August 11, 2018

Do you ever just not get racism?

Super disclaimer: I'm a white gay male in his 30s

I got home from work early today. Did some grocery shopping and realized I forgot a lemon. My neighbor's complex has lemon and lime trees (California). So, I thought, "Ok, I'll nab something as required."

I have Muslim immigrant neighbors. Quite a few. And they're guarded as hell. I wave hello, they wave hello back, but our lives intersect not at all. I'm an openly gay male, have a party now and then, but I also listen to their gatherings as well. It's a balance. But I'm always trying to be cognizant of what will or will not make them comfortable. No leather orgies! (I kid).

I leave my front door open because I like fresh air. Their toddler wandered in one day. Must've gotten away from the parents. I entertained him until I could figure out where mom or dad was. They were decidedly panicked. No. Kiddo likes stuffed giraffes.

But, five days ago, their packages arrived at my house. I knocked and handed them over. They were closed, circumspect, suspicious of me. I got the feeling I was invading their space in some way. "Why do you have that?!" I left it alone.

But today, I was standing half in the street staring at the lemon tree, just trying to figure out what to use with brown rice. And my neighbor came out, "No, don't get that one. Get this one." And he told me how to tell what I should use and not. Then we got into cooking, and then we realized, we kind of like each other.

So, I am actually pretty happy. To make that cultural connection, to realize we're just people.

I don't get racism. I just don't. Why? I still struggle with that. We have so much to learn from each other. Why shut it down.

Meh. Musing. Sorry. Just a thought I've been having since.

August 3, 2018

CBS local in San Francisco is streaming Nia Wilson's funeral

Right now, a minister from the Nation of Islam is giving a very moving and righteous appeal against racism and the incompetence of BART and local government in combating violence.

https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/video/channel/327-live/

Nia was a young woman brutally murdered on a BART platform last week.

There was a very good New Yorker article about her death:

https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/the-very-american-killing-of-nia-wilson

This one speaks to me and hurts. I am white, but my partner is not. He travels back and forth on BART late at night often, and he stands on that platform several times a week.

BART violence seems to be getting worse over time.

That poor woman, her sister, and her family.

June 28, 2018

Something to give all of us thought

I was speaking with a friend. He was a Sanders supporter (I was, too). In the current environment, he feels heavily attacked. He's not anti-Democratic.But he said something a lot of us on the Left feel.

"I don't vote for Democrats because I love them. I vote for them to survive."

Are these the people that need endless bashing, reminding, talking to, or condescending to?

If you're answering yes, you're the force oppressing us.

Become human, empathetic beings. This is important.

June 22, 2018

I'm relieved we have a limit

We've all been greatly concerned about our country sliding towards fascism. One of the the things we ask is, "When is it too far?"

This week, I feel like we're seeing it. "Too far. This isn't us."

We have work ahead, and we haven't defeated our worst impulses, but it feels like this week, we're saying strongly, loudly, and collectively, "Too far, you fuckwit!"

Even he seems cowed.

I'm just glad we can still do that. We're not that far gone. Yet.

June 8, 2018

Crisis averted: How the Democrats avoided disaster in California

(CNN)It was painful getting there, but the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's strategy to intervene in the contentious and complicated primaries in California worked on Tuesday night and could be seen as an inflection point in the 2018 midterms should Democrats wrest control of the US House from Republicans in November.

The committee's decision to pick some Democrats over other Democrats and slam the GOP for, among many things, supporting Democratic policies stirred up liberal angst in the weeks ahead of the primary and had Republicans crying foul.

But as the dust settled on Wednesday morning, national Democratic operatives woke up -- in Washington, mostly -- confident they had scythed their way through the dense and chaotic California "jungle primary," a nonpartisan contest that advances the two leading vote-getters regardless of party affiliation, without losing any top prospects on the journey.

After months of worry and late pangs of panic, Democrats would be on the ballot in nearly all the state's 53 districts, news that is already breeding a new optimism for a fall House takeover as the general election season kicks off in the Golden State.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/06/politics/democrats-california-primary-crisis/index.html

The Cox bit is Villaraigosa's fault. He ran full asshole. Never run full asshole in a Democratic primary. I voted for him in the hopes of having two blues in the governor race, but he screwed up hard.

June 6, 2018

When progressives attack, S.F style

The mayoral race is hilarious to me. If you’re a progressive - very liberal compared to the party - Jane Kim was probably your person. Jay Leno was a safe liberal pick. London Breed was establishment all the time. So S.F. Has a ranking system. You get first choice and second choice.

So the liberal Left basically told Breed to go to hell. It’ll all wash out in November. But I’m amused. She politiciked very hard on her race and gender and intimated if you don’t vote for her, you’re an awful person.

Like this poor people you fucked over, London?

Shame about the Internet. It remembers everting.

Unrelated: didn’t realize Leno was gay. Had no idea. Voted for him based on research, friend reccomendations, and opinions here. So, happy bonus.

June 1, 2018

Do you leave the stove light on at night?

This has, very weirdly, become a hot topic among my friends and boyfriend.

While growing up, my parents always left the stove light on. We lived in a split level, but the single stove bulb cast just enough light throughout the house to leave an ambient light around for all your middle of the night adventures. I carried this with me into adulthood. When I go to bed, I turn everything off, but I leave the stove light on, just in case there's a bathroom needing out of the blue. The bulb cut out recently, and it felt so strange that my place was so very dark at night. It actively bothered me.

However, the boyfriend thinks this is super strange. He doesn't understand or relate to the wonder that is stove light.

So, I'm a bit curious. Is this just me, or do others know the miracle that is stove light?