrupt wealthy donors. So when a kid took an AR-15 into Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School today and left at least seventeen people dead, this was entirely on your shoulders.

Would gun control and mental health treatment have stopped this shooting? Maybe. When you're the (supposed, for now) President of the United States, and you're the person who's almost single handedly preventing those things from happening, you're to blame for school shootings. Period. You should have been too ashamed to even show his face today. Instead you dared to posted this tone-deaf tweet, which based on the verbiage, you probably didn't even write yourself: "My prayers and condolences to the families of the victims of the terrible Florida shooting. No child, teacher or anyone else should ever feel unsafe in an American school."

Hey Donald Trump, take your thoughts and prayers and condolences and shove them up your traitorous ass. You got those kids killed today with your evil policies. You know it too, because unlike your drooling gun-addicted base, you're just a political opportunist who's burning this country down in order to keep your shithole supporters happy. You're literally a traitor who sold this country out to Russia. You're also a murderer of children." ~ Bill Palmer

In Honor of Valentine's Day

Who is older? Me
Difference in age? 25 years
Who was interested first? He emailed me first.
Same high school? Nope.
Born in Same state? Yes.
Worst temper? Me.
Better sense of humor? Him.
More organized? Me.
More social? Him!
Most stubborn? Very Equal.
Wakes first? Me.
Bigger Family? Him.
Cleans the most? Me.
Cries the most? Neither of us.
Who Said I love you first? Me.
Who's the better driver? Him… no, me… no, him… no…
Better cook? 1000% Him.
How many kids together? 2 furry pee factories.
Married? YES!
How long have you known each other? 10 years in September 2018
Married for: 5 years in September 2018.

Quote Of The Day

I rise today to say treason is not a laughing matter. It is a serious crime embedded in the Constitution, punishable by death. But since your Commander-in -Chief chose to raise it at a political rally, let's have a discussion about treason… Is it treason for a presidential campaign to meet with a hostile foreign power to sell out our democracy and rig the election? Is it treason for a presidential campaign to meet with Russian spies who promise information that was negative about a political opponent and then fail to report that meeting to law enforcement officials? Is it treason for your former National Security Advisor to be a Russian asset sitting at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue doing the bidding of Vladimir Putin? How dare you lecture us about treason. This is not a dictatorship. It's a democracy, and we do not have to stand for a reality show host masquerading as president of the United States." ~ Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic Congressman from New York

A Disturbing Realization

As most of my readers already know, I lived in San Francisco for approximately sixteen years, encompassing my late 20s through early 40s.

The other morning, while laying awake at 4 am, memories of San Francisco started bubbling up. I don't know if it was my age/hormone level at the time I lived there, or whether it is something about The City itself, but going over my memories of San Francisco I came to the disturbing realization that the vast majority of those memories—okay, pretty much all my memories of life in San Francisco—revolved around getting laid or trying to get laid…under the guise of looking for true love, of course.

Naturally, during my time there I worked. I made friends. I went to movies and plays. I took photos, made art, read books, acquired new skills, spent way too much money on way too much stuff, and explored the natural beauty of the Bay Area. But it seems all that was nothing more than background noise amid the unrelenting need to connect.

I would like to think that I fell into that lifestyle over the course of several years, but if I'm being totally honest, I have to admit it started almost the minute boots were on the ground.

While I did date and had several serial boyfriends, the smorgasbord of carnal delights and availability of potential sexual partners literally anywhere in the City is no doubt why so many refer to those 49 square miles as "Disneyland for Adults" and none of those relationships actually lasted. "Cruisin' the Streets" is more than just an old Boys Town Gang song. You could connect with someone on the subway, waiting for the bus, on your lunch hour downtown, walking home after work—and either go right to your/their place, make plans to meet up later, or duck into an empty stairwell for a quickie; literally anywhere. Buena Vista Park, North Baker Beach, "the whispering bushes" and the southern convenience station at the polo field at the western end of Golden Gate Park, the Hyatt Embarcadero, the 1808 Club, the Shaklee building, the 11th Floor of the Russ Building, The Playground, the Sir Francis Drake, Mike's Night Gallery, the Sheraton Palace…

You get the idea. There was a lot of action going on in The City. All. The. Time.

Inspired to start keeping a record of my life in San Francisco after seeing Prick Up Your Ears about a year after my arrival there, my journals read like an embarrassing, depressing erotic novel, full of saucy but ultimately empty encounters, littered with the names of men of whom I now have no conscious memory. (Oh, to have had cell phone cameras back then!)

I can't help but think that in the wake of 9/11 and the added security everywhere that followed, most of those locales have long since been locked down, but I know how industrious and creative horny men can be, and despite the authorities' best efforts, trysts will still happen somewhere.

Before I moved to San Francisco, when my friend Kent (who had arrived about six years earlier) once related how he stopped to have sex with some guy he met while on the way to a date with another, I was appalled. I could not understand how such a thing could happen, much less that anyone would actually partake. Note I said before I moved there…

While that particular scenario never happened to me, it was apparently not that uncommon, and I had plenty of other equally lascivious encounters during that decade and a half to make up for it. To this day I'm still amazed that I made it out alive, somehow remained STD/AIDS free, and didn't end up with a police record.


"Jules, I have to say that you could almost pass for a man in that drag."