Friday, November 14, 2008

I told you it was coming (Prop 8 rant of all rants)

Allow me to graciously begin by yelling a big FUCK YOU VERY MUCH California. You have boldly told me that the unwavering love that I have for my girlfriend (partner,significant other, love of my life, whatever u want to respectfully call her) means jack shit to you. It doesn't matter that we've been together for almost four years. If I were a straight chick and wasn't married by now after four years of a relatinship, i'd be shitting bricks on somebody's forhead, stressed out from all of the straight magazines bombarding me with "101 Tips on How to Trick Him Into Marrying You and Living Happily Ever After!" But i'm not straight. I'm very gay. And California doesn't seem to mind stripping me of my personal rights as a working tax payer. California was quick to pimp slap the entire LGBT community on November 4th and made sure that we know MARRIAGE IS A SACRED BOND BETWEEN MAN AND WOMAN and us homo's should keep our scandalous ilk confined to dungeons and back alleys where all the pedophiles and AIDS infested condoms lurk. Because that's what we do right? We all molest children and have unprotected monkey sex until we pass out in drug induced comas. Yep. Us gay folk. We need much prayer. Much MUCH prayer from the likes of all the heteros who voted Yes on Prop 8. Because Lord knows that you all are perfect. With your white picket fence houses, elitist health care policies, fully stocked HGTV kitchens, Leave it To Beaver marriages and adorable 2.5 kids. All of you supporters of Prop 8 have never even been within five feet of say...DIVORCE. gasp! PRE-MARITAL SEX. shut your mouth! Alcohol/drug abuse. Potty mouth. Eating pork. Smoking cigarettes. Getting tattoos. Lusting after the new secretary in the office upstairs with the long hair and fake tits. Shacking up with the boyfriend or girlfriend for those years of unwedded bliss filled with hot arguments and porn-style sex. Telling that one little white lie to save your ass from getting fired/beat up/knocked out or dragged away. Nope. All prop 8 supporters live in non-glass houses and can cast as many stones as they'd like at us disgusting homo-heathens.

Give me a fucking break and then blow it out of your tight hipocritical asses. I am so over you. I don't care that you prop 8 supporters are too ignorant to see that consentual love between two sane (semi-sane) adults is never a hateful thing. I don't care that you all must be extremely insecure about your own marriages if you think that just because me and my girlfriend walk by that your wife is gonna "go gay" and leave your sorry ass. I mean, she might, cuz we are sexy as hell, but if you're that concerned then maybe you shouldn't have married. I don't care about YOU. But I will continue to voice my opinion for my rights. I do care about having the same protection and legalities binding our union. I do care about my partner being automatically viewed as the other mother of our children. I do care about all of that. And one day, when all you haters either get some sense or die, we will legally marry and live gayly ever after too. SO THERE!

So Obama won the election...now what?

November 4th has come and gone, creating waves of oceanic hues in states that historically have had absolutely nothing to do with blue, perhaps with the exception of worshipping Elvis' Blue Suede Shoes. Yes, North Carolina and Virginia, I truly am proud of you. The best contender won, the other guy is back in Arizona and unfortunately that woman (i'm tired of her name so I opt out of typing it) is slowly (very slooowly) making the trek back to her palatial igloo. Happy days are somewhere close by enough to be here again and most of us are ecstatic about it.

But what do we do now?

I, like, many others, have been painfully addicted to this potent 'blue magic' crack rock known as the 2008 election cycle. My name is Chanel, and i'm an election junkie. I wrote about it, argued over it, cried over it, got pissed throughout it, screamed for joy at the high points, pouted like a baby at the low points, and well...life has definitely made way for politics this year. It was like this never ending soap opera with these characters that you either hated from the pits of your soul or loved with all your heart. We all had our favorite moments, favorite catch-phrases, favorite irritating soundbites and most painful fall from grace moments. (John Edwards anyone?) And the media? HA! Talk about finding their personal cash cows. I've never watched as much CNN and MSNBC as I have over the past year and I doubt it will ever happen again. Why? Because that's all folks. Soap Opera cancelled. My favorite character won the Emmy and I can breathe easy.

So since the show's over, guess I can check myself into rehab and allow normal life to take over again....

Or, I can continue feeding this ever-growing need to be in the know of what's going on around me in the world that I live in. I can take advantage of my newfound interest in politics,maybe venturing into a community reform/service project here or there, and start making a difference somehow. Maybe I can start writing letters to my congressmen and legislature about causes that have become near and dear to my heart. (Please be prepared for a Prop 8 blog soon to come) Maybe I can brainstorm ideas to initiate some sense of unity and outreach within my community. Maybe I can revel in this idea that my little contributions really aren't all that little when considering that every major revolution had to begin with one single person...

Maybe this election cycle hasn't been so pointless afterall. I have work to do if i'm truly gonna do my part in making our society a better place to thrive in. I'm sure you do too. So let's get to it.

Friday, August 29, 2008

Senator McCain, I am not stupid

Dear John McCain

As I come down off my high fueled by my nominee's brilliant acceptance speech last night, I have to deal with being slapped in the face by you and your "strategic pick" of Palin as VP. I would just like to let you know how and why you have just made the biggest and most costly mistake of your poorly ran campaign.

Let me begin by asking you why you chose a woman, Senator? Was it out of respect? Admiration? A sincere passion to elect a woman into the White House?

Maybe your answer is yes to all of the above. But background checking and past actions of your disgusting misogynistic ways including an overall disregard of women's rights raise red flags all over the place for me, Senator.

Palin is not your gleam of hope for equality between women and men. She is not proof of your inherent desire to grant a woman power. Palin is not your testimony to what you bbelieve women CAN do. She is your shiny new token that you will now manipulate to cash in votes from what you still view as the weaker sex.

And I am disgusted by this. I am outraged by you. I am completely turned off to your entire platform (not as if I wasn't already), but now, Senator, it is personal. While I may have failed to see eye to eye with many Hillary supporters during the primaries, I am still a WOMAN and i refuse to sit back and tolerate you milking my counterparts dry who are still undecided between you and Barack. You are not an option. And your V.P pick does not dust you off and make you more appealing. While Palin may very well be intelligent and experienced...well one out of two isn't bad. So even though she may be intelligent, she is not enough. She can not erase your many mistakes or make up for your disasterous plans for our country. And WE will not be blinded by your pandering.

No way. No how. NO MCCAIN/PALIN.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Since when does Hillary speak for ALL women?

I never asked for her assistance on my behalf. Not one time. And I have a good reason for that.

I CAN SPEAK FOR MY DAMN SELF.

There's an article HEREthat suggests women are defending Hillary because

"she speaks for all women and should stay in the Democratic primary race to the bitter end."



This frame of thinking defies a large portion of logic for me.

Another significantly smaller portion of me can understand that yes, Hillary's campaign is extremely important and historic for a plethora of reasons. But this acknowledgment has been greatly tainted by the fact that her campaign has royally sucked...also for a plethora of reasons.

Now i'm not touting a tough feminist banner here or anything. But i'm not naive either. I know our struggle and I am fully aware of the societal issues that have caused severely disproportioned power & privilege to befall on the non-fairer sex, leaving women behind with a 90 degree uphill climb. I know the issues because i've lived through some of them, my mother has fought through many of them and my grandmother made it one of her points in life to tell me all of the strife she went through due to her gender. And i'm sorry to tell anyone who thinks so, but Barack Obama's presidential candidacy ain't one of these issues.

His bid has not in ANY form halted the woman's movement. If anything, it has strengthened it. Due to this primary season, I believe there are many women who now realize there are certain attributes WE DO NOT NEED NOR WANT in order to get ahead in the game. No disrespect to Senator Clinton, I know she has fought for many noble causes. I hope she continues to take such a strong stand. But as a woman who has never grown complacent in my own social/career/academic status, I know it's possible to make your point without lying, manipulating, scapegoating, finger-pointing, denying and race-baiting (or allowing others to do it for you).

Therefore, I take great offense to statements such as Hillary Clinton Speaks for ALL Women. I have my own voice. And I know it does not have to pattern after a certain candidate SOLELY because she's a woman also. That has never been the cause for women pioneers to fight for other causes.

Women should have the right to vote because we're women!
Women should be able to serve in the military because we're women!
Women should be able to attend any university of our choice because we're women!
Women should be able to start & run businesses because we're women!
Women should vote for Hillary because she's a woman!



Wrong. And stupid.

Women should be able to do all of the above and then some because we are equipped with the knowledge, the skills, the common sense, the integrity, the strength, the RIGHT JUDGEMENT, and the strong sense of character to get the job done.

I want a president who rides higher than gender, color or age. I will not place my vote for anyone on either of these characteristics. And I reject and denounce any woman who attempts to make me feel like a traitor simply because I have found my hope in Barack Obama.

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

I try REALLY hard to get along with Hillary supporters

Honestly, I do. If i encounter them on the street and someone stops to ask about my Obama button (happened twice), and then proceed to tell me why they LOVE LOVE LOVE Hillary....I listen. I listen and smile and nod. Because i'm just as passionate about MY candidate, whom by the way, showed out last night. I have never once cut off a Hillary supporter in rude disregard. I am more than aware that to win this thing in November, we need ALL of the dems. Not just staunch Obama backers. We need the support of those who preferred Clinton but will have the insight and the common sense to support Barack once he gets the nomination. So i'm ready to be in FULL kiss and make up mode.

Until I read crap like this.

I'm one of the many Clinton supporters who won't vote for Obama if he's the nominee. I'd be tempted to vote for McCain except for the judges issue, therefore I'd likely stay home. People don't get that the reason so many Clinton supporters won't vote for Obama is because they don't think he's ready to be president. Personally I don't think he's got the mental fortitude for the job, that he'd be another George Bush who just frays at the seams. The stress of the presidency requires fortitude: mental, physical and spiritual, and I think Obama's lacking on more than one front.
And this is not over. Black voters didn't take Obama for granted but women voters failed Clinton. I think women may be waking up to this fact, hopefully in time to make a difference.
Posted on HuffingtonPost Read it HERE

It's this crock of ish that gets under my skin and makes it a tad bit harder for me to grin and bear it. I understand that ignorance is running rampant during silly season. I get it. But dammit my tolerance level for those who can form there lips to compare Obama to the absentee status of George Bush's mental fortitude is slim to NONE. Not only is it evident just in LOOKING at both of them who is the intellect and who is the air bubble, but the history of judgment and effectiveness while in political office speaks on its own. And as far as the "mental frays" and stress of the Presidency being beyond Obama's grasp, spare me on that one too. All I have to say is Wright, Muslim, Wright, Un-patriotic, Delusional hope-mongrel and Wright. Through all of the vetting and attempted slander, Barack Obama is still standing and his campaign is stronger than ever.

So please Hillary supporters. I'm trying. I want to work with you. I want to help dispel the anger, hurt and every other negative feeling that these primaries have encouraged for BOTH camps. But you have to give me something to work with. If you're gonna voice your opinion against Barack, please let it be of sound judgment and preferably containing FACTS, and I will listen and try to sort everything out. But all other tyrannical, idiotic rants will get you dismissed as someone who truly doesn't care about the democratic party in the long run and would rather vote McCain by not voting at all.

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

I Couldn't stop her from KILLING herself

So this is what i would say to her if i ever had another chance...

Dear Yajaira,

Yea it's me. Long time no hear from, i know. But umm...it's not like u left me many ways to get in contact with u. Actually u didnt leave me ANY open lines of communication at all. And for that, I hate you.
Yea yea, hate is a strong word. Whatever. Grandma taught us both that. "Mijitas u should never hate because it takes up too much space in those hearts of yours and u need it to love su abuela as much as i love you!" Lol. That's what she use to say. And i've been good at taking her advice, for the most part. But this....Jaira....this is trying my patience.
I feel like u copped out. Like u wanted to have the last laugh. Make the largest last impression u could have ever made. Go out with a bang. You always were an attention junkie. (pot callin the kettle black huh?) Well....u got what u wanted. And i lost my "favorite" cousin in the process.
But hey...it's not about me, is it? It wasn't about me when i stayed up ALL nite, time and time again worried out of my damn mind because u called me at 2:47am and left a 5 mintue voicemail about how tired u were of living and u just didnt have the energy to go through all the shit life served u. U did that to me about 10 times. Each time i took u seriously & verbally held u together, kept u from crumbling beneath the weight put on your shoulders since birth. Each time u snapped back into your senses. Until the very last time....
Or maybe I dont really hate you. Maybe i hate myself for not saying the right fuckin words this time. What SHOULD i have said? I thought after being the only loyal person in your life for 21yrs that i had already said it all. I guess not. And I'm supposed to be the one who is so good with my words. Everyone knows that. Need a pep talk? Call Chanel. Need some advice? Call Chanel. Need to know how to PROPERLY curse a bitch out? Call Chanel. Need a line to help get u sum ass? Call Chanel. Need to be talked out of killing yourself? Dont ever call me because thats one of the few things I failed at and horribly.
You said (and this is a direct quote so dont even play me because u KNOW u said it) "Chanel dont ever let these females break u because put US together and u have sum of the strongest FIGHT in the world." And i laughed and called u a damn fool. But i agreed. Now....i no longer agree. Where did that fight go? I still have it. Actually, i think u somehow willed me the rest of yours because i swear my "fight" has gotten even more vicious. Lol. Good or bad thing?? Who knows. But your fight flew out the window Yajaira. The day u let that sorry ass pathetic piece of trifling shit beat the hell out of you, broke u internally, scarred you externally, and then blew out that flame in your eyes that everyone admired......You threw in the towel.
And now i can't even think about u for long periods of time because i use to see so much of myself in u. Raised more like sisters than cousins. So how did u end up where u ended? I am quick to say "Hell no. Never me. I'll never take my own life. When i die, it will be an act of God or my mother." lol. But really....just how strong am i? If u did it...who am i to say i could NEVER stoop that low? Because that's what happened. You were already down. And u let her come in and place her foot on your throat and KEPT you down....so low that u gave up hope of ever getting back up again. Well Yajaira. I would have bent over backwards 52 times to pick u back up again. So why wasn't I an option?? I had been there for u through soooo many of your trials and tribulations. What took me out of the running this one final time? I guess i'll never know. But just in case , by some magical prayer, that u CAN come back....remember...your blood still coarses through my veins and vice versa. What i have that YOU need...is yours. So...i still have a dose of "Fight" tucked away just for you. Whenever you're ready....

Love, Chanel

Friday, February 29, 2008

So who won the Oscar, Obama or Clinton??

"Nothing puts a smile on the lips or a lift in the footsteps of reporters and pundits like a story brimming with big names, powerful people, Hollywood glitter and some major feuding," Clarence Page [ Syndicated Columnist ]

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2007/02/clinton_obamas_oscarworthy_dra.html

Exactly. This 08 primary election cycle has been more dramatic than ANYthing u can find on Lifetime. So who would take the cake in a Oscar Category for Most Dramatic Candidate?

Key Questions to ponder:

*Who has done the most whining?
*Who has done the most yelling?
*Who has done the most subtle lying? (lol)
*Who has given the cameras their most "classic" shots?

Judge for yourself


No words in the English dictionary can properly explain this look.


Ohhhhh the drama


Dr Seuss???...Is that you?


I call this one his "To Kill A Mockingbird" look. Kinda reminds me of a black Atticus Finch. lol.


Damn! That bad huh??


Really Barack?? Woww. Feelin yourself a lil, huh?


"Heyyy how did THAT get down there!??"


What the f&^* ?? Okay, so i'm not tryin to be biased but there aren't that many bad pics of Obama out there. Obviously. Which is why people feel the need to do bad photoshop jobs.


Okay so i don't condone calling the woman a bitch so please forget the caption, but LOOK at that little girls face!!!!! lmaooooooo


So he's been a ham since birth.


HOLD UP now! U betta work it girl! lol (seriously tho)


"If you even THINK about seating those Florida delegates...."


Umm...no caption needed


Oooo deep, Barack, deep. He's summoning his inner Denzel


"I thought I told u to sit yo ass down"


A little pillow talk later??? (eww)


LMFAOOO (omg i can't breathe!)

The 'N' Word in Politics....

"So maybe the H-word is more like the N-word: you can say it, but only if you are an initiate. Blacks can use the N-word; Obama supporters can use the H-word."- NATHAN THORNBURGH (TIME Reporter)http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20080229/us_time/whyisobamasmiddlenametaboo

Oh yea....I'm all over this one.

~Key Questions to pose:

*When did the African-American race admit to embracing the 'N' word? (maybe I missed the memo)

*Who made 'Hussein' so taboo? and for WHAT?

*Is this guy really trying to make me swallow this garbage?

*An "Initiate"? As in the 1st to use/or propose it? Ummm....I'm all confused here.

Now, to begin, allow me to pardon myself for any harsh offenses anyone might take from this (my first:-) post. I am a democrat and i love my political party as much as the next democrat BUT i'm a little tired of the dramatics of this entire Democratic Nominee free-for-all. And when I see things in the media such as the above hogwash, I get even more antsy for it all to just be OVER. I feel like picketing or something.

"HELL NO WE WONT GO for 3 more months of this damn race when OBVIOUSLY the people have spoken and SOMEONE needs to bow out gracefully"

That's what my large banner would say. Hey I'm a bay-area girl. Close to Berkeley. U know we love to protest.

Anyway...so yea. Onto the questions I posed. So this reporter guy, Thornburgh, has suggested that Barack's middle name (Hussein, for those of you who might live at the bottom of the sea) is equally 'off-limits' to some as the 'N' word is. (I hate that term by the way. What am I, 4 ? The 'F' word. The'B' word. The 'N' word. Blah.) If Thornburgh was sitting in front of me right now, first I'd dare him to say that dreadful, awful 'N' word to me (just to watch him sweat), then I'd give him my own personal dose of a reality check. And it goes a little sumthin like this:

Senator Obama's middle name is just that, a name. Given to him at birth by a young and no doubt heavily sedated mother who probably thought the name had a certain ummph to it. (i won't question her judgment here ONLY because she's not around to answer it, God rest her soul) Barack did not grow up and adopt the name for his devious alter-ego who preys on white women and the rest of America's "precious goods". He did not ask for it. He did not hope, wish and pray for Saddam Hussein's namesake because he thought he was a really cool guy. The name just HAPPENED. And while he was innocently teased about it throughout his childhood, unfortunately in his adult public life, it's biting a healthy chunk out of his ass.

Now let's look at the 'N' word. God, I can't do it any more. (DISCLAIMER:to all the sensitive self-righteous people, look away from your screen cuz i'm about to let it rip) Let's examine the word Nigger. The 1st documented use of nigger in its current form was during the Revolutionary War. A long ass time ago. And it has stood the test of time as being one of the most vile, vindictive, evil and degrading words forced upon the black race in attempts to "keep em in their place" and impose feelings of inferiority. WE did not "initiate" the use of the term. WE did not say yessir, please trash my name given to me at birth and call me Nigger cuz that's what I is! In recent years, certain subcultures of our society have remixed the word, dropped the -er, threw in the letter -a and BAM!!! it's a term of endearment. *yawn* Miss me with that one because I will NEVER refer to myself or anyone else, friend or foe, as a nigga, nigger, niggo, niggy, niggette, or any other variation. For myself, the word is still a granade waiting to go off, it still symbolizes the despicable nature of human society at its worse and it still undercuts the growth blacks have made in EVERY aspect.

So, going back to Senator Obama's middle name and attempting to compare it to Nigger....ummm [ trying really hard here].... not seeing equal playing fields in the slightest. That knocks out Thornburgh's point that the 2 words may equally evoke as much anger, resentment and need for defense. I dont buy it. It could be giftwrapped, lined with 20 dollar bills and on clearance at Macy's and i still wouldn't buy it.

Who what when where and why is Barack's middle name on trial? And who what when where and why did reporter guy Thornburgh think it was relevant to compare & contrast the man's name to a racial slur? WHY you ask? Because he's a journalist. The media gets an A+++ for finding the pettiest, most ludicrous, marginal points of interest for the world to ignorantly salivate over. Yes, i blame us, the people, as well. Because if we all had enough common sense, we would sit back and think u know what, the guy didn't name himself and if he doesn't have a problem with his name, why the hell should I? I mean, some of us are walking around with some God-awful names ourselves and dont have to go through public crucifixion. I just find it sad that amid an election which will hopefully appoint someone who has the opportunity to re-route the road to hell that the U.S. is travelling on right now.... all media, republicans and other gullible losers have to do with their spare time is pick apart a NAME. Lord help this country cuz they all need to GET A LIFE & a hobby and move on.

[ I reserve the right to my own opinions, verbage, slants, biases and feelings because...well, I wrote it! ]