Don't Stop Bitching: It is Good for You.

A couple I know have set up an interesting rule: Bitching only between 4:30 and 5:00, with steep fines for violations. Hmm. This is an intriguing situation. A lot of people I know, myself included, spend a lot of time and energy bitching about the world and its problems.
With the state of affairs as it is today there is no lack of things to analyze and worry about: Religion, politics, climate change, weather, food quantity and quantity, wars, drugs. The list goes on and on. And people that think about these things usually have strong opinions about them. I do and so do my friends and most of my acquaintances. Conversations often begin with something like “I heard on NPR this morning” or “T read on the NY Times page this morning”. What follows is usually a dissection with opinions, which can be thought of as bitching in some sense or another.
So when this couple, the wife in fact, got tired of the more or less constant stream of “analysis” the rule got discussed and implemented. My wife heard about it and passed it on. A hint? My initial reaction was positive: “Good idea. Wanna try it?” My next reaction was not so positive: “Wait a minute. If I can’t “analyze” I’ll be mute.”
I have been thinking about this for a few days and realize I really would be mute if I confined my conversation to non-controversial things and left out my opinions and ideas. My world these days revolves around the greater community of the world itself, which I see as going in spectacularly wrong directions. I see it being driven to the brink or indeed possibly over the brink, of disaster in almost every instance.
I rail about the lack of intelligence of many people that are easily led to feed the selfish desires of despotic creeps. The overreliance of many on the “deus ex machina” of religion to solve or remove problems of nearly or very possibly completely, insurmountable problems. Or just the ignorant ignoring (same root?) of the facts. The truth.
I decided that I couldn’t in good conscience keep silent. So I rant and rave and point out problems and worry about everything, and by doing this keep somewhat sane.
Hell, even this is a rant of some kind. See, just can’t keep quiet.

Image: www. cheezburger.com

Define Your Way Out of Crisis

Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said Social Security is not in crisis.
"It is a long-term issue," Baucus said. "It is an issue that should be addressed sooner, rather than later, to give workers time to plan for any changes. But the current situation does not necessitate rushed or severe action."
Not in Crisis. Huh? What planet is this guy from? The SS trust fund has been systematically looted for decades by every conceivable party and has been in crisis for at least 2 decades.
Ah. I get it. You have to re-define the term “Crisis” to get to his point. Here we turn for help to an unusual source. There is a small university in Alabama that has an interesting School. It is called the School of Scientific Interpretation. This School specializes in uncovering the real meaning of words, phrases and symbols on request. They defined crisis in the following way:

Cr – element number 24 is known for an unusual property called Passivation. This term derives from the Latin ‘passivus’ and relates to suffering. Since chromium resists “suffering” in that it doesn’t oxidize more than a few atoms deep, the term is being used in the negative. In this case SSI interprets it to mean the exact opposite: ‘not suffering’ or resisting oxidation

Isis – Egyptian goddess known specifically for nature and magic.

Putting the two roots of ‘crisis’ together the SSI concluded that the word actually means “as a result of magic, no suffering is or will occur” and therefore concludes that when some says something is “not in crisis” what they actually mean is that it is. Crisis by the SSI definition means no suffering, so “not no suffering” means suffering. See? To cover his butt, Baucus is saying ‘no crisis’ but can later argue that he actually meant it was in crisis by the conventional definition. Typical political BS.

This resource of alternative definitions is widely used by politicians and administrators of all kinds to clarify and support unpopular positions. No, Baucus. We are only in crap up to our chins, not our noses, so no need to pump out the old tank, is there?

Image: www.comomango.blogspot.com

Take a GLBT to lunch!

I just got an email from JS, a participant on a GLBTetc listserv I belong to. The links she sent talk about Rick Welts, President and CEO of the Phoenix Suns, coming out, and two straight athletes, Hudson Taylor and Ben Cohen standing up for GLBT rights.

The universe I inhabit is what could be called a “GLBT-rich environment”. From early days, I mean really early days, I have been involved one way or another with the GLBT community. Included in my circle are friends, co-workers, students, bosses and relatives. My early life, high school for example, had some homophobic moments. We joked in those days, calling each other and kids we didn’t know very well “queers” or “fags” or some other names. I knew some gay people then, but they were “OK” because I knew them. I was a stupid young jerk in many ways but for the most part left my stupidity behind.

As I grew up and moved on I got more and more exposed to GLBT people and early on came to realize that this community was one I liked but could never really be a part of. Just like “Gay” isn’t a choice, neither is “Straight”. So I let friendships form without prejudice and moved through life as a sometimes participant in the gay community but more often as an advocate.

Here is the crux of this little essay: If I could do it, so can you. I grew up in times and in a family that lived prejudice. I overcame that, and so can you. But you have to do more than overcome prejudice. You have to get out there and openly decry the kinds of prejudice still flourishing around all of us. Get a gay pride bumper sticker, or go to a gay pride march, or argue with someone when they start to spout homophobic or racist or anti-feminist crap. Don’t let it rest. What is the worst thing that can happen to you? You might find you have some GLBT friends, or maybe you might make a new friend from that community. You could get the crap beaten out of you too. Or killed. Or damned to hell.

Do it anyway. Do it because it is right, and makes you feel good. Just do it.

Image: http://webs.anokaramsey.edu/glbt/

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/16/sports/basketball/nba-executive-says-he-is-gay.html?_r=1&hp

http://www.outsports.com/os/index.php/component/content/article/24-people/300-wrestler-hudson-taylor-a-champion-for-gay-rights

http://ben-cohen.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=57