Looking a wee bit Haggard, are we?

I found the recent firing and scandal surrounding Rev. Ted Haggard rich, and worthy of comment. The headline read "I'm a deceiver and a liar" but left out the obvious end to that sentence "...smack me, you wicked, wicked boy!! Oooh harder! Pass the meth! OOooh!"

All joking aside (Well, not all joking. You've gotta afford me a few more jokes.) I wonder how many other right-wing Christian Republicans will come out of the closet this week.

I wonder how much self-hate you have to be filled with to behave like he has.

Haggard has been a staunch thorn in the side of same sex marriage, denoucing even same-sex relationships as immoral and wrong (not just denying them marriage).

I'll come right out and admit my initial thought was a wee bit of glee - of the "another one bites the dust" variety, but in the end I'm sad.

I'm sad someone be so filled with hate that they preach against their own sexual orientation? That he's been so ashamed of himself that he's lied about it (first he never met the guy, then maybe he had, then maybe some of what he said was true, but not all of it), and experimented with drugs and extra marital relationships, all the while using money and power and his "faith" to attack others in same sex relationships. The very relationships had on the side.

How sad that he's spent his whole life railing against his own sexual orientation, and worse, he's preached and made things worse for others who share it. As a gay (or bi, considering he had a wife and children) man he may not personally agree with same sex marriage, but how sad he's railed against it so that other same-sex couples can't get married.

Not least, I'm sad he's used his voice to preach hate of others, apparently speaking for a religion that last time I checked was based in loving thy neighour and not casting stones.

Finally, I'd bet it's causing a few people in the New Life Church and the National Evangelical Association to think back and realize why "Rev." Haggard was so eager to goto gay bars to "convert" people. No doubt he left with a whole new flock.

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Also, the good news floweth in the 'shwa. Not too long ago, I absolutely despised my job. It became known as the 7th circle of hell among my friends, and I dreaded going to work until I finally quit. (Best. Day. Ever. Can I mention now that as a small firm they've lost 5 lawyers in just over a year? Pretty good record, I'd say! It must still be the employees, not the people running the place! Nope, it has nothing to do with the way the partners run it, no siree!)

My sister, a recent nursing graduate, was finding lately that her first job at a hospital wasn't cutting it either. While it wasn't the 7th circle of hell Dante wrote about, it was, in her estimation the 5th circle of hell.

A few weeks ago she went to a job interview for a position she REALLY wanted, and that I happen to think would be wicked cool, amazing and wonderful. A wee bit of jealousy may be peeking through here, but, after weeks of wondering what happened and if she got the job she found out Friday that she'll be working with the healthy babies program close to where she lives. So there ya go! Nice goin' lainie! Hope this job involves no references to Dante or infernos. We're proud of ya in the 'shwa! ;)

Ok it's not my country...

...so I should probably butt out but I have NO IDEA how it is that people could have voted for this dude. I've racked my brain, over and over again and fail to see how same sex marriage isn't a human rights issue.

I just read an article that outlines how Bush states "Marriage cannot be cut off from its cultural, religious, and natural roots without weakening this good influence on society."

I don't know about you, but seeing boys holding hands or girls kissing doesn't want to make me throw rocks at windows or engage in criminal behaviour, so I fail to see how same sex relationships serve to weaken good influence on society. Heck, we've had same sex marriage in Canada for a while now and last time I looked out my window there wasn't chaos in the streets, no riots or lawlessness. Society seems just fine, thank you very much.

I am so sick of the Christian right thinking their interpretation of the bible is the only one. Last I heard God's message was one of love, not one of condemning it. I should also note that it was written in a time where women were regarded as inferior beings and slavery was entirely acceptable. Times change.

Sadly, apparently the baby eating Robo-Harper is hoping to be able to open the debate about same sex marriage in Parliament this fall. The issue's been determined by the courts as a human rights issue already, there's nothing to discuss Robo! Move on!

I have to say I'm a pretty proud Canadian. It's a bit of a joke that lots of Canadians define themselves by the differences between our country and other countries, which, almost by default means "not the US." This may have more to do with our inferiority complex than actual differences. I like that we tend to be more liberal than other countries (even if that may only be perception now).

Apparently, though, with the election of Steven Harper, one of the things I truly see as something which sets us apart from other countries may no longer be. Word from this article is that now, after allowing same sex marriage for some time (the first marriage was in 2001, but same sex marriage has been sanctioned nationally since this December of 2004), the new government, well known for its right wing "Christian" members, will now re-open the debate on same sex marriage this fall. The previous government put the question to the Supreme Court of Canada which held that the current definition of marriage involving a man and a woman was discriminatory in its exclusion of gay and lesbian couples.

I like the idea that Canada has same sex MARRIAGE and not the lesser cousin of "civil unions." It's ironically the fault of many of the same conservative party who outright refused years ago to have civil unions that we have same sex marriage now. Had they agreed to allow civil unions at the time (ie something "officially equal to marriage") then there likely would have never been same sex marriage because the civil unions would probably wouldn't have been labeled discriminatory by the courts.

I know "opening the debate up" doesn't mean that same-sex couples won't be allowed marry. In fact, from what I understand a free vote in Parliament would still likely pass. I guess what bothers me is the fact that my fellow Canadians object to same sex marriage. It's not that they aren't entitled to their opinions, but that I see the issue as being fairly one-sided: discrimination on the basis of who you love is not cool, and as a "progressive" society we shouldn't even have to debate that.

I had it pretty easy as a kid. One of the things that I think probably made it easier for me was that I happened to have liked boys, which is, I guess, what society expects girls to do. But, I'd like to think that if I liked girls that I would have still met with society's approval and been allowed to marry the person I loved.

The opening of this debate again really seems like a huge step backward. I can't help but see the current "debate" about same sex marriage in a historical context. It wasn't too long ago that women just didn't have the "fortitude" (or however it was described) to be in the workplace, or that visible minorities couldn't do as good a job as their pastier counterparts. To me the debate is the same, the only thing that's changed is the "target."

We're planning our wedding right now, and I think of gay and lesbian brides an grooms reading that article and wonder what it would be like to be planning a wedding, not only worried about the usual photographer, what to wear, and who to sit beside whom, but that after everything there would be no guarantee that your wedding will actually result in you being married.

I'm not sure what else to say, other than I hope that my fellow Canadians and Parliamentarians will think twice about sending us back in time to a place where discrimination is sanctioned by government.

My long overdue election comment

I can't believe Steven Harper is our new prime minister. Seriously.

I'll keep this brief because with a degree in poli sci I tend to foam at the mouth about politics.

I believe in a woman's right to choose. I think same sex marriage is long overdue. I believe that the way we treat the weakest in our society speaks volumes about our society. I don't believe the US was right to invade Iraq. I have a healthy respect for parliamentary politics and hate glib statements about "corrupt politicians." I like official bilingualism, and think we need to do better things for Canada's aboriginal communities. I like our multiculturalism and diverse immigrant population and think we can do more to help other nations in the throes of development. I don't believe tax breaks for the rich and corporations. I hate the glib "your taxes are too high" rhetoric. I like that if I get sick, I don't have to worry about whether my health insurance will cover it or not, and whether we'll go bankrupt if they don't. I think everyone should be entitled to the same excellent health care when they are sick.

So, I'm disappointed. Even if the election really turned into a referendum on the sponsorship inquiry, electing Harper was not the solution. It's a bit like cutting off your nose to spite your face, frankly.

So, now that they have been asked to form the government, I'm going to need stress relief. Like a kid, this for me will partially come in the form of making fun of our new leader. (see above picture and note how I cleverly put it on the right margin! hah!)

Click here to distort Harper's face in various directions.

Might as well laugh, right?

I've found a use for my fossil collection

I'm thinking about mailing my fossil collection from when I was a kid to this guy.
He's a conservative candidate running in the federal election in the riding of Ajax-Pickering.

You have GOT to watch the video here of him describing his proposed war on same sex marriage. Yeah because love is a bad thing. How horrible that some girls love girls and that some boys love boys! I'm really appalled. Yit yer pitchforks people, we're gonna have a war on love!

Note his comment about "the truth not getting in the way" of his views on same sex marriage and that the first humans were around 6000 years ago. Frightened? I am. I had no idea some people still subscribe to the Dr. John Lightfoot theory that the earth was created on October 23rd in the year 4004 BC at 9 AM, and even more frightening is people will probably vote for this dinosaur.