This and that....

Time can get away from you if you are not careful. I haven't posted for a while and I will try to be more diligent with my blogging in the future.
That said, let's begin with the beautiful Carrie Prejean, Miss California 2009. I want to set aside the controversy with Perez Hilton and address her contention during a press conference that she was a "strong woman". Carrie, Carrie, Carrie. Please. You participate in beauty pageants, for Christ's sake, and you had just let a world renowned womanizer, the Donald, give you permission to keep your crown as Miss California. You also let him fend off any "unfair" questions for you during the event. In reality, you dilute the meaning of "strong woman". Think about it.
Meanwhile, back in the real world, we have witnessed the emerging of Darth Cheney, heavy breathing and all, from some unknown location. Obviously he saw his shadow and liked it. Can someone give me an example of another unpopular public figure given so much air time to spout coldblooded analysis of why it is okay to torture and kill other human beings? Dick, take your blood money and STFU. What's next? Weekly wisdom from Charles Manson on Meet the Press?
One wonders why the President doesn't give the green light to go after Cheney and Co.. In the back of my mind is the niggling thought that the illegal wiretapping may have caught up more than terrorists. Obama's abandonment of the justice system in order to "move forward" just doesn't smell right. In fact, it smacks of "cover up". Isn't part of the President's job to enforce the laws of the land and isn't torture illegal? Just wondering there, Barack, old buddie. Also starting to reek is the president's avoidance of the "don't ask, don't tell" question. His surrogates are dancing around the issue and, in some instances, actually backing away from it. Are the Democrats going to use DADT like the Republicans use DOMA? As bait? Talk a lot, gin up emotions (and votes) and then put it on the back burner until the next campaign.
Time will tell.

The picture to the left is Jaheem Herrera. He killed himself to escape the bullying of his classmates. He was 11. Jaheem's suicide comes two weeks after the suicide of Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover, an 11-year-old Massachusetts boy who also suffered taunts that he was gay, feminine and "talked funny.".
I have a few words for those who like to bully their classmates into such a state of despair that the victim feels his/her only way out is suicide. The relentless teasing and physical abuse needs to stop. Fifty years ago, I was a victim of such bullies, fueled by rumors, who made hateful remarks, pushed, shoved and hit me and would not even let me stand on line for my junior high graduation ceremony. That's five decades past; this is the 21st century and this barbarism is still happening? If any of those who participate in or acquiesce to such terrorism on a classmate have any conscience, then you owe it to future generations to ensure such mind fucking does not happen to any children in your sphere of influence. Otherwise, you will answer to a higher authority who, right now, is holding tightly onto those two little boys.
I guess I was fortunate when the jackals chose to come after me, because if I had been eleven like Jaheem and Carl, I might not be here today to write these words. Being older (15) at the time, I was lucky to have a small reservoir of esteem which carried me through that following summer. Two new classmates, Shelia Baustian and Wade Walker helped save my life and they never knew it, until now. God bless them both. The trauma has affected my life in ways I still discover fifty years out. Can we stop this? Now?

A champion departs....

My current favorite thoroughbred, Tin Cup Chalice, was euthanized today after another horse bolted and collided with him. The other horse, Zany, was put down as well. Both jockeys were uninjured.

Tin Cup Chalice, who was named champion New York bred three year old on Monday and 2008 Horse of the Year at Finger Lakes was on the upstate New York track preparing for his 4 year old debut. In 2008, he was 6 0f 8 starts and over $825,000 after being undefeated at 2. He was the first horse to win the New York Triple Crown. Tin Cup Chalice is a half-brother to the current promising 3 year old, Mr. Fantasy. Both horses were named after songs by Jimmy Buffett.

Personally, I am just numb. I had been anticipating his imminent return to racing and now all we have are memories of a truly gutsy champion who died where he reigned, on the track.

"With a tin cup for a chalice, fill it up with good red wine".

Here's a toast to the horse who provided so much excitement and pleasure to so many. He was quite popular with horsemen of all stripes. R.I.P.

Leading ladies...

California's Ellen Tauscher (D), representing California's 10th district, merits my first Steady Hand award for her continued support of GLBT civil rights culminating in her introduction of the Military Readiness Enhancement Act (H.R. 1283) calling for the end to "Don't ask, don't tell". Rep. Tauscher has garnered a 100% rating from the Human Rights Campaign for her unwavering committment to civil liberties.
Ellen Tauscher was born in New Jersey and attended Seton Hall University. She began her career on Wall Street and at the age of 25 became the youngest female member of the American Stock Exchange at that time.
She moved to California and became pro-active in child care issues and in the Democratic party. She chaired Dianne Feinstein's successful 1994 Senate campaign. In 1996 she won her first election to the House of Representatives besting two-term Republican Bill Baker.
In Congress, she chairs the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces and sits on several other committees under the Committee on Armed Services umbrella. She also sits on the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Rep. Tauscher's brand of moderate ideological politics is distinctive enough that TIME magazine named it "Tauscherism".
In early March this year Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton, offered Ms. Tauscher the position of Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security and on March 18, she announced her acceptance of that position. She clearly is a woman who stands on firm ground and she will be a valuable asset to our foreign policy team.
To learn more about this leading lady, go here.

Deja vu all over again?

When I read about JPMorgan Chase's plan to buy two Gulfstream 650 planes and upgrade a luxury hangar for them to park in for about $138 million, I couldn't help but think about Ronald Reagan. Much to the delight of his fellow Republicans, he liked to talk about the "welfare queens" some of who allegedly used food stamps and then went outside the store and drove home in new Cadillacs. Now I need someone to explain to me the difference between those mythic ladies and these corporate cheeses who accept billions ($25 billion in this case) of dollars from taxpayers and then fly home in executive jets? Ever since Secy. Paulson opened up the All You Can Spend Buffet at the Treasury Department, these corporations have not only eaten their fill, they are now feasting on rich desserts. When will corporate diabetes kick in? It is obvious these people have no shame thus any sympathy I might have for my fellow travelers down life's path, will not be wasted on those whose genetic makeups don't even understand the words "fair", "share", "empathy", or "equality". Go to hell, you greedy bastards you.

BFF or wham bam thank you man?

As one whose life has seen a lot of closures recently, I have been pondering a lot of issues, including the nature of friendships. I found the following article which helped point my thoughts in a positive direction - toward that steady ground I seek.
This article by Valerie Reiss of Holistic Living includes a phrase so illuminating to me; "There's something about betrayal or abandonment in friendship that often feels harsher than that of a lover." That tells me I am not alone and also teaches me that all friends, no matter how fleeting, have influence and impact upon my life. It is then up to me to choose whether any insight gained be positive or negative.

Crashing back to earth...

It always happens when you elevate something or someone to a height almost impossible to achieve. I saw that with some of Hillary Clinton's supporters and I did it myself with the promising 3 year old colt, Mr. Fantasy. Readers of this blog know I touted him as the next big thing in horse racing. I was completely blown away by his first two starts as I watched him blow away his competition. What I ignored this past Saturday was not only the level of that competition, but the level and fitness of the horses he faced in the Grade III $250,000 Gotham Stakes, run at Aqueduct yesterday.
The race speaks for itself. What you can't see is that Mr. Fantasy was a late May foal and is not even 3 years old. While disappointing, he did not disgrace himself in his first start in a major graded stakes beating 3 of the 4 stakes winners entered in the race. If his jockey hadn't eased up on him, he would have finished second. The winner, I Want Revenge, had just come off two close losses in Grade 1 stakes to the Kentucky Derby favorite, Pioneer of the Nile, and lived up to his quality running a freak-type race himself winning off by over 8 in a fast time. Revenge and Fantasy will meet again in the Wood Memorial and I expect a much more competitive race this time as clearly Mr. Fantasy needed the Gotham to move him forward. I just have to deal with the fact that he is only human, er, I mean, equine.

God is a misogynist...

At least according to Colorado state senator Scott Renfroe, a Republican, who railed against a bill granting same-sex benefits to state employees. This is from the Colorado Independent - "The bill, which also came under fire from Focus on the Family in an advertising campaign last week, roused Renfroe to pull out a Bible and thump it during debate Monday. After first establishing that God created Eve to be Adam’s “helper,” Renfroe explained why he opposed extending health care benefits to gay and lesbian partners of state employees."
Further skewing the Lord's will, Sen. Renfroe went on to compare homosexuals to murderers "I’m not saying (homosexuality) is the only sin that is out there. Obviously we have sin — we have murder, we have, we have all sorts of sin, we have adultery, and we don’t make laws making those legal, and we would never think to make murder legal. But what I’m saying that for is that all sin is equal".
After Prop 8 and the backing away from recalling "don't ask; don't tell" this kind of BS has got to stop before gays end up in detention camps. This is the 21st century and men and women of good conscience have got to step up and do something to put an end to this hatred of fellow Americans who pay taxes, serve silently in the military, prop up the economy and provide many services including hairdressers, interior decorators and even construction workers. Senator Renfro needs to be covered in an avalanche of outraged email and phone calls. Let's stop procrastinating and do something about this now. For God's sake.

SCOTT RENFROE
Colorado State Senator, District 13
Office Location: 200 E. Colfax
Denver, CO 80203
Capitol Phone: 303-866-4451
E-mail: scott.renfroe.senate@state.co.us