Morality and the Modern Girl

I was talking online with a stranger (long story, quite funny, but not necessary at this moment) who happened to be a Catholic. His attitude seemed to be that it really didn't MATTER what sins he committed as long as he confessed about them later.

That got me thinking. I mean, are there MANY people who feel that way? Do people think that as long as you repent, apologize, confess or in some way offer restitution after the fact, it doesn't matter what you did?

I so completely DON'T live that way, and really thought I was in the norm. But maybe I am not.

I went on to tell this person that not EVERYONE uses the bible as a moral compass. He was shocked, he believed it was the ONLY guidance to morality. I replied, (and I quote), "Now here, we are at an impasse, because you believe that the only guidance to morality is a bunch of books written thousands of years ago; and I believe that there is a moral human compass inside each of us and whether or not we choose to listen to it is up to each person - some people look to the bible for guidance, others do not - does not make any one thing more right than the other."

It was then that I realized that maybe I think completely differently than the average person. I mean I know I do in some ways, but I suppose I had no idea that there is an entire population that believes that any act is FINE as long as you repent. Wow. I mean, doesn't that sound as though IF you believe in the bible, it doesn't matter how you act?

Because I believe that if something is wrong, it is just wrong. It will still BE wrong even if I ask for forgiveness or absolution. So I just try not to do things that are wrong, EVER. I am not always completely successful, but never-the-less, I make my best effort.

But now I have to question everything anyone else does. I don't think I like that very much.

Who's Write?

I don't really understand it. This writers' strike. I don't understand how the studios and networks let this strike start. I don't understand how the AMPTP (The Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Producers) lets it continue.

As I understand it, the WGA (Writers Guild of America)is requesting a minute percentage of the profits from digital media.

The networks claim that they aren't MAKING any money, because what is available on the internet is "promotional" in nature.

Hmmm. Does that mean that Clorox and Toyota and Target aren't PAYING them anything to insert their commercials at the beginning of every episode? Gosh, I thought the networks were smarter than that.

Hmmm. Does that mean that i-tunes gets every penny of the $1.99 they receive for individual episodes? Gosh, I thought the networks would negotiate for some of that income.

So, if the networks aren't actually MAKING any money, as they say, what do they CARE if they give 2% of that "nothing" away?

But here's the thing... the networks are re-packaging material that is ALREADY BOUGHT and PAID for, wrapping it in a nice neat bow and RESELLING it.

They are making a few bucks now and expect to be making more. Sharing the wealth with the people who CREATED the very programming from which they profit is only fair.

But here is something else I don't understand. Why are writers persecuting Ellen Degeneres? It seems that Ellen decided to cross the picket line and continue with her show despite the strike.

I don't think Ellen is wrong. I believe she is doing her best to serve her audience - particularly those who made travel plans to see a show taping.

Also, there is a large staff of people who are NOT writers who will lose their paycheck if Ellen shuts down production. She isn't hiring OTHER people to try to write - she is writing her show herself. A person can support striking workers in ways other than actually striking with them.

So, yes, I believe the writers are justified in striking, but my heart goes out to the thousands of other crew members who will not be working while the strike continues.

Many of these people, writers included, don't make big bucks, so being without work will be difficult for many and I wish them luck.

I hope this strike is resolved quickly - for everyone who will be affected - including me - because other than Survivor and The Amazing Race, I just don't get the appeal of reality television!

Yellow Serendipity

The planets aligned. It was pure serendipity. "It was meant to be."

She said those words to me, "It was meant to be." She listened to me and that was her answer. I was choked up (and likely not particularly comprehensible), but never-the-less, we made a brief, yet monumental, connection.

This trip to NYC has been planned for months, tickets to shows were bought in June. This is our 10th anniversary trip, our first vacation without Simon and Greg, and the planets aligned for me today.

It was pure unadulterated serendipity that I was in NYC for the signing of Rosie O'Donnell's newest book CELEBRITY DETOX - The Fame Game. The book was supposed to come out last month. The book signing was supposed to happen LAST Tuesday. WHY it was delayed, I do not know, but because it was, I met Ro.

(Why I feel like *I* can call her Ro, when her stage name is Rosie, I just don't know. But it feels right. Kind of like that hurdle you cross when you FINALLY admit you are a grownup and even though you SHOULD have called your third grade teacher by her first name for years, you FINALLY are able to do it. But I digress...)

The wait in line was actually quite pleasant. I met a lovely young man, Mike, an actor from Chicago, and we both read our new books for the first hour and then chatted about a wide range of subjects. Cool kid, has his head on straight, better than most do at twenty-something. I think he'll get somewhere in life.

The experience of meeting Ro was overwhelming. Kelli was there. That woman is simply stunning. I think I also recognized Ro's publicist (Cindi Berger, I think) from the Dixie Chicks documentary. And then, there she was.

A woman so brave, who champions for children, who lives and breathes the truth. And she talked to me.

I had a picture of Simon and Greg in their peace t-shirts. I gave it to her, telling her I was sharing some of my yellow with her, since she was always giving so much to others. She asked who took the photo (I did) and said they were beautiful.

*sigh*

(That's when I started crying.)

I thanked her. For doing so much... for children... for the TRUTH.

YELLOW * YELLOW * YELLOW!

Tonight, we see Spring Awakening. I love New York.


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Yellow Serendipity - Part Two

We went to a very late lunch after the book signing and had some time to kill before Spring Awakening, so I told Rich that Ro was showing art in a gallery somewhere REALLY close to the Eugene O'Neill Theatre where Spring Awakening was playing. So we hiked in on over to 49th Avenue to go to the gallery. We arrived at a little before 5pm and there was a lot of commotion. It seems that there was a private party (with Ro and as it turned out, a lot of celebrity guests). Since there wasn't really time to go back to the hotel and return for the 7pm curtain, we just wandered around the area for a while.

Until it started to rain.

So Rich and I hung out under the awning outside the gallery, waiting for the rain to pass - and waiting to hear from a college friend of Rich's to see if he and his new bride were going to be able to meet us. Well! While we were waiting, we saw Chita Rivera going into the gallery. THE * Chita * Rivera. Oh MY LANTA!

Oddly enough, I also saw Tom Hulce. He is probably best known from Amadeus, but he is a consummate stage actor. He was walking past the gallery towards the theatre. (Turns out, he is one of the producers of Spring Awakening.)

Anyway, when we didn't hear from Jim, and the rain passed, we headed to the theatre.

Spring Awakening was freekin amazing. Excuse me, please, because I need to repeat myself. It was FREEKIN amAzing. It has some naughty bits and a lot of coarse language, so it is NOT for children, or the weak-hearted, but seriously, a truly incredible show.

Did I say that I love New York?

The Theatre is my Sanctuary

Musical theatre is a religious experience to me.

Sadly, I rarely get to go to "church." When we moved to the Myrtle Beach area back in 1999, we CHOSE the area because, at the time, the Palace Theatre was home to a variety of National Touring companies of Broadway shows. In 2002, the theatre closed. Later it was sold and now has its own in-house shows - with very rare occasions when a musical comes through.

But this week, in celebration of our tenth wedding anniversary, Rich and I are in the "holy land" of New York City. It is my intention to see as many shows as possible - I have to squeeze in as much heaven as I can into this week.

Last night, we went to Spamalot. Oh MY LANTA. It was freaking amazing. Honestly, I was only going to appease Rich, who is a huge Monty Python fan. I really did NOT expect to enjoy it all that much, but not only was it brilliantly funny, the music was fantastic.

Tonight, we see Rent. Yes, we found a theatre that isn't dark on Monday nights! I might actually fit seven shows into six days! I LOVE New York City.

The four stages of pregnancy - OR - moving into a new house

I have decided that getting a new house is a lot like having a baby.

While you are in the planning stages, the pregnancy, as it were, there is a lot of anticipation, nervousness and and excitement. There is a lot of planning and dreaming and all of it is thrilling.

Then you have hours of pain and hard labor (when you swear you will NEVER DO IT AGAIN, but somehow this is easily forgotten within a few months).

This is followed by relief and euphoria - you did it! It is done! You have your prize.

Finally, there is a lifetime of maintenance and upkeep.

For us, the water has broken and I am having early contractions (small pains dealing with contractors!). We will move in at the end of the month - when the hard labor begins.

Hypocrisy and the lewd act

Larry Craig.

Larry, Larry, Larry.

If I were accused of something which I thought was morally reprehensible and that I know I didn't do, I would fight the accusation tooth and nail. I am not saying that the man INTENDED to solicit sex in the bathroom at the airport. It is possible that the guy just made a number of specific unusual movements and it was all coincidental. But, if Larry Craig's actions WERE simply coincidence, why did he plead to a lesser charge with the hopes that it would all "just go away?" This leads me to believe that he DID solicit sex in that bathroom.

So let's suppose he DID do that of which he is accused. So what? The guy didn't offer money for sex. He made a couple of hand and foot gestures which apparently means, "I'm available." He didn't PAY for sex. He didn't even ENGAGE in sex. Had he got that far, I suppose some kind of "lewd act" charge could have been levied.

But he DID get arrested, and he did plead guilty. And instead of apologizing to his constituents (and his wife) for the deed and the arrest, he is only worried about being thought gay. Larry, that's NOT what you need to worry about!

It is the hypocrisy that makes me mad. Based on his voting record, and his religious background, he apparently believes that to be a homosexual is (a) a choice and (b) a sin. But based on his actions, he IS gay, and seemingly cannot control his actions, or else he CHOOSES to sin. If he believes sexual acts with another man is SO wrong, why doesn't he avoid them?

He does not avoid them because being gay is NOT a choice. And one of the really awful things here is that if he just dropped religious trappings and accepted himself as he really is, he wouldn't HAVE to resort to anonymous sex in a public bathroom at an airport. He could have a loving fulfilling relationship.

A person doesn't choose to be gay, just as a person doesn't choose to have a blood disorder, a specific eye color or a smattering of freckles. And BEING gay should no more be a sin than having a blood disorder, specific eye color or freckles is a sin.

When I was a child, my mother told me of a time when women had few rights and were treated like second class citizens. I was flabberghasted to think that women did not have equal rights from the beginning of time.

As my children are growing up, I tell them about a time not long ago when people were treated unfairly because of the color of their skin. My kids are horrified to think that segregation existed.

I look forward to a time when MY kids can tell THEIR kids about THIS time in history. A time when people are treated unfairly because they are gay... and my grandchildren will be just as disgusted by this news as I was at the thought of sexism, and as my children are now by the idea of segregation.

So Larry, get over yourself. Spread the word among your religious right. Let them know that homosexuality is NOT wrong, it is NOT a sin. Read your bible more carefully, as I think you will find your god will love you and accept you no matter what. Be true to yourself, Larry. Let go of the lies and revel in the joy of honesty. You will like yourself more. I am pretty sure.

The Walls of WTC Came a'Tumblin' Down

Have you SEEN the way WTC7 fell to the ground? A steel and concrete building, crumbling to nothing but dust in its own footprint. Quite a sight. And really rather frightening.

See the planes didn't HIT that building. There WAS no jet fuel leaking into the elevator shafts. There was a fire (and HOW did it start?) and that is all. Yet that incredibly strong, relatively newly built (1985) building just collapsed?

Check this out: http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/wtc7.html

So here's the thing.

If WTC7 just fell like THAT.

when no plane hit

when no jet fuel leaked

to crumble to dust from nothing but fire

(and supposedly no explosives)

how can people POSSIBLY feel safe in ANY building?

THINK, people.

Think

Question

Participate

Somewhat Radical Theories about Kids - Part 2

For tens of thousands of years, babies were carried at their mother's breast, in arms or in slings, until the children were old enough to be ambulatory. This created a deeply rooted attachment to a warm and loving body, both literally and figuratively.

In the last generation, mothers in our part of the world have bought into the "baby bucket" mentality. Those ever-convenient baby car-seat/bed contraptions are, I am convinced, at the very least a contributing factor to some of the childhood issues our society faces today. Once again, I do not have a medical degree, but I can not see the good in physically, and psychologically, separating a baby from his or her mother for most of the day.

There are documented cases of children being LEFT in the baby bucket all day, removed only for diaper changes. I think this is criminal! I am not saying that these infant car seats are bad, just that overuse can be detrimental to a child's well-being. Such lack of affection and human contact MUST affect a child later in life.

Somewhat Radical Theories about Kids - Part 1

I have a couple of radical theories about the state of our children. I don't have a medical degree, but I consider myself to be a reasonably good observer. Who knows if any of my ideas make sense? Someday, research will show something concrete about all of this. In the meantime, here is the first of my theories:

Sometime ago, probably about six years or so, I read an article which stated that if an infant consumed an entire diet soda (rich in sugar-replacement chemical compounds), the child would be severely brain damaged. This led me through an interesting thought process.

If sugar substitutes were indeed that harmful to a baby, could they not also be harmful to a fetus? Personally, I avoided all sugar substitutes while pregnant (along with avoiding being near running microwaves and anyone who was inhaling carcinogenic smoke). But I knew of lots of women who LIVED on diet soda.

Then I thought about the dramatic rise in ADD diagnoses in the late 80's. Was there a correlation between that and diet soda?

Prior to 1982, there were few diet sodas on the market: tab and fresca were the most popular. In 1982, diet coke was introduced, followed quickly by a diet version of pretty much every soda on the market. Is it a coincidence that six years later (when all the previously unborn children of diet-soda-drinking-mothers-to-be were hitting school age), we saw a dramatic increase in the number of ADD diagnoses?

Hmmm.

Planned Controversy is Bad Business

May 23, 2007, was not a good day for daytime television. "The View" which, with the addition of Rosie O'Donnell in September, had risen from fashion, fluff and frivolity to purpose and substance over this season, hit an all time low. By now everyone has heard about it (just turn on one of those InsideAccessInfotainmentEditionExtraTonight shows and you will be bombarded with clips, and of course every "news" show on television is jumping on the bandwagon in attempt to boost ratings): the "feud."

What saddens me is that ABC clearly set this up. Elisabeth Hasselbeck had obviously been prepped, as I think she has been for the last month or so. The split screens they used were planned in advance. It is just awful that ABC wants so badly to capitalize on Rosie's leaving (and the ratings boost she brought to the show) that they would resort to planning a feud.

I KNEW that Rosie had been set up when the clips page on the ABC Daytime page were titled, "The Feud pt 1" and "The Feud pt 2." ABC WANTED this controversy. Now they have retitled those clips, "Joy vs. Elisabeth" and "Rosie vs. Elisabeth."

Rosie speaks for MANY people and tries to open the eyes of the ostriches with their heads in the sand. Much of the WORLD views Americans in a terrible way. There are going to be people who don't agree, who think she is loud or brash. I just think she is a woman who stands up for what she believes, and wants Americans to see there is more than one point of VIEW. She asks people to THINK.

And for the record, at NO TIME, did Rosie EVER say that our troops were terrorists. She has ALWAYS supported the troops. I believe she SIMPLY said that OTHER people might consider Americans terrorists because we have occupied a country (which did NOTHING to the US), and have killed innocent citizens. I think she was POINTING OUT that the word TERRORIST has been overused to create fear in the hearts of the American people, and that if there is such a wide open definition of terrorist, perhaps OTHER PEOPLE might consider AMERICANS to be terrorists.

Something Had To Give

"Unbearably tragic."

I used to be a fan of Anna Nicole Smith. Back in the early nineties, she was a "broad with hutzpah," who spoke her mind with courage and conviction. She went after what she wanted and I thought that inspiring.

Sadly though, her life has been wrought with tragedy. Caught up in the whirlwind addiction that is fame, her life was toxic.

She said she wanted to BE Marilyn Monroe. To an extent, poor girl, I believe she has been our generation's Marilyn. Probably NOT in the way Anna Nicole once hoped, but sorrowfully, she has followed in the icon's footsteps.

I was not alive when Marilyn was, but I can still draw parallels... not between the two blondes' lives, so much as they way the women were used.

The difference between Marilyn and Anna Nicole is purely technological.

In the sixties, we were in the Vietnam War, a war we were realizing was not only not winnable, but costing lives.

Marilyn was a distraction. In her death, we mourned the loss of an icon.

Now, we are in a war we cannot win, costing untold lives and causing untold suffering.

Anna Nicole was, is, a distraction. We are mourning the loss of a different kind.

In the sixties, we did not have 24 hour news channels, streaming video, reality television and instant downloads to publicize every second of a calamity... to drag out the toxic tragedy and bastardize it to a second, more horrifying, disconcerting expiration.

In the sixties, we had the daily paper and the nightly news. People shared their opinion over the back fence or the watercooler. There was a respectability, and respectfulness in journalism. Marilyn Monroe was allowed to die with dignity, despite the questionable circumstances surrounding her death.

I just hope that, in this, the information age, we don't let the distractions keep us from realizing the REAL reality. Our involvement in the Vietnam War lasted sixteen years. How long will the war in Iraq go on?