Why Am I a Democrat?

I hate to admit it, but I voted for Bush in 2000. Then immediately regretted my vote when the whole Florida debacle went down. I felt it was a sign of things to come, and, IMO, I was right.

I don't vote on a single issue. I consider myself to be slightly left of middle of the road. Some would say I'm conservative because I believe individuals have the right to bear arms and that we should have a death penalty. But I do so with caveats. While we have the right to bear arms, I have no problem with extensive background checks to prevent the criminal class from purchasing them and when applying the death penalty, make sure you've got DNA evidence because killing an innocent person is wrong.

On the other side of the coin, I think we have an obligation as society to educate our children, to take care of the elderly and truly disabled, and to provide health care for all of our citizens. While I could never have one myself, I think that abortion should be a legal option for a woman who unexpectedly finds herself pregnant.

I also happen to think that every person in our country should have the same rights, regardless of sexual orientation and that the laws governing those rights should have no correlation with any religious belief. Maybe gay rights are the tipping point that makes me a Democrat. But to me, gay rights are just civil rights, and civil rights are rights that we all have. So, maybe civil rights are what actually make me a Democrat.

That's my two cents worth.

Summer Rain

There's nothing like a good thunderstorm in July.  Fireworks on the 4th don't compare to the lightening show in the clouds.  The thunder rolls and resonates, competing well with any bass booster on the planet. Then the air begins to cool.  And you know that in only minutes, there will be rain, possibly a downpour.

Couple this phenomenom with a night at the Muny and you have the makings of a fun walk back to the car.  The rain was coming down in sheets, running down my face, and getting in my eyes.  It tasted sweet and cool.  But the most fun was the puddles.  They formed quickly.  Those small oasis of fun that gather in the concrete just waiting to be jumped in.  So yes, after a wonderful performance that was cut oh so short, we had a grand time enjoying the show after the show.

Silly Putty

We're all just kids at heart.  I remember when I was a kid Ioved the Sunday funnies.  When I finished reading them, I would pull out the Silly Putty and transfer the cartoon images to it.  Then I would stretch the faces to make them even funnier than they were to start with.

I think we do that today with politicians.  They tend to say some outrageous things sometimes.  In an effort to understand what they were really trying to say, we start discussing them with people.  By the time we think we have it, we have really only managed to stretch what they said into what we are sure they really meant to say considering what they have said and done in the past.  I think it's time we start listening to what they actually say instead of what we think they meant to say.  Stop using mental Silly Putty.

By the way, I found what I call adult silly putty.  It's a version of a stress ball, comes in different colors, and is really fun.  It's sold by a company called Crazy Aaron's Putty World.

Late Night Discussions

No, this is not a post about Late Night with David Letterman.  It is, instead, a post about discussions after midnight over a beer.  My significant other works nights.  I work days.  It makes for some long stretches without much meaningful discussion.  So when we find the time in to talk, they are some of the best discussions.

Saturday night was one of those nights.  She got in about 12:30.  I had cold beer and the night was not too humid.  We took up residence on the back steps and just talked.  We would finish one beer and open another.  We didn't solve the problems of the world or discover a new galaxy.  But we did talk about life.  We made a plan for the planting bed in the front - our next big project.  We talked about moving to the country in a few years so we could see the stars.  We wondered what our kids would be like.  We wondered what our friends were doing.  You know, the stuff couples are supposed to talk about. And it was good.

St. Louis Pride

Anheuser-Busch has recently began forming Employee Resource Groups.  The first group to form was the GLBT and Friends group.  The members were able to come together and organize participation for this years parade.  About 20 employees and their friends were in attendance.  It was a really emotional experience for everyone.  At least one participant voiced that 20 years ago just admitting to being gay would have gotten us all fired.  Now we were representing our company for the whole community to see.  All I can say is, WOW.  AB, you've come a long way in a short time.  Thank you.

Jessie Helms dies on July 4th

Today we should all feel a little more free.  Jessie Helms died yesterday at the age of 86.  Senator Helms would have probably liked knowing that he passed away on our Independance Day.  In his warped way, the Senator believed that his view of freedom was correct.  Lucky for us, there are few still alive today who agree with his views.

Senator Helms saw the world through racist, Southern eyes.  He fought integration, gay rights, and believed completely in the cold war.  He wasn't afraid to go against his own party when he believed they were compromising too much with the left.  He will always be known as a conservative's conservative.

So, rest in peace Senator Helms.  And we will all rest a little more peacefully with one less bigot in this world to worry about.

Park Avenue Coffee

Tonight I'm sitting in a coffee shop reading the news and writing.  Since I upgraded to Vista, I've had trouble connecting in some coffee shops.  Apparently due to some glitch in Vista that prevents it from talking to XP. Leave it to Microsoft.  Anyway, I came in tonight just to see if I could get it to work, and voila!  It worked when I booted up.

So I'm having coffee, enjoying the sounds of my fellow man and people watching.  Some of my favorite things.  I've just finished a slice of Gooey Butter Cake.  If you're not from St. Louis, you can't understand the delectible goodness of a Gooey, but it truely a small slice of heaven.  And the best in town is at Park Avenue Coffee.  Enough of my commercialism.  Actually I just enjoy the ambiance of this place.  It's quirky and easy going.  Comfortable.