MarianJack
MarianJack's JournalOnce upon a time, a LONG time ago,...
...I was VERY homophobic.I was young, in college in the 70s, it was a time when LGBT people were first coming out and no longer buying into society's horseshit about homosexuality being a mental disorder or a disease or a perversion. I remember many people introducing themselves by saying something like "Hi, I'm Bob and I'm gay"!
I can say 2 things to explain it. First, it's what I was taught. Second, like many other men my age, I had the misconception that any gay man was automatically lusting uncontrollably for my measly little pecker!
I don't know just exactly when it was or what happened to change my mind to the vast degree that it has, but it certainly did the trick! I think that possibly one of the first steps was the great respect that I've always had for Diana Nyad, who is probably my favorite non-tennis athlete ever. Over time I realized that for "the American Dream" to be real, it had to be real for everybody, no matter their race, religion, nationality or whom they love. I also realized that everyone in this life has the right to love and be loved, weather by someone of the same or opposite gender. My wife and I happily and proudly supported Marriage Equality with both our advocacy and our votes, both in 2009, when it lost up here in Maine, and in 2012, when we became, along with a few other states, the first state to legalize Marriage Equality by popular vote.
As I've mentioned before, I play Santa every Christmas. About 10 days before Christmas last month, I was pumping some gas in my "secret identity" but wearing a red sweat shirt with my beard in full flowing when a young couple with a little girl about 7years old. The little girl saw me, giggled and waved while I did a big "Ho, Ho, Ho". I went into the store and the young mom told me that I'd made her daughter's day. I asked if she were in the car with her dad and the young woman said that the little girl was with "her other mom". I gave her a great big ho, ho, ho and said that THIS Santa loves ALL families!
Anyway, maybe some of you will tell me that I don't have to apologize for what happened nearly 40 years ago, but I still feel bad about my homophobia to this day, even though I NEVER did anything violent or verbally abrasive/abusive to an LGBT person.
That's my 2 cents, and quite possibly overpriced at that!
PEACE! 
Please pardon me as a totally clueless old fudd, but...
...what exactly is WOO?
In MY world, "WOO" is what I yell when my beautiful wife gets frisky...and I'll NEVER say anything nasty about THAT !!! 
PEACE!
From our family to yours,...
...please accept our best wishes for a happy and prosperous and healthy New Year...all the best in 2014!!! 
PEACE!
Regarding Fox "News"'s "Santa is white...he just is" lunacy!
Hi. I play Santa Claus. If I can get some help from my tech savy wife o son, maybe I'll put in some photos to prove it on a later edit. As my son correctly says, I have WAY too much fun doing it!!! In the few weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, when I have a day off and am out at the supermarket or running errands, I always wear my Santa hat and a red shirt or sweater and you won't believe the number of kids (and adults) who just FREAK with excitement. Yes, adults really DO want to believe!
While I would NEVER speak to a child without at least a tacit approval from the parent, if I do have it, I'll always chat with the child by asking his/her name, how old they are. I then ponder and tell them that they ARE on the nice list, but that they have to remember to follow their family rules. I then remind them to eat their veggies, brush their teeth, clean their rooms, work hard in school, etc., because those are not only nice list things, but BIG kid things, too! Let's face it, what parent is going to object to SANTA CLAUS telling their kid those things?
When I get home for the night on Christmas Eve, I shave the beard off because I know that if I go out looking like Santa on December 26, than many of those kids who were SOOO excited to see me just a few days before will be coming up to me, kicking my shins and calling me an old bastard for not bringing them every single thing that they wanted. Worse yet, some parents may tell their kids that it was MY fault that they didn't get it all!
I'm a 58 year old fat white guy. Many would describe me as middle aged, but I coubt that I'll make it to 116.
I tell you this to show that I do have some skin in the game when I comment on the Fox "News"' "Santa is just white" idiocy.
A few years ago, I was in a game store with my son a few Saturdays before Christmas in my Santa "disguise" when an African American family came in. There were 3 kids, a lovely mom and a dad who looked to be about 38 years old, was a really good looking guy with a very athletic build. After going through my usual Sants routine, I was chatting with the dad and I told him that I thought he would make a wonderful Santa. He was a bit taken aback by this and I explained my opinion that there is no rule that says that Santa has to be a fat old white guy. I expressed my opinion that since we have a young and handsome African American President, we could also have a young and handsome African American Santa Claus.
Santa Claus is a symbol of the spirit of giving, generosity, sharing and love that is emblematic of the Holiday Season. Who says that that symbol can only have the face of old dudes like me and only those of Northern and Western European ancestry?
Speaking for myself, I don't care if Santa is white, black Asian, straight, gay fat, thin, male, female or paisley & polka dotted!
It is also amazingly vacuous to state automatically that Jesus and Saint Nicholas were Northern/Western European. Jesus was Middle Eastern and almost certainly looked so, and possibly black. Saint Nicholas was Greek and almost certainly looked Mediterranean. For Ms. Kelly company to bend this to make them into the precious Fox "News" Caucasian is moronic, but also typical of that network.
Let me also add that the word "holiday" comes from the root of "holy day", so wishing someone "Happy Holidays" is NOT participating in the "War on Christmas". If I'm aware of being in the presence of someone who is devoted to this particular Fox "News" piece of lunacy, I'll make sure to say "Happy Holidays" while dressed Santa just to annoy them!
That's my 2 cents, and quite possibly overpriced at that!
PEACE!
My (apparent) little victory over Fox "News"!
Hi. I work in Community support for a small mental health agency here in Maine. A few mornings every week, several of us bring our clients to a local McDonald's for some peer interaction/unpaid support time. One of the things that consistently annoyed me was the fact that Fox "News" was ALWAYS on their TV.
While I never included my co-workers, and certainly not my clients, in this, I always made a point of complaining about my breakfast being served up with lies and hateful bile on the side. I was told by more than one shift leader that the owner of that particular franchise had left instructions that Fox must be the only station for the dining room tv.
I pointed out to the shift leaders that their boss is an idiot because Maine is a blue state, we voted for President Obama twice with percentages in the high 50s, I was sure that I wasn't the only patron who felt the same way and that their owner was not going to have everyone in the restaurant stand up, link arms and march out to join the hourly teabagger rally.
My wife and I have never been reticent people. Even in the immediate post 9/11 era where Democrats were supposed to cringe like beaten puppies whenever a right winger snarled as a sign that we didn't count because of George W Moron's illusory 92% poll approval, WE spoke our minds. The shift leaders are all very nice people. I told them that I was sorry that they were receiving all of the grief from me, but at least my big mouth never cost anyone 24 Billion dollars!
I also pointed out that my family comes to the city where they are located quite frequently and when we did, we would certainly NOT come there to be subjected to Fox "News" BS. I didn't point out that our family wouldn't eat at McDonald's under any circumstances.
Last week, a regional manager from corporate was in the restaurant and I stopped by her table and stated my case. After I joined my party, she got up, went to the shift leader, who immediately came out and changed the channel to NECN (kind of a New England version of CNN. Overall,they're not too bad).
They haven't had Fox "News" on since. YAY!
Thanks for reading about my effort to improve my little corner of the world. That's my 2 cents, and quite possibly overpriced at that!
PEACE!
So...Mike Michaud is Gay.
Yawn!
Up here in Maine, we've been governed by temper tantrum and bullying since January of 2011. Our quality of life, education and environment have suffered while our "business friendly" teabagger chief executive, who entered office with a whopping 38% of the vote, has failed miserably in creating any significant number of quality jobs. While doing this, he has managed to make Maine a laughing stock nationally nearly every time he's opened his mouth. He has publicly expressed the same contempt for 47% of Maine people that his boy Willard Romney holds.
His wife claims Florida as her main residence.
I haven't always agreed with all of Mike's votes, but he has ALWAYS represented us with honor and integrity. I believe that he will do his utmost to make Maine be, again,the wonderful place that my wife and I decided to make our home when we were on our honeymoon.
A few days ago, before I knew he was gay, I supported Mike Michaud for Governor of Maine with enthusiasm and passion.
Today, knowing that he is gay, I support Mike Michaud for Governor of Maine with enthusiasm and passion.
He continues to show the cowards who try to smear him with push polls and whispering campaigns just EXACTLY what a real man is.
I am more proud of Mike Michaud today than I have ever been...and that's saying something!
That's my 2 cents, and quite possibly overpriced at that!
PEACE!
This is a cross post from GD.
So,...Mike Michaud is Gay.
Yawn!
Up here in Maine, we've been governed by temper tantrum and bullying since January of 2011. Our quality of life, education and environment have suffered while our "business friendly" teabagger chief executive, who entered office with a whopping 38% of the vote, has failed miserably in creating any significant number of quality jobs. While doing this, he has managed to make Maine a laughing stock nationally nearly every time he's opened his mouth. He has publicly expressed the same contempt for 47% of Maine people that his boy Willard Romney holds.
His wife claims Florida as her main residence.
I haven't always agreed with all of Mike's votes, but he has ALWAYS represented us with honor and integrity. I believe that he will do his utmost to make Maine be, again,the wonderful place that my wife and I decided to make our home when we were on our honeymoon.
A few days ago, before I knew he was gay, I supported Mike Michaud for Governor of Maine with enthusiasm and passion.
Today, knowing that he is gay, I support Mike Michaud for Governor of Maine with enthusiasm and passion.
He continues to show the cowards who try to smear him with push polls and whispering campaigns just EXACTLY what a real man is.
I am more proud of Mike Michaud today than I have ever been...and that's saying something!
That's my 2 cents, and quite possibly overpriced at that!
PEACE!
GOOD NEWS!
My wife was recalled to her job today after the Feds reopened. Our dear Governor LePage didn't have to lay her office off, but he did so in a worthless show of teabagger solidarity. We'll continue to remember this as we work for Mike Michaud to send his temper-tantruming ass back to Florida next year.
PEACE!
Hi! My wife is being kinda recalled from the teabaggers' shutdown.
My lovely wife of 15+ years was laid off last Monday. She is a Maine state worker but her department if fully funded by the Feds, so she was laid off when Ted Cruz decided to kick his little temper tantrum into the high moron gear.
Yesterday, she and several others in her office were offered the opportunity to fill open positions in other state offices until the shutdown is over. It's a lower rate of pay, but it's also a full time job, which will pay a hell of a lot more than if she'd been collecting unemployment.
Are we still immensely pumped off at Ted Cruz & his merry band of House teabagger morons? Yes.
Are we going to remember this totally unnecessary fiasco perpetrated by the stupidest congressional caucus since the copperheads? Yes.
Are we going to be advocating long and loudly for every teabagger to get his/her ass thrown out of office in their next election? Yes!
Are we going to be equally loud in linking EVERY SINGLE Republican to this teabagger movement that they so wholeheartedly embraced not so long ago? Yes.
Are we still going to consider our loudmouthed, crude, obnoxious and not very bright teabagger governor to be a malignant pimple on the ass of our state even though he has recalled some of the workers that his buddies in congress threw out of work? Hell, yes.
Are we still very pumped off about these damned baggers and their "government by temper tantrum" and NO to everything that is Obama view of their Fox "News" world? HELL YES!
Is our anger about this going to go away ANYTIME soon? No.
Are we going to forget that there are still some 800.000 people whose livelihoods are endangered by these morons who are still collecting THEIR paychecks while working out in their "kept open by John Boehner" private gym? HELL NO!
I just thought I'd share. Thank you for reading.
That's my 2 cents, and quite possibly overpriced at that!
PEACE!
Good Evening, teabagging morons. Please allow me to express my deepest thanks!
Because of YOUR government shutdown, my wife is being furloughed starting tomorrow and ending either when the most childish group of bozos ever to serve in Congress decides to end it's collective temper tantrum, OR when the weakest and most ineffective House Speaker ever decides to stand up to the loons in his caucus and allow a straight up vote to put the government back to work. WOW! 
Are you members of the teabagger caucus getting YOUR paychecks on time? We working people are VERY concerned for YOUR well being as we worry about paying our mortgages during your hissy fit! 
As we watch the mess of your government shutdown, which is so silly that it makes Newt Gingrich's 2 temper tantrum motivated shutdowns of the 90s look like well reasoned strategies, please allow me to suggest a slogan for your fiasco..."WE BUILT THIS"! 
Once again, THANK YOU, teabaggers! 
That's my 2 cents, and quite possibly overpriced at that! 
PEACE!
Profile Information
Gender: MaleHometown: Delaware County, PA
Home country: USA
Current location: Winthrop, Maine
Member since: Tue Jul 8, 2003, 05:38 PM
Number of posts: 10,237