meeting in the middle

i went to fresno out of obligation. it was most certainly a self imposed obligation, as i felt it important that i be there. i believe in marriage equality because i believe in equality, the end. i fight for this particular piece because i have to, because if i don't, the fight has one less warrior. and that is unacceptable to me.

because it is unacceptable to me that, in this day and age of america, people can still look at one another and believe they are better than the other because of race, religion, socio-economic background, and sexual orientation. (but i definitely think it's okay to think i'm better than racists, people with closed minds, and those who choose to be dummies.)

but 'meet in the middle' was really boring. there were too many people giving too many speeches that said the same thing over and over and over. and sadly, many of the speakers highlighted the same divisive rhetoric that lost prop 8 in the first place.

despite my criticism, it was a great first effort. setting it up in fresno, "in the middle", at city hall, made a statement that attracted a lot of activists. and i applaud the organizers for making this happen. but next time, an event needs more entertainment, less preachy (see boring) speeches, more booths, more _food_, and when you've asked activists to march for 14 miles, how's about you offer them a small bag of fruit, cheese sticks, and a muffin so they won't die? next time...

the worst (and perhaps best, depending on the direction assumed today) part though, is that it was made abundantly clear yesterday that the LGBT community remains in dire need of new leadership. the good news is that if anyone is paying attention, the new leadership is rising, speaking, and running for office.

i can only hope that the leaders of yesterday who may not yet recognize that their fight has been lost, will open their eyes and step aside for the brave new leadership who sees that more hearts are won with honey than hatred.

~k

a night with the potus

when i showed up at the beverly hilton, my car had to be searched and sniffed out by dogs. and it took five secret service guys, my two friends, and the instruction manual to the car to figure out how to pop the bonnet.

and then i met the president.

the end.

~k

california

my state is looking pretty stupid and sounding pretty weak these days. we are gridlocked financially, on the brink of economic collapse, and the entire political system is in desperate need of a reorganization.

first, there's prop 13. in 1978, the voters of california passed a ballot initiative to cap property taxes. in those first years, californians saved about $530 million per year. imagine what that has cost california these past several years, as home values have skyrocketed while the state coffers saw little to no benefit.

since passing prop 13, californians have voted to spend billions more on pet projects, by that same ballot initiative power. a power clearly too great for the greater public. as opposed as i am to this outlier democracy, at its simplest, the problem with the ballot initiative system is really only two-fold.

first, it generally means that the side with the most money buys the most advertisements, which means that the rich guys in special interests suits are buying laws. and that's because, secondly, the system gives legislative power to dummies, whose emotional connection to the issue is the driving force behind which way we pull the lever.

folks, we elect representatives to read bills, study history, hear both sides. we the voters either see some skewed pieces of propaganda, or we go off and read a 3-paragraph synopsis that makes less sense than memento, and then collectively, we vote to make laws.

let me make this clear, we are not educated enough in all of the intricacies of law, politics, and history to make laws. it is above our voting grade. and dear california, we will be in bankruptcy, and we will take the country with us, if we do not get our act together and fix this broken political system.

now.

~k

e-drowning

sometimes the volume of mail passing through my computer(s) is too overwhelming for words.

like now :(

~k

dubya

i went to a lecture tonight on the difference between a necessary war and a war of choice. the highlight of the lecture for me was during the q&a (usually the most painful part). this dude in the audience asked the speaker, 'who had the most influence over president bush 43?'

i laughed out loud. because, duh, jesus.

~k

the white house

i mean, do "they" not understand what it's like to get a call from them a wee before 8pm their time? like, when i call them back with their 'super secret, don't share this number' digits and no one answers, and i get kicked into a voice mail that doesn't accept messages, don't they know my ego won't let me sleep tonight?

and you and i both know this is the one arena where my ego controls me. white house job = elated ego. elated ego = winner. white house job = winner.

the end.

~k

p.s. happy birthday dad!

earthquake

la's been my home for twelve years, and an expectation that the ground sometimes moves is part of the deal. and while it's always a little bit freaky, i found tonight that it's scariest when i'm home alone...

~k