Do It At Home....

I've blogged about this before - over at MySpace - and it just annoyed the crap out of Me and so... well, now Blogger.com/blogspot gets a taste, too....

What is it that I am going to vent and rant about...?

....DRIVERS that DO OTHER THINGS besides DRIVING....

It never ceases to amaze Me.... OK... a bit of background... I commute a little over 20 miles EACH WAY, per day, to and from work.... From Long Beach to just south of LAX.... And I drive along the 405 freeway pretty much every day.... the 405, for those that don't know, is one of the BUSIEST ROADS in the country.... When they say that Interstate 80 (or is it 50?) is the "loneliest highway", they can say that the 405 is probably the least lonely!!! Honestly, no matter what time of the day or night (or even early morning), you can usually find yourself surrounded by at least a dozen cars.... during rush hour, though, the numbers multiply exponentially.....

So, anyway, when I'm commuting to and from work - I'm with quite a few other hundred cars and drivers... and buses and trucks and so on.... And it never ceases to amaze Me all of the things I see people doing BESIDES DRIVING their car!!!

• Make up - I'm always a bit on guard when I see the lights of the visor mirror from the back window.... That means that some ditzy dame is up there applying her make up - from eyeliner to lipstick to mascara - all while trying to control 2 tons of rolling steel, plastic and rubber.... for cryin' out loud! Beat your mug at home!!!! or get to the office early and do it at your desk!!!!
• Shaving - guys are also guilty of getting ready for work - on the drive!!!! I've seen lots of guys with electric razors, shaving, buzzing and trimming up their facial hair - again, while trying to pilot 2 tons of metal.... while surrounded by other people piloting 2 tons of metal....
• Reading - Yep, I've seen this, too... and fairly regularly, too... Somebody has the Wall Street Journal or USA Today or the LA Times or some book or magazine or something like that spread out on the steering wheel, reading the news or sports or their stock market reports.... Can't you just do that at home....?!?
• Cell phones - this is an oldie, but still a baddie.... And something I can admit to being somewhat guilty for - but not nearly to the extent that I see on a regular basis.... But yes, somebody is cruising down the road (or stopping and going and stopping again!) while holding a few ounces of plastic to their ear - and paying more attention to the person they're talking to and far less attention to the road and the other cars around them.... And what makes it even worse is when they're trying to TAKE NOTES or write something down while on the phone....
• Text Messaging - OK, now this is nearly the WORST one.... using that same cell phone, these dolts are chatting with friends while cruising along.... holding the phone with one hand and punching up words and letters with the finger(s) of the other hand.... But, then.... Well which hand is on the wheel....?!? At least if they're actually TALKING to the person on the phone, at least they still have a "free hand" to keep on the wheel... but if they're texting - well, then there are NO hands on the wheel....

It's just STUPID!!!!

I get it, though... I understand being bored and wanting to do SOMETHING to alleviate the boredom and monotony of the commute.... but listen to some music... maybe listen to the news... buy that book "on tape" or on CD and listen to it.... Something... ANYTHING...! Just pay attention to what you're doing behind the wheel and while piloting that massive block of material down the road...

Please...?

Are parents like this…

… the reason gays and lesbians are not allowed to adopt?

Yes, I know that the McCanns – Kate and Gerry – are not gay. They are a heterosexual couple. And their daughter, Madeleine, has been missing since May of 2007. It’s like they’re the British example of the parents of that little Colorado girl – the Ramseys.

But what really just strikes Me about this whole situation is the circumstance of how Madeleine was “abducted”…

The family – Gerry and Kate and their 3 kids (4 year old Madeleine and 2 year old twins) were on vacation in Portugal. Seemingly having a great time… But here’s where My question about parenting comes into play. The McCanns claim that their daughter was abducted from their hotel room/apartment while they were out to dinner with friends.

Wait… Let Me get this straight… Kate & Gerry head out to dinner AND LEAVE THEIR 3 VERY YOUNG CHILDREN ALONE IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY. Let that sink in for a minute…. Kate and Gerry went to dinner leaving 3 kids – again, a 4 year old and their 2 year old twins – alone in an apartment/hotel.

I don’t get it… why are these people considered good parents…? They leave their children to go out for the evening – and they leave their children alone. There was no baby-sitter or nanny or anything. Just 3 little kids alone in an apartment.

Now the news stories are all about how Kate is being considered a suspect in Madeleine’s disappearance and they’re also claiming that Madeleine may be dead. Well, we can only hope that this last is not true… It’s ironic in that when I look at the pictures of Madeleine, how much she looks like My niece Sarah when she was that young.

But why did they leave the children all alone for their evening out? I can’t understand that. I mean, I could understand it more if Madeleine had been 14…. Then, at least, she’s old enough to take care of herself and her siblings. She’s at least possibly responsible enough to be left alone and in charge. But at 4? What were these parents thinking???

Of course, then the flip side is that Gays and Lesbians are not allowed to adopt kids (by law in many states!) and are looked upon as “unfit parents” by many. Why? Because of whom they love? That’s insane! But nobody ever thinks that maybe – MAYBE – Gerry and Kate could be considered “unfit parents” because at least they’re straight!

Now I’m also not saying that a gay couple on vacation in Portugal (or anyplace else!) might also not be capable of leaving kids alone. It’s quite possible! But maybe because the gay couple may have had to go through so much more in order to be able to adopt and have those kids that maybe, just MAYBE, those gay parents would be more responsible and not leave their 3 VERY YOUNG kids alone for a few hours…

My heart goes out to Madeleine and her family and I hope against all hope that she’ll be found OK and alive and not be another statistic. Of course, it’s around 5 months since she disappeared and there’s been almost no trace of her – save a vague report of a sighting here or there and the mention of blood found in a car the family rented.

That’s another question that has come up recently, too, that seems to point more blame at the parents (at least Kate, anyway) in Madeleine’s disappearance – the blood. How could you find blood in a car 25 days after the girl disappeared? I didn’t read much more about that, other than a short reference in another story. But I wonder what the results of that blood testing – I’m SURE that they tested it – were…? Is it truly Madeleine’s blood? Or maybe just the blood from her mom or one of her twin siblings…

But again, I just wonder what it was – what thinking they were having – when they, Gerry and Kate, headed out to dinner with friends, leaving their 4 year old and twin 2 year olds all alone in an apartment. And again, gays and lesbians are not allowed to adopt or their sexuality is questioned in custody cases… Unfit parents, indeed.

A "TRADITIONAL" Blog....

I had posted this blog over on MySpace recently, and figured it would work out here, too.

- ENJOY -

So, an Iowa judge declares the state’s “Defense of Marriage Act” to be unconstitutional. Well, duh! Of course it is… Anytime you make any kind of a law saying that this group or that group can’t do this or that action that all these other people can do – it’s discrimination…
But what floors Me is the comment by Republican (and Presidential hopeful) John McCain about it. McCain said "a loss for the traditional family."

"I have always supported the traditional definition of marriage as between one man and one woman," he said. "The ruling of the court only reinforces my belief that we must have a president who is committed to appointing strict constructionists to the bench."

Hmm… how “traditional” is the “traditional” family of today…? We’ve got single parents, working mothers, stay-at-home dads… We’ve got nannies and nursemaids…. Aunt Jane and Uncle Jim…. Grandma and Grandpa taking care of the kids…. We’ve got child care… We’ve got dependent grandparents and other family members living there…

Of course, we then don’t even have to consider what divorce and remarriage has done to the “traditional family” over the years, either… We’ve got Rudy Giuliani and his multiple divorces and his kids that don’t support his current career choice (he is campaigning for the job of President, you know)… We’ve got other Republicans (and Democrats, too) that have multiple marriages under their belts and multiple divorces… Hell, look at Fred Thompson and his former marriages and love life… Even the “exalted” Ronald Reagan had a divorce and remarriage…

And does ANYBODY in the Republican Party or the conservative right wing of the “GOP” remember a little TV show or two from the 60s and 70s…? Shows like “The Brady Bunch” and “The Partridge Family” and even “The Courtship of Eddie’s Father” and more… How did THOSE shows, which were quite harmless, show the “traditional family” to be…?

Let’s see… On “The Brady Bunch”, we have two people – a man with 3 sons and a woman with 3 daughters – meet and fall in love and get married – creating the ULTIMATE “nuclear family”… They lived in a semi-typical suburban house in a typical suburban area of America… They had the typical station wagon… They had a live-in maid – well, Alice was more of a housekeeper – and the kids had typical school dilemmas…

Then we have “The Partridge Family” – all about a woman with 5 kids that, in an effort to keep food on the table and clothes on their backs, finds a way to nurture their musical talents and become a traveling group, driving around the country in a multi-color converted school bus…

Even later, we had all sorts of “traditional families” on TV – from “Who’s The Boss” and more….

But the question truly becomes this – WHAT DEFINES A TRADTIONAL FAMILY?

Truly, what is that magical ingredient; that spark that defines what a TRADITIONAL FAMILY is all about….? Is the traditional family the Cleavers (from “Leave it to Beaver”) in which mom stays home and takes care of the kids and the house while dad goes out and earns the bucks? Is it the Stevens family from “Bewitched”…? Or is it the Nelson family from “Ozzie & Harriet”…? Or maybe it’s the childless married couple from “The Honeymooners”.

Is the TRADITIONAL FAMILY the Bundy clan from “Married, With Children” or how about Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie from “The Simpsons”…? Maybe it’s the Cunningham family from “Happy Days”….

Again, who or what makes a TRADITIONAL FAMILY…?

Even further, what makes or defines the concept of “Traditional Marriage” – which is what their argument should be about….? Is it, as McCain is quoted above as “one man and one woman”…? Well, that may not be entirely true and right, either… Look back in time – go ahead, I can wait….

But truly, look back in time – look to history – and see if you can find what a TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE or a TRADITIONAL FAMILY is all about….

Look to the rulers of other countries…, to the Kings and Queens of England, France, Germany, Spain and more. Look to the former royal families of what we now know as Hawaii. Look at those “marriages” and see if you can call them “TRADITIONAL”. Many of them had lovers and concubines and even other spouses besides the one that they were “married” to.

And even look back in time to the “common” people of those ages. Do some research and see how far back the concepts of “Marriage” actually go. Up until the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, “Marriage” was pretty much limited STRICTLY to the rich and the royals… The “commoner” was not allowed to marry. It was a way to consolidate power and property within families.

And that’s even another thing to consider about “TRADITIONAL FAMILIES” and “TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE”… Many of those marriages were between members of the same family – of the same bloodline or lineage. Cousins married cousins. Uncles married nieces. Nephews were wed to aunts. It was all considered normal and “traditional” for even brothers and sisters to marry – in order to keep the bloodlines pure and not allow property and power to escape the hold of the few over the many.

The Republicans can’t have it both ways – and neither can the religious right conservative “Neo-cons”… You can’t consider a “Traditional Family” as only their definition. Because you can then go back before the “point” that they choose as the “basis” for their definition to prove it wrong. And you can prove, time and time again, how the concept of “Tradition” has changed over and over again as time has moved forward. What was “tradition” for the founding fathers of the USA has changed over the past 200-plus years. Slavery used to be a “tradition”… Lighting by candles and heating by wood fires used to be “tradition”. There are many things that have changed over the years, decades and centuries that have changed so-called “tradition”. The advent of cars made “traditional” long distance land travel change. The advent of airplanes made the “traditional” way of getting from place to place and country to country change.

And we can even go back before the founding of the USA to see how tradition has changed. Medicines and medical care have changed the “tradition” of illness and the length of an average lifespan… We now live longer and, often, healthier lives than we did just a few hundred years ago. We can even go back, further than that….

Go back to the time of Christ, for example. And I know how the religious right is gonna LOVE this… Christ was not married. He hung around with a woman of … questionable virtue… He was born unto a woman that DID NOT HAVE SEX WITH HER HUSBAND and was not created in the “traditional” way… His “father” still married his mother, even though TRADITION was to call for Mary to be STONED and KILLED for not being a virgin at the time of her marriage!

Traditions change, folks. And it’s time that the Republicans – and the religious fanatics of the US and the world – changed too.

Hmm… politics as normal or…?

I just read this little story over at CNN.com about some “public officials” that were arrested on bribery charges from an investigation… But what really stuck out at Me in the article is the mention of the political affiliation of 2 of the arrested – “both Democrats” – and yet not a single mention of the party affiliations of the other 9 “officials” that were arrested. Read the story below…

(CNN) -- Eleven public officials were arrested in New Jersey as part of a corruption investigation, the U.S. attorney's office announced Thursday.

State Assemblymen Mims Hackett Jr. and Alfred E. Steele -- both Democrats -- and Passaic Mayor Samuel Rivera are among those arrested, a source in the U.S. attorney's office said.

Also arrested were the chief of staff to the Newark City Council president, two Passaic City Councilmen and five Pleasantville school board members, the source said.

The Star-Ledger in Newark, New Jersey, citing sources close to the investigation, reported that the officials were arrested on bribery charges pertaining to roofing and insurance contracts.

The 18-month investigation, which included undercover operations and secret recordings, focused on officials in Passaic, Essex and Atlantic counties, sources told the newspaper.

The probe targeted school board members, state lawmakers, mayors and city officials, the sources said, according to The Star-Ledger.

U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Christie and FBI agent Weysan Dun are expected to announce the charges and provide details at a 3:30 p.m. news conference in front of the federal courthouse in Trenton.

Those arrested will begin making appearances before a judge at 2 p.m. Thursday.

So, again, My question is this – is this normal or is this a slightly slanted article…?

It just seems a little odd – to Me – that the political party affiliation of 2 of the 11 that were arrested was announced… Why even bother? Or, better yet, why not mention the affiliation of all 11…? Why just single out the 2…?

We all know that there are many different levels of corruption at many different levels of the governments we’ve all elected – whether local, city, county, state or national levels. There are the stories of this Senator or that Congress-person accepting “gifts” from this group or that group… there are the issues of this Congress member or Senator being busted for hiring hookers or looking for love in all the wrong places….

I’m not saying that any political party has any more – or less – potential to be lured to the “dark side” of politics… I don’t think that you have to be more corrupt to be a Republican or less to be a Democrat… or even a member of the Freedom Party or the Green Party or the _________ party…. If you’re corrupt or not, the political party you belong too isn’t going to change your “corruptness” level.

Yes, a lot HAS been made of the political party affiliation of this Congress member or that Senator when discussing his or her scandalous behavior. We all know that Larry Craig is a Republican… we all heard that Tom Delay is a Republican… we all remember about Larry “Duke” Cunningham and his Republican nature…

And we all were told about that Democrat from – Arkansas? – that had thousands of dollars in his freezer – William Jefferson… and there was the Dem that had an altercation with some TSA worker at some airport… and there were others, I’m sure, but few come to My mind….

But, again, why did CNN seem to feel the need to disseminate the party affinity of these 2 New Jersey politicians but not the affinity of the other 9…? We all know that Fox CLAIMS to be “fair and balanced” – even though they usually just parrot the White House talking points… and I’m sure that they’re going to have a FIELD DAY with this revelation about Hackett and Steele and their “Democrat-ness”… but what of the other 9…?

CNN, of course, will probably be able to maintain their impartiality by either claiming that they never knew the party of the other 9, or just deny that the party affinity of the other 9 “lesser” office holders really mattered. So what that one ran a city, one managed a city, 2 were on a city commission and 5 – yes FIVE – were on the local school board… I guess their political level doesn’t matter – too “local”…

But, still… My point is that these media outlets need to report ALL the news, not just the news that they THINK is important… Is it important to know that Steele and Hackett were Democrats? Not really… Should we know about Mayor Rivera and all the others and what their affiliation is? Probably not… Does it matter to the story which party they claim? Nope, not at all. They’re just corrupt politicians taking bribes and hoping to get away with it… and they can’t.

Wow.... It's ME!

Yes, it's Me... And I'm back - again... for a little while? maybe longer?

and look - 2 blogs RIGHT away, too!

Damn Whitesnake Song....

OK.... this is an addendum to what was already written....

In reference to the title above.... It's a semi-famous 'power ballad' from the '80s, performed by the semi-famous hair band called WHITESNAKE... the video starred the vixen-ish Tawny Kittain (spelling?) and she was dancing on a couple of Jaguars in the mists.... Have you guessed the song yet? Figured it out? C'mon! I know that damn song is just rattling around in your head - bounding around your skull like a bug inside the car, smacking against the windows, trying to get out.... Come on.... Come on.... Go with it.... you know it....

You don't know it?!? OMG!!! How young are you?!? DO some research.... it's called "IS IT LOVE".... or is it "IS THIS LOVE"?... um.... damn.... "Is this love, that I'm feeling... Is this the love that I've been dreaming of...." anyway....

I would guess to say that I am NOT in love, but it is quite possible that I may be falling? He's got so many good points - so many pros, as it were, that I can't seem to find the cons - except maybe the people he works with.... he's a criminal defense attorney... anyway....

But, I think that the feeling is quite mutual.... I get all sorts of vibes from him all the time.... we end up seeing each other almost every day - usually we walk our dogs...

Damn.... I just had dinner and a glass of wine and I had all these thoughts running through my head and now I'm almost afraid to put them down - fearing that if he sees/reads/heres these thoughts, he run scared...

we've both been talking about how we want to take this all really slow, but... sometimes, when you find a good thing, it is really hard to move slowly when your heart and head says ... S C R E A M S .... "Hurry, Hurry, HURRY!!!! Don't let this fantastic catch get away and swim into somebody else's net!!!"

So... what am I supposed to do at this point?!? I don't want to rush things and get someplace neither of us is ready to be, but I don't want to poke along the road of love and miss out on a good thing....

Thoughts? Feelings? Well wishes?

Been quite a while....

Ya know.... it really sucks when you start to do something and then forget about it for a while and then come across it again after a few months.... Like Blogger.... I forgot ALL ABOUT IT.... my bad....

So, where to start....?

How about a chronological listing of what's been happpening?

Let's see... last I published was in March?!? YIKES!!!!

Well, a friend came and visited from Denver... we went to Disneyland with some other pals.... also did a few Tom of Finland Foundation volunteer events.... Um.... There have been a couple of trips to Vegas.... mom and I bought a motor home.... um..... Wow.... We went camping a few times in the motorhome.... did a few PT Cruiser shows....

Bullet got hit while towing behind the motorhome (a Bounder) on a trip for a PT Cruiser event... He was in Vegas forf nearly a month, getting about $3500 worth of repairs to the driver side... Got him back, found some work they needed to complete... took him back to them for touch ups and completions....

The first PT show after the accident saw the introduction of PT BEAR*NUM - the new look and theme for Bullet....

Nibbler is doing well.... we've been doing well together after I finally got rid of the loser boy that was in my life.... see my blogs posted over at MYSPACE for more (www.myspace.com/leathermancraig).... That will also give you more updates on what's been going on with me....

I've also met a new person that I'm thinking things may be going beyond friendship with.... I'll post more as it moves along... I don't want to push anything... just taking it day by day, doncha know....

Well, I guess that's enough for now.... yeah, I know - it's short and minimal, and after so long away...

Drama!

The world is too full of drama.... I just can't get over the amount of drama that we all have to deal with in our lives.... It's just so damn annoying....

• drama - 'national' and 'world' dramas to deal with - our 'president' and his war for oil.. OOPS! I meant War on Terror... Yeah, right... a pissing contest that his daddy couldn't finish... whatever!
• drama in the courtroom - Michael Jackson, Scott Peterson, Robert Blake, and so on... WHO CARES?!?
• drama in our commutes - car A cuts off car B. car B pulls out a gun and shoots at car A, but hits car C in the process...

Then, we've all got our personal dramas to deal with....

Breaking up -

I've been seeing this guy for over 2 years now... in November 2003, he moved in with me... Things have been going BADLY ever since.... our sex life has been just about nil - and it wasn't all that much to begin with.... our financial problems have piled up, as he wasn't working for the LONGEST time and even now only holds down a few part time jobs.... he can't even pay his OWN bills, let alone have enough to help me pay OURS... So, I've cut it.... he's moving out - soon.... I can't deal with the BS anymore.... he's got a new 'Daddy' to help train him... if you're not familiar with the term, look up any BDSM or Leather blog or chat room and ask what a Daddy is... So, at least, now, that's one drama out of my life... soon!

I get drama at work.... a person I work with gets ticked off if I don't do what this person wants me to do when this person wants me to do it... heaven forbid I should have OTHER STUFF that I have to work on... and this person isn't even my boss or anything!!! UGH!!! I hate when I get little notes or voice mails asking me if I've done this or that - when I only got the information 5 minutes ago!!! I've got other crap to deal with and sort through - like checking the inbound trading docs from over 300 vendors!!! Plus, tesing our outbound and inbound docs for a handful of other vendors.... YIKES!!!

I get drama from my friends.... for my b-day (about a month ago!), a friend of mine told me that he'd get me and 2 friends into a certain MAJOR theme park in SoCal.... So, I asked a friend of mine from Colorado (who will be in town) and another from San Diego... Now, we're ALL into leather and bdsm type stuff.... Well, my SD buddy can't make it - he whored around too much in Palm Springs last weekend (and you know I'm jealous, A....) and can't afford the weekend up here... OK, fine... So, I asked another local friend to come along, as he's also into leather stuff... But, another friend found out and I had said that I didn't ask this other friend because he is SO not into leather stuff.... so he wouldn't enjoy himself around us.... Now, the OTHER friend is all pissed off at me because I didn't invite him and I said that he wouldn't have as much fun with us as the first friend would.... ARGH!!!! DRAMA!!!!

I'm so damn sick and tired of drama... I'm done with people who think that they're the ONLY ones that should matter and can't take even the slightest issue without blowing it all out of proportion!!! I'm DONE!!!!

A New Blog....

A new day - a New Blog....

I got turned on to this site by my friend, La'akapu - a pal I met on MySpace... I've got my blog over there, too, so check it out, if you get the chance.... just look for me in MySpace....

So, I'm enjoying this so far - although it seems a bit limited - like you have to PAY for a service in order to be able to publish some personal information - like a picture, stats, etc.... We'll see what I do with this.... The more I can do for free, the happier I am....