Thursday, November 30, 2006
Rant – Stop dragging my [language] around:
I admit substituting the word "language" for the word "heart" takes much of the heat from the chorus line of the Tom Petty and Stevie Nicks song, but it's how I feel about the way we have been using and discussing our Mother Tongue. One recent reminder is all the press around a public figure's recent use of the so-called, "n-word."
Among some Black journalists this has been the grist for a discussion of the less-ominous and supposedly complimentary term, "nigga," – which does not carry the stigma of its "r" containing cousin.
The problem is they still miss the point completely. The "n-word" is a vulgarity, therefore it is never used in Correct English Usage. It's less volatile cousin may or may not be a vulgarity, depending on who is using it and the circumstances under which it's used, but it is Slang, and therefore not used in the same forum.
I live on the Peninsula between San Francisco and San Jose, and my hometown is the extremely White, Palo Alto. ("It stays White out later, if you get my drift.") David Cross was referring to his Southern hometown but it applies here. When I see some White kid dressed like a gang member with a large wardrobe budget I wince, and when this same kid answers his mobile phone with the phrase; "Where you at?" I cringe. Aside from being an obvious Poseur this kid is displaying the basest kind of ignorance.
I wonder where this kid's parents are, and if they have taken leave of their senses. If your kid looks like an idiot you're supposed to step in because children (in general) use poor judgment often. That's what being a parent is all about – guiding your progeny from the ignorance of childhood to the knowledge and maturity of adulthood.
And this is not about self-expression. Your kid preferring the blue shirt to the green shirt is self-expression. Dressing like a low-budget hip-hop star is pandering to the lowest common denominator. As a child I started picking out my clothes at a very young age, and my mother let me do that because I chose clothes that looked good. I was very free to express myself and assert my individuality in many ways.
This is a slight digression, but it speaks to the overall picture where the English language is bastardized to such an extent we have children graduating high school who are functionally illiterate. Their spelling is atrocious. Their vocabulary is sadly limited, polluted with crap that passes itself off as language, and is transitory to the point of being irrelevant. If they get through a job interview without being thought of as being incredibly limited it will be a minor miracle.
You can guess by now I'm not a big fan of hip-hop and rap. What little (.5%) I find artistic is done by Black guys who come from streets a little meaner than those in Palo Alto, and most of it was released in the first few years of rap. The rest is ignorant bullshit – reflecting a pathetic excuse for a "culture." It offers nothing of value. In a hundred years nearly all of it will lie on the dust-heap of history while intelligent people will still be listening to Mozart and Jimi Hendrix.
That's the difference between pop and art – the difference between shallow pandering and intelligent culture. Much pop may be enjoyable, hence the name, but popularity does not make it art.
If I'm looking to hire someone and the applicant comes off like the kid with the sideways hat and the cell phone stuck to his ear, his application goes in the trash bin, unless I'm hiring someone to empty that trash bin. And I'd be reluctant even then.
That kid may call it bias and accuse me of being elitist, but the truth is he looks stupid and speaks out of ignorance and he knows it. Young people dress that way for shock value to a large extent, which is the purview of the young. But if they fail to outgrow it their options in the adult world will always be limited.
Slang and text icons do not a language make.
I'm a writer. The English language is my brush and the computer screen is my canvas. I see things like rap as metaphoric pissing on my brushes and canvas. Some may call it "entertainment," but at one point, tying a rope to a pair of cat's tails and raising them on a stick until they killed each other was also called "entertainment." Guys slicing each other into small chunks in arenas was once called "entertainment."
The English language is a beautiful thing. It draws from a multitude of sources and has a flexibility that allows a writer as much latitude as he needs. A good writer can make the English language dance. He (or she) can make you cheer, cry, laugh, fear – and occasionally invoke deep thought. It doesn't take a single word of slang or a single vulgarity to showcase humanity in all its glory.
Every writer and journalist in America should stop focusing on the impact of an ill-timed or public vulgarity. Musicians should stop pretending ignorance is cool, and flash is substance. They do their audience no favors.
I know many people of color who don't talk like a gangster-rapper, and emulating criminals does not advance our civilization. I feel the same way when I hear some ignorant White person talk as if their only experience is a rural farm when they live in Austin, so it's not about being Black. That's just an excuse to justify ignorance and shut down justified criticism.
That is not culture of any stripe and cannot be defended as such.
Footnote:
There has been a lot of discussion in the media this week about burying the "n-word" for good, and I applaud that. It wouldn't hurt to bury the less-offensive "nigga" right alongside it.
But there are two more words that should be buried forever - "bitch" and "fag." Even in the dog world it's not necessary to use "bitch" to describe a female dog, and in England one can ask for a "cigarette" or a "smoke" if that is their goal. Like the "n-word," "bitch" and "fag" are derogatory terms used to demean women and gay people, or to just insult someone.
While we're teaching our ignorant children to pull their pants up, and abandon the "n-word," let's teach them to abandon these two other vulgarities that serve no purpose in civilized discourse.
And if some people insist upon using these three terms, we should make it abundantly clear they are ostracizing themselves from their society, and then show them what a lonely place that can be until they decide to grow up and behave in a decent manner.
Right now we need a return to civility more than ever. People are not being civil to others in public, on our streets and highways, and sometimes even in our homes. It's time to call people on their incivility immediately and politely demand the same respect and deference we show them.
No More Excuses!
I admit substituting the word "language" for the word "heart" takes much of the heat from the chorus line of the Tom Petty and Stevie Nicks song, but it's how I feel about the way we have been using and discussing our Mother Tongue. One recent reminder is all the press around a public figure's recent use of the so-called, "n-word."
Among some Black journalists this has been the grist for a discussion of the less-ominous and supposedly complimentary term, "nigga," – which does not carry the stigma of its "r" containing cousin.
The problem is they still miss the point completely. The "n-word" is a vulgarity, therefore it is never used in Correct English Usage. It's less volatile cousin may or may not be a vulgarity, depending on who is using it and the circumstances under which it's used, but it is Slang, and therefore not used in the same forum.
I live on the Peninsula between San Francisco and San Jose, and my hometown is the extremely White, Palo Alto. ("It stays White out later, if you get my drift.") David Cross was referring to his Southern hometown but it applies here. When I see some White kid dressed like a gang member with a large wardrobe budget I wince, and when this same kid answers his mobile phone with the phrase; "Where you at?" I cringe. Aside from being an obvious Poseur this kid is displaying the basest kind of ignorance.
I wonder where this kid's parents are, and if they have taken leave of their senses. If your kid looks like an idiot you're supposed to step in because children (in general) use poor judgment often. That's what being a parent is all about – guiding your progeny from the ignorance of childhood to the knowledge and maturity of adulthood.
And this is not about self-expression. Your kid preferring the blue shirt to the green shirt is self-expression. Dressing like a low-budget hip-hop star is pandering to the lowest common denominator. As a child I started picking out my clothes at a very young age, and my mother let me do that because I chose clothes that looked good. I was very free to express myself and assert my individuality in many ways.
This is a slight digression, but it speaks to the overall picture where the English language is bastardized to such an extent we have children graduating high school who are functionally illiterate. Their spelling is atrocious. Their vocabulary is sadly limited, polluted with crap that passes itself off as language, and is transitory to the point of being irrelevant. If they get through a job interview without being thought of as being incredibly limited it will be a minor miracle.
You can guess by now I'm not a big fan of hip-hop and rap. What little (.5%) I find artistic is done by Black guys who come from streets a little meaner than those in Palo Alto, and most of it was released in the first few years of rap. The rest is ignorant bullshit – reflecting a pathetic excuse for a "culture." It offers nothing of value. In a hundred years nearly all of it will lie on the dust-heap of history while intelligent people will still be listening to Mozart and Jimi Hendrix.
That's the difference between pop and art – the difference between shallow pandering and intelligent culture. Much pop may be enjoyable, hence the name, but popularity does not make it art.
If I'm looking to hire someone and the applicant comes off like the kid with the sideways hat and the cell phone stuck to his ear, his application goes in the trash bin, unless I'm hiring someone to empty that trash bin. And I'd be reluctant even then.
That kid may call it bias and accuse me of being elitist, but the truth is he looks stupid and speaks out of ignorance and he knows it. Young people dress that way for shock value to a large extent, which is the purview of the young. But if they fail to outgrow it their options in the adult world will always be limited.
Slang and text icons do not a language make.
I'm a writer. The English language is my brush and the computer screen is my canvas. I see things like rap as metaphoric pissing on my brushes and canvas. Some may call it "entertainment," but at one point, tying a rope to a pair of cat's tails and raising them on a stick until they killed each other was also called "entertainment." Guys slicing each other into small chunks in arenas was once called "entertainment."
The English language is a beautiful thing. It draws from a multitude of sources and has a flexibility that allows a writer as much latitude as he needs. A good writer can make the English language dance. He (or she) can make you cheer, cry, laugh, fear – and occasionally invoke deep thought. It doesn't take a single word of slang or a single vulgarity to showcase humanity in all its glory.
Every writer and journalist in America should stop focusing on the impact of an ill-timed or public vulgarity. Musicians should stop pretending ignorance is cool, and flash is substance. They do their audience no favors.
I know many people of color who don't talk like a gangster-rapper, and emulating criminals does not advance our civilization. I feel the same way when I hear some ignorant White person talk as if their only experience is a rural farm when they live in Austin, so it's not about being Black. That's just an excuse to justify ignorance and shut down justified criticism.
That is not culture of any stripe and cannot be defended as such.
Footnote:
There has been a lot of discussion in the media this week about burying the "n-word" for good, and I applaud that. It wouldn't hurt to bury the less-offensive "nigga" right alongside it.
But there are two more words that should be buried forever - "bitch" and "fag." Even in the dog world it's not necessary to use "bitch" to describe a female dog, and in England one can ask for a "cigarette" or a "smoke" if that is their goal. Like the "n-word," "bitch" and "fag" are derogatory terms used to demean women and gay people, or to just insult someone.
While we're teaching our ignorant children to pull their pants up, and abandon the "n-word," let's teach them to abandon these two other vulgarities that serve no purpose in civilized discourse.
And if some people insist upon using these three terms, we should make it abundantly clear they are ostracizing themselves from their society, and then show them what a lonely place that can be until they decide to grow up and behave in a decent manner.
Right now we need a return to civility more than ever. People are not being civil to others in public, on our streets and highways, and sometimes even in our homes. It's time to call people on their incivility immediately and politely demand the same respect and deference we show them.
No More Excuses!
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
John Cougar Mellencamp's "Scarecrow"
"The highway between John's house and the studio where these songs were recorded cuts through a stretch of Indiana where the land is fertile and full of growth. It is from this land and its people that these songs are born, and though it not necessary to know this to enjoy and appreciate them, it does lend a certain understanding for those who care to think about such things."
Every now and again an artist finds their voice to communicate something that truly comes from their heart, and it resonates with us because they paint such a clear vision of what they are trying to say. Before 1985 JCM was considered a pop musician whose music had very little to share with visionary rockers like Natalie Merchant (10,000 Maniacs) who rocked our conscience while they rocked our ears. Although there was greatness in some of his earlier work it went unappreciated.
Then "Scarecrow" was released. The album arrived in the midst of a terrible time for the American farmer. The "Reagan Recession" may have been an economist's wet dream because it paved the way for future corporate expansion, but many Americans were badly wounded by its effects, and it was often the "little guy" who got screwed, (as it is so often in life.) Reagan said a few words of sympathy for men who likely voted for him, then let them sink as banks foreclosed on their family farms in record numbers.
A lot of old farmers died, many young ones committed suicide, and families were torn apart by the stress of a failure not of their making. How were they to know the Agrarian Age was being replaced by the Technology Age? While people in my hometown (Palo Alto) were enjoying the fruits of the computer revolution people in John's hometown were going hungry, losing land that had been in their families for generations, and wondering why the American Dream had abandoned them.
"Grandma's on the front porch with a Bible in her hand. Sometimes I hear her singing "Take me to the Promised Land." When you take away a man's dignity he can't work his field and cows – There'll be blood on the scarecrow, blood on the plow."
A friend talked me into going to the "Scarecrow" concert. I wasn't a JCM fan at that time and I was reluctant, but the promise of imported beer and good weed tipped the balance. To this day it's one of the best concerts I've ever seen, and I've seen some amazing shows. I'll always be grateful to my friend, Mike, for talking me into going. Halfway through the first song we all knew we were witnessing something special, an artist at his peak pouring out his heart. JCM owned us that night.
In addition to putting on one hell of a show for a seminal album, JCM had an honest humility and humanity that made him one of us, and all of us like him.
"I'd like to thank you for being so nice to me tonight," he said halfway through the show. "I played down the road a few year's back and they weren't as nice to me." I laughed because I remember that he'd played a local amusement park and someone had hit him square in the head with a beer bottle. The amazing thing was, after being knocked out and taken off the stage for 20 minutes, he came back out and finished his show.
Nobody was going to throw anything other than roses at JCM that night.
"Oh when a nation cries. His tears fall down like missiles from the sky. Justice looked into Independence's eyes. Can you make everything alright? And can you keep your Nation warm at night?"
This is one of those rare albums without a single bad track. The hit single, entitled "Small Town" still gets regular radio play over 20 years later. I put "Scarecrow" into my car CD player and within 30 seconds I'm hitting that volume button until the windows start to vibrate. It's one of those timeless pieces of music that resonates just as much the 100th time as it did the 1st.
"Life turns to minutes and minutes to memories. Life sweeps away the dreams that we have planned. You are young and you are the future, so suck it up and tough it out, and be the best you can."
In addition to bestowing upon JCM the status he so richly deserved, "Scarecrow" brought the plight of the failing American farmer into the public spotlight, long after the mass media wanted us to forget him. The result was a series of concerts known as "Farm Aid" that helped some of those farmers keep their land and keep their family whole.
Today I see a sad parallel in the current housing market. Between the corporate layoffs to keep that stock price artificially inflated and the recklessness of the Bush Administration there will be many families losing their home in 2007. Some made bad buying decisions, many out of ignorance – but making a mistake in America today can mean families on the street without anyone there to lend a helping hand.
Just like the American farmer in the 1980's.
So if you own a copy of "Scarecrow" take it out and give it another listen. If you don't, put it on your holiday wish list, or just go to Amazon and buy a copy. If you like rock that resonates and conveys true artistic integrity this is a must-have for your collection. Let yourself hear its mournful recognition of a dark and terrible time in America, then keep it around as we enter 2007. You're gonna need it.
"The highway between John's house and the studio where these songs were recorded cuts through a stretch of Indiana where the land is fertile and full of growth. It is from this land and its people that these songs are born, and though it not necessary to know this to enjoy and appreciate them, it does lend a certain understanding for those who care to think about such things."
Every now and again an artist finds their voice to communicate something that truly comes from their heart, and it resonates with us because they paint such a clear vision of what they are trying to say. Before 1985 JCM was considered a pop musician whose music had very little to share with visionary rockers like Natalie Merchant (10,000 Maniacs) who rocked our conscience while they rocked our ears. Although there was greatness in some of his earlier work it went unappreciated.
Then "Scarecrow" was released. The album arrived in the midst of a terrible time for the American farmer. The "Reagan Recession" may have been an economist's wet dream because it paved the way for future corporate expansion, but many Americans were badly wounded by its effects, and it was often the "little guy" who got screwed, (as it is so often in life.) Reagan said a few words of sympathy for men who likely voted for him, then let them sink as banks foreclosed on their family farms in record numbers.
A lot of old farmers died, many young ones committed suicide, and families were torn apart by the stress of a failure not of their making. How were they to know the Agrarian Age was being replaced by the Technology Age? While people in my hometown (Palo Alto) were enjoying the fruits of the computer revolution people in John's hometown were going hungry, losing land that had been in their families for generations, and wondering why the American Dream had abandoned them.
"Grandma's on the front porch with a Bible in her hand. Sometimes I hear her singing "Take me to the Promised Land." When you take away a man's dignity he can't work his field and cows – There'll be blood on the scarecrow, blood on the plow."
A friend talked me into going to the "Scarecrow" concert. I wasn't a JCM fan at that time and I was reluctant, but the promise of imported beer and good weed tipped the balance. To this day it's one of the best concerts I've ever seen, and I've seen some amazing shows. I'll always be grateful to my friend, Mike, for talking me into going. Halfway through the first song we all knew we were witnessing something special, an artist at his peak pouring out his heart. JCM owned us that night.
In addition to putting on one hell of a show for a seminal album, JCM had an honest humility and humanity that made him one of us, and all of us like him.
"I'd like to thank you for being so nice to me tonight," he said halfway through the show. "I played down the road a few year's back and they weren't as nice to me." I laughed because I remember that he'd played a local amusement park and someone had hit him square in the head with a beer bottle. The amazing thing was, after being knocked out and taken off the stage for 20 minutes, he came back out and finished his show.
Nobody was going to throw anything other than roses at JCM that night.
"Oh when a nation cries. His tears fall down like missiles from the sky. Justice looked into Independence's eyes. Can you make everything alright? And can you keep your Nation warm at night?"
This is one of those rare albums without a single bad track. The hit single, entitled "Small Town" still gets regular radio play over 20 years later. I put "Scarecrow" into my car CD player and within 30 seconds I'm hitting that volume button until the windows start to vibrate. It's one of those timeless pieces of music that resonates just as much the 100th time as it did the 1st.
"Life turns to minutes and minutes to memories. Life sweeps away the dreams that we have planned. You are young and you are the future, so suck it up and tough it out, and be the best you can."
In addition to bestowing upon JCM the status he so richly deserved, "Scarecrow" brought the plight of the failing American farmer into the public spotlight, long after the mass media wanted us to forget him. The result was a series of concerts known as "Farm Aid" that helped some of those farmers keep their land and keep their family whole.
Today I see a sad parallel in the current housing market. Between the corporate layoffs to keep that stock price artificially inflated and the recklessness of the Bush Administration there will be many families losing their home in 2007. Some made bad buying decisions, many out of ignorance – but making a mistake in America today can mean families on the street without anyone there to lend a helping hand.
Just like the American farmer in the 1980's.
So if you own a copy of "Scarecrow" take it out and give it another listen. If you don't, put it on your holiday wish list, or just go to Amazon and buy a copy. If you like rock that resonates and conveys true artistic integrity this is a must-have for your collection. Let yourself hear its mournful recognition of a dark and terrible time in America, then keep it around as we enter 2007. You're gonna need it.
Saturday, November 25, 2006
The NIH re-writes AIDS history:
Here's the white-wash website: NIH Re-Write of AIDS History.
"Dr. Anthony S. Fauci of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases recalls, it “was like living in an intensive care unit all day long.” The patients were very sick, and despite the best efforts of NIH’s dedicated doctors and nurses, most patients eventually died."
First: Tony Fauci is a research scientist, (and an asshole,) not a clinician. The idea of Fauci spending any amount of time with an AIDS patient is a joke, unless the patient might win him an award. Until Robert Gallo started looking at AIDS Tony Fauci didn't give us the time of day. Fauci doesn't see patients, and no patient with an ounce of self-respect would spend any time or energy on this arrogant prick.
This is a real insult to the AIDS researchers like Dr. David Ho, (inventor of the Protease Inhibitor.) But as Randy Shilts pointed out in; "And The Band Played On," his book on the early days of the epidemic – guys like Fauci and Gallo didn't take any interest in fags dying until the French started stealing their thunder. Both Fauci and Gallo were focused on Cancer and were the last horses to cross the finish line.
But let's go back to this "new" history of the AIDS Pandemic:
"By the fall of 1984, not only had a retrovirus been identified as the cause of AIDS, it also had been shown to have properties that would make it very difficult, if not impossible, to make a conventional vaccine against AIDS. As reports of AIDS also arrived from other parts of the world—Africa, Haiti, Europe, and Asia— Dr. Thomas C. Quinn of NIAID and others visited these areas and began conducting research. They returned to the United States sounding warning bells of what the epidemic could become.."
They were warning us about Africa by 1984? Could you show me where that was published? Exactly where did NIAID publish this clarion call?
Yeah. Good luck finding that. In 1984 Ronald Reagan was trying to keep all federal health agencies from looking at the epidemic through threats and cuts in funding. The real heroes at the CDC were denied plane fare to San Francisco to study this new disease, and many were threatened with termination if they did anything to call the public's attention to the epidemic. Reagan didn't want the public caring about a bunch of godless faggots dying in horrible ways.
This is just one of the frustrating things about the recent canonization of Ronald Reagan, as if he were some sort of American political saint. Reagan let people die and he let the epidemic spin out of control because he was a mean old bastard with an agenda that did not include the poor, the weak, or the dying. Ronald Reagan single-handedly caused the deaths of thousands of Americans and millions of people in Sub-Saharan Africa – because he let the AIDS epidemic become a world-wide Pandemic unchecked.
Back to the Disney, I mean, NIH version of the AIDS epidemic:
"When Dr. Anthony S. Fauci became NIAID director in 1984, he came to the job with a strong personal involvement and interest in AIDS research. In addition to maintaining his own research laboratory and clinical duties devoted to AIDS, he established a special AIDS division within the Institute. NIAID staff oversaw the allocation of most AIDS grants, conducted outreach activities with community groups concerned about AIDS, started long-term studies of people with AIDS, collaborated with the National Cancer Institute to set up a drug discovery process for AIDS drugs, and inaugurated nationwide networks of clinical trial sites to test the most promising drugs and vaccines.."
What planet was this? Tony Fauci "conducted outreach activities with community groups concerned about AIDS"(?) What total and complete bullshit! Tony Fauci never worked with "community groups" unless they had research dollars for him or it was a chance for some favorable press, and I doubt it happened even then.
Tony Fauci is not a "community groups" kind of guy.
This white-wash of the terrible early days of the epidemic is an insult to every ACT-UP member, every American who died because of the apathy from guys like Fauci, Gallo and Reagan, and every AIDS patient who has been forced to fight for decent medical care and access to the drugs that keep them alive.
It's also an insult to the families who watched their sons and daughters die in terrible ways while Washington fiddled. Don't let them get away with it! I urge you to send email to this insult of a web site stating your disgust at this outrageous re-write of history. The email for these liars is: history@nih.gov
Footnote:
I fear these "re-writes" of recent history, designed to make shameful men look like valiant warriors, will be popping up more and more often over the next few years. If we let these go unchallenged we do a disservice to those who suffered under the policies they are trying to sugar-coat, and to future generations who might end up learning a version of history that might as well be written by Hobbits.
We've seen this already with the White Supremacists denial of the Holocaust, and the Russian denial of Stalin's crimes against humanity. For the sake of truth, for the sake of justice, for the sake of honoring the victims – we must fight these raciest and elitist actions, lest their lies be spread like a virus that will end up doing more harm than AIDS ever could.
Don't let them get away with it!
Here's the white-wash website: NIH Re-Write of AIDS History.
"Dr. Anthony S. Fauci of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases recalls, it “was like living in an intensive care unit all day long.” The patients were very sick, and despite the best efforts of NIH’s dedicated doctors and nurses, most patients eventually died."
First: Tony Fauci is a research scientist, (and an asshole,) not a clinician. The idea of Fauci spending any amount of time with an AIDS patient is a joke, unless the patient might win him an award. Until Robert Gallo started looking at AIDS Tony Fauci didn't give us the time of day. Fauci doesn't see patients, and no patient with an ounce of self-respect would spend any time or energy on this arrogant prick.
This is a real insult to the AIDS researchers like Dr. David Ho, (inventor of the Protease Inhibitor.) But as Randy Shilts pointed out in; "And The Band Played On," his book on the early days of the epidemic – guys like Fauci and Gallo didn't take any interest in fags dying until the French started stealing their thunder. Both Fauci and Gallo were focused on Cancer and were the last horses to cross the finish line.
But let's go back to this "new" history of the AIDS Pandemic:
"By the fall of 1984, not only had a retrovirus been identified as the cause of AIDS, it also had been shown to have properties that would make it very difficult, if not impossible, to make a conventional vaccine against AIDS. As reports of AIDS also arrived from other parts of the world—Africa, Haiti, Europe, and Asia— Dr. Thomas C. Quinn of NIAID and others visited these areas and began conducting research. They returned to the United States sounding warning bells of what the epidemic could become.."
They were warning us about Africa by 1984? Could you show me where that was published? Exactly where did NIAID publish this clarion call?
Yeah. Good luck finding that. In 1984 Ronald Reagan was trying to keep all federal health agencies from looking at the epidemic through threats and cuts in funding. The real heroes at the CDC were denied plane fare to San Francisco to study this new disease, and many were threatened with termination if they did anything to call the public's attention to the epidemic. Reagan didn't want the public caring about a bunch of godless faggots dying in horrible ways.
This is just one of the frustrating things about the recent canonization of Ronald Reagan, as if he were some sort of American political saint. Reagan let people die and he let the epidemic spin out of control because he was a mean old bastard with an agenda that did not include the poor, the weak, or the dying. Ronald Reagan single-handedly caused the deaths of thousands of Americans and millions of people in Sub-Saharan Africa – because he let the AIDS epidemic become a world-wide Pandemic unchecked.
Back to the Disney, I mean, NIH version of the AIDS epidemic:
"When Dr. Anthony S. Fauci became NIAID director in 1984, he came to the job with a strong personal involvement and interest in AIDS research. In addition to maintaining his own research laboratory and clinical duties devoted to AIDS, he established a special AIDS division within the Institute. NIAID staff oversaw the allocation of most AIDS grants, conducted outreach activities with community groups concerned about AIDS, started long-term studies of people with AIDS, collaborated with the National Cancer Institute to set up a drug discovery process for AIDS drugs, and inaugurated nationwide networks of clinical trial sites to test the most promising drugs and vaccines.."
What planet was this? Tony Fauci "conducted outreach activities with community groups concerned about AIDS"(?) What total and complete bullshit! Tony Fauci never worked with "community groups" unless they had research dollars for him or it was a chance for some favorable press, and I doubt it happened even then.
Tony Fauci is not a "community groups" kind of guy.
This white-wash of the terrible early days of the epidemic is an insult to every ACT-UP member, every American who died because of the apathy from guys like Fauci, Gallo and Reagan, and every AIDS patient who has been forced to fight for decent medical care and access to the drugs that keep them alive.
It's also an insult to the families who watched their sons and daughters die in terrible ways while Washington fiddled. Don't let them get away with it! I urge you to send email to this insult of a web site stating your disgust at this outrageous re-write of history. The email for these liars is: history@nih.gov
Footnote:
I fear these "re-writes" of recent history, designed to make shameful men look like valiant warriors, will be popping up more and more often over the next few years. If we let these go unchallenged we do a disservice to those who suffered under the policies they are trying to sugar-coat, and to future generations who might end up learning a version of history that might as well be written by Hobbits.
We've seen this already with the White Supremacists denial of the Holocaust, and the Russian denial of Stalin's crimes against humanity. For the sake of truth, for the sake of justice, for the sake of honoring the victims – we must fight these raciest and elitist actions, lest their lies be spread like a virus that will end up doing more harm than AIDS ever could.
Don't let them get away with it!
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Do not vote for me:
"Because you cannot walk with the holy, if you're just a halfway decent man.."
(Paul Simon – the song "Wartime Prayers" from the album "Surprise.")
The germ of this essay came to mind from a reply to another post, in which I was expressing my disgust with John McCain for not standing up for victims of torture by the Bush Administration. If McCain were truly a victim of torture in Vietnam, (which I'm beginning to doubt,) I could not see how he could ever stand silent in the torture of others. A true victim of torture would always stand up against that abuse given the opportunity.
Of course I've never believed the "maverick" bullshit people claim about McCain. He's just another full-of-shit, right-wing politician.
But as my friend Ellie so astutely pointed out, McCain is just the latest politician to sell out his values because he thinks he's going to be the next President of the United States. I believe this is a pipe dream because the next President will not be a Republican. George W. Bush made sure of that.
"Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."
So in the unlikely event I ever run for a political office I urge you: Do not vote for me.
Because I know I would be totally corrupted by power. Much as I wish I could say so, I am not a man capable of staying above such corruption. I know I'd become addicted to such power, that I would abuse it, and that I might well lie, cheat, steal and even kill to keep that power. I'm already arrogant and egoistic, and power would simply spike those two character defects.
My friend and mentor, the late Jeff Getty, once told me to not take anything from drug companies in my role as an activist. Not even a pen. Sadly, I could not fully follow his instructions. I never took money from the drug companies or compromised my principles when writing about them, but I did take a pen or two and a couple of the binders they handed out at conferences. This free stationary never corrupted me or caused me to lose my objectivity as an activist.
But what if the drug company came to me and said; "We'd like to have you on our community advisory board, Mr. Alden, and we'd like to fly you and a friend to Hawaii for our conference on our new Protease Inhibitor." Would I be able to refuse their offer or would I go out and start buying new swimwear and sun-block?
I honestly don't know the answer to that question. I would like to think I would politely refuse their offer and keep my integrity, but I cannot honestly say I would do so.
I know I'm a weak man when it comes to the trappings of power. I know I would be absolutely corrupted by it. So don't ever vote for me. I can point you to a couple of men who I think would make excellent leaders. I would volunteer for them and I would vote for them.
Then I would stand back and pray to the universe they are better men than I.
"Because you cannot walk with the holy, if you're just a halfway decent man.."
(Paul Simon – the song "Wartime Prayers" from the album "Surprise.")
The germ of this essay came to mind from a reply to another post, in which I was expressing my disgust with John McCain for not standing up for victims of torture by the Bush Administration. If McCain were truly a victim of torture in Vietnam, (which I'm beginning to doubt,) I could not see how he could ever stand silent in the torture of others. A true victim of torture would always stand up against that abuse given the opportunity.
Of course I've never believed the "maverick" bullshit people claim about McCain. He's just another full-of-shit, right-wing politician.
But as my friend Ellie so astutely pointed out, McCain is just the latest politician to sell out his values because he thinks he's going to be the next President of the United States. I believe this is a pipe dream because the next President will not be a Republican. George W. Bush made sure of that.
"Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."
So in the unlikely event I ever run for a political office I urge you: Do not vote for me.
Because I know I would be totally corrupted by power. Much as I wish I could say so, I am not a man capable of staying above such corruption. I know I'd become addicted to such power, that I would abuse it, and that I might well lie, cheat, steal and even kill to keep that power. I'm already arrogant and egoistic, and power would simply spike those two character defects.
My friend and mentor, the late Jeff Getty, once told me to not take anything from drug companies in my role as an activist. Not even a pen. Sadly, I could not fully follow his instructions. I never took money from the drug companies or compromised my principles when writing about them, but I did take a pen or two and a couple of the binders they handed out at conferences. This free stationary never corrupted me or caused me to lose my objectivity as an activist.
But what if the drug company came to me and said; "We'd like to have you on our community advisory board, Mr. Alden, and we'd like to fly you and a friend to Hawaii for our conference on our new Protease Inhibitor." Would I be able to refuse their offer or would I go out and start buying new swimwear and sun-block?
I honestly don't know the answer to that question. I would like to think I would politely refuse their offer and keep my integrity, but I cannot honestly say I would do so.
I know I'm a weak man when it comes to the trappings of power. I know I would be absolutely corrupted by it. So don't ever vote for me. I can point you to a couple of men who I think would make excellent leaders. I would volunteer for them and I would vote for them.
Then I would stand back and pray to the universe they are better men than I.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
What we want in Iraq:
There's no doubt that we want American troops out of Iraq, and the Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld vision of permanent military bases in that country to control the flow of oil, (not increase the flow of oil - control the flow,) is more or less dead.
It's also clear this same cabal wanted to invade Iran and basically take control of both countries, and that won't happen either.
But the Bush Administration created a mess and we have to clean up that mess before we can leave Iraq. (This is just one of the messes the administration has left for us.)
An overwhelming number of Americans want us out of Iraq, but to leave the country without having it descend into chaos (or greater chaos than at present) will require an overwhelming number of troops to stabilize and safeguard the country before we can leave.
This means we're going to need more troops in Iraq right now and for the immediate future. As someone who opposed this war before Bush started it I do not like stating this, but what I want and reality are often not the same thing. I want a promise from our government we won't become a permanent fixture in Iraq, and I think that's what most Americans want. But after securing that promise, we will have to bring in more troops in the short-term to clean up George's and Dick's and Donnie's mess.
The other thing we have to do is sit down with our enemies. This means talking with representatives from the insurgency, representatives from Iran and Syria, and all the major players within the country.
Remember there was a time when the British government said they would never negotiate with the IRA, (whom they called "terrorists.") But eventually they were forced to sit down with the IRA to bring about a permanent peace in Northern Ireland.
Keep in mind also that one man's "terrorist" is another man's "freedom fighter."
More troops. Talk with our enemies. Give up the idea of controlling Iraq's oil.
And could I have fries with that?
These are not solutions the Bush Administration wishes to look at, nor do the British and American oil companies, nor do the "neocons" in the Pentagon – but the latest protest vote from the American people have made clear that we don't share their desires. These are very powerful groups who are caught up in the arrogance and blindness of power. They will not give up what they want easily.
We have to take it from them by force.
The latest vote was part of that force. Americans showed these powerful interests that, contrary to their beliefs, they do not own this country. Another protest vote in 2008 that takes more "Republican" seats away and returns the presidency to "Democratic" control will be another necessary show of this force, because the men who did not get voted out this time will block us from achieving this goal.
The Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld cabal and their ilk will stand in the way come January. They will block reform and try to blame their greed and avarice on these new leaders. We will see this for what it is, and it will piss us off and drive another protest vote in 2008.
But long before 2008 we will need those additional troops in Iraq. This will look counter to what we want unless we make up these additional troops from outside American and British control. The logical next step is to bring in a U.N. force made up of many countries, but the U.N. is not going to play lap-dog to American and British oil interests. Unless they share in the command and decision-making process they will not help.
This will also be unacceptable to the current power elite, and they will fight such a move. The same will happen over the idea of bringing in Syrian and Iranian troops also. The two next most logical moves will be blocked by the remnants of the power elite.
So be prepared for more bickering. Be prepared for another protest vote to more completely "clean house." And while we fight about all this, be prepared for more death and chaos in Iraq.
My main worry? That Iraq will spin hopelessly out of control while we are bickering. If this happens we will have another Vietnam on our hands, and our only option will be to get our people out of harm's way and watch Iraq become even more hellish than it is now.
In the meantime I believe we need to hold George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld accountable for creating this mess. After we remove the so-called "detainee act" and restore our Constitution, our Bill Of Rights and our commitment to the Geneva Convention, we must put these men on trial and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law. We must do this for justice, and as an object lesson to the next man who thinks he can trample our political and social values in pursuit of his greed.
Of course, I also want to see these men pay for their crimes.
But that's the subject of another post.
There's no doubt that we want American troops out of Iraq, and the Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld vision of permanent military bases in that country to control the flow of oil, (not increase the flow of oil - control the flow,) is more or less dead.
It's also clear this same cabal wanted to invade Iran and basically take control of both countries, and that won't happen either.
But the Bush Administration created a mess and we have to clean up that mess before we can leave Iraq. (This is just one of the messes the administration has left for us.)
An overwhelming number of Americans want us out of Iraq, but to leave the country without having it descend into chaos (or greater chaos than at present) will require an overwhelming number of troops to stabilize and safeguard the country before we can leave.
This means we're going to need more troops in Iraq right now and for the immediate future. As someone who opposed this war before Bush started it I do not like stating this, but what I want and reality are often not the same thing. I want a promise from our government we won't become a permanent fixture in Iraq, and I think that's what most Americans want. But after securing that promise, we will have to bring in more troops in the short-term to clean up George's and Dick's and Donnie's mess.
The other thing we have to do is sit down with our enemies. This means talking with representatives from the insurgency, representatives from Iran and Syria, and all the major players within the country.
Remember there was a time when the British government said they would never negotiate with the IRA, (whom they called "terrorists.") But eventually they were forced to sit down with the IRA to bring about a permanent peace in Northern Ireland.
Keep in mind also that one man's "terrorist" is another man's "freedom fighter."
More troops. Talk with our enemies. Give up the idea of controlling Iraq's oil.
And could I have fries with that?
These are not solutions the Bush Administration wishes to look at, nor do the British and American oil companies, nor do the "neocons" in the Pentagon – but the latest protest vote from the American people have made clear that we don't share their desires. These are very powerful groups who are caught up in the arrogance and blindness of power. They will not give up what they want easily.
We have to take it from them by force.
The latest vote was part of that force. Americans showed these powerful interests that, contrary to their beliefs, they do not own this country. Another protest vote in 2008 that takes more "Republican" seats away and returns the presidency to "Democratic" control will be another necessary show of this force, because the men who did not get voted out this time will block us from achieving this goal.
The Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld cabal and their ilk will stand in the way come January. They will block reform and try to blame their greed and avarice on these new leaders. We will see this for what it is, and it will piss us off and drive another protest vote in 2008.
But long before 2008 we will need those additional troops in Iraq. This will look counter to what we want unless we make up these additional troops from outside American and British control. The logical next step is to bring in a U.N. force made up of many countries, but the U.N. is not going to play lap-dog to American and British oil interests. Unless they share in the command and decision-making process they will not help.
This will also be unacceptable to the current power elite, and they will fight such a move. The same will happen over the idea of bringing in Syrian and Iranian troops also. The two next most logical moves will be blocked by the remnants of the power elite.
So be prepared for more bickering. Be prepared for another protest vote to more completely "clean house." And while we fight about all this, be prepared for more death and chaos in Iraq.
My main worry? That Iraq will spin hopelessly out of control while we are bickering. If this happens we will have another Vietnam on our hands, and our only option will be to get our people out of harm's way and watch Iraq become even more hellish than it is now.
In the meantime I believe we need to hold George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld accountable for creating this mess. After we remove the so-called "detainee act" and restore our Constitution, our Bill Of Rights and our commitment to the Geneva Convention, we must put these men on trial and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law. We must do this for justice, and as an object lesson to the next man who thinks he can trample our political and social values in pursuit of his greed.
Of course, I also want to see these men pay for their crimes.
But that's the subject of another post.
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
What we are not learning:
The Foley scandal and the latest embarrassment to evangelical Christians based upon the revelation (no pun intended) their lead pastor has been using drugs and having sex with another man are merely indications we are not being honest with ourselves as a society.
I once commented to an employee the first album by "Enigma" was great music to make love by, to which she indignantly replied she was a chaste Christian and a virgin. Three months later this sixteen-year-old girl was very sexually active and not shy about her relationship.
What do these events show us? That we are surrounded by "temptation" and must always be on guard? That sex is a danger to our sense of virtue?
The obvious answer is that our perception of sex and morality is distorted, that we are sexually "dysfunctional," (though I loathe that term.)
We are not sexually "dysfunctional." Our perception of sex and sexuality is fucked up. We are juvenile, prurient and sophomoric when it comes to sex. Kinsey tried to teach us, but we decided to act like the puritans that founded this country instead of abandoning our infantile views of sex and sexuality.
We lie about sex and sexuality, even to ourselves. We are filled with self-hatred and self-loathing about our sexuality. Instead of telling our parents and grandparents the truth – that their world is not ours – we lie to them and to ourselves. We persecute each other when their sexual values do not match ours. We pretend our world is one that never really existed, some twisted vision we invented on 50s television.
The truth is a hundred years ago children got married and had children of their own and it was considered normal. Today we try and oppress teen sexuality, and when a child gets pregnant we pretend it's a horrific mistake. I'm not saying teen pregnancy is a good thing. It's wonderful our life expectancy has increased to the extent we can wait until after we graduate college to start a family.
When the AIDS epidemic started there was a French physician watching his friend and colleague die, a woman who had been treating patients in Africa in resource-poor settings. She often had her bare hands in open chest wounds because they ran out of gloves. When this man looked to America to see what our research was doing he saw only our preoccupation with gay sex. He knew his doctor friend was not gay nor was she having sex with gay men while treating poor people in a village in Africa.
"What is with the American's preoccupation with sex?" this frustrated physician asked himself.
We let an epidemic spin out of control because we did not want to accept the facts of, not only our sexuality, but our terror of disease. (There are many things we are childish about – sex and illness are but two of them.) Instead we let a geriatric President steeped in anger and bigotry determine the growth of an epidemic.
Our view of ourselves as sexual beings is not steeped in reality. Why do over 50% of marriages break up? Could it be that, when one person in the relationship stops wanting sex, our Fears force the other person into a celibacy they neither want nor desire? We do this without even saying a word. Time for the F-word again. (Fear.) We Fear our partner may find someone he prefers to us simply because he or she has sex with this third person. How insecure is that?
But we never talk about it because that would force us to be honest and adult about sex, sexuality and Fear. Instead we let people whose sexuality is more suited to the Middle Ages determine the course of our country. Most of us don't agree with these people, but we also failed to take them seriously when they started taking over school boards, and look at the damage they have done in just 26 years! We got lazy and complacent because even those who consider themselves "progressive" want to hang on to their juvenile views about sex, sexuality and relationships.
We may work harder than nearly any other society, but we are incredibly lazy when it comes to dealing with sex and feelings. Why? Time to look at the F-word again. Or maybe we don’t want to assume emotional responsibility for our sex and sexuality. Be it Fear or laziness, we have neglected a very important aspect of our health, our emotional health. Instead we have suppressed it to the point where it's starting to kill us.
Am I being over-dramatic to say our stunted emotional growth is endangering our physical health and sanity? I wish I were. There are three aspects to health – the physical, the emotional and the spiritual.
Before we get hung up here I want to clarify by saying the human spirit is not necessarily intertwined with any form of religion. Your spirit has nothing to do with your belief or disbelief in some form of god or gods. If you don't know the difference I strongly suggest you do a little homework, because defining the human spirit is a topic that could take an entire essay of its own.
But the health of our emotions and spirits require understanding, education and honesty – with ourselves and our doctors. On the flip side, doctors are learning that ignoring their patients emotional and spiritual needs is bad medical practice – but give them some time. It's not easy for arrogant scientists to get in touch with their human side.
We all have Fears we don’t even know we have because we don't fully understand our sexuality. (We likely have Fears that are based in emotional and spiritual ignorance as well.) In short, most of us need to grow up.
Here's one – Being gay or lesbian does NOT automatically make us sexually progressive. It makes us non-mainstream, but does not make us sexually, emotionally and spiritually progressive. Time for us to stop pretending we're somehow above the heterosexuals solely by virtue of our sexuality.
Focus on the words; "some," "solely," and "most." But if everyone who reads this lies to themselves by telling themselves; "I'm emotionally and sexually mature;" we continue the denial that has let these religious extremists nearly take over our country. To paraphrase; "We are not all that and a bag of potato chips." Most of us are back in the high-school locker room.
If my prognosis offends you, too bad. In fact, if it really does, that might be a sign for you to take a look at your sexual, emotional and spiritual maturity.
Or you could just say; "that Phillip Alden is an arrogant asshole," and switch to the next blog entry. I may indeed be an arrogant asshole, but I have a valid point.
Another aspect of our unhealthy relationship with sex and sexuality is poor body image. This causes all kinds of physical health problems like eating disorders, as well as a number of emotional problems. Most of us have a terrible relationship with our bodies and we pay a huge price for that. Quite literally, poor body image kills us.
It's time to be honest with ourselves and others about our feelings, including our feelings around sex, because there are few things as steeped in emotion as sex/sexuality. That calls for introspection and focused thought. What makes us happy and unhappy? (Not what others may or may not do to cause our happiness/unhappiness.) What are our personal sexual needs and desires? What are we afraid of?
That last question is one that should be given a good deal of time and attention. Only by really determining what we are truly afraid of can we begin to feel strong enough to talk about who we really are and what we really want. Fear is the enemy. Fear is always the enemy, (on one level or another.) Fear sometimes drives us without our really seeing it, without effectively recognizing it and subsequently effectively resolving it.
Once we get past the Fear that allows us to say; "I think I might like having sex with (x); I think I might enjoy being tied up, or having sex in the woods, (watch out for that Poison Oak.) Or more serious admissions like; "I think my sex drive might be different from my partner and I want to address that in a constructive and thoughtful manner."
There are many wonderful books on emotional communication. (I'm reading a couple right now.) Kinsey, and "Masters and Johnson" are great sources on sexual understanding and growth.
But careful thought and honest self-evaluation are necessary, and should become regular behavior patterns. (Take it from a guy who has failed to do so on many occasions.)
I'm not saying this stuff because I'm an expert on human feelings and sexuality, or because I've had some great revelation I feel compelled to share. I'm saying this because I've been taught a lot of great stuff from some very intelligent people. I've been lucky to have friends and partners who have helped me grow as a person. I've had great doctors, who took the time to address my emotional health and spiritual health and give me some really good guidance.
And lastly I'm stating all this because I'm tired of watching "sexual scandals" that are the result of retarded societal views on human sexuality. How many more Foley(s) and Haggard(s) do we have to watch implode before we stop this twisted charade that is harming all of us?
Phillip Alden
November 2006
San Francisco, CA
The Foley scandal and the latest embarrassment to evangelical Christians based upon the revelation (no pun intended) their lead pastor has been using drugs and having sex with another man are merely indications we are not being honest with ourselves as a society.
I once commented to an employee the first album by "Enigma" was great music to make love by, to which she indignantly replied she was a chaste Christian and a virgin. Three months later this sixteen-year-old girl was very sexually active and not shy about her relationship.
What do these events show us? That we are surrounded by "temptation" and must always be on guard? That sex is a danger to our sense of virtue?
The obvious answer is that our perception of sex and morality is distorted, that we are sexually "dysfunctional," (though I loathe that term.)
We are not sexually "dysfunctional." Our perception of sex and sexuality is fucked up. We are juvenile, prurient and sophomoric when it comes to sex. Kinsey tried to teach us, but we decided to act like the puritans that founded this country instead of abandoning our infantile views of sex and sexuality.
We lie about sex and sexuality, even to ourselves. We are filled with self-hatred and self-loathing about our sexuality. Instead of telling our parents and grandparents the truth – that their world is not ours – we lie to them and to ourselves. We persecute each other when their sexual values do not match ours. We pretend our world is one that never really existed, some twisted vision we invented on 50s television.
The truth is a hundred years ago children got married and had children of their own and it was considered normal. Today we try and oppress teen sexuality, and when a child gets pregnant we pretend it's a horrific mistake. I'm not saying teen pregnancy is a good thing. It's wonderful our life expectancy has increased to the extent we can wait until after we graduate college to start a family.
When the AIDS epidemic started there was a French physician watching his friend and colleague die, a woman who had been treating patients in Africa in resource-poor settings. She often had her bare hands in open chest wounds because they ran out of gloves. When this man looked to America to see what our research was doing he saw only our preoccupation with gay sex. He knew his doctor friend was not gay nor was she having sex with gay men while treating poor people in a village in Africa.
"What is with the American's preoccupation with sex?" this frustrated physician asked himself.
We let an epidemic spin out of control because we did not want to accept the facts of, not only our sexuality, but our terror of disease. (There are many things we are childish about – sex and illness are but two of them.) Instead we let a geriatric President steeped in anger and bigotry determine the growth of an epidemic.
Our view of ourselves as sexual beings is not steeped in reality. Why do over 50% of marriages break up? Could it be that, when one person in the relationship stops wanting sex, our Fears force the other person into a celibacy they neither want nor desire? We do this without even saying a word. Time for the F-word again. (Fear.) We Fear our partner may find someone he prefers to us simply because he or she has sex with this third person. How insecure is that?
But we never talk about it because that would force us to be honest and adult about sex, sexuality and Fear. Instead we let people whose sexuality is more suited to the Middle Ages determine the course of our country. Most of us don't agree with these people, but we also failed to take them seriously when they started taking over school boards, and look at the damage they have done in just 26 years! We got lazy and complacent because even those who consider themselves "progressive" want to hang on to their juvenile views about sex, sexuality and relationships.
We may work harder than nearly any other society, but we are incredibly lazy when it comes to dealing with sex and feelings. Why? Time to look at the F-word again. Or maybe we don’t want to assume emotional responsibility for our sex and sexuality. Be it Fear or laziness, we have neglected a very important aspect of our health, our emotional health. Instead we have suppressed it to the point where it's starting to kill us.
Am I being over-dramatic to say our stunted emotional growth is endangering our physical health and sanity? I wish I were. There are three aspects to health – the physical, the emotional and the spiritual.
Before we get hung up here I want to clarify by saying the human spirit is not necessarily intertwined with any form of religion. Your spirit has nothing to do with your belief or disbelief in some form of god or gods. If you don't know the difference I strongly suggest you do a little homework, because defining the human spirit is a topic that could take an entire essay of its own.
But the health of our emotions and spirits require understanding, education and honesty – with ourselves and our doctors. On the flip side, doctors are learning that ignoring their patients emotional and spiritual needs is bad medical practice – but give them some time. It's not easy for arrogant scientists to get in touch with their human side.
We all have Fears we don’t even know we have because we don't fully understand our sexuality. (We likely have Fears that are based in emotional and spiritual ignorance as well.) In short, most of us need to grow up.
Here's one – Being gay or lesbian does NOT automatically make us sexually progressive. It makes us non-mainstream, but does not make us sexually, emotionally and spiritually progressive. Time for us to stop pretending we're somehow above the heterosexuals solely by virtue of our sexuality.
Focus on the words; "some," "solely," and "most." But if everyone who reads this lies to themselves by telling themselves; "I'm emotionally and sexually mature;" we continue the denial that has let these religious extremists nearly take over our country. To paraphrase; "We are not all that and a bag of potato chips." Most of us are back in the high-school locker room.
If my prognosis offends you, too bad. In fact, if it really does, that might be a sign for you to take a look at your sexual, emotional and spiritual maturity.
Or you could just say; "that Phillip Alden is an arrogant asshole," and switch to the next blog entry. I may indeed be an arrogant asshole, but I have a valid point.
Another aspect of our unhealthy relationship with sex and sexuality is poor body image. This causes all kinds of physical health problems like eating disorders, as well as a number of emotional problems. Most of us have a terrible relationship with our bodies and we pay a huge price for that. Quite literally, poor body image kills us.
It's time to be honest with ourselves and others about our feelings, including our feelings around sex, because there are few things as steeped in emotion as sex/sexuality. That calls for introspection and focused thought. What makes us happy and unhappy? (Not what others may or may not do to cause our happiness/unhappiness.) What are our personal sexual needs and desires? What are we afraid of?
That last question is one that should be given a good deal of time and attention. Only by really determining what we are truly afraid of can we begin to feel strong enough to talk about who we really are and what we really want. Fear is the enemy. Fear is always the enemy, (on one level or another.) Fear sometimes drives us without our really seeing it, without effectively recognizing it and subsequently effectively resolving it.
Once we get past the Fear that allows us to say; "I think I might like having sex with (x); I think I might enjoy being tied up, or having sex in the woods, (watch out for that Poison Oak.) Or more serious admissions like; "I think my sex drive might be different from my partner and I want to address that in a constructive and thoughtful manner."
There are many wonderful books on emotional communication. (I'm reading a couple right now.) Kinsey, and "Masters and Johnson" are great sources on sexual understanding and growth.
But careful thought and honest self-evaluation are necessary, and should become regular behavior patterns. (Take it from a guy who has failed to do so on many occasions.)
I'm not saying this stuff because I'm an expert on human feelings and sexuality, or because I've had some great revelation I feel compelled to share. I'm saying this because I've been taught a lot of great stuff from some very intelligent people. I've been lucky to have friends and partners who have helped me grow as a person. I've had great doctors, who took the time to address my emotional health and spiritual health and give me some really good guidance.
And lastly I'm stating all this because I'm tired of watching "sexual scandals" that are the result of retarded societal views on human sexuality. How many more Foley(s) and Haggard(s) do we have to watch implode before we stop this twisted charade that is harming all of us?
Phillip Alden
November 2006
San Francisco, CA
Hard not to be happy:
As the title implies, I'm pleased with the outcome of yesterday's mid-term elections. When you combine those results with the resignation of Donald Rumsfeld as Secretary of Defense it's hard not to be happy today.
But while it's a clear victory for those who love this country and value the principles upon which it was founded, it's just a start. The Democrats have a lot of work in front of them to start repairing the damage done by 26 years of "Republican" rule, and 6 years of the Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld cabal. One of the nicest things is that we can stop using the name Rumsfeld at least until the investigations and hearings start.
Because that's the first thing that needs to be restored – oversight and formal investigations into the shenanigans of the past 6 years. There's no doubt that many laws have been broken and much harm done. The fact that the Bush Administration kidnapped people off the streets and tortured them, some of them to death – must be addressed and thoroughly investigated. (And I'm not talking about streets in Iraq and Afghanistan, though there are examples there. I'm talking about streets in places like Sydney, Australia and New York City.)
Laws were broken and human rights were violated, and the people who issued those orders need to be tried, and if found guilty, sent to prison for a very long time – even if those people were George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld. The people who carried out those orders also need to face the same justice even if they are American military personnel, and especially if they were American contractors. "I was only following orders" didn't work at Nuremberg and it shouldn't work here. If soldiers had done their duty and refused to follow an illegal order this stuff might have come out much sooner.
Next up Halliburton and KBR, along with other companies who have engaged in all manner of illegal activity. It's time to hold them accountable, and get back the billions of taxpayer dollars they stole through shady contracts.
Our new speaker-elect has stated there will be oversight and investigations where people will testify under oath and I love her for that, (among other things.) In addition, the lobbying investigations need to continue. I don't care if the guilty are "Democrats" or "Republicans." (Though I suspect the majority are "Republicans.")
And if you're wondering why I'm putting the words "Democrat" and "Republican" in quotes – it's because many politicians who have labeled themselves as such have done little to live up to the name.
The investigations over the next two years, along with all the other stuff that's been kept from the American people, will shake the political foundations of our country even further. What we will learn in the coming months will shock us, anger us, and hopefully makes us realize our responsibility as citizens to watch over our government – a responsibility we have not been taking seriously enough. A functioning Democracy depends upon the involvement of the governed.
I'm happy to see us starting to realize that responsibility. In two years we will go to the polls again, driven by similar circumstances but on a much larger scale.
There are a lot of people in Washington and in corporate boardrooms who are likely very nervous right now. They've known all along they were breaking laws and subverting our Constitution and Bill Of Rights and they fear answering for their crimes. They have good reason to fear. I suspect that, like Jack Abramoff himself, they will be eager to cut deals to reduce their prison time. I hope so, as it will make things easier and cause more truth to be revealed.
Our regulatory agencies also need to get back to work. People who trade oil futures, Wal-Mart, Halliburton, Bechtel International and Lockheed Martin are my primary targets for investigation – but there is a very long list.
What's really important here is the "Neocons" are done, (thank the universe!) I also suspect the Radical Christian Right will lose power and influence as things progress. Bush and his agenda to take this country back in time is through. The last vestiges of 19th and 20th century thinking are falling away. Even the most rabid RCR zealot will come to realize you cannot take a country backward. It's been tried many times before and it's failed every single time. The clock does not move backward.
So celebrate today and be happy. I'm planning on opening a mini-bottle of Champagne in recognition of a great win for democracy and freedom. Gloat if you want to. We have waited 26 miserable years for this day, the start of a new world view. Rummy and Wolfowitz and Addington and Cheney are done! George W. Bush and his enablers are done! The light of day is once again starting to shine upon America.
Tomorrow we need to start writing letters demanding the initiation of investigations and hearings into everything from Iraq to Katrina to 9-11. (Posted letters are much more effective than phone calls or email.) But if you cannot type, print, sign and mail a letter or two – call your representative and demand investigations into these things.
You all did a wonderful thing yesterday and you should be proud. Don't let it stop there. And in two years I hope you will go to the polls again and assure the positive change we're seeing today continues. We will have our country back as long as we continue to do the right thing.
Today I am once again proud to call myself an American. You should be too. Good work!
As the title implies, I'm pleased with the outcome of yesterday's mid-term elections. When you combine those results with the resignation of Donald Rumsfeld as Secretary of Defense it's hard not to be happy today.
But while it's a clear victory for those who love this country and value the principles upon which it was founded, it's just a start. The Democrats have a lot of work in front of them to start repairing the damage done by 26 years of "Republican" rule, and 6 years of the Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld cabal. One of the nicest things is that we can stop using the name Rumsfeld at least until the investigations and hearings start.
Because that's the first thing that needs to be restored – oversight and formal investigations into the shenanigans of the past 6 years. There's no doubt that many laws have been broken and much harm done. The fact that the Bush Administration kidnapped people off the streets and tortured them, some of them to death – must be addressed and thoroughly investigated. (And I'm not talking about streets in Iraq and Afghanistan, though there are examples there. I'm talking about streets in places like Sydney, Australia and New York City.)
Laws were broken and human rights were violated, and the people who issued those orders need to be tried, and if found guilty, sent to prison for a very long time – even if those people were George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld. The people who carried out those orders also need to face the same justice even if they are American military personnel, and especially if they were American contractors. "I was only following orders" didn't work at Nuremberg and it shouldn't work here. If soldiers had done their duty and refused to follow an illegal order this stuff might have come out much sooner.
Next up Halliburton and KBR, along with other companies who have engaged in all manner of illegal activity. It's time to hold them accountable, and get back the billions of taxpayer dollars they stole through shady contracts.
Our new speaker-elect has stated there will be oversight and investigations where people will testify under oath and I love her for that, (among other things.) In addition, the lobbying investigations need to continue. I don't care if the guilty are "Democrats" or "Republicans." (Though I suspect the majority are "Republicans.")
And if you're wondering why I'm putting the words "Democrat" and "Republican" in quotes – it's because many politicians who have labeled themselves as such have done little to live up to the name.
The investigations over the next two years, along with all the other stuff that's been kept from the American people, will shake the political foundations of our country even further. What we will learn in the coming months will shock us, anger us, and hopefully makes us realize our responsibility as citizens to watch over our government – a responsibility we have not been taking seriously enough. A functioning Democracy depends upon the involvement of the governed.
I'm happy to see us starting to realize that responsibility. In two years we will go to the polls again, driven by similar circumstances but on a much larger scale.
There are a lot of people in Washington and in corporate boardrooms who are likely very nervous right now. They've known all along they were breaking laws and subverting our Constitution and Bill Of Rights and they fear answering for their crimes. They have good reason to fear. I suspect that, like Jack Abramoff himself, they will be eager to cut deals to reduce their prison time. I hope so, as it will make things easier and cause more truth to be revealed.
Our regulatory agencies also need to get back to work. People who trade oil futures, Wal-Mart, Halliburton, Bechtel International and Lockheed Martin are my primary targets for investigation – but there is a very long list.
What's really important here is the "Neocons" are done, (thank the universe!) I also suspect the Radical Christian Right will lose power and influence as things progress. Bush and his agenda to take this country back in time is through. The last vestiges of 19th and 20th century thinking are falling away. Even the most rabid RCR zealot will come to realize you cannot take a country backward. It's been tried many times before and it's failed every single time. The clock does not move backward.
So celebrate today and be happy. I'm planning on opening a mini-bottle of Champagne in recognition of a great win for democracy and freedom. Gloat if you want to. We have waited 26 miserable years for this day, the start of a new world view. Rummy and Wolfowitz and Addington and Cheney are done! George W. Bush and his enablers are done! The light of day is once again starting to shine upon America.
Tomorrow we need to start writing letters demanding the initiation of investigations and hearings into everything from Iraq to Katrina to 9-11. (Posted letters are much more effective than phone calls or email.) But if you cannot type, print, sign and mail a letter or two – call your representative and demand investigations into these things.
You all did a wonderful thing yesterday and you should be proud. Don't let it stop there. And in two years I hope you will go to the polls again and assure the positive change we're seeing today continues. We will have our country back as long as we continue to do the right thing.
Today I am once again proud to call myself an American. You should be too. Good work!
