Tim Russert, my intellectual crush, has died and I'm devastated

My heart is absolutely broken. Even my husband knew about my crush on Tim. I love love love to talk about politics (much to the chagrin of many of my friends and family) and I could always count on Tim to fill that need. This was not a man of pretense, or ego. He was truth and honesty personified. I will miss him greatly.

Speaking of Hagee, here's a question for you Pastor

Hey Big Boy,

When did gluttoney become any less a sin than any other? Do the seven deadly sins apply less when you're Republican or a
"preacher"? Buddy, you need to practice a little more and preach a little less. I'm no McCainiac, but the best thing he ever did was drop you like a hot rock.

I get so tired of the barage of so called "Christian ideals" by the likes of this idiot and others, including people like Robertson and Msgr. Lisante on the right, and Wright and Father Flegar on the left. These people sure are opinionated about politics at the pulpits of their churches that reap the benefits of tax policies that save them millions of dollars a year. When did mocking political candidates become Christian? When did attacking people for their beliefs become American? What the hell is going on?! Aren't pastors and priests supposed to be above political rhetoric? This is really starting to become a circus of the sick and twisted.

Sincerely,

Another sinner

Sharon Stone is an asshole

"I'm not happy about the way the Chinese are treating the Tibetans because I don't think anyone should be unkind to anyone else," Stone said Thursday during a Cannes Film Festival red-carpet interview with Hong Kong's Cable Entertainment News. "And then this earthquake and all this stuff happened, and then I thought, is that karma? When you're not nice that the bad things happen to you?"

Wow, I didn't realize that Sharon Stone subscribed to the Robertson/Hagee School of Political Discourse? Is she serious? Was Hurricane Katrina a result of some bad karma? How about the tsunami in SE Asia, Sharon? What did they do? The poor villagers of Myanmar surely deserve their fate due to some cosmic shift, right? You're an asshole, Sharon Stone.

An open letter to Barack Obama about separate but equal

Dear Mr. Obama,

As a man of color, I'm sure you appreciate the idea that separate but equal, is neither equality nor justice. As the sister-in-law of a lesbian, I can tell you I share that same sentiment when it comes to the issue of gay marriage. I do have a problem with the heterosexual notion that we have some sort of Biblical entitlement to the word "marriage" but according to most Americans, marriage should be between one man and one woman. Okay, whatever. My proposal to you is this: Require all couples to seek out civil unions at their local courthouse. Easy as that. From the courthouses, they can move on to have their "marriages" in their houses of worship, parks, tents, wherever, and the government has finally separated themselves from the Church, in what I view to be a separation of Church and State issue. I have enjoyed a wonderful 20-year marriage with my husband, without the encumbrances of having to seek out and pay lawyers for the right to be at my husband's bedside if he's in the hospital, or the medical coverage afforded to us through marriage, etc, etc, etc. This is much more than a gay-straight issue, it's a humanity issue.

If people in America's past hadn't stood up for minority issues, where exactly do you think we'd be right now? I believe that as we remember the brilliant and ever-inspiring Dr. & Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. this week, we should also remember what he stood up for and died for...the right for all people to be respected and heard, and part of this great landscape we call America.

Deviants, sadists and perverts, oh my; deviants, sadists and perverts, oh my!

Every newsman's pulse was racing with the news about Gov. Elliot Spitzer yesterday. The sense I got as a viewer was this was better than any juicy story they could have dreamt up and it was happening in real time. Now granted, here was a man who spent a good portion of his career weeding out the worst of the worst on Wall Street, including their associates and "playthings" but the way they were acting reminded me a little of hyenas on a carcass. And the whole time he's up there admitting to his many transgressions, with the little wifey by his side, and the vultures just waiting to pick him clean, all I could think to myself was, well, at least he was with a woman. Geez. That's how immune many of us have become to this parade of our politicians' sex lives by the media, hypocritical rivals, and other attention-seeking agenda carriers. You know, it's not like the pervert was in a public bathroom looking for it, he was keeping his indiscretions to himself. I had a heated discussion about a similar subject with my older, yet not wiser mother, who believes that Hillary wouldn't make a good President because her husband got a hummey from someone other than her under the Oval Office desk. "What the fuck? Are you serious?" was the last thing I said before Mom changed the subject. My point-I don't give a RAT'S ASS how my leaders get their freak on, I just want them to spend my tax money wisely, to not give in to special interests, and to help those who need a leg up in life. That's it. Don't tell me anymore because I know, in every walk of life, there will be men in positions of power who will lead double lives. Does that in and of itself preclude them from having successful careers? Let's just put it this way, if we eliminated every CEO, CFO, Congressman, Priest, Minister, etc, from his position due to the deviant, sadistic, or perverted lifestyle he led, well, the world would be run by women.

“Much of the demand for women in combat comes from female officers who are eager for medals and promotions.” ~ Phyllis Schlafly

While reading the news this week of 19-year-old Army Specialist Monica Lin Brown being awarded the Silver Star, I thought of this quote and another came to mind too, by the notorious Ms. Schlaffly. In it she states, "History offers no evidence for the proposition that the assignment of women to military combat jobs is the way to win wars, improve combat readiness, or promote national security." Well, we do have evidence now Phyllis. I bet if you ask those soldiers who made it that day, due to Monica's heroism, if they thought she should be out there with them, they would gladly tell you what they think of your opinion. Truth be told, some of them may have thought the same as you before she saved their lives. Now they have a reality to base their feelings on rather than a fear. It's truly unfortunate that in 2008, so many people can still have fears like these about women. It hurts to know that this could be the same fear that keeps the first truly viable woman candidate from seeking the highest office in America. My opinion being that of not only a woman, but a mother of a young teenage girl AND as a veteran who served her country proudly. It's time to move past fear and embrace truth. Truth is, anything you can do, I can do equally as well. Gotcha.

Bitch is the new black! ~ Tina Fey, SNL Weekend Update on Hillary Clinton

I have to admit when I watched Tina Fey's roundup of the media and gender in regards to Hillary Clinton, I literally cheered out loud, much to the chagrin of my sleeping husband. Exit polling this week has finally proven what many women, including Clinton, have been saying for a long time...it's more difficult for women to break those "glass ceilings" in politics than for men, including minority males. In the poll, 8% said they wouldn't vote for someone because of their race, but a whopping 12% said they wouldn't vote for a woman because of her gender. To be taken seriously as a woman, in many cases you must be better at everything yet still maintain your composure, lest you are addressed as hysterical, and keep your demeanor demure, lest you be known as a bitch. Well, I'm here to embrace all about me that is woman and fabulous and I say Hillary should too...including that compassionate side that can't always stay stoic, that motherly side that wants to fix what hurts (whether it's our kids, or our economy), and that bitch that just doesn't want to take it anymore, from those that don't want to believe in what the future for all Americans, including women, can be and want to keep others down. As it has been so beautifully put before, I'm a bitch, I'm a mother, I'm a child, I'm a lover, I'm a sinner, I'm a saint, I should not be ashamed...you know you wouldn't want me any other way.