Questioning?

THE HETEROSEXUALITY QUESTIONNAIRE

1. What do you think has caused you to be heterosexual?

2. When and how did you first decide you were a heterosexual?

3. Is it possible your heterosexuality stems from a neurotic fear of people of the same sex?

4. If you've never slept with a person of the same sex, how do you know you wouldn't prefer it?

5. Isn't it possible your heterosexuality is just a phase you may grow out of?

6. Isn't it possible that all you need is a good gay lover?

7. If heterosexuality is normal, why are a disproportionate number of mental patients heterosexual?

8. To who have you disclosed your heterosexual tendencies? How did they react?

9. Why do heterosexuals place so much emphasis on sex? Why are they so promiscuous?

10. Do heterosexuals hate and/or distrust others of their own sex? Is that what makes them heterosexual?

11. If you were to have children, would you want them to be heterosexual knowing the problems they'd face?

12. Your heterosexuality doesn't offend me as long as you don't try to force it on me. Why do you feel compelled to seduce others into your sexual orientation?

13. The great majority of child molesters are heterosexuals. Do you really consider it safe to expose your children to heterosexual teachers?

14. Why do you insist on being so obvious, and making a public spectacle of your heterosexuality? Can't you just be who you are and keep it quiet?

15. How can you ever hope to become a whole person if you limit yourself to a compulsive, exclusively heterosexual lifestyle, and remain unwilling to explore and develop your homosexual potential?

16. Heterosexuals are noted for assigning themselves and each other to narrowly restricted, stereotyped sex-roles. Why do you cling to such unhealthy role playing?

17. Even with all the societal support marriage receives, the divorce rate is spiraling. Why are there so few stable relationships among heterosexuals?

18. How could the human race survive if everyone were heterosexual like you, considering the menace of overpopulation?

19. There seem to be very few happy heterosexuals. Techniques have been developed that could help you change if you really wanted to. Have you considered trying psychotherapy or even aversion therapy?

20. Could you really trust a heterosexual therapist/counselor to be objective and unbiased? Don't you fear he/she might be inclined to influence you in the direction of his/her own preferences?

21. How can you enjoy a full, satisfying sexual experience or deep emotional rapport with a person of the opposite sex when the differences are so vast? How can a man understand what pleases a woman, or vice-versa?

Questionnaire attributed to Martin Rochlin, Ph.D., West Hollywood, CA.

The Right's Attack on Rationalism

http://www.doonesbury.com/strip/dailydose/index.html

Amazed by the brightly flaming insanity of the ltra right wing conspiracy "theorists", I keep waiting for someone to weave a large enough net to throw over these lunatics...anyway, Gary Trudeau had a pretty good run at them this morning...

Cool, FREE, Family-Friendly Things to Do in Austin

I just posted a rather lengthy response to a newcomer's inquiry on our neighborhood listserv, regarding free, family-friendly activities in Austin this summer. I thought I might just as well post it here too, FYI.

These are just two of who-knows-how-many free*, indoor (therefore air-conditioned!) activities that adults can enjoy as much as children would. (*Free admission, but you may have to pay to park if you drive there.)

First, and most obvious to me; if you're in Austin, don't overlook looking over the State Capitol building. It really is an impressive building, even more so on the inside, if you can just overlook the political B.S.

I posted a bit of neighborhood trivia (mentioned elsewhere on this blog); back in 1952, Bill Williamson (aka "Starmaker"), an original Crestview resident and metalsmith, designed and made the 8-foot wide metal star that crowns the inside of the Texas Capitol rotunda. He was paid $150.00 for the Star, and it's still up there..(way up there!)

Bill has a special tile with a big star and the title, "Starmaker", on the Wall of Welcome; I'll attach a picture. But definitely check the website carefully first to save yourself inevitable hassles re: parking, what you can and cannot bring inside, etc. IMPORTANT: They have nice, FREE tours.

Another possibility is the Texas Memorial Museum, located at 2400 Trinity Street, at the edge of the UT campus. It's a Natural History Museum with lots of things to interest all ages; also for free. Again, check the website to plan your visit, so you can find the museum and access public parking if you need it. (The public can't drive through some parts of the U.T. campus without the proper UT parking tag.)

My Letter to the Austin Chronicle

The Austin Chronicle's article began, "When it comes to historical figures worthy of study by Texas' schoolchildren, Cesar Chavez and Thurgood Marshall can go to the back of the bus. Sorry, but the good seats are reserved for Jesus and patriots. At least, that appears to be the view of some "experts" appointed by the State Board of Education to review K-12 social studies curriculum standards for possible revisions...."

So I had to pile on with the following letter to the editor:

"THE GREAT ASLEEPENING CONTINUES"

Dear Editor,

You know, it was bad enough when the Texas State Board of Education took Mel and Norma Gabler seriously, but how did these nutjobs manage to take over? [see "Social Studies ‘Experts’ Don’t Know Much About History,” News, July 24]

above, Mel and Norma Gabler, crusaders against evolution and accuracy in science and other textbooks. Where they left off, the Board of Education takes over...

I don’t believe that they actually reflect the values and interests of the majority of Texans, who want their tax dollars to go for real education, not for a religiously motivated denial of the facts of science and history.

One of these days, sane grownups in the conservative movement are going to have to grow a backbone, scrape off these wackjobs, and redefine themselves, and the first step would be to stop supporting Gov. Goodhair!

Between Rick Perry and the right wingnut “birthers” (who insist against all evidence to the contrary that President Obama wasn’t born in the U.S.), it’s clear that the conservative movement has literally gone insane. How else do you explain the popularity of clueless “post turtle” Sarah Palin? Baffling.

Sarah Palin RESIGNS

WTF? What happened? Sarah Palin had a press conference yesterday, and after a rambling, semi-coherent message (in which she often sounded uncharacteristically nervous), she announced breathlessly that she'll be resigning as Governor of Alaska, effective at the end of this month. No kidding. And since no questions were entertained, everybody's still sorta going "Uhhh... what??"

She tried to sound as if this was done for purely noble reasons, but in reality she sounded more like an errant student grasping for excuses. She claimed that she doesn't "need a title to effect change", but didn't seem to realize that being Governor isn't just a title, it's a freaking JOB, a job she campaigned for and swore to do. And her weird comment about "lame duck governors" spending their last year-and-a-half just "flying around picking up paychecks" was not only inaccurate but also grossly offensive to ALL Governors; not exactly getting off on the best foot with those 49 others, huh?

Anyway this was very unexpected, since everybody assumed that she was focused on a White House run in 2012. Still, knowing a bit about her history clears it up a little; she did quit college, including 2 community colleges, no less than 5 times before finally getting her degree from the easiest college she could find; University of Idaho. Maybe the problem was that her degree was in journalism, obviously difficult for someone who despises the press and interviews so intensely. Palin graduated from high school with a 2.2 GPA and an SAT score of 841, which put her in the 36th percentile; a stellar future flipping burgers loomed ahead.

So was this resignation some kind of half-assed strategy? Beats me, but ditching an elected gig halfway through doesn't usually help one's resume. Who would vote for her now, and why?
I give up; why did anyone ever vote for this flake?

She did say "Trust me", although she didn't wink, but still her supporters are spinning this development as a brilliant strategic ploy, and no doubt she will rake in tons of shopping money once she's free of the burden of holding office (especially after someone writes a book for her), but still most pundits are baffled, expecting another big, smelly shoe to drop that'll explain it all. (Maybe a sex tape with Todd and Rush? Kidding!)

I listened and reviewed her speech carefully, but honestly I never figured out exactly what she was trying to say about why she bailed. I don't think anybody did. I mean, I understood all the words, but it was a like a Stevie Nicks song with no melody; the phrases and images were catchy, but I really have no idea wtf she was talking about. Maybe this is something Alaskans understand, but this here Texan just don't git it.

Palin supporters are scrambling to rationalize this as great news, a brilliant move, because after all she did say "Trust me." and no doubt Fox will reward her with her own show if she wants it; maybe Rupert will even spin off an entire network for her; imagine, PalinVision, 24/7.

Regardless, for those of us who have delighted in Sarah Palin's undeniable unfitness for high office, this was a head-scratcher. We'd been COUNTING on the combination of her blind ambition and the cluelessness of her supporters to KEEP the Republicans out of the White House while our nation heals. But really this is probably just as good, if not better.

Personally, I'm betting that she had to resign in a breathless rush because of the ongoing investigations against the affairs of Sarah and her uber-rugged husband Todd; there are some infractions that even attractive but ethically-challenged nitwits can't dismiss as "trivial".

Granny Gets Tasered

Austin is in the national news for an unfortunate incident involving a woman who got tasered by a police officer after resisting arrest. This woman is 72 years old, as she pointed out several times. Apparently this gave her a dangerous sense of entitlement...

Here's the story: The dash cam video was rolling just after 2:00 p.m. on May 11 when Deputy Chris Bieze stopping the feisty Kathryn Winkfein for speeding on Hwy. 71, a notoriously dangerous road in Austin. Several people were killed on this hilly, winding road just last week. This occurred in a construction area with a clearly posted 45 mph speed limit.

Apparently the officer hadn't read the memo that 72-year-old ladies are exempt from all traffic laws...

After completing the paperwork for the ticket, the dash cam showed the officer returning to Winkfein's truck, but Winkfein refused to sign the speeding ticket.

"Take me to jail? I'm a 72-year-old woman," said Winkfein on the tape.

The deputy then opened the driver side door to arrest the great-grandmother.

"Give me the (bleep) ticket now. Oh you're [going to] push me, a 72-year-old woman," said Winkfein on the tape.

Bieze replied, "Get over here...Now!"

On the tape, the officer shoved Winkfein. The Constable's Office said the shove served as a way to get both Bieze and Winkfein out of oncoming traffic.

"Give it to me and I'll sign it … give it to me and I'll sign it," she says, apparently reaching for the ticket.

"Get over here now!" he screams, pushing her away.

"You're gonna shove me? You're gonna shove a 72-year-old woman?" she replies.

(Police claim the officer pushed Ms Winkfein to get her away from passing traffic; he didn't explain why he pushed her away fromthe roadway, but the dash cam showing the woman right at the edge of the lanes of traffic, supports his assertion.)

Deputy Beasey then warns he will use the Taser.

"(If ) you don't step back, you're going to be tased," he says.

"Go ahead, tase me! Hell, a 72-year-old woman," she replies.

"Get back, or you're going to be tasered," he repeats.

"I dare you," she says.

(Last Friday, Ms Winkfein told reporters she had not put up any resistance prior to being tasered.)

"I wasn't arguing … all of this is a lie, every bit of this is a lie," she said.

(She seems to be a personal expert on lies...)

In the dash cam footage, Ms Winkfein clearly defies the officer.

"I'm getting back in my car," she says.

(Watching this part of the footage, I figured she was going back to her car to get a gun...possibly the officer thought so, too)

Bieze is heard warning Winkfein, saying "Stand back, I'm [going to] tase you."

Winkfein: "You're going to tase a 72-year-old woman? Hell, I'm a 72-year-old woman!"

Officer Bieze is heard giving Winkfein no less than five warnings to stand back or else she would get tasered.

"Step back or you'll get tased," said Bieze.

Winkfein replied confidently, "I dare you!"

Before the video was released, Winkfein told her fictional side of the story, insisting that she "wasn't argumentative, I was not combative, OK? This is a lie, all of this is a lie. Pulled away from him, I did not," said Winkfein.

Winkfein hired an attorney and planned to get revenge, obviously based primarily on her age. THen the dash cam tape was released, and not surprisingly, she and her attorney have clammed up and declined all interview requests.

"There may be many viewers upset we deployed a taser but she made a very simple interaction with police a very difficult task," Sgt. Major. Gary Griffin, Texas Constable.
The sergeant pointed out that in this litigious society, if the deputy had not pushed the woman to the side of the road or tasered her to gain control of the situation, he could have faced a civil lawsuit for not preventing harm to the woman.

Well, gee whiz, everybody KNOWS that 72-year-old ladies drive soft fluffy cars that can't POSSIBLY hurt anyone, no matter how fast they're driven, especially though dangerous areas like Hwy.71.

Why, she should be able to drive 72 miles per hour wherever she wants to, even though school zones, or through your living room for that matter, because SHE'S 72-YEARS OLD! And everybody KNOWS that 72-year-old ladies automatically deserve a big old get-out-of-jail-free card, and that 72-year-old-ladies don't have to sign traffic tickets if they don't want to, or comply with police officer's directions, or do anything else they don't want to do, because THEY'RE 72-YEARS OLD! And they can't possibly hurt anyone by speeding through a construction area on a hilly, winding rural highway...

How DARE this officer even STOP a 72-year old woman! Why, he should be waterboarded at once, then drawn and quartered, his remains sued, and then fired! After all, this LOVELY woman warned the officer that she he was addressing a 72-year-old lady, but he insisted on treating her like anyone else, regardless of her age.

And just because he warned her clearly, no less then 5 times, and just because she said "I DARE YOU!", that doesn't mean that a 72-year-old lady should be held accountable for her behavior. Everybody knows that she should have been allowed to drive as fast as she wanted to, anywhere and anytime she chooses, because SHE'S FREAKING 72 YEARS OLD!

Seriously, thank goodness for the dash cam! As far is I'm concerned (and I'm getting pretty elderly myself), Kathyn Winkfein is a public menace who deserves everything she got. No WONDER her attorney wouldn't comment once the dash cam was released! And no wonder she hid and wouldn't open the door to the reporter she'd made an appointment with prior to the release of the dash cam tape. What a horrible example she set for the great-grandchildren she evoked during the confrontation. Personally, I hope she loses her license. She won't of course, but she really shouldn't be driving, since she is so certain that traffic and other laws don't apply to her because she's a 72 year old woman!

Go Vote Now- It Will Make You Feel Big and Strong

Early voting in Texas begins tomorrow, Monday, October 20th, 2008 and concludes on Halloween.

So get your voter registration card and get out there and vote! Click here for early voting locations in the Austin area.

Just remember - the problems we face will not be solved by the minds that created them...