I'm not feeling screechy for any particular reason, other than I really don't feel like working today. Mondays tend to be very meeting intensive at my company, and meetings that feature people who are talking and can't shut up are right up there on my top ten list of things that make me stabby.
So on to the screeching!
Screech-Fest the First - Suffer the Little Children
When it comes to gay rights, I'm a big believer in differentiating civil rights and trying to legislate the beliefs of churches and other religious institutions. Institutionalized bigotry is an ugly, ugly fact of life here on Planet Earth, and while I'm pretty vociferous about defending the civil rights of my gay brothers and sisters, I'm not down with trying to legislate churches to change their dogma to accommodate modern thinking. That pesky First Amendment goes both ways, and being a realist, I take the good with the bad. This doesn't prevent me from pointing and laughing at their hypocrisy and incredible hubris, of course, but I do admit their refusal to perform marriage ceremonies for gay couples is perfectly within their rights.
But what about the children of gay couples?
It seems that the lesbian parents of a child who was enrolled in the Sacred Heart of Jesus Preschool, a Catholic school in Boulder, CO, were recently informed that their child will not be permitted to attend the school next year. The reason? The child's parents are gay, and such activities are not condoned by the Catholic Church.
Here's the thing. I understand the Catholic Church wanting to keep their ranks PURE. They're fighting a rear-guard action against modernity (which they're losing, thankfully), and they see the demise of their way of life in the thousands of "Cafeteria Catholics" out there who love their faith, but not necessarily the church. But these fucknuts are being complete hypocrites about it. It doesn't appear the Archdiocese is expelling students who have parents who are divorced, or aren't Catholic, or use birth control. Only those whose parents are gay. Does that make the Archdiocese "Cafeteria Catholics" thereownselves? I sure think so, hypocritical bastards.
Tip o' the Mitre to Joe, my common law 2nd cousin-in-law twice removed. Shut up. Our family relationships are complex.
Screech-Fest the Second - Lazy Bastards
I happen to think Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay is a supercilious bully with almost no redeeming value as human being. But maybe that's just me.
Or maybe not - recently Mr. DeLay, in an interview on CNN's Candy Crowley Sunday he decided to share his wisdom regarding the high unemployment rate in this country.
"In fact there are some studies that have been done that show people stay on unemployment compensation and they don't look for a job until two or three weeks before they know the benefits are going to run out, " he argued. "People are unemployed because they want to be? " asked Crowley. "Well, it is the truth. And people in the real world know it," said DeLay.
Really, Tom? Really? Which studies would those be? The studies funded by the top 1% of wage earners in the United States? The studies funded by businesses that dislike having to pay into unemployment insurance?
Evidently the "real world" DeLay refers to is the world of the independently wealthy, because over the course of the last ten years, I've known many, many people who have been placed into the ranks of the unemployed due to no fault of their own. Without exception, they all started looking for work immediately, in most cases even before their unemployment benefits began. Now my personal experience is not a statistical universe, and I don't want to make too much soup from that stone. But even granting that I may hang around with hardworking, ethical, quality individuals (true), I have a hard time believing they're the statistical outliers Mr. DeLay implies. Call me Pollyanna, but I actually believe most people in this country WANT to have a job, they WANT to support their families doing honorable work for a fair wage. Sometimes I think I'm fast turning into a cynical, crazy dog lady, but I have to ask - how cynical do you have to be to believe that Americans using unemployment benefits are lazy bastards just looking for a handout? Evidently as cynical as former House Majority Leader DeLay, that unethical, cheating, lying fuckstick, an incredibly unpatriotic American.
Tip o' the Check to The Coffee Party Movement.
Screech-Fest the Third - My Eyes, My Eyes!
It seems there is art all around us. Ordinary people try to include beauty in their daily lives, as evidenced by this snow sculpture created by the Gonzalez family of New Jersey:
I thought this was ingenious, and arguably could be considered "art" by any objective judge. But the prudes in their neighborhood decided the snow sculpture was "X-rated," and sent the police (the police!) to the home to ask them to cover up the sculpture's boobs. The Gonzalez family obviously has a sense of humor, because they decided to comply:
I think the "after" picture perfectly visualizes the stupidity of the complaint, and demonstrates that people are simply spending too much time worrying about the wrong things.
Wave of the bosom to SkepChick.
So that's my nod to Screechy Monkey Monday. I'm now going to retire from the Web for the day in favor of frolicking with the Boogie Dog, tickling local babies in order to hear them laugh, and burning an effigy of Tom DeLay.
15 comments:
On Screechy, the first...I actually side with the church on this one. I can see where the child's presence might force the school (at some point) to choose between defending something they think is wrong vs. offending a family by their failure to defend this family's choices. I think it's kind of a No Win situation, but I think the school is within its rights. (And to take it to extremes, I'd think a black family would be nuts if they sent their kid to a KKK-run private school.)
On the "art" snow sculpture...the cops got one anonymous complaint about it. The sculpture is so prurient that every local news channel here made it one of their top stories last week (including video of the offending statue before the bikini went on). The interview with the family was hysterical. They do stuff like this as a goof every year if there's enough snow.
Nathan, I don't disagree that the church had the right to refuse admission to the child in question. I object to their incredible hypocrisy in singling out the lesbian couple when there are plenty of other parents who are also in violation of Catholic dogma whose kids can attend school with impunity.
And yeah, my first thought when I read the story was "What are those parents thinking?" I don't want to engage in "blame the victim" thinking, but there's no way I would consider a parochial school for my kids in such circumstances.
And I liked the sculpture. Are you saying the media made a mountain out of a molehill?
Believe it or not, I've got to admit Tom Delay has a point. I mean, people who want money for things like doing their laundering ought to really get in their and campaign for the jobs they want instead of trying to sponge off of public contributions.
(What?)
(Arrrgh--typo "their" for "there" results in jokefail! Stupid Eric, stupid, stupid, stupid!)
::punches self in nose::
On Screechy the second, yeah, Tom can kiss my ass. I've been unemployed now for a little over a month. And even in this economy I've made over 30 applications (not including applying a second time when the jobs are reposted - also, applied to two jobs before I filled out my unemployment application). And I'm gathering the "boy, are you way over qualified for this position, so we're not even going to consider you" emails now. Because I'm not just applying to similar positions like I had, I'm applying for office coordinator and medical receptionist, and warehouse work jobs. So, Tom, SD&STF until you know what you're talking about.
Oh, and because these fucktards don't know what the hell they're talking about, by law I must apply for at least two jobs every week to keep my unemployment. Just because they don't have a work ethic and would slide for as long as they could because they've never really had to work a job, doesn't mean the rest of us have that problem.
Sorry, touchy subject I haven't posted on my own blog yet because it brings out the high screechy monkey in me.
The Tom Delays of the world never have to be unemployed for long. They just ask their rich buddies for a job. Simple, and they never have to worry about being "overqualified" for any job they're given.
Talk about welfare for the rich...
Dr. Phil
On Screechy the 2nd - Steve beat me to it. I'm on my 3rd job loss since 2001, the 2nd in 2 years.
Only by the skin of my teeth did I qualify for one of the Fed's extensions as I had some left over from 2 years ago. It took me nearly 2 months to get that approved. I was within hours of being evicted at the time I checked my bank account to see if I could do a partial payment and discovered my benefits had been restarted.
Like Steve, you would not believe the jobs I've applied for, most don't even bother to let you know you're over-qualified. I am working part-time, turn in the money I make to the DOL and get a partial payment from the benefits.
Now the state posted a notice that if the Fed's don't renew or extend the extension program that expired last month, when my current allotment runs out I'm done, there will be no other benefits. Sorry. Hopefully my state will be eligable as our Unemployment rate hit 10.4% last month.
Prospects for going full-time here are good, and I'd like that, but it will be early summer before the boss knows if he'll be able to swing it. I'm still looking, and applying, but by the time I get home on the days I work the jobs where I might have a chance have already been swamped or pulled.
I've already given up having a vehicle, my chosen lifestyle, medical benefits and I've lost track of what else.
So I take strong issue with Mr. DeLay and his ilk. He can KMSWA!!!
I'll write more when I get home, lunch is over and the boss does expect me to work.
Eric, I thought of that, too. "How come these lazy SOB's can't become LOBBYISTS and make a living like REAL MEN?" I really, really hate Tom DeLay.
[lights match for effigy]
Steve, I hear you, man. You're welcome to screech to your heart's content here, if that helps.
Steve, Wendy, look at it this way: at least you're not still under indictment.
Not sure if that helps or not, but it certainly warms my cockles.
Yeah, the stupidity of Tom Delay defies description. My industry was particularly hard hit and I have plenty of friends or friends' spouses who are job-less and LOOKING FOR WORK. I can't count the number of unemployed friends who are resorting to creating their own businesses as a way to scrape together some money, ANY money, to get them through this.
Mr. Delay needs to try it out (and no begging from rich friends!) before passing judgment.
Anne, I personally would like to see Mr. DeLay do a month or two as a migrant farm worker.
I think a little humility is in order.
Eric said, "Not sure if that helps or not, but it certainly warms my cockles."
(looks around for Jeri to make an obscene comment)
We were once in a deli in DC and saw Trent Lott having Sunday brunch with Tom DeLay. I had to restrain my mother from going over there and giving them a piece of her mind (and probably a whack with her cane -- I come by my tendencies honestly). But it really wasn't the approriate venue to start up something. And they would've (metaphorically) held their hands over their (there?) ears and said "lalalalala" anyway.
Dr. Phil has it totally right, though. These people just call up one (or a few) of their buddies and voila a job or two is handed over. Or they end up on the boards of corporations. Or both.
STFU, Tom, until you really know what it is like to be without a job.
Cockle warming, Eric? Watch it, that might be the best offer I've had in a while...
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