Sports Idiot of the Week

Professional athletes and officials are an intellectually and politically diverse group of folks, just like the general population. The news has covered arch-Conservatives like Tim Tebow and Tim  Thomas, anti-homophobia spokesmen Brian Burke and Henrik Lundqvist, and the career of centrist goalie-attorney-author-member of Parliament Ken Dryden. Hall of Fame NHLer Peter Stastny is a career politician now, and Slovak countryman Zdeno Chara is also active when not leveling opponents. Folks like these may seem to be the minority of jocks, but they really are not, and the news media loves to get a quip from those who have attained the spotlight, regardless of whether it is profound or profane.

Enter boxing champion, musician, and Filipino congressman Manny Pacquiao.

It's no secret that PacMan's politics are shaped by his very literal adherence to Roman Catholic doctrine. His election was cemented on his hard-right views which have made him a darling of not only Filipino(a) Conservatives, but Spanish and American ones as well. Because he is not shy about his views, right-wing media outlets seek out the boxer as a source of inspiration; proof that you can be at the top of the sports world while championing conservative causes.

While most people know what to expect from the man who is currently on the anti end in the Phillipines' Reproductive Bill, his interview with the unabashedly racist, sexist, and homophobic National Conservative Examiner was destined to shock.

In a piece aimed at Barack Obama, the boxer spoke out against gay marriage to be sure, but also offered this direct quote from scripture that has caused reactions ranging from applause to revulsion.

In the piece he quoted Leviticus 20:13 verbatim, which reads as follows

"If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads."


and then added his further opinion

God only expects man and woman to be together and to be legally married, only if they so are in love with each other. It should not be of the same sex so as to adulterate the altar of matrimony, like in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah of Old.

Now, Pacquiao is not the first person to promote hatred of gays based on a book written over millenia by 70-odd different cave-dwellers and nomads. He's not even the first pro athlete to do it. However, what is different is the fact that it is a more modern era, and moreover, he stated the quote in such a way that one is led to believe that he really wants people not of his orientation to die. As in no longer living and creeping him and God out.

Because they always do such things, I expect the famewhores over at GLAAD to be all over this story, demanding an apology. But wouldn't any such entreaty be such an obviously artificial attempt for Pacquiao to save his massive endorsements from the likes of Hennessy and Hewlett-Packard?I don't actually expect the jerk to offer an apology, but if he did, it would be as much of a lie as the marital fidelity he claims to want to protect. (It's well-known that he's had a very public extramarital affair)

Pacquiao expects Obama and everyone else to read and obey Biblical law init's many contradictions when he is wearing proof that he doesn't himself. He's a guy who makes millions giving other people irreversible brain damage and promoting hard liquor, but moreover, he does it all while showing the world that he is violating Leviticus 19:28. You see, according do the book that Pac-Man holds so dear, possessing his variety of tattoos is as fatal of an abomination as sleeping with a dude. And not only does the boxer possess several tattoos, he even owns a tattoo shop in L.A. Talk about picking and choosing your commandments.

Needless to say, Many Pacquiao's obvious inability to read and comprehend the book that he uses to promote the death of other men while he flouts the rules himself  is what makes him a hypocrite and the sports idiot of the week.

Screaming Thoughts

Today, this pastel sold for US$119.9 million today, which is higher than the entire GDP of the Falkland Islands and Niue combined. The work is one of 4 pieces created in 1895 by Edvard Munch, but the first one to land in private hands. And it certainly speaks to me.

If I was a rich bastard with a big Koch-sized bank account, I would be all over this. I would buy this and travel all over the world with it. I'd even (gasp!) let children near it and maybe even let folks take pictures. And when I'd be all old and dry, I'd donate it to the Art Gallery of Ontario, the magical place where I got to see King Tut's sarcophagus when I was very small.
**Sidebar: After viewing the exhibit, I would draw plans for ancient city layouts and imagine myself as the monarch and whatnot. I'm sure that most 5-year-old kids would be freaked out by seeing a dude's coffin, but it was the beginning of yet another new obsession for me.***

 Regardless of whether it is a burial shroud or a poem about a beloved pet, art stirs the psyche in ways that too few children nowadays are permitted to experience. Today is so literal and finite; it's about numbers and goals and achievements and having parents live vicariously through their offspring.

But kids need to express themselves and to see another's masterpiece is to potentially think and feel a message, be it the artist's or the interpretation. That 3 minutes staring at a man or society's greatest accomplishment is a moment of freedom from all of the daily mental noise that too few of us are permitted to enjoy and I think kids should be able to have a piece of that serenity.

In the absence of the billions I would like to spend bringing children the joy of viewing art, I wish for all of you to take a bit of art time with your own kids. Take the kid to a play, or a museum or gallery for sure, but also don't value the ability to throw a football over that which fosters the imagination required to create new plays. Permit your little human to enjoy their own thoughts, goofing off, dressing up, painting, and whatever moves them without criticizing them for it. Let kids be kids; for them, everything is art, whether they're drawing a statistical grid (okay, that was me) or painting the Arc de Triomphe. Fantasy is reality in the growing mind. Actually, adults could use a little as well.

Also, I painted this. See, art is for everyone, even this old math geek.

Octo-Thoughts and Things

So it seems that Ms. Nadya Suleman is in danger of bankruptcy, owing nearly $1 million on her home and other debts. Thusly, she has decided to do what she claimed she would avoid, and will star in an adult film.

The mum of 14 will grace the creepy screen in a starring role, with various hypothetical scenarios being bandied about the interwebs, the most reliable sources stating that she will wank for the world in an attempt to stave off foreclosure and provide for her enormous brood.

My first thought when I heard about this plot was "Who would watch THIS?", but in reality a lot of people really would. Let's face it, Ms. Suleman is not a bad looking multiple mama, and some people may even see her as a modern kind of fertility goddess.

My next reaction was "What about the CHILDREN??!!!" Well, what about them? Sure, some are old enough to be aware of what mum is doing, but they've been part of a sideshow before. Besides, isn't it just a tad sexist to freak out about Octomum but have a reality show starring a single-dad gonzo anal performer? (Family Business) If this were a dad of 14, it would be no big deal, in fact it wouldn't even be news.

And, with reference to the kids, isn't it far more responsible in our welfare-shaming eyes for Nadya Suleman to support her kids? It actually seems kind of honourable that she is doing what she can to avoid the taxpayer teat, even if it means showing her own. I actually admire her for stepping up to the plate, even if it seems to be a little delayed.

So, here's it in a nutshell. This woman will probably make decent coin for showing off her netherregions, and she's an adult. And I have no problem with her or anyone else selling sex, even if the concept doesn't personally appeal to me. Right now, whether in pornography, in a brothel, or under a desk, you can be absolutely certain that somewhere in the world, someone is selling sex, and hopefully they're enjoying it. Every moment of every day, there are fathers and mothers who are getting paid to get laid, mind you most will not become famous for their time.

 It's a dog-eat-dog, capitalist, voyeuristic world in which an entire family (the Kardashian-Jenner clan) can become fabulously wealthy because one member can give a perfect blowjob, and if Nadya Suleman so desires, she can line up for her slice of the perverse pie served to the peculiarities that become the world's most well-known sex workers.

Please stand by.

WTBlue F*ck Of The Weak

TW: Child abuse, transphobia, homophobia, religious abuse, misogyny, very wrong things

In one week, there will be a ballot measure that will edit North Carolina's constitution if passed. Amendment One states that marriage shall be the union of one man and one woman, but will also ban previously allowable domestic partnerships. North Carolina, being the liberal hotbed that it is, has already banned same-sex unions, but this will ban many heterosexual partnerships as well as cement No Homo in the annals of time.

One of the self-proclaimed couples promoting the ban on all marriages not "holy", is Sean and Pam Harris, he the senior pastor of Berean Baptist Church in Fayetteville, and she the dutiful (and usually) silent half of the partnership unequal-but-perfect-in-the-image-of-god duo.

Being the MAN of the house, Mr. Harris believes he knows what to do about non gender-conforming kids. And being one such kid, I do have an idea of exactly what he's talking about, but these are current and future children that will bear the pain of his vicious insecurities. The following will be painful to hear if you have a shred of humanity. If you're one of the new GOP who parrot the party's radical right ideology, you'll adore it.

This is what is wrong with the state of affairs in the United States and many other parts of the Western world in under 2 minutes. When religion, and the most extreme interpretations thereof, have a chance to affect state or federal constitutions, liberty loses.

This Space For Rant

I am burned out and beginning to have a very real total mental meltdown. I just cannot escape what has become of my life. And I know that it doesn't fucking matter to anyone save for the people who are slowly and painfully asphyxiating me, and to them it is only a concern because they won't be able to use me for their needs.

So, what the Hell do I mean?

Let's begin with the average day; actually, let's use today as an example of what an easy day is.

Today, I was woke from my slumber by a knock on the door. It wasn't the first time, though, since I was up all night because of the partying pothead kids in 108 and the guy who is always running a Sawzall in the middle of the night in 104. Luckily, I didn't get 52 drunk texts from this woman who always wants a cigarette/joint/food/sex/whatever, but let's just say that it's the norm.

Okay, so back to the knock. It was my neighbour and he had Silent Sam for breakfast for the 40th YEAR in a row. He wanted rolling papers, which I generally do not have. This would be a petit irritation, save for the fact that he has made the SAME BLOODY REQUEST EACH AND EVERY DAY for the last several consecutive months. Yes, I'm serious. Luckily, unlike most days, he did not proceed to pour himself a shot of Vitamin V, sit down, and bitch in his Russian/Polish/English hybrid about how everyone in the building is a teutonic buffoon.

Next, we have another one. "Are you busy?". I respond that I have to call my endocrinologist, research things, pick up a prescription, mail parcels, and possibly eat. He sticks around anyways for about an hour.

Following this, we have another person, who is in clear mental distress. I usually receive 2 to 3 of these individuals per day, despite the fact that I am not a psychiatrist or even anything remotely close to one. He proceeds to park himself and repeat his depressing tale for hours. I have still not called Dr. Moldoveanu, nor consumed any calories thus far, but still listen patiently because I don't want this kid to think I don't care.

I eventually assert myself so I can have a shower and a bite to eat. It was the second time I had done so, but he finally did leave to phone the psych nurse I had referred him to hours before. It is now after 3 in the afternoon. As I step out of the shower, another knock. It's distressed boy again. My door is locked but he stands there until barely-clothed me answers. He proceeds to usher himself in and begins speaking, all while it is obvious that I am trying to clothe and groom myself suitably for exiting my domicile. Repeat of earlier occurs. It is now 4:05.

I arrive at the pharmacy to discover that they will not give me syringes without an additional scrip. This is fine, the pharmacist seems fresh out of school and I understand where he's coming from. The problem: it is now 4:35 and I can't get to a clinic, so I have to wait until tomorrow to get my shot. Bloody lovely.

I arrive at my building and a drunk guy shouts out that he needs to speak to me, but I procrastinate on that for a bit. He was drunk and I apparently had new stressors to encounter. I call my mum from the payphone to request that she return my cellphone, which I loaned her for a trip on Friday. My stepdad answers, and like every other day of his life, he is heavily intoxicated. While waiting for my mum to pick up, he makes a bunch of snide comments, and I'll admit that I kind of lost it on my mum. I'm plumb tired of him and she knows this, besides, she's also drunk and cannot return the phone, nor is her place safe for me to go to because her husband is a violent bastard who loves to try to beat on me when he knows Elaine won't remember.

I did lose my shit a bit after this, mainly at the social worker/babysitter whose actual JOB it is to listen to the troubles of all of the dipshits who bang down my door. She doesn't seem to comprehend this fact, so I leave. As I'm leaving, I am encountered by distressed boy, who wants someone to go walk and listen to him again. Regrettably, I had to decline due to the fact that I am near tears. Between today and the numerous months of multiple daily drunks, depressives, schizophrenics, nymphomaniacs, online bullies, junkies, and mooches,  I have just about cooked my cerebral contents.

Then, Drunk Yeller appears and decides to tell me about how much he thinks of me (which is positive, I think) repeatedly and begins a yarn about his Costa Rican drug operations in the early 80s and his time in the various penal institutions he's occupied. It's just as boring as it sounds, so I'll leave it at that. I have obviously escaped, since I am now typing this, albeit with some tentativeness due to the probability of new annoyances. Oh, I've also managed to get absolutely zero work done today.

The fact is, that while I'm dealing with everyone else's everything, I still have my own stresses. I have an alcoholic idiot stepdad and an enabling mother, a dad that I have no idea how to communicate with because he was an addict for the first 34 years of my life, work I have to do, work I want to do, friends, dreams,  and a fucking life, dammit. Oh yes, I'm also physically disabled, mentally ill, and transitioning. I may just have a bit on my plate as well, and it usually isn't edible.

But nobody really gives a flying fuck about any of this because they are suffering. My door is knocked on at all hours by all manner of people, usually drunk, in a massive meltdown, or both; expecting help from me because the social health system has let them down. Each and every one of them need to feel like someone cares, and I really do, albeit probably too much. It's really difficult for me to say no to everyone, or even one individual, but I'm exhausted and it's taking its toll on me in a vast variety of ways. I always look tired, I'm becoming physically worn down, I'm getting depressed, my eating patterns are going to shit, and my creativity has gone to Mars. My boss thinks I'm this brilliant person, but I'm starting to loathe exiting my bed because of the inevitable...

..."Hey, can I have a minute?"

21 Junk Heap

I'm a cat who was raised in the 80s, and as such I was exposed to a gritty drama called 21 Jump Street. The series tackled some of the tough issues like abortion and abuse and featured a cast of young-looking characters, making Johnny Depp into a Tiger Beat staple.

Now, 20-odd years down the road, Hollyweird is doing what it always does, turning a great series into a film, except this time Jump Street is a ridiculous frathouse-style comedy. It stars Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill because they're hot right now, and I can see from the various trailers that this is going to suck on so many levels.

On a superficial level, Tatum and Hill are far too old for the parts they're playing. They both have noticeably thick 5 o'clock shadows that teenagers simply do not possess in addition to facial wear and lines. These facts alone bring the believability factor down to near zero, but there are tons of other issues with this trailer alone.

Next on, we have the police narrative. While the dumb cop plotline has been played to death, these 2 bozos take it to a new level, doing about 500 things that no officer of the law simply could do, but hey, its premise is stupid, so oh well. I'll even forget the fact that you don't have to actually read someone the Miranda Rights until they are actually questioned and not on arrest, as is stated in this flick.

My major problem comes at 3:35 below. You'll notice that the word autistic is used as an insult, much in the way that some ignorant jerk may use retarded. While the original series may have dealt with an autistic character in a plotline, the usage in this film is simply inexcusable.

There are numerous conditions on the autism spectrum and this jab insults a whole load of people and their families. The writers knew that they couldn't use the "r" word, so they tossed in the name of another condition as a synonym and thought nobody would notice. Well I noticed, and I'm not wasting 10 dollars to be insulted.

Fuck you MGM for taking an emotional, groundbreaking series and turning it into yet another unrealistic, trashy affront to comedy.

Warning: This trailer contains tons of NSFW language and pot shots at a few marginalized groups. Watch with this in mind.

Spy Vs. Spy : Who Cured The Leprosy?

This is a common image of Jesus of Nazareth. While there is much argument as to whether or not said man/deity did exist, faithful believe that he healed 10 random lepers of their disfiguring disease, sending a message of tolerance to the Middle East. Since this event is alleged to have occurred over 1900 years prior to the discovery of drugs to rid the body of the leprosy bacilli, it is not possible for it to have happened, but it's a real feel-good story and millions of people use it daily to make them better people.

Regardless of the verisimilitude of the Christ story, most people in the Western world have certainly heard of the guy.

This grandfatherly gentleman is 98 year old doctor and super-scientist Jacinto Convit. For 75 years, he has worked in developing vaccines and cures for some of the world's most dreaded diseases. Dr. Convit was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1988 for developing a vaccine to fight leprosy. He is also regarded as the man who developed the cure for the awful disease, saving the livelihoods of a great number of people worldwide and providing very real hope where there previously was none. Combined, his treatments have caused the number of new leprosy infections to drop at a rate of approximately 20% per annum. Additionally, his research was the basis for the vaccine against Leishmaniasis.

He currently leads a team at Vargas Hospital in Venezuela that is working on a vaccine to combat stomach, breast, and colon cancer. The therapeutic vaccine combines a tumor sample with BCG and formalin with the idea that the body will recognize the invasive cells when it previously could not, triggering an immune response  that attacks the malignancy. While still in early stages, this therapy has very few side effects and will hopefully replace chemotherapy, becoming a real cure for a disease which has claimed millions.

There is no disputing the fact that Dr. Jacinto Convit has altered the lives of so many people around the world, with his work continuing to live on long after he does, provided that he doesn't cure dying of old age. A curious science geek can find hundreds of research papers and millions of words that all come from the mind of this brilliant gentleman, and the folks who work with him on a daily basis will attest to the fact that Jacinto Convit Garcia is very much a living human being despite the fact that his accomplishments may seem legendary.

Even though he has truly altered the course of medicine, very few people outside of the medical research field have ever heard of Jacinto Convit.

What's wrong with this picture?