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Tuesday, May 26, 2009
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Prop 8 but a dying gasp...
Let us hereby be reminded, before sadness and frustration overwhelm once more: Proposition 8 and its ilk are merely the last, fitful gasps of a long-dying ideology, markers of a certain kind of sad, conservative desperation. They are the final clawings and scrapings of a reactionary worldview that attempts to outlaw and punish all it cannot, will not understand. Same as it ever was, really.
One of the parts of this article that is great is a comment made by a 60 year old white haired woman:
If I remember correctly, Jesus said, "Love one another." He didn't specify gender nor whom you should. Those words came from a man who hung out with twelve disciples and a prostitute. He never married nor had children. I look forward to the time in our lives when this will be a footnote in our history. Hold on.
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
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I QUIT!
The time has come! As of Friday at 5:30 p.m., GuyOnTheAir will no longer be on the air in any way, shape, or form at the company he has worked at for almost 5 years.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
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Heaven Lounge/Tigerheat gone wrong...
I like to think that those responsible and in decision-making positions about this event would not want this sort of experience to repeat itself in the future, and would be as upset about the situation I've described as I still am, weeks after the event. Most promoters know that patron goodwill, and positive word of mouth go a long way in making successful events.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
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Four Lessons Gay Marriage Activists Must Learn From Obama
I really like what Lee Stranahan has to say over at the Huffington Post. Read the whole article, but to summarize:
1) Anger loses 2) Get organized 3) Outreach works 4) Pick your battles
A few words on Prop 8 (not my own)...
For fear that this may some day disappear from the MSNBC site, I've quoted the entire article referenced. From the Monday, Nov. 11 edition of "Countdown with Keith Olberman" on MSNBC, comes this*:
SPECIAL COMMENT By Keith Olbermann Anchor, 'Countdown' msnbc.com updated 6:13 p.m. PT, Mon., Nov. 10, 2008
Finally tonight as promised, a Special Comment on the passage, last week, of Proposition Eight in California, which rescinded the right of same-sex couples to marry, and tilted the balance on this issue, from coast to coast.
Some parameters, as preface. This isn't about yelling, and this isn't about politics, and this isn't really just about Prop-8. And I don't have a personal investment in this: I'm not gay, I had to strain to think of one member of even my very extended family who is, I have no personal stories of close friends or colleagues fighting the prejudice that still pervades their lives.
And yet to me this vote is horrible. Horrible. Because this isn't about yelling, and this isn't about politics. This is about the human heart, and if that sounds corny, so be it.
If you voted for this Proposition or support those who did or the sentiment they expressed, I have some questions, because, truly, I do not understand. Why does this matter to you? What is it to you? In a time of impermanence and fly-by-night relationships, these people over here want the same chance at permanence and happiness that is your option. They don't want to deny you yours. They don't want to take anything away from you. They want what you want—a chance to be a little less alone in the world.
Only now you are saying to them—no. You can't have it on these terms. Maybe something similar. If they behave. If they don't cause too much trouble. You'll even give them all the same legal rights—even as you're taking away the legal right, which they already had. A world around them, still anchored in love and marriage, and you are saying, no, you can't marry. What if somebody passed a law that said you couldn't marry?
I keep hearing this term "re-defining" marriage. If this country hadn't re-defined marriage, black people still couldn't marry white people. Sixteen states had laws on the books which made that illegal in 1967. 1967.
The parents of the President-Elect of the United States couldn't have married in nearly one third of the states of the country their son grew up to lead. But it's worse than that. If this country had not "re-defined" marriage, some black people still couldn't marry black people. It is one of the most overlooked and cruelest parts of our sad story of slavery. Marriages were not legally recognized, if the people were slaves. Since slaves were property, they could not legally be husband and wife, or mother and child. Their marriage vows were different: not "Until Death, Do You Part," but "Until Death or Distance, Do You Part." Marriages among slaves were not legally recognized.
You know, just like marriages today in California are not legally recognized, if the people are gay.
And uncountable in our history are the number of men and women, forced by society into marrying the opposite sex, in sham marriages, or marriages of convenience, or just marriages of not knowing, centuries of men and women who have lived their lives in shame and unhappiness, and who have, through a lie to themselves or others, broken countless other lives, of spouses and children, all because we said a man couldn't marry another man, or a woman couldn't marry another woman. The sanctity of marriage.
How many marriages like that have there been and how on earth do they increase the "sanctity" of marriage rather than render the term, meaningless?
What is this, to you? Nobody is asking you to embrace their expression of love. But don't you, as human beings, have to embrace... that love? The world is barren enough.
It is stacked against love, and against hope, and against those very few and precious emotions that enable us to go forward. Your marriage only stands a 50-50 chance of lasting, no matter how much you feel and how hard you work.
And here are people overjoyed at the prospect of just that chance, and that work, just for the hope of having that feeling. With so much hate in the world, with so much meaningless division, and people pitted against people for no good reason, this is what your religion tells you to do? With your experience of life and this world and all its sadnesses, this is what your conscience tells you to do?
With your knowledge that life, with endless vigor, seems to tilt the playing field on which we all live, in favor of unhappiness and hate... this is what your heart tells you to do? You want to sanctify marriage? You want to honor your God and the universal love you believe he represents? Then Spread happiness—this tiny, symbolic, semantical grain of happiness—share it with all those who seek it. Quote me anything from your religious leader or book of choice telling you to stand against this. And then tell me how you can believe both that statement and another statement, another one which reads only "do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
You are asked now, by your country, and perhaps by your creator, to stand on one side or another. You are asked now to stand, not on a question of politics, not on a question of religion, not on a question of gay or straight. You are asked now to stand, on a question of love. All you need do is stand, and let the tiny ember of love meet its own fate.
You don't have to help it, you don't have it applaud it, you don't have to fight for it. Just don't put it out. Just don't extinguish it. Because while it may at first look like that love is between two people you don't know and you don't understand and maybe you don't even want to know. It is, in fact, the ember of your love, for your fellow person just because this is the only world we have. And the other guy counts, too.
This is the second time in ten days I find myself concluding by turning to, of all things, the closing plea for mercy by Clarence Darrow in a murder trial.
But what he said, fits what is really at the heart of this:
"I was reading last night of the aspiration of the old Persian poet, Omar-Khayyam," he told the judge. It appealed to me as the highest that I can vision. I wish it was in my heart, and I wish it was in the hearts of all: So I be written in the Book of Love; I do not care about that Book above. Erase my name, or write it as you will, So I be written in the Book of Love."
If the mood so strikes me in the coming days, I may post some more of my own thoughts on the passage of Prop 8. But, so far, all I've been able to put together is the wording of my "status" on Facebook. It reads, "GuyOnTheAir is discouraged that people feel justified in their hatred, based on their religion, when no religion truly supports hatred of people."
I have not followed, nor seen any of the Michael Moore movies. I don't know if I respect the man, or what I think about him. But I have to tell you, this clip makes me laugh, and makes me so very happy!
Monday, April 21, 2008
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Major GrandCentral outtage, and my response
I've become a huge user of GrandCentral, a service bought by Google, which claims to be your one stop shop for a phone number that won't change for life...
So, most people that know me now have my GrandCentral phone number. (Readers of private.GuyOnTheAir.com even have a button to click to call me directly from there...) And, overall, I like the features and service...except when it goes down, as it did on my birthday, just a couple weekends ago.
And, upon service restoral, shocker, they even posted something about it on the GrandCentral blog. So, I've posted my "comments" response. But, since my comments are awaiting "moderation", I have a sneaky suspicion they might never see the light of day. So, I publish them here, so that all the world can read, whether or not they become an "official" comment.
GuyOnTheAir Says: Your comment is awaiting moderation. April 20th, 2008 at 11:34 pm
I find it astounding that this service seems to be no more than a “mom and pop” setup. Sounds like it’s coming from someone’s garage.
A number of things are disturbing:
1) A colo facility, apparently now contracted by Google, had a “power issue” that knocked the whole service offline. Any colo facility I’d ever do business with would have backup power, generators, something. Did all of those fail? Were they even in place?
2) Every guy deserves time with his family, and Craig should be no different. But, is Craig the ONLY guy running GC? Is there NOBODY else that could deal with problems? Would not a variety of people be paged and consulted in case of an issue? Craig says “we were able to restore the service”, implying it’s more than just him, but I’m starting to wonder.
3) Keeping us informed would be great. It seems that all communication, save one or two blogs, has been cut off ever since Google acquired GC. As an end user, it would appear the service is doomed, as there have been no major developments, and changes, other than the mysterious end being able to invite others to the service. That doesn’t bode well, either. Is the service doomed?
I do appreciate that at least SOMETHING was written about this outtage. I’m sure most people don’t even realize this blog is here, though, and it certainly hasn’t seemed to be a complete resource for all things GC in ages…
I do hope that things improve.
Finally, can we get a way to call our GC number, look somebody up in our Address book, and then be able to call them, if we’re not able to get the web interface? That and text messaging are the biggest hurdles to making this service truly replace all my other numbers.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
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This is sad...
I live in the middle of the city. Well, yes, I live in the "valley" area of Los Angeles, so, some may consider that the suburbs. But, to me, it feels like I'm right in the middle of the city. Many days I wish I could get out of town, or have some peace and quiet. That's why I love to go camping, or up to the mountains, even for an afternoon.
I didn't grow up in "suburbia". I grew up on the outskirts of a town, and I'm not totally accustomed to hearing traffic, busses, firetrucks and sirens at all hours of the day and night. I'm not used to living for an extended period of time with noisy neighbors next to, and above me.
But in some regards, there's safety in that, at least as far as wild fires are concerned. We're in the midst of some terrible fires here. Ash has covered my car when I get out from work (I've not been riding the moped due to the poor air conditions, preferring the somewhat filtered air of my car.) There's smoke in the air, and the smell of something burning. And, at times, depending on the winds, the sky is dark with smoke. And, it's hard to believe that these fires that started in outlying areas, in areas with more trees, brush, shrubs and more, can really hit me. I'm in the middle of town. I have a fire station right down the street.
So, even though I pay my renter's insurance to keep my belongings safe or replaceable, it doesn't really feel real to me. The TV coverage has been nonstop for a few days now, but it doesn't really feel like it could hit me. So, while I'm concerned about those I know who live in affected areas, and have called and contacted them, worried about their well-being, it just doesn't seem to affect me much. Life has gone on, with only minor work problems, due to the situation.
But, then you come across something like this:
I'm not even familiar with Larry Himmel. I haven't seen him on tv when I've been in San Diego that I'm aware of. But, he's been around San Diego a long time. And, well, this clip brings tears to my eyes. I can think of how he must feel, and what it must be like. And yet, he has to carry on. Life has gone on for him, too, and he's reporting on how these fires of destroyed his life, in many regards.
Yes, possessions are just possessions, but some are irreplaceable, and no one can deny that they do provide comfort, and a sense of home and belonging. They're also related to hopes and dreams. I dream of owning a home someday, and I'm sure that Larry did too. So, then to have achieved that dream, and then having to report on it burning to the ground, must be quite an emotional experience indeed.
My heart goes out all those who have been directly affected by the fires, and I applaud the efforts of firemen, law enforcement, and others that have responded in the ways they should.
